JP2000093872A - Processing device and processing - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the throughput of coating.developing processing of a square substrate to be treated and the yield of a product and to make a device small-sized. SOLUTION: A coating structure 1 for coating the surface of the square substrate G with resist liquid and an edge part removing structure 2 for removing a coating film on both surfaces of the edge part of the substrate G coated with the resist liquid by spraying a removing liquid are adjacent to each other and are disposed in the same atmosphere region, and a 1st transporting structure 3 for carrying-in the substrate G to the coating structure 1 and carrying-out the substrate G from the coating structure 1 to the edge part removing structure 2 and a 2nd transporting structure 4 for carrying-in the substrate G from the coating structure 1 to the edge part removing structure 2 are provided. As a result, after the substrate G is carried-in to the coating structure 1 by the 1st transporting structure 3, the surface of the substrate G is coated with the resist liquid and, after that, the substrate G is transported to the edge part removing structure 2 by the 2nd transporting structure 4, the needless resist film on both edge part surfaces of the substrate G is removed and the substrate G is carried-out from the edge part removing structure 2 by the 1st transporting structure 3.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a processing apparatus and a processing method for applying a coating liquid to a square substrate to be processed.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a liquid crystal display (LC) is used.
D) In a device manufacturing process, for example, ITO (Indium Tin Oxi) is formed on an LCD substrate (glass substrate).
de) In order to form a thin film, an electrode pattern and the like, a circuit pattern and the like are reduced and transferred to a photoresist by using a photolithography technique similar to that used in a semiconductor manufacturing process, and a series of development processes are performed. Processing is performed.

For example, a rectangular LCD as a substrate to be processed
After the substrate is cleaned by a cleaning device, the LCD substrate is subjected to a hydrophobic treatment by an adhesion processing device, cooled by a cooling processing device, and then coated with a photoresist film, ie, a photosensitive film by a resist coating device. Thereafter, the photoresist is heated by a heat treatment device to perform a baking process, and then a predetermined pattern is exposed by an exposure device. Then, after the exposed LCD substrate is coated with a developing solution using a developing device and developed, the developing solution is washed away with a rinse solution to complete the developing process.

In the case of performing the above-described processing, for example, as a method of forming a resist film, a rectangular LCD substrate (hereinafter, referred to as a substrate) is placed on holding means, such as a spin chuck, provided in a processing container. In a fixed state, the opening of the processing container is closed with a lid, and the processing container and the spin chuck are rotated.For example, a resist solution composed of a solvent and a photosensitive resin is dropped on the center of the upper surface of the substrate, There is known a rotating cup type coating film forming method in which the resist solution is radially diffused from the center of the substrate toward the peripheral edge by the rotation force and centrifugal force of the substrate to apply the resist solution.

In this coating treatment, even if the film thickness is uniform immediately after the coating, the resist solution is not applied at the peripheral portion of the substrate due to the surface tension after the rotation stops and the centrifugal force stops working or as time passes. It becomes thick as it rises. In addition, a phenomenon occurs in which the resist solution reaches the peripheral edge of the lower surface of the substrate to form an unnecessary film. If a non-uniform thick film is formed on the periphery of the substrate in this way, the resist film on the periphery is not completely removed during the development of an integrated circuit pattern or the like, and remains there. During the transfer step, the remaining resist is peeled off, causing particles to be generated.

Therefore, conventionally, after a resist solution or the like is applied to the surface of the substrate, a process of removing an unnecessary coating film on the peripheral portion of the substrate has been performed. By this coating film removing step, a removing liquid such as a solvent can be sprayed on the peripheral portion of the substrate after the coating film forming step, thereby removing unnecessary coating film on the peripheral portion of the substrate.

Further, by incorporating a dedicated coating film removing device into the coating / developing processing system, the coating process of the substrate and the unnecessary coating film removal at the peripheral portion of the substrate can be continuously performed.

[0008]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
Incorporating a dedicated coating film removal device into the development processing system not only increases the size of the equipment, but also carries out the coating process and unnecessary coating film removal process, as well as loading the substrate into the coating mechanism and moving from the coating mechanism to the coating film removing mechanism. Therefore, there is a problem that the throughput is reduced because a process such as transporting the substrate and carrying it out of the coating film removing mechanism is required.

In the conventional method of forming a coating film of a rotating cup type, the solvent in the resist liquid evaporates during the process of diffusing the resist liquid from the center position of the substrate toward the peripheral portion, so that the resist liquid is diffused. The viscosity of the resist solution differs depending on the direction, and the thickness of the formed resist film differs between the central part and the peripheral part. Further, since the peripheral speed of the substrate is much higher at the outer peripheral portion than at the center position, the amount of the substrate scattered is large. That is, there was a limit to uniform coating. In order to solve this, for example, a method of controlling the temperature of the resist solution or filling the same solvent used in the resist solution in a resist film forming atmosphere to suppress evaporation of the solvent in the resist solution, A method is conceivable in which the solvent of the resist solution is dropped on the substrate surface before the application of the solution.

However, in the former method, that is, the method of controlling the temperature of the resist solution or filling the same solvent used in the resist solution in the atmosphere for forming the resist film to suppress the evaporation of the solvent in the resist solution, The amount used increases, for example, only a few% of the applied amount of the resist solution contributes to the actual formation of the resist film. In addition, since the amount of the resist liquid is large, the resist liquid wraps around the back surface of the corner portion of the substrate, and the resist liquid attached to the back surface of the corner portion of the substrate dries, causing a problem of generating particles.

Also, the latter method, that is, the method of dropping the solvent of the resist solution on the substrate surface before the application of the resist solution, makes it difficult to achieve uniform coating due to the uniformity of the solvent itself on the substrate and the difference in the dry state. Cannot be fully solved. In addition, even in this method, particularly when the substrate has a rectangular shape, there is a disadvantage that an extra resist solution must be used to form a resist film on the entire surface of the substrate. There has been a problem that the coating liquid is spilled onto the back surface of the corner portion of the substrate and then dried to generate particles, which causes a reduction in yield.

Further, since the substrate has a rectangular shape such as a rectangular shape, when the substrate is rotated at a high speed after application of a coating solution such as a resist solution to shake off the coating solution, centrifugal force causes the substrate to move out of the periphery of the substrate. There is also a problem that the coating liquid scattered to the direction may re-adhere to the back surface of the corner of the rotating substrate, and the applied coating liquid dries and causes generation of particles.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims at improving the throughput of coating and developing processing of a substrate to be processed, improving the product yield by removing an unnecessary coating film on the periphery of the substrate, and improving the apparatus. It is an object of the present invention to provide a processing apparatus and a processing method that can be reduced in size.

[0014]

In order to achieve the above object, a first processing apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a holding means for rotating while holding one side of a rectangular substrate to be processed facing upward; A coating container having a cup-shaped processing container surrounding the means, a coating member for closing the opening of the processing container, and a coating liquid supply unit for supplying a coating liquid to the substrate to be processed;
The coating film is disposed adjacent to the side of the coating mechanism and disposed in the same atmosphere region as the coating mechanism, and sprays a removing liquid onto an edge of the substrate to be processed on which the coating film of the coating liquid is formed. An edge removing mechanism for removing the substrate, a first transport mechanism for carrying in the substrate to be processed into the coating mechanism and unloading the substrate to be processed from the edge removing mechanism, and from the coating mechanism to the edge removing mechanism. A second transport mechanism for transporting the substrate to be processed (claim 1).

[0015] In the processing apparatus of the present invention, it is preferable that the coating mechanism further includes a solvent supply means for supplying a solvent of the coating liquid to the substrate to be processed.

It is preferable that the holding means is formed so as to be capable of horizontal rotation and vertical movement (claim 3), and it is preferable that the processing container is formed so as to be rotatable together with the holding means (claim 4). Further, the edge removing mechanism may be configured by a mounting means for holding the substrate to be processed, and a nozzle which moves along the side of the substrate to be processed and injects the removing liquid to the edge of the substrate to be processed. Is preferable (claim 5). Also,
It is preferable that the edge removal mechanism further includes an auxiliary cleaning nozzle that sprays a removal liquid onto the back surface of the corner of the substrate to be processed. It is preferable that the mounting means is formed so as to be horizontally rotatable (claim 7).

Further, at least the second transfer mechanism of the first transfer mechanism or the second transfer mechanism is formed by an arm for holding the side of the substrate to be processed by vacuum suction, and the arm holding the substrate by the arm. It is preferable to provide a suction hole connected to the vacuum suction means on the surface and to provide a pad member which communicates with the suction hole and can be displaced in a direction perpendicular to the arm.

On the other hand, a first processing method according to the present invention includes a step of carrying in a rectangular substrate to be processed to be held on holding means in a processing container constituting a coating mechanism; and a step of applying a coating liquid to the substrate to be processed. Supplying, rotating, and diffusing the substrate to one surface of the substrate to be processed; closing the lid in the processing container, and enclosing the substrate in the processing container; and a processing container in which the lid is closed. Rotating the substrate to be processed therein to adjust the film thickness of the coating film, and the substrate to be processed having the coating film formed thereon, adjacent to the side of the coating mechanism,
Transporting to an edge removing mechanism disposed in the same atmosphere region as the coating mechanism; removing the coating film at the edge by injecting a removing liquid onto the edge of the substrate to be processed; And carrying out the substrate to be processed from the removing mechanism (claim 9).

According to a second processing method of the present invention, in the first processing method, a solvent of the coating liquid is supplied onto one surface of the substrate before supplying the coating liquid to the substrate. (Claim 10).

In the processing method of the present invention, in the step of adjusting the thickness of the coating film, it is preferable that the substrate to be processed is rotated together with the processing container having the lid closed.

