A method is provided for subtractively processing a layer of etchable material formed over an electrically conductive surface region of a workpiece. The workpiece is immersed in a liquid solution, generally but not exclusively a conductive solution, that comprises an etchant for the etchable material, so that etching of the etchable material is initiated. An electric circuit is connected to include a control electrode, a reference electrode, and the electrically conductive surface region of the workpiece. The electric circuit is used to monitor the development process dynamically at each of a plurality of intervals during the etching. The etching is terminated when the electrochemical signal satisfies a criterion indicating that the etching is complete.

Embodiments of the invention include methods and structures for controlling developer critical dimension (DCD) variations across a wafer surface. Aspects of the invention include an apparatus having developer tubing and an internal cam. The internal cam is coupled to a fixed axis. A flexible divider is positioned between the developer tubing and the internal cam. The flexible divider is coupled to the internal cam such that rotation of the internal cam about the fixed axis is operable to change an inner diameter of the developer tubing.

A substrate processing method includes performing a developing processing on a substrate. The developing processing includes supplying a developing liquid on a surface of the substrate to form a liquid film of the developing liquid on the surface of the substrate; maintaining the liquid film on the surface such that development progresses; and performing, during the maintaining of the liquid film, a first processing of supplying a gas to an inner region located at an inner side than a peripheral region on the surface of the substrate and a second processing of supplying an adjusting liquid configured to suppress progress of the development on the peripheral region to adjust a degree of the development between the peripheral region and the inner region. The second processing is started after a start time of the first processing, and the second processing is ended after an end time of the first processing.

The present invention provides a substrate treating apparatus including: support unit is configured to support and rotate a substrate in a treatment space; a liquid supply unit is configured to supply a liquid to the substrate supported by the support unit; a laser unit including a laser irradiation unit which irradiates laser light to the substrate supported by the support unit; a home port providing a standby position in which the laser unit waits; and a moving unit for moving the laser unit between a process position in which the laser light is irradiated to the substrate and the standby position, in which the home port detects a characteristic of the laser light from the laser light irradiated by the laser unit.

Disclosed is a substrate treating apparatus including a support unit that supports and rotates a substrate, a heating unit including a laser irradiator that irradiates laser light in a pattern formed in the substrate, a movement module that changes a location of the laser irradiator by moving the heating unit, and a controller that controls the support unit and the heating unit, the movement module moves the heating unit between a heating location, at which the laser light is irradiated to the substrate, and a standby location that deviates from the substrate, and the movement module rotates and linearly moves the heating unit.

A development method includes: a development step of supplying a developing solution to a surface of a substrate for manufacturing a semiconductor device after undergoing formation of a resist film and exposure, to perform development; a first rotation step of, after the development step, increasing revolution speed of the substrate to rotate the substrate in a first rotational direction around a central axis so as to spin off and remove part of the developing solution from the substrate; and a second rotation step of, after the first rotation step, rotating the substrate in a second rotational direction reverse to the first rotational direction so as to spin off and remove the developing solution remaining on the substrate from the substrate.

The present disclosure provides a method for forming a masking layer, including spinning a wafer, dispensing a first liquid at a first location on the wafer, and dispensing a second liquid at a second location on the wafer simultaneously with dispensing the first liquid at the first location, wherein the second liquid is a remover of the first liquid, and the first location is different from the second location.

A solution including an organic solvent (S), and an antioxidant (A), in which an antioxidant (A) includes a tocopherol compound (A1).

The present disclosure is directed to a method and system for monitoring a distance between a shutter and a reference point in a processing module. For example, the method includes moving a shutter relative to a substrate support in a wafer processing module and determining a distance between the shutter and a wall of the wafer processing module with a measurement device. In response to the distance being greater than a value, the method further includes transferring a substrate to the substrate support, and in response to the distance being equal to or less than the value, the method includes resetting the shutter.

Embodiments of the invention include methods and structures for controlling developer critical dimension (DCD) variations across a wafer surface. Aspects of the invention include an apparatus having developer tubing and an internal cam. The internal cam is coupled to a fixed axis. A flexible divider is positioned between the developer tubing and the internal cam. The flexible divider is coupled to the internal cam such that rotation of the internal cam about the fixed axis is operable to change an inner diameter of the developer tubing.