Abstract: Three-phase/d-q converters convert an output voltage V outputted from a power converter and a coil current flowing through a propulsion coil to a voltage and a current in a dq rotary coordinate system, respectively. A speed electromotive force observer estimates speed electromotive force based on these voltage and current, and a vehicle angular speed &ohgr;, and a speed electromotive force phase generator calculates a speed electromotive force phase &thgr;e based on the estimated speed electromotive force Zd, Zq. A phase synchronization controller constituted as a secondary PI control system stabilizes the speed electromotive force phase &thgr;e and outputs it as a phase reference &thgr;*. Accordingly, it is possible in a system of an LSM vehicle to obtain the stable phase reference &thgr;* with a minimum deviation even when the vehicle is running at low speed.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for performing coating and developing treatment for a substrate, which comprises the steps of: supplying a coating solution to the substrate to form a coating film on the substrate; performing heat treatment for the substrate on which the coating film is formed; cooling the substrate after the heat treatment; performing exposure processing for the coating film formed on the substrate; and developing the substrate after the exposure processing, and further comprises the step of supplying a treatment gas to form a treatment film on a surface of the coating film after the step of forming the coating film and before the step of performing the exposure processing for the substrate.

Abstract: In the control system, a propulsion force is computed by a propulsion force computing unit based on a current command value outputted from a speed controller, an acceleration is computed by an acceleration computing unit based on the propulsion force and a running resistance outputted from a running resistance computing unit, a speed is computed by a speed computing unit based on the acceleration, and a simulated phase reference value is computed by a phase computing unit. Then, the simulated phase is computed by adding, at a simulated phase computing unit, a predetermined phase delay (e.g. 30 degrees) to the simulated phase reference value. The addition of the phase delay results in generation of synchronizing force in the LSM and thus little deviation between the simulated phase and the actual phase.

Abstract: A developing unit, a coating unit and a plurality of cooling plates are arranged in a process station which performs a resist coating and so on and a wafer is transferred among them by a substrate transfer device. The temperature of an area to where the wafer is transferred is detected by a temperature/humidity detector and the temperature of the wafer which is cooled by the cooling plates is adjusted accordingly based on a detected value so that the temperature of the wafer when transferred to the coating unit becomes a coating temperature of a processing solution. Thereby, the wafer is transferred to the coating unit while maintaining its temperature with high accuracy to be coated with a resist solution, so that a formation of an uneven processing due to the temperature change can be prevented and a uniform processing can be performed.

Abstract: The present invention has a processing zone having a coating unit for forming a coating film on a substrate, a developing unit for performing development of the substrate, a heat treatment unit for performing heat treatment of the substrate, and a first transfer device for transferring the substrate from/to the coating unit, the developing unit and the heat treatment unit, an interface section in which the substrate is transferred at least on a path between the processing zone and an exposure processing unit outside the system for performing exposure processing for the substrate, a casing for housing the processing zone and the interface section, a gas supply device for supplying an inert gas into the interface section, and an exhaust portion through which an atmosphere in the interface section is discharged, and the heat treatment unit, and a second transfer device for transferring the substrate on a path between the heat treatment unit and the exposure processing unit are disposed in the interface section.

Abstract: The present invention has a processing zone having a coating unit for forming a coating film on a substrate, a developing unit for performing development of the substrate, a heat treatment unit for performing heat treatment of the substrate, and a first transfer device for transferring the substrate from/to the coating unit, the developing unit and the heat treatment unit, an interface section in which the substrate is transferred at least on a path between the processing zone and an exposure processing unit outside the system for performing exposure processing for the substrate, a casing for housing the processing zone and the interface section, a gas supply device for supplying an inert gas into the interface section, and an exhaust portion through which an atmosphere in the interface section is discharged, and the heat treatment unit, and a second transfer device for transferring the substrate on a path between the heat treatment unit and the exposure processing unit are disposed in the interface section.

