A substrate treatment method for treating a substrate, includes: (a) applying a coating solution to a front surface of the substrate by a spin coating method to form a coating film; (b) supplying a solvent for the coating solution to a projection of the coating film formed at a front surface peripheral edge of the substrate at (a); and (c) rotating the substrate in a state where the supply of the solvent is stopped, to move a top of the projection to an outside in a radial direction of the substrate. (b) and (c) are repeatedly performed. The projection is a buildup of the coating solution protruding from the coating film.

In a substrate processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid onto a lower surface of a substrate being rotated, to thereby process the substrate, provided are an upper support body which is separably placed on a lower support body, a plurality of upper holding members protruding downward from the upper support body, for holding the substrate, and an upper hold-driving part for moving the upper holding members separably from and contactably with an outer edge portion of the substrate. Preferably, the upper hold-driving part moves the upper holding members by using a magnetic action between holding-side magnetic members and an annular driving-side magnetic member.

In a substrate processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid onto a substrate being rotated, to thereby process the substrate, an upper support body which is an annular member is separably placed on a lower support body for supporting the substrate. The upper support body rotates together with the lower support body while covering an outer edge portion of the substrate. The upper support body includes an annular sidewall opposed to an outer periphery of the substrate and an outer periphery of the upper support body in a radial direction and an annular upper portion which extends from the annular sidewall inward in the radial direction and is opposed to an outer edge portion of an upper surface of the substrate in an up-and-down direction. The opening area of the annular upper portion is not less than a half of the area of the substrate.

In a substrate processing apparatus for supplying a processing liquid onto a substrate being rotated, to thereby process the substrate, an upper support body which is a placement member is separably placed on a lower support body for supporting the substrate. The upper support body is moved up and down by an up-and-down moving part. The upper support body includes a first contact part outside an outer periphery of the substrate in a radial direction. When a second contact part of the up-and-down moving part goes up, the second contact part comes into contact with the first contact part, to thereby move the upper support body up. When the second contact part goes down, the upper support body is placed on the lower support body and the second contact part is separated from the first contact part, and in this state, the lower support body is rotatable.

A substrate processing method is executed by a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus includes a processing tank, and a bubble supply pipe disposed in the processing tank. In the substrate processing method, a substrate holding section immerses a substrate in an alkaline processing liquid stored in the processing tank. A bubble supply section supplies bubbles to the alkaline processing liquid from below the substrate with the substrate immersed in the alkaline processing liquid, the bubbles being supplied from a plurality of bubble holes provided in the bubble supply pipe.

Method and apparatus for etching a thin layer including silicon nitride formed on a substrate are disclosed. Etchant including phosphoric acid and water is supplied on the substrate so that a liquid layer is formed on the substrate. The thin layer is etched by reaction between the thin layer and the etchant. Thickness of the liquid layer is measured to detect variation in the thickness of the liquid layer while etching the thin layer. Variation in the concentration of the phosphoric acid and the water is calculated based on the variation in the thickness of the liquid layer. Water is supplied on the substrate based on the variation in the concentration of the phosphoric acid and the water so that the concentration of the phosphoric acid and the water becomes a predetermined value.

There is provided a substrate processing apparatus including: a processing part configured to process a substrate with a processing liquid; and a processing liquid generation part configured to generate the processing liquid supplied to the processing part. The processing liquid generation part includes: a reservoir configured to store the processing liquid; a circulation line through which the processing liquid stored in the reservoir is circulated; a heater configured to heat the processing liquid; and a nozzle provided at a downstream side of the circulation line and has at least one ejection port formed to eject the processing liquid heated by the heater from above a liquid level of the processing liquid stored in the reservoir.

An apparatus for processing a wafer comprises: a rotatable chuck adapted to receive a wafer; a heating assembly comprising an array of heating elements arranged to heat a wafer received by the rotatable chuck; an image sensor arranged to detect electromagnetic radiation from a surface of the wafer; and a controller configured to control supply of power to the array of heating elements based on a measurement output of the image sensor.

A substrate processing apparatus comprises a holder configured to hold a substrate; a processing liquid supply configured to supply a processing liquid onto the substrate held by the holder; and a resistance value varying mechanism configured to vary an electrical resistance of the holder in contact with the substrate.

Atomic-to-Nanoscale Matter Emission/Flow Regulation Devices, Systems and methods are set forth. An exemplary device can include a through-hole that has a top, and a nozzle configured to facilitate atomic-to-nanoscale matter emission/flow regulation formed in an etchable nozzle substrate. The nozzle can be configured at the smallest cross-section of the through-hole. A bottom can be formed in the nozzle substrate or selectively connected to the nozzle. Systems can include matter transportation/flow regulation columns, printing systems, etching systems and the like through which self-aligned nanodroplets or single-to-finite numbered ionic species/gas phase matter can flow under spontaneous or external excitation conditions (such as voltages) at atmospheric as well as regulated pressures.