Patent ID: 8440266

Claim:
A developing method for performing a development process by supplying a developer onto a substrate, the substrate being prepared by forming a resist film thereon and then being subjected to an exposure process, comprising the steps of: holding the substrate on a substrate holder so that the substrate is horizontally oriented; holding a first nozzle and a second nozzle so that a distance between a first supply port included in the first nozzle and a second supply port included in the second nozzle is in a range of 13 mm to 33 mm, wherein the first nozzle is adapted to supply the developer onto the substrate and the second nozzle is adapted to supply onto the substrate a flow-restriction liquid to restrict flow of the developer on the substrate, and that the second nozzle is spaced apart from the first nozzle and located on an outer side of the substrate with respect to the first nozzle when the first nozzle is located above a central portion of the substrate placed on the substrate holder; performing a pre-wet process so that the first nozzle supplies the developer onto the central portion of the substrate and the second nozzle simultaneously supplies the flow-restriction liquid onto the substrate in an amount which is larger than an amount of the developer supplied under the condition that the substrate rotates around a vertical axis; and after stopping the supplying of the flow-restriction liquid by the second nozzle, performing a development process so that the first nozzle supplies the developer onto the substrate under the condition that the substrate rotates around the vertical axis.