Patent ID: 7520284

Claim:
An apparatus for developing an exposed photoresist material on a substrate, comprising: a first proximity head configured to define a developing meniscus of a photoresist developer solution on the substrate, the developing meniscus to be defined between a bottom of the first proximity head and the substrate, and wherein the first proximity head is configured to leave a film of the photoresist developer solution on the substrate following traversal of the first proximity head and developing meniscus over the substrate; a second proximity head configured to define a rinsing meniscus on the substrate and remove the rinsing meniscus from the substrate, the second proximity head positioned to follow the first proximity head relative to a traversal direction of the first and second proximity heads over the substrate such that the film of photoresist developer solution is removed from the substrate in conjunction with removal of the rinsing meniscus from the substrate; and a proximity head positioning device defined to adjustably control a separation distance between the first proximity head and the second proximity head so as to control a residence time for the film of photoresist developer solution on the substrate.