Patent ID: 8534936

Claim:
A coating and developing apparatus comprising a carrier block, a processing block, and an interface block connectable to an exposure apparatus, said coating and developing apparatus being configured to transfer a substrate, which has been carried by a carrier into the carrier block, to the processing block, form at least one coating film, including a resist film, on the substrate in the processing block, send the substrate to the exposure apparatus via the interface block, develop the substrate after exposure, which has returned via the interface block, in the processing block, and transfer the substrate to the carrier block, wherein: the processing block includes at least one coating film-forming unit block stack and a developing unit block stack which are vertically stacked on each other; each of the coating film-forming unit block stack is composed of a plurality of coating film-forming unit blocks vertically stacked on each other, and each coating film-forming unit block includes a plurality of processing modules; the plurality of processing modules include a coating film-forming module for supplying a chemical solution to the substrate so as to form a coating film on the substrate, and a heating module for heating the substrate; each coating film-forming unit block is provided therein with a transport mechanism that moves along a transport passage, extending linearly from a carrier block side to an interface block side, to transport the substrate between the processing modules belonging to the coating film-forming unit block; and the coating film-forming unit blocks of each coating film-forming unit block stack are configured to form the same one or more coating films; the developing unit block stack is composed of a plurality of developing unit blocks vertically stacked on each other, and each developing unit block includes a plurality of processing modules; the plurality of modules include a developing module for supplying a developer to the substrate, and a heating module for heating the substrate; and each developing unit block is provided therein with a transport mechanism that moves along a transport passage, extending linearly from the carrier block side to the interface block side, to transport the substrate between the processing modules belonging to the developing unit block; said coating and developing apparatus further includes: first transfer units, each of which is, respectively, provided on the carrier block sides of the coating film-forming unit blocks and the developing unit blocks, for transferring the substrate to and from the transport mechanism of the associated coating film-forming block or developing unit block; a first transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate, which has been removed from the carrier, to any one of the first transfer units associated with the coating film-forming unit blocks; and a control section configured to control transport of the substrate in said coating and developing apparatus.