Substrate processing equipment

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing apparatus enabling suppression of deterioration of comfort of working environment at the circumference of the substrate processing apparatus.SOLUTION: A development apparatus 1 comprises: a housing CA; an air-current formation unit; and a substrate holding device 70. The air-current formation unit forms clean downward air current in an internal space of the housing CA. The development apparatus 1 further comprises: a plurality of nozzles 310; and a partitioning mechanism. A plurality of nozzles 310 supplies processing liquid to a substrate W held by the substrate holding device 70. The partitioning mechanism divides the internal space of the housing CA into a processing space SPa and a non-processing space SPb while the substrate W is held by the substrate holding device 70. The processing space SPa is a space including the substrate W held by the substrate holding device 70. The partitioning mechanism includes; a cup 40 that receives the processing liquid scattered from the substrate W; a partitioning plate 100 that is provided above the cup 40 and includes a nozzle opening 110 and a plurality of through-holes; and a cover member 330 that covers the nozzle opening 110.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 15

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that performs processing on a substrate using a processing liquid.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, in order to perform predetermined processing using a processing liquid on various substrates such as substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs) used in liquid crystal display devices or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display devices, semiconductor substrates, optical disk substrates, magnetic disk substrates, magneto-optical disk substrates, photomask substrates, ceramic substrates, or solar cell substrates, a substrate processing apparatus is used.

[0003] As such a substrate processing apparatus, there is a developing apparatus that performs development processing of a photosensitive film using a developer. When the developer has a strong odor, if the atmosphere containing the developer leaks to the outside of the developing apparatus, the comfort of the working environment around the developing apparatus deteriorates. In order to suppress the deterioration of the comfort of the working environment, a configuration for suppressing the leakage of the atmosphere containing the developer has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] The developing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has a configuration in which a substrate holding unit, a nozzle, a nozzle cover, a container, and a cup are housed in a housing. The substrate holding unit is configured to be able to hold the substrate in a horizontal posture. The nozzle is provided at a position above the substrate holding unit and is configured to be able to supply the developer to the substrate held by the substrate holding unit. The nozzle cover has a cylindrical shape and is provided so as to surround the nozzle in plan view and overlap at least a part of the nozzle in side view.

[0005] The container is provided at a position below the nozzle cover so as to be separated from the nozzle cover and houses the lower part of the substrate holding unit. The container also has an exhaust part that discharges the atmosphere inside the housing to the outside of the housing. The cup has a cylindrical shape that surrounds the substrate holding unit in plan view and is provided so as to be able to move up and down.

[0006] During the substrate development process, the cup is held so that it overlaps the lower edge of the nozzle cover and the upper edge of the housing when viewed from the side. This creates a processing space within the housing surrounded by the nozzle cover, cup, and housing, while a non-processing space is formed surrounding the processing space. In this state, a downward airflow is formed within the housing. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2021-86994 [Overview of the project] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0008] In the developing apparatus of Patent Document 1 having the above configuration, the pressure in the processing space inside the housing is made lower than the pressure in the non-processing space, thereby suppressing the leakage of the atmosphere containing the developing solution to the outside of the housing through the non-processing space. However, in the developing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, it is actually difficult to make the pressure in the processing space lower than the pressure in the non-processing space to the extent that the atmosphere inside the processing space does not leak into the non-processing space.

[0009] The objective of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus that can suppress the deterioration of the working environment around the substrate processing apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] (1) A substrate processing apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention comprises a chamber having an internal space, an airflow forming unit that supplies gas into the chamber to form a downward airflow, a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate in the chamber, a nozzle that supplies processing liquid to the substrate from a processing position above the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and a partitioning mechanism that, with the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, partitions the internal space of the chamber into a processing space including the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and a non-processing space surrounding at least a part of the processing space, wherein the partitioning mechanism comprises a processing cup that surrounds the substrate held by the substrate holding unit in a plan view and overlaps the substrate held by the substrate holding unit in a side view, forming a processing space, a partitioning plate provided above the processing cup and having a plurality of through holes that guide a part of the downward airflow into the processing space and a nozzle opening formed to overlap the processing position in a plan view, and with the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the nozzle in the processing position, the nozzle opening allows the supply of processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate. the whole It includes a lid member configured to cover it.

[0011] In this substrate processing apparatus, with the substrate held by the substrate holder, the internal space of the chamber is divided into a processing space and a non-processing space by a processing cup and a partition plate. A portion of the downdraft airflow is guided into the processing space through multiple through-holes in the partition plate. In this case, the amount of gas supplied to the processing space can be reduced compared to the amount of gas supplied to the non-processing space. As a result, the pressure in the processing space can be lowered compared to the pressure in the non-processing space.

[0012] If the pressure in the processing space is lower than the pressure in the non-processing space, the atmosphere in the processing space is less likely to penetrate the non-processing space. Therefore, even if an odor is generated in the processing space due to the processing liquid, that odor is less likely to leak out of the chamber.

[0013] Furthermore, in the above configuration, a nozzle opening is formed in the partition plate. With this configuration, the nozzle and the lid member do not interfere with each other when the nozzle is in the processing position. Also, when the nozzle is in the processing position, the nozzle opening formed in the partition plate the wholeThis is covered by a lid member. This reduces the leakage of the atmosphere in the processing space from the nozzle opening into the non-processing space when the processing liquid is supplied from the nozzle to the substrate.

[0014] As a result, it becomes possible to suppress the decline in the comfort of the working environment around the substrate processing equipment.

[0015] (2) The substrate processing apparatus may further include a nozzle drive unit that moves the nozzle between the processing position and a standby position to the side of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit. In this case, the nozzle can be held in the standby position when the substrate is not being processed. This allows processing such as dummy dispensing to be performed when the nozzle is in the standby position. Therefore, it is prevented that unnecessary processing liquid will fall from the nozzle in the processing position and that the tip of the nozzle in the processing position will dry out, thereby suppressing the occurrence of substrate processing defects.

[0016] (3) The substrate processing apparatus further includes a support that supports the nozzle and the lid member, and the nozzle drive unit may move the nozzle and the lid member by moving or rotating the support. In this case, when the nozzle moves between the standby position and the processing position, the nozzle and the lid member move together. Therefore, interference between the nozzle and the lid member can be prevented.

[0017] (4) The substrate processing apparatus may further include an exhaust unit that discharges the atmosphere of the processing space to the outside of the chamber. In this case, by discharging the atmosphere of the processing space, the pressure of the processing space can be easily made lower than the pressure of the non-processing space.

[0018] (5) A substrate processing apparatus according to another aspect of the present invention includes a chamber having an internal space, an airflow forming unit that supplies gas into the chamber to form a downward airflow, a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate in the chamber, a nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate from a processing position above the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and a partitioning mechanism that, with the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, partitions the internal space of the chamber into a processing space including the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and a non-processing space surrounding at least a part of the processing space, wherein the partitioning mechanism includes a processing cup that surrounds the substrate held by the substrate holding unit in a plan view and overlaps the substrate held by the substrate holding unit in a side view, forming a processing space, a partitioning plate provided above the processing cup and having a plurality of through holes that guide a part of the downward airflow into the processing space and a nozzle opening formed to overlap the processing position in a plan view, and a lid member configured to cover the nozzle opening while allowing the supply of processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate with the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the nozzle in the processing position. The partition plate has a first wall portion extending upward from the inner edge of the nozzle opening, and the lid member has a lid body portion that is larger than the nozzle opening in a plan view, and a second wall portion extending downward from the outer edge of the lid body portion, and when the nozzle opening is covered by the lid member, the second wall portion is held so as to surround at least a part of the first wall portion in a plan view, overlap at least a part of the first wall portion in a side view, and not in contact with the partition plate. ru .

[0019] In this case, since the lid member and the partition plate do not come into contact when the nozzle opening is covered by the lid member, the generation of particles caused by contact between multiple members is suppressed. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, when the nozzle opening is covered by the lid member, a gap space is formed between the space located inside the first wall of the partition plate and the space located to the side of the second wall of the lid member, sandwiched between the first and second walls. As a result, compared to the case where the first and second walls do not exist, the outflow of the atmosphere from the processing space through the nozzle opening into the non-processing space is reduced.

[0020] (6) A substrate processing apparatus according to yet another aspect of the present invention includes a chamber having an internal space, an airflow forming unit that supplies gas into the chamber to form a downward airflow, a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate in the chamber, a nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate from a processing position above the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and a partitioning mechanism that, with the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, partitions the internal space of the chamber into a processing space including the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and a non-processing space surrounding at least a part of the processing space, wherein the partitioning mechanism includes a processing cup that surrounds the substrate held by the substrate holding unit in a plan view and overlaps the substrate held by the substrate holding unit in a side view, forming a processing space, a partitioning plate provided above the processing cup and having a plurality of through holes that guide a part of the downward airflow into the processing space and a nozzle opening formed to overlap the processing position in a plan view, and a lid member configured to cover the nozzle opening while allowing the supply of processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate with the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the nozzle in the processing position. The partitioning mechanism further includes a cylindrical member formed to surround the partition plate in a plan view, extend downward from the outer edge of the partition plate, and surround the upper part of the processing cup in a plan view, and the processing cup is configured to move up and down in a vertical direction so as to transition between a first state in a side view where the upper part of the processing cup is separated from the cylindrical member and a second state in a side view where the upper part of the processing cup overlaps the cylindrical member. doing .

[0021] In this case, with the substrate held by the substrate holder, the processing cup is set to the second state, so that the processing space surrounding the substrate is separated from the unprocessed space by the processing cup, partition plate, and cylindrical member. At this time, a gap space is formed between the processing space and the unprocessed space, sandwiched between the cylindrical member and the upper part of the processing cup. As a result, compared to the case where the cylindrical member is absent, the outflow of the atmosphere from the processing space into the unprocessed space from between the processing cup and partition plate is reduced. Furthermore, with the above configuration, when the processing cup is set to the first state, it becomes possible to transfer the substrate to the substrate holder.

