At least part of a processing liquid upward flowing in a storage space is split into a plurality of upflows and guided to a substrate held by a substrate holder. Many upflows are widely dispersed and formed in the processing liquid stored in the storage space, and the generation of downflows in the storage space is suppressed. As a result, bubbles are uniformly supplied to the substrate and substrate processing can be performed in high quality.

A semiconductor processing tool may include a processing tank. The semiconductor processing tool may include an arm arranged to hold a plurality of wafers over the processing tank such that wafers in the plurality of wafers are horizontally stacked over the processing tank. The semiconductor processing tool may include a fan arranged over the arm to permit an airflow to be provided across surfaces of the wafers in a vertical direction toward the processing tank. The semiconductor processing tool may include an exhaust system including at least one exhaust output and one or more exhaust pipe segments arranged substantially around the processing tank and connected to the at least one exhaust output. The one or more exhaust pipe segments may include a plurality of openings to receive exhaust air to be provided to the at least one exhaust output.

A method of forming a semiconductor device includes soaking a batch of wafers in a first cleaning liquid, replacing the first cleaning liquid with a second cleaning liquid, soaking the batch of wafers in the second cleaning liquid, and soaking the batch of wafers in an etchant. The first cleaning liquid has a first temperature. The second cleaning liquid has a second temperature. The etchant has a third temperature. The second temperature is between the first temperature and the third temperature.

A substrate treatment apparatus according to an embodiment includes a treatment tank to store a chemical solution to treat a substrate, a pipe having a discharge port through which an air bubble is discharged from a bottom of the treatment tank toward the substrate, and a rod body disposed between the discharge port and the substrate to divide the air bubble.

A substrate processing method includes etching a substrate having a first film and a second film at a first etching rate; changing an etching rate from the first etching rate to a second etching rate; and etching the substrate at the second etching rate.

A substrate processing device according to the present embodiment includes a processing tank configured to be capable of accumulating a liquid. A conveyer can array a plurality of semiconductor substrates in such a manner that front surfaces of the semiconductor substrates face a substantially horizontal direction, and transport the semiconductor substrates into the processing tank. A plurality of liquid suppliers can supply the liquid toward an inside of the processing tank from a lower portion of the processing tank. A plurality of current plates are arranged on at least either one end side or the other end side of an array of the semiconductor substrates. The current plates are provided in a first gap region above the semiconductor substrates in gaps between the conveyer and a sidewall of the processing tank on both sides of the conveyer as viewed from an array direction of the semiconductor substrates.

A wet etching apparatus includes a process bath having an internal space configured to receive an etchant and having a support unit, on which a wafer is disposed to be in contact with the etchant. A laser unit is disposed above the process bath and is configured to direct a laser beam to the wafer and to heat the wafer thereby. An etchant supply unit is configured to supply the etchant to the internal space of the process bath.

Methods and an apparatus for removing particles or photoresist on substrates. In an embodiment, a method comprises the following steps: transferring one or more substrates into a DIO.sub.3 solution accommodated in a DIO.sub.3 bath; after the one or more substrates are processed in the DIO.sub.3 bath, taking the one or more substrates out from the DIO.sub.3 bath and transferring the one or more substrates into a SPM solution accommodated in a SPM bath; after the one or more substrates are processed in the SPM bath, taking the one or more substrates out from the SPM bath and rinsing the one or more substrates; and transferring the one or more substrates to one or more single chambers to perform single substrate cleaning and drying process. The method combines DIO.sub.3 and SPM in one cleaning sequence, which can remove particles or photoresist, especially remove photoresist treated by medium dose or high dose of ion implantation.

Provided are a method and system for increasing etch rate and etch selectivity of a masking layer on a substrate in an etch treatment system, the etch treatment system configured for single substrate processing. The method comprises placing the substrate into the etch processing chamber, the substrate containing the masking layer and a layer of silicon or silicon oxide, obtaining a supply of steam water vapor mixture at elevated pressure, obtaining a supply of treatment liquid for selectively etching the masking layer over the silicon or silicon oxide at a selectivity ratio, combining the treatment liquid and the steam water vapor mixture, and injecting the combined treatment liquid and the steam water vapor mixture into the etch processing chamber. The flow of the combined treatment liquid and the steam water vapor mixture is controlled to maintain a target etch rate and a target etch selectivity ratio of the masking layer to the layer of silicon or silicon oxide.

Semiconductor processing systems and methods are provided in which an amount or concentration of a chemical in a chemical mixture contained in a tank is automatically controlled based on a sensed properties of the chemical mixture. In some embodiments, a semiconductor processing system includes a processing tank that is configured to contain a chemical mixture. A chemical sensor is configured to sense one or more properties of the chemical mixture. The system further includes an electrically controllable valve that is configured to adjust an amount of the first chemical in the chemical mixture based on the sensed one or more properties of the chemical mixture.