Abstract: The production method of a water absorbent resin composition including a particulate water absorbent resin, wherein: 95 wt % or more of particles whose particle diameter is less than 850 ?m and not less, than 106 ?m are contained, and a weight average particle diameter of the particles is less than 500 ?m and not less than 300 ?m and a logarithmic standard deviation (??) of a particle size distribution is 0.45 or less, and a water-soluble component of the water absorbent composition is 35 wt % or less, and a multivalent metal component is contained, and an extraction rate of the multivalent metal component is 5.0 wt % or more and less than 100 wt %, thereby providing the water absorbent resin composition, free from any coagulation of particles in high humidity, which has superior absorbent property in terms of an absorbency and a diffusing absorbency under pressure.

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: In drying a coating liquid such as a resist applied to a substrate under reduced pressure, a coating film in a peripheral portion tends to lose good shape regardless of duration of a drying period, and it is difficult to set an appropriate exhaust flow rate. After the substrate is loaded in an airtight container, a pressure is reduced from atmospheric pressure to a pressure slightly higher than the vapor pressure of a solvent, for example. Then, the solvent actively evaporates from the coating liquid. Here, evacuation is performed initially based on a first flow rate set value Q1, and thereafter, it is performed based on a second flow rate set value larger than Q1. Rounding of the surface in the peripheral portion is corrected by evacuation based on Q1, and more active evaporation of a solvent component is attained by switching to Q2.

Abstract: A heating apparatus 2 comprises a housing 20; a flat heating chamber 4 which is provided in the housing 2 and adapted to heat a wafer W used as a substrate, with one side of the heating chamber 4 opening for carrying in and carrying out the wafer; and a heating plates 44, 45 provided in the heating chamber 4 such that the wafer W can be heated from both above and below. A cooling plate 3 is provided in the housing 20 located in the vicinity of the opening of the heating chamber 4, for cooling the wafer W after being heated by the heating plates 44, 45. Additionally, a carrying means is provided in the housing 20 for carrying the wafer W between an upper position of the cooling plate 3 and the interior of the heating chamber 4 such that a heat treatment for the wafer W can be performed with the wafer W being held in the heating chamber 4.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a processing method for processing a substrate, and comprises a step of coating a coating solution on a surface of the substrate while relatively moving a coating solution discharge nozzle and the substrate and discharging the coating solution from the nozzle onto the substrate. Thereafter, the substrate is exposed to a solvent atmosphere of the coating solution or the pressure is temporarily applied thereto in a container. Thereafter, the pressure inside the container in which the substrate is housed is reduced to dry the coating solution on the substrate. According to the present invention, it is possible to narrow the so-called edge cutting width, which is at a periphery part of the substrate and is not commercialized, and to maintain an in-plane uniformity of the coating film.

Abstract: In the present invention, a substrate transfer unit into/from which a substrate is transferred from/to the outside of a treatment container and a developing treatment unit in which development of the substrate is performed are arranged side by side in the treatment container, and a carrier mechanism is provided which carries the substrate while grasping an outside surface of the substrate from both sides, between the substrate transfer unit and the developing treatment unit. A developing solution supply nozzle for supplying a developing solution onto the substrate and a gas blow nozzle for blowing a gas to the substrate, are provided between the substrate transfer unit and the developing treatment unit and above a carriage path along which the substrate is carried, and a cleaning solution supply nozzle is provided in the developing treatment unit for supplying a cleaning solution onto the substrate.

Abstract: A heating apparatus is configured to include a hot plate at which a substrate is placed, a top plate opposed to the substrate, a gas discharging part provided on one end side of the hot plate for discharging gas between the hot plate and the top plate, an exhaust part provided to be opposed to the gas discharging part with the hot plate interposed therebetween, and a heating part independently heating a first region and a second region of the substrate. A heating process is performed with good within-wafer uniformity by forming an unidirectional flow to heat the first region and the second region at different temperatures.

Abstract: A coating film forming apparatus for forming a film by applying a coating solution to a substrate, which is provided with a cassette section, coating unit, developing unit, pre-treatment/post-treatment units and a main arm for transferring the substrate between the respective units. In the coating unit, provided is a coating section in which a resist is applied on the substrate in a manner of single stroke by intermittently moving the substrate in a Y-direction and by moving a nozzle in an X-direction, and provided is a reduced-pressure drying section for drying under reduced pressure the substrate after being applied, and further provided is equipment for removing the coating film adhered to a periphery of the substrate. Additionally, when the reduced-pressure drying section is arranged outside the coating unit, the main arm is covered with a cover so that the inside thereof is under a solvent atmosphere.

