Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate to radiant energy comprises a controller configured to determine a shot layout based on data representing a surface shape of the substrate, and an exposure unit configured to expose the substrate to the radiant energy in accordance with the shot layout determined by the controller.

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 developing method is used for subjecting a light-exposed resist film disposed on a wafer W to a developing process by a developing solution and a rinsing process by a rinsing liquid. In a state where the resist film on the wafer W is wet with the developing solution or rinsing liquid before a drying process is performed on the wafer W, a chemical liquid (curing chemical liquid), which contains a resist curing aid contributory to curing of a resist film remaining on the wafer W, is supplied onto a surface of the wafer W. Then, ultraviolet rays are radiated onto a surface of the wafer to cure a resist film remaining on the wafer W by a synergistic effect of the resist curing aid and the ultraviolet rays thus radiated, so as to prevent pattern fall.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus includes an indexer block, an anti-reflection film processing block, a resist film processing block, a development processing block, a resist cover film processing block, a resist cover film removal block, and an interface block. The interface block includes a bevel portion inspection unit. The bevel portion inspection unit inspects a bevel portion of a substrate to determine whether or not the bevel portion of the substrate is contaminated. The substrate whose bevel portion is determined to be contaminated and the substrate whose bevel portion is determined that it is not contaminated are respectively subjected to different types of processing.

Abstract: A coating/developing apparatus has a carrier block including a first transfer device, a process block including processing modules, an examination block including examination modules and a second transfer device, and first to forth stages. A controller executes a first operation mode preset to transfer substrates from the process block and carrier block into the examination block in parallel. The first operation mode includes transferring substrates processed by the process block to the third or fourth stage through or not through an examination module by the second transfer device, transferring substrates to be only examined from a carrier in the carrier block to the second stage by the first transfer device, and transferring these substrates from the second stage to an examination modules by the second transfer device, and transferring substrates thus examined from the examination block to the third or fourth stage by the second transfer device.

Abstract: A coating and developing system for enabling maintenance of an exposure system combined therewith. The system carries a substrate, delivered to a carrier handling block, to a processing block to form a film thereon using a coating block included in the processing block. The substrate is carried through an interface block to the exposure system, the exposed substrate is processed by a developing process using a developing block included in the processing block and the processed substrate is returned to the carrier handling block. A direct carrying means is superposed on the coating block and the developing block to carry a substrate having a surface coated with a film from the carrier handling block directly to the interface block. A test substrate can be carried to the exposure system to inspect the condition of the exposure system even where the coating and developing blocks are under maintenance work.

Abstract: An air bearing sheet heater assembly is provided for heating a sheet in an ink imaging printer. It includes a heater plate that has a heating element and defines a first side of a sheet path through the heater assembly. It also includes at least one movable platelet that defines a second side of the sheet path, as well as, an air bearing assembly mounted to the at least one platelet. The air bearing assembly controllably creates an air bearing between the second side and the first side of the sheet path for moving and pneumatically spacing the front surface of the at least one movable platelet from the front side of the heater plate, thereby reducing stiction forces and friction along the sheet path through the air bearing sheet heater assembly.

Abstract: In a coating and developing apparatus applied to liquid-immersion light exposure, substrates without an appropriately formed protective film can be recovered without adversely affecting normal-substrate processing efficiency, and in addition, removal of protective films can be simplified. In the coating and developing apparatus of the present invention, abnormal substrates not appropriately surface-coated with a protective film during liquid-immersion light exposure are queued in a queuing module, instead of being loaded into an exposure unit, and after the immediately preceding substrate has been unloaded from the exposure unit and loaded into a designated module, for example, a pre-developing second heating module, each abnormal substrate is loaded into the designated module in order to prevent so-called “scheduled transfer” from being affected, and a protective-film removing unit is also controlled to process the abnormal substrate.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus configured to expose resist which is coated on a wafer to light includes a station through which the wafer is transferred between an inside of the exposure apparatus and a coating/developing apparatus configured to coat the wafer with the resist and develop the resist coated on the wafer. The exposure apparatus further includes a controller that is configured to calculate a second time at which heat treatment is to be started in the coating/developing apparatus after the exposure of the wafer but before the development of the resist based on a first time at which the exposure of the wafer ends, and send information about the second time to the coating/developing apparatus.

