Substrate processing device and air supply method

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate processing device and an air supply method. In a substrate processing device having a plurality of processing units, the difference between the temperature and humidity of clean air supplied to each processing unit is reduced. A substrate processing device having a plurality of processing units for processing substrates, wherein the substrate processing device has a plurality of pipes for supplying air to the processing units, each of the pipes has a connecting pipe connecting the pipe and an air supply source, the plurality of pipes are connected to different numbers of the processing units, and at least one of the flow rate of the air in the pipes and the flow rate of the air supplied to the pipes via the connecting pipes is equal between the pipes.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and an air supply method. Background Art

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a substrate processing device, which has a processing station in which a first processing unit section and a second processing unit section are arranged side by side in one direction on the front side of the device. In the first processing unit section, three layers of resist coating processing units and two layers of primer coating units for forming anti-reflective films are stacked in five layers from the bottom, and in the second processing unit section, developing processing units are stacked in five layers. In addition, the substrate processing device of patent document 1 is provided with two ducts for supplying clean air from an air conditioner installed outside the device to each processing unit section. The air supplied through the duct is cleaned by a ULPA filter installed at the top of the processing station and supplied to each processing unit in a descending flow.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2007-88485 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] The technology disclosed herein reduces inter-unit differences in temperature and humidity of clean air supplied to each processing unit in a substrate processing apparatus having a plurality of processing units.

[0008] Solutions for solving problems

[0009] One form of the present disclosure is a substrate processing device, which has a plurality of processing units for processing substrates, wherein the substrate processing device has a plurality of pipes for supplying air to the processing units, each of the pipes has a connecting pipe connecting the pipe and an air supply source, the plurality of pipes are connected to a different number of the processing units, and at least either a flow rate of the air in the pipes or a flow rate of the air supplied to the pipes via the connecting pipes is equal between the pipes.

[0010] Effects of the Invention

[0011] According to the present disclosure, in a substrate processing apparatus including a plurality of processing units, it is possible to reduce inter-unit differences in temperature and humidity of clean air supplied to each processing unit. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0012] Figure 1It is a plan view schematically showing the outline of the structure of a coating and developing device as a substrate processing device according to the present embodiment.

[0013] Figure 2 It is schematically indicated Figure 1 A schematic longitudinal sectional front view of the internal structure of a coating and developing device.

[0014] Figure 3 It is schematically indicated Figure 1 A diagram schematically showing the internal structure of a coating and developing device as viewed from the front side.

[0015] Figure 4 It is schematically indicated Figure 1 A diagram schematically showing the internal structure of a coating and developing device as viewed from the back side.

[0016] Figure 5 It is a partial and schematic representation Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the interior of a processing module of a coating and developing device.

[0017] Figure 6 It is a partial and schematic representation Figure 1 A top view of the interior of a processing module of a coating and developing device.

[0018] Figure 7 It is a partial and schematic representation Figure 1 A front view of the upper part of a processing module of a coating and developing device.

[0019] Figure 8 It is a partial and schematic representation Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the upper portion of a process module of a coating and developing device.

[0020] Fig. 9 It is a partial and schematic representation Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the lower surface of the processing module and the carrying module of the coating and developing device.

[0021] Fig.10 It is a partial and schematic representation Figure 1 A bottom view of the lower surface of the processing module and the carrying module of the coating and developing device.

[0022] Fig.11 It roughly indicates Figure 1 A three-dimensional view of the lower portion of a process module of a coating and developing device.

[0023] Fig.12 This is a perspective view showing an example of a cabinet that is provided on the side of the processing module and that accommodates electrical components.

[0024] Fig.13 yes Fig.12A partial enlarged view of . DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] In the photolithography process in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, a series of processes are performed to form a desired resist pattern on, for example, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a "wafer"). In the above series of processes, for example, a resist film forming process of supplying a resist liquid to the wafer to form a resist film, an exposure process of exposing the resist film, and a developing process of supplying a developer to the exposed resist film to develop the resist film are performed. Among these processes, the resist film forming process and the developing process, except for the exposure process, are performed by a coating and developing device as a substrate processing device.

[0026] In the coating and developing processing device, various processing units such as a liquid processing unit for performing liquid processing on a wafer are provided. In addition, clean air is supplied to each of the liquid processing units, for example, so that the atmosphere in the unit is kept clean. For the supply of the clean air, a duct is provided, and the duct is connected to each of the liquid processing units (see Patent Document 1).

[0027] However, in the case where there are many liquid treatment units, for example, a plurality of (for example, two) pipes are sometimes provided. Furthermore, in the case where a plurality of pipes are provided, the number of treatment units connected to each pipe is sometimes different between pipes. If the number of connection of the treatment units connected to each pipe is different like this, the flow rate of the air is sometimes different between each pipe. For example, in the case where the first pipe and the second pipe of the same size are provided, the number of connection of the treatment units of the second pipe is less than the number of connection of the treatment units of the first pipe, and the flow rate of air to each treatment unit is equal, the flow rate of the air in the second pipe is slower than that in the first pipe. If the flow rate of the air supplied through the pipe in the pipe is slow, it will exist in the pipe for a long time, and therefore, due to the influence of heat from outside the pipe, it will become a higher temperature, and the humidity will be relatively reduced. Therefore, in the second pipe with a slower flow rate, the temperature difference and humidity difference of the air supplied between the treatment unit connected to the upstream side of the pipe and the treatment unit connected to the downstream side of the pipe become larger than that of the first pipe.

[0028] In addition, if the number of processing units connected to each pipeline is different between pipelines, the temperature and humidity of the air supplied to each pipeline are sometimes different. For example, in the case where the first pipeline and the second pipeline are provided, the number of processing units connected to the second pipeline is small, and the flow rate of air to each processing unit is equal, if the size of the first connecting pipe and the second connecting pipe connecting the first pipeline and the second pipeline to the air supply source are equal, the flow rate of air in the second connecting pipe is slower than that in the first connecting pipe. If the flow rate of air supplied to each pipeline via the connecting pipe is slow in the connecting pipe, it will exist in the connecting pipe for a long time, so it will become a higher temperature due to the influence of heat from outside the connecting pipe, and the humidity will be relatively reduced. Therefore, if the flow rate of air in the second connecting pipe is slower than that of air in the first connecting pipe as described above, the temperature of air supplied to the second pipeline via the second connecting pipe is higher than that of air supplied to the first pipeline via the first connecting pipe. Therefore, a difference in temperature and humidity of the supplied air occurs between the processing unit connected to the first duct and the processing unit connected to the second duct.

