Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method
First Claim
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1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
- a processing chamber in which a substrate is developed by a developing solution applied over the substrate;
a filter configured to filter air to be sent into the processing chamber;
a blast unit configured to send the filtered air into said processing chamber from the top toward the bottom thereof;
an exhaust unit configured to exhaust gas from within said processing chamber through the bottom thereof; and
a control unit configured to regulate at least one of a blast amount of said blast unit and an exhaust amount of said exhaust unit concomitantly with a change in pressure in said processing chamber to maintain the pressure in said processing chamber nearly constant.
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Abstract
A blast unit for sending air from the top of a processing chamber to the bottom thereof and an exhaust pipe for exhausting gas from the bottom of the processing chamber are provided. Concomitantly with a change in pressure in the processing chamber, intervals of a slit damper and/or the degree of opening of a damper is controlled by a controller and thus a blast amount or an exhaust amount is controlled, thereby maintaining the pressure in the processing chamber almost constant.
374 Citations
19 Claims
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1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
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a processing chamber in which a substrate is developed by a developing solution applied over the substrate;
a filter configured to filter air to be sent into the processing chamber;
a blast unit configured to send the filtered air into said processing chamber from the top toward the bottom thereof;
an exhaust unit configured to exhaust gas from within said processing chamber through the bottom thereof; and
a control unit configured to regulate at least one of a blast amount of said blast unit and an exhaust amount of said exhaust unit concomitantly with a change in pressure in said processing chamber to maintain the pressure in said processing chamber nearly constant. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
a pressure sensor disposed in said processing chamber and configured to detect the change in pressure in said processing chamber, said control unit regulating at least one of the blast amount of said blast unit and the exhaust amount of said exhaust unit based on a detected result by said pressure sensor.
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3. The apparatus as set forth in claim 2, further comprising:
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a cup disposed in said processing chamber and configured to process the substrate therein, said pressure sensor being disposed at a position near the substrate which is processed inside said cup in said cup.
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4. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1,
wherein said control unit is configured to regulate the blast amount of said blast unit concomitantly with the change in pressure in said processing chamber and regulates the exhaust amount of said exhaust unit when the limit to which the pressure in said processing chamber is maintained nearly constant by the regulation of the blast amount of said blast unit is exceeded. -
5. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1,
wherein said control unit is configured to maintain the pressure in said processing chamber at a value larger than a maximum value of atmospheric pressure which changes. -
6. The apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising:
a bypass section configured to bypass the gas sent by said blast unit to said exhaust unit.
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7. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6,
wherein said bypass section is configured to bypass the gas sent by said blast unit to said exhaust unit when the pressure in said processing chamber is maintained nearly constant. -
8. The apparatus as set forth in claim 6, further comprising:
a circulating mechanism configured to circulate the gas bypassed to said exhaust unit by said bypass section to said blast unit.
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9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust unit stops and the blast unit decreases the blast amount while the developing solution is at a standstill with it being heaped upon the substrate in order to prevent a change in line width due to a change in temperature.
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10. The apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the blast unit and the exhaust unit resume after a standstill time of the developing solution.
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11. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
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a processing chamber in which a substrate is developed by a developing solution applied over the substrate;
a filter configured to filter air to be sent into the processing chamber;
a blast unit configured to send the filtered air into said processing chamber from the top toward the bottom thereof;
an exhaust unit configured to exhaust gas from within said processing chamber through the bottom thereof;
a carrying in/out port configured to carry the substrate into said processing chamber and out of said processing chamber;
a shutter configured to open and close said carrying in/out port; and
a control unit configured to perform such control that a blast amount of said blast unit is increased or an exhaust amount of said exhaust unit is decreased concomitantly with the opening of said shutter when said shutter is opened to maintain pressure in said processing chamber nearly constant. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14)
wherein said control unit is configured to close said shutter after the substrate is carried into said processing chamber, and simultaneously with, or immediately before or after the closing of said shutter, returns the blast amount of said blast unit or the exhaust amount of said exhaust unit to its original amount. -
13. The apparatus as set forth in claim 11, further comprising:
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a substrate transfer device configured to receive and pass the substrate from and to said processing chamber;
an air supply section disposed above said substrate transfer device and configured to supply down-flowing clean air; and
an air quantity regulating mechanism configured to regulate a quantity of clean air to be supplied by said air supply section according to the opening and closing of said shutter.
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14. The apparatus as set forth in claim 13,
wherein said air quantity regulating mechanism is configured to increase the quantity of air when said shutter is opened.
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15. A substract processing apparatus, comprising:
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a processing chamber configured to house a substrate;
a processing solution supply mechanism configured to supply a developing solution over the substrate in said processing chamber;
a filter configured to filter air to be sent into the processing chamber;
a blast unit configured to send the filtered air into said processing chamber from the top toward the bottom thereof;
an exhaust unit configured to exhaust gas from within said processing chamber through the bottom thereof; and
a control unit configured to stop an exhaust operation of said exhaust unit during a predetermined period of time after the developing solution is supplied over the substrate and concomitantly with the stop of the exhaust operation, decrease a blast amount of said blast unit to maintain pressure in said processing chamber nearly constant. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19)
wherein said control unit is configured to decrease the blast amount of said blast unit simultaneously with, or immediately before or after the stop of the exhaust operation of said exhaust unit. -
17. The apparatus as set forth in claim 15,
wherein said control unit is configured to return the blast amount of said blast unit to its original amount simultaneously with, or immediately before or after resumption from the stop of the exhaust operation of said exhaust unit. -
18. The apparatus as set forth in claim 15,
wherein said exhaust unit is disposed in an exhaust pipe connected to said processing chamber and has a damper for regulating an exhaust amount. -
19. The apparatus as set forth in claim 15,
wherein said blast unit has a slit damper configured to regulate a flow rate of gas to be supplied into said processing chamber.
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Specification