Patent ID: 7998308

Claim:
A liquid processing apparatus comprising: a substrate holding member configured to rotate along with a substrate held thereon in a horizontal state; a rotary cup configured to surround the substrate held on the substrate holding member and to rotate along with the substrate; a rotation mechanism configured to integratedly rotate the rotary cup and the substrate holding member; a liquid supply mechanism configured to supply a process liquid onto at least a front surface of the substrate; an exhaust/drain section configured to perform gas-exhausting and liquid-draining out of the rotary cup; and an annular guide member disposed to surround the substrate, having an upper surface to be substantially continued to the front surface of the substrate, wherein the guide member and the substrate holding member are arranged such that when the substrate is placed upon the substrate holding member, a portion of the guide member's upper surface adjacent to the substrate has essentially the same height level as that of the front surface of the substrate, wherein the rotary cup further includes an annular eaves portion disposed above the guide member and extending inwardly, and wherein, the rotation mechanism also rotates the guide member and the annular eaves portion integratedly with the substrate holding member and the rotary cup, such that a process liquid supplied onto the front surface of the substrate and thrown off from the substrate is guided radially outward by the upper surface of the guide member below the eaves portion and flows from the rotary cup to the exhaust/drain section.