Coating and developing apparatus and pattern forming method

Abstract

A coating and developing apparatus has an interface section equipped with a temperature adjuster (a cooling unit). A temperature-raised substrate due to exposure on periphery of the substrate outside a circuit-forming area thereon is adjusted to a predetermined temperature by the temperature adjuster and then transferred to an exposing apparatus. The temperature adjustments before exposure provide almost the same temperature over many substrates to be transferred to the exposing apparatus for less thermal effects to exposing processing, thus achieving high yields. The interface section is further provided with first and second transfer mechanisms, the first serving to transfer substrates between the processor and the exposing apparatus and the second serving to transfer substrates to each unit of a shelf section, for high transfer performance, thus achieving high throughput.

1 - 17 . (Cancelled)  
     
     
         18 . A method of forming a pattern comprising the steps of: 
 applying a resist on a surface of a substrate;    adjusting a temperature of the resist-coated substrate to an appropriate temperature for exposing processing;    exposing the temperature-adjusted substrate; and    developing the exposed substrate to form a resist pattern on the substrate surface.    
     
     
         19 . A method of forming a pattern comprising the steps of: 
 applying a resist on a surface of a substrate;    exposing a periphery of the resist-coated substrate outside a circuit-forming area thereon;    adjusting a temperature of the peripheral-exposed substrate to an appropriate temperature for exposing processing;    exposing the temperature-adjusted substrate; and    developing the exposed substrate to form a resist pattern on the substrate surface.    
     
     
         20 . A method of forming a pattern comprising the steps of: 
 applying a resist on a surface of a substrate;    adjusting a temperature of the resist-coated substrate to an appropriate temperature for exposing processing;    exposing the temperature-adjusted substrate;    exposing a periphery of the exposed substrate outside a circuit-forming area thereon; and    developing the peripheral-exposed substrate to form a resist pattern on the substrate surface.    
     
     
         21 . A method of forming a resist pattern on a surface of a substrate, for a coating and developing apparatus having a processor for applying a resist on a substrate and developing the substrate after being subjected to exposing processing and an interface section for transferring the substrate between the processor and an exposing apparatus for applying the exposing processing to the substrate, the method comprising the steps of: 
 applying a resist on a surface of a substrate by the processor;    transferring the resist-coated substrate from the processor to the interface section by a first transfer mechanism and adjusting a temperature of the resist-coated substrate to an appropriate temperature for the exposing processing in the interface section before the resist-coated substrate is transferred to the exposing apparatus;    transferring the temperature-adjusted substrate from the interface section to the exposing apparatus by the first transfer mechanism and exposing the temperature-adjusted substrate by the exposing apparatus; and    transferring the exposed substrate from the exposing apparatus to the processor via the interface section by the first transfer mechanism and developing the exposed substrate by the processor to form a resist pattern on the substrate surface.    
     
     
         22 . A method of forming a resist pattern on a surface of a substrate, for a coating and developing apparatus having a processor for applying a resist on a substrate and developing substrate after being subjected to exposing processing and an interface section for transferring the substrate between the processor and an exposing apparatus for applying the exposing processing to the substrate, the method comprising the steps of: 
 applying a resist on a surface of a substrate by the processor;    transferring the resist-coated substrate from the processor to the interface section by a first transfer mechanism and exposing a periphery of the resist-coated substrate outside a circuit-forming area thereon;    transferring the peripheral-exposed substrate by a second transfer mechanism and adjusting a temperature of the peripheral-exposed substrate to an appropriate temperature for the exposing processing in the interface section;    transferring the temperature-adjusted substrate from the interface section to the exposing apparatus by the first transfer mechanism and exposing the temperature-adjusted substrate by the exposing apparatus; and    transferring the exposed substrate from the exposing apparatus to the processor via the interface section by the first transfer mechanism and developing the exposed substrate by the processor to form a resist pattern on the substrate surface.