JP2010227850A5 - - Google Patents

Claims (8)

A substrate coating apparatus for applying a treatment liquid to a substrate,
Forming a pressure gas layer on the stage surface by a gas flow passing through a gas hole provided in the stage surface, and a floating stage for levitating the substrate by the pressure gas layer;
Processing liquid supply means for applying the processing liquid onto the substrate by discharging a predetermined processing liquid onto the substrate from a nozzle that moves relative to the substrate;
Gas flow control means for switching between the gas flow formation state and the stop state;
With
Before discharging the processing liquid performed in parallel with the relative movement, the nozzle is moved away from the substrate existing area on the floating stage in a state where the discharging of the processing liquid from the nozzle is stopped. , A free running period is set for relative movement to the substrate presence area,
The gas flow control means temporarily stops the formation of the gas flow in a region immediately below the nozzle during at least a part of the idle running period. The substrate coating apparatus according to claim 1,
Elevating means for elevating and lowering the nozzle in the space above the levitation stage,
Further comprising
The idle running period includes a descent period in which the nozzle descends from a predetermined standby height, and a horizontal movement period in which the nozzle relatively approaches the substrate in the horizontal direction after the nozzle is in a descent state. And
Application of the treatment liquid on the substrate is performed in the lowered state,
The substrate coating apparatus, wherein the formation of the gas flow is stopped during at least the horizontal movement period of the idle running period. The substrate coating apparatus according to claim 1 or 2,
In the levitation stage, a plurality of gas flow forming regions each having a gas hole are disposed adjacent to each other as another plate or another portion of one plate,
A gas flow path opening / closing mechanism is provided corresponding to each of the plurality of gas flow forming regions,
The gas flow control means includes
Temporarily stopping the formation of the gas flow using the opening / closing mechanism is performed only in a region of the plurality of gas flow formation regions that exists immediately below the nozzle and does not have the substrate thereon. A substrate coating apparatus characterized by the above. A substrate coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
After the gas flow is temporarily stopped, the formation of the gas flow using all the gas holes of the levitation stage is resumed from the application start position of the substrate until the nozzle starts to discharge the processing liquid. A substrate coating apparatus. A substrate coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
A flying height measuring means for measuring the flying height of the substrate;
And further comprising
The treatment liquid supply means includes
A protective member that is attached to a side corresponding to the front in the relative movement of the nozzle and protects the tip of the nozzle;
The protective member is moved by moving the nozzle and the substrate relatively after the flying height measuring means lowers the nozzle while detecting the flying height at the application start position of the substrate end. A substrate coating apparatus, wherein the substrate coating apparatus enters the substrate end portion before the nozzle. A substrate coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
An allowable value of the temperature variation of the substrate due to the temporary stop of the formation of the gas flow is determined in advance;
The duration of the temporary stop state of the formation of the gas flow is determined as a time during which the temperature fluctuation is equal to or less than the allowable value. A substrate coating apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The levitation stage is formed by mixing a plurality of ejection holes for ejecting the gas and a plurality of suction holes for sucking the gas,
The gas flow is generated in a process in which the pressure gas ejected from the plurality of ejection holes is sucked from the plurality of suction holes,
The gas flow control means switches between the formation state and the stop state of the gas flow by opening and closing a gas supply path to the plurality of ejection holes and opening and closing a gas suction path from the plurality of suction holes. A substrate coating apparatus. A method for applying a processing liquid discharged from a predetermined nozzle to a substrate,
Forming a pressure gas layer on the stage surface by a gas flow through the gas hole provided on the stage surface, as engineering where Ru is floating the substrate by the pressure gas layer,
A step of temporarily stopping the gas flow for a specific area of the stage surface that is out of the substrate existing area and directly under the nozzle;
Lowering the nozzle from a predetermined standby height toward the specific area;
Relatively moving the nozzle and the substrate to cause the nozzle to reach the application start position of the substrate, and starting the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle;
Resuming the formation of the gas flow for the specific region before starting the discharge of the treatment liquid;
A substrate coating method comprising: