A substrate processing method includes: a first processing step of supplying a first processing liquid to a surface of a substrate under rotation to cover the surface of the substrate with a liquid film of the first processing liquid; and a second processing step of supplying a second processing liquid having a surface tension smaller than that of the first processing liquid to the surface of the substrate to cover the surface of the substrate with a liquid film of the second processing liquid by substituting the first processing liquid with the second processing liquid, wherein the second processing step includes: a first stage of simultaneously supplying both the first processing liquid and the second processing liquid to the surface of the substrate, and a second stage of supplying the second processing liquid to a central portion of the surface of the substrate without supplying the first processing liquid.

An apparatus and method for drying semiconductor wafers. The apparatus includes a tank that holds hold a liquid, a first lifting assembly, and a second lifting assembly. The first lifting assembly lifts and lowers a first wafer carrier and one or more semiconductor wafers supported thereon between a first lowered position in which the one or more semiconductor wafers are completely submerged in the liquid in the tank and a first raised position in which an upper portion of the one or more semiconductor wafers are not submerged in the liquid in the tank. The second lifting assembly has a second wafer carrier that engages the upper portion of the one or more semiconductor wafers and continues to lift the one or more semiconductor wafers until an entirety of the one or more semiconductor wafers is no longer submerged in the liquid in the tank.

A cleaning assembly for cleaning one or more wafer edge handling contact surfaces of wafer handling equipment includes a substrate and a cleaning ring. The substrate includes an edge portion that extends about the body of the substrate. The cleaning ring is reversibly attachable to the edge portion of the substrate. The cleaning ring is formed from a deformable material. The substrate and cleaning ring are sized for compatibility with a front opening unified pod (FOUP) or a wafer cassette of a semiconductor fabrication facility.

Provided are a wafer cleaning apparatus based on light irradiation capable of effectively cleaning residue on a wafer without damaging the wafer, and a wafer cleaning system including the cleaning apparatus. The wafer cleaning apparatus is configured to clean residue on the wafer by light irradiation and includes: a light irradiation unit configured to irradiate light onto the wafer during the light irradiation; a wafer processing unit configured accommodate the wafer and to control a position of the wafer such that the light is irradiated onto the wafer during the light irradiation; and a cooling unit configured to cool the wafer after the light irradiation has been completed. The light irradiation unit, the wafer processing unit, and the cooling unit are sequentially arranged in a vertical structure with the light irradiation unit above the wafer processing unit and the wafer processing unit above the cooling unit.

The disclosure provides a jig for attaching and detaching a cleaning member, which facilitates attaching and detaching the cleaning member to and from a rotation device without holding the cleaning member directly by hand, even when there is no sufficient spacing around the cleaning member. The jig 100 for attaching and detaching a cleaning member 60 includes a pair of jig bodies 110 capable of clamping two ends 63 of a holder 62 of the cleaning member 60, and a connecting mechanism 120 that interlocks the movements of the pair of jig bodies 110 between a clamped state in which two ends 63 of the holder 62 are clamped and a non-clamped state in which the clamped state is released.

In a second liquid supply step, a second liquid film and a first liquid film surrounding a side of the second liquid film are formed on an upper surface of a substrate. Then, in a vapor layer formation step, by heating the substrate, a second vapor layer is formed by evaporating the second liquid contacting the upper surface of the substrate, and the second liquid film is held on the second vapor layer. Since the second liquid included in the second liquid film has a high vapor pressure, a height position of a lower surface of the floating second liquid film may be kept high. By blowing a gas to the floating second liquid film, a hole is formed in the second liquid film, and by expanding the hole toward an outer periphery of the substrate, the first liquid and the second liquid are removed outside the substrate.

A substrate processing method includes a processing liquid supplying step of supplying a processing liquid having a solute and a solvent to a surface of a substrate, a processing film forming step of solidifying or curing the processing liquid supplied to the surface of the substrate to form, on the surface of the substrate, a processing film that holds a removal object present on the surface of the substrate, a peeling step of supplying a peeling liquid forming liquid to the surface of the substrate to put the peeling liquid forming liquid in contact with the processing film and form a peeling liquid, and peeling the processing film, in the state of holding the removal object, from the surface of the substrate by the peeling liquid, and a removing step of continuing the supply of the peeling liquid forming liquid, after the peeling of the processing film, to wash away and remove the processing film from the surface of the substrate in the state where the removal object is held by the processing film.

A particle removed from a substrate is suppressed from adhering to the substrate again. A substrate cleaning apparatus includes a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate; a gas nozzle configured to jet a cleaning gas to the substrate on the substrate holder; and a nozzle cover provided to surround the gas nozzle. The cleaning gas is jetted to a decompression chamber of the nozzle cover from the gas nozzle, and a gas cluster configured to remove the particle on the substrate in the decompression chamber is generated. A gas for a gas curtain is jetted from a holder support of the substrate holder toward the nozzle cover, and the gas curtain is formed between the nozzle cover and the holder support.

A substrate processing method includes a liquid discharging step of discharging liquid through a nozzle toward a predetermined supply region on the main surface of a substrate held on a substrate holding unit within a chamber, a humidified gas supplying step of supplying humidified gas with a humidity higher than the humidity within the chamber onto the main surface of the substrate to remove electrical charges carried on the substrate, and a spin-drying step of rotating the substrate about a predetermined rotational axis after the liquid discharging step to spin off the liquid component from the main surface of the substrate. The humidified gas supplying step is started before the start of the liquid discharging step and ended at a predetermined termination timing after the start of the liquid discharging step and before the spin-drying step.

The substrate processing method includes a hydrophilization step of hydrophilizing a surface of a substrate, a processing liquid supplying step of supplying a processing liquid to the hydrophilized surface of the substrate, a processing film forming step in which the processing liquid supplied to the surface of the substrate is solidified or cured to form a processing film on the surface of the substrate, and a peeling step in which a peeling liquid is supplied to the surface of the substrate to peel the processing film from the surface of the substrate. The peeling step includes a penetrating hole forming step in which the processing film is partially dissolved in the peeling liquid to form a penetrating hole in the processing film.