Apparatus for cleaning substrates

Abstract

An apparatus for cleaning substrates includes a supporting member supporting substrates in an upright position, and a liquid supplying member including a first nozzle disposed at one side of a vertical centerline of the substrates, and a second nozzle is disposed at another side of the vertical centerline of the substrates. Each of the first and second nozzles may include first injection holes to inject cleaning liquid toward lower ends of the substrates or regions adjacent to the lower ends of the substrates.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other features and advantages of the invention will become more apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art by describing in detail exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a schematic view of a related art substrate cleaning apparatus;

FIG. 2 illustrates paths of injected cleaning liquid in the substrate cleaning apparatus depicted in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates a schematic view of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of a supporting member of the substrate cleaning apparatus depicted in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 illustrates a perspective view of a nozzle of the substrate cleaning apparatus depicted in FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 illustrates a view of injection angles of injection holes formed in nozzles of the substrate cleaning apparatus depicted in FIG. 3, according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7A illustrates a sectional view of the nozzle depicted in FIG. 5 according to an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 7B illustrates a sectional view of the nozzle depicted in FIG. 5 according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 illustrates a sectional view of the nozzle depicted in FIG. 5 according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 9 illustrates a view for of injection angles of injection holes formed in the nozzles of the substrate cleaning apparatus depicted in FIG. 3, according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 10 illustrates a view for of injection angles of injection holes formed in the nozzles of the substrate cleaning apparatus depicted in FIG. 3, according to another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 11 illustrates a schematic view of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to another embodiment of the invention; and

FIG. 12 illustrates a schematic view of a substrate cleaning apparatus according to another embodiment of the invention.

Claims

1. An apparatus for cleaning substrates, comprising: a supporting member for supporting substrates in an upright position; anda liquid supplying member including a first nozzle disposed at one side of a vertical centerline of the substrates, and a second nozzle disposed at another side of the vertical centerline of the substrates,wherein each of the first and second nozzles includes a plurality of first injection holes to inject cleaning liquid toward lower ends of the substrates or regions adjacent to the lower ends of the substrates.

2. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second nozzles further includes a plurality of second injection holes to inject cleaning liquid toward outermost regions of the substrates or regions adjacent to the outermost regions.

3. The apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein each of the first and second nozzles further includes a plurality of third injection holes to inject cleaning liquid toward upper ends of the substrates or regions adjacent to the upper ends of the substrates.

4. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second nozzles further includes a plurality of second injection holes to inject cleaning liquid toward lateral ends of the substrates or regions adjacent to the lateral ends of substrates.

5. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the supporting member comprises at least one supporting rod to support the substrates at portions adjacent to lateral ends of the substrates; and each of the first and second nozzles further includes a plurality of second injection holes to inject cleaning liquid toward an inner end of the at least one supporting rod or a region adjacent to the inner end.

6. The apparatus as claimed in claim 5, wherein each of the first and second nozzles further includes a plurality of third injection holes to inject cleaning liquid toward upper ends of the substrates or regions adjacent to the upper ends of the substrates.

7. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first injection holes has a gradually increasing cross-section in a cleaning liquid injection direction.

8. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second nozzles further includes a plurality of second injection holes to inject cleaning liquid in a substantially tangential direction of the substrates.

9. The apparatus as claimed in claim 8, wherein each of the first and second nozzles further includes a plurality of third injection holes to inject cleaning liquid toward upper ends of the substrates or regions adjacent to the upper ends of the substrates.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the substrates are placed on the supporting member in a row, and the first and second nozzles are disposed parallel to the row.

11. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cleaning liquid is a chemical solution or a rinsing liquid.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second nozzles are disposed above the substrates that are supported on the supporting member.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second nozzles are disposed under the supporting member.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second nozzles includes: a plurality of second injection holes to inject cleaning liquid toward outermost regions of the substrates or regions adjacent to the outermost regions without interference with the supporting member; anda plurality of third injection holes to inject cleaning liquid toward upper ends of the substrates or regions adjacent to the upper ends of the substrates.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 14, wherein each of the first and second injection holes has a gradually increasing cross-section in a cleaning liquid injection direction.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the first and second nozzles includes: a plurality of second injection holes to inject cleaning liquid toward lateral ends of the substrates or in a substantially tangential direction of the substrates; anda plurality of third injection holes to inject cleaning liquid toward upper ends of the substrates.

17. A cleaning method, comprising: supporting substrates in an upright position on a supporting member; andinjecting cleaning liquid toward the substrates via a liquid supplying member including a first nozzle disposed at one side of a vertical centerline of the substrates, and a second nozzle disposed at another side of the vertical centerline of the substrates,wherein each of the first and second nozzles includes a plurality of first injection holes to inject the cleaning liquid toward lower ends of the substrates or regions adjacent to the lower ends of the substrates.

18. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising: injecting the cleaning liquid toward outermost regions of the substrates or regions adjacent to the outermost regions without interference with the supporting member via a plurality of second injection holes; andinjecting the cleaning liquid toward upper ends of the substrates or regions adjacent to the upper ends of the substrates via a plurality of third injection holes.

19. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 18, wherein each of the first and second injection holes has a gradually increasing cross-section in a cleaning liquid injection direction.

20. The cleaning method as claimed in claim 17, further comprising: injecting the cleaning liquid toward lateral ends of the substrates or in a substantially tangential direction of the substrates via a plurality of second injection holes; andinjecting the cleaning liquid toward upper ends of the substrates via a plurality of third injection holes.