[0022] (7) A substrate processing apparatus according to yet another aspect of the present invention includes a chamber having an internal space, an airflow forming unit that supplies gas into the chamber to form a downward airflow, a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate in the chamber, a nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate from a processing position above the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and a partitioning mechanism that, with the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, partitions the internal space of the chamber into a processing space including the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and a non-processing space surrounding at least a part of the processing space, wherein the partitioning mechanism includes a processing cup that surrounds the substrate held by the substrate holding unit in a plan view and overlaps the substrate held by the substrate holding unit in a side view, forming a processing space, a partitioning plate provided above the processing cup and having a plurality of through holes that guide a part of the downward airflow into the processing space and a nozzle opening formed to overlap the processing position in a plan view, and a lid member configured to cover the nozzle opening while allowing the supply of processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate with the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the nozzle in the processing position.When the processing liquid is supplied from the nozzle to the substrate, the substrate holding part is configured to be able to rotate the held substrate in a horizontal posture. The partition plate has a disk shape larger than the substrate held by the substrate holding part. When a circular central region including the center of the partition plate in plan view and having a certain radius and an annular outer peripheral region including the outer peripheral end portion of the partition plate in plan view and having a width equal to the certain radius in the radial direction of the partition plate are defined on the partition plate, the plurality of through holes are formed dispersedly on the partition plate, and the number of through holes formed in the outer peripheral region of the partition plate is larger than the number of through holes formed in the central region of the partition plate. stomach .

[0023] In this case, in the processing space, the amount of the downward airflow guided to the vicinity of the inner peripheral surface of the processing cup can be increased with respect to the amount of the downward airflow guided to the central portion of the substrate. Thereby, the generation of the upward airflow in the vicinity of the inner peripheral surface of the processing cup during the rotation of the substrate is suppressed. Therefore, in the processing space, the scattering of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate upward near the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate is suppressed.

[0024] (8 )A substrate processing apparatus according to yet another aspect of the present invention comprises a chamber having an internal space; an airflow forming unit that supplies gas into the chamber to form a downward airflow; a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate in the chamber; a nozzle that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate from a processing position above the substrate held by the substrate holding unit; and a partitioning mechanism that, with the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, partitions the internal space of the chamber into a processing space including the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and a non-processing space surrounding at least a part of the processing space, wherein the partitioning mechanism includes a processing cup that surrounds the substrate held by the substrate holding unit in a plan view and overlaps the substrate held by the substrate holding unit in a side view, forming a processing space; a partitioning plate provided above the processing cup and having a plurality of through holes that guide a part of the downward airflow into the processing space and a nozzle opening formed to overlap the processing position in a plan view; and a lid member configured to cover the nozzle opening while allowing the supply of processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate with the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the nozzle in the processing position. When the processing liquid is supplied from the nozzle to the substrate, the substrate holding part is configured to be able to rotate the held substrate in a horizontal posture. The partition plate has a disk shape larger than the substrate held by the substrate holding part. The nozzle opening of the partition plate faces the central portion of the substrate held by the substrate holding part. When a virtual circle centered on the center of the partition plate in plan view and surrounding the nozzle opening is defined on the partition plate, a part of the plurality of through holes is dispersedly arranged at regular or substantially regular intervals over the entire virtual circle. There are .

[0025] In this case, in the processing space, the amount of the downward airflow guided to the vicinity of the entire inner peripheral surface of the processing cup can be increased with respect to the amount of the downward airflow guided to the central portion of the substrate facing the nozzle opening of the partition plate. Thereby, the generation of the upward airflow in the vicinity of the inner peripheral surface of the processing cup during the rotation of the substrate is suppressed. Therefore, in the processing space, the scattering of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate upward near the outer peripheral end portion of the substrate is suppressed.

[0026] (9) The nozzle may include a two-fluid nozzle that sprays a mixed fluid containing a gas and droplets of processing liquid onto the substrate held by the substrate holding part. In this case, it becomes possible to process the substrate using a mixed fluid containing a gas and a liquid.

[0027] (10) The processing liquid supplied to the substrate from the nozzle may contain an organic solvent. In this case, it becomes possible to process the substrate using a processing liquid containing an organic solvent. [Effects of the Invention]

[0028] According to the present invention, it becomes possible to suppress the deterioration of the comfort of the working environment around the substrate processing apparatus. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0029] [Figure 1] This is a schematic perspective view illustrating the general configuration of a developing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a partially exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of the liquid treatment unit. [Figure 3] This is a schematic plan view illustrating a part of the configuration of the liquid treatment unit shown in Figure 2. [Figure 4] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view illustrating a part of the configuration of the liquid treatment unit shown in Figure 2. [Figure 5] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the nozzle arm unit. [Figure 6] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the nozzle arm unit, cut along a predetermined vertical plane. [Figure 7] Figure 2 is a perspective view of the partition plate and cylindrical member. [Figure 8] Figure 2 is a plan view of the partition plate and cylindrical member. [Figure 9] This diagram illustrates the operation of the nozzle arm unit when multiple nozzles move between a standby position and a processing position. [Figure 10]This diagram illustrates the operation of the nozzle arm unit when multiple nozzles move between a standby position and a processing position. [Figure 11] This diagram illustrates the operation of the nozzle arm unit when multiple nozzles move between a standby position and a processing position. [Figure 12] This diagram illustrates the operation of the nozzle arm unit when multiple nozzles move between a standby position and a processing position. [Figure 13] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the developing apparatus when the cup of the liquid processing unit is in the first state. [Figure 14] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the developing apparatus when the cup of the liquid processing unit is in the second state. [Figure 15] This is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of a developing apparatus during the substrate developing process. [Figure 16] This is a plan view showing an example of a state in which the nozzle opening of the partition plate is covered by a cover member. [Figure 17] Figure 16 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the partition plate, cylindrical member, and nozzle arm unit along the KK line. [Figure 18] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit of the developing apparatus. [Figure 19] This flowchart shows the basic operation during the developing process of a circuit board using a developing device. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0030] Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, "substrate" refers to a substrate for a Flat Panel Display (FPD), semiconductor substrate, optical disk substrate, magnetic disk substrate, magneto-optical disk substrate, photomask substrate, ceramic substrate, or solar cell substrate used in liquid crystal display devices or organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display devices, etc.

[0031] As an example of a substrate processing apparatus, a developing apparatus will be described. In this embodiment, the substrate to be developed has a main surface and a back surface. In the developing apparatus according to this embodiment, the back surface (bottom surface) of the substrate is held with the main surface of the substrate facing upwards and the back surface facing downwards, and the developing process is performed on the main surface (top surface) of the substrate.

[0032] A photosensitive film is formed on at least the central part of the main surface of the substrate after exposure treatment. This photosensitive film is, for example, a negative-type photosensitive polyimide film. An organic solvent containing cyclohexanone or cyclopentanone is used as a developer to dissolve the exposed negative-type photosensitive polyimide film. An organic solvent containing isopropyl alcohol or propylene glycol monomethyl ether acetate (PGMEA) is used as a rinse solution.

[0033] In this embodiment, "substrate development treatment" means dissolving a portion of the photosensitive film formed on the main surface of the substrate after exposure treatment by supplying a developing solution to the photosensitive film.

[0034] <1> Configuration of the developing device Figure 1 is a schematic perspective view illustrating the general configuration of a developing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1, the developing apparatus 1 basically has a configuration in which two liquid processing units LPA and LPB are housed within a housing CA. In Figure 1, the general shapes of the two liquid processing units LPA and LPB are shown by dotted lines. Details of the configuration of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB will be described later.

[0035] The enclosure CA has a roughly rectangular box shape extending in one direction in the horizontal plane. Specifically, the enclosure CA is formed by attaching a first side wall plate 1w, a second side wall plate 2w, a third side wall plate 3w, a fourth side wall plate 4w, a floor plate 5w, and a ceiling plate 6w to a frame (not shown). In the following description, the direction parallel to the direction in which the enclosure CA extends in the horizontal plane will be appropriately referred to as the first direction D1, and the direction perpendicular to the first direction D1 in the horizontal plane will be appropriately referred to as the second direction D2. The two liquid processing units LPA and LPB are arranged on the floor plate 5w so as to be aligned in the first direction D1 within the enclosure CA.

[0036] The first and second side wall plates 1w and 2w have a rectangular plate shape and are arranged parallel to the vertical direction and the first direction D1, and facing each other. The third and fourth side wall plates 3w and 4w have a rectangular plate shape and are arranged parallel to the vertical direction and the second direction D2, and facing each other.

[0037] The second side wall plate 2w has two loading / unloading ports ph for transporting substrates between the inside and outside of the housing CA. The two loading / unloading ports ph are formed in two parts of the second side wall plate 2w that face the liquid processing units LPA and LPB in the second direction D2. The ceiling plate 6w has two openings op1 arranged in the first direction D1. The opening ratio of the two openings op1 in the ceiling plate 6w is set to be sufficiently large, to the same extent as when the entire upper end of the housing CA is open upwards.

[0038] Two filters FL are provided above the ceiling panel 6w so as to close the two openings op1 in the ceiling panel 6w. Alternatively, the two filters FL may be provided directly below the ceiling panel 6w. In Figure 1, the two filters FL are shown by thick dashed lines. The two filters FL are, for example, ULPA (Ultra Low Penetration Air) filters and are attached to a frame (not shown) or the ceiling panel 6w that constitutes the housing CA. An air guide AG is provided on the ceiling panel 6w of the housing CA, surrounding the two filters FL. In Figure 1, the air guide AG is shown by a double-dash line.

[0039] A gas supply unit 10 is provided on the outside of the housing CA. The gas supply unit 10 is, for example, an air control unit, which adjusts the air conditions, such as temperature and humidity, to meet predetermined conditions while the power supply of the developing device 1 is turned on. The gas supply unit 10 also supplies the adjusted air to the air guide AG through the duct DU. In this case, the air guide AG guides the air supplied from the gas supply unit 10 through two filters FL to two openings op1 in the ceiling panel 6w. As a result, clean air with adjusted temperature and humidity is supplied into the housing CA, and a downward airflow is generated throughout the internal space SP of the housing CA.

[0040] Two additional fluid supply units 11 are provided on the outside of the housing CA. Each fluid supply unit 11 includes a developer supply source, a rinse solution supply source, a gas supply source, and various fluid-related equipment, and supplies developer, rinse solution, and gas to the liquid processing units LPA and LPB through the fluid supply path 12. In Figure 1, the fluid supply path 12 is shown by a dashed line. In this embodiment, the fluid supply path 12 is composed of one or more pipes and valves, etc.

