Abstract: Disclosed is a thermal processing apparatus and method that can acquire a high throughput and reduce the occupation area of the thermal processing apparatus. A wafer is heated by an LED module that irradiates infrared light corresponding to the absorption wavelength of the wafer, and therefore, the wafer can be rapidly heated. Since an LED is used as a heat source and a temperature rise of LED is small, a cooling process after the heating process can be performed in the same process area as the heating process area. As a result, an installation area of the thermal processing apparatus can be reduced. Since the time for moving between a heating process area and a cooling process area can be saved, a time required for a series of processes including the heating process and the subsequent cooling process can be shortened, thereby improving a throughput.

Abstract: A resist pattern forming method using a coating and developing apparatus and an aligner being connected thereto which are controlled to form a resist film on a surface of a substrate with a base film and a base pattern formed thereon, followed by inspecting at least one of a plurality of measurement items selected from: reflection ratio and film thickness of the base film and the resist film, line width after a development, an accuracy that the base pattern matches with a resist pattern, a defect on the surface after the development, etc. A parameter subject to amendment is selected based on corresponding data of each measurement item, such as the film thickness of the resist and the line width after the development, and amendment of the parameter is performed. This results in a reduced workload of an operator, and the appropriate amendment can be performed.

Abstract: A resist pattern forming method using a coating and developing apparatus and an aligner being connected thereto which are controlled to form a resist film on a surface of a substrate with a base film and a base pattern formed thereon, followed by inspecting at least one of a plurality of measurement items selected from: reflection ratio and film thickness of the base film and the resist film, line width after a development, an accuracy that the base pattern matches with a resist pattern, a defect on the surface after the development, etc. A parameter subject to amendment is selected based on corresponding data of each measurement item, such as the film thickness of the resist and the line width after the development, and amendment of the parameter is performed. This results in a reduced workload of an operator, and the appropriate amendment can be performed.

Abstract: A resist pattern forming method using a coating and developing apparatus and an aligner being connected thereto which are controlled to form a resist film on a surface of a substrate with a base film and a base pattern formed thereon, followed by inspecting at least one of a plurality of measurement items selected from: reflection ratio and film thickness of the base film and the resist film, line width after a development, an accuracy that the base pattern matches with a resist pattern, a defect on the surface after the development, etc. A parameter subject to amendment is selected based on corresponding data of each measurement item, such as the film thickness of the resist and the line width after the development, and amendment of the parameter is performed. This results in a reduced workload of an operator, and the appropriate amendment can be performed.

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 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: 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 resist pattern forming method using a coating and developing apparatus and an aligner being connected thereto which are controlled to form a resist film on a surface of a substrate with a base film and a base pattern formed thereon, followed by inspecting at least one of a plurality of measurement items selected from: reflection ratio and film thickness of the base film and the resist film, line width after a development, an accuracy that the base pattern matches with a resist pattern, a defect on the surface after the development, etc. A parameter subject to amendment is selected based on corresponding data of each measurement item, such as the film thickness of the resist and the line width after the development, and amendment of the parameter is performed. This results in a reduced workload of an operator, and an appropriate amendment can be performed.

Abstract: When a base film of a substrate is formed, for instance, on a scribe line of a wafer, a quadrangular first inspection pattern is formed in advance, and when a resist pattern is formed, a second inspection pattern are formed so as to be on a straight line to the first inspection pattern in a top plan view. When light is irradiated to a region including the first inspection pattern and the second inspection pattern and a spectrum is formed based on the reflected diffracted light, information of a line width of the second inspection pattern and a pitch of both inspection patterns is contained therein. In this connection, by preparing in advance a group of spectra based on various kinds of inspection patterns according to simulation and by comparing with an actual spectrum, the most approximate spectrum is selected, and thereby the line width and the pitch are estimated to evaluate the resist pattern.

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: When a base film of a substrate is formed, for instance, on a scribe line of a wafer, a quadrangular first inspection pattern is formed in advance, and when a resist pattern is formed, a second inspection pattern are formed so as to be on a straight line to the first inspection pattern in a top plan view. When light is irradiated to a region including the first inspection pattern and the second inspection pattern and a spectrum is formed based on the reflected diffracted light, information of a line width of the second inspection pattern and a pitch of both inspection patterns is contained therein. In this connection, by preparing in advance a group of spectra based on various kinds of inspection patterns according to simulation and by comparing with an actual spectrum, the most approximate spectrum is selected, and thereby the line width and the pitch are estimated to evaluate the resist pattern.

Abstract: The present invention is a managing system for managing a processing system of a substrate and it has an information accumulation section for accumulating information on the processing system, an information collecting unit for collecting the information from the information accumulation section, and a managing unit for obtaining the information in the information collecting unit via the Internet or an intranet to manage the processing system based on this information.

Abstract: The present invention is a managing system for managing a processing system of a substrate and it has an information accumulation section for accumulating information on the processing system, an information collecting unit for collecting the information from the information accumulation section, and a managing unit for obtaining the information in the information collecting unit via the Internet or an intranet to manage the processing system based on this information.

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 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 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.