JP2006181539A - Treatment apparatus and treatment method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the treatment quality and recovery efficiency of an object treatment solution to be exchanged by efficiently carrying out exchange treatment of a treatment solution without emitting mist. <P>SOLUTION: In a first rinsing treatment part 164, to stop development reaction on a substrate G, that is, to exchange a development solution R with a rinsing solution (pure water) S, a suction nozzle 170 and a discharge nozzle 172 of a double nozzle unit 168 scan at a constant speed from the front edge to the rear edge of the substrate G on the substrate G in the opposed direction to the transportation direction (X direction). During the scanning, the suction nozzle 170 in the front part sucks the development solution R with a prescribed suction force and the discharge nozzle 172 in the rear part discharges the rinsing solution S with a prescribed pressure or flow rate to suck the development solution R and simultaneously or immediately supply the rinsing solution S immediately under the double nozzle unit 168. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a technique for performing desired processing using a plurality of types of processing liquids on a substrate to be processed, and more particularly to a processing apparatus and processing method for replacing processing liquids on a substrate.

  In photolithography, the development process is a process of forming a resist pattern by immersing a resist film on a substrate to be processed after the exposure of the pattern in a developing solution to remove portions other than the latent image on the resist film. . Generally, in the development process, when a required development time has elapsed, the development reaction is stopped by rinsing with pure water.

  In recent years, a resist coating and developing processing system for manufacturing an FPD (flat panel display), as disclosed in, for example, Patent Document 1, corresponds to an increase in the size of a substrate to be processed (for example, a glass substrate). A device that employs a so-called flat-flow developing device in which a series of development processing steps of development, rinsing, and drying are performed while the substrate is transported on a transport path in which a transport body such as a belt is laid in the horizontal direction. It is increasing.

In general, in a flat-flow developing device, a long developer nozzle, a rinse nozzle and an air knife are arranged along a conveyance path, and the developer is supplied from the developer nozzle to a substrate moving on the conveyance path. Then, the developer is put on the substrate (paddle development), and after a predetermined time has passed, pure water is supplied from the rinse nozzle to replace the developer on the substrate with pure water (development stop), and an air flow is applied from the air knife. The pure water is removed (dried) from the substrate by spraying. In such a flat-flow type development process, the larger the substrate size, the larger the time difference between development start between one end (front end) and the other end (rear end) in the substrate transport direction. Therefore, in order to shorten the time difference at the start of development on the substrate as much as possible, the developer nozzle is scanned to reduce the time required for the liquid accumulation of the developer. At the same time, the downstream rinse nozzle is scanned at the same speed and direction as the developer nozzle so as to eliminate the difference in development time at each part on the substrate.
JP 2003-83675 A

  However, in this type of conventional developing apparatus, when the rinse nozzle is scanned as described above in the rinse process (development stop process), the developer and pure water from the rinse nozzle are mixed on the substrate, There was a problem that the removal of the developer or the replacement with pure water was not performed smoothly, and the reproducibility of development processing and in-plane uniformity were not good. Therefore, in order to increase the replacement efficiency, the substrate posture is changed from a horizontal posture to an inclined posture immediately before the rinsing process, and the developer is caused to flow off from the substrate by gravity. However, when the developer is drained by such a substrate orientation change, the developer flows down from the substrate, so that a mist of the developer is generated in the vicinity of the developer. There was a concern of causing defects.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and is a processing apparatus and a processing method for efficiently replacing a processing liquid without generating mist and improving processing quality. The purpose is to provide.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a processing apparatus and a processing method that improve the recovery efficiency of the replacement processing liquid.

  In order to achieve the above object, a processing apparatus of the present invention includes a support unit that supports a substrate to be processed substantially horizontally, a first processing liquid supply unit that supplies a first processing liquid onto the substrate, A suction nozzle that scans the substrate; a processing liquid suction unit that sucks the first processing liquid from the substrate by the suction nozzle; and a discharge nozzle that scans the substrate after the suction nozzle. And a second processing liquid supply unit that supplies a second processing liquid onto the substrate from the discharge nozzle.

  In the above configuration, since the second processing liquid is supplied by the discharge nozzle immediately after the first processing liquid is sucked by the suction nozzle at each part on the substrate, the first processing liquid is generated without generating mist. The replacement with the second treatment liquid can be performed smoothly. In addition, the first treatment liquid can be collected without being wasted.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the suction nozzle and the discharge nozzle are integrally coupled via the separator. With this configuration, the time interval from the suction of the first processing liquid by the suction nozzle to the supply of the second processing liquid by the discharge nozzle is reduced as much as possible in each part on the substrate, and the replacement efficiency is improved. According to a particularly preferred aspect, a configuration is adopted in which the lower end of the separator plate projects below the lower ends of the suction nozzle and the discharge nozzle. According to such a configuration, the lower end portion of the separator plate extends below the lower ends of both nozzles and divides the gap space with the substrate back and forth, so that the suction operation on the suction nozzle side and the discharge operation on the discharge nozzle side Are performed independently of each other with the separator as a boundary, and the replacement efficiency is further improved.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a nozzle scanning unit that moves the suction nozzle and the discharge nozzle together at a desired speed in parallel with the substrate.

  Further, according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a pumping impeller provided in the suction nozzle and a drive unit that rotationally drives the impeller are provided. In such a configuration, the pumping action of the impeller is added to the suction force of the processing liquid sucking portion, so that the first processing liquid can be sucked more efficiently from the substrate. In this method, preferably, a liquid level detector for detecting the height of the liquid level of the first processing liquid that rises in the vicinity of the front surface of the suction nozzle during scanning, and the liquid level detector detects the liquid level. You may provide the rotational speed control part which controls the rotational speed of an impeller according to the height of the liquid level of a 1st process liquid. Here, the liquid level detector preferably includes a float that floats on the liquid level of the first processing liquid and a position sensor that detects the height position of the float. According to such a configuration, the rotational speed of the impeller is feedback-controlled according to the height position or the floating amount of the float part, thereby compensating for the influence of the viscosity of the processing liquid, the scanning speed, etc. Can be sucked at a certain rate.

  According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the support portion has a transport path extending in the horizontal direction, and transports the substrate on the transport path. The suction nozzle and the discharge nozzle may be constituted by a slit-like discharge port extending in the nozzle longitudinal direction or a long nozzle having a large number of discharge ports arranged in a line.

