Abstract: The invention provides coating units, heat-treating units, and a first main transport mechanism for transporting substrates to each of these treating units. The substrates are transferred from the first main transport mechanism to a second main transport mechanism through a receiver. When a substrate cannot be placed on the receiver, this substrate is placed on a buffer. Thus, the first main transport mechanism can continue transporting other substrates. The other substrates in the treating units are transported between the treating units without delay, to receive a series of treatments including coating treatment and heat treatment as scheduled. This prevents lowering of the quality of treatment for forming film on the substrates.

Abstract: A treating section includes a plurality of treating blocks juxtaposed horizontally. Each treating block is vertically divided into stories. Each story includes treating units and a main transport mechanism. Substrates are transportable between the same stories of the treating blocks. Further, the substrates are transportable between different stories. Thus, the apparatus can transport the substrates flexibly between the treating blocks.

Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus includes substrate treatment lines arranged one over another, each for treating substrates while transporting the substrates substantially horizontally. The apparatus further includes an interface section for transporting the substrates between the substrate treatment lines and an exposing machine having a plurality of exposing stages, the exposing machine being provided separately from the apparatus, and a controller for controlling transport of the substrates in the interface section to cause all the substrates similarly treated in each of the substrate treatment lines to be exposed on one of the exposing stages. This apparatus can uniform the quality of treatment among a plurality of substrates receiving the same type of treatment in the same substrate treating line.

Abstract: An apparatus for processing a peripheral portion of a substrate includes a housing and a spin chuck mounted within the housing and configured to support the substrate in a substantially horizontal orientation. The apparatus also includes a fluid dispense nozzle coupled to the housing and proximate to the peripheral portion of the substrate. The fluid dispense nozzle is in fluid communication with a source of a chemical and configured to direct a flow of the chemical to the peripheral portion of the substrate located at a first radial distance from a center of the substrate. The apparatus further includes a light guide optically coupled to a laser source. The light guide is configured to direct radiation to the peripheral portion of the substrate located at a second radial distance from the center of the substrate greater than the first radial distance.

Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus includes a plurality of substrate treatment lines arranged vertically. Each substrate treatment line has a plurality of main transport mechanisms arranged horizontally, and a plurality of treating units provided for each main transport mechanism for treating substrates. A series of treatments is carried out for the substrates, with each main transport mechanism transporting the substrates to the treating units associated therewith, and transferring the substrates to the other main transport mechanism horizontally adjacent thereto. The substrate treating apparatus realizes increased processing capabilities by treating the substrates in parallel through the substrate treatment lines.

Abstract: A joint nozzle that delivers a developer, a rinsing liquid and nitrogen gas is disposed adjacent the spin center of a substrate in plan view. A controller operates electromagnetic switch valves to continue supply of the developer, while spinning the substrate, in a developing process, and to start supply of the rinsing liquid in a rinsing process, immediately after the supply of the developer ends, thereby achieving a shortened period of the developing process. A switching is made to a drying process by starting supply of the nitrogen gas immediately after completion of the rinsing process. Thus, even if the substrate has a large angle of contact, formation of droplets of the rinsing liquid is inhibited to prevent post-develop defects.

Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus is provided for eliminating wasteful consumption of a treating solution in a treating mode in which the treating solution is delivered in a strip form to a substrate from a treating solution delivery nozzle sweeping over the substrate. In a first aspect of the invention, collecting vessels are arranged around a developing cup surrounding a wafer supported by a wafer holder. The collecting vessels collect part of a developer delivered from a discharge opening of a developer delivery nozzle outwardly of a surface of the wafer. In a second aspect of the invention, collecting vessels are arranged below a developer delivery nozzle, with collecting openings of the collecting vessels opposed to a discharge opening or openings of the delivery nozzle. The collecting vessels are moved longitudinally of the discharge openings according to a position of the developer delivery nozzle relative to the wafer.

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 drying processing block, and an interface block. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to the interface block. The drying 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 subjected to cleaning and drying processing by the drying processing group.

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 processing block for liquid immersion exposure processing, and an interface block. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to the interface block. The processing block for liquid immersion exposure processing comprises a coating processing group for resist cover film and a removal processing group for resist cover film. The resist cover film is formed in the processing block for liquid immersion exposure processing before the exposure processing. The resist cover film is removed in the processing block for liquid immersion exposure processing 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, a washing processing block, and an interface block. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to the interface block. The washing processing block comprises washing processing group. A resist film is formed in the resist film processing block. Before the substrate is subjected to exposure processing by the exposure device, the substrate is subjected to washing and drying processing in the washing processing group.

