A coating and developing apparatus includes: a processing block having a plurality of substrate transport areas vertically stacked and partitioned from each other; a processing module provided in each of the plurality of substrate transport areas; a transport mechanism configured to transport a substrate between the transport block and the processing module; a temperature adjustment module configured to adjust a temperature of the substrate before the substrate is transported to at least one processing module among the plurality of the processing modules; a temperature sensor configured to detect an atmospheric temperature of at least one substrate transport area; and a temperature controller configured to change the temperature of the substrate in the temperature adjustment module based on the atmospheric temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

A development liquid is discharged from a development liquid nozzle having one discharge port extending continuously in one direction to the substrate. The development liquid nozzle is fixed such that the development liquid is supplied to a reference straight line on an upper surface of the substrate, and is fixed such that a liquid receiving region that receives the development liquid on the upper surface of the substrate extends in a direction inclined with respect to the reference straight line, the reference straight line passing through a rotational center of the substrate. The development liquid nozzle is moved in a direction of the reference straight line. The liquid receiving region has one end and another end. The other end is located farther away from the rotational center of the substrate than the one end, and is located farther downstream in the rotation direction of the substrate than the one end.

A method includes transferring a wafer into a first processing chamber by using a robot arm mechanism, and applying a photoresist on the wafer in a first processing chamber. The wafer is transferred from the first processing chamber into a second processing chamber by using the robot arm mechanism, and the photoresist is exposed to a pattern of light in the second processing chamber. The method includes transferring the wafer from the second processing chamber into a third processing chamber by using the robot arm mechanism, and developing the exposed wafer in the third processing chamber. The method includes cleaning the robot arm mechanism in a dummy chamber.

A treatment solution supply apparatus to supply a treatment solution to a treatment solution discharge unit via a supply path that is provided with a filter configured to remove foreign substances in the treatment solution and a tubephragm pump to send the treatment solution, the supply path has an opening/closing valve on an upstream side of the tubephragm pump and the filter, and a suck-back valve on a downstream side of the tubephragm pump and the filter, and includes a control unit to control at least the tubephragm pump, the opening/closing valve, and the suck-back valve, wherein the control unit performs: a control of stopping sending of the treatment solution from the tubephragm pump; and a control of suspending discharge of the treatment solution from the treatment solution discharge unit by operation of the suck-back valve, and then closing the opening/closing valve to stop the discharge.

The present disclosure provides an apparatus for dispensing liquid material, including a dispensing arm, a wafer holder against the dispensing arm, a first nozzle on the dispensing arm, a first distance laterally spacing the first nozzle and a center of the wafer holder, and a first height vertically spacing the first nozzle and a surface of the wafer holder, and a second nozzle on the dispensing arm, a second distance laterally spacing the second nozzle and the center of the wafer holder, and a second height vertically spacing the second nozzle and the surface of the wafer holder, wherein the second distance is greater than the first distance, and the first height is greater than the second height.

A drippage prevention system including: a first automatic control valve (ACV), an input of the first ACV fluidically connected to a source of fluid to be dispensed, the first ACV having a position ranging from fully closed to fully open; a second ACV, an input of the second ACV being fluidically connected to the output of the first ACV, and an output of the second ACV being fluidically connected to a nozzle, the second ACV having positions ranging from fully closed to fully open; a proxy sensor configured to generate a proxy signal representing an indirect measure of a position of the first ACV; and a controller electrically connected to the first and second ACVs and the proxy sensor, the controller being configured to cause the second ACV to close based on the proxy signal and thereby stop flow of the liquid to the nozzle.

A photolithography method includes dispensing a first liquid onto a first target layer formed over a first wafer through a nozzle at a first distance from the first target layer; capturing an image of the first liquid on the first target layer; patterning the first target layer after capturing the image of the first liquid; comparing the captured image of the first liquid to a first reference image to generate a first comparison result; responsive to the first comparison result, positioning the nozzle and a second wafer such that the nozzle is at a second distance from a second target layer on the second wafer; dispensing a second liquid onto the second target layer formed over the second wafer through the nozzle at the second distance from the second target layer; and patterning the second target layer after dispensing the second liquid.

A solution supply apparatus for supplying a treatment solution to a treatment solution discharger configured to discharge the treatment solution to a treatment object, the solution supply apparatus includes: a supply pipe line connected to the treatment solution discharger; a filter provided on the supply pipe line and configured to filter the treatment solution to remove foreign substances; and a controller configured to perform a determination of a state of the treatment solution to be supplied to a primary side of the filter and, when the state of the treatment solution is determined to be bad, to output a control signal for restricting supply of the treatment solution to the primary side of the filter.

Disclosed is a chemical liquid discharge mechanism. The mechanism includes: a storage portion including a chemical liquid storage space; a diluent supply port opened to supply a diluent for reducing a viscosity of the chemical liquid to the storage space; a vertex flow forming portion that forms vortex flows in the diluent and the chemical liquid by supplying a fluid to the storage space to stir the diluent and the chemical liquid; and a liquid discharge port opened to an upper side of the diluent supply port in the storage space such that, by the supply of the diluent, the diluent and the chemical liquid flow into the liquid discharge port to be discharged from the storage space. Thus, the viscosity of the waste liquid discharged from the liquid discharge port may be reduced, and thus, it is not necessary to largely set the inclination of the liquid discharge path.

A development liquid is discharged from a development liquid nozzle having one discharge port extending continuously in one direction to the substrate. The development liquid nozzle is fixed such that the development liquid is supplied to a reference straight line on an upper surface of the substrate, and is fixed such that a liquid receiving region that receives the development liquid on the upper surface of the substrate extends in a direction inclined with respect to the reference straight line, the reference straight line passing through a rotational center of the substrate. The development liquid nozzle is moved in a direction of the reference straight line. The liquid receiving region has one end and another end. The other end is located farther away from the rotational center of the substrate than the one end, and is located farther downstream in the rotation direction of the substrate than the one end.