Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for heat processing of a substrate having the step of baking a substrate, on which a coating film is formed, at a predetermined high temperature, comprising a first step of increasing the substrate from a predetermined low temperature to a predetermined intermediate temperature lower than a predetermined reaction temperature at which the coating film reacts, a second step of maintaining the substrate at the predetermined intermediate temperature for a predetermined period of time, and a third step of increasing the temperature of the substrate to the predetermined high temperature higher than the predetermined reaction temperature.

Abstract: When a substrate coated with a coating solution which oxidizes at high temperatures is heat-treated, an oxygen concentration of a treatment atmosphere is lowered when the temperature is low. Next, the substrate is heat-treated in the treatment atmosphere of which the oxygen concentration is lowered. Sequentially, the treatment atmosphere is returned to that with the original oxygen concentration after the passage of a predetermined time after completing the heat treatment. Thereby, the substrate can be heat-treated, with the oxidization of the coating solution being controlled.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for heat processing a substrate. After a coating film is formed on the substrate, the substrate is baked at a predetermined high temperature. The baking step is performed by first increasing the substrate temperature from a predetermined low temperature to a predetermined intermediate temperature that is lower than a predetermined reaction temperature at which the coating film reacts. Next, a second baking step maintains the substrate at the predetermined intermediate temperature for a predetermined period of time, and is followed by a third step of increasing the temperature of the substrate to the predetermined high temperature that is higher than the predetermined reaction temperature. This results in uniform temperature within the surface of the substrate when the temperature of the substrate reaches the reaction temperature. Consequently, a chemical reaction due to heat processing of the coating film within the surface of the substrate is performed uniformly.

Abstract: A nitride semiconductor laser device comprises, on a principle face of a nitride semiconductor substrate: a nitride semiconductor layer having a first conductivity type; an active layer comprising indium, and a nitride semiconductor layer having a second conductivity type that is different from said first conductivity type, and on the surface of which is formed a stripe ridge; said principal face of said nitride semiconductor substrate having an off angle a (?a) with respect to a reference crystal plane, in at least a direction substantially parallel to said stripe ridge.

Abstract: A coating and developing treatment system for performing coating and developing treatment. A coating treatment unit is configured to form a resist film on a substrate. A developing treatment unit is configured to develop the substrate. A heating/cooling unit includes a heat plate configured to continuously heat and a cooling plate configured to continuously cool in one casing the substrate on which the resist film has been formed by the coating treatment unit. A gas nozzle is configured to supply a treatment gas to the resist film formed on the substrate to form a protective film on a surface of the resist film. The gas nozzle is disposed on a cooling plate side in the heating/cooling unit. The gas nozzle is configured to move to a position above the substrate on the cooling plate during cooling at the cooling plate, to supply the treatment gas.

Abstract: A system for performing a coating and developing treatment for a substrate. The system includes a processing zone having a coating treatment unit, a developing treatment unit, and a heat treatment unit. An interface section carries the substrate between the processing zone and an aligner not included in the system for performing an exposure processing for the substrate. A unit measures the density of impurities at least inside the processing zone or the interface section, and a reduced-pressure impurity removing unit has a chamber which can be closed airtightly for reducing the pressure inside the chamber to a predetermined pressure before the substrate undergoes the exposure processing to remove the impurities adhering to the coating layer on the substrate inside the chamber for a predetermined time. A reduced-pressure control unit controls at least the predetermined pressure or predetermined time based on the value measured by the density measuring unit.

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: 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: Thermal processing unit sections each with ten tiers and coating processing unit sections each with five tiers are disposed around a first main wafer transfer section and a second main wafer transfer section, and in the thermal processing unit section, the influence of the time required for substrate temperature regulation processing on a drop in throughput can be reduced greatly by transferring the wafer W while the temperature of the wafer W is being regulated by a temperature regulation and transfer device.

Abstract: A substrate transfer system comprising a cassette table for mounting a cassette which has an opening portion for loading and unloading a substrate and a cover detachably provided to the opening portion, process portion for processing the substrate housed in a cassette on the cassette table, a transfer arm mechanism for taking out the substrate from the cassette table, transferring it to process units G1 to G5, and returning a processed substrate to the cassette on the cassette table, partition members provided between the transfer arm mechanism and the cassette table, for separating an atmosphere on the side of the transfer arm mechanism from that on the side of the cassette table, a passage formed in the partition member so as to face the opening portion of the cassette on the cassette table, for passing the substrate taken out from the cassette on the cassette table by the transfer arm mechanism and returning the substrate to the cassette on the cassette table, cassette moving mechanisms for moving the open

Abstract: A spin chuck on which a wafer is mounted is divided into a plurality of regions concentrically in a radial direction, and different temperatures are set for each of the regions so that the temperature gradually increases from the outer periphery to the center. The wafer is placed on this spin chuck, and a processing solution is applied to the wafer and spread over the wafer by centrifugal force, whereby the vaporization of a solvent of the processing solution which is spread on the outer periphery of the wafer is suppressed, and hence the timing of drying of the processing solution within the surface of the wafer can be made uniform. Consequently, a coating film with a uniform thickness within the wafer surface can be obtained.

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 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: 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: A developing processing apparatus for supplying a developing solution to a wafer on which a photoresist film has been formed to thereby perform developing processing includes a wafer holding portion for horizontally holding the wafer, a linear nozzle held above the wafer holding portion for supplying the developing solution onto the wafer while moving in a predetermined horizontal direction, and a resistance bar for imparting discharge resistance to the developing solution discharged from the linear nozzle. This allows all discharge ports to discharge the developing solution uniformly, especially even when discharge pressure for the developing solution to be supplied is low in development of a scan method using a linear nozzle or a slit nozzle.

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: 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: 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: An upper side of a cup provided around a wafer is formed in a rectangular shape and a lower side thereof is formed in a cylindrical shape. The cup is formed such that, when seen from above, the portion forming the cylindrical shape is positioned within the portion forming the rectangular shape. The cup has a raising and lowering mechanism and is controlled by a control section. The upper side of the cup is placed by the side of the wafer during a scan by a supply nozzle. The lower side of the cup is placed over an upper level and a lower level of the wafer while a rinse liquid and a developing solution are shaken off. The scan by the supply nozzle is performed with the supply nozzle positioned in the upper cup portion.

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.