Patent ID: 7752999
Filing Date: 2010-07-13
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A wet processing system for pouring a process solution supplied by a process solution supply unit through a process solution pouring nozzle onto a surface of a substrate held substantially horizontally by a substrate holding device surrounded by a cup to process the surface by a wet process, said wet processing system comprising: a nozzle bath for holding process solution pouring nozzles thereon at a home position; a nozzle carrying mechanism for carrying the process solution pouring nozzles between the home position on the nozzle bath and a position above the substrate held by the substrate holding device; an image pickup means for taking a picture of tips of the process solution pouring nozzles while the process solution pouring nozzles are being carried by the nozzle carrying mechanism; a decision means for deciding whether or not a globule of the process solution is in a drippy state, in which the globule of the process solution protrudes down from a tip of a process solution pouring nozzle prior to being discharged, and whether or not the globule of the process solution is in a dripping state, in which the process solution has dripped off a tip of a process solution pouring nozzle, on the basis of image data provided by the image pickup means; and a control means for making the process solution supply unit and/or the nozzle carrying mechanism execute a drip preventing operation to cope with a drippy state where a globule of the process solution is drippy or a dripping state where a globule of the process solution is dripping when the decision means decides that the globule of the process solution is in the drippy or the dripping state.