Abstract: A scanning exposure apparatus exposing a substrate to a pattern of an original through a projection optical system while relatively moving the original and the substrate, includes a substrate stage movable while holding the substrate; a measurement system measuring a position of the substrate in an optical-axis direction of the projection optical system; and a controller relatively moving the original and the substrate while controlling a position of the substrate stage in the optical-axis direction, on the basis of the position of the substrate detected by the measurement system. The controller keeps accelerating the substrate stage up to a starting position of the irradiation of the exposure light for a target shot area on the substrate, and during the acceleration, controls the position of the substrate stage in the optical-axis direction, on the basis of a position of a surface of an exposed shot area, which has been exposed previously.

Abstract: In a developing method for performing developing treatment of a substrate by supplying a developing solution onto a resist film formed on a surface of the substrate, the present invention controls a zeta potential of the surface of the substrate at a predetermined potential in the same polarity as that of a zeta potential of insoluble substances floating in the developing solution, thereby preventing or reducing the adhesion of the insoluble substances to the resist film and the substrate. This remedies the occurrence of development defects. The adhesion of the insoluble substances to the resist film and the substrate can also be prevented or inhibited by supplying an acid liquid to a liquid on the substrate, or controlling a pH value of the liquid on the substrate to control an absolute value of the zeta potential of the insoluble substances.

Abstract: A thermal development device including: a thermal development section for heating to develop a latent image formed on a light-sensitive surface of a photothermographic material; a cooling section for cooling the photothermographic material passed the thermal development section under a condition that a cooling rate for a light-insensitive surface of the photothermographic material is faster than the cooling rate for the light-sensitive surface of the photothermographic material; and a conveyance section in which the photothermographic material is conveyed via the thermal development section and the cooling section, and the length of the conveyance path that passes the cooling section is not more than 1.5 times the length of the conveyance path that passes the thermal development section.

Abstract: A coater/developer is disclosed that includes a heating module having a pair of rotary bodies configured to rotate about respective horizontal axles, the rotary bodies being spaced apart from each other in a direction along the conveyance path of a substrate so that the rotational axles thereof are parallel to each other; a conveyance path member engaged with and extended between the rotary bodies so as to move along an orbit, the conveyance path member forming a part of the conveyance path of the substrate placed on the conveyance path member; a first transfer part provided at the upstream end of the conveyance path; a second transfer part provided at the downstream end of the conveyance path; and a heating part provided between the upstream end and the downstream end of the conveyance path and configured to heat the substrate.

Abstract: A developer replenishing method of an automatic development device of photosensitive lithographic printing plate including developing a plurality of exposed photosensitive lithographic printing plates with a developer containing an electrolyte and keeping the developer activity constant by replenishing with a replenisher. The method includes obtaining certain defined values, conducting defined calculations, comparing defined values and, dependent on the comparison, setting new values An automatic development device which carries out the method is also set forth.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus performs a multiple exposure of a substrate and comprises: a first station that exposes the substrate; a second station that exposes the substrate that was exposed at the first station; movable members each of that holds the substrate and is capable of moving between the first station and the second station; and a first detection system that is disposed in the first station and acquires alignment information about the substrate.

Abstract: A system and method for printing and sorting non-identical transaction cards concurrently includes a printer which is configured to print onto multiple sheets (i) each of a plurality of non-identical transaction cards onto a separate print receiving space on a sheet, and along with each card (ii) a sort indicator which is unique to the print receiving space. After the cards are separated from the sheet they are moved on a conveyor by a series of accumulators seriatim. There is an accumulator corresponding to each print receiving space. Each accumulator collects those cards bearing the sort indicator corresponding to the same space to which the accumulator itself corresponds.

Abstract: The present invention provides a pattern forming method and a pattern formation apparatus capable of suppressing variations in line width dimensions of a resist pattern. The pattern forming method of the present invention is a pattern forming method comprising a first step for coating a photoresist onto a wafer W, a second step for selectively exposing the wafer W coated with the photoresist, a third step for carrying out baking treatment on the exposed wafer W, and a fourth step for carrying out development treatment on the baked wafer W; wherein, in the third step, the baking treatment is carried out by forming a first atmosphere containing at least moisture, and then replacing the first atmosphere and forming a second atmosphere not containing moisture, followed by continuing the baking treatment.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus is configured to transfer a pattern to a substrate by exposing the substrate to light via a reticle. The apparatus comprises an inspection unit configured to inspect the reticle, an exposure unit configured to expose the substrate to light via the reticle inspected by the inspection unit, and a controller configured to control the inspection unit and the exposure unit. The controller (i) sets a partial region of the reticle, (ii) causes the inspection unit to inspect the reticle on which the partial region is set, and (iii) causes the exposure unit to expose the substrate to light via the partial region if the inspection unit finds no abnormality in the partial region.

