Patent ID: 6983755

Claim:
An apparatus for cleaning a semiconductor substrate having an edge section and a side section, the apparatus comprising: a chuck on which the semiconductor substrate can be mounted for rotating the semiconductor substrate; an upper nozzle assembly positioned, when the semiconductor substrate is mounted on the chuck, above the edge section of the semiconductor substrate to supply a cleaning liquid to the edge section of the semiconductor substrate for cleaning the edge section and the side section of the semiconductor substrate; and an ultrasonic wave generator positioned, when the semiconductor substrate is mounted on the chuck, above the edge section to apply ultrasonic waves to the cleaning liquid supplied to the edge section; wherein the upper nozzle assembly includes: a first nozzle for supplying the cleaning liquid to the edge section; a second nozzle spaced apart from the first nozzle in a direction of a center portion of the semiconductor substrate to supply a first nitrogen gas stream for primarily restricting the cleaning liquid supplied to the edge section from moving towards the center portion; a third nozzle spaced apart from the second nozzle in the direction of the center portion to supply a second nitrogen gas stream for secondarily restricting the cleaning liquid supplied to the edge section from moving towards the center portion; and wherein the third nozzle is inclined at an angle from the center portion toward the edge section when the semiconductor substrate is mounted on the chuck; and wherein the inclination of the third nozzle is smaller than an inclination of the second nozzle.