US 6,982,102 B2
Coating unit and coating method
Hiroichi Inada, Kumamoto (Japan); and Shinichi Hayashi, Kumamoto (Japan)
Assigned to Tokyo Electron Limited, Tokyo (Japan)
Filed on Mar. 17, 2004, as Appl. No. 10/801,817.
Application 10/801817 is a division of application No. 09/972866, filed on Oct. 10, 2001, granted, now 6,752,872.
Claims priority of application No. 2000-309091 (JP), filed on Oct. 10, 2000.
Prior Publication US 2004/0175497 A1, Sep. 09, 2004
Int. Cl. B05D 3/00 (2006.01)
U.S. Cl. 427—240 5 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A coating method for applying a coating solution on a substrate,
wherein utilized is a coating unit comprising: a container enclosing the substrate; a casing for accommodating the container therein; a supply device for supplying a predetermined gas into the casing; a first exhaust pipe for exhausting an atmosphere inside the container; a second exhaust pipe for exhausting an atmosphere inside the casing; a first adjusting device which is disposed in the first exhaust pipe, for adjusting a flow rate of an atmosphere passing through the first exhaust pipe; and a second adjusting device which is disposed in the second exhaust pipe, for adjusting a flow rate of an atmosphere passing through the second exhaust pipe, and the coating method comprising the step of:
adjusting a flow rate of the atmosphere inside the casing which is exhausted from the second exhaust pipe to maintain a pressure inside the casing at a higher level than a pressure outside the casing,
wherein the coating unit further comprises a coating solution supply nozzle, a carrier for carrying the coating solution supply nozzle, an accommodating portion which is disposed inside the casing, for accommodating the carrier therein, and a third exhaust pipe for exhausting an atmosphere inside the accommodating portion, and
wherein the atmosphere inside the accommodating portion is exhausted from the third exhaust pipe at least when the coating solution supply nozzle is positioned above the substrate.