Abstract: Developer is supplied to a first spray pipe disposed in a developing bath. The inside of the developing bath is provided with a heater. A liquid-flow generating unit comprises a liquid-flow generating head and a branch duct, which is connected to a branch pipe of the first spray pipe via a rubber hose. A part of the developer flowing in the first spray pipe is forwarded to the liquid-flow generating head. By a gap-forming ring, a gap is secured between an outer surface of the heater and an inner surface of the liquid-flow generating head so that the developer uniformly flows along the outer surface of the heater in a longitudinal direction thereof. A heater cover is attached to the liquid-flow generating head. An inner surface of the heater cover inclines in the longitudinal direction of the heater.

Abstract: In a pattern forming method of forming a desired pattern on a resist film on a substrate, the surface of a substrate is subjected to a surface hydrophobizing process to form a processed film for improving the adhesion of the surface of the substrate to resist, a coating film including at least a resist film is formed on the processed film, the resist film is exposed to form a desired pattern, and the pattern-formed resist film is developed. In addition to this, the processed film formed on the underside of the substrate by the surface hydrophobizing process is removed between the time from the formation of the processed film and the exposure of the resist film.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; charging means for charging a surface of the image bearing member; image exposure means for exposing the surface of the image bearing member charged by the charging means to light to form an electrostatic image on the surface of the image bearing member; switching means for switching a light emission level of the image exposure means in accordance with the set point of a light emission amount setting the light emission level of the image exposure means; storing means for storing light emission amount set points set corresponding to different target light emission levels of the image exposure means; light emission amount control means for controlling the light emission level of the image exposure means on the basis of information stored in the storing means; an input portion for inputting information relating to an actual light emission level of the image exposure means corresponding to a predetermined light emission amount set point; and correcting

Abstract: A coating/developing apparatus includes a process section including processing units to perform a series of processes for resist coating and development; an interface section disposed between the process section and immersion light exposure apparatus; and a drying section disposed in the interface section to dry the substrate immediately after the immersion light exposure process. The drying section includes a process container configured to accommodate the substrate, a substrate support member configured to place the substrate thereon, a temperature-adjusted gas supply mechanism configured to supply a temperature-adjusted gas into the process container, and an exhaust mechanism configured to exhaust the process container. The drying section is arranged to dry the substrate by supplying the temperature-adjusted gas into the process container with the substrate placed on the substrate support member, while exhausting the process container.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus arranged adjacent to an exposure device includes a processing section that subjects a substrate to processing and an interface provided adjacent to one end of the processing section configured to transfer and receive the substrate between the processing section and the exposure device. The processing section includes a photosensitive film formation unit configured to form a photosensitive film composed of a photosensitive material on the substrate that has not been subjected to exposure processing by the exposure device, a top surface and edge cleaning unit configured to clean a top surface and an edge of the substrate, and a development unit configured to subject the substrate to development processing after the exposure processing by the exposure device.

Abstract: In a substrate processing apparatus, an indexer block, a resist film processing block, a cleaning/drying processing block, a development processing block, and an interface block are provided side by side in this order. An exposure device is arranged adjacent to the interface block. The exposure device subjects a substrate to exposure processing by means of a liquid immersion method. Substrate platforms are provided in close proximity one above the other between the cleaning/drying processing block and the development processing block for receiving and transferring the substrate therebetween. Reversing units that reverse one surface and the other surface of the substrate are respectively stacked above and below the substrate platforms.

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 rework station and a metrology device(s) are incorporated into a lithographic processing cell so that a faulty substrate can be reworked directly and reprocessed without, for example, an overhead involved in changing masks, etc.

