System and method for coating and developing

A coating and developing treatment system for performing coating and developing treatment for a substrate, comprising:

• a treatment section having a coating treatment unit for forming a coating film on the substrate, a developing treatment unit for developing the substrate, a thermal treatment unit for performing thermal treatment for the substrate, and a first carrier unit for carrying the substrate into/out of these coating treatment unit, developing treatment unit, and thermal treatment unit;
• an interface section having a second carrier unit for carrying the substrate through a route at least between the treatment section and an exposure processing unit provided outside the system for performing exposure processing for the substrate;
• a pressure reducing and removing unit for removing impurities adhering to the coating film on the substrate by suction in a chamber before the substrate is subjected to the exposure processing;
• a gas supply unit for supplying an inert gas into the interface section;
• an exhaust means for exhausting an atmosphere in the interface section;
• and
• a partition plate for partitioning off an atmosphere in the treatment section from the atmosphere in the interface section,
• the partition plate comprising;
• a transit opening for delivering the substrate between the treatment section and the interface section, and
• a shutter for opening and closing the transit opening;
• wherein the pressure reducing and removing unit is provided in the interface section.

A coating and developing treatment system for performing coating and developing treatment for a substrate, comprising:

• a treatment section having a coating treatment unit for forming a coating film on the substrate, a developing treatment unit for developing the substrate, a thermal treatment unit for performing thermal treatment for the substrate, and a first carrier unit for carrying the substrate into/out of these coating treatment unit, developing treatment unit, and thermal treatment unit;
• an interface section having a second carrier unit for carrying the substrate through a route at least between the treatment section and an exposure processing unit provided outside the system for performing exposure processing for the substrate;
• a delivery section which is connected between the interface section and the exposure processing unit and hermetically closeable;
• and
• a pressure reducing unit for reducing a pressure in the delivery section to a predetermined set pressure;
• wherein the predetermine set pressure is (i) 800 Pa or lower and (ii) a pressure lower than that in the exposure processing unit.