  The processing method of the present invention includes a first step of supplying a first processing liquid onto a substrate to be processed, and a first suction nozzle on the substrate to scan the first processing liquid from above the substrate. A second step of sucking out the first suction nozzle by the first suction nozzle, and scanning the first discharge nozzle after the first suction nozzle on the substrate, so that the first discharge nozzle scans the first discharge nozzle onto the substrate. A third step of supplying the second processing liquid, and a fourth step of scanning the second suction nozzle on the substrate and sucking the second processing liquid from the substrate with the second suction nozzle. And a fifth step of scanning the second discharge nozzle after the second suction nozzle on the substrate and supplying a third processing liquid onto the substrate from the second discharge nozzle. Have.

  In the above processing method, the replacement from the first processing liquid to the second processing liquid and the replacement from the second processing liquid to the third processing liquid are smoothly and continuously performed on the substrate without generating mist. Can be done. In addition, the first and second processing liquids can be efficiently recovered by sucking.

  According to a preferred aspect of the present invention, a desired amount of the first processing liquid is left on the substrate in the second step, and the first processing liquid is left on the substrate in the third step. Reduce to desired concentration. As a preferred embodiment, in the first step, the third discharge nozzle is scanned on the substrate at substantially the same speed and direction as the first discharge nozzle, and the first discharge nozzle is scanned on the substrate by the third discharge nozzle. It is also possible to supply the treatment liquid.

  According to the processing apparatus and the processing method of the present invention, with the configuration and operation as described above, the processing liquid can be efficiently replaced without generating mist, thereby improving the processing quality. The recovery efficiency of the treatment liquid can also be improved.

  Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

  FIG. 1 shows a coating and developing processing system as one configuration example to which the processing apparatus and processing method of the present invention can be applied. The coating and developing processing system 10 is installed in a clean room, and uses, for example, an LCD substrate as a substrate to be processed, and performs various processes such as cleaning, resist coating, pre-baking, developing, and post-baking in the photolithography process in the LCD manufacturing process. Is. The exposure process is performed by an external exposure apparatus 12 installed adjacent to this system.

  In the coating and developing system 10, a horizontally long process station (P / S) 16 is disposed at the center, and a cassette station (C / S) 14 and an interface station (I / F) are disposed at both ends in the longitudinal direction (X direction). ) 18.

  The cassette station (C / S) 14 is a cassette loading / unloading port of the system 10, and can accommodate up to four cassettes C that can accommodate a plurality of substrates C in a horizontal direction, for example, in the Y direction by stacking substrates G in multiple stages. A cassette stage 20 and a transport mechanism 22 for loading and unloading the substrate G with respect to the cassette C on the stage 20. The transport mechanism 22 has a means for holding the substrate G, for example, a transport arm 22a, and can be operated with four axes of X, Y, Z, and θ, and the adjacent process station (P / S) 16 side and the substrate G Delivery is now possible.

  In the process station (P / S) 16, the processing units are arranged in the order of the process flow or process on a pair of parallel and opposite lines A and B extending in the system longitudinal direction (X direction). More specifically, the upstream process line A from the cassette station (C / S) 14 side to the interface station (I / F) 18 side includes a cleaning process unit 24, a first thermal processing unit 26, and The coating process section 28 and the second thermal processing section 30 are arranged in a horizontal row. On the other hand, in the downstream process line B from the interface station (I / F) 18 side to the cassette station (C / S) 14 side, a second thermal processing unit 30, a development processing unit 32, and a decolorization process are provided. The unit 34 and the third thermal processing unit 36 are arranged in a horizontal row. In this line configuration, the second thermal processing unit 30 is located at the end of the upstream process line A and at the beginning of the downstream process line B, and straddles between both lines A and B. ing.

  An auxiliary transfer space 38 is provided between the process lines A and B, and a shuttle 40 that can horizontally place the substrate G in units of one sheet is bidirectional in the line direction (X direction) by a drive mechanism (not shown). Can be moved to.

  In the upstream process line A, the cleaning process unit 24 includes a scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 42, and an excimer is disposed at a location adjacent to the cassette station (C / S) 10 in the scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 42. A UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 41 is arranged. The cleaning unit in the scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 42 performs brushing cleaning or blow cleaning on the upper surface (surface to be processed) of the substrate G while transporting the LCD substrate G in the horizontal direction by roller transport or belt transport. It is like that.

  The first thermal processing unit 26 adjacent to the downstream side of the cleaning process unit 24 is provided with a vertical transfer mechanism 46 at the center along the process line A, and a plurality of units are arranged in multiple stages on both front and rear sides thereof. is doing. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the upstream multi-stage unit section (TB) 44 includes a substrate passing pass unit (PASS) 50, dehydrating baking heating units (DHP) 52 and 54, and an adhesion unit. (AD) 56 are stacked in order from the bottom. Here, the pass unit (PASS) 50 is used to transfer the substrate G to the scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 42 side. In addition, a substrate passing pass unit (PASS) 60, cooling units (CL) 62 and 64, and an adhesion unit (AD) 66 are stacked in order from the bottom on the downstream multi-stage unit section (TB) 48. Here, the pass unit (PASS) 60 is for delivering the substrate G to the coating process unit 28 side.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the transport mechanism 46 includes a lift transport body 70 that can be moved up and down along a guide rail 68 that extends in the vertical direction, and a turn that can rotate or swivel in the θ direction on the lift transport body 70. It has a transport body 72 and a transport arm or tweezers 74 that can move back and forth in the front-rear direction while supporting the substrate G on the revolving transport body 72. A drive unit 76 for driving the lifting and lowering conveyance body 70 up and down is provided on the base end side of the vertical guide rail 68, and a driving unit 78 for driving the swiveling conveyance body 72 to rotate is attached to the lifting and lowering conveyance body 70. A drive unit 80 for advancing and retracting 74 is attached to the rotary transport body 72. Each drive part 76,78,80 may be comprised by the electric motor etc., for example.

  The transport mechanism 46 configured as described above can move up and down or swivel at high speed to access any unit in the multistage unit sections (TB) 44 and 48 on both sides, and the shuttle on the auxiliary transport space 38 side. 40 can also deliver the substrate G.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the coating process unit 28 adjacent to the downstream side of the first thermal processing unit 26 includes a resist coating unit (CT) 82, a vacuum drying unit (VD) 84, and an edge remover unit (ER). 86 are arranged in a line along the process line A. Although not shown in the drawing, in the coating process section 28, a transport device is provided for loading and unloading the substrates G one by one in the order of the processes in these three units (CT) 82, (VD) 84, and (ER) 86. In each unit (CT) 82, (VD) 84, and (ER) 86, each process is performed in units of one substrate.