In the step of removing the coating film, the removing method may be any method as long as the removing liquid is sprayed onto the edge of the substrate on which the coating film is formed to remove the coating film at the edge. Although it is optional, preferably, the step of removing the coating film includes a first removing step of spraying a removing liquid onto an edge of the first side of the substrate on which the coating film is formed to remove the coating film. And a second removing step of injecting a removing liquid onto the edge of the second side of the substrate to be removed to remove the coating film on the edge. In this case, it is preferable to further include an auxiliary removing step of spraying a removing liquid onto the back surface of the corner of the substrate to be processed to remove the coating film attached to the back surface of the corner (claim 13).

According to the first, third, fourth and ninth and eleventh aspects of the present invention, the processing liquid is supplied onto one surface of the square substrate to be processed carried into the coating mechanism and rotated to rotate the substrate. After being diffused to one surface, and closing the lid in the processing container and enclosing the substrate to be processed in the processing container, the substrate to be processed in the processing container with the lid closed is rotated to form the coating film. The film thickness can be adjusted. Next, after removing the coating film on the edge by spraying the removing liquid onto the edge of the substrate to be processed, which is adjacent to the side of the coating mechanism and transported to the edge removing mechanism in the same atmosphere region as the coating mechanism. The substrate to be processed can be carried out from the edge removing mechanism.

According to the second to fourth and tenth and eleventh aspects of the present invention, the solvent of the processing liquid is applied and diffused on one surface of the substrate to be processed carried into the coating mechanism, and then is spread on the substrate to be processed. The processing liquid is supplied, rotated, diffused on one surface of the substrate to be processed, and the lid is closed in the processing container, and the processing substrate is sealed in the processing container, and then the lid is closed. By rotating the substrate to be processed in the container and adjusting the thickness of the coating film, the amount of the coating liquid can be reduced. Next, after removing the coating film on the edge by spraying the removing liquid to the edge of the substrate to be processed conveyed to the edge removing mechanism, the substrate to be processed can be carried out from the edge removing mechanism.

According to the fifth, seventh and twelfth aspects of the present invention, after the coating film on one edge of the substrate to be processed held by the mounting means is removed, the other side of the substrate to be processed is removed. The edge coating film can be removed.

According to the inventions of claims 6, 7 and 13, the edge removing mechanism is provided with an auxiliary cleaning nozzle for spraying a removing liquid on the back surface of the corner of the substrate to be processed, thereby enabling the edge of the substrate to be processed. The coating film adhered to the back surface of the corner can be removed.

According to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the first
Or at least the second of the second transport mechanism
The transfer mechanism is formed by an arm that holds the side of the substrate to be processed by vacuum suction, and a suction hole that is connected to vacuum suction means is provided on the substrate holding surface of the arm, and the arm communicates with the suction hole. By providing a pad member that can be displaced in the vertical direction, the substrate to be processed can be transported reliably, and generation and damage of particles at the contact portion of the substrate to be processed during transport can be suppressed. it can.

[0027]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings. Here, a case will be described in which the processing apparatus of the present invention is applied to an LCD substrate resist coating apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 1, the processing apparatus according to the present invention has a rectangular substrate to be processed, for example, a rectangular LCD substrate G.
A coating mechanism 1 for supplying a coating liquid, for example, a resist liquid to the surface of a substrate (hereinafter referred to as a substrate) from a coating liquid supply nozzle 42 to apply the resist liquid, and removing an unnecessary coating film formed on the peripheral portion of the substrate G by coating. The edge removing mechanism 2 is disposed adjacent to the side, for example, integrally in the same atmosphere region, and the substrate G is loaded into the coating mechanism 1 and unloaded from the edge removing mechanism 2. And a second transport mechanism 3 for transporting the substrate G coated by the coating mechanism 1 to the edge removing mechanism 2.
And a transfer mechanism 4.

As shown in FIG. 2, the coating mechanism 1 comprises a holding means such as a spin chuck 10 for holding the substrate G by vacuum in a horizontal state, and a processing chamber 11 surrounding the upper and outer peripheral portions of the spin chuck 10. , A cup-shaped processing container 12 having an open upper portion (hereinafter referred to as a rotating cup), a lid 16 that is attached (detachable) to the opening 12a of the rotating cup 12 in a closable manner, A flat plate-shaped rectifying plate 13 that is vertically suspended downward and protrudes outward from the outer peripheral edge of the substrate G, and a cup-shaped fixed container 14 that surrounds the outer peripheral side of the processing container 12 and that is open at the top (hereinafter referred to as a drain). A fixed lid 15 that is attached (detachable) to the opening of the drain cup 14 so as to be able to close, and a lid 16.
Arm 20 for moving the fixed lid 15 to the closed position and the standby position, the spin chuck 10 and the rotating cup 12
A drive motor 21 for rotating the
A supply nozzle 40 (solvent supply means) for a solvent such as a solvent (solvent) A of a coating liquid, which is configured to be movable to a position above, and a supply nozzle 42 (coating liquid supply means) for a coating liquid such as a resist liquid B are brought close to each other. And a nozzle moving mechanism 37 which is a moving means for gripping the jet head 39 and moving it between the jet front standby position and the substrate upper position.

In this case, the solvent A and the resist liquid B flowing through the solvent supply path and the resist liquid supply path from the nozzles 40 and 42 are set at a predetermined temperature (for example, 23 ° C.). A temperature adjusting mechanism 45 for circulating and supplying the temperature adjusting liquid C is provided. A mounting member 34 that can move up and down together with the spin chuck 10 is mounted between the spin chuck 10 and the spin chuck 10 via a bearing 34 a at a position near the lower part of the spin chuck 10. Cleaning nozzle 35
(Container cleaning means) and a supply nozzle 36 (inert gas supply means) for an inert gas such as nitrogen (N ₂ ) gas are attached.

The spin chuck 10 is formed of a heat-resistant synthetic resin member made of, for example, polyether ether ketone (PEEK), and is driven based on a preset program to change the rotation speed. It can be rotated (rotated) in the horizontal direction via a rotating shaft 22 that is rotated by the drive of a motor 21.
Can be moved in the up-down (vertical) direction by the driving of the lifting cylinder 23 connected thereto. In this case, the rotating shaft 22 is provided with a bearing 25 on the inner peripheral surface of the fixed collar 24.
a and is slidably connected to a spline bearing 27 fitted on the inner peripheral surface of the rotatable inner cylinder 26a rotatably mounted via the inner cylinder 26a. A driven pulley 28a is mounted on the spline bearing 27, and the driven motor 21 is mounted on the driven pulley 28a.
A belt 29a is stretched between a drive shaft 21a and a drive pulley 21b mounted on the drive shaft 21a. Therefore, the drive shaft 21 is driven by the drive motor 21 via the belt 29a.
2 rotates, and the spin chuck 10 rotates. Also,
The lower side of the rotating shaft 22 is disposed in a cylindrical body (not shown).
The rotary shaft 22 is connected to the lift cylinder 23 through the drive shaft 0 so that the rotation shaft 22 can move in the vertical direction by driving the lift cylinder 23.

The rotary cup 12 is formed of, for example, a stainless steel member, and has a connecting cylinder 31 fixed to the upper end of a rotary outer cylinder 26b mounted on the outer peripheral surface of the fixed collar 24 via a bearing 25b. The bottom portion 12b of the rotating cup 12 and the spin chuck 10
An O-ring 32 for sealing is interposed between the lower surface of the spin chuck 10 and the airtightness is maintained in a state where the spin chuck 10 descends and comes into contact with the O-ring 32. Further, the drive from the drive motor 21 is transmitted to the rotary cup 12 by a driven pulley 28b mounted on the rotary outer cylinder 26b and a belt 29b stretched over the drive pulley 21b mounted on the drive motor 21 so that the rotary cup 12 is driven. It is configured to be rotated. In this case, the diameter of the driven pulley 28b is formed to be the same as the diameter of the driven pulley 28a mounted on the rotary shaft 22, and the same drive motor 21
9a and 29b are stretched, so that the rotating cup 12
And the spin chuck 10 rotate the same. In addition, a labyrinth seal portion 33 is formed on the facing surface of the fixed collar 24 and the rotating inner cylinder 26a and the rotating outer cylinder 26b to prevent dust from entering the rotating cup 12 from the lower drive system during the rotation process. (See FIG. 3).

The rotating cup 12 is formed by forming a tapered surface 12e in which the inner surface of the side wall 12c is reduced in diameter toward the upper side. 12d is formed.

A contact ring 16a made of, for example, Delrin (trade name) is fixed to the lower surface of the periphery of the lid 16 that closes the opening 12a of the rotating cup 12 in order to avoid metal-to-metal contact with the rotating cup 12. The robot arm 2 is provided at the center of the lid 16 via a bearing 16b.
A support column 19 supported at 0 is attached, and an air inlet 16 c is provided at the center of the support column 16.

As described above, the cover 16 is provided with the air introduction port 16c, and the rotary cup 12 is provided with the exhaust hole 12d to exhaust the air. Air flows into the rotary cup 12 from the port 16c, and the air is discharged from the exhaust hole 12d along the inner wall of the rotary cup 12 by the flow regulating plate 13, so that the mist of the scattered resist liquid is discharged by the flow of air. Therefore, it is possible to prevent re-adhesion to the substrate G, and to prevent the processing chamber 11 from rotating when the rotating cup 12 rotates.
It is possible to prevent the inside from becoming an excessive negative pressure.

On the other hand, on the outer peripheral side of the bottom of the drain cup 14, a plurality of drainage ports 14a are provided concentrically, and at appropriate locations (for example, four locations in the circumferential direction) on the inner peripheral side of the drainage ports 14a. Is provided with an exhaust port 14b connected to an exhaust device (not shown). In this case, the drainage port 14a is opened in the tangential direction of the rotation direction (for example, clockwise) of the substrate G and the rotation cup 12. For example, it is formed so that the central axis of the space inside the drainage port 14a is inclined at an angle smaller than a right angle with respect to the bottom 12b. The reason why the drain port 14a is provided in the tangential direction of the rotation direction of the substrate G and the rotation cup 12 is that the mist of the resist liquid scattered with the rotation of the substrate G and the rotation cup 12 is quickly discharged to the outside. That's because I tried to do it.

