Abstract: Provided downstream of an on-off valve are a needle and a diaphragm that cooperates with the needle. The needle is driven by a motor. A controller causes the motor to move the diaphragm cooperating with the needle for increasing a volume of a flow path downstream of the on-off valve. Accordingly, this allows suck back, leading to prevention of drips of the processing liquid. In addition, the controller causes the motor to move the needle for regulating the flow rate of the processing liquid when the on-off valve is opened. This facilitates flow regulation of the processing liquid by the motor which is current1y made by the operator's sense. Moreover, since prevention of the drips of the processing liquid as well as the flow regulation of the processing liquid are performable with the same motor, a needless configuration is omittable to achieve space saving.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate treating apparatus that treats a substrate with processing liquids. The apparatus includes a substrate holder, an exterior cup, and an interior cup. The interior cup includes an interior cup body, and an interior cup outlet. The exterior cup includes an exterior cup body, an exterior bottom cup, a first drain outlet, a first exhaust port, a second drain outlet, a second exhaust port, and a separation partition. The apparatus further includes an annular member movable upwardly/downwardly, and a drive unit that causes the annular member to move to shift the interior cup body between a collecting position and a retracting position.

Abstract: Provided is a pump apparatus, having an upstream pump, a filter, and a downstream pump being inserted into a processing liquid flow path in this order. The downstream pump has an inlet higher in level than an outlet of the upstream pump and higher in level than an outlet of the filter. That is, the downstream pump is disposed higher in level than the upstream pump and the filter. Accordingly, this allows a processing liquid to flow upward. Even when air bubbles are generated in the processing liquid, buoyancy causes the air bubbles to move upward in the processing liquid flow path and collect the air bubbles on a downstream side. Consequently, the air bubbles are readily vented from the processing liquid flow path.

Abstract: An aligner includes a plurality of substrate rotators and a shaft member. Each substrate rotator includes a holder, a notch detector, an electromagnetic clutch and a driving belt. Each holder sucks the back surface of the substrate under vacuum and horizontally holds the substrate. Each notch detector detects a notch formed at the substrate, and supplies a detection result to the corresponding electromagnetic clutch as a detection signal. One end of the shaft member is connected to a motor. The shaft member is continuously rotated by the motor. Each electromagnetic clutch switches to a connection state in which rotational force of an inner periphery is transmitted to an outer periphery and a disconnection state in which rotational force of the inner periphery is transmitted to the outer periphery according to a detection signal supplied from the notch detector.

Abstract: A first feed section supplies a solvent from a first discharge opening formed in a side surface of a nozzle receiving portion. A cylindrical drain flow path is attached to a bottom surface of the nozzle receiving portion. The drain flow path drains at least a coating solution dispensed from a nozzle placed in the nozzle receiving portion. The drain flow path has a second feed section for adjusting a drain flow rate of the solvent flowing from the nozzle receiving portion and passing through the drain flow path. With the second feed section adjusting the drain flow rate when the solvent flows through the drain flow path, although an inside diameter of the drain flow path is set larger than a diameter of a nozzle dispenser opening, the solvent can be collected stably in the nozzle receiving portion, whereby the solvent can easily be sucked into a nozzle tip.

Abstract: A filter coupling device couples to a filter. The filter coupling device includes a plurality of joint members for connection to a plurality of connection openings of the filter. The filter coupling device also includes an arrangement switcher for switching an arrangement of the joint members between a first arrangement and a second arrangement.

Abstract: A substrate is transported based on coordinates information indicating a receiving position of the substrate and a placement position of the substrate by a hand. If the substrate is shifted from a first position, the substrate is received by the hand while a center of the substrate is shifted from a normal position of the hand. The hand that holds the substrate is moved toward a second position. A plurality of portions at an outer periphery of the substrate are detected before the substrate is placed. A shift of the substrate with respect to the normal position of the hand is detected based on the detection result, and the coordinates information is corrected such that a shift between a position of the center of the substrate to be placed at the second position by the hand and the center of the second position is canceled.

Abstract: A processing liquid is supplied onto a substrate rotated by a spin chuck in a coating processing unit so that a film of the processing liquid is formed, and a rinse liquid is supplied to a peripheral edge of the substrate so that a processing liquid on the peripheral edge of the substrate is removed. An edge cut width between a position of an outer peripheral portion of the substrate rotated by the spin chuck in an edge exposure unit and a position of an outer peripheral portion of a film on the substrate is detected. Based on the detected edge cut width, a positional deviation of the center of the substrate held in the spin chuck from a rotation center of the spin chuck in the coating processing unit is determined while a supply state of the rinse liquid by an edge rinse nozzle is determined.

Abstract: Transport mechanisms are respectively provided in first and second processing blocks. Each transport mechanism has a hand. The hand holds the other surface of a substrate without coming into contact with an edge of the substrate. The hand is moved such that the substrate is transported between an adhesion reinforcement processing unit or a cooling unit and a coating processing unit or a development processing unit. In the adhesion reinforcement processing unit and the cooling unit, temperature processing is performed on the substrate while the back surface of the substrate is held by suction. In the coating processing unit and the development processing unit, a processing liquid is supplied to the main surface of the substrate while the back surface of the substrate is held by suction by a spin chuck.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate treating apparatus including a substrate holder, a rotating drive unit, a treatment liquid supplying unit, an exterior cup, and an interior cup. The interior cup is movable between a collection position where the interior cup collects the treatment liquid and a retracting position where the exterior cup collects the treatment liquid, and includes an interior cup main body with an annular contour, a liquid outlet in the interior cup main body for draining the treatment liquid in the interior cup main body, and an exhaust port in the interior cup main body for exhausting gas in the interior cup main body. The exterior cup includes an exterior cup main body with an annular contour, a liquid outlet in the exterior cup main body for draining the treatment liquid in the exterior cup main body, and an exhaust port in the exterior cup main body for exhausting gas in the exterior cup main body.