  The second thermal processing unit 30 adjacent to the downstream side of the coating process unit 28 has the same configuration as that of the first thermal processing unit 26, and a vertical type between the process lines A and B. , A multi-stage unit portion (TB) 88 is provided on the process line A side (last), and the other multi-stage unit portion (TB) 92 is provided on the process line B side (lead).

  Although not shown, for example, in the multi-stage unit section (TB) 88 on the process line A side, a pass unit (PASS) for substrate transfer is placed at the bottom, and a heating unit (PREBAKE) for pre-baking is placed thereon. For example, they may be stacked in three stages. In the multi-stage unit section (TB) 92 on the process line B side, a pass unit (PASS) for substrate transfer is placed at the bottom, and a cooling unit (COL) is stacked thereon, for example, one stage above it. In addition, prebaking heating units (PREBAKE) may be stacked in a two-stage stack, for example.

  The transport mechanism 90 in the second thermal processing unit 30 includes the coating process unit 28, the development process unit 32, and the substrate G through the pass units (PASS) of both the multistage unit units (TB) 88 and 92. Not only can it be delivered in units, but also the substrate G can be delivered in units of sheets to the shuttle 40 in the auxiliary transport space 38 and the interface station (I / F) 18 described later.

  In the downstream process line B, the development process unit 32 includes a so-called flat-flow development unit (DEV) 94 that performs a series of development processing steps while transporting the substrate G in a horizontal posture.

  A third thermal processing unit 36 is disposed downstream of the development process unit 32 with the decolorization process unit 34 interposed therebetween. The decoloring process unit 34 includes an i-ray UV irradiation unit (i-UV) 96 for performing a decoloring process by irradiating the surface to be processed of the substrate G with i-line (wavelength 365 nm).

  The third thermal processing unit 36 has the same configuration as that of the first thermal processing unit 26 and the second thermal processing unit 30, and the vertical transport mechanism 100 along the process line B. A pair of multi-stage unit portions (TB) 98 and 102 are provided on both the front and rear sides.

  Although not shown in the figure, for example, in the upstream multi-stage unit section (TB) 98, a pass unit (PASS) is placed at the bottom, and a post-baking heating unit (POBAKE) is stacked in, for example, three stages. May be overlaid. In the downstream multi-stage unit (TB) 102, a post-baking unit (POBAKE) is placed at the lowermost stage, and a substrate-passing / cooling unit (PASS / COL) for transferring and cooling the substrate is placed thereon. The heating unit (POBAKE) for post-baking may be stacked in two layers.

  The transport mechanism 100 in the third thermal processing section 36 includes i-line UV irradiation units (PASS) (PASS) and pass cooling units (PASS / COL) of both multi-stage unit sections (TB) 98 and 102, respectively. i-UV) 96 and cassette station (C / S) 14 and the substrate G can be transferred not only in units of one sheet, but also can be transferred in units of sheets to the shuttle 40 in the auxiliary transport space 38. .

  The interface station (I / F) 18 includes a transfer device 104 for exchanging the substrate G with the adjacent exposure device 12, and a buffer stage (BUF) 106 and an extension / cooling stage (EXT / COL) around the transfer device 104. ) 108 and peripheral device 110 are arranged. A stationary buffer cassette (not shown) is placed on the buffer stage (BUF) 106. The extension / cooling stage (EXT / COL) 108 is a stage for transferring a substrate having a cooling function, and is used when the substrate G is exchanged with the process station (P / S) 16 side. For example, the peripheral device 110 may have a configuration in which a titler (TITLER) and a peripheral exposure device (EE) are stacked vertically. The transfer device 104 has a means for holding the substrate G, for example, a transfer arm 104a, and transfers the substrate G to and from the adjacent exposure device 12, each unit (BUF) 106, (EXT / COL) 108, (TITLER / EE) 110. Can be done.

  FIG. 3 shows a processing procedure in this coating and developing processing system. First, in the cassette station (C / S) 14, the transport mechanism 22 takes out one substrate G from a predetermined cassette C on the stage 20, and the excimer of the cleaning process unit 24 of the process station (P / S) 16. It is carried into the UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 41 (step S1).

  In the excimer UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 41, the substrate G is subjected to dry cleaning by ultraviolet irradiation (step S2). This UV cleaning mainly removes organic substances on the substrate surface. After completion of the ultraviolet cleaning, the substrate G is moved to the scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 42 of the cleaning process unit 24 by the transport mechanism 22 of the cassette station (C / S) 14.

  In the scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 42, as described above, the substrate G is brushed or blown onto the upper surface (surface to be processed) of the substrate G while being transported in a horizontal position in the horizontal direction by roller transport or belt transport. By performing cleaning, particulate dirt is removed from the substrate surface (step S3). After the cleaning, the substrate G is rinsed while being conveyed in a flat flow, and finally the substrate G is dried using an air knife or the like.

  The substrate G that has been cleaned in the scrubber cleaning unit (SCR) 42 is carried into the pass unit (PASS) 50 in the upstream multistage unit section (TB) 44 of the first thermal processing section 26.

  In the first thermal processing unit 26, the substrate G is rotated in a predetermined unit by the transport mechanism 46 in a predetermined sequence. For example, the substrate G is first transferred from the pass unit (PASS) 50 to one of the heating units (DHP) 52 and 54, where it undergoes a dehydration process (step S4). Next, the substrate G is transferred to one of the cooling units (COL) 62 and 64, where it is cooled to a constant substrate temperature (step S5). Thereafter, the substrate G is transferred to an adhesion unit (AD) 56, where it is subjected to a hydrophobic treatment (step S6). After completion of the hydrophobic treatment, the substrate G is cooled to a constant substrate temperature by one of the cooling units (COL) 62 and 64 (step S7). Finally, the substrate G is moved to the pass unit (PASS) 60 belonging to the downstream multi-stage unit section (TB) 48.

  As described above, in the first thermal processing unit 26, the substrate G is interposed between the upstream multi-stage unit unit (TB) 44 and the downstream multi-stage unit unit (TB) 48 via the transport mechanism 46. You can come and go arbitrarily. The second and third thermal processing units 30 and 36 can perform the same substrate transfer operation.

  The substrate G that has undergone a series of thermal or thermal processing as described above in the first thermal processing section 26 is adjacent to the downstream side from the pass unit (PASS) 60 in the downstream multistage unit section (TB) 48. Is moved to a resist coating unit (CT) 82 of the coating process unit 28.

