Abstract: A cleaning method of cleaning a solution treatment apparatus for applying a coating solution onto a substrate, the solution treatment apparatus including a holder holding and rotating the substrate; a coating solution supplier; and an inner cup surrounding the holder from a lateral side and having a peripheral edge side upper surface inclining down outward in a radial direction. The cleaning method includes introducing the cleaning solution to the storage chamber via the introduction hole, discharging the cleaning solution from the discharge port and making the cleaning solution flow down along the peripheral edge side upper surface of the inner cup, thereby cleaning away the coating solution adhering to the peripheral edge side upper surface. The discharging in the cleaning discharges the cleaning solution from discharge ports of the inner cup outward in the radial direction and obliquely upward.

Abstract: A solution treatment apparatus applies a coating solution onto a substrate. The apparatus includes a holder holding and rotating the substrate; a coating solution supplier supplying the coating solution to the substrate on the holder; and an inner cup surrounding the holder from a lateral side and having a peripheral edge side upper surface inclining down outward in a radial direction from an apex part located below a peripheral edge side of the substrate on the holder. The inner cup has discharge ports formed along a circumferential direction at the apex part; and the discharge ports are formed to discharge a cleaning solution and make the cleaning solution flow down along the peripheral edge side upper surface of the inner cup, thereby cleaning the peripheral edge side upper surface, and to discharge the cleaning solution outward in the radial direction and obliquely upward.

Abstract: A nozzle standby device configured to allow a nozzle to stand by therein includes a nozzle accommodation unit, having an inner circumferential surface formed to surround a leading end portion of the nozzle, provided with a drain opening facing a discharge opening of the nozzle; and a solvent discharge opening opened within the nozzle accommodation unit. The nozzle accommodation unit has a diameter reducing portion having a first and a second inner circumferential surfaces having different angles with respect to a center line of the nozzle accommodation unit such that an inner diameter of the diameter reducing portion becomes smaller toward the drain opening. An intersection point of two straight lines extending along two opposite portions of the first inner circumferential surface is located above the discharge opening of the nozzle when the leading end portion of the nozzle is placed in the diameter reducing portion.

Abstract: A solution treatment apparatus for applying a coating solution onto a substrate, includes: a holder holding and rotating the substrate; a coating solution supplier supplying the coating solution to the substrate on the holder; and an inner cup surrounding the holder from a lateral side and having a peripheral edge side upper surface inclining down outward in a radial direction from an apex part located below a peripheral edge side of the substrate on the holder, wherein: the inner cup has a plurality of discharge ports formed along a circumferential direction at the apex part; and the discharge ports are formed to discharge a cleaning solution and make the cleaning solution flow down along the peripheral edge side upper surface of the inner cup, thereby cleaning the peripheral edge side upper surface, and to discharge the cleaning solution outward in the radial direction and obliquely upward.

Abstract: A nozzle standby device configured to allow a nozzle to stand by therein includes a nozzle accommodation unit, having an inner circumferential surface formed to surround a leading end portion of the nozzle, provided with a drain opening facing a discharge opening of the nozzle; and a solvent discharge opening opened within the nozzle accommodation unit. The nozzle accommodation unit has a diameter reducing portion having a first and a second inner circumferential surfaces having different angles with respect to a center line of the nozzle accommodation unit such that an inner diameter of the diameter reducing portion becomes smaller toward the drain opening. An intersection point of two straight lines extending along two opposite portions of the first inner circumferential surface is located above the discharge opening of the nozzle when the leading end portion of the nozzle is placed in the diameter reducing portion.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a cover member placed to surround a substrate held by a rotary holder; a collecting member placed in an exhaust path formed between the cover member and the rotary holder; and a solvent supply placed above the collecting member and configured to supply a solvent to the collecting member. The solvent supply includes an inner storage space surrounding the substrate; an outer storage space surrounding the inner storage space; and a partition wall extending along a circumferential direction to partition the inner storage space and the outer storage space. Multiple communication holes are extended to penetrate the partition wall such that the solvent introduced into the outer storage space flows to the inner storage space. Multiple dripping holes are extended to penetrate a bottom wall of the inner storage space such that the solvent within the inner storage space drops toward the collecting member.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a cover member placed to surround a substrate held by a rotary holder; a collecting member placed in an exhaust path formed between the cover member and the rotary holder; and a solvent supply placed above the collecting member and configured to supply a solvent to the collecting member. The solvent supply includes an inner storage space surrounding the substrate; an outer storage space surrounding the inner storage space; and a partition wall extending along a circumferential direction to partition the inner storage space and the outer storage space. Multiple communication holes are extended to penetrate the partition wall such that the solvent introduced into the outer storage space flows to the inner storage space. Multiple dripping holes are extended to penetrate a bottom wall of the inner storage space such that the solvent within the inner storage space drops toward the collecting member.

