Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus includes a plurality of substrate treatment lines arranged vertically. Each substrate treatment line has a plurality of main transport mechanisms arranged horizontally, and a plurality of treating units provided for each main transport mechanism for treating substrates. A series of treatments is carried out for the substrates, with each main transport mechanism transporting the substrates to the treating units associated therewith, and transferring the substrates to the other main transport mechanism horizontally adjacent thereto. The substrate treating apparatus realizes increased processing capabilities by treating the substrates in parallel through the substrate treatment lines.

Abstract: A substrate processing method for a substrate having a photosensitive film on a top surface thereof, includes cleaning a back surface of the substrate after the formation of the photosensitive film and before exposure processing; transporting the substrate to a temperature adjuster such as a cooling unit, while holding the substrate with a first holder; adjusting a temperature of the substrate with the temperature adjuster; transporting the substrate from the temperature adjuster to the exposure device with a second holder; and transporting the substrate after the exposure processing to a first platform while holding the substrate with a third holder.

Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus includes a treating section for treating substrates, and an interface section disposed adjacent the treating section and adjacent an exposing machine provided separately from the apparatus. The interface section has a first treating-section-side transport mechanism, a second treating-section-side transport mechanism, and an exposing-machine-side transport mechanism. Each of the first and second treating-section-side transport mechanisms is arranged to receive the substrates from the treating section, pass the substrates to the exposing-machine-side transport mechanism, receive the substrates from the exposing-machine-side transport mechanism and pass the substrates to the treating section.

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: In a substrate processing apparatus, a storage device, an indexer block, a processing block and an interface block are arranged to line up in this order. The storage device includes a plurality of openers on which a carrier storing a plurality of substrates can be placed. The carrier is carried in the storage device. In the storage device, the carrier is transported among the plurality of openers by a transport device. The transport device includes first and second hands configured to be able to hold the carrier and move in a horizontal direction and a vertical direction. The second hand is provided below the first hand.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus for heating a substrate is provided. The substrate processing apparatus can include a top and bottom planar member. A heater layer can be disposed between the top and the bottom planar member and held in place by evacuating a region between the two planar members. The heater layer can be made of alternating insulating and conducting layers with heater elements formed on the conducting layers in predetermined pattern.

Abstract: After a developing step, a substrate is spun at high speeds without supplying a cleaning liquid to a surface of the substrate. This causes a large centrifugal force to act on a developer on a resist film. Consequently, the developer can be removed rapidly from the surface of the substrate. As a result, development can be stopped at an expected timing. Moreover, a circuit pattern having an expected dimension can be obtained. At this time, a dissolved product is also removable with the developer from the substrate. This can avoid failure in development caused by the dissolved product. Consequently, suitably maintained quality of negative development can be achieved with a reduced usage amount of the cleaning liquid.

Abstract: The back surface of a substrate having a front surface coated with a resist film is irradiated with flashes of light emitted from flash lamps. Heat conduction from the back surface of the substrate abruptly raised in temperature by the irradiation with flashes of light toward the front surface thereof occurs to heat the resist film formed on the front surface of the substrate, so that a post-applied bake process is performed. After the completion of the post-applied bake process, a cooling plate cools down the substrate. Regardless of the type of resist film formed on the front surface of the substrate, the substrate has a constant absorptance of flashes of light to allow the resist film to be heated to a constant treatment temperature, because the back surface of the substrate is irradiated with flashes of light.

Abstract: The invention provides coating units, heat-treating units, and a first main transport mechanism for transporting substrates to each of these treating units. The substrates are transferred from the first main transport mechanism to a second main transport mechanism through a receiver. When a substrate cannot be placed on the receiver, this substrate is placed on a buffer. Thus, the first main transport mechanism can continue transporting other substrates. The other substrates in the treating units are transported between the treating units without delay, to receive a series of treatments including coating treatment and heat treatment as scheduled. This prevents lowering of the quality of treatment for forming film on the substrates.

Abstract: A substrate subjected to back surface cleaning by a back surface cleaning processing unit is held by a hand of an interface transport mechanism and transported to a cooling unit. The substrate whose temperature has been adjusted by the cooling unit is held by a hand of the interface transport mechanism and transported to an exposure device. The substrate subjected to exposure processing by the exposure device is held by a hand of the interface transport mechanism and transported from the exposure device to a substrate platform.

Abstract: An interface block is constituted by a cleaning/drying processing block and a carry-in/carry-out block. The cleaning/drying processing block includes cleaning/drying processing sections and a transport section. The transport section is provided with a transport mechanism. The carry-in/carry-out block is provided with a transport mechanism. The transport mechanism carries substrates in and out of an exposure device.

Abstract: The invention provides coating units, heat-treating units, and a first main transport mechanism for transporting substrates to each of these treating units. The substrates are transferred from the first main transport mechanism to a second main transport mechanism through a receiver. When a substrate cannot be placed on the receiver, this substrate is placed on a buffer. Thus, the first main transport mechanism can continue transporting other substrates. The other substrates in the treating units are transported between the treating units without delay, to receive a series of treatments including coating treatment and heat treatment as scheduled. This prevents lowering of the quality of treatment for forming film on the substrates.

Abstract: A method of processing a substrate in a substrate processing apparatus that is arranged adjacent to an exposure device and includes first, second and third processing units, includes the steps of: forming a photosensitive film made of a photosensitive material on the substrate by said first processing unit before exposure processing by said exposure device. The method also includes applying washing processing to the substrate by said second processing unit after the formation of said photosensitive film by said first processing unit and before the exposure processing by said exposure device and transporting the substrate after the washing processing to said exposure device. The method further includes transporting the substrate from said exposure device and applying development processing by said third processing unit to the substrate transported after the exposure processing by said exposure device.

Abstract: After a solvent is discharged onto a substrate in a period from a time point t0 to a time point t1, rotation of the substrate is started at a time point t2. A resist liquid is discharged onto a center portion of a target surface of the substrate at a time point t3. A rotation speed of the substrate starts to decrease at a time point t4, and attains a first speed after a certain period of time. The discharge of the resist liquid is stopped at a time point t5. The rotation of the substrate is accelerated in a period from a time point t6 to a time point t7, and the rotation speed of the substrate attains a second speed at the time point t7. The rotation of the substrate is decelerated in a period from the time point t7 to a time point t8, and the rotation speed of the substrate attains a third speed at the time point t8.

Abstract: The invention provides coating units, heat-treating units, and a first main transport mechanism for transporting substrates to each of these treating units. The substrates are transferred from the first main transport mechanism to a second main transport mechanism through a receiver. When a substrate cannot be placed on the receiver, this substrate is placed on a buffer. Thus, the first main transport mechanism can continue transporting other substrates. The other substrates in the treating units are transported between the treating units without delay, to receive a series of treatments including coating treatment and heat treatment as scheduled. This prevents lowering of the quality of treatment for forming film on the substrates.

Abstract: The transporting process from cleaning and drying processing of a substrate in a cleaning/drying processing unit in a cleaning/drying processing group to post-exposure bake (PEB) of the substrate in a thermal processing group for post-exposure bake in a cleaning/drying processing block is described below. First, after the substrate after exposure processing is subjected to the cleaning and drying processing in the cleaning/drying processing group, a sixth central robot takes out the substrate from the cleaning/drying processing group and carries that substrate into the thermal processing group for post-exposure bake in the cleaning/drying processing block.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises an indexer block, an anti-reflection film processing block, a resist film processing block, a development processing block, and an interface block. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to an interface block. The interface block comprises a drying processing group including two drying processing units and an interface transport mechanism. After a substrate is subjected to exposure processing by the exposure device, the substrate is transported to the drying processing units in the drying processing group by the interface transport mechanism, where the substrate is subjected to cleaning and drying processings.

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 method of processing a substrate subjected to an exposure process includes the steps of: transporting a substrate subjected to the exposure process to a cleaning processing part and performing a cleaning process in said cleaning processing part on said substrate subjected to the exposure process. The method also includes the steps of transporting said substrate subjected to the cleaning process from said cleaning processing part to a heating processing part and performing a heating process in said heating processing part on said substrate subjected to the cleaning process. A first interprocess time interval between the instant at which the exposure process of a substrate is completed and the instant at which the heating process of the substrate is started is made approximately constant, and a second interprocess time interval between the instant at which the cleaning process of the substrate is completed and the instant at which the heating process of the substrate is started is made approximately constant.

Abstract: A chilled arm that transports a substrate to and from a heating plate for performing a heating process on the substrate is formed with a flow passage pipe therein, and cools the entire holding area thereof opposed to the substrate held by the chilled arm to a predetermined reference temperature by supplying circulating cooling water through the flow passage pipe. Six polyimide heaters are affixed to the holding area to control the temperature of at least a portion of the holding area at a temperature different from the reference temperature. These two temperature control mechanisms intentionally provide a temperature distribution to the holding area to thereby provide an intentional temperature distribution to the substrate before and after the heat treatment by the heating plate. This reduces the nonuniformity of a temperature distribution which typically occurs in the heating plate to accomplish a uniform heat treatment throughout the heat treatment process step.