What is claimed is:
1. A developing apparatus for developing a thin resist film with a developer and stopping development with a rinsing liquid, said resist film being formed on a major surface of a substrate and having a predetermined pattern exposed,
said developing apparatus comprising:
a substrate holder for holding said substrate;
a substrate rotating section for rotating said substrate held by said substrate holder;
a developer supply section for supplying a developer to the major surface of said substrate held by said substrate holder to form a developer layer on the major surface of said substrate;
a rinsing liquid supply nozzle having a rinsing liquid discharge unit for discharging a rinsing liquid with a discharge width substantially equal to or greater than a width of said substrate;
a rinsing liquid supply system for supplying a rinsing liquid to said rinsing liquid supply nozzle and causing said rinsing liquid supply nozzle to discharge a rinsing liquid from said rinsing liquid discharge unit; and
a rinsing liquid supply nozzle rotation supporting section for supporting one end of said rinsing liquid supply nozzle so that said rinsing liquid supply nozzle is rotatable on a rotation axis located outside said substrate held by said substrate holder, and rotating said rinsing liquid supply nozzle to pass over said substrate held by said substrate holder, wherein
said substrate held by said substrate holder is rotated in a first rotational direction,
said rinsing liquid supply nozzle is rotated in said first rotational direction so as to pass over the developer layer formed on the major surface of said substrate being rotated and to discharge a rinsing liquid from said rinsing liquid discharge unit, and
in response to rotation of said rinsing liquid supply nozzle, a rotation axis of said rinsing liquid supply nozzle is moved in a predetermined direction of movement closer to or away from a rotation axis of said substrate held by said substrate holder, so that a center-to-center distance between the rotation axes of said rinsing liquid supply nozzle and said substrate at least either when said rinsing liquid supply nozzle starts passing over said substrate or when said rinsing liquid supply nozzle has finished passing over said substrate is greater than said center-to-center distance when said rinsing liquid supply nozzle is passing over the rotation axis of said substrate.
2. The developing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein
said developer supply section comprises:
a developer supply nozzle having a developer discharge unit for discharging a developer with a discharge width substantially equal to or greater than the width of said substrate;
a developer supply system for supplying a developer to said developer supply nozzle and causing said developer supply nozzle to discharge a developer from said developer discharge unit; and
a developer supply nozzle moving section for linearly moving said developer supply nozzle to pass over said substrate held by said substrate holder,
the rotation axis of said rinsing liquid supply nozzle is movable in a direction that is angled relative to a scanning direction of said developer supply nozzle, on one side of a path of strip linear movement of said developer discharge unit,
said rinsing liquid supply nozzle, when passing over said substrate, rotates from a first angular position that forms a relatively small angle with the scanning direction of said developer supply nozzle to a second angular position that forms a relatively small angle with a direction orthogonal to the scanning direction of said developer supply nozzle, or it rotates from said second angular position to said first angular position, and
the rotation axis of said rinsing liquid supply nozzle is moved in said predetermined direction of movement so that a center-to-center distance between the rotation axes of said rinsing liquid supply nozzle and said substrate held by said substrate holder when said rinsing liquid supply nozzle is located in said second angular position is greater than said center-to-center distance when said rinsing liquid supply nozzle is passing over the rotation axis of said substrate.
3. The developing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
said rinsing liquid supply nozzle rotates from said first angular position to said second angular position.
4. The developing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein
in response to rotation of said rinsing liquid supply nozzle from said first angular position to said second angular position, the rotation axis of said rinsing liquid supply nozzle is moved in said predetermined direction of movement so as to gradually increase said center-to-center distance.
5. The developing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
said rinsing liquid supply nozzle discharges a rinsing liquid in a direction opposite the direction of its movement.
6. The developing apparatus according to claim 2, further comprising:
a rotary driver for rotating said rinsing liquid supply nozzle,
said rotary driver being located outside the path of strip linear movement of said developer discharge unit.
