Monitoring apparatus and method particularly useful in photolithographically processing substrates

An apparatus for use in a photolithography process applied to substrates, the apparatus comprising a phototrack tool arrangement including at least a photoresist coating unit, a developing unit, and a monitoring system for optically monitoring the parameters of the substrates;

• said monitoring system comprising an optical monitoring station and a control unit connectable thereto, the optical monitoring station comprising a supporting assembly for receiving substrates to be inspected, an optical assembly operable to apply optical measurements to the supported substrate and generate measured data indicative thereof, and an optical imaging device;
• said optical assembly and said imaging device being located within a sealed enclosure having a transparent window aligned with and facing a plate supporting the substrate outside said sealed enclosure, thereby enabling inspecting the supported substrate via the transparent window;
• the monitoring station being configured so as to be physically combined inside the foot print of the phototrack tool arrangement;
• the control unit being configured for controlling the monitoring station and processing the measured data to determine at least one parameter of the substrate, and comprising an optical image processing unit connectable to said optical imaging device.