Abstract: A resist pattern forming apparatus comprising a controller having a controlling portion that controls a processing of a coating and developing apparatus with a coating unit and a developing unit being provided therewith and an aligner being connected thereto, while an inspecting portion and the like measures at least one of a plurality of measurement items selected from, a reflection ratio and a film thickness of a base film and a resist film, a line width after the development, an accuracy that the base film matches with a resist pattern, a defect after the development, and so on. The measured data is transmitted to the controller. At the controller, a parameter subject to an amendment is selected based on the corresponding data of each of the measurement item such as the film thickness of the resist and the line width after the development, and the amendment of the parameters subject to the amendment is performed.

Abstract: A coating unit for coating a substrate with a treatment solution and a peripheral aligner, which has a mounting table rotatable and movable in at least one direction and irradiates the peripheral portion of the substrate on the mounting table with light from an irradiating portion to expose a coating film on the substrate, are provided in a substrate processing system. The peripheral aligner has film thickness measuring means provided with a sensor member for measuring a film thickness of the coating film. It is not necessary to separately provide a unit for measuring the film thickness outside of the system, thus preventing the substrate from being contaminated or dropped to be damaged when the film thickness is measured.

Abstract: A cassette station, a processing station having a coating unit and a developing unit, and an inspecting station having a film thickness inspecting apparatus and a defect inspecting apparatus are disposed in the direction approximately perpendicular to the direction of the disposition of cassettes of the cassette station in such a manner that the inspecting station is disposed midway between the cassette station and the processing station. In the structure, the inspecting station and the processing station are connected and wafers are automatically transferred among the stations, operations from the substrate process to the inspection can be simplified and the time period necessary therefore can be shortened.

Abstract: Before forming a resist pattern, the light reflectivity of the undercoat of the wafer is measured by a reflectivity measuring unit. The conditions are controlled according to the measured reflectivity when forming the resist pattern. The conditions when forming the resist pattern are the rotation speed when supplying the resist solution while rotating the wafer inside the resist coating unit, the exposure time in the exposing unit, the developing time in the developing unit, and so forth. Thus, by controlling the conditions when forming the resist pattern according to the light reflectivity of the wafer's undercoat, a highly fine control of the line width of the resist pattern is made possible.

Abstract: A coating unit for coating a substrate with a treatment solution and a peripheral aligner, which has a mounting table rotatable and movable in at least one direction and irradiates the peripheral portion of the substrate on the mounting table with light from an irradiating portion to expose a coating film on the substrate, are provided in a substrate processing system. The peripheral aligner has film thickness measuring means provided with a sensor member for measuring a film thickness of the coating film. It is not necessary to separately provide a unit for measuring the film thickness outside of the system, thus preventing the substrate from being contaminated or dropped to be damaged when the film thickness is measured.

Abstract: A processing apparatus comprises a process apparatus body equipped with a plurality of process sections for applying a predetermined processing to a target object and a transfer device for transferring the target object among the process sections, a first control section for controlling the entire process apparatus body including the transfer device, a second control section for controlling the plural process sections, an information storage section receiving the signal exchanged between the first control section and the second control section and storing a plurality of information including the information corresponding to the received signal, and an information storage selecting mechanism for selecting the storing frequency of the information to the information storage section in accordance with the kind of the information.

Abstract: A substrate processing method for forming a resist film on a wafer with a base film being formed, and performing an exposure processing and a developing processing for the resist film to thereby form a desired resist pattern, has a base reflected light analyzing step of radiating a light of the same wavelength as an exposure light radiated during the exposure processing to the base film and analyzing a reflected light, before forming the resist film, and a processing condition control step of controlling at least one of a resist film forming condition and an exposure processing condition, based on the analysis of the reflected light. The method makes it possible to control a line width of a resist pattern with high precision.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to grasp easily a process history of a target object such as a semiconductor wafer. The processing apparatus of the present invention includes: a processing apparatus body which includes a plurality of process units for executing a prescribed process to a target object, and transport mechanism for transporting said target object between the process units; a first controller for controlling the processing apparatus as a whole; a second controller for controlling the process units; an information storage section for taking in a signal transmitted and received between the first and second controllers; and a host computer for monitoring operation states of the process units. The present invention is extended to a processing system including a plurality of the processing apparatuses connected with a host computer which is further connected with a monitor computer through a communication network.

Abstract: A coating unit for coating a substrate with a treatment solution and a peripheral aligner, which has a mounting table rotatable and movable in at least one direction and irradiates the peripheral portion of the substrate on the mounting table with light from an irradiating portion to expose a coating film on the substrate, are provided in a substrate processing system. The peripheral aligner has film thickness measuring means provided with a sensor member for measuring a film thickness of the coating film. It is not necessary to separately provide a unit for measuring the film thickness outside of the system, thus preventing the substrate from being contaminated or dropped to be damaged when the film thickness is measured.

Abstract: A system comprises a first maintenance interval storage for storing a first maintenance interval of each component which is not related to an actual utilization of an apparatus, a second maintenance interval storage storing a second maintenance interval of each component which is related to the actual utilization of the apparatus, a maintenance demander for demanding maintenance of some component based on the passing of the first maintenance interval of this component; and a maintenance interval prolonger for judging the second maintenance interval has passed or not based on the passing of the first maintenance interval, and when the second maintenance interval has not yet passed, suspending the demand for maintenance by the maintenance demander and prolonging the first maintenance interval. Consequently, it becomes possible to manage a maintenance timing of each component and give notice thereof on the side of the apparatus composed of a plurality of components.