Abstract: The coating and developing system carries a substrate delivered to a carrier handling block to a processing block to form a film on the substrate by a coating block included in the processing block, carries the substrate through an interface block to the exposure system, processes the substrate having the exposed film by a developing process by a developing block included in the processing block and returns the thus processed substrate to the carrier handling block. A direct carrying means is superposed on the coating block and the developing block to carry a substrate having a surface coated with a film from the carrier handling block directly to the interface block. A test substrate can be carried to the exposure system to inspect the condition of the exposure system even in a state where the coating block and the developing block are under maintenance work.

Abstract: Disclosed is a substrate processing method which includes an exposure step wherein an immersion area of a first liquid is formed on a substrate and the substrate is exposed by being irradiated with an exposure light through the first liquid, and an immersion step wherein the substrate is immersed in a second liquid before the exposure step. By this method, occurrences of problems caused by adhesion marks, which are always involved in immersion exposure, can be reduced.

Abstract: An exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate coated with a photosensitive material to radiant energy comprises a first controller and a second controller. The first controller is configured to control a process of exposing the substrate. The second controller is configured to generate a control signal corresponding to a time at which the substrate is exposed under a control by the first controller, and to transmit the control signal to a developing apparatus.

Abstract: A buffer module is installed in a coating film forming unit block of a coating and developing system to reduce the number of interface arms needed by an interface block, and the manufacturing cost and footprint of the coating and developing system. For example, buffer modules BF31 to BF34 capable of holding a number of wafers W greater by one than the number of coating modules COT1 to COT3 of a COT layer B3 is installed in the COT layer B3, In the COT layer B3, a wafer W is carried along a carrying route passing a temperature control module CPL3, COT1 to COT3, a heating and cooling module LHP3, and the buffer modules BF31 to BF34. A main arm A3 carries wafers W such that the number of wafers W placed in the modules on the downstream side of the CPL3 is greater by one than the number of modules between the CPL3 and the buffer module when a processing rate at which an exposure system processes wafers W is lower that at which the COT layer B3 processes wafers W.

Abstract: In a coating/developing apparatus, a process section includes post-exposure baking units each having a waiting position and configured to perform a baking process on a substrate. An interface section transfer mechanism includes a first transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate to and from the process section and to load the substrate into the post-exposure baking units, and a second transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate to and from the light exposure apparatus. An interface section includes a relay position configured to place thereon the substrate transferred by the second transfer mechanism, and to allow the first transfer mechanism to receive the substrate therefrom. A control section is arranged to set the substrate on standby at the relay position and the waiting position, to make a time period constant among substrates from an end of the light exposure process to a start of a post-exposure baking process.

Abstract: A photographic printing apparatus includes a transporting section for cutting photosensitive material drawn from one of a plurality of magazines each accommodating therein an elongated photosensitive material into a print size piece by a cutter unit and then feeding this material piece into an exposing unit, an order executing unit for effecting exposure of image data at the exposing unit on the material piece transported by the transporting section and a calibration printing unit for effecting exposure of predetermined calibration data at the exposing unit on the material piece transported by the transporting section.

Abstract: This invention provides a positioning apparatus which improves the throughput by accelerating a stage in a shorter period of time while ensuring a fine positioning characteristic. A movable element is arranged on the side of a stage while a stator is arranged on the side of a base guide such that a pair of magnets of the same polarity face each other at each edge of the stroke region of the stage. This generates a repulsion force which acts against the thrust of the stage and corresponds to the facing area of the pair of magnets of the same polarity. The positioning apparatus further includes a large-thrust linear motor. The large-thrust linear motor assists the repulsion force by applying a thrust exceeding the repulsion force to the stage to increase the facing area of the pair of magnets of the same polarity.

Abstract: A thermal developing apparatus for thermally developing a latent image formed on a thermal developing recording material by a thermal developing portion, the apparatus comprising: a heating unit that heats the thermal developing recording material carried to the thermal developing portion, the heating unit comprising a plurality of heating portions that are aligned in a direction that intersects orthogonally with a carrying direction of the thermal developing recording material; and a plurality of temperature measuring portions that measure temperatures of the plurality of heating portions respectively, each of said plurality of temperature measuring portions being arranged to measure a center portion of a temperature distribution in each of said plurality of heating portions.

