A substrate processing method includes a substrate holding step of holding a substrate having a front surface on which a metal is exposed, an inert gas replacing step of replacing an atmosphere around the front surface of the substrate with an inert gas by supplying an inert gas to a vicinity of the front surface of the substrate, an adjusting step of adjusting a pH of the rinsing liquid so as to form an inactive state in which the metal does not react with the rinsing liquid or so as to form a passive state by allowing the metal to react with the rinsing liquid, and a rinsing liquid supplying step of supplying the rinsing liquid whose pH has been adjusted to the front surface of the substrate after the atmosphere around the front surface of the substrate has been replaced with the inert gas.

The invention relates to a treatment system for treating workpieces, in particular for cleaning and/or deburring, comprising at least one treatment device that has at least one treatment unit, which is configured to perform at least one treatment operation on the workpiece, as well as at least one receiving unit for accommodating the workpiece on or in the treatment device, a transport device that comprises at least one transport unit, with which the workpiece is transferable into a transfer position, from which the workpiece is transferable by means of the at least one receiving unit into a treatment position, as well as a control device for controlling the at least one treatment unit, the at least one receiving unit, and the at least one transport unit, wherein the at least one treatment device comprises two or more receiving units for accommodating a respective workpiece for transferring independently of one another into the treatment position, and wherein the control device controls the at least one treatment unit such that the workpieces are treated by said treatment unit in a time-offset manner according to a treatment operation of the same kind. The invention also relates to a method.

In a submersible ultrasonic cleaning system for use in highly radioactive environments (e.g., cleaning radiated nuclear fuel assemblies), a bond between energy producing transducers and an radiating wall is strengthened with a polyurethane adhesive such as Permabond PT326, or 3M DP-190 adhesive. In various diagnostic tests, one or more of the transducers are operated in an energy-transmitting mode while one or more other transducers are operated in an energy-detecting mode to detect a weakened transducer/wall bond and/or acoustic conditions of the working fluid.

A substrate processing method includes a substrate holding step of holding a substrate having a front surface on which a metal is exposed, an inert gas replacing step of replacing an atmosphere around the front surface of the substrate with an inert gas by supplying an inert gas to a vicinity of the front surface of the substrate, an adjusting step of adjusting a pH of the rinsing liquid so as to form an inactive state in which the metal does not react with the rinsing liquid or so as to form a passive state by allowing the metal to react with the rinsing liquid, and a rinsing liquid supplying step of supplying the rinsing liquid whose pH has been adjusted to the front surface of the substrate after the atmosphere around the front surface of the substrate has been replaced with the inert gas.

The invention relates to a treatment system for treating workpieces. Devices and methods of the disclosure are configured to perform at least one treatment operation on the workpiece, as well as at least one receiving unit for accommodating the workpiece on or in the treatment device. A transport device is provided that comprises at least one transport unit, with which the workpiece is transferable into a transfer position, from which the workpiece is transferable by means of the at least one receiving unit into a treatment position, as well as a control device for controlling the at least one treatment unit, the at least one receiving unit, and the at least one transport unit.

Wafer cleaning water supply device (1) has a wafer cleaning water production unit (2) that prepares wafer cleaning water (W1) from ultrapure water (W) supplied from a supply path (5), a reservoir (3) for the prepared wafer cleaning water, and a wafer cleaning water supply pipe (6) that supplies the wafer cleaning water (W1) stored in the reservoir (3) to a cleaning nozzle (4A) of a cleaning machine (4). A return pipe (7) is connected to the wafer cleaning water supply pipe (6) on the cleaning machine (4) side so as to be branched at a distance (t) from the tip of the cleaning nozzle (4A), and the wafer cleaning water (W1) which is excessive in the cleaning machine (4) can be returned to the reservoir (3). Such a wafer cleaning water supply device can reduce excessive wafer cleaning water.

A substrate processing method includes a substrate holding step of holding a substrate having a front surface on which a metal is exposed, an inert gas replacing step of replacing an atmosphere around the front surface of the substrate with an inert gas by supplying an inert gas to a vicinity of the front surface of the substrate, an adjusting step of adjusting a pH of the rinsing liquid so as to form an inactive state in which the metal does not react with the rinsing liquid or so as to form a passive state by allowing the metal to react with the rinsing liquid, and a rinsing liquid supplying step of supplying the rinsing liquid whose pH has been adjusted to the front surface of the substrate after the atmosphere around the front surface of the substrate has been replaced with the inert gas.

A substrate processing method includes generating a low-oxygen processing liquid by reducing oxygen dissolved in a processing liquid (step S12), and processing a main surface (i.e., upper surface) of a substrate by supplying the low-oxygen processing liquid to the substrate, the upper surface having a first metal part and a second metal part in contact with the first metal part (step S14). In the step S14, the low-oxygen processing liquid is brought into contact with an interface between the first metal part and the second metal part to inhibit oxygen reduction reaction on the second metal part which is nobler than the first metal part, and thereby to inhibit dissolution of the first metal part. According to the substrate processing method, it is possible to suitably inhibit dissolution of the metal part (i.e., the first metal part) on the substrate.

A substrate treatment apparatus is provided with a plurality of substrate treatment parts and a liquid treatment system. The substrate treatment part has a substrate retaining part, which retains a substrate, and a discharge nozzle, which discharges a treatment liquid to the substrate retained by the substrate retaining part. The liquid treatment system has: a storage tank that stores in the treatment liquid; a supply piping part that is connected to the storage tank and forms a supply passage through which the treatment liquid to be supplied to the discharge nozzle passes; a return piping part that is connected to the storage tank and forms a return passage that returns the treatment liquid passed through the supply piping part to the storage tank; and a gas supply part that supplies a nitrogen gas different from oxygen dissolved in the treatment liquid into the return passage of the return piping part.

Various embodiments comprise apparatuses and related method for cleaning and drying a substrate. In one embodiment, an apparatus includes a vertical substrate holder to hold and rotate the substrate at various speeds. An inner shield and outer shield, when in a closed position, surround the vertical substrate holder during operation of the apparatus. Each of the shields can operate independently in at least one of rotational speed and direction from the other shield. A front-side and back-side spray jet are arranged to spray at least one fluid onto both sides of the substrate and edges of the substrate substantially concurrently. A gas flow, combined with a high rotational-speed of the shields and substrate, assists in drying the substrate. At least one turbine disk is coupled in proximity to at least one of the shields to remove excess amounts of fluid. Additional apparatuses and methods of forming the apparatuses are disclosed.