[0041] The developing apparatus 1 further includes a control unit 90. The control unit 90 includes, for example, a CPU (central processing unit) and memory, or a microcomputer, and controls the liquid processing units LPA, LPB and the two fluid supply units 11. Details of the control unit 90 will be described later.

[0042] <2> Liquid processing unit configuration (1) Outline of the configuration of the liquid treatment units LPA and LPB The two liquid treatment units LPA and LPB in Figure 1 have essentially the same configuration, except that some of their components are arranged symmetrically with respect to a plane (vertical plane) perpendicular to the first direction D1. Below, the configuration of liquid treatment unit LPA will be described as representative of the two liquid treatment units LPA and LPB. Figure 2 is a partially exploded perspective view illustrating the configuration of liquid treatment unit LPA in Figure 1, Figure 3 is a schematic plan view illustrating some of the configurations of liquid treatment unit LPA in Figure 2, and Figure 4 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view illustrating some of the configurations of liquid treatment unit LPA in Figure 2. In Figures 2 to 4, the substrate W to be treated is shown by a dotted line.

[0043] As shown in Figure 2, the liquid treatment unit LPA includes a partition plate 100, a cylindrical member 200, a nozzle arm unit 300, a nozzle drive unit 400, and a standby pod 500. The liquid treatment unit LPA further includes a cup 40, a lifting drive unit 49, a container 50, an exhaust pipe 61, a drain pipe 62, a substrate holder 70, and a suction device 78. In Figure 2, to facilitate understanding of the structure of the multiple components, some of the components of the liquid treatment unit LPA are shown separated vertically from the other components. Specifically, in Figure 2, some components, including the partition plate 100, the cylindrical member 200, the nozzle arm unit 300, the nozzle drive unit 400, and the standby pod 500, are shown separated vertically from the other components, including the cup 40, the container 50, and the substrate holder 70. Figures 3 and 4 show schematic plan views and schematic vertical cross-sectional views, respectively, of the cup 40, the container 50, and the substrate holder 70 as some components of the liquid treatment unit LPA. Note that in the partition plate 100 shown in Figure 2, the illustration of the multiple through holes H (Figure 8), which will be described later, is omitted.

[0044] (2) Cup 40 and container 50 In the enclosure CA of Figure 1, the housing 50 is fixed on the floor plate 5w (Figure 1). As shown in Figure 2, the housing 50 includes a side wall portion 51 and a bottom portion 52. The side wall portion 51 has an annular horizontal cross-section and is formed to extend vertically with a constant inner diameter and a constant outer diameter. The bottom portion 52 is formed to close the lower end of the side wall portion 51.

[0045] Two through holes are formed in the bottom 52. An exhaust pipe 61 is connected to one of the through holes in the bottom 52. The exhaust pipe 61 guides the atmosphere inside the housing CA to an exhaust device (not shown) located outside the housing CA. In the housing 50, the end (open end) of the exhaust pipe 61 is located above the bottom 52.

[0046] Furthermore, a drain pipe 62 is connected to the bottom portion 52, which is the other portion where the through-hole is formed. The drain pipe 62 guides the liquid (developer and rinse solution) that flows from the cup 40 to the bottom of the container 50 during the substrate W development process to a drain device (not shown) located outside the housing CA. In the container 50, the end (open end) of the drain pipe 62 is located below the end of the exhaust pipe 61.

[0047] At least the lower part of the substrate holding device 70 is housed inside the housing 50. Specifically, the substrate holding device 70 includes a suction holding section 71, a spin motor 72, and a motor cover 79 (Figure 4). The motor cover 79 is not shown in Figures 2 and 3. As shown in Figure 3, the spin motor 72 is fixed on the bottom 52 so as to be located in the center of the housing 50 in a plan view. As shown in Figure 4, the spin motor 72 is provided with a rotating shaft 73 that extends upward. The suction holding section 71 is provided at the upper end of the rotating shaft 73. The suction holding section 71 protrudes above the upper end of the housing 50.

[0048] As shown in Figure 2, a suction device 78 is provided on the outside of the housing 50. The suction holding unit 71 is configured to be able to suction the center of the back surface of the substrate W when the suction device 78 is in operation. When the suction holding unit 71 suctions the center of the back surface of the substrate W, the substrate W is held in a horizontal position above the housing 50. Furthermore, when the spin motor 72 is operated while the substrate W is held by the suction holding unit 71, the substrate W rotates in a horizontal position.

[0049] As shown in Figure 4, the motor cover 79 has a roughly bowl shape and is fixed to the housing 50 with its open, large-diameter portion facing downwards. A through hole is formed in the center of the upper end of the motor cover 79 into which the rotating shaft 73 can be inserted. With the rotating shaft 73 inserted into the through hole in the center of the upper end of the motor cover 79, the motor cover 79 covers the upper end portion of the spin motor 72 excluding the rotating shaft 73 and a space of a certain width surrounding the spin motor 72 in the horizontal plane from above. A gap of a certain width is formed between the outer peripheral end of the motor cover 79 and the inner peripheral surface of the side wall portion 51.

[0050] Here, the end of the exhaust pipe 61 is located below the motor cover 79. This prevents liquids (developer and rinse solution) falling from above the housing 50 during the substrate W development process from entering the inside of the exhaust pipe 61.

[0051] As shown in Figure 2, the lower part of the substrate holder 70, as well as at least the lower end of the cup 40, are housed in the container 50. Here, the cup 40 is configured to be movable vertically within the container 50. The cup 40 also includes a cylindrical wall portion 41 and a liquid receiving portion 42. Each of the cylindrical wall portion 41 and the liquid receiving portion 42 has an annular horizontal cross-section and is provided to extend at least vertically. As shown in Figure 3, the cup 40 is configured to surround the substrate holder 70 in a plan view.

[0052] As shown in Figure 4, the outer and inner diameters of the liquid receiving portion 42 gradually increase as they move downward from the upper end of the liquid receiving portion 42. The outer diameter of the lower end of the liquid receiving portion 42 (the maximum outer diameter of the liquid receiving portion 42) is smaller than the inner diameter of the side wall portion 51 of the container 50. Therefore, a gap of a certain width is formed between the outer peripheral end of the liquid receiving portion 42 and the inner peripheral surface of the side wall portion 51. The cylindrical wall portion 41 is formed to extend upward from the upper end of the liquid receiving portion 42 with a constant inner and outer diameter.

[0053] As shown in Figure 2, a lifting drive unit 49 is provided near the container 50 within the housing CA of Figure 1. The lifting drive unit 49 includes a drive mechanism such as a motor or air cylinder, and supports the cup 40 and moves the cup 40 up and down, thereby transitioning the cup 40 between a first state and a second state. The first and second states of the cup 40 will be described later.

[0054] (3) Nozzle drive unit 400 and standby pod 500 In the housing CA of Figure 1, the nozzle drive unit 400 is provided adjacent to the housing 50 in a first direction D1. The nozzle drive unit 400 includes a motor having a rotating shaft 401 and an actuator. The actuator includes an air cylinder, a hydraulic cylinder, or a motor, and supports the motor having the rotating shaft 401 on the floor plate 5w (Figure 1) so that the motor can move in the vertical direction. The rotating shaft 401 is located at the upper end of the nozzle drive unit 400.

[0055] Within the housing CA shown in Figure 1, a standby pod 500 is further provided on the floor plate 5w (Figure 1). The nozzle drive unit 400 and the standby pod 500 are arranged in a second direction D2 at intervals along the side of the housing 50. The standby pod 500 has a box shape that extends for a certain length in the second direction D2. Multiple standby holes 510 (Figure 10) are formed on the upper surface of the standby pod 500 for housing the injection sections 310c (Figure 6) of the multiple nozzles 310 (Figure 6), which will be described later.

[0056] The standby pod 500 is connected to a drain pipe (not shown) that discharges liquid sprayed from or dripped from the multiple nozzles 310 (Figure 6) to the outside of the housing CA when the multiple nozzles 310 (Figure 6) are in standby mode. The standby pod 500 is also connected to an exhaust pipe (not shown) that discharges the atmosphere inside the standby pod 500 to the outside of the housing CA.

[0057] (4) Nozzle arm unit 300 A nozzle arm unit 300 is attached to the upper end of the rotating shaft 401. When attached to the upper end of the rotating shaft 401, the nozzle arm unit 300 has a longitudinal shape that extends linearly in a direction different from that of the rotating shaft 401. The nozzle arm unit 300 mainly consists of a plurality (six in this example) of nozzles 310, a support 320, and a cover member 330.

[0058] Figure 5 is a perspective view of the nozzle arm unit 300 shown in Figure 2, and Figure 6 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view obtained by cutting the nozzle arm unit 300 through a predetermined vertical plane (a vertical plane parallel to the direction in which the nozzle arm unit 300 extends). In Figure 5, the cover member 330 is shown separated from other components in order to make the internal structure of the nozzle arm unit 300 easier to understand.

[0059] The support 320 is manufactured, for example, by appropriately bending a single metal plate that has been cut or laser-cut into a predetermined shape. Alternatively, it is manufactured by connecting multiple metal plates that have been processed into a predetermined shape by screwing or welding. The support 320 is formed to extend in one direction and has one end 321 and the other end 322. The support 320 also has three nozzle fixing parts 323 that are spaced apart from the vicinity of the one end 321 toward the other end 322. Two nozzles 310 are attached to each of the three nozzle fixing parts 323. Furthermore, the support 320 has a pipe fixing part 324 and two cover mounting parts 325. The pipe fixing part 324 is located near the other end 322. The pipe fixing part 324 and the cover mounting parts 325 will be described later.

[0060] One of the two nozzles 310 provided in each nozzle fixing section 323 is used to supply developer to the substrate W. The other of the two nozzles 310 provided in each nozzle fixing section 323 is used to supply rinse solution to the substrate W. Furthermore, each of the nozzles 310 in this embodiment is a soft-spray type two-fluid nozzle capable of spraying a mixed fluid of liquid and gas. Therefore, each nozzle 310 has two fluid introduction sections 310a and 310b for introducing liquid and gas into the nozzle 310, and a spray section 310c for spraying the mixed fluid.

[0061] Each nozzle 310 is fixed to the support 320 with the injection section 310c facing downwards. In this state, a fluid introduction section 310a for introducing liquid into the nozzle 310 is provided at the upper end of each nozzle 310. Additionally, a fluid introduction section 310b for introducing gas into the nozzle 310 is provided on the side of each nozzle 310.