  The substrate G is coated with a resist solution on the upper surface (surface to be processed) by a resist coating unit (CT) 82, for example, by spin coating, and immediately after that, it is subjected to a drying process by a reduced pressure drying unit (VD) 84 adjacent to the downstream side. Then, the unnecessary (unnecessary) resist on the peripheral edge of the substrate is removed by the edge remover unit (ER) 86 adjacent to the downstream side (step S8).

  The substrate G that has undergone the resist coating process as described above is a pass unit (PASS) belonging to the upstream multi-stage unit section (TB) 88 of the second thermal processing section 30 adjacent to the edge remover unit (ER) 86. Is passed on.

  Within the second thermal processing unit 30, the substrate G is rotated through a predetermined unit by the transport mechanism 90 in a predetermined sequence. For example, the substrate G is first transferred from the pass unit (PASS) to one of the heating units (PREBAKE), where it is subjected to baking after resist coating (step S9). Next, the substrate G is transferred to one of the cooling units (COL), where it is cooled to a constant substrate temperature (step S10). Thereafter, the substrate G passes through the downstream side multistage unit (TB) 92 side pass unit (PASS) or without passing through the interface station (I / F) 18 side extension cooling stage (EXT COL). ) 108.

  In the interface station (I / F) 18, the substrate G is transferred from the extension / cooling stage (EXT / COL) 108 to the peripheral exposure device (EE) of the peripheral device 110, where the resist adhering to the peripheral portion of the substrate G is removed. After receiving an exposure for removal at the time of development, it is sent to the adjacent exposure apparatus 12 (step S11).

  In the exposure device 12, a predetermined circuit pattern is exposed to the resist on the substrate G. Then, when the substrate G that has undergone pattern exposure is returned from the exposure apparatus 12 to the interface station (I / F) 18 (step S11), it is first carried into a titler (TITLER) of the peripheral device 110, where there is a predetermined on the substrate. Predetermined information is written in the part (step S12). Thereafter, the substrate G is returned to the extension / cooling stage (EXT / COL) 108. Transfer of the substrate G in the interface station (I / F) 18 and exchange of the substrate G with the exposure apparatus 12 is performed by the transfer device 104.

  In the process station (P / S) 16, the transport mechanism 90 receives the exposed substrate G from the extension / cooling stage (EXT / COL) 108 in the second thermal processing unit 30, and the multi-stage unit unit on the process line B side (TB) The image is transferred to the development process unit 32 via the pass unit (PASS) in 92.

  In the development process unit 32, the substrate G received from the pass unit (PASS) in the multi-stage unit unit (TB) 92 is carried into the development unit (DEV) 94. In the developing unit (DEV) 94, the substrate G is conveyed in a flat flow manner toward the downstream side of the process line B, and a series of development processing steps of development, rinsing, and drying are performed during the conveyance (step S13).

  The substrate G that has undergone the development process in the development process unit 32 is carried into the decolorization process unit 34 adjacent to the downstream side, where it undergoes a decolorization process by i-line irradiation (step S14). The substrate G that has been subjected to the decoloring process is transferred to the pass unit (PASS) in the upstream multistage unit section (TB) 98 of the third thermal processing section 36.

  In the third thermal processing section 36, the substrate G is first transferred from the pass unit (PASS) to one of the heating units (POBAKE), where it is subjected to post-baking (step S15). Next, the substrate G is transferred to a path cooling unit (PASS / COL) in the downstream multi-stage unit section (TB) 102, where it is cooled to a predetermined substrate temperature (step S16). The transport mechanism 100 transports the substrate G in the third thermal processing unit 36.

  On the cassette station (C / S) 14 side, the transport mechanism 22 receives and receives the substrate G that has completed all the steps of the coating and developing process from the pass cooling unit (PASS COL) of the third thermal processing unit 36. The substrate G is accommodated in any one cassette C (step S1).

  In the coating and developing processing system 10, the present invention can be applied to the developing unit (DEV) 94 of the developing process unit 32. Hereinafter, an embodiment in which the present invention is applied to a development unit (DEV) 94 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[Embodiment 1]
FIG. 4 schematically shows the overall configuration in the developing unit (DEV) 94 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control system in the developing unit (DEV) 94. As shown in FIG. 6 and 7 show the configuration and operation of the main part.

As shown in FIG. 4, the developing unit (DEV) 94 includes a plurality of, for example, seven modules M _{1 to} M that form a continuous conveyance path 120 extending in the horizontal direction (X direction) along the process line B. ₇ is arranged continuously in a row.

Among these modules M _{1 to} M ₇ , the module M ₁ located at the most upstream end constitutes the carry-in part 122, and the subsequent two modules M ₂ and M ₃ constitute the developing part 124, and the subsequent stage The two modules M ₄ and M ₅ constitute a rinse part 126, the next module M ₆ constitutes a drying part 128, and the last module M ₇ constitutes a carry-out part 130.

  The carry-in unit 122 is provided with a lift pin lifting mechanism 132 that receives a substrate G delivered from an adjacent substrate transport mechanism (not shown) with a plurality of lift pins and transfers it onto the transport path 120. The carry-out unit 130 is also provided with a lift pin raising / lowering mechanism 134 that lifts the substrate G with a plurality of lift pins and hands it to an adjacent substrate transfer mechanism (not shown).

More specifically, in the developing unit 124, the module M ₂ constitutes a first development processing unit 136, and the module M ₃ constitutes a second development processing unit 138. In the first development processing unit 136, a long developer supply nozzle 140 for supplying a reference concentration developer onto the substrate G is disposed in a direction crossing the transport path 120. The developing solution supply nozzle 140 is connected to the source of the developing solution supply unit 142 (FIG. 5) via a pipe (not shown), and the first nozzle scanning mechanism 144 horizontally moves on the conveyance path 120. It can be moved. The developer supply source includes a developer container, a developer discharge pump, an on-off valve, and the like (not shown). The nozzle port (discharge port) of the developer supply nozzle 140 is formed in the form of a slit extending in the nozzle longitudinal direction or in the form of a large number of discharge holes arranged in a row in the nozzle longitudinal direction.

