Patent ID: 7270136

Claim:
An apparatus for cleaning the edge of a wafer, comprising: a cleaning agent storage tank for storing a highly pressurized cleaning agent; a cleaning agent ejection nozzle body connected through a first line with said cleaning agent storage tank and disposed on a side part of a chuck for ejecting a particulate cleaning agent towards the side and the edge portions of said wafer held and rotated by said chuck; a carrier gas storage tank connected with a second line connected to said first line for storing a carrier gas to carry the particulate cleaning agent to said nozzle body; and a nozzle body carriage for moving said nozzle body between rest and cleaning positions, wherein said nozzle body includes a wafer receiver provided on its front side configured to receive an edge portion of said wafer, a first nozzle provided on the wafer receiver substantially on the same plane as the wafer for ejecting said particulate cleaning agent directly on the edge of said wafer, a second nozzle provided in the upper part of said wafer receiver for ejecting said particulate cleaning agent towards the upper surface of said wafer, and a third nozzle provided below said second nozzle for ejecting said particulate cleaning agent towards the lower surface of said wafer, and wherein a line connector connecting said first and second line comprises a base block for connecting said first and second lines, and an orifice and venturi assembly provided between said base block and the nozzle body.