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 - 10 . (canceled)  
   
   
       11 . A process for cleaning a substrate by a dispenser according to claim  9 , which comprises the following step: 
 maintaining said clearances between said front and back sides of said substrate and the corresponding ones of said flat areas at a value not greater than 3 mm and feeding said liquid through from said nozzles such that films of said liquid are formed between said front and back sides of said substrate and said corresponding flat areas.    
   
   
       12 - 16 . (canceled)