  In the second development processing unit 138, a long double nozzle unit 146 for diluting the developer on the substrate G to a desired concentration is provided in a direction crossing the transport path 120. This double nozzle unit 146 is formed by integrally connecting a long suction nozzle 148 and a long discharge nozzle 150 via a separator 152, and suctions upstream in the transport direction (X direction). A nozzle 148 is disposed, and a discharge nozzle 150 is disposed on the downstream side. Here, the suction nozzle 148 is connected to the source of the developer suction section 156 (FIG. 5) via a pipe 154 (FIGS. 6A and 6B), and the discharge nozzle 150 is connected via a pipe 158 (FIGS. 6A and 6B). It is connected to the source of the diluent supply unit 160 (FIG. 5). The nozzle ports (suction ports and discharge ports) of both nozzles 148 and 150 have a slit shape extending in the nozzle longitudinal direction or a number of holes arranged in a row in the nozzle longitudinal direction. The double nozzle unit 146 can be moved in the horizontal direction on the transport path 120 by the second nozzle scanning mechanism 162. The developer sucking source is composed of a vacuum pump or ejector, a developer collecting container, an on-off valve, etc. (not shown). The diluent supply source includes a diluent container, a diluent discharge pump, an on-off valve, and the like (not shown).

More specifically, in the rinsing unit 126, the module M ₄ constitutes the first rinsing processing unit 164, and the module M ₅ constitutes the second rinsing processing unit 166. In the first rinsing processing unit 164, a long double nozzle unit 168 for replacing the diluted developer on the substrate G with the rinsing solution is provided in a direction crossing the conveyance path 120. This double nozzle unit 168 is formed by integrally connecting a long suction nozzle 170 and a long discharge nozzle 172 via a separator 174, and suctions upstream in the transport direction (X direction). The nozzle 170 is arranged and the discharge nozzle 172 is arranged on the downstream side. Here, the suction nozzle 170 is connected to the source of the diluted developer suction section 176 (FIG. 5) via a pipe 175 (FIGS. 7A and 7B), and the discharge nozzle 172 is connected to the pipe 178 (FIGS. 7A and 7B). Is connected to the source of the first rinsing liquid supply unit 180 (FIG. 5). The nozzle ports (suction ports, discharge ports) of both nozzles 170 and 172 have a slit shape extending in the nozzle longitudinal direction or a number of holes arranged in a row in the nozzle longitudinal direction. The double nozzle unit 168 can be moved in the horizontal direction on the transport path 120 by the third nozzle scanning mechanism 182. The diluted developer suction source includes a vacuum pump or ejector, a diluted developer recovery container, an on-off valve, and the like (not shown). The rinse liquid supply source includes a rinse liquid container, a rinse liquid discharge pump, an on-off valve, and the like (not shown).

  The second rinse treatment unit 166 is provided with one or a plurality of long rinse liquid jet nozzles 184 for supplying a rinse liquid for cleaning onto the substrate G in a direction crossing the transport path 120. ing. Each rinse liquid injection nozzle 184 is connected to the source of the second rinse liquid supply unit 186 (FIG. 5) via a pipe (not shown). Although not shown, a rinsing liquid spray nozzle for cleaning the lower surface (back surface) of the substrate G may be disposed below the transport path 120. The rinse liquid supply source includes a rinse liquid container, a rinse liquid discharge pump, an on-off valve, and the like (not shown).

  In the drying unit 128, one or more long gas flow discharge nozzles or air knives 188 for draining the rinsing liquid adhering to the substrate G are arranged in a direction crossing the conveyance path 120. Has been. Each air knife 188 is connected to a gas flow supply source (not shown) via a pipe (not shown). As described above, when the rinse liquid spray nozzle for cleaning the lower surface of the substrate G in the second rinse processing unit 166 is disposed below the transport path 120, the drying unit 128 is used to dry the lower surface of the substrate G. An air knife (not shown) may be disposed below the conveyance path 120.

  The first and second development processing units 136 and 138, the first and second rinsing processing units 164 and 166, and the drying unit 128 have pans 190 and 192 for collecting liquid that has fallen under the conveyance path 120. 194, 196, and 198 are provided, and a drainage pipe is connected to the drainage port of each pan. Among these drainage pipes, the drainage pipe 200 connected to the pan 190 of the first development processing unit 136 communicates with the developer reuse mechanism 202.

  The developer reuse mechanism 202 collects the developer spilled when the developer is deposited on the substrate G by the developer supply nozzle 140 in the first development processing unit 136 via the pan 190 and the drain pipe 200, and In the second development processing unit 138, the developer sucked by the developer sucking unit 156 from the substrate G via the nozzle 148 is collected. Furthermore, the diluted developer sucked by the diluted developer sucking unit 176 from the substrate G through the suction nozzle 170 in the first rinse processing unit 164 may be collected. Then, a stock solution, a solvent, or the like is added to the collected developer or diluted developer, and the recycled developer adjusted to the reference concentration is sent to the developer supply unit 142.

In the transport path 120, transport rollers or rollers 204 on which the substrate G can be placed almost horizontally are laid along the process line B at regular intervals. The driving force of the transfer drive 206 consisting of an electric motor and transmission mechanism or the like (FIG. 5) to rotate each roller 204 is formed so as to convey horizontally the substrate G from the module M ₁ to module M _7. Note that the transport path 120 is divided into a plurality of sections, and individual transport driving units 206 are provided in each section so that the substrate transport operation (temporary stop, transport speed, etc.) is individually controlled for each section. Good.

  The control unit 208 (FIG. 5) is composed of a microcomputer, for example, fetches and executes a development processing program stored in a storage medium such as an optical disk in the main memory, and operates the above-described units in the unit and the entire unit. (Sequence) is controlled.

  Next, the overall operation of the developing unit (DEV) 94 will be described. The substrate carry-in unit 122 receives the substrates G from the adjacent substrate transport mechanism (not shown) one by one and transfers them to the transport path 120. When the substrate G is transferred onto the conveyance path 120, the substrate G is immediately conveyed toward the adjacent developing unit 124 by driving of the conveyance driving unit 206.

  In the developing unit 124, the substrate G is first loaded with the developing solution R on the substrate in the first development processing unit 136. For the accumulation of the developer R, the first nozzle scanning mechanism 144 and the developer supply unit 142 operate in synchronization with each other, and the developer supply nozzle 140 discharges the developer R in a strip shape while the substrate G The top is scanned at a constant speed from the front end to the rear end in the direction opposite to the transport direction (X direction). During this time, the substrate G is preferably stopped or stationary on the transport path 120, but may continue to move in the transport direction (X direction) at a constant speed. The developer R spilled from the substrate G is collected by the pan 190 immediately below the transport path 120 and is collected by the developer reuse mechanism 202 as described above. In this way, when the developing solution R is deposited on the substrate G, the developing reaction is started.