[0062] One end of a pipe 311 for supplying liquid (in this example, developer or rinse solution) to the nozzle 310 is connected to the fluid inlet 310a of each nozzle 310. Additionally, one end of a pipe 312 for supplying gas (in this example, nitrogen gas) to the nozzle 310 is connected to the fluid inlet 310a of each nozzle 310. The pipes 311 and 312 are formed from a flexible resin material. Examples of such resin materials include PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene), PVC (polyvinyl chloride), PPS (polyphenylene sulfide), and PFA (tetrafluoroethylene perfluoroalkyl vinyl ether copolymer).

[0063] The other end 322 of the support body 320 is attached to the upper end of the rotating shaft 401 of the nozzle drive unit 400. In this state, a horizontal and flat support surface SS is formed approximately in the center of the support body 320 in the longitudinal direction. A portion of each of the multiple pipes 311, 312 is provided on the support surface SS so as to extend from the nozzle 310 to which the pipe is connected toward the pipe fixing part 324.

[0064] The pipe fixing section 324 is formed from a part of the support surface SS. Multiple pipes 311 and 312 are bundled together in the pipe fixing section 324. In this state, a pipe fixing piece 329 having an inverted U shape is screwed onto the support surface SS that constitutes the pipe fixing section 324. This fixes the multiple pipes 311 and 312 near the other end 322 of the support body 320. The portions of the multiple pipes 311 and 312 that extend outward from the pipe fixing section 324 to the support body 320 are housed inside a cylindrical bundling member 391 while bundled together. The cylindrical bundling member 391 is made of, for example, rubber or resin and is flexible.

[0065] The cover member 330 has a box shape with an open bottom. Specifically, the cover member 330 in this example consists of a top surface 331, one end surface 332, the other end surface 333, one side surface 334, and the other side surface 335. The top surface 331 has a rectangular shape that is larger than the nozzle opening 110 (Figure 7) of the partition plate 100, which will be described later, when viewed from above. The one end surface 332, the other end surface 333, the one side surface 334, and the other side surface 335 extend downward from the four sides of the outer edge of the top surface 331. The one end surface 332 and the other end surface 333 face each other, and the one side surface 334 and the other side surface 335 face each other. A notch 333N is formed in the other end surface 333.

[0066] As described above, the support 320 has two cover mounting portions 325. The two cover mounting portions 325 are located at the upper end of the support 320. Screw holes are formed in each cover mounting portion 325. In the upper surface portion 331 of the cover member 330, through holes 331h are formed in two parts corresponding to the two cover mounting portions 325 of the support 320.

[0067] With multiple nozzles 310 attached to the support 320, multiple pipes 311 and 312 connected to the multiple nozzles 310, and the multiple pipes 311 and 312 fixed in place, a cover member 330 is attached to the support 320. Specifically, the two through holes 331h of the cover member 330 are positioned on the two cover mounting portions 325 of the support 320, and the cover member 330 is screwed to the support 320.

[0068] As a result, the portion of the support 320 from one end 321 to the vicinity of the other end 322 is covered from above and from the side by the cover member 330. Meanwhile, the remaining portion of the support 320 is pulled out through a notch 333N formed in the other end face 333 of the cover member 330. In this way, a portion of the support 320 is housed within the cover member 330. Furthermore, a portion of the multiple nozzles 310 supported by the support 320 is housed within the cover member 330. In addition, a portion of the multiple pipes 311, 312 supported by the support 320 is housed within the cover member 330. In Figure 5, the state of the cover member 330 when attached to the support 320 is shown by a dashed line.

[0069] Here, in the support 320, the pipe fixing portion 324 is located between the other end 322 of the support 320 and the other end face 333 of the cover member 330. The pipe fixing piece 329 bundles the multiple pipes 311 and 312 that extend from the cover member 330 and fixes them to the pipe fixing portion 324 so that they do not come into contact with the inner edge of the notch 333N of the other end face 333.

[0070] As shown in Figure 6, with the cover member 330 attached to the support 320, most of each nozzle 310, excluding the fluid introduction section 310a, protrudes downward from the cover member 330.

[0071] (5) Partition plate 100 and cylindrical member 200 Figure 7 is an external perspective view of the partition plate 100 and cylindrical member 200 of Figure 2, and Figure 8 is a plan view of the partition plate 100 and cylindrical member 200 of Figure 2. As shown in Figures 7 and 8, the cylindrical member 200 has a cylindrical shape and is fixed to a part of the housing CA (Figure 1) via a bracket (not shown). The inner diameter of the cylindrical member 200 is larger than the outer diameter of the cylindrical wall portion 41 (Figure 3) of the cup 40. Furthermore, the cylindrical member 200 is positioned such that, in a plan view, the central axis of the cylindrical member 200 coincides with or approximately coincides with the central axis of the cup 40. This allows, for example, when the cup 40 rises, the upper end of the cup 40 to be inserted into the cylindrical member 200 while preventing contact between the cup 40 and the cylindrical member 200.

[0072] The partition plate 100 has a substantially disc shape and is attached to the cylindrical member 200 near the upper end of the cylindrical member 200 and in contact with the entire inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member 200. A rectangular nozzle opening 110 extending in a first direction D1 is formed in the approximate center of the partition plate 100. The nozzle opening 110 faces the central portion of the substrate W that is held by the substrate holding device 70 during the substrate W development process. As shown in Figure 7, a wall portion 111 is formed in the portion of the partition plate 100 where the nozzle opening 110 is formed, extending upward for a certain length (for example, about 5 mm to 10 mm) from the inner edge of the nozzle opening 110.

[0073] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 8, multiple through-holes H are formed in the partition plate 100 so as to be distributed throughout the entire partition plate 100, excluding the nozzle opening 110. The number and size of the multiple through-holes H formed in the partition plate 100 are determined considering the pressure relationship between the processing space SPa (Figure 15) and the non-processing space SPb (Figure 15), which will be described later.

[0074] Regarding the arrangement of the multiple through-holes H, specifically, as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 8, concentric circles (multiple virtual circles vc1) with a predetermined pitch are defined with respect to the center 100C of the partition plate in a plan view. In this case, the multiple through-holes H are formed in a distributed manner so as to be arranged at equal intervals on each virtual circle vc1. Furthermore, the number of through-holes H formed on the largest virtual circle vc1 is greater than the number of through-holes H formed on the other virtual circles vc1. Also, in this example, only the largest virtual circle vc1 surrounds the entire nozzle opening 110. Therefore, the largest virtual circle vc1 has multiple through-holes H formed so as to be arranged at a constant interval across its entirety.

[0075] Furthermore, as shown by the thick dashed line in Figure 8, a virtual circle vc2 is defined with a radius of half the radius of the partition plate 100, centered at the partition plate center 100C. Here, if the area inside the virtual circle vc2 is defined as the central region A1 and the area outside the virtual circle vc2 is defined as the outer peripheral region A2, the number of through holes H formed in the outer peripheral region A2 is greater than the number of through holes H formed in the central region A1.

[0076] (6) Operation of nozzle arm unit 300 As described above, the nozzle arm unit 300 is attached to the rotation axis 401 of the nozzle drive unit 400. Therefore, when the motor of the nozzle drive unit 400 moves in the vertical direction, the nozzle arm unit 300 also moves in the vertical direction. Furthermore, when the motor of the nozzle drive unit 400 operates, the nozzle arm unit 300 rotates in the horizontal plane around the rotation axis 401. As a result, the multiple nozzles 310 of the nozzle arm unit 300 are held at a standby position P1 to the side of the substrate W, which is held by the substrate holding device 70, while development processing is not being performed on the substrate W. The multiple nozzles 310 are also held at a processing position P2 above the substrate W, which is held by the substrate holding device 70, while development processing is being performed on the substrate W. In Figure 2, the standby position P1 and the processing position P2 are indicated by white arrows, respectively.

[0077] Figures 9 to 12 illustrate the operation of the nozzle arm unit 300 when multiple nozzles 310 move between a standby position P1 and a processing position P2. In Figures 9 to 12, the state of the nozzle arm unit 300 and its surrounding components when multiple nozzles 310 move from the standby position P1 to the processing position P2 is shown in chronological order in external perspective views. Note that, as in the example in Figure 2, the illustration of the partition plate 100 shown in Figures 9 to 12 omits the depiction of multiple through holes H.

[0078] First, as shown in Figure 9, with the multiple nozzles 310 in standby position P1, the nozzle arm unit 300 is positioned to the side of the partition plate 100 and the cylindrical member 200 and held in a state extending parallel to the second direction D2. At this time, the nozzle arm unit 300 is positioned so that the injection portions 310c (Figure 6) of the multiple nozzles 310 are housed within the multiple standby holes 510 (Figure 10) of the standby pod 500.

[0079] When the nozzle drive unit 400 starts operating in the state shown in Figure 9, the nozzle arm unit 300 rises together with the rotation axis 401 to a height above the cylindrical member 200, as shown by the thick solid arrow in Figure 10. As a result, the jet portions 310c (Figure 6) of the multiple nozzles 310 are pulled out from the multiple standby holes 510 (Figure 10) of the standby pod 500.

[0080] Next, the rotation axis 401 of the nozzle drive unit 400 rotates by a predetermined angle (90° in this example). As a result, the nozzle arm unit 300 rotates around the rotation axis 401, as shown by the thick solid arrow in Figure 11. This holds the nozzle arm unit 300 in a state where it extends parallel to the first direction D1. At this time, the nozzle arm unit 300 is positioned so that, in a plan view, the cover member 330 overlaps the nozzle opening 110 of the partition plate 100.

[0081] Next, the rotation shaft 401 of the nozzle drive unit 400 descends. As a result, the cover member 330 descends, as shown by the thick solid arrow in Figure 12. At this time, the height position of the nozzle arm unit 300 is adjusted so that the cover member 330 does not come into contact with the partition plate 100 but is close enough. This reduces the flow of gas through the nozzle opening 110. In this way, the nozzle opening 110 of the partition plate 100 is covered by the cover member 330, and the multiple nozzles 310 are held in the processing position P2.

