Patent ID: 7343698
Filing Date: 2008-03-18
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A reduced pressure drying apparatus, comprising: a substrate stage section for disposing thereon a substrate having a surface coated with a coating liquid containing a film-forming component and a solvent; a hermetic vessel having the substrate stage section arranged therein; an exhaust means for reducing a pressure inside the hermetic vessel; a gaseous stream distribution control plate arranged apart from and in a manner to face the surface of the substrate disposed on the substrate stage section and provided with a plurality of gaseous stream-flowing ports through which flow a gaseous stream, each of the plurality of gaseous stream-flowing ports having a gaseous stream-flowing region; and a control means for controlling a distribution pattern of the gaseous stream-flowing regions of the gaseous stream distribution control plate, wherein the control means permits switching of the distribution pattern of the gaseous stream-flowing regions between a nonuniform distribution pattern over the entire surface of the substrate and a uniform distribution pattern over the entire surface of the substrate, further wherein the nonuniform distribution pattern of the gaseous stream-flowing regions over the entire region of the substrate is determined in accordance with a distribution of solid component concentration in the coating liquid covering the substrate surface.