The fixed lid 15 is formed of a stainless steel member supported by the supporting column 19, and the lower surface of the outer periphery of the fixed lid 15 avoids contact between the metal and the drain cup 14. For this purpose, a ring-shaped contact member 15a made of Delrin (trade name) is fixed. Further, a plurality of air supply holes 15 b are formed on a concentric circle on the center side of the fixed lid 15.
Is provided.

As described above, a plurality of air supply holes 15b are provided on a concentric circle on the center side of the fixed lid 15, and the drain cup 1
4 is provided with an exhaust port 14b at the bottom, so that when the rotating cup 12 rotates, the drain cup 1
4 flows along the outer wall of the rotary cup 12, so that the mist that is scattered by the centrifugal force in the processing chamber 11 during the rotation processing and flows into the drain cup 14 through the exhaust hole 12 d is rotated. Can be prevented from rising to the upper side, and can be discharged to the outside through the exhaust port 14b.

The cover 16 needs to be fixed to the opening 12a of the rotating cup 12 and rotated integrally during the rotation process. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, a fitting recess 17b is provided on the lower surface of the contact ring 16a, and the fitting recess 17b is fitted to a fixing pin 17a protruding above the rotating cup 12, and the lid 16 is attached. It is fixed to the rotating cup 12. In this case, by forming the top of the fixing pin 17a in a spherical shape, dust generated by contact with the fitting recess 17b is reduced. Note that the fixing pin 17a does not necessarily need to protrude toward the rotating cup, and the fixing pin 17a
May be projected, and a fitting recess 17b may be provided on the rotating cup side. Further, the inside of the fitting recess 17b and the periphery of the fixing pin 17a may be connected to suction means (not shown) to discharge dust generated by the contact between the fixing pin 17a and the fitting recess 17b to the outside.

When the lid 16 is opened and closed, the robot arm 20 is inserted under the bulging head 18 protruding from the upper surface of the lid 16 as shown by an imaginary line in FIG. After engaging a locking pin 20a protruding from the robot arm 20 with a locking groove 18a provided in the portion 18, the robot arm 20 can be moved up and down. The locking groove 18a of the bulging head 18 when the lid 16 is opened and the locking pin 20a of the robot arm 20 are aligned, and the fixing pin 17a when the lid 16 is closed.
The position of the fitting recess 17b can be adjusted by controlling the rotation angle of the drive motor 21 formed by a servomotor or the like.

In the above embodiment, the lid 16 and the rotating cup 1
2 has been described by fitting the fixing pin 17a and the fitting recess 17b. However, such a structure is not necessarily required, and the lid 16 is separately provided using a pressing mechanism.
Is fixed to the rotating cup 12, it is possible to prevent the generation of dust when the lid 16 is opened and the rattling of the lid 16 during the rotation processing. Since the fixed lid 15 is fixed to the supporting column 19 that rotatably supports the lid 16, the fixed lid 15 moves up and down with the opening and closing movement of the lid 16 to open and close the opening of the drain cup 14. Can be.

The N ₂ gas supply nozzle 36 is formed by an annular nozzle having a number of small holes formed at appropriate intervals on the outer peripheral surface of a donut-shaped hollow annular pipe. The N ₂ gas supply nozzle 36 thus configured
Is a mounting member 3 that moves up and down together with the spin chuck 10.
4 and is connected to an N ₂ gas supply source (not shown) via an N ₂ gas supply tube 36 c passing through the fixed collar 24. Then, the processing chamber 1 of the rotating cup 12 rises with the rise of the spin chuck 10 after the rotation processing.
When located (exposed) in 1, by injecting radially a N ₂ gas supplied from N ₂ gas supply source into the processing chamber 11, the processing chamber 11 while N ₂ purge, the processing chamber 11 The negative pressure (reduced pressure) state is released so that the lid 16 can be easily opened thereafter.

The cleaning nozzle 35 attached to the attachment member 34 together with the N ₂ gas supply nozzle 36 is the same as that shown in FIG.
, A bottom cleaning nozzle body 35a inclined toward the bottom surface of the rotating cup 12, a side cleaning nozzle body 35b protruding horizontally toward the inner side surface of the rotating cup 12, and a lower surface of the lid body 16. Cleaning nozzle body 35c
It is composed of These nozzle bodies 35a to 35c
Is a cleaning liquid supply tube 36 penetrating the fixed collar 24.
The cleaning liquid supply source (not shown) is connected via d.
When the rotating nozzle 12 is cleaned by the cleaning nozzle 35, first, after the rotation process, the spin chuck 10 is moved up and moved up, and the nozzle bodies 35 a to 35 c are positioned in the processing chamber 11 of the rotating cup 12 (exposed). Then, the cleaning liquid supplied from the cleaning liquid supply source is supplied to each of the nozzle bodies 35a to 35a.
35c, the bottom surface and the inner side surface of the rotating cup 12 and the lower surface of the lid 16 (specifically, the lid 16 and the rotating cup 1
2, the resist solution, particles and the like adhering to the rotating cup 12 and the lid 16 can be washed and removed. This cleaning process may be performed periodically after processing a predetermined number of substrates G.

On the other hand, the solvent supply nozzle 40 is connected to a solvent tank 41c via a solvent supply tube 41a, which is a solvent supply path, and an opening / closing valve 41b, and a nitrogen (N ₂ ) gas supplied into the solvent tank 41c. By controlling the pressurization, the solvent A in the solvent tank 41c can supply a predetermined amount of the solvent A onto the substrate G for a predetermined time.

The resist solution supply nozzle 42 is connected to a resist solution tank 44b containing a resist solution B via a resist solution supply tube 44a which is a resist solution supply passage. The tube 44a has a suck back valve 44c, an air operation valve 44d, and a bubble removing mechanism 44 for separating and removing bubbles in the resist solution B.
e, a filter 44f and a bellows pump 44g are sequentially provided. The bellows pump 44g can expand and contract under the control of the drive unit, and can supply, for example, drop a predetermined amount of the resist solution B to the center of the substrate G via the resist solution supply nozzle 42. . It is possible to control the supply amount of the resist solution B smaller than the supply amount of the conventional resist solution B. The driving unit includes a ball screw 44h including a screw having one end attached to one end of the bellows pump, and a nut screwed into the screw via a ball.
And a stepping motor 44i that rotates the screw to move the screw linearly.

The diameter of the resist solution supply nozzle 42 is specifically set to φ0.5 to φ5 mm, preferably φ3 mm for a substrate of 500 × 600 mm. Thus, by setting the diameter of the nozzle according to the size of the substrate, it is possible to supply a small amount of the resist solution B as much as possible over a long time.
If the supply time is short, the uniformity of the film thickness is not good, and if it is too long, the resist solution does not reach the peripheral portion of the substrate. Here, as small as possible depends on the nozzle diameter and the resist solution supply pressure.

In the resist solution supply system configured as described above, the discharge time of the resist solution is controlled by the bellows pump 44.
The control (control accuracy: ± 2 msec) is performed by the drive time of the stepping motor 44i of g.
The discharge amount of the resist solution is determined by the driving operation of the bellows pump 44g, for example, the driving time and the driving speed, and the air operation valve 4 for opening and closing the resist solution supply passage.
It is set by the opening / closing operation (ON-OFF operation) of 4d. Setting of the driving time of the bellows pump 44g and O of the air operation valve 44d
The N-OFF operation is automatically controlled by a computer based on a preset program.

The discharge time of the resist solution B is controlled by a variable orifice (not shown) provided in the resist solution supply nozzle 42.
It can also be performed by opening and closing operations. Further, it is possible to supply the resist solution B by pressurizing the N ₂ gas to the resist solution tank 44b without using the bellows pump 44g. In this case, the discharge time control of the resist solution B is performed by controlling the discharge time of the N ₂ gas. It can be performed by adjusting the amount of pressurization.

The suck-back valve 44c provided in the resist liquid supply system discharges the resist liquid B remaining on the inner wall of the tip of the resist liquid supply nozzle 42 due to surface tension after the resist liquid is discharged from the resist liquid supply nozzle 42. This is a valve for drawing back into the resist liquid supply nozzle 42, thereby preventing solidification of the residual resist liquid. In this case, when the resist solution B is discharged back into the resist solution supply nozzle 42 by the negative pressure action of the suck-back valve 44c as usual, in the resist solution supply nozzle 42 for discharging a small amount of the resist solution B,
The air near the tip is also entrained into the nozzle 42, and the residue of the resist solution B attached to the tip of the nozzle 42 enters the nozzle 42, causing not only clogging of the nozzle 42, but also dry resist as particles. Substrate G
May be contaminated and the yield may be reduced.

In order to solve this problem, as shown in FIG.
The thickness 42b of the portion near the opening is thicker than that of FIG. That is, the nozzle 42 has a cylindrical distal end and an inverted truncated cone following the cylindrical distal end. Instead, as shown in FIG. 5B, an outer flange 4 is formed at the cylindrical tip or opening of the resist solution supply nozzle 42.
By providing 2c, the nozzle 4
2 Entrapment of air near the tip can be prevented.
Further, as shown in FIG. 5C, a small-diameter bent portion 42d extending in a horizontal S-shape is formed at a vertically extending cylindrical tip of the resist solution supply nozzle 42, and the center of the bent portion 42d is formed. By performing suckback to the vicinity, air entrapment at the nozzle tip can be similarly prevented.