  The substrate G on which the developer as described above is piled up in the first development processing unit 136 is transferred to the second development processing unit 138 on the transport path 120. In the second development processing unit 138, the second nozzle scanning mechanism 162, the developer sucking unit 156, and the diluent supplying unit 160 operate in synchronization with each other, and as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, the developer on the substrate G The suction nozzle 148 and the discharge nozzle 150 of the double nozzle unit 146 are constant on the substrate G from the front end to the rear end in the direction opposite to the transport direction (X direction). Scan at speed.

  In this scanning, the front suction nozzle 148 sucks the developer R on the substrate G with a predetermined suction force, and the rear discharge nozzle 150 discharges the diluent K at a predetermined pressure or flow rate. As soon as the developer R is sucked directly under the double nozzle unit 146, the diluent K is replenished. As shown in FIG. 6B, the lower end portion of the separator plate 152 extends below the lower ends of both nozzles 148 and 150 to divide the gap space with the substrate G forward and backward. The discharging action on the nozzle 150 side is performed independently of each other with a separation plate 152 as a boundary (with a necessary minimum distance interval). Since the substrate G is not inclined and the liquid on the substrate is not poured off, mist is not generated. Thus, the majority of the solution on the substrate is replaced from the reference concentration developer R to the low concentration diluted developer KR at a constant speed from the front end to the rear end of the substrate G, and the developer R is diluted in each part on the substrate. It is done. In order to make the development speed or development time uniform in each part on the substrate G, the scanning speed of the double nozzle unit 146 is set as the relative speed with respect to the substrate G, and the scanning of the developer supply nozzle 140 in the first development processing unit 136 is performed. It is preferable to match the speed.

  In this developer dilution, when pure water is used as the diluent K, the vacuum suction force of the suction nozzle 148 is set to an appropriate negative pressure that leaves a predetermined amount of the developer R on the substrate G. Accordingly, the pure water K from the discharge nozzle 150 is mixed with an appropriate amount of the developing solution R remaining after the suction by the suction nozzle 148, so that the developing solution R is diluted to a desired density lower than the reference density. Depending on the type of the developing solution R, if the developing reaction rate is high, development variation may easily occur. In this way, by developing the developing reaction rate by decreasing the developing solution R concentration one step during the development, the entire substrate is developed. Uniformity can be improved. When a diluted developer is used as the diluent K, the vacuum suction force of the suction nozzle 148 is adjusted so that the amount of the developer R remaining after suction by the suction nozzle 148 is decreased in inverse proportion to the concentration of the diluted developer K. It's okay. As described above, since the liquid suction action on the suction nozzle 148 side and the liquid discharge action on the discharge nozzle 150 side are independent from each other with the separator 152 as a boundary, the amount of residual suction of the suction nozzle 148 is controlled arbitrarily and finely. be able to.

  The substrate G diluted with the developing solution in the second development processing unit 138 is sent to the first rinsing processing unit 164 of the rinsing unit 126 on the transport path 120 while slowing the development reaction speed. In the first rinsing processing unit 164, the third nozzle scanning mechanism 182, the diluted developer sucking unit 176, and the first rinsing liquid supply unit 180 operate in synchronization with each other on the substrate G as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B. In order to stop the development reaction at the same time, that is, to replace the diluted developer KR with the rinse solution (usually pure water) S, the suction nozzle 170 and the discharge nozzle 172 of the double nozzle unit 168 are moved in the transport direction (X direction). In the reverse direction, the substrate G is scanned at a constant speed from the front end to the rear end of the substrate.

  In this scanning, the front suction nozzle 170 sucks the diluted developer KR on the substrate G with a predetermined suction force, and the rear discharge nozzle 172 discharges the rinse liquid S at a predetermined pressure or flow rate. When the diluted developer KR is sucked directly under the double nozzle unit 168, the rinse solution S is supplied at the same time or immediately thereafter. Also here, as shown in FIG. 7B, the lower end of the separator 174 extends below the lower ends of both nozzles 170 and 172 and divides the gap space with the substrate G forward and backward. The action and the discharging action on the discharge nozzle 172 side are performed independently of each other with the separator 174 as a boundary. Since the substrate G is not inclined and the liquid on the substrate is not poured off, mist is not generated. Thus, the liquid on the substrate G is replaced with the rinse liquid S from the diluted developer KR so that the paint is repainted with a brush from the front end to the rear end of the substrate G. In order to make the development time uniform in each part on the substrate G, the scanning speed of the double nozzle unit 168 is set as the relative speed with respect to the substrate G, or the scanning speed of the developer supply nozzle 140 in the first development processing unit 136 or the first speed. It is preferable to match the scanning speed of the double nozzle unit 146 in the two development processing unit 138.

  In this development stop or replacement process, the vacuum suction force of the suction nozzle 170 is preferably large so that the diluted developer KR is hardly left on the substrate G. However, if it remains, the development reaction stops immediately when mixed with the rinse solution S. If so, there is no problem. The flow rate of the rinse liquid S discharged from the discharge nozzle 172 only needs to exceed the reference amount for stopping the development reaction, and the excess rinse liquid flows down from the substrate G and is collected by the pan 194 immediately below.

  The substrate G whose development has been stopped as described above is then sent to the second rinse processing unit 166. In the second rinse treatment unit 166, the stationary rinse liquid spray nozzle 184 sprays a new rinse liquid onto the substrate G moving on the transport path 120 at a constant speed, whereby the substrate G is cleaned. Next, in the drying unit 188, the air knife 188 applies a knife-like sharp gas flow to the substrate G moving on the transport path 120 at a constant speed, so that the liquid (mainly the liquid attached to the substrate G (mainly The rinse liquid is drained off to the back of the substrate. Then, the substrate G that has been drained by the drying unit 188 is transferred to the carry-out unit 130 as it is on the conveyance path 120. In the carry-out unit 130, the lift pin lifting mechanism 134 is waiting under the transport path 120. When the substrate G arrives, the lift pin is pushed upward to lift the substrate G in a horizontal posture, and the next substrate transport mechanism (not shown). To pass.

  As described above, in this embodiment, the double nozzle unit 146 replaces the reference concentration developer R with the low concentration developer KR and the low concentration developer KR with the rinse solution S on the substrate G. , 168 can be performed quickly and efficiently. Further, the developer R supplied onto the substrate G can be efficiently collected using the suction nozzles 148 and 170 of the double nozzle units 146 and 168.

