Liquid processing apparatus and liquid processing method

1. A liquid processing apparatus, comprising:

a processing chamber provided with a substrate holding unit holding a substrate and a cup disposed around the substrate holding unit;

a nozzle configured to supply a fluid to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit;

a nozzle supporting arm configured to support the nozzle; and

a gas ejection mechanism installed at the nozzle supporting arm and having two or more gas ejection holes each configured to eject a gas toward a front end surface of the nozzle supporting arm, thereby removing contaminants attached to the front end surface of the nozzle supporting arm,

wherein the nozzle is provided in a surface of the nozzle supporting arm that extends in a longitudinal direction of the nozzle supporting arm among surfaces of the nozzle supporting arm,

the front end surface of the nozzle supporting arm extends in a different direction from the longitudinal direction of the nozzle supporting arm, and the gas ejection mechanism is provided in the front end surface of the nozzle supporting arm,

the gas ejection mechanism includes a protrusion protruding from the front end surface of the nozzle supporting arm and a gas supply tube installed within the nozzle supporting arm, and

the two or more gas ejection holes are provided around the protrusion, and the gas supply tube is configured to supply the gas to the protrusion.

2. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the two or more gas ejection holes of the protrusion are installed to eject the gas in two or more different directions.

3. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the nozzle is located at the side surface of the nozzle supporting arm, and a processing liquid supplying pipe is installed within the nozzle supporting arm.

4. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

an arm standby chamber; and

an arm driving mechanism configured to move the nozzle supporting arm in the arm standby chamber;

wherein the nozzle supporting arm is moved by the arm driving mechanism between an advance position where the nozzle is inside of the processing chamber and a retreat position where the nozzle is outside of the processing chamber, and

the as ejection mechanism ejects the as toward the front end surface of the nozzle supporting arm when the nozzle supporting arm is at the retreat position.

5. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 4 , further comprising:

an arm cleaning unit configured to clean the nozzle supporting arm,

wherein the arm cleaning unit is installed in a region between the cup and the arm standby chamber in the processing chamber, or at the arm standby chamber to be fixed.

6. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein a wall extending in a vertical direction is installed between the processing chamber and the arm standby chamber, an opening through which the nozzle supporting arm passes is formed in the wall, and the arm cleaning unit is attached to the wall.

7. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the arm cleaning unit further includes a suction mechanism configured to absorb a liquid, and the gas ejection mechanism ejects the gas in the vicinity of the suction mechanism.

8. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 6 , wherein when the nozzle supporting arm is located at the retreat position, the opening of the wall is closed by the front end surface of the nozzle supporting arm.

9. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 5 , further comprising:

a cylindrical outside cup peripheral case disposed around the cup in the processing chamber, adapted to be elevatable/descendible between an upper position and a lower position, and having an opening through which the nozzle supporting arm passes,

wherein the arm cleaning unit is installed outside of the outside cup peripheral case.

10. The liquid processing apparatus of claim 9 , further comprising:

a wall installed between the processing chamber and the arm standby chamber, and extending in a vertical direction; and

a cleaning unit for the outside cup peripheral case positioned below the outside cup peripheral case in the processing chamber and having a storage part for storing cleaning liquid for cleaning the outside cup peripheral case positioned between the wall and the cup.