Coating/developing apparatus and method

A coating/developing apparatus for laminating a resist on a surface of a substrate and developing the resist film treated by light exposure to form a resist pattern, the apparatus comprising:

• a resist film formation module configured to supply a resist onto the substrate to form a coating film as the resist film;
• a mechanism configured to obtain a film thickness distribution of the resist film on the surface of the substrate in accordance with a process parameter used for forming the resist film;
• a light radiating portion configured to radiate light onto the surface of the substrate with the resist pattern formed thereon;
• a light receiving portion configured to receive light reflected from the surface of the substrate;
• a mechanism configured to obtain a light information profile representing a relationship concerning the light received by the light receiving portion between its wavelength and information included therein;
• a first storage section that stores data comprising different pattern information units including at least a line width of the resist pattern, different values of a film thickness of the resist film, and different light information profiles;
• and
• a mechanism configured to use the film thickness distribution to obtain an estimated film thickness of the resist film at a light-irradiation area on the surface of the substrate, and to check the estimated film thickness and a light information profile obtained at the light-irradiation area against the data to determine pattern information at the light-irradiation area.

A coating/developing method for laminating a resist film on an underlying film formed on a surface of a substrate and developing the resist film treated by light exposure to form a resist pattern, the method comprising:

• supplying a chemical liquid onto the substrate to form a coating film as the underlying film;
• obtaining a film thickness distribution of the underlying film on the surface of the substrate in accordance with a process parameter used for forming the underlying film;
• radiating light onto the surface of the substrate with the resist pattern formed thereon;
• receiving light reflected from the surface of the substrate;
• obtaining a light information profile representing a relationship concerning the light thus received between its wavelength and information included therein;
• using the film thickness distribution to obtain an estimated film thickness of the underlying film at a light-irradiation area on the surface of the substrate;
• and
• checking the estimated film thickness and a light information profile obtained at the light-irradiation area against data comprising correlations of different pattern information units including at least a line width of the resist pattern, different values of a film thickness of the underlying film, and different light information profiles, to determine pattern information at the light-irradiation area.

A coating/developing method for laminating a resist film on a surface of a substrate and developing the resist film treated by light exposure to form a resist pattern, the method comprising:

• supplying a resist onto the substrate to form a coating film as the resist film;
• obtaining a film thickness distribution of the resist film on the surface of the substrate in accordance with a process parameter used for forming the resist film;
• radiating light onto the surface of the substrate with the resist pattern formed thereon;
• receiving light reflected from the surface of the substrate;
• obtaining a light information profile representing a relationship concerning the light thus received between its wavelength and information included therein;
• using the film thickness distribution to obtain an estimated film thickness of the resist film at a light-irradiation area on the surface of the substrate;
• and
• checking the estimated film thickness and a light information profile obtained at the light-irradiation area against data comprising correlations of different pattern information units including at least a line width of the resist pattern, different values of a film thickness of the resist film, and different light information profiles, to determine pattern information at the light-irradiation area.