Patent ID: 6676757
Filing Date: 2004-01-13
Classification: G03F,H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A coating film forming apparatus for forming a coating film by applying a coating solution to a substrate comprising:a cassette mounting section on which a substrate cassette housing a plurality of substrates is mounted; a coating unit for applying the coating solution to the substrate taken out of the substrate cassette which is mounted on said cassette mounting section and housed in a casing; plural treatment units for performing at least either pre-treatment or post-treatment for treatment of applying the coating solution; and a main transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate between said coating unit and said treatment units, wherein said coating unit has (a) a coating section including a substrate holding portion for holding the substrate, a coating solution nozzle for discharging the coating solution to the substrate, provided to be opposed to the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, and a drive mechanism for moving the coating solution nozzle relatively to the substrate along a surface thereof while discharging the coating solution to the surface of the substrate from the coating solution nozzle, (b) a reduced-pressure drying section for drying under a reduced-pressure atmosphere the substrate which is applied with the coating solution in the coating section, (c) a coating film removing section comprising a surrounding member having a C-shape cross-section so as to sandwich the peripheral portion of the substrate held by said substrate holding portion, a plurality of solvent nozzles provided along the peripheral direction of the substrate so as to be opposed to the surface of the substrate in the surrounding member, and a suction mechanism for sucking an atmosphere surrounded by the surrounding member, said coating film removing section removing the coating film from the peripheral portion of the substrate which has been reduced-pressure dried by said reduced-pressure drying section, and (d) an auxiliary transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate between said substrate holding portion, said reduced-pressure drying section, and said coating film removing section.