Apparatus for liquid treatment of wafer shaped articles

1. Apparatus for processing wafer-shaped articles, comprising a chuck adapted to hold a wafer-shaped article of a predetermined diameter during a processing operation to be performed on the wafer-shaped article, said chuck comprising a chuck body having an outer surface that faces a wafer-shaped article when positioned on the chuck, wherein said outer surface comprises a first electrically conductive material and wherein said chuck body further comprises a first conductive pathway for grounding said first conductive material.

2. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said chuck body comprises a chuck base body and a cover fitted to said chuck base body, and wherein said cover comprises said first electrically conductive material.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said first conductive pathway comprises at least one conductive helical spring contacting at one end a conductive element mounted on said cover and contacting at another end a conductive element mounted on said chuck base body.

4. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said first conductive pathway comprises at least one conductive strip mounted on said chuck base body and extending from a peripheral region to a central region of said chuck base body.

5. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said first conductive pathway comprises a first annular conductive element mounted on an interior surface of said cover, a second annular conductive element mounted on an interior surface of said chuck base body, and a plurality of conductive helical springs, each of said plurality of conductive helical springs having a first end contacting said first annular conductive element and a second end contacting said second annular conductive element.

6. The apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein said cover is joined to said chuck base body so as to form an internal gap therebetween, said first conductive pathway being provided within said internal gap.

7. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of pin assemblies adapted and positioned relative to the chuck body so as to support a wafer-shaped article to be processed, wherein at least one of said pin assemblies comprises a second electrically conductive material.

8. The apparatus according to claim 7 , further comprising a second conductive pathway extending from said at least one of said pin assemblies to ground.

9. The apparatus according to claim 7 , wherein said second conductive pathway comprises an electrically conductive needle bearing contacting said at least one of said pin assemblies.

10. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the chuck is a spin chuck surrounded by a process chamber for single wafer wet processing of semiconductor wafers.

11. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said chuck is adapted to hold a wafer-shaped article such that the wafer-shaped article does not contact said outer surface of said chuck body.

12. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein said conductive pathway leads to a frame on which said chuck is mounted.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a plurality of pin assemblies adapted and positioned relative to the chuck body so as to support a wafer-shaped article to be processed, and a ring gear in meshing engagement with each of said plurality of pin assemblies.

14. The apparatus according to claim 13 , further comprising a stationary nozzle assembly protruding through a central portion of said chuck body, said stationary nozzle assembly being adapted to supply one or more treatment fluids to an underside of a wafer-shaped article when positioned on said chuck.

15. The apparatus according to claim 13 , wherein each of said plurality of pin assemblies comprises a gripping pin positioned eccentrically to a pivotal axis of its respective pin assembly, whereby rotation of said ring gear causes each of said gripping pins to move simultaneously either toward or way from an axis of rotation of said chuck.