Method and apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles

1. Apparatus for treating a wafer-shaped article, comprising:

a spin chuck configured to hold a wafer-shaped article of a predetermined diameter in a predetermined horizontal position;

a non-rotating plate positioned relative to said spin chuck such that said non-rotating plate is beneath and parallel to the wafer-shaped article when positioned on said spin chuck in said predetermined horizontal position; and

a fluid dispensing nozzle passing through said non-rotating plate and terminating in a discharge end positioned above and adjacent to said non-rotating plate;

said discharge end comprising a horizontal gas discharge nozzle configured to distribute gas radially outwardly across an upper surface of said non-rotating plate,

wherein said horizontal gas discharge nozzle comprises an annular gas dispensing orifice that opens adjacent to said non-rotating plate, whereby gas ejected from said annular gas dispensing orifice is directed radially outwardly, and

wherein said horizontal gas discharge nozzle further comprises a radially-outwardly extending annular shoulder that overlies said annular gas dispensing orifice, whereby gas elected from said annular qas dispensing orifice is deflected horizontally and radially outwardly by said radially-outwardly extending annular shoulder.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a chamber that can be closed in an airtight manner, said spin chuck, said non-rotating plate and said fluid dispensing nozzle being disposed within said chamber.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said spin chuck is an annular magnetic rotor comprising downwardly-projecting gripping pins configured to hold a wafer-shaped article such that it hangs downwardly from said annular magnetic rotor.

4. The apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein said chamber comprises an upper section and a lower section that is movable vertically relative to said upper section between a first position in which said upper and lower sections are spaced apart from one another, and a second position in which said upper and lower sections sealingly engage one another.

5. The apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein said annular magnetic rotor is positioned in said upper section of said chamber and said non-rotating plate and said fluid dispensing nozzle are positioned in said lower section of said chamber.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said spin chuck is mounted for rotation about a stationary central post and comprises a series of upwardly-projecting gripping pins configured to hold a wafer-shaped article in said predetermined horizontal position above an upper surface of said spin chuck; said non-rotating plate being mounted on said central stationary post above said upper surface of said spin chuck and below a wafer-shaped article when held in said predetermined horizontal position.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said non-rotating plate is an upper cover of a heating assembly and comprises at least one radiant heating element.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said heating assembly comprises at least one infrared heating element.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said heating assembly comprises a plurality of LED heating elements.

10. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said non-rotating plate is substantially transparent to radiation emitted by said at least one radiant heating element.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein said non-rotating plate is made from quartz.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said fluid dispensing nozzle further comprising at least one vertical fluid discharge nozzle for directing another fluid against a wafer-shaped article when held by said spin chuck.

13. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said at least one vertical fluid discharge nozzle comprises a vertical gas discharge nozzle communicating with a gas supply and a vertical liquid discharge nozzle communicating with a liquid supply.

14. The apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein said at least one vertical fluid discharge nozzle has a discharge orifice positioned above said horizontal gas discharge nozzle.

15. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a supply of inert gas connected to said fluid dispensing nozzle and feeding said horizontal gas discharge nozzle.

16. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said horizontal gas discharge nozzle comprises a radially outwardly directed annular slit for providing a gas curtain into a gap between said non-rotating plate and a wafer-shaped article when positioned on said spin chuck, in a direction parallel to the non-rotating plate.

17. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said predetermined horizontal position is such that a lower surface of a wafer-shaped article when positioned on said spin chuck is spaced from an upper surface of said non-rotating plate by a distance of 1-20 mm.

18. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said non-rotating plate is round and positioned coaxially with a wafer-shaped article when held by said spin chuck, said non-rotating plate having a diameter of at least 90% of said predetermined diameter.

19. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said horizontal gas discharge nozzle has a diameter of less than 20 mm.

