Developing apparatus and method

Abstract

A developing apparatus for developing a substrate whose surface is coated with a coating solution and then exposed includes a substrate supporting unit for horizontally supporting the substrate, a rotation driving mechanism for rotating the substrate supporting unit forwardly or backwardly with respect to a vertical axis, a developer nozzle, disposed to face a surface of the substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit, having a strip-shaped injection opening extended along a direction extending from a periphery of the substrate toward a central portion thereof, a moving unit for moving the developer nozzle from an outer portion of the substrate toward the central portion thereof, and a controller for controlling operations such that while the substrate is rotated forwardly by the rotation driving mechanism, a developer is supplied through the injection opening to the surface of the substrate by moving the developer nozzle and, then, the substrate is rotated backwardly by the rotation driving mechanism.

1 . A developing method for developing a substrate whose surface is coated with a coating solution and then exposed, the method comprising the steps of:
 horizontally supporting a bottom surface of the substrate by using a substrate supporting unit;   rotating the substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit forwardly with respect to a vertical axis;   discharging a developer through a strip-shaped injection opening provided at the developer nozzle onto a surface of the substrate while moving the developer nozzle, the injection opening extended along a direction extending from a periphery of the substrate to a central portion thereof; and   rotating the substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit backwardly with respect to the vertical axis after the developer nozzle reaches the central portion of the substrate.   
     
     
         2 . The developing method of  claim 1 , wherein patterns of chips are regularly formed on a resist of the surface of the substrate, and each of the chips has a dense pattern portion and a sparse pattern portion. 
     
     
         3 . The developing method of  claim 1 , wherein when the substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit is rotated backwardly with respect to the vertical axis, the developer is discharged through the injection opening to the central portion of the substrate. 
     
     
         4 . The developing method of  claim 1 , wherein when the substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit is rotated backwardly with respect to the vertical axis, the developer nozzle is moved from the outer portion of the substrate toward the central portion thereof while discharging the developer through the injection opening. 
     
     
         5 . The developing method of  claim 1 , wherein when the rotation of substrate is converted from the forward rotation to the backward rotation, the substrate is stopped momentarily. 
     
     
         6 . A developing method for developing a substrate whose surface is coated with a coating solution and then exposed, the method comprising the steps of:
 horizontally supporting a bottom surface of the substrate by using a substrate supporting unit;   rotating the substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit around a vertical axis;   moving a developer nozzle facing a surface of the substrate from an outer portion of the substrate toward a central portion thereof;   discharging a developer through a strip-shaped injection opening provided at the developer nozzle onto a surface of the substrate while moving the developer nozzle, the injection opening extended along a direction extending from a periphery of the substrate to the central portion thereof; and   supplying fluid from a fluid supply nozzle to the surface of the substrate, wherein the fluid supply nozzle moves along with the developer nozzle and the fluid is for pushing the developer, which is supplied from the developer nozzle to the surface of the substrate, toward the central portion of the substrate.   
     
     
         7 . The developing method of  claim 6 , wherein the fluid is a diluted developer. 
     
     
         8 . The developing method of  claim 6 , wherein the fluid is a gas. 
     
     
         9 . A developing method for developing a substrate whose surface is coated with a coating solution and then exposed, the method comprising the steps of:
 slantingly supporting the substrate a bottom surface of the substrate at an inclined angle by using a substrate supporting unit;   rotating the substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit with respect to a perpendicular axis;   moving a developer nozzle facing a surface of the substrate from an outer portion of the substrate toward a central portion thereof; and   discharging a developer from a strip-shaped injection opening provided at the developer nozzle onto a surface of the substrate, the injection opening extended along a direction extending from a periphery of the substrate to the central portion thereof.   
     
     
         10 . The developing method of  claim 9 , wherein the inclined angle ranges from 1° to 10°. 
     
     
         11 . A developing method for developing a substrate whose surface is coated with a coating solution and then exposed, the method comprising the steps of:
 horizontally supporting the substrate on a backside thereof by using a substrate supporting unit;   oscillating the substrate supported by the substrate supporting unit left and right with respect to a vertical axis, which is provided at an eccentric position on the substrate;   moving a developer nozzle facing a surface of the substrate from one end portion of the substrate toward the other end portion thereof, the end portions being positioned on the straight line passing through the eccentric position and the center of the substrate; and   discharging a developer through a strip-shaped injection opening provided at the developer nozzle onto a surface of the substrate while moving the developer nozzle, the injection opening extended along a direction extending from a periphery of the substrate to a central portion thereof.