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An apparatus and method for treating surfaces of semiconductor wafers with a reactive gas, such as ozone, utilizes streams of gaseous material ejected from a gas nozzle structure to create depressions on or holes through a boundary layer of processing fluid formed on a semiconductor wafer surface to

An apparatus and method for treating surfaces of semiconductor wafers with a reactive gas, such as ozone, utilizes streams of gaseous material ejected from a gas nozzle structure to create depressions on or holes through a boundary layer of processing fluid formed on a semiconductor wafer surface to increase the amount of reactive gas that reaches the wafer surface through the boundary layer. The apparatus and method may be used to clean a semiconductor wafer surface and/or grow an oxide layer on the wafer surface by oxidation.

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What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for treating a surface of an object with a reactive gas comprising: an object holding structure configured to hold said object; a rotational drive mechanism connected to the object holding structure to rotate the object holding structure and said object; a fluid

What is claimed is: 1. An apparatus for treating a surface of an object with a reactive gas comprising: an object holding structure configured to hold said object; a rotational drive mechanism connected to the object holding structure to rotate the object holding structure and said object; a fluid dispensing structure positioned relative to said object holding structure to dispense a processing fluid onto said surface of said object, said processing fluid forming a fluid layer on said surface; a gas nozzle structure positioned relative to said object holding structure, said gas nozzle structure having numerous openings on a lower planar surface of said gas nozzle structure to eject multiple streams of gaseous material onto said fluid layer formed on said surface of said object at different locations on said fluid layer, said gas nozzle structure being configured to introduce said reactive gas to reach and react with said surface of said object, said gas nozzle structure including a grid-like portion with a plurality of spaces, said spaces of said grid-like portion allowing said processing fluid dispensed from said fluid dispensing structure to pass through said gas nozzle structure; a pressure controlling device operatively connected to said gas nozzle structure to control pressure of said multiple streams of said gaseous material ejected from said gas nozzle structure; and a controller operatively connected to said pressure controlling device, said controller being configured to control said pressure controlling device so that said multiple streams of said gaseous material produce at least depressions on said fluid layer. 2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said controller is configured to control said pressure controlling device so that said multiple streams of said gaseous material produce holes through said fluid layer. 3. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gas nozzle structure includes an elongated gas opening to eject a wall-like stream of gaseous material onto said processing fluid layer. 4. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gas nozzle structure is configured to eject at least one stream of inert gas from said numerous openings and at least one stream of reactive gas from said numerous openings. 5. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said fluid dispensing structure is configured to dispense said processing fluid in the form of a spray onto said surface of said object. 6. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an ozone generator to generate ozone gas, and wherein said controller is further configured to control said pressure controlling device so that at least one stream of said ozone gas is ejected from said gas nozzle structure. 7. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising an ozone generator to generate ozone gas, and wherein said controller is further configured to control said pressure controlling device so that at least one stream of mixed gas is ejected from said gas nozzle structure, said mixed gas consisting of said ozone gas and at least one other gas selected from a group consisting of nitrogen gas, HF vaporized gas and IPA vaporized gas. 8. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gas nozzle structure includes at least one elongated gas opening to eject a wall-like stream of said gaseous material. 9. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein said gas nozzle structure includes first and second gas openings, said first gas opening being used to ejected a stream of inert gas onto a specific location on said fluid layer, said second gas opening being used to eject a stream of said reactive gas onto said specific location on said fluid layer. 10. The apparatus of claim 1 further comprising: a first drive mechanism operatively connected to said fluid dispensing structure, said first drive mechanism being configured to pivot said fluid dispensing structure about a first axis to move said fluid dispensing structure across said surface of said object; and a second drive mechanism operatively connected to said gas nozzle structure, said second drive mechanism being configured to pivot said gas nozzle structure about a second axis to move said gas nozzle structure across said surface of said object. 11. An apparatus for treating a surface of an object with a reactive gas comprising: an object holding structure configured to hold said object; a rotational drive mechanism connected to the object holding structure to rotate the object holding structure and said object; a fluid dispensing structure positioned relative to said object holding structure to dispense a processing fluid onto said surface of said object, said processing fluid forming a fluid layer on said surface; a first drive mechanism operatively connected to said fluid dispensing structure, said first drive mechanism being configured to pivot said fluid dispensing structure about a first axis to move said fluid dispensing structure across said surface of said object; an ozone generator to generate ozone gas; a gas nozzle structure operatively connected to said ozone generator, said gas nozzle structure having numerous openings on a lower planar surface of said gas nozzle structure to eject multiple streams of reactive gas, said gas nozzle structure including a arid-like portion with a plurality of spaces, said spaces of said grid-like portion allowing said processing fluid dispensed from said fluid dispensing structure to pass through said gas nozzle structure; a second drive mechanism operatively connected to said gas nozzle structure, said second drive mechanism being configured to pivot said gas nozzle structure about a second axis to move said gas nozzle structure across said surface of said object; a pressure controlling device operatively connected to said gas nozzle structure to control pressure of said multiple streams of said reactive gas; and a controller operatively connected to said pressure controlling device, said controller being configured to control said pressure controlling device so that said multiple streams of said reactive gas produces at least a depression on said layer of fluid layer, said controller further being configured to control said pressure controlling device so that said reactive gas consists of one of said ozone gas and a mixed gas, said mixed gas consisting of said ozone gas and at least one other gas selected from a group consisting of nitrogen gas, HF vaporized gas and IPA vaporized gas. 12. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said controller is configured to control said pressure controlling device so that said multiple streams of said reactive gas directly contact said surface of said object through said fluid layer. 13. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said fluid dispensing structure is configured to dispense said processing fluid in the form of a spray onto said surface of said object. 14. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said gas nozzle structure includes at least one elongated gas opening to eject a wall-like stream of said reactive gas. 15. The apparatus of claim 11 wherein said gas nozzle structure includes first and second gas openings, said first gas opening being used to ejected a stream of inert gas onto a specific location on said fluid layer, said second gas opening being used to eject a stream of said reactive gas onto said specific location on said fluid layer. 16. An apparatus for treating a surface of an object with a reactive gas comprising: an object holding structure configured to hold said object; a rotational drive mechanism connected to the object holding structure to rotate the object holding structure and said object; a fluid dispensing structure positioned relative to said object holding structure to dispense a processing fluid onto said surface of said object, said processing fluid forming a fluid layer on said surface; a gas nozzle structure positioned relative to said object holding structure to eject multiple streams of gaseous material onto said fluid layer formed on said surface of said object at different locations on said fluid layer, said gas nozzle structure being configured to introduce said reactive gas to reach and react with said surface of said object, said gas nozzle structure including a grid-like portion with a plurality of spaces, said spaces of said grid-like portion allowing said processing fluid dispensed from said fluid dispensing structure to pass through said gas nozzle structure; a pressure controlling device operatively connected to said gas nozzle structure to control pressure of said multiple streams of said gaseous material ejected from said gas nozzle structure; and a controller operatively connected to said pressure controlling device, said controller being configured to control said pressure controlling device so that said multiple streams of said gaseous material produce at least depressions on said fluid layer.