The temperature adjusting mechanism 45 (temperature adjusting means)
As shown in FIG. 6, a temperature control liquid supply passage 46a provided to surround the outer circumferences of the solvent supply tube 41a and the resist supply tube 44a, respectively, and both ends at both ends of the temperature control liquid supply passage 46a. Are connected to each other, a circulating pump 46c provided in each of the circulating paths 46b, and a thermo module for maintaining the temperature regulating liquid C (for example, constant temperature water) connected in the middle of the circulating path 46b at a constant temperature. 46d. With the temperature adjusting mechanism 45 configured as described above, the solvent A flowing in the solvent supply tube 41a and the resist liquid B flowing in the resist supply tube 44a are heated to a predetermined temperature (for example,
(About 23 ° C.).

In FIG. 6, the solvent supply nozzle 40 and the solvent supply tube 41 a are connected to the resist solution supply nozzle 4.
2 and the resist solution supply tube 44a are formed integrally, but it is also preferable to form them separately as described in detail below with reference to FIG.

The jet head 39 is made of, for example, a member made of stainless steel or an aluminum alloy. A U-shaped hole that forms a part of the bypass passage 47a is formed on the upper surface of the jet head 39, and a vertical through hole 47b that extends to the lower surface of the jet head 39 is formed at the bottom of the hole. Each through hole 47b has an inclined middle portion 47c having a larger diameter as going downward, and a lower portion 47d having a larger diameter.
A female screw is formed on the inner peripheral surface of 7d. When the nozzles 40 and 42 are mounted on the jetting head 39 having such a configuration, the cylindrical nozzles 40 and 42 are inserted into the through holes 47b so that the upper and lower portions of the nozzles 40 and 42 extend, respectively. A sealing member 47f made of a substantially conical synthetic resin having a vertical through hole through which 42 can penetrate is attached to the inclined middle portion 47c.
And the sealing member 47f is screwed into the screwing lower part 47d and has a vertical through hole through which the nozzles 40 and 42 can pass.
Is pressed against the inclined inner peripheral surface. In this manner, the nozzles 40 and 42 are mounted on the jet head 39 in a liquid-tight manner. In this case, the O-ring 47h is interposed between the upper end of the inclined middle portion 47c and the upper surface of the seal member 47f as shown in the drawing, so that the watertightness between the detour passage 47a and the nozzles 40 and 42 is further maintained. be able to.

The jet head 39 is arranged in the horizontal direction (X, Y directions).
It is attached to the tip of a movable arm 37a that can rotate and move in the vertical direction (Z direction). The moving arm 37a
As shown in FIG. 1, the solvent supply nozzle 40 and the resist solution supply nozzle 42 are disposed outside the drain cup 14 and driven by driving means such as a stepping motor (not shown). It is selectively moved between a standby position above the standby section 38. That is, from the standby position, the solvent supply nozzle 4
0 is moved to the center position of the substrate G, and after a lapse of a predetermined time, then, after the resist solution supply nozzle 42 is moved to the center position of the substrate G, both nozzles 40 and 42 are moved to the standby unit 38. Has become. The moving mechanism of the jet head 39, that is, the solvent supply nozzle 40 and the resist liquid supply nozzle 42 does not necessarily need to be formed by the above-described rotating moving arm 37a, and may use, for example, a linear scanning mechanism.

In the above-described embodiment, the structure in which the solvent supply nozzle 40 is provided integrally with the resist liquid supply nozzle 42 at the jetting head 39 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this. The solvent may be supplied integrally with the jetting head provided. Alternatively, for example, the solvent supply nozzle 40 may be arranged coaxially with the outer periphery of the resist solution supply nozzle 42, and may be changed as appropriate.

In the above embodiment, the rotating cup 12
The lid 16 is moved by the robot arm 20 and opened,
Supply nozzle 40 for solvent A, supply nozzle 4 for resist solution B
2 and the like are moved above the center of the substrate G by the moving mechanism 37 and the solvent A and the resist liquid B are dropped, but in the state where the opening 12 a of the rotating cup 12 is closed by the lid 16. You may comprise so that it may be dripped. For example,
As shown in FIG. 8, the bulging head portion 18 of the lid 16 is formed in a hollow shape, and the upper end is configured to be closed by the lid 18A. Then, the cover 18A is opened, and the nozzle is moved above the hollow of the bulging head 18, that is, the substrate G by the moving mechanism 37.
And the solvent A and the resist solution B may be dropped. As shown in FIG. 9, the nozzle mounting member 18B is provided inside the bulging head 18 with the bearing 1.
The cover 16 is rotatably attached by 8C or the like. Then, with the opening 12a of the rotating cup 12 closed by the lid 16, the nozzle 4
The solvent A and the resist solution B may be dropped from 0 and 42 onto the center of the substrate G.

As described above, the opening 12 a is formed by the lid 16.
By dropping the solvent A and the resist solution B in a closed state, the processing throughput can be shortened as compared with the movable type by the moving mechanism 37, and the processing process from the dropping of the solvent A in a closed state to the end of the coating process can be performed. It can be realized. For example, it is possible to realize a process in which after the supply of the solvent A, the rotating cup 12 is rotated while the resist solution B is being supplied, and then the supply of the resist solution B is stopped, and the rotating cup 12 is rotated.

In the above embodiment, the case where the solvent A is dropped from the solvent supply nozzle 40 to the center of the substrate G and then the resist solution B is dropped on the substrate G to form a resist film has been described. In the case of using a resist solution composed of a photoresist and a photoresist, the resist solution B is dropped onto the substrate G from the resist solution supply nozzle without using the solvent supply nozzle, and the resist film is formed using the solvent of the resist solution B itself. Can be used.

On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 12, the edge removing mechanism 2 is a mounting table which is a mounting means for holding the substrate G by a vacuum device (not shown) and rotatable by 90 degrees or more in the horizontal direction. The main part is constituted by 50 and a pair of removal nozzles 51 for injecting a resist removing liquid, for example, a resist solvent, on the upper and lower surfaces of two opposing edges of the substrate G held by the mounting table 50. .

The mounting table 50 is configured to be able to rotate 90 degrees or more in the horizontal direction and to be able to move up and down by a driving device 52 having a rotating mechanism such as a motor and a lifting mechanism such as a lifting cylinder and a ball screw (not shown). . The mounting table 50 configured as described above is switched between the transfer position of the substrate G, the coating film removal processing position, and the standby position by elevating and lowering the substrate G by rotating 90 degrees in the horizontal direction.
The two opposing sides of the set can be switched and moved to the removal nozzle 51 side.

The above-described removal nozzle 51 is shown in FIGS.
As shown in FIG. 7, a solvent supply path 53c for removing resist on the surface provided on the upper horizontal piece 53a and the lower horizontal piece 53b of the jetting head 53 having a substantially U-shaped cross section which covers the upper and lower surfaces and side surfaces of the edge of the substrate G, respectively. It is formed of a fine needle-like nozzle 51a for cleaning the front surface and a nozzle 51b for cleaning the rear surface, such as an injection needle connected to the solvent supply path 53d for removing the resist on the back surface. In this case, the nozzle 51a is hung downward with the injection port facing downward, the nozzle 51b is hung downward with the injection port facing upward, and the injection liquid of the nozzle 51a and the nozzle of the nozzle 51b are sprayed with the removed liquid near each nozzle. And are arranged so as not to interfere with each other. Thus, the nozzle 5
The reason why the nozzle 1a and the nozzle 51b are shifted from each other is that when the solvent injected from the nozzles 51a and 51b collides near the nozzle, the solvent scattered by the collision adheres to the resist film on the surface of the substrate G. This is to prevent adverse effects such as uneven thickness of the resist film.

An exhaust port 53f is provided in the vertical portion 53e on the nozzle side inside the jetting head 53 of the removing nozzle 51, and an exhaust pipe 54 connected to an exhaust device (not shown) is connected to the exhaust port 53f. The solvent sprayed from the nozzle 51 and used for removing the resist film is discharged to the outside via the exhaust pipe 54.

In the above embodiment, the case where the nozzle 51a is hung down straight is described. However, it is not always necessary to adopt such a shape, and as shown by an imaginary line in FIG.
The injection port of the nozzle 51a may be bent obliquely from the inside of the substrate G to the outside. By bending in this manner, the removal liquid ejected from the nozzle 51a is directed to the peripheral direction of the substrate G, and thus can be prevented from adhering to the central resist film. Similarly, the injection port of the nozzle 51b may be bent obliquely from the inside to the outside of the substrate G.

Further, as shown in FIG. 12, the pair of removing nozzles 51 configured as described above is provided with a position adjusting mechanism 55.
Are disposed so as to be position-adjustable on opposing first sides, for example, long sides and second sides, for example, short sides of the substrate G,
The vertical movement mechanism 56 moves up and down to the resist film removing position and the standby position at the edge of the substrate G, and can move along the edge of the substrate G by the left and right movement mechanism 57. In this case, a plurality of removal nozzles 51 may be provided at appropriate intervals in the movement direction,
Further, the removal performance can be improved.

In this case, the position adjusting mechanism 55 attaches the mounting member 58a to the ejection head 53 of the one of the removal nozzles 51 facing the other.
And an air cylinder 59 composed of a telescopic rod 59b slidably mounted on the cylinder body 59a and connected to the ejection head 53 of the other removal nozzle 51 via a mounting member 58b. When the telescopic rod 59b of the air cylinder 59 extends, the two mounting members 58a and 58b collide and the substrate G of the removing nozzle 51
Outer stopper 60a for positioning the removal position on the long side
When the telescopic rod 59b of the air cylinder 59 contracts, the two mounting members 58a and 58b collide and the removal nozzle 5
And one inner stopper 60b for positioning the removal position on the short side of the substrate G. In addition, both removal nozzles 51
Is supported by a support member 61 for mounting a cylinder body 59a of the air cylinder 59.

