Patent ID: 7337792
Filing Date: 2008-03-04
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A liquid processing apparatus which supplies a plurality of substrates with a processing liquid while rotating the substrates to perform a liquid processing, comprising: a container mounting part for mounting a container where a plurality of substrates are accommodated at intervals of a constant pitch; a substrate holder capable of holding the plural substrates substantially parallel with each other at intervals of a pitch smaller than the constant pitch at the container; a substrate transporter for transporting the substrates between the container mounted on the container mounting part and the substrate holder; a rotor for rotating the substrate holder; a chamber formed so as to be able to accommodate the substrate holder therein; a processing-liquid supplier for supplying the substrates accommodated in the chamber with a processing liquid, and a substrate-posture changer that can hold the substrates of two containers at a time, substantially parallel with each other and at intervals of a pitch smaller than the constant pitch at the container and that can change the postures of the substrates between their substantially-horizontal postures and their substantially-vertical postures, wherein the substrate transporter comprises: a first substra(e transporting device that transfers the substrates one by one to and from the substrate-posture changer and the container mounted on the container mounting part, in a substantially-horizontal posture and that transports the substrates one by one between the container and the substrate-posture changer, in a substantially-horizontal posture; and a second substrate transporting device that transfers the substrates between the substrate-posture changer and the substrate holder, in their substantially-vertical postures, wherein the substrate holder can hold the plural substrates while maintaining the substrates being held in their substantially-vertical postures by the substrate-posture changer, and wherein the liquid processing is performed under condition that the substrates are held by the substrate holder at intervals of an optional pitch.