Patent ID: 8801891

Claim:
A substrate warpage removal apparatus comprising: a substrate holding section configured to hold a substrate which has a patterned surface having a film with a pattern, and a non-patterned surface lying on the opposite side from the patterned surface and having a film without a pattern, wherein the substrate holding section holds a periphery of the substrate, holds the substrate with the non-patterned surface downward, and has a rotational driving section for rotating the substrate; a film removal section, provided beneath the substrate on the side of the non-patterned surface of the substrate, configured to remove the film of the non-patterned surface; a substrate warpage detection section configured to detect a degree of warpage of the substrate, wherein the substrate warpage detection section includes a first laser displacement meter configured to measure a displacement of the center of a surface of the substrate, and a second laser displacement meter configured to measure a displacement of the periphery of the surface of the substrate, and wherein the substrate warpage detection section is disposed above the substrate, and detects a warpage of the substrate while the substrate is rotated and a process liquid is supplied to the non-patterned surface of the rotated substrate; and a controller configured to control the film removal section, wherein the film removal section includes a processing liquid supply section provided on the side of the non-patterned surface of the substrate, wherein the processing liquid supply section includes a processing liquid supply pipe which is connected to an etching liquid supply system configured to supply an etching liquid to the processing liquid supply pipe, wherein the controller determines when to stop the actuation of the film removal section based on a signal from the substrate warpage detection section, and wherein the supply of etching liquid from the processing liquid supply section gradually removes at least a portion of the film without a pattern to balance internal stress in the substrate, the substrate warpage detection system detects displacement of the substrate and sends the detected displacement in signals to the controller, and the controller determines a remaining degree of warpage of the substrate while the processing liquid supply section is supplying the etching liquid to the film without a pattern; and the controller determines that the warpage of the substrate has been eliminated based on the detected displacement in the signals received from the substrate warpage detection system, the controller stops the actuation of the processing liquid supply section which is disposed below the substrate to stop the supply of etching liquid to the film without a pattern on the substrate, and actuates a supply of rinsing liquid to the film without a pattern on the substrate, while the substrate continues to rotate.