[0082] The portions of the multiple pipes 311 and 312 extending outward from the nozzle arm unit 300 are bundled together by a cylindrical bundling member 391. As shown in Figures 9 to 12, a fixing portion 392 is provided inside the housing CA of Figure 1 for fixing a portion of the cylindrical bundling member 391 to a part of the housing CA (for example, the floor plate 5w). The fixing portion 392 fixes a portion of the cylindrical bundling member 391 extending from the nozzle arm unit 300 to the housing CA. As a result, the multiple pipes 311 and 312 located between the nozzle arm unit 300 and the fixing portion 392 are bundled together in a deformable manner by the cylindrical bundling member 391. Therefore, the handling of the multiple pipes 311 and 312 inside the housing CA of Figure 1 is improved. In addition, since the cylindrical bundling member 391 is flexible, the degree of freedom of movement and rotation of the nozzle arm unit 300 is not restricted by the cylindrical bundling member 391. The multiple pipes 311 and 312 bundled together by the cylindrical bundling member 391 are pulled out from the cylindrical bundling member 391 near the fixing part 392 and connected to the fluid supply path 12 of the fluid supply unit 11 in Figure 1.

[0083] (7) Operation of cup 40 In the developing apparatus 1, the cup 40 is maintained in a first state when substrates W are loaded into and unloaded from the liquid processing units LPA and LPB. On the other hand, the cup 40 is maintained in a second state when the substrates W held by the substrate holding device 70 are being developed. The first and second states of the cup 40 will be described below.

[0084] Figure 13 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the developing apparatus 1 when the cups 40 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB are in the first state, and Figure 14 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the developing apparatus 1 when the cups 40 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB are in the second state. In Figures 13 and 14, the nozzle arm unit 300 in standby position P1 is shown by a dotted line. Also, in Figures 13 and 14, some of the components of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB are not shown.

[0085] As shown in Figure 13, when the cup 40 is in the first state, it is located inside the container 50. That is, when the cup 40 is in the first state, it overlaps the container 50 in a side view and is separated from the cylindrical member 200. Therefore, when the cup 40 is in the first state, it is possible to access the substrate holding device 70 from the side of the cup 40 and the container 50. This allows the substrate W, which is brought in from outside the developing apparatus 1, to be placed on the suction holding section 71 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB. Furthermore, the substrate W placed on the suction holding section 71 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB can be removed and transported outside the developing apparatus 1.

[0086] The height (vertical dimension) of the cup 40 is set to be greater than the distance between the cylindrical member 200 and the container 50 in the vertical direction. As shown in Figure 14, when in the second state, the cup 40 overlaps the lower end of the cylindrical member 200 and the upper end of the container 50 in a side view. At this time, the upper end of the cup 40 and the inner circumferential surface near the lower end of the cylindrical member 200 are in close proximity. Also, the lower end of the cup 40 and the inner circumferential surface near the upper end of the container 50 are in close proximity.

[0087] (8) Processing space and non-processing space formed within the enclosure CA During the development process of the substrate W, the cup 40 is held in a second state, and the multiple nozzles 310 of the nozzle arm unit 300 are positioned at the processing position P2. Figure 15 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view of the development apparatus 1 during the development process of the substrate W. As shown in Figure 15, during the development process of the substrate W, the multiple nozzles 310 of each of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB are positioned at the processing position P2 (Figure 12), and the cover member 330 covers the nozzle opening 110 of the partition plate 100. As a result, the internal space SP of the housing CA is divided into a processing space SPa and a non-processing space SPb by the partition plate 100, cylindrical member 200, cover member 330, cup 40, and container 50 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB. The processing space SPa is the space containing the substrate W held by the substrate holding device 70, and the non-processing space SPb is the space surrounding the processing space SPa.

[0088] As shown by the white arrows in Figure 15, clean air is continuously supplied from above to the untreated space SPb. In addition, a portion of the clean air supplied to the untreated space SPb is supplied to the treated space SPa through multiple through-holes H (Figure 8) in the partition plate 100. As a result, clean downward airflows are formed in the two treated spaces SPa and the untreated space SPb within the enclosure CA.

[0089] The inner surface of the liquid receiving portion 42 of the cup 40 that forms each processing space SPa surrounds the substrate W held by the substrate holding device 70 in a horizontal plane. As a result, most of the developer and rinse solution supplied to the substrate W from the multiple nozzles 310 during the substrate W development process is received by the inner surface of the liquid receiving portion 42 and guided to the container 50. On the other hand, splashes of developer or rinse solution that are not received by the liquid receiving portion 42 and scatter around the substrate W are guided to the container 50 by the downward airflow formed in the processing space SPa.

[0090] When the substrate W rotates within the processing space SPa by the substrate holding device 70, an upward airflow (upward airflow) may occur near the periphery of the substrate W, along the inner surface of the cup 40 and the cylindrical member 200. In this case, if the atmosphere containing splashes of developer or rinse solution rises within the processing space SPa, these splashes may adhere to the lower surface of the partition plate 100 and the inner surface of the cylindrical member 200. Furthermore, these splashes may re-adhere to the substrate W.

[0091] Therefore, as explained with reference to Figure 8, the partition plate 100 is manufactured such that, when concentric circles are defined on the substrate W, the number of through holes H formed on the largest virtual circle vc1 is greater than the number of through holes H formed on other virtual circles vc1. Furthermore, the partition plate 100 is manufactured such that multiple through holes H are distributed at regular intervals across the entire largest virtual circle vc1 surrounding the nozzle opening 110. Alternatively, when a central region A1 and an outer peripheral region A2 are defined on the partition plate 100, the number of through holes H formed in the outer peripheral region A2 is greater than the number of through holes H formed in the central region A1.

[0092] With the above configuration of the partition plate 100, in the processing space SPa, the amount of downdraft directed to the vicinity of the inner surface of the cup 40 can be made larger than the amount of downdraft directed to the central part of the substrate W. In particular, when multiple through holes H are distributed at regular intervals across the entire largest virtual circle vc1 surrounding the nozzle opening 110, a downdraft can be formed near the inner surface of the cup 40 over its entire circumference. As a result, the generation of an upward airflow near the inner surface of the cup 40 when the substrate W rotates is suppressed. Therefore, in the processing space SPa, the scattering of developer or rinse solution supplied to the substrate W upward near the outer edge of the substrate W is suppressed. As a result, the adhesion of developer or rinse solution droplets to the lower surface of the partition plate 100 and the inner surface of the cylindrical member 200 is suppressed. Furthermore, the re-adhesion of developer or rinse solution to the substrate W is suppressed.

[0093] As shown in Figure 15, when a processing space SPa and a non-processing space SPb are formed within the enclosure CA, a pressure difference arises between the processing space SPa and the non-processing space SPb. The reason for this will be explained below.

[0094] As described above, clean air is continuously supplied from above to the processing space SPa and the non-processing space SPb. However, the amount of downward airflow that can enter the processing space SPa from above the housing CA is limited by the partition plate 100. In addition, in the developing apparatus 1, the end of the exhaust pipe 61 for discharging the atmosphere inside the housing CA is located in the internal space of the housing 50, i.e., the processing space SPa. Therefore, the atmosphere inside the processing space SPa is actively discharged to the outside of the housing CA.

[0095] On the other hand, the untreated space SPb is not provided with any member that limits the amount of downward airflow, such as the partition plate 100. Furthermore, the untreated space SPb is not provided with any configuration for actively discharging the atmosphere within it to the outside of the housing CA. In particular, as shown in Figure 15, the floor plate 5w in this example has a closing section cp that closes off the untreated space SPb from below the housing CA. As a result, some of the air introduced into the untreated space SPb from above the housing CA is not discharged to the outside of the untreated space SPb by the closing section cp. As a result, the pressure inside the untreated space SPb becomes sufficiently larger than the pressure inside the treated space SPa.

[0096] Because the pressure in the non-processing space SPb surrounding the processing space SPa is higher than the pressure in the processing space SPa, that is, because the pressure in the processing space SPa is lower than the pressure in the non-processing space SPb, leakage of the atmosphere inside the processing space SPa to the outside of the enclosure CA through the non-processing space SPb is suppressed.

[0097] Here, when the internal space SP of the housing CA is divided into a processing space SPa and a non-processing space SPb, it is desirable that the cover member 330 closes the nozzle opening 110 so that the flow of gas through the nozzle opening 110 is completely blocked. However, if the cover member 330 repeatedly comes into contact with and does not come into contact with the partition plate 100 each time the substrate W is developed, particles may be generated. Therefore, it is desirable that the cover member 330 does not come into contact with the partition plate 100.

[0098] Therefore, in this embodiment, the cover member 330 covers the nozzle opening 110 without contacting the partition plate 100 during the development process of the substrate W. At this time, the cover member 330 and the partition plate 100 are formed as follows so as to reduce the flow of gas in the nozzle opening 110.

[0099] Figure 16 is a plan view showing an example of the state in which the nozzle opening 110 of the partition plate 100 is covered by the cover member 330, and Figure 17 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the partition plate 100, cylindrical member 200, and nozzle arm unit 300 along the KK line in Figure 16. In Figure 16, the illustration of multiple pipes 311 and 312 is omitted.

[0100] As shown in Figure 16, when the cover member 330 covers the nozzle opening 110, the cover member 330 is held such that, in a plan view, the entire upper surface portion 331 (Figure 5) covers the entire nozzle opening 110. The multiple end faces and side portions (332-335) of the cover member 330 are formed so that, when the cover member 330 covers the nozzle opening 110, it surrounds the entire wall portion 111 of the partition plate 100 with a small gap in a plan view.

[0101] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 17, the cover member 330 is held such that, in a side view, a portion of the multiple end faces and side portions (332-335) overlap the wall portion 111 of the partition plate 100, but do not come into contact with the partition plate 100. In Figure 17, an enlarged cross-sectional view of the lower end of one end face portion 332 of the cover member 330 and its vicinity is shown within the vent.

[0102] As shown in the blowout in Figure 17, when the nozzle opening 110 is covered by the cover member 330, a gap space G is formed between the processing space SPa and the unprocessed space SPb. The gap space G is the space sandwiched between the wall portion 111 of the partition plate 100 and the multiple end faces and side portions (332-335) of the cover member 330. This makes it possible to reduce the flow of gas in the nozzle opening 110 compared to when the partition plate 100 does not have a wall portion 111, or when the cover member 330 consists only of an upper surface portion 331. In a plan view, the distance between the wall portion 111 of the partition plate 100 and the multiple end faces and side portions (332-335) of the cover member 330 (the distance of the gap space G) is preferably set to, for example, about 2 mm to 5 mm.

