Patent ID: 7563043

Claim:
A coating/developing apparatus for applying a resist liquid onto a substrate to form a resist film, and performing a developing process on the resist film after a light exposure process is performed thereon by a light exposure apparatus, the coating/developing apparatus comprising: a process section including a plurality of processing units configured to perform a series of processes for resist coating and development; an interface section disposed between the process section and the light exposure apparatus, and configured to transfer the substrate to and from the light exposure apparatus; a main transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate in the process section; an interface section transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate in the interface section; and a control section configured to control transfer of the substrate, wherein the process section includes a plurality of post-exposure baking units each having a waiting position and configured to perform a baking process on the substrate after the light exposure process and before the developing process, the interface section transfer mechanism includes a first transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate to and from the process section and to load the substrate into one of the post-exposure baking units after the light exposure process, and a second transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate to and from the light exposure apparatus, the interface section further includes a relay position configured to place thereon the substrate transferred by the second transfer mechanism, and to allow the first transfer mechanism to receive the substrate therefrom, and the control section is arranged to set the substrate on standby at the relay position and the waiting position of each post-exposure baking unit, so as to make a time period constant among substrates from an end of the light exposure process performed by the light exposure apparatus to a start of a post-exposure baking process performed by the post-exposure baking unit.