Developing apparatus

Abstract

A developing apparatus disclosed includes a spin chuck for spinnably holding a substrate, a developer nozzle having a plurality of exhaust ports arranged in a row for discharging a developer, the developer nozzle causing the developer discharged from the exhaust ports to impinge in separate streams on the substrate, a horizontal movement mechanism for moving the developer nozzle in one direction extending to the center of the substrate in plan view while maintaining a direction of arrangement of the exhaust ports in the one direction, thereby to move the developer nozzle between substantially the center and an edge of the substrate in plan view, and a controller for controlling the spin chuck and horizontal movement mechanism to cause the separate streams of the developer discharged from the exhaust ports to impinge spirally on the substrate, thereby to develop the substrate.

1 . A developing apparatus for developing a substrate, the developing apparatus comprising:
 a spin holder for spinnably holding the substrate;   a developer feeder having a plurality of exhaust ports arranged in a row for discharging a developer, the developer feeder causing the developer discharged from the exhaust ports to impinge in separate streams on the substrate;   a moving mechanism for moving the developer feeder in one direction extending to a center of the substrate in plan view while maintaining a direction of arrangement of the exhaust ports in the one direction, thereby to move the developer feeder between substantially the center and an edge of the substrate in plan view; and   a controller for controlling the spin holder and the moving mechanism to cause the separate streams of the developer discharged from the exhaust ports to impinge spirally on the substrate, thereby to develop the substrate.   
   
   
       2 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the developer discharged from the exhaust ports flows down in bar-shaped streams. 
   
   
       3 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the exhaust ports are arranged close to one another such that, when the developer is discharged simultaneously from the exhaust ports, ranges of the substrate between positions of impingement of the developer are covered by the developer spreading after impingement. 
   
   
       4 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the controller is arranged to control the spin holder and the moving mechanism to cause positions of impingement of adjacent streams of the developer to be close to each other, thereby to cover ranges of the substrate between loci of the positions of impingement with the developer spreading after impingement. 
   
   
       5 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the controller is arranged to control the spin holder and the moving mechanism to adjust a relationship between a spinning speed of the substrate and a moving speed of the developer feeder, thereby to control a space between loci of positions of impingement of adjacent streams of the developer. 
   
   
       6 . The apparatus according to  claim 5  wherein the controller is arranged to control the space to be a predetermined value or within a predetermined range. 
   
   
       7 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the controller is arranged to move, while the substrate makes one rotation, a rearmost one of the exhaust ports, with respect to the direction of movement of the developer feeder, to a position close in the direction of movement to a position of a foremost one of the exhaust ports at start of the one rotation. 
   
   
       8 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the controller is arranged to cause an overlap between at least two of loci of positions of impingement of the developer corresponding to the exhaust ports overlap each other. 
   
   
       9 . The apparatus according to  claim 8  wherein the controller is arranged to cause overlaps between the loci of positions of impingement of the developer corresponding to the exhaust ports. 
   
   
       10 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the controller is arranged to move the developer feeder, while the substrate makes one revolutions, by a distance having a value corresponding to a distance between centers of an adjacent pair of the exhaust ports divided by a number one less than a total number of the exhaust ports. 
   
   
       11 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the controller is arranged to move the developer feeder, while the substrate makes one revolution, by a distance shorter than a distance between centers of an adjacent pair of the exhaust ports. 
   
   
       12 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the exhaust ports are circular and approximately 1 mm in diameter, and an adjacent pair of the exhaust ports is spaced from each other by approximately 3 mm. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus according to  claim 1  wherein the controller is arranged to control a spinning speed of the substrate and a moving speed of the developer feeder to be constant when causing the separate streams of the developer discharged from the exhaust ports to impinge spirally on the substrate, thereby to develop the substrate. 
   
   
       14 . A developing apparatus for developing a substrate, the developing apparatus comprising:
 a spin holder for spinnably holding the substrate;   a developer feeder having a plurality of exhaust ports arranged in a row for discharging a developer, the developer feeder causing the developer discharged from the exhaust ports to impinge in separate streams on the substrate;   a moving mechanism for moving the developer feeder radially of the substrate between substantially the center and an edge of the substrate, with a direction of arrangement of the exhaust ports extending radially of the substrate; and   a controller for controlling the spin holder and the moving mechanism to cause the separate streams of the developer discharged from the exhaust ports to impinge spirally on the substrate, thereby to develop the substrate.   
   
   
       15 . The apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein the developer discharged from the exhaust ports flows down in bar-shaped streams. 
   
   
       16 . The apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein the exhaust ports are arranged close to one another such that, when the developer is discharged simultaneously from the exhaust ports, ranges of the substrate between positions of impingement of the developer are covered by the developer spreading after impingement. 
   
   
       17 . The apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein the controller is arranged to control the spin holder and the moving mechanism to cause positions of impingement of adjacent streams of the developer to be close to each other, thereby to cover ranges of the substrate between loci of the positions of impingement with the developer spreading after impingement. 
   
   
       18 . The apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein the controller is arranged to control the spin holder and the moving mechanism to adjust a relationship between a spinning speed of the substrate and a moving speed of the developer feeder, thereby to control a space between loci of positions of impingement of adjacent streams of the developer. 
   
   
       19 . The apparatus according to  claim 18  wherein the controller is arranged to control the space to be a predetermined value or within a predetermined range. 
   
   
       20 . The apparatus according to  claim 14  wherein the controller is arranged to move, while the substrate makes one revolution, a rearmost one of the exhaust ports, with respect to the direction of movement of the developer feeder, to a position close in the direction of movement to a position of a foremost one of the exhaust ports at start of the one revolution.