A protective member forming apparatus includes a resin film adhering unit which causes a resin film to adhere to a front surface of a substrate so as to conform to recesses and projections on the front surface of the substrate, a support table which supports the substrate, a liquid resin supplying unit which supplies a curable liquid resin, a pressing unit which covers the liquid resin supplied to the resin film with a cover film and presses the cover film by a pressing surface to spread the liquid resin over the resin film, and a curing unit which cures the liquid resin being spread. The support table includes an annular bank region having a height not exceeding a thickness of the substrate and housing the substrate therein, and the bank region prevents the liquid resin to be spread by the pressing unit from flowing out from the substrate.

Light can be used to monitor coating a liquid on a substrate. By directing the light to a spot on the substrate, when the liquid passes through the spot, some light will be reflected, while some light will be scattered. Monitoring this behavior can indicate whether a substrate has been successfully coated with the liquid, as well as identifying defects. Further, coating times can be monitored to make process adjustments.

An apparatus is provided. The apparatus includes: a wafer support structure; a chamber over the wafer support structure, the chamber defining an exhaust opening that overlies the wafer support structure; and a gas flow control structure between the wafer support structure and the exhaust opening. The gas flow control structure includes: a first region defining a first opening having a first size; a third region defining a plurality of third openings each having a third size, the first region being more proximal a center of the gas flow control structure than the third region; and a second region between the first region and the third region, the second region defining a plurality of second openings each having a second size, the second size exceeding the third size, the first size exceeding the second size.

Provided is a substrate processing apparatus including an index module including a load port in which a substrate is accommodated, a first transfer module and a second transfer module for loading and unloading the substrate, and a processing module that is connected to the index module and includes a plurality of process chambers that process the substrate, wherein one of the plurality of process chambers includes a light processing chamber configured to irradiate light to a photoresist pattern of the substrate, the first transfer module transfers the substrate between the index module and the processing module, the second transfer module transfers the substrate between the plurality of process chambers in the processing module, the first transfer module includes a first hand unit and a second hand unit, and the second transfer module includes a third hand unit and a fourth hand unit.

A method of preventing drippage in a liquid dispensing system includes generating at least a first proxy signal representing at least a first indirect measure of a position of a first automatic control valve (ACV), wherein the first ACV has positions ranging from fully closed to fully open. The method further includes recognizing, based on at least the first proxy signal, whether a failure state exists in which the first ACV has failed to close. The method further includes causing a second ACV to close when the failure state exists, wherein the second ACV is fluidically connected to the first ACV, and the second ACV has positions ranging from fully closed to fully open.

Provided is an apparatus for processing a substrate, the apparatus including: a liquid processing chamber for processing a substrate; and a liquid supply unit for supplying a liquid to the substrate. The liquid supply unit includes: a storage assembly in which a liquid is stored; a liquid supply pipe for supplying the liquid in the storage assembly to the liquid processing chamber; and a trap tank installed in the liquid supply pipe. The storage assembly includes: a pack unit including an inner pack in which a liquid is stored and an outer pack provided to surround the inner pack; and a pressurization unit for pressurizing the inner pack, and the liquid supply pipe is coupled to the inner pack so that the liquid in the inner pack is transmitted to the trap tank by gravity. The inside of the inner pack is provided with vacuum, and the liquid does not directly contact gas, thereby preventing bubbles from being generated inside the liquid. In addition, it is possible to save energy by transmitting the liquid in the inner pack to the trap tank by gravity.

Disclosed are a unit that circulates a liquid at a constant temperature and an apparatus for processing a substrate by maintaining a constant temperature of the treatment liquid by using the same. According to an embodiment, when a concentration measured by a sensor unit is equal to or greater than a set value, a controller controls a liquid circulation unit to discharge pure water to a discharge unit, supply pure water into a manifold, and add a rust inhibitor to prevent corrosion of the liquid circulation unit, and damage and leakage due to the corrosion, thereby improving the lifespan and reliability of a substrate processing apparatus.

An apparatus for preventing blockage of a floating stage includes a moving member moving between a floating stage for lifting a substrate and a nozzle disposed above the floating stage, and a cover installed on the moving member and moving between the floating stage and the nozzle by the moving member to cover the floating stage.

In one embodiment, a nozzle assembly includes a body with an internal surface forming an internal cavity within the body. The assembly also includes a gas inlet disposed within the body, a fluid inlet disposed within the body and a mixing chamber disposed within the internal cavity of the body, such that an annular gap is formed between the internal surface and an exterior surface of the mixing chamber, the mixing chamber may include: a mixing body region within the mixing chamber; one or more gas ports fluidly connecting the gas inlet to the mixing chamber, the gas ports tangentially aligned with an interior surface of the mixing chamber; a fluid port in fluid communication with the fluid inlet of the body and the mixing body region of the mixing chamber; and an outlet in fluid communication with the mixing body region configured to deliver a fluid mixture.

In a method, a resist material is dispensed through a tube of a nozzle of a resist pump system on a wafer. The tube extends from a top to a bottom of the nozzle and has upper, lower, and middle segments. When not dispensing, the resist material is retracted from the lower and the middle segments, and maintained in the upper segment of the tube. When retracting, a first solvent is flown through a tip of the nozzle at the bottom of the nozzle to fill the lower segment of the tube with the first solvent and to produce a gap in the middle segment of the tube between the resist material and the first solvent. The middle segment includes resist material residues on an inner surface wall of the tube and vapor of the first solvent. The vapor of the first solvent prevents the resist material residues from drying.