[0029] If the temperature and humidity of the supplied air differ in each processing unit, for example, when a resist film is formed in each processing unit, a difference in film thickness may occur between the units.

[0030] Therefore, the technology disclosed in the present invention reduces the inter-unit differences in the temperature and humidity of clean air supplied to each processing unit in a substrate processing apparatus having a plurality of processing units.

[0031] In particular, in a substrate processing apparatus having a plurality of ducts in which the number of connected processing units varies between ducts, it is possible to reduce inter-unit differences in temperature and humidity of clean air supplied to each processing unit.

[0032] Below, while referring to the attached Figure 1 In the present specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description is omitted.

[0033] Figure 1 It is a plan view schematically showing the structure of a coating and developing device 1 as a substrate processing device. Figure 2 It is a longitudinal sectional front view schematically showing the internal structure of the coating and developing device 1 . Figure 3 and Figure 4 The diagram schematically shows the internal structure of the coating and developing device 1 when viewed from the front side and the back side.

[0034] like Figure 1As shown, the coating and developing device 1 is provided with a carrier module B1, a processing module B2, and a transfer module B3 as a relay module in the order of a carrier module B1, a processing module B2, and a transfer module B3 arranged along the width direction (X direction of the drawing). In the following description, there is a case where the above-mentioned width direction is referred to as the left-right direction for description. An exposure device E is connected to the right side of the transfer module B3 (the positive side in the X direction of the drawing).

[0035] The carrier module B1 is a module for carrying in and out a carrier C for collectively transporting a plurality of wafers W as substrates.

[0036] A carrier stage 11 is provided in the carrier module B1. A loading plate 12 is provided on the carrier stage 11 for loading the carrier C when, for example, the carrier C is carried in and out relative to the outside of the coating and developing device 1. A plurality of loading plates 12 (four in the example in the drawing) are provided along the depth direction (Y direction in the drawing) that is orthogonal to the width direction (X direction in the drawing) in the horizontal plane. In addition, in the carrier module B1, a wafer conveying mechanism 13 is provided between the carrier stage 11 and the processing module B2. The wafer conveying mechanism 13 has a conveying arm 13a that is able to move forward and backward freely, to be lifted and lowered freely, to be able to rotate freely around a vertical axis, and to be able to move freely in the depth direction, and is capable of conveying wafers W between the carriers C on each loading plate 12 and the transfer tower 21 discussed later.

[0037] The processing module B2 is a module provided with a processing unit for processing the wafer W before or after exposure. In this embodiment, it is composed of a plurality of (two in the example of the drawing) submodules B21 and B22 connected in the left-right direction (X direction of the drawing). Hereinafter, the submodule B21 on the side of the carrier module B1 is referred to as the left submodule B21, and the submodule B22 on the side of the adapter module B3 is referred to as the right submodule B22.

[0038] like Figure 2 to Figure 4 As shown, the left submodule B21 and the right submodule B22 are multilayered in the vertical direction, and have first-layer modules L1 to sixth-layer modules L6 and first-layer modules P1 to sixth-layer modules P6, respectively. Various processing units are provided in each layer module.

[0039] The left submodule B21 is provided with a transfer tower 21 on the side close to the carrier module B1 so as to span the first-layer modules P1 to the sixth-layer modules P6.

[0040] The handover tower 21 is formed by stacking a plurality of handover modules in the vertical direction. The handover tower 21 is provided with handover modules at height positions corresponding to the modules of the first layer module L1 to the sixth layer module L6. Specifically, the handover tower 21 is provided with handover modules TRS11 and CPL11 at positions corresponding to the first layer module L1. Similarly, handover modules TRS12 to TRS16 and CPL12 to CPL16 are provided at positions corresponding to the modules of the second layer module L2 to the sixth layer module L6. In addition, the handover module marked with "TRS" and the handover module marked with "CPL" are constructed in substantially the same manner, except that only the latter has a flow path of a medium formed on the stage on which the wafer W is placed, for adjusting the temperature of the wafer W.

[0041] In addition, the transfer tower 21 is provided with a transfer module TRS10 at a height position accessible to the wafer conveying mechanism 13 in the carrier module B1, specifically between the transfer module CPL12 and the transfer module TRS13. The transfer module TRS10 is used when transferring wafers between the left submodule B21 and the carrier module B1.

[0042] like Figure 1 As shown, the delivery tower 21 is arranged at the center of the left submodule B21 in the depth direction, and a wafer conveying mechanism 22 is arranged on the inner side (positive side in the Y direction of the drawing) of the delivery tower 21. The wafer conveying mechanism 22 has a conveying arm 22a that can be freely moved forward and backward and can be raised and lowered, and can convey wafers W between the delivery modules of the delivery tower 21.

[0043] Next, the first layer module L1 to the sixth layer module L6 of the left submodule B21 are described. Figure 1 In FIG. 1 , the structure of the first layer module L1 is shown for the left submodule B21 . Hereinafter, first, the first layer module L1 will be described in detail.

[0044] like Figure 1 As shown, a conveying area M1 extending from the delivery tower 21 in the width direction is formed at the center of the first-layer module L1 in the depth direction.

[0045] Various units are provided in a region on the front side (negative side in the Y direction of the drawing) and a region on the back side (positive side in the Y direction of the drawing) of the conveying region M1 of the first layer module L1.

[0046] Specifically, an antireflection film forming unit BCT1 as a liquid processing unit for performing liquid processing on the wafer W using a processing liquid is provided in the front area of ​​the first layer module L1, and vertical units T11 to T14 having various units are provided in the back area.

[0047] The anti-reflection film forming unit BCT1 is used to form an anti-reflection film on the wafer W. The anti-reflection film forming unit BCT1 has: a rotating chuck 31 that holds the wafer W and rotates the wafer W; and a cup 32 that surrounds the wafer W on the rotating chuck 31 and is used to recover the processing liquid that flies away from the wafer W. The combination of the rotating chuck 31 and the cup 32 is provided with two in the width direction. In addition, the anti-reflection film forming unit BCT1 is provided with a nozzle 33 that sprays the processing liquid for forming the anti-reflection film onto the wafer W held on the rotating chuck 31. The nozzle 33 is configured to be freely movable between the cups 32 and is shared by the cups 32.

