Patent ID: 8940365
Filing Date: 2015-01-27
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A coating method for forming a coating film by supplying a coating liquid obtained by dissolving a component of a coating film in a solvent from a nozzle to a substrate, wherein a device is configured such that a nozzle for a preceding lot and a nozzle for a following lot are integrated into a common movement mechanism and moved between an upper side of a liquid processing unit and a standby area, the device including a first valve for controlling supply of a coating liquid and third and second valves installed in series in this order from a discharge side within a nozzle head for each nozzle, wherein the second valve includes a predetermined space, the coating method comprising: decreasing, when a certain amount of coating liquid is filled in the predetermined space of the second valve through the first valve, a capacity of the predetermined space while closing the first and third valves, and then opening the third valve to discharge the coating liquid for supplying the coating liquid from the nozzle for the preceding lot to a last substrate of the preceding lot loaded in a first liquid processing unit; moving the nozzle for the preceding lot along with the nozzle for the following lot to the standby area; increasing the capacity of the predetermined space of the second valve while closing the first valve and opening the third valve for sucking air into the nozzle for the preceding lot to form an upper gas layer within the nozzle, simultaneously with the moving the nozzle for the preceding lot to the standby area; increasing the capacity of the predetermined space of the second valve while closing the first valve and opening the third valve for sucking a solvent into the nozzle for the preceding lot in the standby area; after a front substrate of the following lot is loaded to a second liquid processing unit different from the first liquid processing unit, moving the nozzle for the following lot along with the nozzle for the preceding lot to an upper side of a front substrate of the following lot; increasing the capacity of the predetermined space of the second valve while closing the first valve and opening the third valve for sucking gas of atmosphere into the nozzle for the preceding lot while simultaneously moving the nozzle for the following lot to the upper side of the front substrate of the following lot to form a lower gas layer within the nozzle so that a solvent layer is interposed between the upper gas layer and the lower gas layer; and decreasing, when a certain amount of coating liquid is filled therein through the first valve, a capacity of the predetermined space of the second valve while closing the first and third valves, and then opening the third valve to discharge the coating liquid for supplying the coating liquid to the front substrate of the following lot from the nozzle for the following lot.