Patent ID: 8286576

Claim:
A substrate processing apparatus arranged adjacent to an exposure device, wherein: a resist film is formed on an upper surface of a substrate; then a resist coating film is formed on an upper surface of the substrate; and the substrate is transferred to the exposure device, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: a processor with a plurality of processing units arranged therein that are responsible for certain processes on the substrate, the plurality of processing units including a post-coating thermal processing unit responsible for thermal processing of the substrate after a certain coating solution has been applied to the upper surface of the substrate, the post-coating thermal processing unit having: an adhesion enhancing agent supply element for supplying an adhesion enhancing agent only to a periphery of the substrate before formation of the resist coating film; and a thermal processing plate for performing thermal processing of the substrate while supporting the substrate by an upper surface of the thermal processing plate; a partition wall configured to partition space inside a cover, covering an inside portion of the substrate while excluding a periphery of the substrate; an inert gas supply element for supplying an inert gas from inside the partition wall to the inside portion of the substrate; wherein the adhesion enhancing agent supply element is provided with a cover for covering a substrate supported by the thermal processing plate; a discharge slot communicating with a feed path defined inside the cover and outside the partition wall while being opposite the periphery of the substrate, and the adhesion enhancing agent guided along the feed path is discharged through the discharge slot toward the periphery of the substrate; and a transfer part for transferring the substrate between the processor and the exposure device.