Abstract: An interface transport mechanism employs an upper hand during the transport of a substrate to an exposure device, and employs a lower hand during the transport of the substrate that has been carried out of the exposure device. A fifth central robot employs a lower hand during the transport of a substrate after the exposure processing by an exposure device, and employs an upper hand during the transport of a substrate after the drying processing that has been carried out of a drying processing group. That is, the upper hand is employed to transport a substrate to which no liquid is attached, and the lower hand is employed to transport a substrate to which a liquid is attached 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 washing/development processing block, and an interface block. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to the interface block. A resist film is formed on a substrate by the resist film processing block. The substrate is washed and dried by the washing processing unit in the washing/development processing block before the substrate is subjected to the exposure processing by the exposure device.

Abstract: A controller is connected to a substrate processing apparatus and an exposure apparatus. A pilot substrate subjected to a series of processing as preprocessing is transported to an inspection unit. An inspection result determination part compares inspection results received from the inspection unit with substrate condition data so that a condition change instruction part changes the processing condition of each processing unit when no requirement is satisfied. This operation is so repeated that a processing control part executes actual processing according to recipe data when the inspection results satisfy the requirement. Thus, the efficiency a step of changing the processing condition of each processing part in response to the inspection results in the inspection part is improved in preprocessing executed in the substrate processing apparatus.

Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus disclosed herein realizes improved throughput. The substrate treating apparatus according to this invention includes an antireflection film forming block, a resist film forming block and a developing block arranged in juxtaposition. Each block includes chemical treating modules, heat-treating modules and a single main transport mechanism. The main transport mechanism transports substrates within each block. Transfer of the substrates between adjacent blocks is carried out through substrate rests. The main transport mechanism of each block is not affected by movement of the main transport mechanisms of the adjoining blocks. Consequently, the substrates may be transported efficiently to improve the throughput of the substrate treating apparatus.

Abstract: A series of substrate transport paths for transporting substrates is arranged on upper and lower stories. Substrates are transferable between the substrate transport path on the first story and the substrate transport path on the second story. The paths include a going-only path for transporting the substrates forward, and a return-only path for transporting the substrates in the opposite direction, these paths being arranged on the upper and lower stories. An indexer connects one end of the substrate transport path on one story to one end of the substrate transport path on the other story. An interface connects the other end of the substrate transport path on one story to the other end of the substrate transport path on the other story. This construction efficiently reduces a waiting time due to interference between the substrates transported along the going-only path and the substrates transported along the return-only path.

Abstract: A series of substrate transport paths for transporting substrates is arranged on upper and lower stories. The substrates are transferable between the substrate transport path on the first story and the substrate transport path on the second story. The substrate transport paths define a going-only path for transporting the substrates forward, and a return-only path for transporting the substrates in the opposite direction, the going-only path and return-only path being arranged on the upper and lower stories. An indexer connects one end of the substrate transport path on one story to one end of the substrate transport path on the other story. An interface connects the other end of the substrate transport path on one story to the other end of the substrate transport path on the other story.

Abstract: A substrate treating apparatus disclosed herein realizes improved throughput. The substrate treating apparatus according to this invention includes an antireflection film forming block, a resist film forming block and a developing block arranged in juxtaposition. Each block includes chemical treating modules, heat-treating modules and a single main transport mechanism. The main transport mechanism transports substrates within each block. Transfer of the substrates between adjacent blocks is carried out through substrate rests. The main transport mechanism of each block is not affected by movement of the main transport mechanisms of the adjoining blocks. Consequently, the substrates may be transported efficiently to improve the throughput of the substrate treating apparatus.

Abstract: A silver salt photohermographic material is disclosed, comprising a support having provided thereon a light-sensitive layer containing light-sensitive silver halide, a light-insensitive organic silver salt and a binder, wherein the photohermographic material exhibits a gradation of 2.0 to 5.0 within the density region of 0.5 and 2.0 on a photographic characteristic curve obtained when the photothermographic material is subjected to exposure of 50 &mgr;J/cm2 and thermal development at 124° C. for 16 sec.; the light-sensitive layer comprises lower and upper layers and a glass transition temperature of a binder contained in the lower layer being higher than that of a binder contained in the upper layer.

Abstract: A silver salt photothermographic material is disclosed, comprising a support having provided thereon a light-sensitive layer containing light-sensitive silver halide, a light-insensitive organic silver salt and a binder, wherein the photothermographic material exhibits a gradation of 2.0 to 5.0 within the density region of 0.5 and 2.0 on a photographic characteristic curve obtained when the photothermographic material is subjected to exposure of 50 &mgr;J/cm2 and thermal development at 124° C. for 16 sec.; the light-sensitive layer comprises lower and upper layers and a glass transition temperature of a binder contained in the lower layer being higher than that of a binder contained in the upper layer.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes a coating section, a developing section, a heat-treating section and a transport mechanism. The coating section has first processing units each for performing a coverage process to supply a photoresist solution to a substrate and cover a surface of the substrate with the photoresist solution, a second processing unit for spinning the substrate, after the coverage process, at high speed to make the photoresist solution into a film, dry the photoresist film, and clean the substrate. All substrates are processed with the same coating conditions to suppress differences in quality among the substrates. The first and second processing units perform the respective processes concurrently to improve the throughput of substrate processing.