Tokyo Electron Limited

Yukihiro Kawano

Takashi Takekuma

An apparatus for forming a film of a process liquid, comprising a mounting table for supporting the substrate to be processed substantially horizontally, a process liquid supply device for supplying a process liquid for processing the substrate, a linear nozzle having a header space which has a length substantially corresponding to a diameter of the substrate and a liquid discharge portion, the header space mutually communicating with the liquid discharge portion, a liquid inlet port which communicates with the process liquid supply device and whose opening is formed above the header space, a moving device for relatively moving the linear nozzle and the mounting table while the liquid discharge portion faces the substrate on the mounting table, and a control device for controlling a viscosity of the photoresist solution within the header space or controlling a temperature of the developing liquid in the header space.

Process liquid film forming apparatus

The film coating apparatus comprising a mounting table for holding an LCD substrate substantially horizontally, a nozzle having a slit-form liquid discharge port extending from one end to the other end of the substrate, coating solution supply mechanism for supplying a resist solution to the nozzle, and moving means for moving the nozzle in parallel to the substrate in the direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the liquid discharge port in such a manner that the liquid discharge port keeps a constant clearance with the substrate. The nozzle comprises an entrance for introducing the resist solution from the resist solution supply mechanism, a liquid storage portion communicating with the entrance and the liquid discharge port, for temporarily storing the resist solution introduced through the entrance and sending the coating solution to the liquid discharge port, and film-thickness control means provided on both peripheral regions of the liquid discharge port, for reducing a pressure of the coating solution discharged from the both peripheral regions of the liquid discharge port. The film-thickness control means controls the pressure of the resist solution discharged from the both peripheral regions to be substantially equal to that from the middle region, thereby forming the resist coating film having a uniform thickness on the substrate.

Growing community of inventors

Suita, Japan

Yukihiro Kawano