Device and method for wet treating plate-like-articles

1. Method for wet treatment of plate-like articles in a device, the method comprising the steps of:

placing a plate-like article on a chuck, in the device, for horizontally holding the plate-like article, the chuck i) having an upwardly facing surface at least underneath the plate-like article's edge for receiving liquid running off the plate-like article when being treated with liquid, ii) outwardly bordered by a circumferential annular lip, iii) having an outer diameter greater than the greatest diameter of the plate-like article to be treated, and iv) comprising a gas feed means for at least partial gas purging of the surface of the plate-like article, which faces the chuck, for providing a gas-cushion between the chuck and the plate-like article, the device further comprising a rotatable part with an upwardly facing ring-shaped surface for receiving liquid running off the circumferential lip of the chuck, the rotatable part is rotatable with respect to the chuck, the ring-shaped surface coaxially arranged with respect to the circumferential annular lip, the inner diameter of the ring-shaped surface smaller than the outer diameter of the chuck, and the distance d between the lip and the upwardly facing ring-shaped surface in a range from 0.1 mm to 5 mm, wherein a peripheral side of the chuck includes a first gas guiding device which routes most of the purging gas away from the edge area of the plate-like article, and wherein the rotatable part is a second gas guiding device underneath the rotatable ring-shaped surface for further guiding gas coming from the first gas guiding device radially outwards,

dispensing liquid onto the upwardly facing surface of the plate-like article

letting the liquid flow towards the edge of the plate-like article

letting the liquid run off the plate-like article onto the upwardly facing surface of the chuck, which surface is outwardly bordered by a circumferential lip, and

letting the liquid run off the upwardly facing surface over the circumferential lip of the chuck onto the upwardly facing rotating ring-shaped surface, whereby the liquid is accelerated and spun off the rotating ring-shaped surface,

wherein the rotating ring-shaped surface is rotating faster than the plate-like article.

2. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the chuck rotates at a spin speed of a range of 0 rpm to 100 rpm.

3. Method according to claim 1 , wherein the rotating ring-shaped surface rotates at a spin speed of above 50 rpm.

4. Method according to claim 1 , wherein purging gas is introduced into the gap between the plate-like article and the chuck and the gas flows towards the edge of the plate-like article.

5. Method of claim 4 , wherein more than 80 vol.-% of the purging gas is routed away from the edge area of the plate-like article.

6. Method of claim 5 , wherein more than 80 vol.-% of the purging gas, which has been routed away from the edge area of the plate-like article, is guided outward underneath the rotating ring-shaped surface.

7. Device for wet treatment of plate-like articles comprising

a chuck for holding a single plate-like article comprising an upwardly facing surface for receiving liquid running off a plate-like article when being treated with liquid, wherein the chuck is outwardly bordered by a circumferential annular lip, wherein the chuck has an outer diameter greater than the greatest diameter of the plate-like article to be treated, wherein the chuck further comprises a gas feed means for at least partial gas purging of the surface of the plate-like article, which faces the chuck, for providing a gas-cushion between the chuck and the plate-like article,

a rotatable part with an upwardly facing ring-shaped surface for receiving liquid running off the circumferential lip of the chuck, the rotatable part is rotatable with respect to the chuck, the ring-shaped surface is coaxially arranged with respect to the circumferential annular lip, the inner diameter of the ring-shaped surface is smaller than the outer diameter of the chuck, and the distance d between the lip and the upwardly facing ring-shaped surface is in a range from 0.1 mm to 5 mm,

wherein a peripheral side of the chuck includes a first gas guiding device which routes most of the purging gas away from the edge area of the plate-like article, and

the rotatable part is a second gas guiding device underneath the rotatable ring-shaped surface for further guiding gas coming from the first gas guiding device radially outwards.

8. Device according to claim 7 , wherein the chuck is rotatable.

9. Device according to claim 7 , further comprising liquid dispensing means for dispensing liquid onto the surface not facing the chuck.

10. Device according to claim 7 , wherein the distance d is in a range from 0.1 mm to 2 mm.

11. Device according to claim 7 , wherein the circumferential annular lip is formed so that the outer edge of the lip is facing downward.

12. Device according to claim 7 , wherein the upwardly facing surface of the chuck has a bevel-shaped edge area, wherein the bevel-shaped edge area has the size of 0.5 mm to 10 mm from the edge.

13. Device according to claim 7 , wherein the rotatable part is part of or mounted to a rotatable bowl with the chuck being arranged within the bowl, whereby a gap is formed between the chuck and the bowl, wherein the gap has a distance in the range between 0.05 mm and 20 mm.

14. Device according to claim 13 , wherein the bowl has openings being located underneath the chuck, wherein the openings are in communication with a gas source for transferring gas into the gap between the bowl and the chuck.

15. Device according to claim 14 , wherein said gas source is ambient air.

16. Device according to claim 7 , wherein the first gas guiding device has the form of an annular nozzle, which is outwardly bordered by an inwardly facing annular edge with a diameter, which is smaller than the plate-like article to be treated.