Abstract: In a coating and developing treatment for a substrate, the present invention comprises the steps of: supplying a coating solution to the substrate to form a coating layer on the substrate; performing a developing treatment for the substrate in the processing zone after it undergoes an exposure processing by an aligner not included in the system; and carrying the substrate into the chamber after the step of forming the coating layer and before the exposure processing and thereafter reducing the pressure inside the airtightly closed chamber to a predetermined pressure to remove impurities adhering to the substrate inside the chamber from the substrate for a predetermined time, wherein the predetermined pressure and the predetermined time are adjusted based on the density of the impurities measured inside the processing zone.

Abstract: In the control system, a propulsion force is computed by a propulsion force computing unit based on a current command value outputted from a speed controller, an acceleration is computed by an acceleration computing unit based on the propulsion force and a running resistance outputted from a running resistance computing unit, a speed is computed by a speed computing unit based on the acceleration, and a simulated phase reference value is computed by a phase computing unit. Then, the simulated phase is computed by adding, at a simulated phase computing unit, a predetermined phase delay (e.g. 30 degrees) to the simulated phase reference value. The addition of the phase delay results in generation of synchronizing force in the LSM and thus little deviation between the simulated phase and the actual phase.

Abstract: A HMDS gas is supplied to a surface of a wafer W to perform a hydrophobic process, thereafter the wafer W is contained in an airtight container on a cassette stage, and is transferred to an analyzer provided at an external portion of a resist pattern forming apparatus. The analyzer performs mass spectrometry of the quantity of an ionic species such as CH9Si+, C3H9Si+, C3H9Osi− and the like on the surface of the wafer W using an analyzing section, for example, TOF-SIMS, whereby measuring a HMDS quantity (hexamethyldisilazane) on the surface of the wafer W. This method makes it possible to measure the HMDS quantity on the surface of the wafer W and to evaluate a hydrophobic process state with high reliability.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for performing coating and developing treatment for a substrate, which comprises the steps of: supplying a coating solution to the substrate to form a coating film on the substrate; performing heat treatment for the substrate on which the coating film is formed; cooling the substrate after the heat treatment; performing exposure processing for the coating film formed on the substrate; and developing the substrate after the exposure processing, and further comprises the step of supplying a treatment gas to form a treatment film on a surface of the coating film after the step of forming the coating film and before the step of performing the exposure processing for the substrate.

Abstract: In a coating apparatus for supplying a mixed solution of a resist solution and a thinner onto a wafer from a nozzle, the nozzle is connected to a mixed solution supply pipe, and the resist solution and the thinner are supplied to the mixed solution supply pipe from a resist solution supply pipe and a thinner supply pipe respectively through a junction pipe. The diameter of the junction pipe is set smaller than those of other supply pipes, whereby the resist solution and the thinner can be mixed efficiently in the junction pipe, and as a result the wafer is coated with the mixed solution so that a uniform film thickness can be obtained within the surface of the wafer.

Abstract: The present invention is a system for performing coating and developing treatment for a substrate, which comprises a treatment section having a coating treatment unit for forming a coating film on the substrate, a developing treatment unit for developing the substrate, a thermal treatment unit for performing thermal treatment for the substrate, and a first carrier unit for carrying the substrate into/out of these coating treatment unit, developing treatment unit, and thermal treatment unit. The system of the present invention further comprises an interface section having a second carrier unit for carrying the substrate through a route at least between the treatment section and an exposure processing unit provided outside the system for performing exposure processing for the substrate.

Abstract: A treatment apparatus for treating a substrate in an isolated treatment space in an air-conditioned clean room, comprising a removing unit including a plurality of removing sections for recovering at least some of air in the treatment space and removing impurities from the recovered air, the removing sections being arranged in series and each including a supply mechanism for supplying an impurity remover capable of removing the impurities by touching the recovered air, a temperature adjustment unit for adjusting the temperature of the air cleared of the impurities by the removing unit, and a return circuit for returning the air, adjusted in temperature by the temperature adjustment unit, to the treatment space.