Abstract: Disclosed is a chemical liquid discharge mechanism. The mechanism includes: a storage portion including a chemical liquid storage space; a diluent supply port opened to supply a diluent for reducing a viscosity of the chemical liquid to the storage space; a vertex flow forming portion that forms vortex flows in the diluent and the chemical liquid by supplying a fluid to the storage space to stir the diluent and the chemical liquid; and a liquid discharge port opened to an upper side of the diluent supply port in the storage space such that, by the supply of the diluent, the diluent and the chemical liquid flow into the liquid discharge port to be discharged from the storage space. Thus, the viscosity of the waste liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port may be reduced, and thus, it is not necessary to largely set the inclination of the liquid discharge path.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid processing apparatus including: a plurality of substrate placement regions; a nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate from each processing position; a nozzle placement region provided behind a row of the substrate placement regions; an arm that detachably holds the nozzle at one end side; a driving unit that horizontally pivots the arm around a pivot axis; and a controller that outputs a control signal to convey the nozzle from the nozzle placement region to a standby position corresponding to a processing position of a conveyance destination, cause the nozzle to stand by at the standby position, and then, convey the nozzle to the processing position. The standby position is outside the substrate placement regions and is located between the processing position and the nozzle placement region when viewed in a front-and-rear direction.

Abstract: A liquid processing method includes: accommodating a substrate horizontally in each of a first processing region and a second processing region, for performing therein a process on the substrate by a processing solution from a nozzle; rotating a rotary body about a vertical axis; keeping a plurality of processing nozzles provided at the rotary body; supplying different kinds of processing solutions to the substrate from the plurality of processing nozzles; holding a processing nozzle selected from the plurality of processing nozzles by a nozzle holder provided at the rotary body; transferring the nozzle holder into selected one of the first and the second processing regions by a nozzle transfer device; and rotating the rotary body by a rotation driving unit so as to allow a front of the nozzle holder in a forward/backward direction thereof to face the selected one of the first and the second processing regions.

Abstract: Disclosed is a chemical liquid discharge mechanism. The mechanism includes: a storage portion including a chemical liquid storage space; a diluent supply port opened to supply a diluent for reducing a viscosity of the chemical liquid to the storage space; a vertex flow forming portion that forms vortex flows in the diluent and the chemical liquid by supplying a fluid to the storage space to stir the diluent and the chemical liquid; and a liquid discharge port opened to an upper side of the diluent supply port in the storage space such that, by the supply of the diluent, the diluent and the chemical liquid flow into the liquid discharge port to be discharged from the storage space. Thus, the viscosity of the waste liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port may be reduced, and thus, it is not necessary to largely set the inclination of the liquid discharge path.

Abstract: Disclosed is a chemical liquid discharge mechanism. The mechanism includes: a storage portion including a chemical liquid storage space; a diluent supply port opened to supply a diluent for reducing a viscosity of the chemical liquid to the storage space; a vertex flow forming portion that forms vortex flows in the diluent and the chemical liquid by supplying a fluid to the storage space to stir the diluent and the chemical liquid; and a liquid discharge port opened to an upper side of the diluent supply port in the storage space such that, by the supply of the diluent, the diluent and the chemical liquid flow into the liquid discharge port to be discharged from the storage space. Thus, the viscosity of the waste liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port may be reduced, and thus, it is not necessary to largely set the inclination of the liquid discharge path.

Abstract: Disclosed is a liquid processing apparatus including: a plurality of substrate placement regions; a nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate from each processing position; a nozzle placement region provided behind a row of the substrate placement regions; an arm that detachably holds the nozzle at one end side; a driving unit that horizontally pivots the arm around a pivot axis; and a controller that outputs a control signal to convey the nozzle from the nozzle placement region to a standby position corresponding to a processing position of a conveyance destination, cause the nozzle to stand by at the standby position, and then, convey the nozzle to the processing position. The standby position is outside the substrate placement regions and is located between the processing position and the nozzle placement region when viewed in a front-and-rear direction.