[Embodiment 2]
FIG. 8 schematically shows the overall configuration of the developing unit (DEV) 94 according to the second embodiment. 9 and 10 show the configuration and operation of the main part. In the figure, parts having the same configuration or function as those of the first embodiment (FIGS. 4 to 7) described above are denoted by the same reference numerals.

  In the second embodiment, in the development unit 124, the first development processing unit 136 supplies the prewetting liquid W onto the substrate G, and the second development processing unit 138 applies the prewetting liquid W on the substrate G to the development liquid. Replace with R. The first rinse treatment unit 164 of the rinse unit 126 replaces the developer R on the substrate G with the rinse solution S. The developer is not diluted during development. Other points are the same as those in the first embodiment (FIG. 4).

  The first development processing unit 136 of the development unit 124 is a long pre-wet that discharges a pre-wet liquid (pure water or diluted developer) W from above toward the substrate G moving along the transport path 120 at a constant speed. A liquid supply nozzle 208 is provided. The nozzle 208 may be fixedly placed in a horizontal position at a predetermined position, and is connected to a prewetting liquid supply source (not shown) via a pipe (not shown).

  In the second development processing unit 138 at the next stage (next to the downstream side), as shown in FIGS. 9A and 9B, a double nozzle is used to replace the prewetting liquid W on the substrate G with the developing solution R having a reference concentration. The suction nozzle 148 and the discharge nozzle 150 of the unit 146 scan the substrate G at a constant speed from the front end to the rear end of the substrate in the direction opposite to the transport direction (X direction). During this scanning, the front suction nozzle 148 sucks the prewetting liquid W on the substrate G with a predetermined suction force, and the rear discharge nozzle 150 discharges the developer R at a predetermined pressure or flow rate. As soon as the prewetting liquid W is sucked under the nozzle unit 148, the developing solution R is supplied immediately thereafter. Also in this case, as shown in FIG. 9B, since the separator 152 divides the gap space with the substrate G forward and backward, the liquid suction action on the suction nozzle 148 side and the liquid discharge action on the discharge nozzle 150 side are separated from each other. Are performed independently of each other. In this way, the liquid on the substrate G is replaced from the prewetting liquid W with the developing solution R of the reference concentration at a constant speed from the front end to the rear end of the substrate G without generating mist. The substrate G on which the developing solution R is thus stacked is fed onto the transport path 120 and sent to the first rinse processing unit 164 of the rinse unit 126.

  In the first rinse treatment unit 164, as shown in FIGS. 10A and 10B, a double nozzle is used to stop the development reaction on the substrate G, that is, to replace the developer R with the rinse solution (pure water) S. The suction nozzle 170 and the discharge nozzle 172 of the unit 168 scan on the substrate G at a constant speed from the front end to the rear end of the substrate in the direction opposite to the transport direction (X direction). During this scanning, the front suction nozzle 170 sucks the developing solution R on the substrate G with a predetermined suction force, and the rear discharge nozzle 172 discharges the rinsing liquid S at a predetermined pressure or flow rate. When the developing solution R is sucked under the unit 168, the rinsing solution S is replenished at the same time or immediately thereafter. Also in this case, as shown in FIG. 10B, since the separator 174 divides the gap space with the substrate G forward and backward, the liquid suction action on the suction nozzle 170 side and the liquid discharge action on the discharge nozzle 172 side are separated from each other. Are performed independently of each other. Thus, the liquid on the substrate G is replaced from the developer R to the rinse liquid S at a constant speed from the front end to the rear end of the substrate G without generating mist. In order to align the development time in each part on the substrate G, the scanning speed of the double nozzle unit 168 matches the scanning speed of the double nozzle unit 146 in the second development processing unit 138 as a relative speed with respect to the substrate G. You may let me.

  In the second embodiment, a third development processing unit (module) for diluting the developer R on the substrate G with the diluent K between the second development processing unit 138 and the first rinse processing unit 164 is provided. Additional variations are possible.

[Embodiment 3]
11 and 12 show the configuration and operation of the double nozzle unit 210 in the third embodiment. This double nozzle unit 210 is mainly characterized in that a pumping impeller 214 for pumping water is provided inside the suction nozzle 212 (inside of the suction port).

  As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, a suction nozzle 212 and a discharge nozzle 218 are respectively attached to the front and rear of the separator 216 when viewed in the scanning direction. The suction nozzle 212 is connected to the source of a processing liquid suction section such as a developer suction section 156 (FIG. 5) via a pipe 220, and the discharge nozzle 218 is connected to a processing liquid supply section such as a first rinse liquid supply section 180 via a pipe 222. Connected to the source of FIG.

  An impeller driving unit 224 including an electric motor and a transmission mechanism for rotationally driving the impeller 214 in the nozzle is attached to one side surface of the suction nozzle 212. When the impeller 214 is rotated by the drive unit 224 when replacing the processing liquid on the substrate G, as shown in FIG. 12, the pumping action of the impeller 214 is added to the vacuum force in the suction nozzle 212. As a result, the to-be-replaced processing solution on the substrate G, such as the developing solution R, can be sucked more efficiently and more uniformly in the nozzle longitudinal direction with finer control.

  Further, the double nozzle unit 210 has a liquid level detector 226 attached in front of the suction nozzle 212 in the scanning direction. During scanning, the suction nozzle 212 advances while the lower end portion of the front surface of the nozzle is immersed in the replacement processing liquid (developing solution R), so that the replacement processing liquid (developing solution R) rises near the front surface of the suction nozzle 212. The liquid level detector 226 floats on the surface of the replacement processing liquid (developer R) that rises in the vicinity of the front surface of the suction nozzle 212, and floats on the float 228 (with the processing liquid). And a position sensor 230 that detects the amount or height position that is being pushed up, and sends an output signal of the position sensor 230 to the control unit 208 (FIG. 5) or a dedicated controller (not shown). Based on the sensor output signal from the liquid level height detection unit 226, the control unit 208 or the controller increases the rotational speed of the impeller 214 through the drive unit 224 when the float amount of the float unit 228 is larger than the reference value. When the floating amount of the float unit 228 is smaller than the reference value, feedback control is performed so as to reduce the rotational speed of the impeller 214 through the drive unit 224. As a result, it is possible to compensate for the influence of the viscosity of the processing solution to be replaced (developer R), the scanning speed, etc., and to perform suction at a constant rate.

  The float portion 228 may be made of, for example, foamed polystyrene, hollow hard rubber, synthetic resin, or the like. The position sensor 230 can detect the floating amount of the float 228 and thus the height of the liquid to be replaced (developer R) through the height position of the support bar 232 extending vertically upward from the upper surface of the float 228. it can. A guide member (not shown) may be provided for restricting the vertical movement of the float part 228 or the support bar 232 in the vertical direction.

