Patent ID: 7862680

Claim:
A substrate processing apparatus comprising: an annular substrate holder configured to hold a substrate, the substrate holder having a circumference; an annular top plate disposed above the substrate holder, and movable between a first position, where the top plate is located adjacent to an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder, and a second position where the top plate is remote from the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder; and a chemical liquid nozzle provided to discharge a chemical liquid onto a peripheral portion of the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder; and wherein the top plate is provided with an inert gas supply path for supplying an inert gas to a space between the top plate and the substrate held by the substrate holder, the inert gas supply path has an open end serving as an inert gas supply port for supplying the inert gas into the space, and the open end is located in a center portion of the top plate so as to face a center portion of the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder when the top plate is in the first position, wherein the top plate has a circumference sized so as to substantially cover the substrate holder when the top plate is in the first position and, wherein the top plate has an opening therein for accommodating the chemical liquid nozzle as the nozzle discharges the chemical liquid onto the peripheral portion of the substrate when the top plate is in the first position, and the opening is provided in a peripheral portion of the top plate so that a chemical liquid discharge port of the chemical liquid nozzle accommodated in the opening is located above the peripheral portion of the substrate to face the peripheral portion of the substrate when the top plate is in the first position.