Abstract: A liquid processing method includes: accommodating a substrate horizontally in each of a first processing region and a second processing region, for performing therein a process on the substrate by a processing solution from a nozzle; rotating a rotary body about a vertical axis; keeping a plurality of processing nozzles provided at the rotary body; supplying different kinds of processing solutions to the substrate from the plurality of processing nozzles; holding a processing nozzle selected from the plurality of processing nozzles by a nozzle holder provided at the rotary body; transferring the nozzle holder into selected one of the first and the second processing regions by a nozzle transfer device; and rotating the rotary body by a rotation driving unit so as to allow a front of the nozzle holder in a forward/backward direction thereof to face the selected one of the first and the second processing regions.

Abstract: Disclosed is a chemical liquid discharge mechanism. The mechanism includes: a storage portion including a chemical liquid storage space; a diluent supply port opened to supply a diluent for reducing a viscosity of the chemical liquid to the storage space; a vertex flow forming portion that forms vortex flows in the diluent and the chemical liquid by supplying a fluid to the storage space to stir the diluent and the chemical liquid; and a liquid discharge port opened to an upper side of the diluent supply port in the storage space such that, by the supply of the diluent, the diluent and the chemical liquid flow into the liquid discharge port to be discharged from the storage space. Thus, the viscosity of the waste liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port may be reduced, and thus, it is not necessary to largely set the inclination of the liquid discharge path.

Abstract: There is provided a liquid processing apparatus including a first and a second processing regions provided in a left-right direction, each for accommodating a substrate and performing a process on the substrate by a processing solution from a nozzle; a rotary body rotatable about a vertical axis; a plurality of nozzles provided at the rotary body while kept in a standby state at an outside of the processing regions, commonly used for the processing regions; a nozzle transfer device, having a nozzle holder moving back and forth, provided at the rotary body and configured to transfer a nozzle into a selected one of the processing regions while holding the selected nozzle by the nozzle holder; and a rotation driving unit configured to rotate the rotary body so as to allow a front of the nozzle holder in a forward/backward direction thereof to face the selected one of the processing regions.

Abstract: A coating method includes supplying a coating liquid from a coating nozzle onto a front side central portion of a substrate held on a substrate holding member, rotating the substrate holding member about a vertical axis to spread the coating liquid toward a peripheral portion of the substrate by a centrifugal force and thereby form a film of the coating liquid, forming a liquid film of a process liquid for preventing a contaminant derived from the coating liquid from being deposited or left on a back side peripheral portion of the substrate, and damping a vertical wobble of the peripheral portion of the substrate being rotated, by a posture regulating mechanism, while delivering a gas from delivery holes onto a back side region of the substrate on an inner side of the peripheral portion on which the liquid film is formed.

Abstract: A coating film forming apparatus that holds a substrate upon a spin chuck and forms a coating film by supplying a chemical liquid upon a top surface of said substrate comprises: an outer cup provided detachably to surround the spin chuck; an inner cup provided detachably to surround a region underneath the substrate held upon the chuck; a cleaning nozzle configured to supply a cleaning liquid for cleaning a peripheral edge part of the substrate, such that the cleaning liquid is supplied to a peripheral part of a bottom surface of the substrate; a cutout part for nozzle mounting, the cutout part being provided to the inner cup to engage with the cleaning nozzle; and a cleaning liquid supply tube connected to the cleaning nozzle, the cleaning nozzle being detachable to the cutout part in a state in which the cleaning liquid supply tube is connected.

Abstract: A coating method includes holding a substrate in a horizontal state on a substrate holding member; supplying a coating liquid onto a front side central portion of the substrate held on the substrate holding member; rotating the substrate holding member about a vertical axis to spread the coating liquid supplied on the front side central portion of the substrate toward a front side peripheral portion of the substrate by a centrifugal force; and damping a wobble of the substrate being rotated, by a wobble damping mechanism including a gas delivery port and a suction port both disposed to face a back side of the substrate, while delivering a gas from the delivery port and sucking the gas into the suction port.

Abstract: A coating method includes supplying a coating liquid from a coating nozzle onto a front side central portion of a substrate held on a substrate holding member, rotating the substrate holding member about a vertical axis to spread the coating liquid toward a peripheral portion of the substrate by a centrifugal force and thereby form a film of the coating liquid, forming a liquid film of a process liquid for preventing a contaminant derived from the coating liquid from being deposited or left on a back side peripheral portion of the substrate, and damping a vertical wobble of the peripheral portion of the substrate being rotated, by a posture regulating mechanism, while delivering a gas from delivery holes onto a back side region of the substrate on an inner side of the peripheral portion on which the liquid film is formed.