20. Apparatus for treating a wafer-shaped article, comprising:

a spin chuck configured to hold a wafer-shaped article of a predetermined diameter in a predetermined horizontal position;

a non-rotating plate positioned relative to said spin chuck such that said non-rotating plate is beneath and parallel to the wafer-shaped article when positioned on said spin chuck in said predetermined horizontal position;

a heating assembly comprising at least one radiant heating element positioned beneath said non-rotating plate,

wherein said non-rotating plate is substantially transparent to radiation emitted by said at least one radiant heating element and said non-rotating plate is disposed between (i) said heating assembly and (ii) said-wafer shaped article when positioned on said spin chuck in said predetermined horizontal position; and

a fluid dispensing nozzle passing through said non-rotating plate and said heating assembly and terminating in a discharge end positioned above and adjacent to said non-rotating plate;

said discharge end comprising a horizontal gas discharge nozzle configured to distribute gas radially outwardly across an upper surface of said non-rotating plate.

21. Apparatus for treating a wafer-shaped article, comprising:

a spin chuck configured to hold a wafer-shaped article of a predetermined diameter in a predetermined horizontal position;

a non-rotating plate positioned relative to said spin chuck such that said non-rotating plate is beneath and parallel to the wafer-shaped article when positioned on said spin chuck in said predetermined horizontal position,

wherein said non-rotating plate is an upper cover of a heating assembly and comprises at least one radiant heating element, and

wherein said non-rotating plate is substantially transparent to radiation emitted by said at least one radiant heating element; and

a fluid dispensing nozzle passing through said non-rotating plate and terminating in a discharge end positioned above and adjacent to said non-rotating plate,

said discharge end comprising a horizontal gas discharge nozzle configured to distribute gas radially outwardly across an upper surface of said non-rotating plate.

22. The apparatus according to claim 21 , further comprising a chamber that can be closed in an airtight manner, said spin chuck, said non-rotating plate and said fluid dispensing nozzle being disposed within said chamber.

23. The apparatus according to claim 22 , wherein said spin chuck is an annular magnetic rotor comprising downwardly-projecting gripping pins configured to hold a wafer-shaped article such that it hangs downwardly from said annular magnetic rotor.

24. The apparatus according to claim 23 , wherein said chamber comprises an upper section and a lower section that is movable vertically relative to said upper section between a first position in which said upper and lower sections are spaced apart from one another, and a second position in which said upper and lower sections sealingly engage one another.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24 , wherein said annular magnetic rotor is positioned in said upper section of said chamber and said non-rotating plate and said fluid dispensing nozzle are positioned in said lower section of said chamber.

26. The apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein said spin chuck is mounted for rotation about a stationary central post and comprises a series of upwardly-projecting gripping pins configured to hold a wafer-shaped article in said predetermined horizontal position above an upper surface of said spin chuck; said non-rotating plate being mounted on said central stationary post above said upper surface of said spin chuck and below a wafer-shaped article when held in said predetermined horizontal position.

27. The apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein said heating assembly comprises at least one infrared heating element.

28. The apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein said heating assembly comprises a plurality of LED heating elements.

29. The apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein said non-rotating plate is made from quartz.

30. The apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein said fluid dispensing nozzle further comprising at least one vertical fluid discharge nozzle for directing another fluid against a wafer-shaped article when held by said spin chuck.

31. The apparatus according to claim 30 , wherein said at least one vertical fluid discharge nozzle comprises a vertical gas discharge nozzle communicating with a gas supply and a vertical liquid discharge nozzle communicating with a liquid supply.

32. The apparatus according to claim 30 , wherein said at least one vertical fluid discharge nozzle has a discharge orifice positioned above said horizontal gas discharge nozzle.

33. The apparatus according to claim 21 , further comprising a supply of inert gas connected to said fluid dispensing nozzle and feeding said horizontal gas discharge nozzle.

34. The apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein said horizontal gas discharge nozzle comprises a radially outwardly directed annular slit for providing a gas curtain into a gap between said non-rotating plate and a wafer-shaped article when positioned on said spin chuck, in a direction parallel to the non-rotating plate.

35. The apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein said predetermined horizontal position is such that a lower surface of a wafer-shaped article when positioned on said spin chuck is spaced from an upper surface of said non-rotating plate by a distance of 1-20 mm.

36. The apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein said non-rotating plate is round and positioned coaxially with a wafer-shaped article when held by said spin chuck, said non-rotating plate having a diameter of at least 90% of said predetermined diameter.

37. The apparatus according to claim 21 , wherein said horizontal gas discharge nozzle has a diameter of less than 20 mm.