According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cleaning solution which removes a photoresist on a surface of a semiconductor element having a low dielectric constant film (a low-k film) and a material that contains 10 atom % or more of tungsten, wherein the cleaning solution contains 0.001-5 mass % of an alkaline earth metal compound, 0.1-30 mass % of an inorganic alkali and/or an organic alkali, and water.

The present invention provides techniques to more accurately control the process performance of treatments in which microelectronic substrates are treated by pressurized fluids that are sprayed onto the substrates in a vacuum process chamber. control strategies are used that adjust mass flow rate responsive to pressure readings in order to hold the pressure of a pressurized feed constant. In these embodiments, the mass flow rate will tend to vary in order to maintain pressure uniformity.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a cleaning solution which removes a dry etching residue on a surface of a semiconductor element that includes: (1) a material containing cobalt or a cobalt alloy or (2) a material containing cobalt or a cobalt alloy and tungsten; and a low-dielectric constant interlayer dielectric film. The cleaning solution contains 0.001-7 mass % of an alkali metal compound, 0.005-35 mass % of a peroxide, 0.005-10 mass % of an anti-corrosion agent, 0.000001-1 mass % of an alkaline earth metal compound, and water.

An apparatus for cleaning a wafer includes a wafer station configured to hold the wafer, and a first and a second dispensing system. The first dispensing system includes a first swivel arm, and a first nozzle on the first swivel arm, wherein the first swivel arm is configured to move the first nozzle over and aside of the wafer. The first dispensing system includes first storage tank connected to the first nozzle, with the first nozzle configured to dispense a solution in the first storage tank. The second dispensing system includes a second swivel arm, and a second nozzle on the second swivel arm, wherein the second swivel arm is configured to move the second nozzle over and aside of the wafer. The second dispensing system includes a second storage tank connected to the second nozzle, with the second nozzle configured to dispense a solution in the second storage tank.

A cleaning solution includes a first solvent having Hansen solubility parameters 25>δ.sub.d>13, 25>δ.sub.p>3, and 30>δ.sub.h>4; an acid having an acid dissociation constant, pKa, of −11<pKa<4, or a base having a pKa of 40 > pKa>9.5; and a surfactant. The surfactant is one or more of an ionic surfactant, a polyethylene oxide and a polypropylene oxide, a non-ionic surfactant, and combinations thereof.

Methods for removing particles from a wafer for photolithography. A method is provided including providing a semiconductor wafer; attaching a polyimide layer to a backside of the semiconductor wafer; and performing an etch on an active surface of the semiconductor wafer; wherein particles that impinge on the backside during the etch are captured by the polyimide layer. In another method, includes attaching a layer of polyimide film to a backside of a semiconductor wafer; dry etching a material on an active surface of the semiconductor wafer; depositing of an additional layer of material on the active surface of the semiconductor wafer; removing the layer of polyimide film from the backside of the semiconductor wafer; patterning the layer of material using an immersion photolithography process to expose a photoresist on the active surface of the wafer; and repeating the attaching, dry etching, depositing, removing and patterning steps.

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a method for treating a substrate with liquid. The substrate treating apparatus comprises a substrate supporting unit for supporting the substrate, a liquid supply unit for supplying a liquid to the substrate supported on the substrate supporting unit, and a controller for controlling the liquid supply unit, wherein the liquid supply unit comprises a first nozzle for supplying a first liquid and a second nozzle for supplying a second liquid, and a second area where the second liquid is supplied on the substrate is provided within a first area where the first liquid is supplied on the substrate. The first liquid and the second liquid supplied with a hydrophobic film are discharged with different ways from each other. Thereby, particles with various sizes may be removed depending on each discharge methods.

An object of the present invention is to be able to obtain a high removing performance of particles. The substrate processing method according to the exemplary embodiment comprises a film-forming treatment solution supply step and a removing solution supply step. The film-forming treatment solution supply step comprising supplying to a substrate, a film-forming treatment solution containing an organic solvent and a fluorine-containing polymer that is soluble in the organic solvent is supplied. The removing solution supply step comprises supplying to a treatment film formed by solidification or curing of the film-forming treatment solution on the substrate, a removing solution capable of removing the treatment film.

A method for cleaning substrates in which at least one nozzle arrangement is provided opposite to an exposed surface of a substrate to be cleaned. The nozzle arrangement includes at least two separate nozzles each having a sonic transducer arranged to introduce sonic energy into a liquid media flowing through the respective nozzle towards the surface of the substrate that is to be cleaned in such way that the sonic energy is directed towards the substrate surface. The sonic transducers have different resonant frequencies of the type that at least their respective first and second order harmonics are all different. A liquid media is applied to a surface area of the substrate by flowing liquid media through the at least two separate nozzles of the nozzle arrangement. The nozzles are arranged and positioned with respect to the surface of the substrate such that the media streams of the nozzles at least partially intersect each other prior to reaching the surface of the substrate. Sonic energy is introduced into the liquid flowing through the respective nozzles via the respective transducers such that interference of the frequencies provided by the respective transducers occurs above the surface of the substrate.

A liquid treatment apparatus includes a substrate holder (21) that holds a substrate horizontally and rotates the substrate, a treatment liquid nozzle (82) that supplies a treatment liquid to the substrate held by the substrate holder, a cup (40) that is arranged outside of a peripheral edge of the substrate held by the substrate holder and receives the treatment liquid which has been supplied to the substrate by the treatment liquid nozzle, a top plate (32) that covers the substrate held by the substrate holder from above, a top plate rotation driving mechanism that rotates the top plate, and a liquid receiving member (130) that surrounds a peripheral edge of the top plate and has a circular liquid receiving space (132).