Patent ID: 9436087
Filing Date: 2016-09-06
CPC Classification: B05B,B08B,G03F,H01L

Claim Text:
1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a chemical liquid processing section in which a process is performed on a substrate by a chemical liquid; a cleaning processing section in which a cleaning process is performed on the chemical liquid processing section; and a controller configured to control the chemical liquid processing section and the cleaning processing section, wherein the chemical liquid processing section includes a chemical liquid storage configured to store the chemical liquid that includes a solvent, a discharge nozzle configured to discharge the chemical liquid, a first pipe for leading the chemical liquid stored in the chemical liquid storage to the discharge nozzle, a supply device provided at the first pipe and configured to supply the chemical liquid stored in the chemical liquid storage to the discharge nozzle through the first pipe, a flow path opening/closing unit provided at a portion of the first pipe at a further downstream position than the supply device and configured to be capable of opening and closing a flow path in the first pipe, and a filter provided at a portion of the first pipe that is located at a further downstream position than the supply device and at a further upstream position than the flow path opening/closing unit, wherein the cleaning processing section includes a second pipe for leading a cleaning liquid to the first pipe, the cleaning liquid including a component for cleaning away solid matter, a fourth pipe for leading to the first pipe a replacement solvent that includes a same component or a same type of component as a solvent included in the chemical liquid stored in the chemical liquid storage so as not to affect a composition of the chemical liquid, and a switching unit configured to be capable of switching a flow path in the first, second and fourth pipes such that the chemical liquid, the cleaning liquid and the replacement solvent are selectively led to a predetermined flow path range of the first pipe and the cleaning liquid does not pass through the filter, and the controller is configured to control the switching unit such that the replacement solvent is led to the flow path range after the solid matter adhering to the flow path range is cleaned away by the cleaning liquid led to the flow path range, so that the cleaning liquid in the flow path range is replaced with the replacement solvent, and the chemical liquid is led to the flow path range after the replacement solvent is led to the flow path range.