[0103] In the developing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, when the cup 40 is in the second state, the upper end of the cup 40 and the inner circumferential surface near the lower end of the cylindrical member 200 are in close proximity. In this case, a gap space is formed between the cylindrical member 200 and the upper part of the cup 40. As a result, compared to the case where the cylindrical member 200 is absent, the outflow of the atmosphere from the processing space SPa from between the cup 40 and the partition plate 100 into the non-processing space SPb is reduced. The distance between the inner circumferential surface of the cylindrical member 200 and the outer circumferential surface of the cup 40 in a plan view (the distance of the gap space between the cylindrical member 200 and the upper part of the cup 40) is preferably set to, for example, about 2 mm to 5 mm.

[0104] <3> Configuration of the control unit of the developing apparatus 1 Figure 18 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 90 of the developing apparatus 1 in Figure 1. As shown in Figure 18, the control unit 90 includes a first lifting control unit 91, a fluid control unit 92, a first rotation control unit 93, a suction control unit 94, a second lifting control unit 95, and a second rotation control unit 96. The functions of each part of the control unit 90 in Figure 18 are realized, for example, by the CPU executing a predetermined program stored in memory.

[0105] The first lifting control unit 91 controls the operation of the lifting drive unit 49 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB. As a result, the cups 40 of each liquid processing unit LPA and LPB transition between the first state and the second state. The fluid control unit 92 controls the operation of the two fluid supply units 11 in Figure 1. As a result, a mixed fluid of developer and gas is sprayed from some of the multiple nozzles 310 in each liquid processing unit LPA and LPB, and a mixed fluid of rinsing solution and gas is sprayed from the other nozzles 310.

[0106] The first rotation control unit 93 controls the operation of the spin motor 72 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB in Figure 1. The suction control unit 94 controls the operation of the suction device 78 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB in Figure 1. As a result, the substrate W is held in a horizontal position by suction in each substrate holding device 70 and rotated.

[0107] The second lifting control unit 95 and the second rotation control unit 96 control the operation of the nozzle drive unit 400 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB in Figure 1. Specifically, the second lifting control unit 95 controls the operation of the actuator of each nozzle drive unit 400. The second rotation control unit 96 controls the operation of the motor having the rotation shaft 401 of each nozzle drive unit 400.

[0108] <4> Basic operation of developing device 1 The basic operation of the developing apparatus 1 will now be explained. Figure 19 is a flowchart showing the basic operation of the developing apparatus 1 during the developing process of a substrate W. In the initial state, air with adjusted temperature and humidity is supplied to the developing apparatus 1 from the gas supply unit 10. In addition, the atmosphere inside the housing CA is guided from the exhaust pipes 61 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB to an exhaust device (not shown). A clean downward airflow is formed inside the housing CA. Furthermore, in the initial state, the cup 40 is assumed to be held in the first state. Also, the multiple nozzles 310 are assumed to be held in the standby position P1.

[0109] Before the development process of the substrate W begins, the substrate W to be processed is first brought into the liquid processing units LPA and LPB. Also, as shown in Figure 13, the substrate W is placed on the suction holding section 71 of the substrate holding device 70. When the development process of the substrate W begins, the suction control unit 94 in Figure 18 controls the suction device 78 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that the substrate W is adsorbed by the suction holding section 71 of the substrate holding device 70 (step S11).

[0110] Next, the first lifting control unit 91 in Figure 18 controls the lifting drive unit 49 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that the cup 40 transitions from the first state to the second state (step S12).

[0111] Next, the second lifting control unit 95 and the second rotation control unit 96 in Figure 18 control the nozzle drive unit 400 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that the multiple nozzles 310 move from the standby position P1 to the processing position P2 (step S13).

[0112] Next, the first rotation control unit 93 in Figure 18 controls the spin motors 72 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that the substrate W rotates around the rotation axis 73 (step S14).

[0113] Next, the fluid control unit 92 in Figure 18 controls the fluid supply unit 11 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that developer solution is supplied to the substrate W from some of the nozzles 310 for a predetermined time (step S15). Also, the fluid control unit 92 in Figure 18 controls the fluid supply unit 11 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that rinse solution is supplied to the substrate W from the other nozzles 310 for a predetermined time (step S16).

[0114] Next, the first rotation control unit 93 in Figure 18 dries the substrate W by continuing to rotate it until a certain time has elapsed since the rinsing liquid supply was stopped. The first rotation control unit 93 in Figure 18 also controls the spin motors 72 of the liquid treatment units LPA and LPB so that the rotation of the substrate W stops after a certain time has elapsed since the rinsing liquid supply was stopped (step S17).

[0115] Next, the second lifting control unit 95 and the second rotation control unit 96 in Figure 18 control the nozzle drive unit 400 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that the multiple nozzles 310 move from the processing position P2 to the standby position P1 (step S18).

[0116] Next, the first lifting control unit 91 in Figure 18 controls the lifting drive unit 49 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that the cup 40 transitions from the second state to the first state (step S19).

[0117] Finally, the suction control unit 94 in Figure 8 controls the suction device 78 of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB so that the suction of the substrate W by the suction holding unit 71 of the substrate holding device 70 is released (step S20). This completes the development process of the substrate W. The substrate W after development is then removed from the liquid processing units LPA and LPB.

[0118] <5> effect (1) The organic solvents contained in the developer and rinse solutions used in the development process of the substrate W may have a characteristic strong odor. In the development apparatus 1 described above, during the development process of the substrate W, the internal space SP of the housing CA is divided into a processing space SPa and a non-processing space SPb by a partition plate 100, a cylindrical member 200, a cover member 330, a cup 40, and a container 50. A portion of the downward airflow is guided into the processing space SPa through a plurality of through holes H in the partition plate 100. In this case, the amount of gas supplied to the processing space SPa can be made less than the amount of gas supplied to the non-processing space SPb. As a result, the pressure in the processing space SPa can be made lower than the pressure in the non-processing space SPb.

[0119] If the pressure in the processing space SPa is lower than the pressure in the non-processing space SPb, the atmosphere inside the processing space SPa is less likely to penetrate into the non-processing space SPb. Therefore, even if an odor is generated in the processing space SPa due to the processing liquid, that odor is less likely to leak to the outside of the enclosure CA.

[0120] Furthermore, in the above configuration, a nozzle opening 110 is formed in the partition plate 100. With this configuration, the multiple nozzles 310 and the partition plate 100 do not interfere with each other when the multiple nozzles 310 are in the processing position P2. Also, when the multiple nozzles 310 are in the processing position P2, the nozzle opening 110 formed in the partition plate 100 is covered by the cover member 330. As a result, when the developer and rinse solution are supplied from the multiple nozzles 310 to the substrate W, leakage of the atmosphere in the processing space SPa from the nozzle opening 110 to the non-processing space SPb is reduced.

[0121] As a result, it becomes possible to suppress the deterioration of the comfort of the working environment around the developing device 1.

[0122] (2) In the developing apparatus 1 described above, the nozzle drive unit 400 moves and rotates the nozzle arm unit 300, causing the multiple nozzles 310 to move between the standby position P1 and the processing position P2. Therefore, the multiple nozzles 310 can be held in the standby position P1 when the substrate W is not being developed. 310 With the device in standby position P1, processing such as dummy dispensing and cleaning of the multiple nozzles 310 can be performed. This prevents unwanted developer or rinse solution from dripping from the nozzle in processing position P2, and prevents the tips of the multiple nozzles 310 in processing position P2 from drying out. As a result, the occurrence of processing defects on the substrate W is suppressed.

[0123] (3) In the nozzle arm unit 300 described above, a cover member 330 is attached to a support 320 that supports a plurality of nozzles 310. As a result, when the plurality of nozzles 310 are moved between the standby position P1 and the processing position P2, the plurality of nozzles 310 and the cover member 330 move together as a single unit. Therefore, interference between the plurality of nozzles 310 and the cover member 330 can be prevented. In addition, since it is not necessary to provide separate moving mechanisms for the plurality of nozzles 310 and for the cover member 330, the complexity of the configuration is suppressed.

[0124] (4) In the developing apparatus 1 described above, in each of the liquid processing units LPA and LPB, the atmosphere inside the container 50 is discharged to the outside of the housing CA through the exhaust pipe 61. On the other hand, the floor plate 5w is provided with a closing section cp that closes off the unprocessed space SPb from below the housing CA. Therefore, it becomes easy to make the pressure in the processing space SPa lower than the pressure in the unprocessed space SPb during the developing process of the substrate W.

[0125] <6> Other embodiments (1) In the developing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, an exhaust section may be provided on the floor plate 5w to discharge the atmosphere in the non-processing space SPb to the outside of the housing CA. In this case, when developing the substrate W, it is necessary to control the amount of gas discharged from the processing space SPa and the amount of gas discharged from the non-processing space SPb so that the pressure in the processing space SPa is kept lower than the pressure in the non-processing space SPb.

[0126] (2) In the developing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, a cover member 330 that covers the nozzle opening 110 of the partition plate 100 is provided integrally with the plurality of nozzles 310, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The cover member 330 may be provided separately from the plurality of nozzles 310. In this case, the developing apparatus 1 may include a drive unit that operates the cover member 330 so as to cover the nozzle opening 110 when the plurality of nozzles 310 are in the processing position P2 and to open the nozzle opening 110 when the plurality of nozzles 310 are in the standby position P1.

[0127] (3) In the developing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, a plurality of nozzles 310 are configured to move between a standby position P1 and a processing position P2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The plurality of nozzles 310 may be fixed to the partition plate 100 and the cylindrical member 200 so that they are always in the processing position P2.

[0128] (4) The above embodiments are examples of applying the present invention to a developing apparatus, but the present invention may be applied to a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate W using an organic solvent having an odor. Such a substrate processing apparatus may include a coating apparatus that applies a resist solution containing an organic solvent to a substrate W.

[0129] (5) In the developing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, two substrates W are developed simultaneously by liquid processing units LPA and LPB housed in the housing CA, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The development of substrates W in liquid processing unit LPA and the development of substrates W in liquid processing unit LPB may be performed simultaneously or at different timings.