7. The developing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein
said rinsing liquid supply nozzle rotation supporting section comprises:
a nozzle support for supporting one end of said rinsing liquid supply nozzle so that said rinsing liquid supply nozzle is rotatable and movable in said predetermined direction of movement;
a rotary driver having a rotary shaft which is rotatably driven and being located in a position apart from said predetermined direction of movement; and
a drive arm having its one end secured to said rotary shaft and the other end rotatably coupled to said rinsing liquid supply nozzle and, in response to a rotary drive of said rotary shaft, rotating said rinsing liquid supply nozzle and moving the rotation axis of said rinsing liquid supply nozzle in said predetermined direction of movement.
8. The developing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein
said rotary driver is located outside the path of strip linear movement of said developer discharge unit.
9. The developing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising:
a tray for receiving said developer and said rinsing liquid,
said tray being of a size corresponding to the path of strip linear movement of said developer discharge unit.
10. The developing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein
said substrate holder includes a plurality of substrate holders arranged vertically at multiple levels,
said developing apparatus further comprising:
a vertical moving section for vertically moving at least one of said developer supply nozzle and said rinsing liquid supply nozzle to each point where said at least one nozzle can pass over a substrate held by each of said substrate holders.
11. The developing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein
said substrate holder includes a plurality of substrate holders arranged around the rotation axis of at least one of said developer supply nozzle and said rinsing liquid supply nozzle, and
said substrate rotating section rotates at least one of said developer supply nozzle and said rinsing liquid supply nozzle so that said at least one nozzle successively passes over a substrate held by each of said substrate holders.
12. The developing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein
a rinsing liquid is discharged from said rinsing liquid discharge unit in a direction opposite the direction of movement of said rinsing liquid supply nozzle relative to said substrate, and
at a point in time when a rinsing liquid discharged from said rinsing liquid discharge unit drops onto the developer layer on the major surface of said substrate, out of relative velocity components of the rinsing liquid with respect to said substrate, a relative velocity component in a direction of discharge with respect to a direction of a plane of said substrate is set to be greater than 0.
13. The developing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein
at a point in time when a rinsing liquid discharged from said rinsing liquid discharge unit drops onto the developer layer on the major surface of said substrate, out of relative velocity components of the rinsing liquid with respect to said substrate, a relative velocity component in a direction of discharge with respect to a direction of a plane of said substrate is set to be substantially equal to or greater than a relative velocity component in a vertically downward direction relative to said substrate.
14. The developing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein
a spacing between said substrate and said rinsing liquid supply nozzle when passing over said substrate is set to be greater than a spacing between said substrate and said developer supply nozzle when passing over said substrate.
15. A developing apparatus for supplying a rinsing liquid to a major surface of a substrate, comprising:
a rinsing liquid supply nozzle having a discharge unit for discharging a rinsing liquid with a discharge width substantially equal to or greater than a width of said substrate; and
a rinsing liquid supply nozzle rotation supporting section for rotatably supporting one end of said rinsing liquid supply nozzle and rotating said rinsing liquid supply nozzle to pass over said substrate,
wherein a rotation axis of said rinsing liquid supply nozzle is moved in response to rotation of said rinsing liquid supply nozzle.
