Patent ID: 9703199
Date: 2017-07-11
CPC Classifications: G03F,H01L

Claim:
1. A method of processing a substrate in a substrate processing apparatus that is arranged adjacent to an exposure device that applies exposure processing to a substrate by a liquid immersion method, and includes first, second and third processing units, the method comprising the steps of: forming a photosensitive film made of a photosensitive material on an upper surface of the substrate by the first processing unit before the exposure processing by the exposure device; rotating the substrate about an axis vertical to the substrate while holding the substrate substantially horizontally in the second processing unit after the formation of the photosensitive film by the first processing unit and before the exposure processing by the exposure device; forming a liquid layer of a rinse liquid on a whole upper surface of the photosensitive film on the rotated substrate, to previously allow part of a component of the photosensitive material within the photosensitive film to be eluted in the liquid layer from within the photosensitive film in the second processing unit such that the component of the photosensitive material within the photosensitive film is not eluted from within the photosensitive film on the substrate during the exposure processing by the exposure device; removing the liquid layer on the photosensitive film after the part of the component of the photosensitive material is eluted; transporting the substrate after the removal of the liquid layer to the exposure device to apply the exposure processing to the photosensitive film on the substrate by the exposure device; and applying development processing to the substrate by the third processing unit after the exposure processing by the exposure device.