Abstract: A process for forming a resist pattern according to the invention is a process for forming a resist pattern in which a photoresist is coated on a first substrate, the coated photoresist is exposed to light of a predetermined pattern, and afterwards developing is performed, wherein in at least one of the processes of coating, exposing, and developing, whenever lots to which the first substrate belongs change, the atmosphere residing in the lot is changed.

Abstract: An edge exposure apparatus performing an exposure process on an edge portion of a wafer having a coating film (resist film) formed thereon includes position detection means for detecting positional data of an outer edge of a wafer held by a spin chuck, an exposure portion for performing an exposure process on the edge portion of the wafer, a development nozzle supplying a developer to the exposed region, and alignment means for horizontally moving the spin chuck. An exposure process is performed by the exposure portion on the edge portion of the wafer held by the spin chuck while the alignment means is controlled, based on the positional data of the outer edge of the wafer which is detected by the position detection means, such that the positional relation between the outer edge of the wafer and the exposure portion is kept constant.

Abstract: A drying device, which dries a photosensitive layer of a photosensitive planographic printing plate using infrared rays, includes an infrared emitting device and a filter that is arranged between the photosensitive planographic printing plate conveyed through the drying device and the infrared emitting device and that blocks a predetermined range of wavelength. More specifically, the filter is arranged between a web that is conveyed through the drying device and a mid-infrared radiator, so as to block 30% or more of wavelengths of 1 ?m or less. As a result, fogging on a photosensitive coating layer can be prevented, and high heating efficiency can be achieved.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus and method provide for exhausting air from a first peripheral region ? around a substrate undergoing processing, and for exhausting air from a second peripheral region ? between the first peripheral region and the substrate. The method reduces the effects of air flow on a developing solution on the substrate, and enables the developing solution to act effectively on the exposed resist on the substrate.

Abstract: A pattern forming method includes forming a resist film or sequentially forming a resist film and a protection film in this order on a surface of a substrate; then, performing immersion light exposure that includes immersing the resist film or the resist film and the protection film formed on the substrate in a liquid during light exposure, thereby forming a predetermined light exposure pattern on the resist film; and performing a development process of the light exposure pattern by use of a development liquid, thereby forming a predetermined resist pattern. After the immersion light exposure and before the development process, the method further includes performing a hydrophilic process of turning a surface of the resist film or the protection film serving as a substrate surface into a hydrophilic state to allow the substrate surface to be wetted with the development liquid overall.

Abstract: A thermal processor for thermally developing an image in an imaging material. The processor includes an oven, at least one rotatable member positioned within oven, and a sleeve adapted to slideably fit over and selectively couple to at least a portion of the rotatable member. The sleeve has an exterior surface coated with a layer of polymer material and is positioned such that the layer of polymer material contacts and transports the imaging material through the oven as the at least one rotatable member rotates.

Abstract: In a liquid processing apparatus a spin chuck holds a wafer having a surface supplied with a liquid to be applied through a nozzle receiving the liquid through a feed path and whether the liquid passing through the feed path has fluctuation is detected by a fluctuation detection device. Thus the liquid's condition in the feed path can be determined significantly accurately. Supplying the substrate with the liquid without fluctuation allows the substrate to receive the liquid in an optimal condition. A satisfactory liquid process can thus be performed.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus including an exposing device, a developing device, a density measuring device to measure a density value of the developed film sheet, a calibrating device to calibrate the density value based on measured density values of a test image by the density measuring device and by an external density measuring device, a condition change detecting device to detect a condition change of the density measuring device, a correcting device to correct the density value, according to a result of detection by the condition change detecting device and the characteristics variation table showing variations of unmeasured values due to a condition change of the density measuring device, and a controlling device to control at least one of the exposing device and the developing device to optimize a relationship between diagnostic image data and film density according to the corrected density value.

Abstract: Apparatus for processing substrates according to a predetermined photolithography process includes a loading station in which the substrates are loaded, a coating station in which the substrates are coated with a photoresist material, an exposing station in which the photoresist coating is exposed to light through a mask having a predetermined pattern to produce a latent image of the mask on the photoresist coating, a developing station in which the latent image is developed, an unloading station in which the substrates are unloaded and a monitoring station for monitoring the substrates with respect to predetermined parameters of said photolithography process before reaching the unloading station.

