System using hot and cold fluids to heat and cool plate

A baking system, comprising:

• baking plate within which are formed a plurality of segregated groups of passages, a portion of the baking plate being associated with each of the segregated groups of passages;
• a hot fluid supply;
• a cold fluid supply;
• a flow control system that independently for a plurality of the segregated groups of passages controls the circulation of fluid from the hot fluid supply and fluid from the cold fluid supply, whereby the plurality of segregated groups of passages may be supplied with hot and/or cold fluid and associated portions of the baking plate may be either heated or cooled;
• and
• a measuring system that measures chemical and or physical changes in a plurality of portions of a resist coating on a substrate on the baking plate.

A method of post baking a chemically amplified photoresist, comprising:

• placing a photoresist coated substrate on a baking plate;
• using a hot fluid supply to circulate hot fluid through the baking plate to heat the photoresist;
• using a cold fluid supply to circulate cold fluid through the baking plate to cool the photoresist;
• using a controller to control the flow of hot fluid and/or cold depending on whether the baking plate needs to be heated or cooled;
• and
• employing a measuring system to measure chemical and/or physical changes in a plurality of portions of a resist coating on the substrate.

A system for post baking a chemically amplified photoresist coating on a substrate, comprising:

• means for circulating hot and cold fluids through a baking plate;
• means for controlling the post baking of the chemically amplified photoresist via controlling the circulation of at least one of hot and cold fluids through at least one passage within the baking plate;
• and
• means for measuring chemical and/or physical changes in a plurality of portions of a resist coating on the substrate.