| US 7,467,635 B2 | ||
| Apparatus and method for substrate processing | ||
| Joya Satoshi, Kawasaki (Japan); Kazuyoshi Takeda, Kawasaki (Japan); and Tohru Watari, Yokohama (Japan) | ||
| Assigned to Sprout Co., Ltd., Kanagawa-Ken (Japan) | ||
| Filed on May 11, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/842,826. | ||
| Claims priority of application No. 2003-133201 (JP), filed on May 12, 2003; and application No. 2004-068854 (JP), filed on Mar. 11, 2004. | ||
| Prior Publication US 2004/0226582 A1, Nov. 18, 2004 | ||
| Int. Cl. B08B 3/02 (2006.01) | ||
| U.S. Cl. 134—104.2 [118/52; 134/25.4; 134/33; 134/148; 134/183; 134/902] | 20 Claims |
| 1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a holding table for rotatably holding a substrate;
a supply portion for supplying processing solution to said substrate;
a pot for collecting the processing solution scattered from said substrate, wherein said pot is placed in the outer radius
of said holding table; and
at least one light irradiation unit for applying light to said substrate;
wherein said pot comprises a ring-shaped inner circumference plate, a ring-shaped outer circumference plate, a tope plate,
and a bottom plate coupling the inner circumference plate and the outer circumference plate, and at least one divider element
which can be moved in the direction of the axis of said holding table, the tip of the inner circumference plate being at the
nearly same height of the holding plane of the holding table, the divider element having an opening switch portion extending
with a similar angle to the angle of the top plate and having a connection tip connected to the opening switch portion, and
wherein at least first and second spaces for collecting processing solutions can be formed in the pot by changing the position
of said at least one divider element,
wherein when the divider element is placed at a first position, the first space for collecting processing solution is connected
with the holding table by a ring-shaped first opening formed between the tip of the inner circumference plate and the opening
switch portion which is abutted on the top plate, and the first space is connected with the second space for collecting processing
solution through a second opening, the second opening formed between the connection tip of the divider and the bottom plate
and placed at a position lower than the holding table,
wherein when the divider element is placed at a second position, the opening switch portion is away from the top plate and
is abutted on the tip of the inner circumference plate and the second opening is closed by connecting the connection tip to
the bottom plate to shut the first space for collecting processing solution completely,
the substrate processing apparatus further comprising first and second drainpipes connected to the first and second spaces
for collecting processing solutions respectively and a single gas-solution separation portion connected to the outer second
space for collecting processing solution.
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