  The material and structure of the impeller 214 (particularly the shape of the wing or wing) can be variously modified. For example, when the wing portion of the impeller 214 is formed of an elastic body such as sponge or rubber, as shown in FIG. 13, the rotor 234 that is in pressure contact with the wing portion of the impeller 214 at a position opposite to the suction port. A configuration in which is provided is also suitable. It is also possible to use a method in which the liquid level detector 226 optically detects the liquid level instead of the float type.

  The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but various modifications are possible within the scope of the technical idea of the present invention. For example, the configuration of each unit in the development unit (DEV) 92 of the above-described embodiment is an example, and various modifications can be made to each process processing unit such as the development unit, the rinse unit, and the drying unit. In the above-described embodiment, the conveyance path 120 is configured as a roller conveyance type. However, the conveyance path 120 may be configured as a belt conveyance type in which a pair of belts are laid in the horizontal direction with a certain interval therebetween. Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied to a developing system that supplies a prewetting solution, a developing solution, a rinsing solution, or the like onto a substrate while spinning the substrate to be processed.

  Although the above-described embodiment relates to the development unit or the development processing apparatus, the present invention can be applied to any processing apparatus that performs a desired process on a substrate using a plurality of types of processing liquids. The substrate to be processed in the present invention is not limited to an LCD substrate, and various substrates for flat panel displays, semiconductor wafers, CD substrates, glass substrates, photomasks, printed substrates, and the like are also possible.

It is a top view which shows the structure of the application | coating development processing system which can apply this invention. It is a side view which shows the structure of the thermal process part in the said application | coating development processing system. It is a flowchart which shows the process sequence in the said application | coating development processing system. FIG. 2 is a front view illustrating an overall configuration of a developing unit according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a control system of the developing unit in the first embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure and effect | action of the double nozzle unit in the image development processing part of 1st Embodiment. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the structure and effect | action of the double nozzle unit in the image development processing part of 1st Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure and effect | action of a double nozzle unit in the rinse process part of 1st Embodiment. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the structure and effect | action of a double nozzle unit in the rinse process part of 1st Embodiment. It is a front view which shows the whole structure of the image development unit in 2nd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure and effect | action of the double nozzle unit in the image development processing part of 2nd Embodiment. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the structure and effect | action of a double nozzle unit in the image development processing part of 2nd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure and effect | action of a double nozzle unit in the rinse process part of 2nd Embodiment. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the structure and effect | action of a double nozzle unit in the rinse process part of 2nd Embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the structure and effect | action of a double nozzle unit in 3rd Embodiment. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the structure and effect | action of a double nozzle unit in 3rd Embodiment. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the structure and effect | action of the double nozzle unit by one deformation | transformation of 3rd Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Coating | development processing system 16 (P / S) Process station 94 (DEV) Development unit 122 Loading part 124 Developing part 126 Rinse part 128 Drying part 130 Unloading part 136 1st development processing part 138 2nd development processing part 140 Developer supply Nozzle 142 Developer supply section 144 First nozzle scanning mechanism 146 Double nozzle unit 148 Suction nozzle 150 Discharge nozzle 152 Separating plate 156 Developer suction section 160 Diluent supply section 164 First rinse processing section 166 Second rinse processing section 168 Second Heavy nozzle unit 170 Suction nozzle 172 Discharge nozzle 174 Separator 180 First rinse liquid supply unit 182 Second nozzle scanning mechanism 184 Rinse liquid ejection nozzle 186 Second rinse liquid supply unit 210 Double nozzle unit 212 Suction nozzle 214 Impeller 216 Separator 218 Discharge nozzle 224 Impeller drive unit 226 Liquid level detector

Claims (12)

A support part for supporting the substrate to be processed substantially horizontally;
A first processing liquid supply unit for supplying a first processing liquid onto the substrate;
A suction nozzle that scans over the substrate, and a treatment liquid suction portion that sucks the first treatment liquid from the substrate with the suction nozzle;
A processing apparatus comprising: a discharge nozzle that scans the substrate after the suction nozzle; and a second processing liquid supply unit that supplies a second processing liquid onto the substrate from the discharge nozzle.   The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the suction nozzle and the discharge nozzle are integrally coupled via a separator plate.   The processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein a lower end of the separator plate protrudes below a lower end of each of the suction nozzle and the discharge nozzle.   The processing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising a nozzle scanning unit that integrally moves the suction nozzle and the discharge nozzle at a desired speed in parallel with the substrate.   The processing apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1-4 which has the impeller for pumping water provided in the said suction nozzle, and the drive part which rotationally drives the said impeller.   A liquid level detector for detecting the height of the liquid level of the first processing liquid that rises in the vicinity of the front surface of the suction nozzle during the scanning, and the first level detected by the liquid level detector. The processing apparatus of Claim 5 which has a rotational speed control part which controls the rotational speed of the said impeller according to the height of the liquid level of a process liquid.   The processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the liquid level detection unit includes a float unit that floats on a liquid level of the first processing liquid, and a position sensor that detects a height position of the float unit.   The processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support unit includes a transport path extending in a horizontal direction, and transports the substrate on the transport path.   9. The suction nozzle and the discharge nozzle are slit-like discharge ports extending in the longitudinal direction of the nozzle or a long nozzle having a large number of discharge ports arranged in a row. Processing equipment. A first step of supplying a first processing liquid onto the substrate to be processed;
A second step of scanning the first suction nozzle on the substrate and sucking the first treatment liquid from the substrate with the first suction nozzle;
A third step of scanning a first discharge nozzle after the first suction nozzle on the substrate and supplying a second processing liquid onto the substrate from the first discharge nozzle;
A fourth step of scanning a second suction nozzle on the substrate and sucking the second treatment liquid from the substrate with the second suction nozzle;
And a fifth step of scanning a second discharge nozzle after the second suction nozzle on the substrate and supplying a third processing liquid onto the substrate from the second discharge nozzle. Method.   In the second step, a desired amount of the first treatment liquid is left on the substrate, and the first treatment liquid is formed on the substrate in the second step with a desired concentration by the third step. The processing method according to claim 10. In the first step, the third discharge nozzle is scanned on the substrate at substantially the same speed and direction as the first discharge nozzle, and the first discharge nozzle is scanned onto the substrate from the third discharge nozzle. The processing method according to claim 10 or 11, wherein a processing liquid is supplied.

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