Abstract: Three-phase/d-q converters convert an output voltage V outputted from a power converter and a coil current flowing through a propulsion coil to a voltage and a current in a dq rotary coordinate system, respectively. A speed electromotive force observer estimates speed electromotive force based on these voltage and current, and a vehicle angular speed &ohgr;, and a speed electromotive force phase generator calculates a speed electromotive force phase &thgr;e based on the estimated speed electromotive force Zd, Zq. A phase synchronization controller constituted as a secondary PI control system stabilizes the speed electromotive force phase &thgr;e and outputs it as a phase reference &thgr;*. Accordingly, it is possible in a system of an LSM vehicle to obtain the stable phase reference &thgr;* with a minimum deviation even when the vehicle is running at low speed.

Abstract: A controller controls the temperature of a hot plate and the degree of vacuum in a tightly closed space to a temperature and a pressure at levels at which a thinner contained in a resist applied to a wafer volatilizes and an acid generator, a quencher, and a polymer chain protecting group practically remain in the resist, for example, during heat processing. More specifically, the controller controls the temperature of the hot plate and the degree of vacuum in the tightly closed space to bring the temperature of the hot plate to about 40° C., and the degree of vacuum in the tightly closed space to approximately 5 Torr. Thereby, the heat processing can be performed for the wafer so that the acid generator is uniformly dispersed in the resist, or the quencher is uniformly formed on the front face of the resist without breakage of the polymer chain protecting group.

Abstract: A closed container composed of a lid body and a lower container are provided in a cover body, and a supply pipe for nitrogen gas is connected to the cover body. A light source unit including UV lamps in the lid body is provided to face a mounting table in the closed container, and a gas supply path for HMDS gas is provided on the outer side from the light source unit. The inside of the cover body is first brought to a nitrogen atmosphere, a wafer is irradiated with ultraviolet rays with the lid body of the closed container opened to perform cleaning. Subsequently, the lid body is closed and the HMDS gas is introduced into the closed container to perform hydrophobic processing for the wafer. This removes deposits such as organic substances adhering to the wafer W through the irradiation with the ultraviolet rays, thereby improving coating properties of a resist solution.

Abstract: A developing unit, a coating unit and a plurality of cooling plates are arranged in a process station which performs a resist coating and so on and a wafer is transferred among them by a substrate transfer device. The temperature of an area to where the wafer is transferred is detected by a temperature/humidity detector and the temperature of the wafer which is cooled by the cooling plates is adjusted accordingly based on a detected value so that the temperature of the wafer when transferred to the coating unit becomes a coating temperature of a processing solution. Thereby, the wafer is transferred to the coating unit while maintaining its temperature with high accuracy to be coated with a resist solution, so that a formation of an uneven processing due to the temperature change can be prevented and a uniform processing can be performed.

Abstract: On top of respective areas divided by partition plates, that is, a cassette station, a processing station, and an interface section in a coating and developing processing system, gas supply sections for supplying an inert gas into the respective areas are provided. Exhaust pipes for exhausting atmospheres in the respective areas are provided at the bottom of the respective areas. The atmospheres in the respective areas are maintained in a clean condition by supplying the inert gas not containing impurities such as oxygen and fine particles from the respective gas supply sections into the respective areas and exhausting the atmospheres in the respective areas from the exhaust pipes.

Abstract: A processing apparatus using solution comprises a rotary table which rotates while holding a substrate thereon, in the processing chamber provided in the casing, a supply mechanism for supplying a processing solution to a surface of the substrate held on the rotary table, and an impurity remover unit, provided outside the casing, wherein the impurity remover unit includes a cleaning unit for cleaning an object gas introduced from the inlet opening by brining it into contact with an impurity remover solution, and the gas-liquid separation mechanism for separating liquid from gas in an exhaust is provided in the exhaust system for exhausting the casing.

Abstract: A substrate treatment system comprises process sections provided with at least either of liquid treatment group units and heat treatment group units, an upper space formed above the process sections in order to supply air to the process sections, a purification section for removing alkaline components from the air to be supplied to the upper spaces to purify the air, temperature/humidity controller communicating with the urification section and the upper spaces to control the temperature and humidity of the air passing through the purification sections, and fans for supplying air to the top spaces from the temperature/humidity controller, lowering the air from the upper spaces into the process sections, and supplying at least some of the air lowering through the process sections to the temperature/humidity controller.