[0048] The vertical units T11 to T14 are arranged in the order of the vertical units T11 to T14 from the left side (the negative side of the X direction in the drawing) along the width direction. The vertical units T11 and T12 each have a hydrophobic treatment unit for performing hydrophobic treatment on the wafer W, and in each unit, the hydrophobic treatment unit is stacked in two layers in the vertical direction, for example. The vertical units T13 and T14 each have a heating unit for performing heat treatment on the wafer W, and in each unit, the heating unit is stacked in two layers in the vertical direction, for example.

[0049] In addition, in the first layer module L1, a wafer conveying mechanism M11 is provided in the above-mentioned conveying area M1. The wafer conveying mechanism M11 has a conveying arm M11a which is freely movable in the width direction (X direction of the drawing) and can be freely moved forward and backward, freely raised and lowered, and freely rotated around a vertical axis. The conveying arm M11a can be used to deliver wafers W between the delivery tower 21 and the anti-reflection film forming unit BCT1, between the anti-reflection film forming unit BCT1 and the vertical units T13 and T14, etc. The conveying arm M11a can also access the delivery tower 41 of the right submodule B22, which will be discussed later.

[0050] The second layer module L2 is constructed in the same manner as the first layer module L1. In addition, in the drawings, the conveying area provided in the second layer module L2 is marked as M2, the anti-reflection film forming unit is marked as BCT2, and the vertical units are marked as T21 to T26. In addition, the wafer conveying mechanism provided in the conveying area M2 is marked as M21, and the conveying arm of the wafer conveying mechanism M21 is marked as M21a.

[0051] For the third-layer module L3 and the first-layer module L1, the types of liquid processing units arranged on the front side are different, and the structures of the vertical units arranged on the back side are different. In the third-layer module L3, as a liquid processing unit, a developing unit DEV1 for developing the exposed wafer W is provided instead of the anti-reflection film forming unit BCT1. In addition, a developer is supplied from the nozzle 33 of the developing unit DEV1 as a processing liquid. In addition, in the third-layer module L3, the vertical units T31 to T34 respectively have the above-mentioned heating units. In addition, in the drawings, etc., the conveying area provided in the third-layer module L3 is marked as M3, the wafer conveying mechanism provided in the conveying area M3 is marked as M31, and the conveying arm of the wafer conveying mechanism M31 is marked as M31a.

[0052] The 4th layer module L4 to the 6th layer module L6 are constructed in the same manner as the 3rd layer module L3. In addition, in the drawings, the conveying areas provided in the 4th layer module L4 to the 6th layer module L6 are marked as M4 to M6, the developing units are marked as DEV2 to DEV4, and the vertical units are marked as T41 to T46, T51 to T56, and T61 to T66. In addition, the wafer conveying mechanisms provided in the conveying areas M4 to M6 are marked as M41, M51, and M61, and the conveying arms of the wafer conveying mechanisms M41, M51, and M61 are marked as M41a, M51a, and M61a, respectively.

[0053] like Figure 1 As shown, the right submodule B22 has a transfer tower 41 at a position adjacent to the conveying areas M1 to M6 of the left submodule B21 along the width direction (X direction in the drawing). Figure 2 As shown, the transfer tower 41 is provided so as to span the first-layer module P1 to the sixth-layer module P6 of the right submodule B22.

[0054] The multiple handover modules of the handover tower 41 are stacked in the vertical direction. The handover tower 41 is provided with handover modules at height positions corresponding to the first-layer modules L1 to the sixth-layer modules L6 and the first-layer modules P1 to the sixth-layer modules P6. Specifically, the handover tower 41 is provided with a handover module TRS21 at a position corresponding to the first-layer modules L1 and the first-layer modules P1. Similarly, a handover module TRS22 is provided at a position corresponding to the second-layer modules L2 and the second-layer modules P2. In addition, handover modules TRS23 to TRS26 and CPL23 to CPL26 are provided at positions corresponding to the third-layer modules L3 to the sixth-layer modules L6 and the third-layer modules P3 to the sixth-layer modules P6.

[0055] The delivery tower 41 is provided with a delivery module TRS20 at a height position accessible to the wafer transfer mechanisms Q11, Q21, and Q31 to be described later. The delivery module TRS20 is used, for example, when the wafer W is transferred from the right submodule B22 to the left submodule B21.

[0056] In addition, if Figure 1 As shown, the right submodule B22 is provided with a wafer conveying mechanism 42 on the inner side (positive side in the Y direction of the drawing) of the delivery tower 41. The wafer conveying mechanism 42 has a conveying arm 42a that can be freely advanced and retreated and raised and lowered, and can convey wafers W between the delivery modules of the delivery tower 41.

[0057] Next, the first-layer modules P1 to the sixth-layer modules P6 of the right submodule B22 will be described.

[0058] In this embodiment, the fourth layer module P4 to the sixth layer module P6 are provided with a processing unit such as a liquid processing unit, but the first layer module P1 to the third layer module P3 are not provided with a processing unit. Figure 1 , for the right submodule B22, the structure of the fourth-layer module P4 among the first-layer modules P1 to the sixth-layer modules P6 is shown.

[0059] For the 4th layer module P4 of the right submodule B22 and the 3rd layer module L3 of the left submodule B21, the structure of the type of liquid processing unit arranged on the front side is different. In the 4th layer module P4 of the right submodule B22, as a liquid processing unit, a resist film forming unit COT1 for forming a resist film on a wafer W formed with an anti-reflection film is provided instead of the developing unit DEV1. In addition, resist liquid is supplied from the nozzle 33 of the resist film forming unit COT1 as a processing liquid. In the accompanying drawings, etc., the conveying area arranged in the 4th layer module P4 is marked as Q4, and the vertical units are marked as U41~U44. The wafer conveying mechanism arranged in the conveying area Q4 is marked as Q41, and the conveying arm possessed by the wafer conveying mechanism Q41 is marked as Q41a. The transfer arm Q41a can transfer wafers W between the transfer tower 41 and the resist film forming unit COT1, between the resist film forming unit COT1 and the vertical units U11 to U14, etc. The transfer arm Q41a can also access the transfer tower 51 of the transfer module B3, which will be described later.

[0060] The fifth layer module P5 and the sixth layer module P6 are constructed in the same manner as the fourth layer module P4. In the drawings, the conveying areas provided in the fifth layer module P5 and the sixth layer module P6 are marked as Q5 and Q6, the resist film forming units are marked as COT2 and COT3, and the vertical units are marked as U51 to U54 and U61 to U64. In addition, the wafer conveying mechanisms provided in the conveying areas Q5 and Q6 are marked as Q51 and Q61, and the conveying arms of the wafer conveying mechanisms Q51 and Q61 are marked as Q51a and Q61a.

[0061] Similar to the 4th-layer modules P4 to the 6th-layer modules P6, the 1st-layer modules P1 to the 3rd-layer modules P3 are provided with conveying areas Q1 to Q3, and the conveying areas Q1 to Q3 are provided with wafer conveying mechanisms Q11, Q21, and Q31 having conveying arms Q11a, Q21a, and Q31a. However, in the 1st-layer modules P1 to the 3rd-layer modules P3, unlike the 4th-layer modules P4 to the 6th-layer modules P6, the conveying arms Q11a, Q21a, and Q31a are used when the wafer W is transferred between the transfer tower 41 and the transfer tower 51 of the transfer module B3 to be discussed later. In addition, in the 1st-layer modules P1 to the 3rd-layer modules P3, unlike the 4th-layer modules P4 to the 6th-layer modules P6, no processing unit is provided in the area closer to the front side and the inner side than the conveying areas Q1 to Q3. In the first-layer modules P1 to the third-layer modules P3, for example, the area closer to the front side than the conveying areas Q1 to Q3 is used as a chemical chamber CHE for storing processing liquid bottles for storing various processing liquids such as resist liquid, pumps for pressurizing and conveying various processing liquids, etc.

[0062] Furthermore, in processing module B2, if Figure 1 and Figure 3 As shown, the left submodule B21 and the right submodule B22 are provided with pipes 23 and 43, respectively. Specifically, in the left submodule B21, the pipe 23 is provided between the liquid processing units of the anti-reflection film forming units BCT1, BCT2 and the developing units DEV1 to DEV4 and the carrier module B1. In the right submodule B22, the pipe 43 is provided between the resist film forming units COT1 to COT3 and the adapter module B3 when viewed from above.

[0063] The pipes 23 and 43 supply clean air from the air conditioner S as an air supply source to each liquid processing unit. Filter units F are provided on the top of the anti-reflection film forming units BCT1 and BCT2, the developing units DEV1 to DEV4, and the resist film forming units COT1 to COT3, respectively. The filter unit F has, for example, an ULPA (Ultra Low Penetration Air) filter and a guide plate. The filter unit F uses a ULPA filter to purify the air blown from the air conditioner S by a fan, and uses a guide plate to supply the air toward the cup 32 in, for example, a downflow. The upstream end of the filter unit F of each liquid processing unit is connected to the pipes 23 and 43, and the upstream ends of the pipes 23 and 43 are respectively connected to one end of a flexible tube 24 and 44 as a connecting tube. The other end of the flexible tube 24 and 44 is connected to the above-mentioned air conditioner S.

[0064] like Figure 1 As shown, the transfer module B3 is provided with a transfer tower 51 at a position adjacent to the center area in the depth direction of the right submodule B22.

[0065] The transfer tower 51 has a plurality of transfer modules stacked in the vertical direction. The transfer tower 51 is provided with transfer modules TRS31 to TRS33 at height positions corresponding to the first to third modules P1 to P3 of the right submodule B22.

[0066] In addition, the transfer module B3 is provided with a wafer conveying mechanism 52 on the exposure device E side (the positive side in the X direction of the drawing). The wafer conveying mechanism 52 has a conveying arm 52a that is freely movable in the depth direction (the Y direction of the drawing) and can be raised and lowered. The conveying arm 52a can be used to convey the wafer W between the transfer tower 51 and the exposure device E.

[0067] The coating and developing device 1 constructed as described above has a control unit 100. The control unit 100 is a computer having, for example, a CPU, a memory, etc., and has a program storage unit (not shown). The program storage unit stores programs for controlling the operation of the drive system of the various processing units, wafer conveying mechanisms, etc., and performing various processes on the wafer W. In addition, the above-mentioned program may also be a program stored in a computer-readable storage medium, and installed from the storage medium to the control unit 100. Part or all of the program may also be implemented by dedicated hardware (circuit board).

[0068] Next, a coating and developing process performed using the coating and developing device 1 configured as described above will be described.

[0069] First, a carrier C containing a plurality of wafers W is transported to the carrier module B1 of the coating and developing device 1. Then, each wafer W in the carrier C is transported sequentially to the transfer module TRS10 of the transfer tower 21 by the wafer transport mechanism 13 and transported to the left submodule B21 of the processing module B2.

[0070] Next, the wafer W is transported by the wafer transport mechanism 22 to, for example, the delivery module TRS11 of the delivery tower 21 .

[0071] Next, the wafer W is transported by the wafer transport mechanism M11 to, for example, the vertical unit T11 (hydrophobic treatment unit) for hydrophobic treatment. Afterwards, the wafer W is transported by the wafer transport mechanism M11 in the order of, for example, the transfer module CPL11 → the anti-reflection film forming unit BCT1 → the vertical unit T13 (heat treatment unit) to form an anti-reflection film.

[0072] Next, the wafer W is transported by the wafer transport mechanism M11 to the transfer module TRS21 of the transfer tower 41, and is sent to the right submodule B22 of the processing module B2. After that, the wafer W is transported by the wafer transport mechanism 42 to, for example, the transfer module CPL24, and is sent to the fourth layer module P4. Then, the wafer W is transported by the wafer transport mechanism Q41 in the order of the resist film forming unit COT1 → the vertical unit U41 (heat treatment unit) → the transfer module TRS24, and a resist film is formed on the anti-reflection film.

[0073] Next, the wafer W is transported by the wafer transport mechanism 42 to, for example, the delivery module TRS20 corresponding to the first-layer module P1. Then, the wafer W is transported by the wafer transport mechanism Q11 to the delivery module TRS31 of the delivery tower 51 of the transfer module B3.

