Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises an interface block. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to the interface block. The interface block includes first and second cleaning/drying processing units. A substrate W is subjected to cleaning and drying processing before exposure processing in the first cleaning/drying processing unit, while being subjected to cleaning and drying processing after the exposure processing in the second cleaning/drying processing unit.

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 system includes a substrate processing apparatus and a cleaning/drying apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes an indexer block, an anti-reflection film processing block, a resist film processing block, a development processing block, a resist cover film processing block, a resist cover film removal block and a first interface block. The cleaning/drying apparatus includes a cleaning/drying processing block and a second interface block. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to the second interface block. In the cleaning/drying processing block, cleaning processing is applied to a substrate before exposure processing and drying processing is applied to the substrate after the exposure processing.

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: 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 the interface block. The interface block comprises washing processing units and an interface transport mechanism. Before a substrate is subjected to exposure processing by the exposure device, the substrate is transported to a washing processing unit by the interface transport mechanism. The substrate is washed and dried by the washing processing unit.

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 forming a photosensitive film on the substrate by said first processing unit before exposure processing by said exposure device and applying washing processing to the substrate by supplying a washing liquid to the substrate in said second processing unit after the formation of said photosensitive film and before the exposure processing. The method also includes applying drying processing to the substrate in said second processing unit after the washing processing by said second processing unit and before the exposure processing and applying development processing to the substrate by said third processing unit after the exposure processing. Applying the drying processing to the substrate includes the step of supplying an inert gas onto the substrate, to which the washing liquid is supplied.

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: A substrate processing apparatus comprises an indexer block, an anti-reflection film processing block, a resist film processing block, a development processing block, a resist cover film processing block, a resist cover film removal block, and an interface block. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to the interface block. A resist film is formed on a substrate in the resist film processing block. A resist cover film is formed on the resist film in the resist cover film processing block before the substrate is subjected to exposure processing by the exposure device.

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 film made of a photosensitive material on the substrate by said first processing unit before exposure processing by said exposure device.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises an indexer block, an anti-reflection film processing block, a resist film processing block, a development processing block, a resist cover film processing block, a resist cover film removal block, a cleaning/drying processing block and an interface block. These blocks are arranged in the substrate processing apparatus in the above order. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to the interface block of the substrate processing apparatus. A hydrophobic processing unit is arranged in the resist cover film processing block and applies hydrophobic processing to the substrate before exposure processing.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises an indexer block, an anti-reflection film processing block, a resist film processing block, a development processing block, a resist cover film processing block, a resist cover film removal block, a cleaning/drying processing block, and an interface block. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to the interface block in the substrate processing apparatus. The exposure device subjects a substrate to exposure processing by means of an immersion method. In the edge cleaning unit in the cleaning/drying processing block, a brush abuts against an end of the rotating substrate, so that the edge of the substrate before the exposure processing is cleaned. At this time, the position where the substrate is cleaned is corrected.

Abstract: An interface transport mechanism uses an upper hand when transporting a substrate from a substrate platform to an exposure device before exposure processing by an exposure device, and uses a lower hand when transporting the substrate from the exposure device to the substrate platform after the exposure processing by the exposure device. That is, the lower hand is used to transport a substrate to which a liquid is attached after exposure processing, and the upper hand is used to transport a substrate to which no liquid is attached before exposure processing.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises an indexer block, an edge-cleaning processing block, an anti-reflection film processing block, a resist film processing block, a development processing block, a resist cover film processing block, a resist cover film removal block, a cleaning/drying processing block and an interface block. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to the interface block of the substrate processing apparatus. In the exposure device, exposure processing is applied to a substrate by a liquid immersion method. In the edge-cleaning processing group in the edge-cleaning processing block, an edge of the substrate before exposure processing is cleaned.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises an indexer block, an anti-reflection film processing block, a resist film processing block, a drying/development processing block, and an interface block. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to the interface block. The drying/development processing block comprises a drying processing group. The interface block comprises an interface transport mechanism. A substrate is subjected to exposure processing by the exposure device, and subsequently transported to the drying processing group by the interface transport mechanism. The substrate is cleaned and dried by the drying processing group.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises an interface block. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to the interface block. The interface block includes first and second cleaning/drying processing units. A substrate W is subjected to cleaning and drying processing before exposure processing in the first cleaning/drying processing unit, while being subjected to cleaning and drying processing after the exposure processing in the second cleaning/drying processing unit.

