A nozzle flow stirring pipe includes a pipe body and a nozzle. The pipe body is cylindrical and includes an inner pipe member and an outer pipe member. The inner pipe member has a liquid-extracting channel. The outer pipe member fits around the inner pipe member. A reflow channel is defined between an inner wall of the outer pipe member and an outer wall of the inner pipe member. The nozzle is disposed at one end of the pipe body. The inner pipe member is penetratingly disposed at the nozzle and exposed from below. The nozzle has a plurality of liquid-ejecting pores in communication with one end of the reflow channel.

A low pressure fluctuation control apparatus comprises a liquid recirculation loop comprising a dip tube, a diaphragm or bellows type pump, a first regulator, a first flow meter, a junction, and a return tube. A back pressure controller is located in the return tube. In addition, the apparatus comprises a material supply line fluidly connected the liquid recirculation loop via the junction. A flow control system is located in the material supply line. The recirculation loop draws liquid from a supply container by the dip tube, and returns a portion of the liquid to the supply container by the return tube. The backpressure flow controller regulates the flow rate of the liquid, thereby steadying fluctuations in the liquid being supplied.

A chemical solution supply system including: a first tank that stores a first chemical solution; a first pipe that is connected to the first tank and conveys the first chemical solution; a first filter unit that is connected to the first pipe and has a first filter through which the first chemical solution is filtered; a first valve that is provided in the first pipe between the first tank and the first filter unit; a second tank that stores a second chemical solution; and a second pipe that is connected to the second tank and the first pipe between the first filter unit and the first valve.

This in-line active and reverse calculating mass balance blending system can maintain a chemical at desired control points, such as with respect to concentration, temperature, and/or pressure, while the output flow rate is changing dynamically to a point of use. A blending unit is configured to receive and blend at least two species and deliver a mixture at selected concentrations to points of use. A controller can be configured to determine a mass balance to maintain the concentrations in the mixture using information from metrology systems and a flow in an output to the at least one point of use. The controller also can be configured to maintain a concentrations in the mixture within a concentration range by controlling flow rates to the blending unit.

Provided is an UFB generating apparatus and an UFB generating method capable of efficiently generating an UFB-containing liquid with high purity. To this end, the ultrafine bubble generating apparatus includes a pre-processing unit that performs predetermined pre-processing on a liquid W and a generating unit that generates ultrafine bubbles in the liquid on which the pre-processing is performed. The generating unit generates the ultrafine bubbles by causing a heating element, which is provided in the liquid on which the pre-processing is performed, to generate heat to generate film boiling on an interface between the liquid and the heating element.

This in-line active and reverse calculating mass balance blending system can maintain a chemical at desired control points, such as with respect to concentration, temperature, and/or pressure, while the output flow rate is changing dynamically to a point of use. A blending unit is configured to receive and blend at least two species and deliver a mixture at selected concentrations to points of use. A controller can be configured to determine a mass balance to maintain the concentrations in the mixture using information from metrology systems and a flow in an output to the at least one point of use. The controller also can be configured to maintain a concentration in the mixture within a concentration range by controlling flow rates to the blending unit.

A gas-dissolved liquid producing apparatus capable of increasing a gas dissolution efficiency and enhancing stability of the concentration of gas-dissolved liquid is provided. The gas-dissolved producing apparatus 1 includes an ozone gas supply unit 2 for supplying ozone gas, a pure water supply unit 3 for supplying pure water, and an ozonated water generator 4 for dissolving ozone gas in supplied pure water to generate ozonated water. The generator 4 includes a first nozzle 10 having a first optimum flow rate, a second nozzle 11 having a second optimum flow rate different from the first optimum flow rate, a flow rate detector 15 for detecting the flow rate of the supplied pure water, and a controller 16 for controlling which one of the first nozzle and the second nozzle should be supplied with the supplied gas, based on the flow rate of the pure water detected by the detector 15.

A paddle for agitating a plating solution by reciprocating parallel to a surface of a substrate is disclosed. The paddle includes a plurality of vertically-extending agitation rods. Each agitation rod includes: a planar portion perpendicular to a reciprocating direction of the paddle; two slope surfaces extending from side ends of the planar portion in directions closer to each other, the two slope surfaces being symmetric with respect to a center line of the agitation rod, the center line being perpendicular to the planar portion; and a tip portion connected with the two slope surfaces.

A gas mixing system for semiconductor fabrication includes a mixing block. The mixing block defines a gas mixing chamber, a first gas channel fluidly coupled to the gas mixing chamber at a first exit location, and a second gas channel fluidly coupled to the gas mixing chamber at a second exit location, wherein the first exit location is diametrically opposite the second exit location relative to the gas mixing chamber and the second gas channel has a bend of 90 degrees or less between an entrance of the second gas channel and the second exit location.

A paddle for agitating a plating solution by reciprocating parallel to a surface of a substrate is disclosed. The paddle includes a plurality of vertically-extending agitation rods. Each agitation rod includes: a planar portion perpendicular to a reciprocating direction of the paddle; two slope surfaces extending from side ends of the planar portion in directions closer to each other, the two slope surfaces being symmetric with respect to a center line of the agitation rod, the center line being perpendicular to the planar portion; and a tip portion connected with the two slope surfaces.