[0074] Next, the wafer W is transported to the exposure device E by the wafer transport mechanism 52 and exposed. After exposure, the wafer W is transported by the wafer transport mechanism 52 to, for example, the delivery module TRS33 of the delivery tower 51. Next, the wafer W is transported to the processing module B2 again by the wafer transport mechanism Q31 and transported to the delivery module TRS20 corresponding to the third-layer module P3 of the delivery tower 41.

[0075] Afterwards, the wafer W is transported by the wafer transport mechanism 42 to, for example, the transfer module TRS24 of the transfer tower 41. Next, the wafer W is transported to the left submodule B21 by the wafer transport mechanism M41, and is transported to, for example, the vertical unit T41 (heat treatment unit) and subjected to PEB treatment. Afterwards, the wafer W is transported by the wafer transport mechanism M41 in the order of the transfer module CPL24 → the developing unit DEV1. Thus, the wafer W is subjected to development treatment, and a resist pattern is formed on the wafer W.

[0076] After the development process, the wafer W is transported by the wafer transport mechanism M41 to the vertical unit T43 (heat treatment unit) → the transfer module CPL14. Thereafter, the wafer W is transported by the wafer transport mechanism 22 to the transfer module TRS10. Then, the wafer W is transported out of the processing module B2 by the wafer transport mechanism 13 and returned to the carrier C.

[0077] Next, the pipes 23 and 43 and the flexible tubes 24 and 44 are described in more detail. In the following, the flow rate of air supplied to each liquid processing unit, namely, the anti-reflection film forming units BCT1 and BCT2, the developing units DEV1 to DEV4, and the resist film forming units COT1 to COT3, through the pipes 23 and 43 is equal between the units.

[0078] Pipe 23, 43 as Figure 3 The pipe 23 is provided in a manner extending in the vertical direction as shown. The pipe 23 is connected to six liquid processing units, namely, the anti-reflection film forming units BCT1, BCT2 and the developing units DEV1 to DEV4, from the lower end to the upper end. On the other hand, the pipe 43 is connected to three liquid processing units, namely, the resist film forming units COT1 to COT3, from the middle portion in the vertical direction to the upper end. That is, the numbers of liquid processing units connected to the pipes 23 and 43 are different from each other.

[0079] In addition, the lengths of pipes 23 and 43 are equal to each other. In contrast, the internal cross-sectional area of ​​pipes 23 and 43 becomes a value corresponding to the total flow rate of air to the liquid processing units connected to the pipes. In the present embodiment, the flow rate of air supplied to the liquid processing units is equal between the units, and therefore, the internal cross-sectional area of ​​pipes 23 and 43 becomes a value corresponding to the number of liquid processing units connected to the pipes. The number of liquid processing units connected to pipe 23 is 6, and the number of liquid processing units connected to pipe 43 is 3, and therefore, the internal cross-sectional area of ​​pipe 43 is smaller, being 1 / 2 of the internal cross-sectional area of ​​pipe 23.

[0080] By setting the cross-sectional area of ​​the inside of pipes 23 and 43 to a value corresponding to the total flow rate of air to the liquid processing units connected to the pipes, the flow velocity of pipe 43 is made equal to the flow velocity of pipe 23 having a faster flow velocity. Thus, the flow velocity of air in pipes 23 and 43 is equal.

[0081] In addition, the lengths of the flexible tubes 24 and 44 are equal to each other. In contrast, the internal cross-sectional area of ​​the flexible tubes 24 and 44 becomes a value corresponding to the total flow rate of air to the liquid processing units connected to the pipes connected to the flexible tubes. In the present embodiment, the flow rate of air supplied to the liquid processing units is equal between the units, and therefore, the internal cross-sectional area of ​​the flexible tubes 24 and 44 becomes a value corresponding to the number of liquid processing units connected to the pipes connected to the flexible tubes. The number of liquid processing units connected to the pipe 23 is 6, and the number of liquid processing units connected to the pipe 43 is 3, and therefore, the internal cross-sectional area of ​​the flexible tube 44 becomes 1 / 2 of the internal cross-sectional area of ​​the flexible tube 24.

[0082] By setting the cross-sectional area of ​​the inside of the flexible tubes 24 and 44 to a value corresponding to the total flow rate of air to the liquid processing unit connected to the pipe connected to the flexible tube, the flow rate of the flexible tube 44 is made to be equal to the flow rate of the flexible tube 24 having a faster flow rate. As a result, the flow rate of the air in the flexible tubes 24 and 44 is equal. In other words, the flow rate of the air supplied to the pipes 23 and 43 through the flexible tubes is equal.

[0083] In the above description, the flow rate of the air in the ducts 23 and 43 and the flow rate of the air supplied to the ducts 23 and 43 through the flexible tubes 24 and 44 are both equal between the ducts, but either one may be equal between the ducts.

[0084] As described above, in the present embodiment, the coating and developing device 1 has two ducts 23 and 43 for supplying air to the liquid processing units, each duct has a flexible tube 24 and 44 connecting the duct and the air conditioner S, and different numbers of liquid processing units are connected to the two ducts 23 and 43. In the present embodiment, at least one of the flow rate of the air in the ducts 23 and 43 and the flow rate of the air supplied to the ducts 23 and 43 via the flexible tubes 24 and 44 is equal between the ducts.

[0085] When the air flow rate in the pipes 23 and 43 is equal between the pipes, the time that the air stays in the pipe 43 with a smaller number of liquid processing units connected is not longer than the time that the air stays in the pipe 23 with a larger number of connections. Therefore, in the pipe 43 with a smaller number of liquid processing units connected, it is possible to prevent the temperature difference and humidity difference of the air supplied between the liquid processing unit connected to the upstream side of the pipe and the liquid processing unit connected to the downstream side of the pipe (for example, the resist film forming unit COT1 and the resist film forming unit COT3) from becoming larger. Moreover, when the air flow rate in the pipes 23 and 43 is equal between the pipes, it is possible to reduce the temperature difference and humidity difference of the air supplied between the liquid processing unit of the nth layer module (n is an integer of 4 to 6) connected to the pipe 23 and the liquid processing unit of the nth layer module connected to the pipe 43.