The vertical movement mechanism 56 includes a support member 61.
A lifting member 64 attached to the lower surface of one end of the moving plate 62 and movable up and down along a lifting guide rail 63 provided on a traveling plate 62 movable in a horizontal direction (Y direction) to be described later, and attached to the lifting member 64. And a telescopic rod 65b slidably mounted on the cylinder body 65a and attached to the traveling plate 62. Further, the traveling plate 62 is movably mounted on two parallel upper and lower traveling guide rails 68 horizontally arranged on a side surface of an upright wall 67 erected from the base plate 66, and attached to the upright wall 67. The right and left moving mechanism 57 is constituted by fastening a timing belt 69a, which is wound around a driving pulley (not shown) mounted on a driving shaft of a driving motor (not shown) to the traveling plate 62, to the driving plate 62.

Further, an auxiliary cleaning nozzle 51A for removing a resist film adhering to the back surface of the corner of the substrate G is provided below the mounting table 50 (see FIG. 12). As shown in FIG. 15, the auxiliary cleaning nozzle 51A
The auxiliary cleaning nozzle 51A and a tank 4b for accommodating a thinner T as a solvent are mounted one by one at a diagonal position of 0 by a support member 4a so as to be adjustable.
Are connected via a solvent supply tube 4c. In order to remove the resist film attached to the back surface of the corner of the substrate G from the auxiliary cleaning nozzle 51A, for example, a gas for pressure feeding is supplied from the nitrogen (N ₂ ) gas supply source 4d into the tank 4b, and a solvent supply tube is provided. Valve 4e interposed in 4c
Is released, and the thinner T is jetted from the auxiliary cleaning nozzle 51A toward the back surface of the corner of the substrate G. In this case, FIG.
As shown by an imaginary line in FIG. 5, the tank 4b and the N ₂ gas supply source 4 are connected to the solvent supply tube 4c via the three-way switching valve 4f.
d, the solvent is sprayed from the auxiliary cleaning nozzle 51A to remove the resist film adhering to the back surface of the corner portion of the substrate G, and then the three-way switching valve 4f is switched to supply the N ₂ gas from the auxiliary cleaning nozzle 51A. By spraying (supplying), drying of the back surface of the corner can be promoted.

In this case, when the substrate G has a rectangular shape (for example, a rectangular shape), as shown in FIG. 16A, when the resist solution applied to the surface of the substrate G is shaken off by rotation of the spin chuck 10, centrifugation is performed. The resist liquid adhering to the long side of the substrate G by the force is scattered to the outside of the substrate G, while the resist liquid adhering to the short side of the substrate G is scattered to the outside from the side of the substrate G Collides with the adjacent corner, and the substrate G
On the back surface of the corner at the diagonal position. The larger the rotation speed of the substrate G and the larger the size of the substrate G,
The ratio increases as the ratio of the short side to the long side increases and the amount of the applied resist liquid increases. Therefore, the mounting table 50 corresponding to the corner at the diagonal position of the substrate G to which the resist liquid adheres.
If the auxiliary cleaning nozzle 51A is provided below the diagonal position of the above, the resist film attached to the back surface of the corner of the substrate G can be easily removed by the thinner sprayed from the auxiliary cleaning nozzle 51A.

When the shape of the substrate G is square,
Originally, the re-adhesion amount decreases as compared with the rectangular case. However, as shown in FIG. 16B, when the resist solution applied to the surface of the substrate G is shaken off by the rotation of the spin chuck 10, When the resist solution scattered from each side adheres again to the back surface of each adjacent corner and needs to be removed, a total of four auxiliary cleaning nozzles 51A are arranged below each corner of the mounting table 50. It should be set up.

Instead of providing the auxiliary cleaning nozzle 51A, an improved structure of the above-described removal nozzle 51 can be used. That is, as shown in FIG. 17A, the lower horizontal side 53b of the ejection head 53 of the removal nozzle 51 is extended outward (to the substrate G side), and
When needle-like first to fourth auxiliary cleaning nozzles 51c, 51d, 51e, and 51f are extended upright at appropriate intervals outside of 1b, and removal nozzle 51 is positioned at a corner of substrate G First, the front cleaning nozzle 51a and the back cleaning nozzle 51b, and the first to fourth auxiliary cleaning nozzles 51c to 51c
A solvent, for example, a thinner is sprayed from f to remove the resist film attached to the front and back surfaces of the corners of the substrate G. Removal nozzle 51
Stops moving the thinner from the first to fourth auxiliary nozzles 51c to 51f and moves the thinner only from the nozzles 51a and 51b. Then, the resist film adhering to both sides of the edge of the substrate G is removed.

The solvent supply path 53c for the auxiliary cleaning nozzles 51c to 51f is provided separately from the solvent supply path 53b for the back side cleaning nozzle 51b. Also, the solvent supply path 53c
A valve (not shown) is interposed between each of the auxiliary cleaning nozzles, and the auxiliary cleaning nozzles 51c to 51f are sequentially opened or closed to gradually increase or decrease the solvent sprayed from the auxiliary cleaning nozzles 51c to 51f. It can also be done.

The auxiliary cleaning nozzle 5 configured as described above
1c to 51f are on the outer side of the back surface cleaning nozzle 51b (the substrate G
Side), the disposition position may be arbitrary. However, since the solvent jetted from the auxiliary cleaning nozzles 51c to 51f may be jetted like a fountain and scattered around,
As shown in FIG. 18, the jetting head 53 is provided with a jetting head main body 53A having a substantially U-shaped cross section in which a front surface cleaning nozzle 51a and a rear surface cleaning nozzle 51b are arranged, and connected to a side surface of the jetting head main body 53A and outside the jetting main body 53A. The auxiliary jetting head 53B has a substantially U-shaped cross section and projects toward the side. The auxiliary cleaning nozzles 51c to 51f are disposed on the lower horizontal piece 53g of the auxiliary jetting head 53B, and are ejected from the auxiliary cleaning nozzles 51c to 51f. It is preferable that the solvent is received by the upper horizontal piece 53h of the auxiliary jetting head 53B. The upper and lower horizontal pieces 53g, 53h of the auxiliary jetting head 53B have arc-shaped cross sections, so that the sprayed solvent can be more reliably prevented from scattering around.

On the other hand, from the coating mechanism 1 to the edge removing mechanism 2
As shown in FIG. 10, the second transfer mechanism 4 that transfers the substrate G to the substrate G includes a pair of transfer arms 70 that suck and hold the peripheral lower surfaces of two opposing sides of the substrate G. The arm guide motor 75 is guided by a linear guide 71 and is movable in the direction indicated by an arrow X by a driving force of an arm driving motor 75 transmitted by a tamping belt 72, a pulley 73, and a shaft 74. In this case, the transfer arm 70 and the timing belt 72 are
Has been concluded by Also, the arm drive motor 75
Is controlled by a control device 77 formed by a central processing unit (CPU) or the like, and can perform a reciprocating motion in the transport direction as required to perform the coating process on the substrate G and the coating film removing process for a predetermined time. It is configured to be able to.

Further, as shown in FIG. 11, a suction hole 70a connected to vacuum suction means (not shown) via a suction passage 70b is provided on the substrate holding surface of the transfer arm 70. A pad member 70c having a suction hole communicating with the transfer arm 70 is provided so as to be vertically displaceable with respect to the transfer arm 70. In this case, the pad member 70c
Is formed of, for example, a member made of Delrin (trade name) having an inverted crown-shaped corrosion resistance and having an inward flange 70d. Then, a locking portion 70g that protrudes in an expanded manner from the upper end of a flexible synthetic rubber tubular lip seal 70f that is vertically installed and fixed around a suction hole 70a of the transfer arm 70 by a holding screw 70e. It is attached so as to be displaceable in the vertical direction by engaging the inward flange 70d. Two pad members 70c attached in this manner are provided on each of the transfer arms 70. When the substrate G is transferred, the pad member 70c is deformed in the vertical direction due to the elastic deformation of the lip seal 70f, that is, the substrate G The substrate G can be conveyed following the plane of FIG. Further, since the impact when receiving the substrate G can be absorbed by the elastic deformation of the lip seal 70f, damage to the substrate G and the like can be prevented. In this case, two pad members 70c are provided, but any number such as one or three may be provided.

Further, loading of the substrate G into the coating mechanism 1
The first transport mechanism 3 for carrying out the substrate G from the edge removing mechanism 2 is formed by a main arm 80 as shown in FIGS. In this case, the main arm 80
Has a double structure in which upper and lower two-stage U-shaped arms 81a and 81b can independently move in the horizontal direction. That is, both sides of the upper arm body 81a are supported by a pair of outer frames 83 slidable along the outer linear guides 82 arranged opposite to each other, and are driven by the first drive motor 84 via the transmission pulley 85a. A timing belt (not shown) stretched over the outer pulley 85 and the outer frame 83 are fastened to the first drive motor 84.
The upper arm body 81a is configured to be capable of moving forward and backward by forward and reverse rotation of the lower arm body 81. The lower arm body 81 is movable by an inner frame 87 movable along a pair of inner linear guides 86 disposed inside the outer linear guide 82. 81b, the second
The inner frame 87 is fastened to a timing belt (not shown) that is wrapped around an inner pulley 89 that is driven via a transmission pulley 89a to the lower drive motor 88, and the lower portion is rotated by forward and reverse rotation of the second drive motor 88. The arm body 81b is configured to be able to move forward and backward.

The main arm 80 thus configured
Is the horizontal X and Y directions and rotation (θ) as shown in FIG.
It is formed so as to be able to move in the vertical direction (Z direction). The arm members 81a, 81
A holding claw 81c for holding the substrate G is provided upright on b. Also, the arm bodies 81a, 81b of the main arm 80
The configuration is such that the presence or absence of the substrate G mounted thereon can be detected by the sensor 150 (see FIG. 22). In addition,
In this case, instead of providing the holding claws 81c on the arm bodies 81a and 81b, the suction holes 70
a may be provided and the pad member 70c may be provided to hold the substrate G by vacuum suction.

Next, referring to FIGS. 23 and 24, an example of a procedure for applying a resist on the substrate G and removing unnecessary resist films on the sides using the processing apparatus of the present invention configured as described above will be described. Will be explained.

