Substrate cleaning apparatus

Abstract

A substrate cleaning apparatus comprises an outer shell constructed such that the outer shell is selectively openable or hermetically closable to form a sealed space, an inner shell enclosed within the outer shell and having a holding member for holding a substrate, and a dispenser unit for feeding at least one of gas and liquid into the inner shell. Within the sealed space formed by the outer shell, a highly gas-tight space is formed by the inner shell to permit cleaning of the substrate within the highly gas-tight space. Also disclosed are a dispenser, a substrate holding mechanism and a substrate cleaning chamber, which are suitable for use with the substrate cleaning apparatus, and substrate cleaning processes making use of these dispenser, substrate holding mechanism and substrate cleaning chamber, respectively.

1 - 14 . (canceled)  
   
   
       15 . A substrate holding mechanism useful in cleaning a substrate, comprising: 
 plural clamps each of which has an upper and lower members for holding a peripheral edge portion of said substrate at an upper and lower sides thereof such that said substrate is maintained in a substantially horizontal plane, and    a control mechanism for operating said upper and lower members such that said upper and lower members repeat holding and release of said substrate in a successive order.    
   
   
       16 . A substrate holding mechanism according to  claim 15 , wherein six clamps as defined in  claim 15  are arranged at equal angular intervals therebetween at such locations that said peripheral edge portion of said substrate is held at said upper and lower sides thereof by said clamps arranged as three pairs of diametrically opposite clamps, and said three pairs of diametrically opposite clamps are each independently operable in a pair by said control mechanism such that said three pairs of diametrically opposite clamps can repeatedly hold and release said substrate in a successive order.