[0086] In addition, when the flow rate of air supplied to the pipes 23 and 43 via the flexible pipes 24 and 44 is equal between the pipes, in other words, when the flow rate of air in the flexible pipes 24 and 44 is equal between the flexible pipes, it is as follows. That is, in this case, the time for air to stay in the flexible pipe 44 connected to the pipe 43 with a smaller number of connections to the liquid processing unit is not longer than the time for air to stay in the flexible pipe 24 connected to the pipe 23 with a larger number of connections. Therefore, there is no significant difference between the temperature and humidity of air supplied from the flexible pipe 44 connected to the pipe 43 with a smaller number of connections and the temperature and humidity of air supplied from the flexible pipe 24 connected to the pipe 23 with a smaller number of connections to the pipe 23. Therefore, the temperature difference and humidity difference of air supplied between the liquid processing unit connected to the pipe 23 and the liquid processing unit connected to the pipe 43 can be reduced.

[0087] Therefore, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to reduce inter-unit differences in the temperature and humidity of the clean air supplied to each liquid processing unit.

[0088] In addition, when a processing module is composed of a plurality of submodules for transportation purposes, submodules of substantially the same size may be used for design efficiency, etc. In this case, there may be a case where only the liquid processing unit, the heat treatment unit, etc. do not fill up the space in the submodule. For example, in such a case, the number of connections of the liquid processing unit may be different between the pipes as in the present embodiment.

[0089] Next, another configuration of the coating and developing apparatus 1 for reducing the difference in temperature and humidity between the liquid processing units will be described.

[0090] Figure 5 and Figure 6 The three-dimensional view and the top view respectively partially and schematically show the interior of the processing module B2.

[0091] like Figure 5 As shown in the figure, the duct 23 is covered by a heat insulating member 23a that insulates the air flowing in the duct 23 from the heat outside the duct 23. The heat insulating member 23a is formed of, for example, a resin material with a low thermal conductivity. In the example of the figure, the heat insulating member 23a covers the entire vertical direction of the front side (negative side in the Y direction of the figure), the left side (negative side in the X direction of the figure), and the inner side (positive side in the Y direction of the figure) of the duct 23 formed in a rectangular parallelepiped shape.

[0092] In addition, if Figure 6 As shown, the heat insulating member 23 a is attached to the duct 23 so that an air layer 23 b is formed between the heat insulating member 23 a and the outer peripheral surface of the duct 23 .

[0093] By providing the heat insulating member 23a as described above, it is possible to prevent the air flowing in the pipe 23 from being heated up due to the influence of the outside of the pipe. If the air flowing in the pipe 23 is heated up due to the influence of the outside, the temperature difference and humidity difference of the air supplied between the liquid processing unit connected to the upstream side of the pipe and the liquid processing unit connected to the downstream side of the pipe will increase. In view of this, the heat insulating member 23a is provided to prevent the air flowing in the pipe 23 from being heated up due to the influence of the outside of the pipe, thereby preventing the above-mentioned temperature difference and humidity difference from increasing.

[0094] In addition, by installing the heat insulating member 23a so as to form the air layer 23b, the influence of the outside of the duct on the air in the duct can be further reduced, so that the temperature difference and humidity difference of the air supplied between the liquid processing unit on the upstream side of the duct and the liquid processing unit on the downstream side of the duct can be further reduced.

[0095] Although not shown in the drawings, a heat insulating member is also provided in the duct 43 .

[0096] Figure 7 and Figure 8 Each of the diagram is a front view and a perspective view partially and schematically showing the upper portion of the process module B2.

[0097] like Figure 7 As shown, the processing module B2 has a housing 10 that accommodates various processing units and pipes 23 and 43. In addition, the processing module B2 is provided with a plurality of electrical equipment units 200 above the housing 10, which are formed by unitizing electrical equipment provided for the liquid processing unit and the like.

[0098] like Figure 8 As shown, a pair of guide rails 210 are provided on the top surface 10a of the housing 10. The pair of guide rails 210 are used to move the electrical installation unit 200 in the depth direction (Y direction of the drawing) so that the electrical installation unit 200 can be installed or removed relative to the top surface 10a. A guide groove 211 is formed on the guide rail 210 so as to extend in the depth direction.

[0099] The electrical equipment unit 200 includes a unit body 201, and electrical equipment is stored inside the unit body 201. The electrical equipment includes, for example, a control device, an amplifier, a power supply, a driver, a contactor, a circuit breaker, and the like.

[0100] A protrusion member 202 is provided on the lower side of the unit body 201. The protrusion member 202 has a protrusion 203 extending in the depth direction. The electrical installation unit 200 is configured to be movable in the depth direction along the guide rail 210 by using the guide groove 211 of the guide rail 210 and the protrusion 203 of the protrusion member 202.

[0101] Furthermore, in this example, the protruding member 202 of the electrical installation unit 200 is mounted on the lower surface of the unit body 201 by means of a supporting member 204. The supporting member 204 has a leg portion 205 formed in a manner extending in the up-down direction. The electrical installation unit 200 is lifted by the supporting member 204 having the leg portion 205 and is disposed above the housing 10 at a position separated from the top surface 10a of the housing 10. Thus, the air supplied to the liquid processing unit of the processing module B2 close to the top surface 10a of the housing 10 is not affected by the heat from the electrical installation unit 200. Therefore, the supplied air does not generate a temperature difference or a humidity difference between the liquid processing unit close to the top surface 10a and other liquid processing units due to the heat from the electrical installation unit 200.

[0102] When the electrical equipment unit 200 is raised in this manner, it is preferable to reduce the height of the unit body 201 by an amount corresponding to the raising by, for example, increasing the mounting density of electrical equipment in the unit body 201 .

[0103] Fig. 9 and Fig.10 The three-dimensional view and the bottom view respectively partially and schematically show the lower surfaces of the processing module B2 and the carrier module B1.

[0104] like Fig. 9 and Fig.10 As shown, the flexible tube 24 connected to the pipe 23 extends and is exposed from the lower surface of the housing 10 of the processing module B2. A partition plate 24a is provided around the flexible tube 24 when viewed from below. A specific example of the installation position of the partition plate 24a is as follows.