First, the lid 16 of the rotating cup 12 and the fixed lid 15 of the drain cup 14 are opened.
Is held by the main arm 80 and moved on the stationary spin chuck 10, and the substrate G is held by the spin chuck 10 by vacuum suction to support the substrate G (step [A]). Next, the substrate G is rotated at a lower speed than the steady rotation during processing by the rotation drive of the spin chuck 10 (rotation speed: for example, 200 to 800 rpm, acceleration: 300 to 500 r).
pm / sec), and the rotating cup 12 is rotated at the same speed. During this rotation, the moving arm 37a of the moving mechanism 37 rotates from the standby position 38 and is moved above the center of the substrate G, and the solvent A of the processing liquid is applied to the surface of the substrate from the solvent supply nozzle 40 of the jet head 39, for example, ethyl. For example, 26.7 cc of cellosolve acetate (ECA) is supplied, for example, dropped in 20 seconds (sec) (step [B]). Alternatively, the solvent A may be dropped while the substrate G is stationary without rotating, and then the substrate G may be rotated. After supplying the solvent A for 20 seconds in this way, the spin chuck 1
The supply of the solvent A is stopped at 0 and the rotation speed of the rotating cup 12 at the low rotation speed (step [C]). At this time, the solvent A is spread and applied to the entire surface of the substrate G.

Next, the spin chuck 10 is rotated at a high speed (first rotation speed: 500 to 1500 rpm, for example, 1000 rpm, acceleration: 300 to 600 rpm).
At the same time, the processing liquid, for example, the resist liquid B is supplied for, for example, 5 seconds from the resist liquid supply nozzle 42 moved above the central portion on the solvent film on the substrate surface, for example, and 8 cc is dropped (step [D]). Solvent A at this time
The drying time can be determined in advance by an experiment. For example, when the surface of the substrate G is visually observed and the interference fringes of light are visible, the drying is not performed, and when the interference fringes are dried, the interference fringes become invisible, so that the time can be known. In this case 5
In the supply time during the second, the bellows pump 44
The driving time of g can be controlled, and the supply amount of the resist solution B can be accurately and finely controlled. After supplying (dropping) the resist liquid B for 5 seconds in this way,
At the same time as the supply of the resist solution B is stopped, the rotation of the spin chuck 10 and the rotation cup 12 is stopped (step [E]). In this state, the resist solution B is applied in substantially concentric circles of the substrate G except for the corners Ga. At this time, when the resist solution B is supplied to the entire region including the corner portion Ga of the substrate G,
Not only does the waste of the resist solution B occur, but also there is a problem that mist of the resist solution B may scatter and adhere to the rotating cup 12 and the back surface of the substrate G. Therefore, it is desirable that the amount of the resist solution B is set to a necessary minimum amount to be supplied to the entire region of the substrate G with a predetermined film thickness.

Next, after the supply of the resist solution B is stopped and the resist solution supply nozzle 50 is moved to the standby position, the fixed lid 15 and the lid 16 are moved above the drain cup 14 and the rotary cup 12 by the robot arm 20. It is closed in the opening 12a, and the substrate G is sealed in the rotating cup 12 (step [F]).

In this way, the spin chuck 10 and the rotating cup 12 are closed while the opening of the drain cup 14 is closed by the fixed lid 15 and the opening 12 a of the rotating cup 12 is closed and sealed by the lid 16. For example, 15 sec
During the rotation, the rotation speed is higher than the first rotation speed (second rotation speed:
A range of about 1000 to 3000 rpm, for example, 1400 r
pm, acceleration: 500 rpm / sec), the resist solution B spreads over the entire surface of the substrate G, and the thickness of the resist film is adjusted (step [G], see FIG. 24A). At this time, the thickness of the resist film is determined by the discharge amount of the resist liquid B and the time. In this state, the solvent A and the resist film are in a wet state where they are not dried.

Next, the transfer arm 70 of the second transfer mechanism 4
The substrate G is placed on the mounting table 50 of the edge removing mechanism 2 in the same atmosphere region as the coating mechanism 1 adjacent to the side of the coating mechanism 1.
The substrate is transported upward, and the substrate is sucked and held by the mounting table 50 (step [H], see FIG. 24B). After the transfer arm 70 of the second transfer mechanism 4 that has transferred the substrate G retreats to the standby position, the removal nozzles 51 of the edge removal mechanism 2 are set at both long sides of the substrate G on the long side, and While moving along, a remover, for example, a solvent for the resist (eg, thinner) is sprayed onto both sides of the edge of the substrate G to dissolve and remove the unnecessary resist film on the long side of the substrate G by about 5 mm in width from the end. (Step [I], first removal step; see FIG. 24C). In addition,
The resist adhering to the edge side surface of the substrate G is also removed at the same time. At this time, the next substrate G is loaded into the coating mechanism 1 to perform a coating process. After the unnecessary resist film on the long side of the substrate G is removed, the mounting table 50 is rotated, for example, 90 degrees clockwise so that the short side of the substrate G is positioned on the removal nozzle 51 side. In addition to the 90-degree rotation, an odd multiple of 90 degrees, for example, 270
Degrees, 450 degrees,..., Or may be rotated counterclockwise. At this time, the air cylinder 5 of the position adjusting mechanism 55
9, the removal nozzle 51 is set on the short side of the substrate G (see FIG. 24D). Then, while moving the removal nozzle 51 along the short side of the substrate G, a solvent is sprayed on both sides of the edge of the short side of the substrate G to remove an unnecessary resist film on the short side of the substrate G. The work of applying the resist and removing the unnecessary resist film on the short side is completed (second removing step; FIG.
4 (e)). Thereafter, the substrate G is unloaded and transported to the next step (step [J]). As described above, immediately after the resist film is applied and formed, the substrate G can be transported to remove the peripheral edge resist.

During the first or second removing step, or before or after any of these removing steps, the thinner is sprayed from the auxiliary cleaning nozzles 51A; It is possible to easily remove the resist film adhered to (Step [I]).
For example, as shown in FIG. 17B, when removing the resist solutions R1 and R2 attached to the back surface of each part of the substrate G, the ejection of the auxiliary cleaning nozzles 51c to 51f is controlled as follows.

Assuming that the left and right removal nozzles 51 are first moved in the direction indicated by the arrow, first, the right removal nozzle 51 is moved.
Will be described.

When the resist liquid R1 adheres to a triangular area with the short side Gs up to the distance LS1 and the long side GL up to the distance LL1, when the nozzle is located near the edge of the short side GS, the distance The auxiliary cleaning nozzle 5 together with the front surface cleaning nozzle 51a and the back surface cleaning nozzle 51b so as to be able to sufficiently clean up to LS1.
The solvent is sprayed from all of 1c to 51f.

Then, as the removal nozzle 51 moves in the direction of the arrow, the adhesion width of the resist liquid R1 becomes narrower than LS1, so that the auxiliary cleaning nozzles 51f, 51e, 51d are sequentially formed.
Of the solvent injection is stopped. When the nozzle moves along the long side GL to the vicinity of the distance LL1, the resist liquid R1 no longer adheres to the back surface, so that the solvent jetting of the auxiliary cleaning nozzle 51c is also stopped. In this state, the removal nozzle 51 moves along the long side GL.

On the other hand, the left removal nozzle 51
As shown in (b), at the beginning of the movement, since the resist liquid does not adhere to the back surface of the corner, the front surface cleaning nozzle 51a
And the back surface cleaning nozzle 51b, and the solvent injection from the auxiliary cleaning nozzles 51c to 51f is stopped.

The removal nozzle 51 further moves to approach the resist solution R2 attached to the back surface of the corner, and the distance LL2 from the short side GS.
In the vicinity, the solvent is first jetted from the auxiliary cleaning nozzle 51c. Like the resist solution R1, if the resist solution R2 also adheres to the triangular area, the auxiliary cleaning nozzle 5
A solvent is sprayed from 1d, 51e and 51f to dissolve and remove the portion up to the distance LS2.

When the removal of the resist on the long side GL is completed by the left and right removal nozzles 51, the solvent injection from each nozzle is stopped so that the left and right removal nozzles 51 do not hinder the rotation of the substrate G. Evacuate. Next, the substrate G is rotated 90 degrees to the left or right, and the process proceeds to the removal of the resist solution on the short side GS side. In this case, since the resist solutions R1 and R2 attached to the back surface of the corner have already been removed, it is only necessary to spray the solvent from the front surface cleaning nozzle 51a and the back surface cleaning nozzle 51b.

As described above, by controlling the solvent jetting of the auxiliary cleaning nozzles 51c to 51f within a predetermined range corresponding to the place and area of the resist liquid adhering to the rear surface side, the necessary minimum solvent can be used. Depending on the amount, the unnecessary resist can be dissolved and removed. Also, this is to prevent the temperature of the substrate G from greatly changing due to the temperature or evaporation of the solvent, and the thickness of the resist film on the surface does not change more than necessary.

The processing apparatus of the present invention configured as described above can of course be used as an independent apparatus.
It can be used by being incorporated in an LCD substrate coating / developing processing system described below.

As shown in FIG. 25, the coating / developing processing system includes a loader unit 90 for loading / unloading the substrate G,
It mainly includes a first processing unit 91 of the substrate G and a second processing unit 92 connected to the first processing unit 91 via the relay unit 93. Note that an exposure device 95 for exposing a predetermined fine pattern on the resist film via a transfer unit 94 can be connected to the second processing unit 92.

The loader unit 90 includes a cassette 96 for storing an unprocessed substrate G, a cassette mounting table 98 for mounting a cassette 97 for storing a processed substrate G, and a cassette 96 on the cassette mounting table 98. , 97 and the substrate G
Tweezers 9 that can be moved and rotated (θ) in the horizontal (X, Y) direction and the vertical (Z) direction in order to carry in / out a substrate.
9.

