Patent ID: 7338223

Claim:
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a cassette unit section configured to enable a cassette that stores a non-processed substrate to be placed therein; an interface unit section configured to enable the non-processed substrate to be provided and received between the interface unit section and another apparatus that performs exposure processing on the non-processed substrate with a resist film formed thereon; a resist coating processing section that is disposed between the interface unit section and the cassette unit section and that is provided by stacking at least two resist coating mechanisms each of which coats a resist solution on the non-processed substrate to form a resist film; a developing processing section that is disposed between the interface unit section and the cassette unit section, and that is provided by stacking at least two developing processing mechanisms each of which supplies a developing solution to the non-processed substrate with the resist film formed thereon to perform developing processing; and an exhaust path that exhausts air from the resist coating mechanisms in the resist coating processing section to discharge substantially collectively outside the apparatus, and/or an exhaust path that exhausts air from the developing processing mechanisms in the developing processing section to discharge substantially collectively outside the apparatus, wherein a plurality of exhaust regions to exhaust air is provided in a plurality of resist coating mechanisms in the resist coating processing section and/or a plurality of developing processing mechanisms in the developing processing section, the plurality of exhaust regions is a region of a first enclosing member surrounding the non-processed substrate and a region between the first enclosing member surrounded by a second enclosing member surrounding the first enclosing member and the second enclosing member, and is configured to enable air to be exhausted from the regions mutually independently and/or collectively, and each of the resist coating mechanisms and/or developing processing mechanisms has a support mechanism that supports a backside of the non-processed substrate, a solution intrusion inhibiting mechanism that is provided outside the support mechanism and that inhibits a processing solution from intruding in the direction of a center portion of the backside of the non-processed substrate, and a solution supplying mechanism that supplies the solution to the solution intrusion inhibiting mechanism and/or the backside of the non-processed substrate.