[0105] The lower surface of the carrier module B1 is provided with an exhaust hole 301. The exhaust hole 301 allows air exhausted from a fan (not shown) used to adjust the pressure inside the carrier module B1 to be exhausted to the outside of the carrier module B1. A partition plate 24a is provided between the exhaust hole 301 and the flexible tube 24 when viewed from above.

[0106] In addition, the partition plate 24a may be provided on the back side (positive side in the Y direction of the drawing) of the flexible tube 24. Furthermore, the partition plate 24a may be provided on the front side (negative side in the Y direction of the drawing) of the flexible tube 24.

[0107] By providing the partition plate 24a as described above, the air in the flexible tube 24 is not affected by the surrounding heat, especially the heat of the exhaust gas from the exhaust hole 301 on the lower surface of the carrier module B1. Therefore, the supplied air does not generate a temperature difference or a humidity difference between the liquid processing unit connected to the pipe 23 connected by the flexible tube 24 and the liquid processing unit connected to the pipe 43 connected by the flexible tube 44 due to the heat from the outside of the flexible tube 24.

[0108] Fig.11 It is a perspective view schematically showing the lower portion of the process module B2.

[0109] As shown in the figure, the process module B2 has a cover 400 that covers from the front a gap between the lower surface of the housing 10 and the floor FL where the coating and developing device 1 is installed. The cover 400 has a plurality of through holes 401 that penetrate in the depth direction.

[0110] By providing such a cover 400, it is possible to prevent heat from being trapped in the lower side of the housing 10. Therefore, the liquid processing unit close to the lower surface of the housing 10 is not affected by the heat trapped in the lower side of the housing 10. Therefore, the heat trapped in the lower side of the housing 10 does not cause a temperature difference or a humidity difference between the processing unit close to the lower surface of the housing 10 and other processing units.

[0111] In addition, the coating and developing apparatus 1 may be provided with a cabinet for storing electrical components on the side of the process module B2.

[0112] Fig.12 It is a perspective view showing an example of the above-mentioned cabinet.

[0113] The cabinet 500 of the drawing is provided with a box 501 for storing electrical components. The box 501 is provided, for example, on the right side (positive side in the X direction of the drawing) of the fourth-layer module P4 of the right submodule B22 of the processing module B2.

[0114] The housing 501 includes a top plate 510 and a frame 520 to which the top plate is mounted.

[0115] A through hole 511 is formed in the top plate 510, which passes through in the up-down direction. Thus, the heat of the electrical components in the housing 501 will not be trapped in the housing 501. Therefore, the air in the liquid processing unit near the housing 501 and the duct 43 will not be affected by the heat trapped in the housing 501. Therefore, the heat trapped in the housing 501 will not cause a temperature difference or humidity difference between the processing unit near the housing 501 and other processing units.

[0116] The housing 10 of the processing module B2 has a through hole 10b extending in the width direction at a position above the housing 501 on the side of the cabinet 500. The through hole 10b allows heat transferred from the housing 501 to the processing module B2 to be released through the through hole 10b.

[0117] Furthermore, the cabinet 500 has a cover plate 502 that covers the through hole 511 of the top plate 510 from above at a position opposite to the top plate 510 of the box 501. By providing the cover plate 502, when water is released from a sprinkler (not shown), it is possible to prevent the electrical installation in the box 501 from malfunctioning. In addition, the distance between the cover plate 502 and the top plate 510 is, for example, 150 mm.

[0118] Fig.13 yes Fig.12 A partial enlarged view of .

[0119] As shown in the figure, a leg portion 512 having an L-shape in side view is provided on the top plate 510 of the box body 501. The top plate 510 is mounted on the upper surface of the frame body 520 by means of the leg portion 512, so that a gap 521 can be formed between the top plate 510 and the frame body 520. The gap 521 can be used to dissipate heat from the electrical components in the box body 501.

[0120] In the above example, the processing module B2 is composed of two sub-modules, but may be composed of three or more sub-modules.

[0121] In addition, the processing module B2 may also be composed of one module. In this case, the transfer tower 41 and the wafer conveying mechanism 42 are omitted. In this case, the wafer conveying mechanisms Q11, Q21, and Q31 are omitted, and the wafer conveying mechanisms M11, M21, and M31 may also be configured to access the transfer tower 51. Moreover, the wafer conveying mechanisms Q41, Q51, and Q61 are also omitted, and the wafer conveying mechanism M41 may also be configured to access COT1 and the vertical units U41 to U44, and the wafer conveying mechanisms M51 and M61 are also configured in the same manner.

[0122] In addition, in the above example, the number of connections is also multiple for the pipe with a smaller number of connections in the liquid processing unit, but the number of connections may be 1 for the pipe with a smaller number of connections. In the above example, the ratio of the number of connections of the pipe with a smaller number of connections to the number of connections of the pipe with a larger number of connections is 1:2, but it may be larger or smaller than 1:2. In other words, the number of connections may be different between pipes.

[0123] In addition, the above example is an example in which the flow rate of the air in the pipe is "equal" between the pipes, and the flow rate of the air supplied to the pipe through the connecting pipe is "equal" between the pipes. The "equal" here does not require strict consistency of the measured values ​​of the flow rate. As long as the pipe or the connecting pipe has the structure disclosed in the above example, the difference between the units of the temperature and humidity of the clean air supplied to each processing unit is reduced, and the measured values ​​of the flow rate with slight differences as a result of comparison are also included in the range of "equal".

[0124] The embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and should not be construed as restrictive. The embodiments described above may be omitted, replaced, or modified in various forms without departing from the appended claims and the gist thereof.

[0125] In addition, the following structures also belong to the protection scope of the present disclosure.

[0126] (1) A substrate processing apparatus having a plurality of processing units for processing substrates, wherein:

[0127] The substrate processing apparatus has a plurality of ducts for supplying air to the processing unit.

[0128] Each of the pipes has a connecting pipe connecting the pipe and an air supply source.

[0129] The plurality of pipelines are connected to different numbers of the processing units.

[0130] At least one of a flow rate of the air in the duct and a flow rate of the air supplied to the duct via the connecting pipe is equal between the ducts.

[0131] According to (1) above, in a substrate processing apparatus having a plurality of processing units, it is possible to reduce inter-unit differences in temperature and humidity of clean air supplied to each processing unit.

