IP Library Granted Patent US 12707936
Granted Patent B2
US 12707936 · App. 18/436,248 · Granted Aug 11, 2026

Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus

Inventors: Yoshinori Ikeda (Koshi City, JP); Toru Hirata (Koshi City, JP)
Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
H10P72/7606H10P50/642H10P72/0424H10P72/7608
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12707936
App. No.
18/436,248
Granted
Aug 11, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a holder for holding a substrate horizontally, a rotator for rotating the holder, a liquid supplier for supplying liquid to the substrate, and a controller for controlling the holder, the rotator, and the liquid supplier. The holder includes a turntable configured to be rotated by the rotator, at least one first clamper configured to be rotated together with the turntable and moved between a clamping position and a releasing position, and at least one second clamper configured to be rotated with the turntable and moved between the clamping and releasing positions independently of the at least one first clamper. The controller controls the at least one first clamper and the at least one second clamper to alternately clamp the peripheral edge of the substrate while the holder is being rotated by the rotator and the liquid is being supplied to the substrate.

Claims (8)

1 . A method of processing a substrate, the method comprising:

supplying a liquid to the substrate while rotating a holder configured to horizontally hold the substrate,

wherein the holder includes a turntable, at least one first clamper configured to be rotated together with the turntable and moved between a clamping position at which the at least one first clamper clamps a peripheral edge of the substrate and a releasing position at which the at least one first clamper releases clamping the substrate, and at least one second clamper configured to be rotated with the turntable and moved between the clamping position and the releasing position independently of the at least one first clamper, and

wherein the method further comprises alternately clamping the peripheral edge of the substrate using the at least one first clamper and the at least one second clamper while the liquid is being supplied to the substrate,

wherein the at least one first clamper is moved between the releasing position and the clamping position by swinging around a horizontal pin held by the turntable, and

wherein the at least one first clamper is temporarily stopped at both an intermediate position between the releasing position and the clamping position and the releasing position in a state in which the substrate is clamped by the at least one second clamper while the liquid is being supplied to the substrate.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one first clamper and the at least one second clamper include three or more first clampers and three or more second clampers, respectively, which are alternately arranged along the peripheral edge of the substrate, and

wherein the method further comprises causing the three or more first clampers to move from the releasing position to the clamping position in a predetermined order in a state in which the three or more second clampers hold the substrate.