Apparatus and methods for treating a substrate

1. A substrate treatment apparatus, comprising:

a process chamber having an internal space and at least one inclined inner side surface;

a substrate supporting member disposed in the process chamber to support a substrate;

a blocking plate disposed in the process chamber below the substrate supporting member, wherein the blocking plate has a bottom surface spaced apart from an internal bottom surface of the process chamber and at least one side surface;

a first supplying port formed through a bottom wall of the process chamber and configured to supply a supercritical fluid to a region of the internal space located below the substrate and to supply the supercritical fluid to the bottom surface of the blocking plate;

a second supplying port configured to supply a supercritical fluid to a region of the internal space located above the substrate; and

an exhaust port configured to exhaust the supercritical fluid from the process chamber to an exterior region,

wherein the at least one side surface of the blocking plate is parallel to the at least one inclined inner side surface of the process chamber.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the exhaust port is formed through the bottom wall of the process chamber, and wherein the second supplying port is formed through a top wall of the process chamber.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate supporting member is configured to support a bottom edge portion of the substrate and expose a bottom center portion of the substrate.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate supporting member comprises:

a pair of spaced apart first vertical members, each first vertical member having a top end portion joined to a top wall of the process chamber; and

a pair of first horizontal members, each one joined to a bottom end portion of a respective first vertical member and having a top surface provided with at least one supporting protrusion on which the substrate is laid.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the internal bottom surface of the process chamber includes a recessed portion under the blocking plate.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising a plurality of supporting members provided below the blocking plate to support the blocking plate, the plurality of supporting members disposed within the recessed portion.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the blocking plate has a first width extending parallel to the internal bottom surface of the process chamber and the recessed portion has a second width extending parallel to the first width, the first width greater than the second width.

8. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein at least one of the first supplying port and the exhaust port penetrates through a bottom wall of the recessed portion.

9. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the process chamber includes an internal side surface having a vertical side surface and an inclined side surface,

wherein a top of the inclined side surface is at a same level as a portion of the blocking plate, and

wherein a bottom of the inclined side surface is at a same level as a top of the recessed portion of the process chamber.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the blocking plate includes a the bottom surface facing the internal bottom surface of the process chamber, a top surface facing the substrate, and a side surface facing the internal side surface of the process chamber.

11. The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein:

the bottom surface of the blocking plate is spaced apart from the internal bottom surface of the process chamber by a first space ranging from 0.1 cm to 2 cm; and

the top surface of the blocking plate is spaced apart from a bottom surface of the substrate by a second space ranging from 0.2 cm to 1.0 cm.

12. A substrate treating apparatus, comprising:

a process chamber having a top wall, a sidewall and a bottom wall defining an internal space;

a substrate supporting member disposed in the internal space of the process chamber, the substrate supporting member configured to receive and support a substrate;

a blocking plate disposed in the internal space of the process chamber below the substrate supporting member;

a first supplying port extending through the bottom wall of the process chamber and configured to supply a supercritical fluid to a bottom surface of the blocking plate and to a region of the internal space located below the substrate and above a top surface of the blocking plate;

a second supplying port extending through the top wall of the process chamber and configured to supply a supercritical fluid to a region of the internal space located above the substrate; and

an exhaust port extending through the bottom wall of the process chamber and configured to exhaust the supercritical fluid from the process chamber to an exterior region,

wherein the process chamber comprises an upper chamber in which the substrate sporting member is disposed and a lower chamber in which the blocking plate is disposed,

wherein the lower chamber comprises an inner bottom surface having a flat portion on an outer region of the inner bottom surface and a recess on a central region of the inner bottom surface that is adjacent the outer region, with the recess under the blocking plate.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , further comprising a plurality of supporting members provided in the recess to support the blocking plate.

14. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the blocking plate is spaced apart from the inner bottom surface of the lower chamber and overlaps the recess such that the recess is completely covered by the blocking plate.

15. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the lower chamber further comprises an inner side surface connected to the inner bottom surface, wherein a boundary between the inner side surface and the inner bottom surface has an inclined surface extending upwardly and away from the inner bottom surface.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the inclined surface has an angle of 10° to 45° with respect to a vertical line extending from the inner bottom surface.

17. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the process chamber further comprises a chamber driving part configured to move at least one of the upper and lower chambers such that the process chamber is opened or closed by the vertical movement of at least one of the upper and lower chambers.