[0132] (2) The substrate processing apparatus according to (1), wherein:

[0133] Satisfies at least one of the following conditions (A) and (B),

[0134] (A) the ducts each have a cross-sectional area corresponding to the total flow rate of air to the processing unit connected to the duct;

[0135] (B) Each of the connecting pipes has a cross-sectional area corresponding to a total flow rate of air to the processing unit connected to the duct connected to the connecting pipe.

[0136] (3) The substrate processing apparatus according to (1) or (2), wherein:

[0137] The duct is covered with a heat insulating member that thermally insulates air flowing in the duct from the heat outside the duct.

[0138] (4) The substrate processing apparatus according to (3), wherein:

[0139] An air layer is formed between the pipe and the heat insulating member.

[0140] (5) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein:

[0141] The substrate processing apparatus includes a housing for housing the processing unit.

[0142] (6) The substrate processing apparatus according to (5), wherein:

[0143] The substrate processing device has an electrical installation.

[0144] The electrical equipment is provided above the housing and at a position separated from the housing.

[0145] (7) The substrate processing apparatus according to (5) or (6), wherein:

[0146] The shell accommodates the pipeline, and the connecting pipe extends from the lower surface of the shell.

[0147] A partition plate is provided around the connection pipe when viewed from below.

[0148] (8) The substrate processing apparatus according to (7), wherein:

[0149] The substrate processing device comprises a carrier module for carrying in and out a carrier containing a plurality of substrates.

[0150] The bearing module is adjacent to the housing,

[0151] The partition plate is provided between the exhaust hole formed on the lower surface of the carrier module and the connection pipe when viewed from below.

[0152] (9) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (5) to (8), wherein:

[0153] The substrate processing device includes a cover covering a gap between a lower surface of the housing and a ground on which the substrate processing device is installed.

[0154] The cover is formed with a through hole.

[0155] (10) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (5) to (9), wherein:

[0156] A cabinet having a box for storing electrical components is provided on the side of the housing.

[0157] (11) The substrate processing apparatus according to (10), wherein:

[0158] The top plate of the box body is formed with a through hole.

[0159] (12) The substrate processing apparatus according to (11), wherein:

[0160] The cabinet has a cover plate at a position facing the top plate of the box body, the cover plate covering the through hole of the top plate from above.

[0161] (13) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (10) to (12), wherein:

[0162] The box body comprises a top plate and a frame body for mounting the top plate.

[0163] A gap is provided between the frame and the top plate.

[0164] (14) The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (10) to (13), wherein:

[0165] A through hole is formed on the side surface of the housing at a position above the box body.

[0166] (15) An air supply method for supplying clean air to each of a plurality of processing units for processing substrates in a substrate processing apparatus having the processing units, wherein:

[0167] The substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of ducts for supplying air to the processing unit.

[0168] Each of the pipes has a connecting pipe connecting the pipe and an air supply source.

[0169] The plurality of pipelines are connected to different numbers of the processing units.

[0170] At least one of the flow rate of the air in the duct and the flow rate of the air supplied to the duct via the connecting pipe is equal between the ducts.

[0171] In the air supply method,

[0172] Clean air from the air supply source is supplied to the processing units respectively through the connecting pipe and the duct.

Claims

1. A substrate processing device having a plurality of processing units for processing substrates, wherein: The substrate processing apparatus has a plurality of ducts for supplying air to the processing unit. Each of the pipes has a connecting pipe connecting the pipe and an air supply source. The plurality of pipelines are connected to different numbers of the processing units. At least one of the flow rate of the air in the duct and the flow rate of the air supplied to the duct via the connecting pipe is equal between the ducts. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus satisfies at least one of the following conditions (A) and (B), (A) the ducts each have a cross-sectional area corresponding to the total flow rate of air to the processing unit connected to the duct, so that the flow rate of air in the duct is equal between the ducts; (B) The connecting pipes each have a cross-sectional area corresponding to a total flow rate of air to the processing unit connected to the duct connected to the connecting pipe, so that the flow rate of air supplied to the duct through the connecting pipe is equal between the ducts.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The duct is covered with a heat insulating member that thermally insulates air flowing in the duct from the heat outside the duct.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: An air layer is formed between the pipe and the heat insulating member.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein: The substrate processing apparatus includes a housing for housing the processing unit.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: The substrate processing device has an electrical installation. The electrical equipment is provided above the housing and at a position separated from the housing.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: The shell accommodates the pipeline, and the connecting pipe extends from the lower surface of the shell. A partition plate is provided around the connection pipe when viewed from below.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein: The substrate processing device comprises a carrier module for carrying in and out a carrier containing a plurality of substrates. The bearing module is adjacent to the housing, The partition plate is provided between the exhaust hole formed on the lower surface of the carrier module and the connection pipe when viewed from below.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: The substrate processing device includes a cover covering a gap between a lower surface of the housing and a ground on which the substrate processing device is installed. The cover is formed with a through hole.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein: A cabinet having a box for storing electrical components is provided on the side of the housing.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: The top plate of the box body is formed with a through hole.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein: The cabinet has a cover plate at a position facing the top plate of the box body, the cover plate covering the through hole of the top plate from above.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: The box body comprises a top plate and a frame body for mounting the top plate. A gap is provided between the frame and the top plate.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: A through hole is formed on the side surface of the housing at a position above the box body.

14. An air supply method, which is an air supply method for supplying clean air to each of the processing units in a substrate processing apparatus having a plurality of processing units for processing substrates, wherein: The substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of ducts for supplying air to the processing unit. Each of the pipes has a connecting pipe connecting the pipe and an air supply source. The plurality of pipelines are connected to different numbers of the processing units. At least one of the flow rate of the air in the duct and the flow rate of the air supplied to the duct via the connecting pipe is equal between the ducts. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus satisfies at least one of the following conditions (A) and (B), (A) the ducts each have a cross-sectional area corresponding to the total flow rate of air to the processing unit connected to the duct, so that the flow rate of air in the duct is equal between the ducts; (B) the connecting pipes each have a cross-sectional area corresponding to the total flow rate of air to the processing unit connected to the pipe connected to the connecting pipe, so that the flow rate of air supplied to the pipe through the connecting pipe is equal between the pipes, In the air supply method, Clean air from the air supply source is supplied to the processing units respectively through the connecting pipe and the duct.

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