Abstract: With respect to a substrate on which a resist solution is applied, the inplane uniformity of the quality of a resist film is improved in a heating processing carried out before exposure, and the yields of products are improved. A substrate on which a resist solution is applied is mounted on a heating plate in a processing vessel. Then, a purge gas is supplied into the processing vessel, and heating is started. Above the mounting position of the substrate, a thickness detecting sensor for monitoring the thickness of the resist film formed on the surface of the substrate is provided. When the thickness becomes a predetermined value or less, a control part cause a lift pin to upwardly move so as to increase the distance between the substrate and the heating plate. Thus, the heating value applied to the substrate decreases, and thereafter, only the solvent is volatilized without having a bad influence on a polymer in the resist film.

Abstract: A substrate on which a resist solution is applied is mounted on a heating plate in a processing vessel. Then, a purge gas is supplied into the processing vessel, and heating is started. Above the mounting position of the substrate, a thickness detecting sensor for monitoring the thickness of the resist film formed on the surface of the substrate is provided. When the thickness becomes a predetermined value or less, a control part causes a lift pin to upwardly move so as to increase the distance between the substrate and the heating plate. Thus, the heating value applied to the substrate decreases, and thereafter, only the solvent is volatilized without having a bad influence on a polymer in the resist film.

Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus configured to perform heat treatment on a wafer having a surface on which a coating film is formed, and includes: a holding member for holding the wafer almost horizontally; a chamber for housing the wafer held by the holding member; a hot plate having gas permeability and disposed above the wafer held by the holding member in the chamber so that the coating film formed on the wafer can be directly heated; and an exhaust port provided on the top face of the chamber and exhausting gas in the chamber. Gas generated from the coating film passes through the hot plate and is exhausted from the chamber. Accordingly, uniformity of a coating film is improved. As a result, CD uniformity may be improved, LER characteristics may be improved, and a smooth pattern side face may be obtained.

Abstract: A low-pressure dryer dries a substrate applied a coating solution thereon at low pressure. The dryer includes an airtight chamber installing a substrate table to place the substrate thereon; a diffuser plate, provided as facing the substrate placed on the substrate table with a gap, for discharging gas existing in the gap toward outside, the diffuser plate having a size almost the same as or larger than the substrate; a substrate-temperature adjuster, installed in the substrate table, for adjusting a temperature of the substrate; and a decompression mechanism for decompressing the airtight chamber. The diffuser plate has a temperature adjuster for making temperature adjustments to have a temperature difference between a first region and a second region of the diffuser plate, the first region facing a center region of the substrate, the second region being outside the first region and including a region facing an outer region of the substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a lens sheet applicable to a screen for a pixel type projection TV characterized in high quality and definition and a simple producing method thereof. The inventive lens sheet has a shielding layer without any axial misalignment at front and rear sides. The lens sheet comprises a lens portion with a plurality of lens elements arranged in at least one side and a shielding layer provided in a non-transmitting portion of a light radiation plane, in which the shielding layer is provided on a layer made of a cured photo-curing composition (A). The photo-curing composition (A) is composed of 100 weight parts of photo-curing resin composition (a) having a surface free energy of 30 mN/m or more and 0.01 to 10 weight parts of compound (b) having a surface free energy of 25 mN/m or less.

Abstract: A low-pressure dryer dries a substrate applied a coating solution thereon at low pressure. The dryer includes an airtight chamber installing a substrate table to place the substrate thereon; a diffuser plate, provided as facing the substrate placed on the substrate table with a gap, for discharging gas existing in the gap toward outside, the diffuser plate having a size almost the same as or larger than the substrate; a substrate-temperature adjuster, installed in the substrate table, for adjusting a temperature of the substrate; and a decompression mechanism for decompressing the airtight chamber. The diffuser plate has a temperature adjuster for making temperature adjustments to have a temperature difference between a first region and a second region of the diffuser plate, the first region facing a center region of the substrate, the second region being outside the first region and including a region facing an outer region of the substrate.

