APPARATUS FOR CLEANING AND DRYING SUBSTRATES

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a technique for cleaning and drying substrates, which suppresses the consumption of rinsing fluid and reduces a total time required for cleaning, rinsing and drying processes. SOLUTION: A substrate rinse drying device forms an air/fluid interface line by linear fluid blown along the surface of the substrate and linear steam is supplied to the interface line to achieve Marangoni drying by the linear steam. The optimum device employs the tank 13 for the cleaning fluid and/or the rinsing fluid. The rinsing fluid is sent to the surface of the substrate by a rinsing fluid source above the tank fluid to form menisci on the surface of the substrate when the substrate is lifted up out of the cleaning fluid and the steam source for drying sends the drying steam to the menisci. The rinsing fluid tank is provided with a substrate receiving and cleaning part as well as a substrate rinsing part. The rinsing fluid source and the drying steam source are enclosed by a drying enclosure 19 above the rinse part. The loading, cleaning, rinsing, drying and unloading of the substrate are carried out at least with a partial time overlap. COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT