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 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: In an entire region exposure unit, a platform section and a local transfer mechanism are arranged in one direction. The local transfer mechanism is provided with a local transfer hand. A substrate on which a resist film having a predetermined pattern is formed is held by the local transfer hand. A light-emitting device is attached to the upper portion of the local transfer mechanism. Strip-shaped light is emitted from the light-emitting device toward below. The local transfer mechanism operates such that the local transfer hand is moved relative to the light-emitting device. At this time, the light-emitting device irradiates one surface of the substrate that is moving horizontally with the strip-shaped light. The resist film is modified by the light.

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: A substrate heat treatment apparatus includes a heat-treating plate having a flat upper surface, support devices formed of a heat-resistant resin for contacting and supporting a substrate, a seal device disposed annularly for rendering gastight a space formed between the substrate and heat-treating plate, and exhaust bores for exhausting gas from the space. The support devices are formed of resin, and the upper surface of the heat-treating plate is made flat, whereby a reduced difference in the rate of heat transfer occurs between contact parts and non-contact parts on the surface of the substrate. Consequently, the substrate is heat-treated effectively while suppressing variations in heat history over the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: In an entire region exposure unit, a platform section and a local transfer mechanism are arranged in one direction. The local transfer mechanism is provided with a local transfer hand. A substrate on which a resist film having a predetermined pattern is formed is held by the local transfer hand. A light-emitting device is attached to the upper portion of the local transfer mechanism. Strip-shaped light is emitted from the light-emitting device toward below. The local transfer mechanism operates such that the local transfer hand is moved relative to the light-emitting device. At this time, the light-emitting device irradiates one surface of the substrate that is moving horizontally with the strip-shaped light. The resist film is modified by the light.

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.

Abstract: A heat-treating plate has support elements projecting from an upper surface thereof. The support elements are located at apexes of equilateral triangles arranged regularly and continually. The heat-treating plate and a substrate placed on the support elements form a minute space therebetween which is sealed by a sealer. The substrate is sucked by reducing the pressure in the minute space to a negative pressure through exhaust bores. Since all the distances between adjoining support elements are equal, the substrate sags in the same amount between these support elements. With such arrangement of the support elements, sagging of the substrate is inhibited efficiently by a reduced number of support elements.

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.

Abstract: A substrate heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a substrate includes a bake plate having projections on an upper surface thereof, a seal unit disposed peripherally of the upper surface of the bake plate for closing a lateral area of a minute space formed between a lower surface of the substrate and the upper surface of the bake plate when the substrate is placed on the bake plate, and exhaust bores for exhausting gas from the minute space. The substrate placed on the bake plate is heat-treated in a state of the gas exhausted from the minute space through the exhaust bores.

Abstract: A specification plan of an order-made product suitable for a building structure plan is generated promptly. A WWW server 11 and a database server 12 are provided to the equipment designer's side. The database server 12 has a drawing database 9 that registers a CAD symbol for each product. A CAD symbol for each product includes: effective space information, which expresses a space to be secured for installation of the product; product name information expressing a name of the product; structure information expressing structural features (size, shape, etc.); product specification information; option data; etc. On the other hand, WWW server 11 has a symbol generation data interface 3, through which requirements specification data for an order-made product can be received from a WWW client terminal 2, and a CAD symbol of the order-made product can be taken out from the side of the WWW client terminal.

Abstract: A specification plan of an order-made product suitable for a building structure plan is generated promptly. A WWW server 11 and a database server 12 are provided to the equipment designer's side. The database server 12 has a drawing database 9 that registers a CAD symbol for each product. A CAD symbol for each product includes: effective space information, which expresses a space to be secured for installation of the product; product name information expressing a name of the product; structure information expressing structural features (size, shape, etc.); product specification information; option data; etc. On the other hand, WWW server 11 has a symbol generation data interface 3, through which requirements specification data for an order-made product can be received from a WWW client terminal 2, and a CAD symbol of the order-made product can be taken out from the side of the WWW client terminal.

Abstract: A specification plan of an order-made product suitable for a building structure plan is generated promptly. A WWW server 11 and a database server 12 are provided to the equipment designer's side. The database server 12 has a drawing database 9 that registers a CAD symbol for each product. A CAD symbol for each product includes: effective space information, which expresses a space to be secured for installation of the product; product name information expressing a name of the product; structure information expressing structural features (size, shape, etc.); product specification information; option data; etc. On the other hand, WWW server 11 has a symbol generation data interface 3, through which requirements specification data for an order-made product can be received from a WWW client terminal 2, and a CAD symbol of the order-made product can be taken out from the side of the WWW client terminal.

Abstract: A heat-treating plate has support elements projecting from an upper surface thereof. The support elements are located at apexes of equilateral triangles arranged regularly and continually. The heat-treating plate and a substrate placed on the support elements form a minute space therebetween which is sealed by a sealer. The substrate is sucked by reducing the pressure in the minute space to a negative pressure through exhaust bores. Since all the distances between adjoining support elements are equal, the substrate sags in the same amount between these support elements. With such arrangement of the support elements, sagging of the substrate is inhibited efficiently by a reduced number of support elements.

Abstract: A substrate heat treatment apparatus includes a heat-treating plate having a flat upper surface, support devices formed of a heat-resistant resin for contacting and supporting a substrate, a seal device disposed annularly for rendering gastight a space formed between the substrate and heat-treating plate, and exhaust bores for exhausting gas from the space. The support devices are formed of resin, and the upper surface of the heat-treating plate is made flat, whereby a reduced difference in the rate of heat transfer occurs between contact parts and non-contact parts on the surface of the substrate. Consequently, the substrate is heat-treated effectively while suppressing variations in heat history over the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A substrate heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a substrate includes a bake plate having projections on an upper surface thereof, a seal unit disposed peripherally of the upper surface of the bake plate for closing a lateral area of a minute space formed between a lower surface of the substrate and the upper surface of the bake plate when the substrate is placed on the bake plate, and exhaust bores for exhausting gas from the minute space. The substrate placed on the bake plate is heat-treated in a state of the gas exhausted from the minute space through the exhaust bores.

Abstract: A chemical pump includes a pressure chamber, a partition member for dividing the pressure chamber into a cleaning pressure chamber and a discharging pressure chamber, a filter part disposed on the primary side of the discharging pressure chamber, and a single drive mechanism. A pair of openings with respective check valves mounted therein are provided in each of the cleaning and discharging pressure chambers, and are positioned so as to cause a resist solution to flow only in the +Z direction. The drive mechanism moves the partition member in the ?X direction to cause the resist solution to be sucked into the cleaning pressure chamber and to cause the resist solution to be discharged from the discharging pressure chamber.

Abstract: A substrate (SW) is rotatably held in an approximately horizontal position by a wafer holding and rotation mechanism (810). One end of a rinsing liquid supply nozzle (840) is rotatably supported by a rinsing liquid supply nozzle rotation supporting mechanism (850) to pass over the substrate (SW). In response to rotation of the rinsing liquid supply nozzle (840), the rotation axis of the rinsing liquid supply nozzle (840) moves in a direction closer to or away from the rotation axis of the substrate (SW), whereby the amount of projection of a tip portion of the rinsing liquid supply nozzle (840) is reduced.

Abstract: A chemical pump includes a pressure chamber, a partition member for dividing the pressure chamber into a cleaning pressure chamber and a discharging pressure chamber, a filter part disposed on the primary side of the discharging pressure chamber, and a single drive mechanism. A pair of openings with respective check valves mounted therein are provided in each of the cleaning and discharging pressure chambers, and are positioned so as to cause a resist solution to flow only in the +Z direction. The drive mechanism moves the partition member in the −X direction to cause the resist solution to be sucked into the cleaning pressure chamber and to cause the resist solution to be discharged from the discharging pressure chamber.

Abstract: A substrate (SW) is rotatably held in an approximately horizontal position by a wafer holding and rotation mechanism (810). One end of a rinsing liquid supply nozzle (840) is rotatably supported by a rinsing liquid supply nozzle rotation supporting mechanism (850) to pass over the substrate (SW). In response to rotation of the rinsing liquid supply nozzle (840), the rotation axis of the rinsing liquid supply nozzle (840) moves in a direction closer to or away from the rotation axis of the substrate (SW), whereby the amount of projection of a tip portion of the rinsing liquid supply nozzle (840) is reduced.