Abstract: In drying a coating liquid such as a resist applied to a substrate under reduced pressure, a coating film in a peripheral portion tends to lose good shape regardless of duration of a drying period, and it is difficult to set an appropriate exhaust flow rate. After the substrate is loaded in an airtight container, a pressure is reduced from atmospheric pressure to a pressure slightly higher than the vapor pressure of a solvent, for example. Then, the solvent actively evaporates from the coating liquid. Here, evacuation is performed initially based on a first flow rate set value Q1, and thereafter, it is performed based on a second flow rate set value larger than Q1. Rounding of the surface in the peripheral portion is corrected by evacuation based on Q1, and more active evaporation of a solvent component is attained by switching to Q2.

Abstract: In drying a coating liquid such as a resist applied to a substrate under reduced pressure, a coating film in a peripheral portion tends to lose good shape regardless of duration of a drying period, and it is difficult to set an appropriate exhaust flow rate. After the substrate is loaded in an airtight container, a pressure is reduced from atmospheric pressure to a pressure slightly higher than the vapor pressure of a solvent, for example. Then, the solvent actively evaporates from the coating liquid. Here, evacuation is performed initially based on a first flow rate set value Q1, and thereafter, it is performed based on a second flow rate set value larger than Q1. Rounding of the surface in the peripheral portion is corrected by evacuation based on Q1, and more active evaporation of a solvent component is attained by switching to Q2.

Abstract: A particulate water absorbent contains a water absorbent resin as a main component, the water absorbent resin being a crosslinked polymer of a water-soluble unsaturated monomer. The water absorbent resin is particular in shape and contains particles of a particle size in a range of not less than 106 ?m and less than 850 ?m in an amount of not less than 90 mass percent with respect to the total mass of the water absorbent resin contained in the particulate water absorbent. The particulate water absorbent has a first salt concentration absorption index of not less than 0.60 as measured by a formula below when ion exchange water is used as an aqueous solution of a constant salt concentration: (salt concentration absorption index)=(absorbency against a pressure of 4.83 kPa with respect to the aqueous solution of a constant salt concentration)/(absorbency against no pressure with respect to the aqueous solution of a constant salt concentration).

Abstract: A curable resin composition with excellent thermal adhesiveness is constituted of the following components (A) to (C): (A) a thermoadhesive polymer; (B) an ethylenic unsaturated compound polymerizable by active energy radiation; and (C) a polymerization initiator, wherein the relationships represented by the following formulas (1) and (2) are satisfied: 0.1?(Awt)/{(Awt)+(Bwt)}?0.6??(1) 0.4?(Bwt)/{(Awt)+(Bwt)}?0.9??(2) where (Awt) stands for a compounded amount (parts by weight) of component (A), and (Bwt) stands for a compounded amount (parts by weight) of component (B).

Abstract: A coating film forming apparatus for forming a film by applying a coating solution to a substrate, which is provided with a cassette section, coating unit, developing unit, pre-treatment/post-treatment units and a main arm for transferring the substrate between the respective units. In the coating unit, provided is a coating section in which a resist is applied on the substrate in a manner of single stroke by intermittently moving the substrate in a Y-direction and by moving a nozzle in an X-direction, and provided is a reduced-pressure drying section for drying under reduced pressure the substrate after being applied, and further provided is equipment for removing the coating film adhered to a periphery of the substrate. Additionally, when the reduced-pressure drying section is arranged outside the coating unit, the main arm is covered with a cover so that the inside thereof is under a solvent atmosphere.

Abstract: A substrate is horizontally held by a substrate holding portion freely movable in the Y-direction, and a nozzle portion is provided above and opposing the substrate, and movable in X-direction corresponding to the coating liquid feeding region of the substrate. A discharge opening is formed at a lower end of the nozzle portion, and a channel connecting the discharge opening with a coating liquid feed tube coupled to an upper end of the nozzle portion is formed within the discharge opening. At the mid-stream of the channel, a liquid pool portion larger in diameter than the discharge opening is formed, the inside of which is provided with a filtering member formed by porous bodies blocking the channel. The filtering member forms a pressure loss portion, which absorbs pulsation occurring at the coating liquid feed tube before it reaches the discharge opening.