US 11,929,250 B2
Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method and a semiconductor device manufacturing method
Katsuhiro Sato, Yokkaichi Mie (JP); Hiroshi Fujita, Mie Mie (JP); and Tatsuhiko Koide, Kuwana Mie (JP)
Assigned to Kioxia Corporation, Tokyo (JP)
Filed by KIOXIA CORPORATION, Tokyo (JP)
Filed on Mar. 1, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/684,206.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-151776 (JP), filed on Sep. 17, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0089765 A1, Mar. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. H01L 21/02 (2006.01); H01L 21/67 (2006.01); H01L 21/673 (2006.01); H10B 41/00 (2023.01); H10B 43/00 (2023.01)
CPC H01L 21/0206 (2013.01) [H01L 21/02068 (2013.01); H01L 21/67034 (2013.01); H01L 21/67057 (2013.01); H01L 21/673 (2013.01); H01L 21/67313 (2013.01); H10B 41/00 (2023.02); H10B 43/00 (2023.02)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a batch cleaning unit configured to simultaneously clean a plurality of substrates in a batch process with a first liquid;
a holding unit configured to receive the plurality of substrates from the batch cleaning unit while still wet with the first liquid and then store the plurality of substrates in a space inside the holding unit while still wet with the first liquid;
a single-substrate drying unit configured to receive substrates one by one from the holding unit and then dry the substrates one by one; and
a conveyance unit between the holding unit and the single-substrate drying unit, the conveyance unit configured to take out one of the substrates at a time from the holding unit and convey the taken out substrate to the single-substrate drying unit, wherein
the holding unit includes a maintenance mechanism configured to keep a first surface of each of the substrates being stored in the holding unit covered with the first liquid, and
the maintenance mechanism comprises a vapor pressure adjusting device configured to adjust a vapor pressure of the first liquid in the space.