Coating and developing apparatus and coating and developing method

A coating and developing method using a coating and developing apparatus configured to form a resist film on a substrate, transfer the substrate to an exposure apparatus, and then perform a developing treatment on the substrate subjected to liquid-immersion exposure in the exposure apparatus,

• the coating and developing apparatus comprising:
• a treatment block in which treatment modules including a pre-exposure treatment module configured to solution-treat the substrate after formation of a coating film including the resist film and before the liquid-immersion exposure are provided;
• and
• a relay block in which a post-exposure treatment module configured to solution-treat the substrate after the liquid-immersion exposure and before the developing treatment and a first transfer-in/out module configured to transfer the substrate into/out of the exposure apparatus are provided, and which couples the treatment block and the exposure apparatus in a width direction, wherein:
• in the treatment block being multilayered in an up-down direction,
• the treatment module is provided in each of layers,
• a transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate is provided in a transfer region extending in the width direction, and
• a deliverer on which the substrate is mounted when the substrate is delivered between both the blocks is provided at an end on the relay block side in the layer in which the pre-exposure treatment module is provided;
• and
• in the relay block,
• a second transfer-in/out module configured to transfer the substrate into/out of the deliverer and the post-exposure treatment module is provided in a region adjacent, in the width direction, to the deliverer in the treatment block,
• the first transfer-in/out module is provided in a relay side transfer region extending in a depth direction perpendicular to the width direction from a region overlapping, in plan view, with the second transfer-in/out module,
• the post-exposure treatment module is provided in a region adjacent, in the up-down direction, to the relay side transfer region and adjacent, in the depth direction, to the second transfer-in/out module, and
• a relay mechanism configured to relay the substrate between the first transfer-in/out module and the second transfer-in/out module is provided in a region facing the post-exposure treatment module with the second transfer-in/out module interposed therebetween in the depth direction,
• the coating and developing method comprising:
• the transfer mechanism transferring the substrate treated in the pre-exposure treatment module in the treatment block, to the deliverer;
• thereafter the second transfer-in/out module transferring the substrate out of the deliverer;
• thereafter the relay mechanism delivering the substrate from the second transfer-in/out module to the first transfer-in/out module;
• thereafter the first transfer-in/out module transferring the substrate into the exposure apparatus;
• after the liquid-immersion exposure in the exposure apparatus, the first transfer-in/out module transferring the substrate out of the exposure apparatus;
• thereafter the relay mechanism delivering the substrate from the first transfer-in/out module to the second transfer-in/out module;
• thereafter the second transfer-in/out module transferring the substrate into the post-exposure treatment module;
• thereafter the second transfer-in/out module transferring the substrate out of the post-exposure treatment module and transferring the substrate into the deliverer;
• and
• thereafter the transfer mechanism transferring the substrate out of the deliverer.