Abstract: The present invention improves recover percentage at which a mixed chemical solution discharged from a protective film removing device.

Abstract: Disclosed is a technique for preventing a water-repellent protective film formed on a resist film from peeling off during immersion exposure. A resist film is formed on the front surface of a substrate and then the peripheral edge portion of the resist film is removed. Before forming a water-repellent protective film onto the resist film, an adhesion-improving fluid, preferably hexamethyldisilazane gas, for improving the adhesion of the water-repellent protective film, is supplied to the region from which the resist film is removed.

Abstract: A substrate carrying apparatus includes an arm body; supporting portion provided in the arm body and adapted to support a region inside the periphery of the rear face of the substrate; a one-side restricting portion and an other-side restricting portion provided at opposite positions across the periphery of the substrate to restrict the peripheral positions of the substrate; and liquid receivers provided between each supporting portion and each restricting portion. A liquid drop attached to the rear peripheral portion of the substrate flows down on the bottom face of each liquid receiver. Even though repeated substrate carrying operations are performed and thus the liquid drop is accumulated in each liquid receiver, there is no risk that the liquid drop in each liquid receiver would be scattered in the air by the action of the periphery of the substrate and hence the scattered liquid would be attached again onto the surface of the substrate.

Abstract: A polyurethane elastic fiber, containing inorganic compound particles that have an average particle size of 0.5 to 5 mm and that show a refractive index of 1.4 to 1.6, having at least one protruded portion that has a maximum width of 0.5 to 5 ?m, in the fiber surface, per 120-?m length in the fiber axis direction.

Abstract: A resist film formed on a substrate is coated with a water-repellent protective film and the substrate is subjected to a developing process after the substrate has been processed by an immersion exposure process. The protective film is removed from the substrate after the resist film has been processed by the immersion exposure process, the substrate is processed by a heating process, and then the substrate is subjected to a developing process. The surface of the substrate is cleaned with a cleaning liquid before the protective film is removed and after the substrate has been processed by the immersion exposure process or the surface of the substrate is cleaned with a cleaning liquid after removing the protective film and before the substrate is subjected to the heating process.

Abstract: The temperature of a developing solution is varied depending on the type of resist or the resist pattern. The developing solution is applied while scanning a developer nozzle having a slit-shaped ejection port that has a length matching the width of the effective area of the substrate. After leaving the substrate with the developing solution being coated thereon for a predetermined period of time, a diluent is supplied while scanning a diluent nozzle, thereby substantially stopping the development reaction and causing the dissolved resist components to diffuse. A desired amount of resist can be quickly dissolved through the control of the developing solution temperature, while the development can be stopped before the dissolved resist components exhibit adverse effect through the supply of the diluent a predetermined timing, whereby achieving a pattern having a uniform line width and improved throughput.

Abstract: Accurate coating and developing having high intrasurface uniformity is achieved by suppressing the influence of components of a resist that may be eluted while a substrate coated with the resist is processed by immersion exposure. A coating unit coats a surface of a substrate with a resist. then, a first cleaning means including a cleaning nozzle cleans the substrate and then the substrate is subjected to an exposure process. Since only a small amount of components of the resist dissolves in a transparent liquid layer formed on the substrate for exposure, an exposure process can form lines in accurate line-widths. Consequently, a resist pattern of lines having accurate line-widths having high intrasurface uniformity can be formed on the substrate by developing the exposed resist.

Abstract: A coating and developing apparatus comprises a washing section for washing the surface of a substrate after it has been subjected to a dipping exposure process in an exposing apparatus, and a first substrate carrying means adapted to transfer the substrate carried out from the exposing apparatus after the dipping exposure process to the washing section. The first substrate carrying means is controlled by a control means. Namely, the control means controls the first substrate carrying means such that the substrate can be washed in the washing section in a period of time prior to a time zone in which the size of liquid drops remaining on the substrate due to the dipping exposure process becomes smaller quite rapidly, based on a carrying-out ready signal for the substrate from the exposing apparatus, by using a relationship between the time elapsed from the end of the dipping exposure process and the size of liquid drops remaining on the substrate due to the dipping exposure process.

Abstract: A rinse method for rinsing a substrate having an exposure pattern thereon developed includes presetting conditions for a rinse process according to surface states of the substrate, measuring a surface state of the substrate, selecting a corresponding condition for the rinse process based on the measured surface state of the substrate, and performing the rinse process under the selected condition.

Abstract: A coating and developing system for forming a resist film on a substrate by coating the substrate with a liquid resist and developing the resist film after the resist film has been processed by immersion exposure that forms a liquid layer on the surface of the substrate is capable of reducing difference in property among resist films formed on substrates. The coating and developing system includes: a cleaning unit for cleaning a surface of a substrate coated with a resist film; a carrying means for taking out the substrate from the cleaning unit and carrying the substrate to an exposure system that carries out an immersion exposure process; and a controller for controlling the carrying means such that a time interval between a wetting time point when the surface of the substrate is wetted with the cleaning liquid by the cleaning unit and a delivery time point when the substrate is delivered to the exposure system is equal to a predetermined set time interval.

Abstract: A coating and developing system prevents wetting its component units with water when the coating and developing system forms a resist film on a substrate and processes the substrate processed by immersion exposure by a developing process. A substrate having a surface coated with a resist film and processed by immersion exposure is placed on a substrate support device and a liquid detector detects at least the liquid formed a liquid film for immersion exposure and remaining on the surface of the substrate. A decision is made as to whether or not the substrate needs to be dried on the basis of the result of detection made by the liquid detector. If it is decided that the substrate needs to be dried, the substrate is dried by a drying means. Thus wetting the interior of the coating and developing system with water can be prevented. Since only substrates that need to be dried are subjected to a drying process, the coating and developing system is able to operate at a high throughput.

