Apparatus and method of cleaning a sustrate

Abstract

A cleaning apparatus is provided with a processing bath to be filled with a cleaning chemical, an ultrasonic oscillator, and a retainer for holding a substrate to be immersed into a cleaning chemical. The front surface of the substrate is cleaned while ultrasonic waves are radiated from the ultrasonic oscillator onto the back surface of the substrate.

1 . A substrate cleaning method, comprising: 
 immersing a substrate whose surface has been processed in a cleaning chemical disposed in a processing bath; and    radiating ultrasonic waves onto a back surface of the substrate, thereby cleaning a front surface of the substrate,    wherein the ultrasonic waves are radiated by way of a propagation control member for scattering or damping ultrasonic waves.    
   
   
       2 . A substrate cleaning method, comprising: 
 immersing a substrate whose surface has been processed in a cleaning chemical disposed in a processing bath; and    radiating ultrasonic waves onto a back surface of the substrate, thereby cleaning a front surface of the substrate,    wherein cleaning is effected while the chemical through which ultrasonic waves propagate is stirred or agitated by a means other than the ultrasonic waves, wherein the stirring or agitation is provided between the substrate and an ultrasonic oscillator providing the ultrasonic waves.    
   
   
       3 . The substrate cleaning method according to  claim 1 , wherein the propagation control member comprises a plate member having a plurality of slits.