Method and system for removal of films from peripheral portions of a substrate

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes an anti-reflection film processing block, a resist film processing block, and a resist cover film processing block. In the processing blocks, an anti-reflection film, a resist film, and a resist cover film are formed on a substrate, respectively. Additionally, a film formed at a peripheral edge of the substrate is removed. The film formed at the peripheral edge of the substrate is removed by supplying a removal liquid capable of dissolving and removing the film to the peripheral edge of the substrate during rotation. When the peripheral edge of the film is removed, the position of the substrate is corrected such that the center of the substrate coincides with the center of a rotation shaft.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A substrate processing method for forming a plurality of films on an upper surface of a substrate before exposure processing by a liquid immersion method, comprising the steps of:
 forming a first film on the upper surface of the substrate in a first film formation unit;   supplying a first removal liquid to a peripheral edge of said first film from a first removal nozzle in said first film formation unit, to remove a first annular region at the peripheral edge;   correcting a relative positional relationship between the substrate and said first removal nozzle so that said first annular region at the peripheral edge of said first film is removed in a predetermined first constant width in said first film formation unit during the removal of said first film or before the removal of said first film;   forming a second film so as to cover the first film from which said first annular region is removed in a second film formation unit;   supplying a second removal liquid to a peripheral edge of said second film from a second removal nozzle in said second film formation unit, to remove a second annular region at the peripheral edge; and   correcting a relative positional relationship between the substrate and said second removal nozzle so that said second annular region at the peripheral edge of said second film is removed in a predetermined second constant width in said second film formation unit during the removal of said second film or before the removal of said second film.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 1 , wherein said first width is smaller than said second width. 
     
     
         3 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 1 , wherein each of the steps of removing said first and second annular regions includes the steps of:
 holding the substrate substantially horizontally;   rotating the held substrate around an axis perpendicular to the substrate; and   supplying said first or second removal liquid from said first or second removal nozzle to the peripheral edge of said first or second film formed on the rotated substrate, to remove said first or second annular region, and   each of the step of correcting the relative positional relationship between the substrate and said first removal nozzle and the step of correcting the relative positional relationship between the substrate and said second removal nozzle includes the step of allowing an abutting member to abut against an outer edge of the substrate to correct the position of the substrate held substantially horizontally.   
     
     
         4 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:
 forming a third film so as to cover the second film from which said second annular region is removed in a third film formation unit;   supplying a third removal liquid to a peripheral edge of said third film from a third removal nozzle in said third film formation unit, to remove a third annular region at the peripheral edge; and   correcting a relative positional relationship between the substrate and said third removal nozzle so that said third annular region at the peripheral edge of said third film is removed in a predetermined third constant width in said third film formation unit during the removal of said third film or before the removal of said third film.   
     
     
         5 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 4 , wherein said first width is smaller than said third width, and said third width is smaller than said second width. 
     
     
         6 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 4 , wherein each of the steps of removing said first, second and third annular regions includes the steps of:
 holding the substrate substantially horizontally;   rotating the held substrate around an axis perpendicular to the substrate; and   supplying said first, second or third removal liquid from said first, second or third removal nozzle to the peripheral edge of said first, second or third film formed on the rotated substrate, to remove said first, second or third annular region, and   each of the step of correcting the relative positional relationship between the substrate and said first removal nozzle, the step of correcting the relative positional relationship between the substrate and said second removal nozzle and the step of correcting the relative positional relationship between the substrate and said third removal nozzle includes the step of allowing an abutting member to abut against an outer edge of the substrate to correct the position of the substrate held substantially horizontally.   
     
     
         7 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 4 , further comprising the steps of:
 forming a fourth film before the formation of said second film so as to cover the first film from which said first annular region is removed in a fourth film formation unit;   supplying a fourth removal liquid to a peripheral edge of said fourth film from a fourth removal nozzle in said fourth film formation unit, to remove a fourth annular region at the peripheral edge; and   correcting a relative positional relationship between the substrate and said fourth removal nozzle so that said fourth annular region at the peripheral edge of said fourth film is removed in a predetermined fourth constant width in said fourth film formation unit during the removal of said fourth film or before the removal of said fourth film.   
     
     
         8 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 7 , wherein said first width is smaller than said third width, said third width is smaller than said fourth width, and said fourth width is smaller than said second width. 
     
     
         9 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 7 , wherein each of the steps of removing said first, second, third and fourth annular regions includes the steps of:
 holding the substrate substantially horizontally;   rotating the held substrate around an axis perpendicular to the substrate; and   supplying said first, second, third or fourth removal liquid from said first, second, third or fourth removal nozzle to the peripheral edge of said first, second, third or fourth film formed on the rotated substrate, to remove said first, second, third or fourth annular region, and   each of the step of correcting the relative positional relationship between the substrate and said first removal nozzle, the step of correcting the relative positional relationship between the substrate and said second removal nozzle, the step of correcting the relative positional relationship between the substrate and said third removal nozzle, and the step of correcting the relative positional relationship between the substrate and said fourth removal nozzle includes the step of allowing an abutting member to abut against an outer edge of the substrate to correct the position of the substrate held substantially horizontally.