The first processing section 91 is provided on the transfer path 1 of the main arm 80 which can move in the X, Y, and Z directions and rotate by θ.
02, a brush cleaning device 120 for brush cleaning the substrate G, a jet water cleaning device 130 for cleaning the substrate G with high-pressure jet water, an adhesion treatment device 105 for hydrophobizing the surface of the substrate G, A cooling processing device 106 for cooling the substrate G to a predetermined temperature is provided, and the transfer path 10
On the other side of 2, a coating apparatus 107 and a coating film removing apparatus 108 having a resist coating mechanism 1 and an edge removing mechanism 2 constituting the processing apparatus of the present invention are arranged.

On the other hand, like the first processing section 91, the second processing section 92 has a main arm 80a that can move in the X, Y, and Z directions and can rotate by θ, and the transport path 102a of the main arm 80a. A heat treatment device 109 for heating the substrate G before and after the application of the resist solution to perform pre-baking or post-baking is disposed on one side of the substrate, and a developing device 110 is disposed on the other side of the transport path 102a.

The upper portions of the first processing section 91 and the second processing section 92 configured as described above are covered with a cover, so that purified air is supplied into the processing sections.

In the coating / developing processing system configured as described above, the unprocessed substrate G accommodated in the cassette 96 is taken out by the loading / unloading tweezers 99 of the loader unit 90, The brush is transferred to the main arm 80 and then transferred into the brush cleaning device 120. The substrate G that has been brush-cleaned in the brush cleaning device 120 is subsequently cleaned with high-pressure jet water in the jet water cleaning device 130. Thereafter, the substrate G is subjected to a hydrophobic treatment by the adhesion treatment device 105 and cooled by the cooling treatment device 106, and then is carried into the coating mechanism 1 of the resist coating device 107 according to the present invention, and the above-described procedure is performed. A photoresist, that is, a photosensitive film is applied and formed, and is transferred to the edge removing mechanism 2 of the coating film removing apparatus 108 according to the present invention by the transfer arm 70 of the second transfer mechanism 4, and unnecessary resist on the side of the substrate G is removed. The film is removed.
Then, it is carried out of the edge removing mechanism 2 by the main arm 80. At this time, the resist film does not adhere to the main arm 80 since the resist film at the edge is removed.

After that, the photoresist is applied to the heat treatment apparatus 1
After heating at 09 and baking, a predetermined pattern is exposed by the exposure device 95. Then, the exposed substrate G is transported into the developing device 110, and after being developed with the developing solution, the developing solution is washed away with a rinsing solution.
The development processing is completed.

The processed substrate G that has been subjected to the development processing is accommodated in the cassette 97 of the loader unit 90, and then carried out and transferred to the next processing step.

In the above-described embodiment, the coating processing apparatus 107 having the coating mechanism 1 according to the present invention and the coating film removing apparatus 108 having the edge removing mechanism 2 according to the present invention comprise one unit.
Although the coating and developing system for the LCD substrate provided as a set has been described, two or more sets of the coating processing device 107 and the coating film removing device 108 may be provided. In this case, the coating processing apparatus 107 and the coating film removing apparatus 108 may be provided side by side, but in order to reduce the installation space, the coating processing apparatus 1
07 and the coating film removing device 108 may be stacked. In such a structure in which the coating processing device 107 and the coating film removing device 108 are stacked, the main arm 8
The same configuration as in the above embodiment may be adopted except that 0, 80a can be raised to each of the upper devices 107, 108.

In the above-described embodiment, the pair of left and right removing nozzles 51 first dissolves and removes unnecessary portions of the resist film on the long side of the substrate G, and then removes the substrate G by 90 °.
Although the example in which the unnecessary resist film on the short side is rotated to be dissolved and removed has been described, for example, four removal nozzles are provided so that the unnecessary resist films on the four sides of the substrate G are simultaneously dissolved and removed. You may comprise.

For example, as shown in FIG. 19, removal nozzles 151A, 151B, 151C, and 151D are provided. Since the configuration, moving mechanism, and the like of the four removal nozzles are the same, only the removal nozzle 151A will be described here, and other detailed description will be omitted.

The removal nozzle 151A is attached to a slide member 153A slidably mounted on a guide rail 152A provided so as to extend in the Y direction in the figure. The slide member 153A is configured to be reciprocally movable in the Y direction by a moving mechanism (not shown) using a wire, a chain, a belt, a ball screw, a stepping motor, an air cylinder, an ultrasonic motor, a superconducting linear motor, and the like. ing.

Further, as shown in FIG. 20, the removal nozzle 151A has substantially the same configuration as the removal nozzle 51 shown in FIG. 13, and therefore, different portions will be mainly described here. In addition to the front surface cleaning nozzle 151a and the back surface cleaning nozzle 151b, an end surface cleaning nozzle 151g for cleaning the end surface (side surface) of the substrate G is provided therein. The on-off valve (not shown) inserted into the supply path is configured to be able to independently control the intermittent supply and supply amount of the solvent.

Further, in front of the end of the jet head 153 on the substrate G side, a gas injection nozzle 154 is provided on the upper surface of the substrate G, a gas injection nozzle 155 is provided on the lower surface of the substrate G, and the injection direction is the jet head 153 direction. That is, they are arranged so as to be in the outer peripheral direction of the substrate G. Then, the injected gas passes through the jet head 153 and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 156.

Further, as shown in FIG.
On both sides of 51A, drying gas injection nozzles 157A and 158A for injecting gas from the center direction of the long side A of the substrate G toward the periphery of the upper surface are provided, for example, the removal nozzle 151.
A mounting member (not shown) is provided so as to be movable in the Y direction together with A. Although the drying gas nozzles 157A and 158A are shown on the outside of the substrate G in FIG. 19, they are arranged at any positions that do not hinder the loading and unloading of the substrate G.

Other removal nozzles 151B, 151C, 15
1D has the same configuration as the removal nozzle 151A, and is denoted by a reference numeral corresponding to each part of the removal nozzle 151A. The above nozzles are nozzles for dissolving and removing unnecessary resist on the edges of the short side B, the long side C, and the short side D of the substrate G, respectively.

Next, a procedure of removing unnecessary resist by the edge removing mechanism 2A configured as described above will be described.
A substrate G, on which a resist film is applied and formed on the upper surface by the coating mechanism 1 shown in FIG. 1, is placed on the mounting table 159 of the edge removing mechanism 2A by the transfer arm 70, with the long side in the Y direction and the short side in the X direction.
It is placed so as to be parallel to the direction, and suction-held.

After the transfer arm 70 has retreated to the standby position,
Each removal nozzle 151A, 151B of the edge removal mechanism 2A,
151C and 151D are set at the edges of the four sides, and while simultaneously moving along each side, a resist solvent is sprayed onto the edges to dissolve and remove unnecessary resist films.

At the time of this removal, the jetting of the solvent from each of the cleaning nozzles may be controlled in accordance with the state of the resist attached to the edge of the substrate G. For example, when there is no adhesion of the resist on the peripheral surface of the end surface and the back surface of the substrate G and there is no need to dissolve and remove the resist, the solvent is sprayed only on the nozzle 151a for surface cleaning.

When the resist is also attached to the end face, the solvent is also sprayed from the end face cleaning nozzle 151g. The solvent is also ejected from the nozzle 151b.

If the location of the resist film adhering to the periphery of the end surface and the back surface of the substrate G is known in advance, when the removal nozzle 151A moves near this position, the nozzle for cleaning the end surface is used. Nozzle 1 for 151g and backside cleaning
Control may be performed so as to inject the solvent from 51b. This makes it possible to reduce the consumption of the solvent.
Further, as described above, it is also possible to prevent a change in the resist film thickness on the surface.

Further, during the dissolution and removal, the gas injection nozzle
154, 155 to nitrogen (N _Two) Inject the gas
Then, N sucked into the jet head 153 toward the periphery of the substrate G_Two
Due to the presence of gas flow, the nozzle 151 for surface cleaning
a, nozzle 151g for cleaning the end face, nozzle for cleaning the back face
The solvent sprayed from 151b, generated bubbles, etc.
If you try to fly to the center side of_TwoTo the gas flow
Therefore, it is discharged toward the spout side, and comes flying and adheres to the substrate G surface.
Can be prevented.

Also, for example, a heated N ₂ gas is sprayed from the drying gas nozzle 157A toward the resist film around the substrate G before being dissolved and removed by the solvent in the removing nozzle 151A, and dried. Also, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of resist swelling at the edge portion of the resist film after dissolution and removal.

Further, the substrate G and the resist film are dried by injecting, for example, heated N ₂ gas from the drying gas nozzle 158A to the peripheral portion of the substrate G after the resist film is dissolved and removed. Due to this drying, the solvent evaporates immediately, and the edge portion of the resist film dries, so that there is no unnecessary dissolution and the resist film at the edge portion is also stabilized.

In the above description, only the removal nozzle 151A has been described, but the other removal nozzles 151B and 151B are not described.
Since the same can be said for C and 151D, the description is omitted.

Further, each of the removal nozzles 151A, 151B,
Although an example in which independent moving mechanisms are provided as moving mechanisms of 151C and 151D has been described, other mechanisms may be used as long as the four sides can be dissolved and removed at the same time. For example, removing nozzles 151A and 151C, and 151B and 151D are respectively provided. It may be configured to be attached to a common mechanism and to be movable by two moving mechanisms. Further, the removal nozzles 151A, 151
All of B, 151C, and 151D may be configured to be movable by one common moving mechanism.

In the case of the independent moving mechanism, each moving speed may be independently set and controlled according to the state of adhesion of the resist on each side.

Further, in FIG. 19, the long side of the substrate G is held so as to be parallel to the Y direction, but the short side is held so as to be parallel to the Y direction, and each of the removal nozzles 151A, 151
B, 151C and 151D may be arranged correspondingly. For example, by using an air cylinder or a stroke adjustable structure for each removal nozzle,
Stretch and respond.

