Patent ID: 7651284

Claim:
A development apparatus which develops a resist coating film subjected to pattern exposure on a substrate, comprising: a substrate holding portion which substantially horizontally holds the substrate in such a manner that the resist coating film is placed on an upper side; a development nozzle which supplies a developer to an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion; a liquid flow suppressing member whose size in a two-dimensional plane viewing field is equal to or larger than that of the substrate, and which has a mesh having many openings and hydrophilic properties with respect to the developer, transmits the developer supplied from the development nozzle through the openings of the mesh, and forms a liquid film between the mesh and the substrate; and a moving mechanism which movably supports the liquid flow suppressing member, sets the mesh to face the resist coating film on the substrate, and brings the mesh into contact with the surface of the liquid film of the developer or immerses the mesh in the liquid film.