Patent ID: 7353623

Claim:
A solvent removal apparatus, comprising: a workpiece support unit that supports a workpiece; a chamber that accommodates the workpiece support unit together with the workpiece and controls an atmospheric condition within the chamber, the chamber having a top wall having a throuh-hole; a coat forming unit that introduces a liquid phase film-forming material containing a film material and a solvent onto the workpiece through the through-hole to form a coat of the liquid phase film-forming material on the workpiece; a gas introduction unit that introduces a solvent removal gas containing solvent vapor toward a center part of the workpiece through the through-hole, the solvent removal gas being used to remove the solvent contained in the coat; and a restriction unit that restricts flow of the solvent removal gas so that the solvent removal gas flows radially outward from the center part of the workpiece toward a peripheral edge part of the workpiece, wherein the solvent is removed from the coat while restricting the flow of the solvent removal gas with the restriction unit.