[0130] For example, consider a case where the substrate W is developed in one liquid processing unit LPA (LPB), but not in the other liquid processing unit LPA (LPA). In this case, in one liquid processing unit LPA (LPB), the cup 40 is maintained in the second state, and the multiple nozzles 310 are held at the processing position P2. In the other liquid processing unit LPA (LPA), the cup 40 is maintained in the first state, and the multiple nozzles 310 are held at the standby position P1. As a result, within the housing CA, one processing space SPa is formed in one liquid processing unit LPA (LPB), and the internal space of the other liquid processing unit LPA (LPA) becomes a non-processing space SPb.

[0131] (6) In the partition plate 100 according to the above embodiment, the shape of the nozzle opening 110 is not limited to the rectangle described above. The nozzle opening 110 may have other shapes such as an ellipse, circle, square, triangle, quadrilateral, pentagon or hexagon. In this case, the cover member 330 has a shape that corresponds to the shape of the nozzle opening 110 of the partition plate 100.

[0132] (7) In the developing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, the cover member 330 covers the nozzle opening 110 so as not to contact the partition plate 100 when the plurality of nozzles 310 are in the processing position P2, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, if the generation of particles caused by contact and non-contact between the cover member 330 and the partition plate 100 is suppressed by other structural improvements, the cover member 330 may close the nozzle opening 110 while in contact with the partition plate 100. Alternatively, if the generation of particles caused by contact and non-contact between the cover member 330 and the partition plate 100 is to be tolerated to some extent, the cover member 330 may close the nozzle opening 110 while in contact with the partition plate 100.

[0133] (8) Although each of the cup 40 and the cylindrical member 200 according to the above embodiment has an annular horizontal cross-section, the present invention is not limited thereto. Each of the cup 40 and the cylindrical member 200 is configured to surround the substrate holding device 70 in a plan view, and may have a polygonal horizontal cross-section.

[0134] (9) In the developing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, two liquid processing units LPA and LPB are provided in one housing CA, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Only one liquid processing unit may be provided in the housing CA, or three or more liquid processing units may be provided.

[0135] (10) In the developing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, each of the plurality of nozzles 310 is configured as a two-fluid nozzle, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Each of the plurality of nozzles 310 may be a nozzle of a type other than a two-fluid nozzle.

[0136] (11) In the cover member 330 according to the above embodiment, a notch 333N is formed in the other end face portion 333 in order to pull out a part of the support 320 from the cover member 330, but the present invention is not limited thereto. If the pressure in the processing space SPa can be made lower than the pressure in the non-processing space SPb during the development process of the substrate W, the cover member 330 does not need to have the other end face portion 333.

[0137] <7> Correspondence between each component of the claim and each element of the embodiment The following describes an example of the correspondence between each component of the claim and each element of the embodiment. In the above embodiment, the housing CA is an example of a chamber, the air guide AG and filter FL are examples of airflow forming parts, the substrate holding device 70 is an example of a substrate holding part, the plurality of nozzles 310 are examples of nozzles, the processing space SPa is an example of a processing space, and the non-processing space SPb is an example of a non-processing space.

[0138] Furthermore, the partition plate 100, cylindrical member 200, cup 40 and cover member 330 are examples of partitioning mechanisms, the cup 40 is an example of a processing cup, the multiple through holes H are examples of multiple through holes, the nozzle opening 110 is an example of a nozzle opening, the partition plate 100 is an example of a partition plate, and the cover member 330 is Lid member This is an example, where developing apparatus 1 is an example of a substrate processing apparatus.

[0139] Furthermore, the nozzle drive unit 400 is an example of a nozzle drive unit, the support body 320 is an example of a support body, the connection part of the exhaust pipe 61 at the bottom 52 of the container 50 is an example of an exhaust unit, the wall portion 111 of the partition plate 100 is an example of a first wall portion, the upper surface portion 331 of the cover member 330 is an example of a lid body portion, and one end surface portion 332, the other end surface portion 333, one side portion 334, and the other side portion 335 of the cover member 330 are examples of a second wall portion.

[0140] Furthermore, the cylindrical member 200 is an example of a cylindrical member, the central region A1 defined in the partition plate 100 is an example of a central region, the outer peripheral region A2 defined in the partition plate 100 is an example of an outer peripheral region, and the largest virtual circle among the multiple virtual circles vc1 is an example of a virtual circle.

[0141] Other elements having the configuration or function described in the claim may also be used as components of each claim. <8> Reference form (1) A substrate processing apparatus according to the reference embodiment includes a chamber having an internal space, an airflow forming unit that supplies gas into the chamber to form a downward airflow, a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate in the chamber, a nozzle that supplies processing liquid to the substrate from a processing position above the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, and a partitioning mechanism that, with the substrate held by the substrate holding unit, partitions the internal space of the chamber into a processing space including the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and a non-processing space surrounding at least a part of the processing space, wherein the partitioning mechanism includes a processing cup that surrounds the substrate held by the substrate holding unit in a plan view and overlaps the substrate held by the substrate holding unit in a side view, forming a processing space, a partitioning plate provided above the processing cup and having a plurality of through holes that guide a part of the downward airflow into the processing space and a nozzle opening formed to overlap the processing position in a plan view, and a lid member configured to cover the nozzle opening while allowing the supply of processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate with the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and the nozzle in the processing position. In this substrate processing apparatus, with the substrate held by the substrate holder, the internal space of the chamber is divided into a processing space and a non-processing space by a processing cup and a partition plate. A portion of the downdraft airflow is guided into the processing space through multiple through-holes in the partition plate. In this case, the amount of gas supplied to the processing space can be reduced compared to the amount of gas supplied to the non-processing space. As a result, the pressure in the processing space can be lowered compared to the pressure in the non-processing space. If the pressure in the processing space is lower than the pressure in the non-processing space, the atmosphere in the processing space is less likely to penetrate the non-processing space. Therefore, even if an odor is generated in the processing space due to the processing liquid, that odor is less likely to leak out of the chamber. Furthermore, in the above configuration, a nozzle opening is formed in the partition plate. With this configuration, the nozzle and the lid member do not interfere with each other when the nozzle is in the processing position. Also, when the nozzle is in the processing position, the nozzle opening formed in the partition plate is covered by the lid member. As a result, when the processing liquid is supplied from the nozzle to the substrate, leakage of the atmosphere in the processing space from the nozzle opening into the non-processing space is reduced. As a result, it becomes possible to suppress the decline in the comfort of the working environment around the substrate processing equipment. (2) The substrate processing apparatus may further include a nozzle drive unit that moves the nozzle between the processing position and a standby position to the side of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit. In this case, the nozzle can be held in the standby position when the substrate is not being processed. This allows processing such as dummy dispensing to be performed when the nozzle is in the standby position. Therefore, it is prevented that unnecessary processing liquid will fall from the nozzle in the processing position and that the tip of the nozzle in the processing position will dry out, thereby suppressing the occurrence of substrate processing defects. (3) The substrate processing apparatus further includes a support that supports the nozzle and the lid member, and the nozzle drive unit may move the nozzle and the lid member by moving or rotating the support. In this case, when the nozzle moves between the standby position and the processing position, the nozzle and the lid member move together. Therefore, interference between the nozzle and the lid member can be prevented. (4) The substrate processing apparatus may further include an exhaust unit that discharges the atmosphere of the processing space to the outside of the chamber. In this case, by discharging the atmosphere of the processing space, the pressure of the processing space can be easily made lower than the pressure of the non-processing space. (5) The partition plate has a first wall portion extending upward from the inner edge of the nozzle opening, and the lid member has a lid body portion that is larger than the nozzle opening in a plan view and a second wall portion extending downward from the outer edge of the lid body portion, and when the nozzle opening is covered by the lid member, the second wall portion may be held so as to surround at least a part of the first wall portion in a plan view and overlap at least a part of the first wall portion in a side view and not in contact with the partition plate. In this case, since the lid member and the partition plate do not come into contact when the nozzle opening is covered by the lid member, the generation of particles caused by contact between multiple members is suppressed. Furthermore, according to the above configuration, when the nozzle opening is covered by the lid member, a gap space is formed between the space located inside the first wall of the partition plate and the space located to the side of the second wall of the lid member, sandwiched between the first and second walls. As a result, compared to the case where the first and second walls do not exist, the outflow of the atmosphere from the processing space through the nozzle opening into the non-processing space is reduced. (6) The partitioning mechanism further includes a cylindrical member formed to surround the partition plate in a plan view, extend downward from the outer edge of the partition plate, and surround the upper part of the processing cup in a plan view, and the processing cup may be configured to move up and down in a vertical direction so as to transition between a first state in a side view where the upper part of the processing cup is separated from the cylindrical member and a second state in a side view where the upper part of the processing cup overlaps the cylindrical member. In this case, with the substrate held by the substrate holder, the processing cup is set to the second state, so that the processing space surrounding the substrate is separated from the unprocessed space by the processing cup, partition plate, and cylindrical member. At this time, a gap space is formed between the processing space and the unprocessed space, sandwiched between the cylindrical member and the upper part of the processing cup. As a result, compared to the case where the cylindrical member is absent, the outflow of the atmosphere from the processing space into the unprocessed space from between the processing cup and partition plate is reduced. Furthermore, with the above configuration, when the processing cup is set to the first state, it becomes possible to transfer the substrate to the substrate holder. (7) The substrate holding section is configured to rotate the held substrate in a horizontal position when the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate from the nozzle, and the partition plate has a disc shape larger than the substrate held by the substrate holding section, and when the partition plate is defined as having a circular central region that includes the center of the partition plate in a plan view and has a radius of one, and an annular outer region that includes the outer edge of the partition plate in a plan view and has a width equal to one radius in the radial direction of the partition plate, the multiple through holes are formed distributed in the partition plate, and the number of through holes formed in the outer region of the partition plate may be greater than the number of through holes formed in the central region of the partition plate. In this case, within the processing space, the amount of downdraft directed to the vicinity of the inner surface of the processing cup can be made larger than the amount of downdraft directed to the central part of the substrate. This suppresses the generation of updraft near the inner surface of the processing cup when the substrate rotates. Consequently, within the processing space, the scattering of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate upward near the outer edge of the substrate is suppressed. (8) The substrate holding section is configured to allow the held substrate to rotate in a horizontal position when the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate from the nozzle, the partition plate has a disc shape that is larger than the substrate held by the substrate holding section, the nozzle opening of the partition plate faces the central part of the substrate held by the substrate holding section, and when a virtual circle is defined on the partition plate with the center of the partition plate as the reference point in a plan view and surrounding the nozzle opening, some of the multiple through holes may be distributed so as to be aligned at a constant or approximately constant interval across the entire virtual circle. In this case, within the processing space, the amount of downdraft directed to the vicinity of the entire inner surface of the processing cup can be made larger than the amount of downdraft directed to the central part of the substrate facing the nozzle opening of the partition plate. This suppresses the generation of updraft near the inner surface of the processing cup when the substrate rotates. Consequently, in the processing space, the scattering of the processing liquid supplied to the substrate upward near the outer edge of the substrate is suppressed. (9) The nozzle may include a two-fluid nozzle that sprays a mixed fluid containing a gas and droplets of processing liquid onto the substrate held by the substrate holding part. In this case, it becomes possible to process the substrate using a mixed fluid containing a gas and a liquid. (10) The processing liquid supplied to the substrate from the nozzle may contain an organic solvent. In this case, it becomes possible to process the substrate using a processing liquid containing an organic solvent. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0142] 1…Developing device, 1w…First side wall plate, 2w…Second side wall plate, 3w…Third side wall plate, 4w…Fourth side wall plate, 5w…Floor plate, 6w…Ceiling plate, 10…Gas supply unit, 11…Fluid supply unit, 12…Fluid supply path, 40…Cup, 41…Cylindrical wall section, 42…Liquid receiving section, 49…Lifting drive unit, 50…Container, 51…Side wall section, 52…Bottom section, 61…Exhaust pipe, 62…Drainage pipe, 70…Substrate holding device, 71…Suction holding unit, 72…Spin motor, 73…Rotating shaft, 78…Suction Device, 79...Motor cover, 90...Control unit, 91...First lifting control unit, 92...Fluid control unit, 93...First rotation control unit, 94...Suction control unit, 95...Second lifting control unit, 96...Second rotation control unit, 100...Partition plate, 100C...Partition plate center, 110...Nozzle opening, 111...Wall section, 200...Cylindrical member, 300...Nozzle arm unit, 310...Nozzle, 310a...Fluid introduction section, 310b:Fluid introduction section, 310c...Injection section, 311, 312...Piping, 320...Support, 321...One end, 322...Other end, 323...Nozzle fixing part, 324...Pipe fixing part, 325...Cover mounting part, 329...Pipe fixing piece, 330...Cover member, 331...Top surface, 331h...Through hole, 332...One end surface, 333...Other end surface, 333N...Notch, 334...One side surface, 335...Other side surface, 391...Cylindrical binding member, 392...Fixing part, 400...Nozzle drive part, 401...Rotation shaft, 500...Standby pod, 51 0…Standby hole, A1…Central area, A2…Peripheral area, AG…Air guide, CA…Housing, D1…First direction, D2…Second direction, DU…Duct, FL…Filter, G…Gap space, H…Through hole, LPA…Liquid processing unit, LPB…Liquid processing unit, P1…Standby position, P2…Processing position, SP…Internal space, SPa…Processing space, SPb…Non-processing space, SS…Support surface, W…Substrate, cp…Closed part, op1…Opening, ph…Input / Output port, vc1, vc2…Virtual circle