Abstract: Provided is a substrate cleaning and drying method, including a cleaning step of cleaning a developed substrate by supplying a cleaning liquid to the substrate; a puddle-forming step of forming a puddle of the cleaning liquid on the substrate; a film-thinning step of thinning a film thickness of the cleaning liquid on the substrate; and a drying step of drying the substrate by spinning the substrate and generating outward airflow and inward airflow between the outward airflow and the substrate, the outward airflow covering a portion above the substrate and the inward airflow causing removal of the cleaning liquid on the substrate.

Abstract: An aligner includes a plurality of substrate rotators and a shaft member. Each substrate rotator includes a holder, a notch detector, an electromagnetic clutch and a driving belt. Each holder sucks the back surface of the substrate under vacuum and horizontally holds the substrate. Each notch detector detects a notch formed at the substrate, and supplies a detection result to the corresponding electromagnetic clutch as a detection signal. One end of the shaft member is connected to a motor. The shaft member is continuously rotated by the motor. Each electromagnetic clutch switches to a connection state in which rotational force of an inner periphery is transmitted to an outer periphery and a disconnection state in which rotational force of the inner periphery is transmitted to the outer periphery according to a detection signal supplied from the notch detector.

Abstract: Transport mechanisms are respectively provided in first and second processing blocks. Each transport mechanism has a hand. The hand holds the other surface of a substrate without coming into contact with an edge of the substrate. The hand is moved such that the substrate is transported between an adhesion reinforcement processing unit or a cooling unit and a coating processing unit or a development processing unit. In the adhesion reinforcement processing unit and the cooling unit, temperature processing is performed on the substrate while the back surface of the substrate is held by suction. In the coating processing unit and the development processing unit, a processing liquid is supplied to the main surface of the substrate while the back surface of the substrate is held by suction by a spin chuck.

Abstract: A substrate is transported based on coordinates information indicating a receiving position of the substrate and a placement position of the substrate by a hand. If the substrate is shifted from a first position, the substrate is received by the hand while a center of the substrate is shifted from a normal position of the hand. The hand that holds the substrate is moved toward a second position. A plurality of portions at an outer periphery of the substrate are detected before the substrate is placed. A shift of the substrate with respect to the normal position of the hand is detected based on the detection result, and the coordinates information is corrected such that a shift between a position of the center of the substrate to be placed at the second position by the hand and the center of the second position is canceled.

Abstract: A platform section has an upper platform chamber and a lower platform chamber. Platform units are provided in the upper platform chamber and the lower platform chamber, respectively. A plurality of local arms corresponding to coating processing chambers are provided in the upper platform chamber and the lower platform chamber, respectively. Further, in the upper platform chamber and the lower platform chamber, a plurality of local arms respectively corresponding to a plurality of thermal processing units, a plurality of local arms respectively corresponding to a plurality of adhesion reinforcement processing units and a plurality of local arms respectively corresponding to a plurality of cooling units are provided.

Abstract: An edge exposure unit includes a projector, a projector holding unit, a substrate rotating unit, an outer edge detecting unit and a surface inspection processing unit. Each component of the projector holding unit operates to move the projector in an X direction and a Y direction. The projector irradiates a peripheral portion of a substrate with light transmitted from a light source for exposure through a light guide. Edge sampling processing is performed based on distribution of an amount of light received in a CCD line sensor of the outer edge detecting unit. Surface inspection processing is performed based on distribution of an amount of light received in a CCD line sensor of the surface inspection processing unit.

Abstract: A processing liquid is supplied onto a substrate rotated by a spin chuck in a coating processing unit so that a film of the processing liquid is formed, and a rinse liquid is supplied to a peripheral edge of the substrate so that a processing liquid on the peripheral edge of the substrate is removed. An edge cut width between a position of an outer peripheral portion of the substrate rotated by the spin chuck in an edge exposure unit and a position of an outer peripheral portion of a film on the substrate is detected. Based on the detected edge cut width, a positional deviation of the center of the substrate held in the spin chuck from a rotation center of the spin chuck in the coating processing unit is determined while a supply state of the rinse liquid by an edge rinse nozzle is determined.

Abstract: An edge exposure unit includes a projector, a projector holding unit, a substrate rotating unit, an outer edge detecting unit and a surface inspection processing unit. Each component of the projector holding unit operates to move the projector in an X direction and a Y direction. The projector irradiates a peripheral portion of a substrate with light transmitted from a light source for exposure through a light guide. Edge sampling processing is performed based on distribution of an amount of light received in a CCD line sensor of the outer edge detecting unit. Surface inspection processing is performed based on distribution of an amount of light received in a CCD line sensor of the surface inspection processing unit.