Abstract: A coating and developing system is capable of preventing the contamination of a substrate with particles while the same coats a surface of a substrate with a resist film and develops the resist film after the substrate has been processed by immersion exposure. The coating and developing system includes: a processing block including coating units for forming a resist film on a surface of a substrate and developing units for processing the resist film formed on the substrate with a developer, and an interface block connected to the processing block and an exposure system for carrying out an immersion exposure process. The interface block includes: substrate cleaning units for cleaning the substrate processed by the immersion exposure process, a first carrying mechanism and a second carrying mechanism. The first carrying mechanism carries a substrate processed by immersion exposure to the substrate cleaning unit. The second carrying mechanism carries the substrate cleaned by the substrate cleaning unit.

Abstract: This heat developing method includes a step of forming a latent image on a heat developing photosensitive film sheet and a step of developing the film sheet, while the film sheet on which a latent image is formed is being conveyed, by heating with segmented heaters which are formed by dividing the total heating area into plural segments in the direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction, and which are independently temperature controllable, wherein the film sheet is so conveyed that no film sheets of different sizes are simultaneously in contact with any segmented heater.

Abstract: A coating and developing system includes a resist film forming unit block and antireflection film forming unit blocks stacked up in layers to form a resist film and an antireflection film underlying the resist film and an antireflection film overlying the resist film in a small space. The coating and developing system can cope with a case where antireflection films are formed and a case where any antireflection film is not formed. Film forming unit blocks, namely, a TCT layer, a COT layer and a BCT layer, and developing unit blocks, namely, DEV layers, are stacked up in layers in a processing block. The TCT layer, the COT layer and the BCT layer are used selectively in the case where antireflection films are formed and where no antireflection film is formed. The coating and developing system is controlled by a simple carrying program.

Abstract: Disclosed is a processing device of a photo-sensitive material which comprises a conveying device for conveying a photo-sensitive material, a slot die for applying a processing liquid to the photo-sensitive material conveyed by the conveying device, a reservoir tank of the processing liquid, a supply device of the processing liquid for supplying a processing liquid in the reservoir tank of the processing liquid to the slot die, a support roll of the photo-sensitive material arranged at a position opposite to and spaced from a tip of the slot die, a device for detecting a photo-sensitive material, and a driving device for rotating the support roll of the photo-sensitive material which can rotate the support roll at least in the direction reverse to a conveying direction of the photo-sensitive material.

Abstract: An integrated lithographic fabrication cluster system, as presented herein, comprises an exposure apparatus to expose a pattern onto a substrate with an associated exposure controller to control the exposure apparatus and a track apparatus interconnecting a plurality of processing modules with an associated track controller to control the track apparatus. The cluster system also comprises a wafer handling apparatus coupled to the exposure apparatus and track apparatus that is configured to transfer substrates between the processing modules utilized by the exposure apparatus and track apparatus and a wafer handling controller to control the wafer handling apparatus. The cluster system further comprises a cluster controller that communicates control information to at least one of the exposure controller, the track controller, and the wafer handling controller to manage operations of the exposure apparatus, the track apparatus, and the wafer handling apparatus during the lithographic fabrication process.

Abstract: A system for photolithography may include an exposure chamber providing a first isolated environment, an exposure stage in the exposure chamber, a radiation source, an interface chamber providing a second isolated environment, a port, a post exposure bake heater in the interface chamber, and a wafer handler. The exposure stage may be configured to receive a wafer having photoresist thereon to be exposed, and the radiation source may be configured to provide exposing radiation to the wafer being exposed. The port may be configured to allow wafer transport between the first and second isolated environments of the exposure and interface chambers, and the post exposure bake heater may be configured to bake the wafer after exposure.

Abstract: A coating and developing system includes a resist film forming unit block and antireflection film forming unit blocks stacked in layers to form a resist film and an antireflection film underlying the resist film and an antireflection film overlying the resist film in a small space. The coating and developing system can cope with either of a case where antireflection films are formed and where any antireflection film is not formed. Film forming unit blocks: TCT layer B3, a COT layer B4 and a BCT layer B5, and developing unit blocks: DEV layers B1 and B2, are stacked up in layers in a processing block S2. The TCT layer B3, the COT layer B4 and the BCT layer B5 are used selectively where antireflection films are formed and any antireflection film is not formed. The coating and developing system is controlled by a carrying program and software.