Liquid processing apparatuses include a hollow-shaped bottom plate supporting a target semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a “wafer”), a rotary shaft fixedly connected to the bottom plate and rotated by a spin motor, a supply pipeline extended in the rotary shaft to supply a cleaning solution to the wafer supported on the bottom plate, and substrate lifting pins ascending to support the bottom of the wafer. One example of the liquid processing apparatuses is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 9-290197
In the liquid processing apparatuses, a cleaning solution, such as a chemical solution or a rinsing solution, that is used to clean wafers, may be attached to the substrate lifting pins via through holes. Accordingly, when the wafer is lifted by the substrate lifting pins and is delivered to a conveyor robot after the wafer is dried, the droplet of the cleaning solution attached to the substrate lifting pins may be attached to an opposite surface of the wafer.
If the cleaning solution is attached to the wafer as described above, not only watermarks may be formed on the wafer to which the droplet is attached, but also the humidity in a carrier for conveying the wafer may be increased, thereby causing the formation of watermarks on other wafers accommodated in the carrier.
Further, in the liquid processing apparatuses, a first path connected to an inert gas connection path and a second path connected to a cleaning solution connection path are installed inside a dual supply pipeline, and the front ends of the first path and the second path are positioned at the same height. Accordingly, the cleaning solution may flow into the first path.