Abstract: A plurality of production line recipes and film thickness measurement recipes that recite the same type of coating solution, but different target film thickness are prepared in a coating unit. Recipes that recite the same types of coating solution and the same film thickness are linked to a common spin curve. A film thickness measurement recipe is executed so as to calculate a compensated value for a revolving speed for each measured data of the film thickness. The designated values of revolving speeds of individual recipes can be compensated using the compensated value at a time.

Abstract: A resist pattern forming apparatus comprising a controller having a controlling portion that controls a processing of a coating and developing apparatus with a coating unit and a developing unit being provided therewith and an aligner being connected thereto, while an inspecting portion and the like measures at least one of a plurality of measurement items selected from, a reflection ratio and a film thickness of a base film and a resist film, a line width after the development, an accuracy that the base film matches with a resist pattern, a defect after the development, and so on. The measured data is transmitted to the controller. At the controller, a parameter subject to an amendment is selected based on the corresponding data of each of the measurement item such as the film thickness of the resist and the line width after the development, and the amendment of the parameters subject to the amendment is performed.

Abstract: A cassette station, a processing station having a coating unit and a developing unit, and an inspecting station having a film thickness inspecting apparatus and a defect inspecting apparatus are disposed in the direction approximately perpendicular to the direction of the disposition of cassettes of the cassette station in such a manner that the inspecting station is disposed midway between the cassette station and the processing station. In the structure, the inspecting station and the processing station are connected and wafers are automatically transferred among the stations, operations from the substrate process to the inspection can be simplified and the time period necessary therefore can be shortened.

Abstract: A system comprises a first maintenance interval storage for storing a first maintenance interval of each component which is not related to an actual utilization of an apparatus, a second maintenance interval storage storing a second maintenance interval of each component which is related to the actual utilization of the apparatus, a maintenance demander for demanding maintenance of some component based on the passing of the first maintenance interval of this component; and a maintenance interval prolonger for judging the second maintenance interval has passed or not based on the passing of the first maintenance interval, and when the second maintenance interval has not yet passed, suspending the demand for maintenance by the maintenance demander and prolonging the first maintenance interval. Consequently, it becomes possible to manage a maintenance timing of each component and give notice thereof on the side of the apparatus composed of a plurality of components.

Abstract: In a transferring region of a wafer transferring portion that transfers a wafer placed in a carrier loading and unloading portion, a pattern inspecting portion for inspecting a resist pattern and a carrier for accommodating a wafer determined as an unacceptable wafer are disposed. The carrier is conveyed to an external cleaning portion. Resist on the unacceptable wafer is cleaned and removed. The resultant wafer is loaded to the coating and developing unit. The film thickness of a monitor wafer is measured by a film thickness measuring portion disposed in the coating and developing unit. Thereafter, resist on the entire surface of the monitor wafer is removed with thinner supplied from a solvent nozzle. Thus, the monitor wafer is regenerated. Consequently, when the coating and developing unit is operated and a substrate and a monitor substrate that have been processes are inspected, the throughput of the coating and developing unit becomes high and the processes can be automatically performed.

Abstract: Before forming a resist pattern, the light reflectivity of the undercoat of the wafer is measured by a reflectivity measuring unit. The conditions are controlled according to the measured reflectivity when forming the resist pattern. The conditions when forming the resist pattern are the rotation speed when supplying the resist solution while rotating the wafer inside the resist coating unit, the exposure time in the exposing unit, the developing time in the developing unit, and so forth. Thus, by controlling the conditions when forming the resist pattern according to the light reflectivity of the wafer's undercoat, a highly fine control of the line width of the resist pattern is made possible.

Abstract: A substrate processing method for forming a resist film on a wafer with a base film being formed, and performing an exposure processing and a developing processing for the resist film to thereby form a desired resist pattern, has a base reflected light analyzing step of radiating a light of the same wavelength as an exposure light radiated during the exposure processing to the base film and analyzing a reflected light, before forming the resist film, and a processing condition control step of controlling at least one of a resist film forming condition and an exposure processing condition, based on the analysis of the reflected light. The method makes it possible to control a line width of a resist pattern with high precision.

Abstract: Inspection equipment for detecting defects in a wafer is provided in a coating and developing system including a plurality of kinds of processing units for performing processing necessary for coating a wafer with a resist and processing necessary for developing the resist on the wafer. The transfer of the wafer between the processing units and the inspection equipment is performed by means of a main transfer device. The inspection equipment sends an inspection result as a detection signal to a controller, and the controller which receives the detection signal controls exposure conditions for an aligner according to the presence or absence of defects and adjusts a frequency regulating mechanism to control inspection frequency. The wafer is transferred between the processing units and the inspection equipment by the main transfer device, whereby the wafer is not artificially contaminated.

Abstract: A coating film forming apparatus comprising a coating solution supplying unit which supplies a coating solution to a rotating substrate, a memory which stores a first correlation between an atmospheric pressure and a film thickness of the coating film formed on the substrate, and a second correlation between a film thickness and a rotation speed of the substrate, an atmospheric pressure detector which detects an actual atmospheric pressure, a film thickness computation unit which computes an actual film thickness of the coating film from the actual atmospheric pressure based on the first correlation, and a rotation speed control unit which obtains a corrected rotation speed of the substrate based on the second correlation and a difference between the actual film thickness and a target film thickness, and rotate the substrate at the corrected rotation speed.

Abstract: Before forming a resist pattern, the light reflectivity of the undercoat of the wafer is measured by a reflectivity measuring unit. The conditions are controlled according to the measured reflectivity when forming the resist pattern. The conditions when forming the resist pattern are the rotation speed when supplying the resist solution while rotating the wafer inside the resist coating unit, the exposure time in the exposing unit, the developing time in the developing unit, and so forth. Thus, by controlling the conditions when forming the resist pattern according to the light reflectivity of the wafer's undercoat, a highly fine control of the line width of the resist pattern is made possible.