Abstract: A substrate cleaning device and a substrate cleaning method reduces liquid drops remaining on a substrate to prevent the irregular heating of the substrate by a heating process due to liquid drops or water marks remaining on the substrate. A cleaning liquid is poured through a cleaning liquid pouring nozzle onto the surface of a substrate such that a region onto which the cleaning liquid is poured moves from a central part toward the circumference of the substrate. A gas is jetted radially outward at a region on the surface of the substrate behind a region onto which the cleaning liquid is poured with respect to the rotating direction of the substrate. The gas forces a liquid film of the cleaning liquid flowing on the surface of the substrate to flow in a circumferential direction and a radially outward direction.

Abstract: A wafer W is held in a horizontal attitude within an airtight container 41 by a vacuum chuck 42 such that small gaps are formed between the wafer W and the inner surfaces of the airtight container 41. A cleaning liquid is supplied toward the center portion of a front surface of the wafer W through a fluid supply port 40 which is an end of a fluid supply path 5, and is discharged through a fluid discharge portion 44 arranged in the bottom portion of the airtight container 41 in a form of a groove running along a circle having its center located on the center axis of the wafer W. The cleaning liquid flows and spreads from the center portion of the wafer W toward the peripheral portion while removing particles adhered to the wafer W, and is discharged through the fluid discharge portion 44. This arrangement allows the particles to be uniformly and reliably removed without rotating the wafer W. The entire cleaning apparatus 4 has a small size.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus exposes a substrate by projecting a pattern image onto the substrate via a projection optical system and a liquid. The exposure apparatus includes a liquid supply device which supplies liquid onto the substrate from above the substrate through a first and second supply ports disposed in a vicinity of a projection area onto which the pattern image is projected, and a liquid recovery device which recovers liquid on the substrate from above the substrate through an inside recovery port disposed outside the first and second supply ports and an outside the second recovery port disposed outside the inside recovery port.

Abstract: A coating and developing system is capable of preventing the contamination of a substrate with particles while the same coats a surface of a substrate with a resist film and develops the resist film after the substrate has been processed by immersion exposure. The coating and developing system includes: a processing block including coating units for forming a resist film on a surface of a substrate and developing units for processing the resist film formed on the substrate with a developer, and an interface block connected to the processing block and an exposure system for carrying out an immersion exposure process. The interface block includes: substrate cleaning units for cleaning the substrate processed by the immersion exposure process, a first carrying mechanism and a second carrying mechanism. The first carrying mechanism carries a substrate processed by immersion exposure to the substrate cleaning unit. The second carrying mechanism carries the substrate cleaned by the substrate cleaning unit.

Abstract: A sealed case includes an elongated trunk member including an overlapped part made by overlapping parts of an inside end portion and an outside end portion apart from each other in a vertical axis direction of a sheet material and first and second end portions each provided with an opening and apart from each other. The overlapped part has a fixing area to fix the inside and outside end portions. First and second cover members are fixed to the first and second open end portions of the trunk member, closing the openings.

Abstract: A developing apparatus for developing a substrate whose surface is coated with a coating solution and then exposed includes a substrate supporting unit for horizontally supporting the substrate, a rotation driving mechanism for rotating the substrate supporting unit forwardly or backwardly with respect to a vertical axis, a developer nozzle, disposed to face a surface of the substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit, having a strip-shaped injection opening extended along a direction extending from a periphery of the substrate toward a central portion thereof, a moving unit for moving the developer nozzle from an outer portion of the substrate toward the central portion thereof, and a controller for controlling operations such that while the substrate is rotated forwardly by the rotation driving mechanism, a developer is supplied through the injection opening to the surface of the substrate by moving the developer nozzle and, then, the substrate is rotated backwardly by the rotation driving mechanis

Abstract: In a developing processing of a wafer having a resist film low in the dissolving rate in a developing solution formed thereon and subjected to an exposure treatment, a developing solution of a low concentration is supplied first onto a wafer and the wafer is left to stand for a prescribed time to permit a developing reaction to proceed, followed by further supplying a developing solution having a concentration higher than that of the developing solution supplied first onto the wafer, leaving the substrate to stand and subsequently rinsing the wafer, thereby improving the uniformity of the line width in the central portion and the peripheral portion of the wafer.

Abstract: In a developing processing of a wafer having a resist film low in the dissolving rate in a developing solution formed thereon and subjected to an exposure treatment, a developing solution of a low concentration is supplied first onto a wafer and the wafer is left to stand for a prescribed time to permit a developing reaction to proceed, followed by further supplying a developing solution having a concentration higher than that of the developing solution supplied first onto the wafer, leaving the substrate to stand and subsequently rinsing the wafer, thereby improving the uniformity of the line width in the central portion and the peripheral portion of the wafer.

Abstract: In a developing processing of a wafer having a resist film low in the dissolving rate in a developing solution formed thereon and subjected to an exposure treatment, a developing solution of a low concentration is supplied first onto a wafer and the wafer is left to stand for a prescribed time to permit a developing reaction to proceed, followed by further supplying a developing solution having a concentration higher than that of the developing solution supplied first onto the wafer, leaving the substrate to stand and subsequently rinsing the wafer, thereby improving the uniformity of the line width in the central portion and the peripheral portion of the wafer.