The formation of coated substrates is known in the art. In this technology, a coating material is prepared in the form of a coating liquid and then adhered to a substrate in a manner and under such conditions that the coating remains affixed to the substrate. For example, Hiroyoshi U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,238,713 and 5,116,250 disclose a coating apparatus including a spinning chuck rotatably supported within an enclosure which holds a substrate. The substrate is a semi-conductor wafer or glass and the coating material is typically a photoresist masking material. The purpose of applying the coating material to the substrate is to form a permanent bond therebetween (i.e. to mask portions of the semi-conductor).
The coating operation is performed by applying a liquid coating material to the top surface of the semi-conductive substrate which is being continuously rotated at high speeds. The liquid coating material is typically applied by a nozzle or other dispensing device. The liquid coating material is typically applied under continuous flow conditions and then drawn outwardly by rotating the table upon which the substrate rests at high speeds. The process relies upon centrifugal force to spread the coating material outwardly to form a coating layer which strongly adheres to the substrate. Such coatings are applied to protect the substrate (e.g. semi-conductor wafers and glass) by remaining permanently bonded thereto.