Further, the temperature of the substrate G, the solvent, and the N ₂ gas may be adjusted to the optimum temperature for dissolution to promote dissolution and removal of the resist film. As the temperature control of the substrate G, for example, a temperature controlled atmosphere around the substrate G, clean air or N ₂ gas controlled at the upper surface of the substrate G, clean air controlled temperature at the back surface of the substrate G, or the like can be used. N ₂ gas is supplied, the temperature is controlled by the mounting table 159, or the temperature is controlled by infrared rays, microwaves, or the like.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which one removal nozzle is provided for one side of the substrate G has been described.
You may comprise so that it may dissolve and remove once. In this case, the type of the solvent may be different. Further, the dissolution removal position may be different.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example of a configuration in which the substrate G is fixed and each removal nozzle is moved has been described. However, the substrate G is rotated, and each removal nozzle expands and contracts in the X and Y directions correspondingly. And dissolving and removing the four sides simultaneously.

In the above embodiment, the case where the processing apparatus and the processing method of the present invention are applied to an LCD substrate coating process has been described. However, a coating liquid is applied to a square substrate to be processed other than the LCD substrate. Needless to say, the present invention can be applied to a method and an apparatus for removing an unnecessary coating film on the edge of the processed substrate.

[0124]

1) According to the first, third, fourth, and ninth aspects of the present invention, a processing solution is supplied to and diffused on one surface of a square substrate to be processed carried into a coating mechanism, and a processing vessel is provided. After the lid is closed and the substrate to be processed is sealed in the processing container, the substrate to be processed in the processing container with the lid closed is rotated to form a coating film, and then the side of the coating mechanism is formed. And can be transported to the edge removing mechanism in the same atmosphere region as the coating mechanism to remove the coating film at the edge of the substrate to be processed, so that the coating film can be uniformly processed. ,
The product yield can be improved. In addition, the substrate is transported to the coating mechanism by the first transport mechanism, unloaded from the edge removing mechanism, and transported from the coating mechanism to the edge removing mechanism is performed by the second transport mechanism. The size of the apparatus can be reduced, and the throughput can be improved.

2) According to the second to fourth and tenth and eleventh aspects of the present invention, the solvent of the processing liquid is applied and diffused on one surface of the substrate to be processed carried into the coating mechanism, and then is spread on the substrate. After supplying and diffusing the processing liquid and closing the lid in the processing container and sealing the substrate to be processed in the processing container, the substrate to be processed in the processing container with the lid closed is rotated to form the coating film. Since the film thickness is adjusted, it is possible to reduce the amount of the coating liquid in addition to the above 1).

3) According to the fifth, seventh and twelfth aspects of the present invention, after the coating film on one side edge of the substrate to be processed held by the mounting means is removed, the other side of the substrate to be processed is removed. Since the coating film at the edge can be removed, unnecessary coating film at the edge of the substrate to be processed can be quickly and reliably removed, and the product yield can be improved.

4) According to the sixth, seventh and thirteenth aspects of the present invention, the edge removing mechanism is provided with the auxiliary cleaning nozzle for spraying the removing liquid on the back surface of the corner of the substrate to be processed, so that the edge of the substrate can be removed. Since the coating film adhered to the back surface of the corner can be removed, the coating film adhered to the back surface of the corner of the substrate can be removed in addition to the above 3), and the removal of the coating film can be further ensured. it can.

5) According to the invention of claim 8, at least the second transfer mechanism of the first transfer mechanism or the second transfer mechanism is formed by an arm which holds the side of the substrate by vacuum suction. In addition, a suction hole connected to the vacuum suction means is provided on the substrate holding surface of the arm, and a corrosion-resistant pad member which communicates with the suction hole and is vertically displaceable with respect to the arm is provided. The transfer can be reliably performed, and the generation and damage of particles at the contact portion of the substrate during the transfer can be suppressed.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view of a processing apparatus of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of a coating mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged sectional view of a main part of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a partially sectional perspective view showing a processing container and a lid according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view showing different modifications of the tip of the resist solution supply nozzle according to the present invention.

FIG. 6 is an enlarged perspective view showing a jet head used in the processing apparatus.

FIG. 7 is a sectional view of a jet head.

FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another example of the method of dropping the processing liquid.

FIG. 9 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating still another example of a method of dropping a processing liquid.

FIG. 10 is a schematic perspective view showing a second transport mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a plan view and a sectional view of a main part of a second transport mechanism.

FIG. 12 is a side view showing an edge removing mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 13 is a side view showing a part of the removing nozzle in the present invention in cross section.

FIG. 14 is a schematic perspective view of a removal nozzle.

FIG. 15 is a perspective view showing an attached state of an auxiliary cleaning nozzle according to the present invention.

FIG. 16 is a schematic plan view showing different mounting states of the auxiliary cleaning nozzle.

FIG. 17 is a side view showing a part of another embodiment of the auxiliary cleaning nozzle in a cross section and an explanatory view of a specific example of cleaning.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view showing still another form of the auxiliary cleaning nozzle.

FIG. 19 is a schematic plan view showing another embodiment of the edge removing mechanism.

FIG. 20 is a side view showing another form of the removal nozzle in cross section.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view showing a main part of a main arm of the first transport mechanism according to the present invention.

FIG. 22 is a side view showing a drive mechanism of the main arm.

FIG. 23 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the processing method of the present invention.

FIG. 24 is an explanatory diagram showing a procedure of a method of removing an edge coating film according to the present invention.

FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing an example of an LCD substrate coating / developing system to which the processing apparatus of the present invention is applied.

[Explanation of symbols]

 G LCD substrate (substrate to be processed) 1 Coating mechanism 2, 2A Edge removing mechanism 3 First transport mechanism 4 Second transport mechanism 10 Spin chuck (holding means) 12 Rotating cup (processing vessel) 16 Lid 40 Solvent supply Nozzle (solvent supply means) 42 Resist liquid supply nozzle (coating liquid supply means) 50 Mounting table (mounting means) 51 Removal nozzle 51a Nozzle (front surface cleaning nozzle) 51b Nozzle (back surface cleaning nozzle) 51A, 51c to 51f Auxiliary cleaning nozzle Reference Signs List 70 Transfer arm 70a Suction hole 70c Pad member 80 Main arm

──────────────────────────────────────────────────の Continued on the front page (51) Int.Cl. ⁷ Identification symbol FI Theme coat ゛ (Reference) H01L 21/30 564D (72) Inventor Oden Den Oomachi, Kikuchi-gun, Kumamoto Prefecture Kyushu Corporation Otsu Office

Claims (13)

[Claims] 1. A holding means for holding and rotating a rectangular substrate to be processed with one surface facing upward, a cup-shaped processing container surrounding the holding means, and a lid for closing an opening of the processing container. A coating mechanism having a coating liquid supply means for supplying a coating liquid to the body and the substrate to be processed; and a coating liquid adjacent to a side of the coating mechanism and disposed in the same atmosphere region as the coating mechanism. An edge removing mechanism for spraying a remover onto the edge of the substrate on which the coating film is formed to remove the coating film; and carrying the substrate to be coated into the coating mechanism and the edge removing mechanism. A processing apparatus, comprising: a first transport mechanism for unloading a substrate to be processed; and a second transport mechanism for transporting the substrate to be processed from the coating mechanism to the edge removing mechanism. 2. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the coating mechanism further includes a solvent supply unit that supplies a solvent of the coating liquid to the substrate to be processed. 3. A processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said holding means is formed so as to be capable of horizontal rotation and vertical movement. 4. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said processing container is formed so as to be rotatable together with holding means. 5. An apparatus for moving an edge removing mechanism along a side of a substrate to be processed, comprising: mounting means for holding a substrate to be processed;
3. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing apparatus comprises a nozzle for injecting a removal liquid onto an edge of the substrate to be processed. 6. The processing apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an auxiliary cleaning nozzle for spraying a removing liquid onto a back surface of the corner portion of the substrate to be processed. 7. The processing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein said placing means is formed so as to be horizontally rotatable. 8. At least a second transport mechanism of the first transport mechanism or the second transport mechanism is formed by an arm that holds a side of a substrate to be processed by vacuum suction, and a substrate holding surface of the arm. 3. The processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a suction hole connected to the vacuum suction means, and a pad member which communicates with the suction hole and is vertically displaceable with respect to the arm. 9. A step of carrying in a square substrate to be processed to be held on a holding means in a processing container constituting a coating mechanism; and supplying a coating liquid to the substrate to be processed and rotating the substrate to rotate the substrate. A step of diffusing to one surface, a step of closing the lid in the processing container, and a step of enclosing the substrate to be processed in the processing container; and rotating the substrate to be processed in the processing container in which the lid is closed, A step of adjusting the thickness of the coating film, and an edge removing mechanism which is provided adjacent to a side of the coating mechanism and which is disposed in the same atmosphere region as the coating mechanism. Transporting to the edge of the substrate to be processed, removing the coating film at the edge by spraying a removing liquid onto the edge of the substrate, and carrying out the substrate to be processed from the edge removal mechanism. Characteristic processing method. 10. The processing method according to claim 9, further comprising a step of supplying a solvent of the coating liquid onto one surface of the substrate to be processed before supplying the coating liquid to the substrate to be processed. 11. The processing method according to claim 9, wherein in the step of adjusting the thickness of the coating film, the substrate to be processed is rotated together with the processing container having the lid closed. 12. A method for removing a coating film, comprising: a first removing step of spraying a removing liquid onto an edge of a first side of the substrate on which the coating film is formed to remove the coating film; 10. A removing step of injecting a removing liquid to the edge of the second side of the processing substrate to remove the coating film on the edge.
12. The processing method according to any one of items 1 to 11. 13. The processing method according to claim 12, further comprising an auxiliary removal step of spraying a removing liquid onto the back surface of the corner of the substrate to be processed to remove the coating film attached to the back surface of the corner.