Patent ID: 6969829

Claim:
An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising: a plurality of lift pins that cause the substrate to move up and down; a first lifting mechanism that causes the plurality of lift pins to move up and down; a heating plate which performs a heating process on the substrate, having a plurality of holes allowing the plurality of lift pins to protrude and sink there-through to a surface facing the substrate; a lid having an inside portion and an outside portion, being disposed above the heating plate so that the inside portion faces the heating plate, and capable of moving up and down; a second lifting mechanism that causes the lid to move up and down; a first inert gas introducing mechanism that introduces a first inert gas to the inside portion of the lid; a second inert gas introducing mechanism that introduces a second inert gas onto the surface of the heating plate through the plurality of holes; and a first controlling mechanism that introduces the second inert gas onto the surface of the heating plate using the second inert gas introducing mechanism while the first inert gas is being introduced into the inside portion of the lid using the first inert gas introducing mechanism in a state that both the lid and the plurality of lift pins are lifted up.