16. A developing method for developing a thin resist film with a developer and stopping development with a rinsing liquid, said resist film being formed on a major surface of a substrate and having a predetermined pattern exposed,
said developing method comprising the steps of:
(i) supplying a developer to the major surface of said substrate to form a developer layer on the major surface;
(j) rotating said substrate in a first rotational direction;
(k) discharging a rinsing liquid from a rinsing liquid discharge unit with a discharge width substantially equal to or greater than a width of said substrate; and
(l) rotating said rinsing liquid discharge unit in said first rotational direction about a rotation axis on one end side of a direction along the discharge width of said rinsing liquid discharge unit, so that said rinsing liquid discharge unit passes over said substrate,
said steps (j), (k) and (l) being performed in parallel after said step (i),
wherein, in parallel with said steps (j), (k) and (l), a rotation axis of said rinsing liquid discharge unit is moved in a predetermined direction of movement closer to or away from a rotation axis of said substrate, so that a center-to-center distance between the rotation axes of said rinsing liquid discharge unit and said substrate at least either when said rinsing liquid discharge unit starts passing over said substrate or when said rinsing liquid discharge unit has finished passing over said substrate is greater than said center-to-center distance when said rinsing liquid discharge unit is passing over the rotation axis of said substrate.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A liquid discharge head, comprising: a heating element which heats liquid in a liquid flow path to produce a bubble in the liquid; a discharge port through which liquid is discharged by pressure involved in bubble growth, the discharge port communicating with the lower part of the liquid flow path and being smaller in the area of a cross section at right angles to the direction of liquid introduction than the liquid flow path; a movable member which is provided like a cantilever in the liquid flow path, the free end of the member being positioned on the side of the discharge port; and a restrictor which substantially closes the upper part of the liquid flow path by being substantially brought into contact with the movable member when the movable member is displaced by the growth of the bubble,
wherein a meniscus is in the discharge port when due to bubble breakage, the movable member moves from the normal position in such a direction that the liquid flow path is open widely and then returns to the normal position.
2. A liquid discharge head, comprising: a heating element which heats liquid in a liquid flow path to produce a bubble in the liquid; a discharge port through which liquid is discharged by pressure involved in bubble growth, the discharge port communicating with the lower part of the liquid flow path and being smaller in the area of a cross section at right angles to the direction of liquid introduction than the liquid flow path; a movable member which is provided like a cantilever in the liquid flow path, the free end of the member being positioned on the side of the discharge port; and a restrictor which substantially closes the upper part of the liquid flow path by being substantially brought into contact with the movable member when the movable member is displaced by the growth of the bubble,
wherein when liquid is discharged, the position of the meniscus significantly varies, and then the rate of positional variation sharply decreases, starting at a certain position when the meniscus is in the discharge port.
3. The liquid discharge head according to claim 2, wherein the liquid discharge head have means for controlling the heating element, and the means controls the heating element so that the next liquid discharge is performed by the time that the meniscus reaches the liquid discharge surface after the rate of positional variation sharply changes.
4. A liquid discharge apparatus, comprising: the liquid discharge head according to any of claims 1 to 3; and recording medium conveying means for conveying a recording medium which receives liquid discharged from the liquid discharge head.
5. The liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 4, wherein recording is carried out by discharging liquid from a liquid discharge head to attach ink to a recording medium.
6. A liquid discharging method, comprising the steps of producing a bubble in liquid by heating the liquid, moving a cantilever-like movable member in the path when the normal position as the bubble grows, substantially closing the upper part of a liquid flow path when the bubble attains the maximum volume, discharging liquid through a discharge port which is smaller in the area of a cross section at right angles to the direction of liquid introduction than the liquid flow path by pressure involved in bubble growth, and returning the movable member to the normal position when the bubble breaks after liquid is discharged,
wherein a meniscus is in the discharge port when the movable member returns to the normal position after the member moves from the normal position to the heating element side due to bubble breakage, and the next liquid discharge is performed during the period from the time when the movable member returns to the normal position to the time when the meniscus reaches the liquid discharge surface.
7. A liquid discharging method, comprising the steps of producing a bubble in liquid by heating the liquid, moving a cantilever-like movable member in the path from the initial position as the bubble grows substantially closing the upper part of a liquid flow path when the bubble attains the maximum volume, discharging liquid through a discharge port which is smaller in the area of a cross section at right angles to the direction of liquid introduction than the liquid flow path by pressure involved in bubble growth, and returning the movable member to the initial position when the bubble breaks after liquid is discharged,
wherein when liquid is discharged, the position of the meniscus significantly varies, then the rate of positional variation sharply decreases, starting at a certain position when the meniscus is in the discharge port, and the next liquid discharge is performed by the time that the meniscus reaches the liquid discharge surface after the rate of positional variation sharply changes.