Abstract: A cleaning substrate for use in the cleaning operation for a substrate stage in an exposure unit compatible with immersion exposure and a dummy substrate for use during the adjustment of an exposure position of a pattern image in the exposure unit are held in a cleaning substrate housing part and a dummy substrate housing part, respectively, which are provided in a substrate processing apparatus. For the cleaning operation for the substrate stage or an alignment operation in the exposure unit, the cleaning substrate or the dummy substrate is transferred from the substrate processing apparatus to the exposure unit. A back surface cleaning process on the cleaning substrate or the dummy substrate is performed in a back surface cleaning unit of the substrate processing apparatus immediately before or immediately after the cleaning operation for the substrate stage or the alignment operation.

Abstract: In an exposure unit compatible with immersion exposure, a dummy substrate to be used for an alignment process for adjustment of an exposure position for a pattern image is transferred to a substrate processing apparatus for performing a resist coating process before exposure and a development process after exposure. In the substrate processing apparatus, the received dummy substrate is reversed and transferred to a back surface cleaning unit, to be subjected to a back surface cleaning process. After that, the dummy substrate is reversed again and transferred to a front surface cleaning unit, to be subjected to a front surface cleaning process. The dummy substrate after being cleaned is transferred back from the substrate processing apparatus to the exposure unit. Since the alignment process can be performed by using a clean dummy substrate in the exposure unit, it is possible to reduce contamination of mechanisms in the exposure unit, such as a substrate stage and the like.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus comprises an indexer block, an anti-reflection film processing block, a resist film processing block, a development processing block, a resist cover film processing block, a resist cover film removal block, a cleaning/drying processing block, and an interface block. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to the interface block in the substrate processing apparatus. The exposure device subjects a substrate to exposure processing by means of an immersion method. In the edge cleaning unit in the cleaning/drying processing block, a blush abuts against an end of the rotating substrate, so that the edge of the substrate before the exposure processing is cleaned. At this time, the position where the substrate is cleaned is corrected.

Abstract: A stage cleaning substrate for use in the operation of cleaning a substrate stage within an exposure unit compatible with immersion exposure and a dummy substrate for use during the adjustment of an exposure position of a pattern image are held in a cleaning substrate housing part and a dummy substrate housing part, respectively, provided in a substrate processing apparatus. For the operation of cleaning the substrate stage or an alignment operation within the exposure unit, the stage cleaning substrate or the dummy substrate is transported from the substrate processing apparatus to the exposure unit. The process of cleaning the stage cleaning substrate or the dummy substrate is performed in a cleaning processing unit of the substrate processing apparatus immediately before or immediately after the operation of cleaning the substrate stage or the alignment operation.

Abstract: Immediately before or immediately after an alignment process for adjusting an exposure position of a pattern image in an exposure unit compatible with immersion exposure, a dummy substrate for use in the alignment process is transported from the exposure unit to a substrate processing apparatus. In the substrate processing apparatus, a cleaning processing unit cleans and dries the received dummy substrate. The cleaned dummy substrate is transported from the substrate processing apparatus back to the exposure unit. The use of the clean dummy substrate for the execution of the alignment process in the exposure unit reduces contamination of mechanisms within the exposure unit, such as a substrate stage. When the dummy substrate is water-repellent, the cleaning in the substrate processing apparatus restores the water repellency of the dummy substrate.