The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Feb. 23, 2010
Filed:
Jul. 15, 2008
Taro Yamamoto, Koshi, JP;
Hirofumi Takeguchi, Koshi, JP;
Shuichi Nagamine, Koshi, JP;
Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo-To, JP;
Abstract
A developing apparatus includes, to process substrates each coated with a resist and processed by an exposure process by a developing process, includes: plural developing units each provided with a substrate holding device for stably pouring a developer onto the substrate, a first developer nozzle to be used in common by the plural developing units to pour the developer in a band-shaped flow onto the substrates held by each of the substrate holding devices, a nozzle driving mechanism for carrying the first developer nozzle from one to another of the developing units, and moving the first developer nozzle with one end of a band-shaped area into which the developer is to be poured through the first developer nozzle directed toward the center of the substrate in each of the developing units such that a part in a surface of the substrate onto which the developer is poured moves from a central part toward a peripheral part or from a peripheral part toward a central part in the surface of the substrate to coat the surface of the substrate entirely with a developer film, and second developer nozzles for pouring the developer into a circular area or a band-shaped area of a short length shorter than that of the band-shaped area into which the first developer nozzle pours the developer in a central part of the substrate on which the developer film has been formed by the first developer nozzle. The nozzles are used selectively for developing steps.