Substrate treatment apparatus

Abstract

A substrate treatment apparatus is provided, which includes: a seal chamber including a chamber body having an opening, a lid member provided rotatably with respect to the chamber body and configured to close the opening, and a first liquid seal structure which liquid-seals between the lid member and the chamber body, the seal chamber having an internal space sealed from outside; a lid member rotating unit which rotates the lid member; a substrate holding/rotating unit which holds and rotates a substrate in the internal space of the seal chamber; and a treatment liquid supplying unit which supplies a treatment liquid to the substrate rotated by the substrate holding/rotating unit.

1 . A substrate treatment apparatus comprising:
 a seal chamber including a chamber body having an opening, a lid member provided rotatably with respect to the chamber body and configured to close the opening, and a first liquid seal structure which liquid-seals between the lid member and the chamber body, the seal chamber having an internal space sealed from outside;   a lid member rotating unit which rotates the lid member;   a substrate holding/rotating unit which holds and rotates a substrate in the internal space of the seal chamber; and   a treatment liquid supplying unit which supplies a treatment liquid to the substrate rotated by the substrate holding/rotating unit.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a first moving unit which moves at least one of the substrate holding/rotating unit and the seal chamber to relatively move the substrate held by the substrate holding/rotating unit and the lid member toward and away from each other. 
     
     
         3 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the first moving unit is configured so as to move at least one of the substrate holding/rotating unit and the seal chamber to change a position of the substrate holding/rotating unit defined relative to the seal chamber between a liquid treatment position at which a liquid treatment process is performed to treat the substrate with the treatment liquid supplied from the treatment liquid supplying unit and a chamber cleaning position at which the substrate holding/rotating unit is located closer to the lid member than at the liquid treatment position to clean an inside of the seal chamber. 
     
     
         4 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the first moving unit is configured so as to move at least one of the substrate holding/rotating unit and the seal chamber to change the position of the substrate holding/rotating unit defined relative to the seal chamber to a drying position at which the substrate holding/rotating unit is located closer to the lid member than at the chamber cleaning position. 
     
     
         5 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the first moving unit is configured so as to move at least one of the substrate holding/rotating unit and the seal chamber to change a position of the substrate holding/rotating unit defined relative to the seal chamber between a liquid treatment position at which a liquid treatment process is performed to treat the substrate with the treatment liquid supplied from the treatment liquid supplying unit and a drying position at which the substrate is located closer to the lid member than at the liquid treatment position to perform a drying process on the substrate. 
     
     
         6 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning liquid spouting unit which spouts a cleaning liquid toward the lid member. 
     
     
         7 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 6 , further comprising a chamber cleaning control unit which controls the lid member rotating unit to rotate the lid member at a predetermined lid cleaning rotation speed and controls the cleaning liquid spouting unit to spout the cleaning liquid from the cleaning liquid spouting unit. 
     
     
         8 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the lid member has a substrate opposing surface to be opposed to an entire major surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding/rotating unit,
 the substrate treatment apparatus further comprising a drying control unit which controls the substrate holding/rotating unit and the lid member rotating unit to rotate the substrate held by the substrate holding/rotating unit and the lid member at a predetermined drying rotation speed in a same direction.   
     
     
         9 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the substrate holding/rotating unit has a portion exposed outside the seal chamber,
 the substrate treatment apparatus further comprising:   a second moving unit which moves the substrate holding/rotating unit and the seal chamber relative to each other; and   a second liquid seal structure which liquid-seals between the substrate holding/rotating unit and the seal chamber.   
     
     
         10 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the first liquid seal structure has a seal channel provided in the chamber body as extending along the entire periphery of the opening for retaining a seal liquid, and   the lid member has a seal ring inserted in the seal channel and immersed in the seal liquid,   the substrate treatment apparatus further comprising a seal liquid supplying unit which supplies the seal liquid to the seal channel, wherein   the seal liquid is always supplied to the seal channel from the seal liquid supplying unit during an operation of the substrate treatment apparatus.   
     
     
         11 . The substrate treatment apparatus according to  claim 1 , further comprising an inert gas supplying unit which supplies an inert gas into the seal chamber. 
     
     
         12 .- 22 . (canceled)