Claims

1. A chamber having an internal space, An airflow forming unit that supplies gas into the chamber to form a downward airflow, A substrate holding section that holds the substrate within the chamber, A nozzle that supplies processing liquid to the substrate from a processing position above the substrate held by the substrate holding part, With the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, the chamber is provided with a partitioning mechanism that divides the internal space into a processing space including the substrate held by the substrate holding portion and a non-processing space surrounding at least a part of the processing space. The compartment mechanism is, A processing cup is provided that surrounds the substrate held by the substrate holding portion in a plan view and overlaps the substrate held by the substrate holding portion in a side view, and forms the processing space. A partition plate provided above the processing cup, having a plurality of through holes that guide a portion of the downward airflow into the processing space, and a nozzle opening formed to overlap the processing position in a plan view, A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a lid member configured to cover the entire nozzle opening while allowing the supply of processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate, with the substrate held by the substrate holding portion and the nozzle in the processing position.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a nozzle drive unit for moving the nozzle between the processing position and a standby position to the side of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit.

3. The system further comprises a support that supports the nozzle and the lid member, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the nozzle drive unit moves the nozzle and the lid member by moving or rotating the support.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising an exhaust unit for discharging the atmosphere of the processing space to the outside of the chamber.

5. A chamber having an internal space, An airflow forming unit that supplies gas into the chamber to form a downward airflow, A substrate holding section that holds the substrate within the chamber, A nozzle that supplies processing liquid to the substrate from a processing position above the substrate held by the substrate holding part, With the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, the chamber is provided with a partitioning mechanism that divides the internal space into a processing space including the substrate held by the substrate holding portion and a non-processing space surrounding at least a part of the processing space. The compartment mechanism is, A processing cup is provided that surrounds the substrate held by the substrate holding portion in a plan view and overlaps the substrate held by the substrate holding portion in a side view, and forms the processing space. A partition plate provided above the processing cup, having a plurality of through holes that guide a portion of the downward airflow into the processing space, and a nozzle opening formed to overlap the processing position in a plan view, The substrate is held by the substrate holding portion and the nozzle is in the processing position, and the lid member is configured to cover the nozzle opening while allowing the supply of processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate, The partition plate has a first wall portion extending upward from the inner edge of the nozzle opening, The aforementioned lid member is It has a lid body portion that is larger than the nozzle opening in a plan view, and a second wall portion that extends downward from the outer edge of the lid body portion. A substrate processing apparatus in which, when the nozzle opening is covered by the lid member, the second wall is held so as to surround at least a portion of the first wall in a plan view, overlap at least a portion of the first wall in a side view, and not in contact with the partition plate.

6. A chamber having an internal space, An airflow forming unit that supplies gas into the chamber to form a downward airflow, A substrate holding section that holds the substrate within the chamber, A nozzle that supplies processing liquid to the substrate from a processing position above the substrate held by the substrate holding part, With the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, the chamber is provided with a partitioning mechanism that divides the internal space into a processing space including the substrate held by the substrate holding portion and a non-processing space surrounding at least a part of the processing space. The compartment mechanism is, A processing cup is provided that surrounds the substrate held by the substrate holding portion in a plan view and overlaps the substrate held by the substrate holding portion in a side view, and forms the processing space. A partition plate provided above the processing cup, having a plurality of through holes that guide a portion of the downward airflow into the processing space, and a nozzle opening formed to overlap the processing position in a plan view, The substrate is held by the substrate holding portion and the nozzle is in the processing position, and the lid member is configured to cover the nozzle opening while allowing the supply of processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate, The partitioning mechanism further includes a cylindrical member formed to surround the partition plate in a plan view, extend downward from the outer edge of the partition plate, and surround the upper part of the processing cup in a plan view. A substrate processing apparatus comprising a processing cup configured to be vertically movable so as to transition between a first state in which the upper part of the processing cup is separated from the cylindrical member in a side view, and a second state in which the upper part of the processing cup overlaps the cylindrical member in a side view.

7. A chamber having an internal space, An airflow forming unit that supplies gas into the chamber to form a downward airflow, A substrate holding section that holds the substrate within the chamber, A nozzle that supplies processing liquid to the substrate from a processing position above the substrate held by the substrate holding part, With the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, the chamber is provided with a partitioning mechanism that divides the internal space into a processing space including the substrate held by the substrate holding portion and a non-processing space surrounding at least a part of the processing space. The compartment mechanism is, A processing cup is provided that surrounds the substrate held by the substrate holding portion in a plan view and overlaps the substrate held by the substrate holding portion in a side view, and forms the processing space. A partition plate provided above the processing cup, having a plurality of through holes that guide a portion of the downward airflow into the processing space, and a nozzle opening formed to overlap the processing position in a plan view, The substrate is held by the substrate holding portion and the nozzle is in the processing position, and the lid member is configured to cover the nozzle opening while allowing the supply of processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate, The substrate holding unit is configured to allow the held substrate to rotate in a horizontal position when the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate from the nozzle. The partition plate has a disc shape that is larger than the substrate held by the substrate holding portion. If the partition plate is defined as having a circular central region that includes the center of the partition plate in a plan view and has a radius of one, and an annular outer region that includes the outer edge of the partition plate in a plan view and has a width equal to the radius of one in the radial direction of the partition plate, The plurality of through holes are formed in a distributed manner in the partition plate, A substrate processing apparatus wherein the number of through holes formed in the outer peripheral region of the partition plate is greater than the number of through holes formed in the central region of the partition plate.

8. A chamber having an internal space, An airflow forming unit that supplies gas into the chamber to form a downward airflow, A substrate holding section that holds the substrate within the chamber, A nozzle that supplies processing liquid to the substrate from a processing position above the substrate held by the substrate holding part, With the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, the chamber is provided with a partitioning mechanism that divides the internal space into a processing space including the substrate held by the substrate holding portion and a non-processing space surrounding at least a part of the processing space. The compartment mechanism is, A processing cup is provided that surrounds the substrate held by the substrate holding portion in a plan view and overlaps the substrate held by the substrate holding portion in a side view, and forms the processing space. A partition plate provided above the processing cup, having a plurality of through holes that guide a portion of the downward airflow into the processing space, and a nozzle opening formed to overlap the processing position in a plan view, The substrate is held by the substrate holding portion and the nozzle is in the processing position, and the lid member is configured to cover the nozzle opening while allowing the supply of processing liquid from the nozzle to the substrate, The substrate holding unit is configured to allow the held substrate to rotate in a horizontal position when the processing liquid is supplied to the substrate from the nozzle. The partition plate has a disc shape that is larger than the substrate held by the substrate holding portion. The nozzle opening of the partition plate faces the central portion of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, If a virtual circle is defined on the partition plate, with the center of the partition plate as the reference point in a plan view and surrounding the nozzle opening, A substrate processing apparatus in which some of the multiple through holes are distributed so as to be aligned at a constant or approximately constant interval across the entire virtual circle.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the nozzle includes a two-fluid nozzle for injecting a mixed fluid containing a gas and droplets of the processing liquid onto a substrate held by the substrate holding portion.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the processing liquid supplied to the substrate from the nozzle contains an organic solvent.

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