Adjustment method, substrate processing method, substrate processing apparatus, exposure apparatus, inspection apparatus, measurement and/or inspection system, processing apparatus, computer system, program and information recording medium

An adjustment method in which a processing condition of a substrate processing from amongst a plurality of substrate processings that are performed in series and that include a measurement and/or inspection processing is adjusted, the method comprising:

• a collection process of collecting information on a measurement and/or inspection result, in a measurement and/or inspection processing performed before and after at least one specific processing of the plurality of substrate processings, obtained from at least one substrate;
• an optimization process of optimizing a processing condition of at least one of the plurality of substrate processings based on the collected information;
• and
• a transmission process of transmitting information on the optimized processing condition to an apparatus that performs the processing associated with the optimized substrate processing,
• wherein, in the optimization process, one of the processing conditions is optimized based on information on at least one of a correlation, quality and change of a measurement and/or inspection result in the measurement and/or inspection processing performed before and after the at least one specific processing.

An adjustment method, in which a processing condition of a substrate processing from amongst a plurality of substrate processings that are performed in series and that include a measurement and/or inspection processing is adjusted, the method comprising:

• a collection process of collecting information on at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results obtained from at least one substrate;
• an optimization process of optimizing a processing condition of at least one of the plurality of substrate processings based on the collected information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results;
• and
• a transmission process of transmitting information on the optimized processing condition to an apparatus that performs the processing associated with the optimized substrate processing,
• wherein the plurality of substrate processings include a film formation processing of forming a film on the substrate, an exposure processing of forming a pattern on the substrate by liquid immersion exposure and a removal processing of liquid on the substrate,
• the information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results includes first information on an inspection result before the exposure processing of a film formed on the substrate by the film formation processing, and second information on an inspection result of a foreign substance on the substrate after the exposure processing, and
• in the optimization process, in the case the first information is normal and the second information is abnormal, information on a processing state of the exposure processing is acquired, and a processing condition of at least one of the exposure processing and the removal processing is optimized based on the acquired information.

An adjustment method in which a processing condition of a substrate processing from amongst a plurality of substrate processings that are performed in series and that include a measurement and/or inspection processing is adjusted, the method comprising:

• a collection process of collecting information on at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results obtained from at least one substrate;
• an optimization process of optimizing a processing condition of at least one of the plurality of substrate processings based on the collected information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results;
• and
• a transmission process of transmitting information on the optimized processing condition to an apparatus that performs the processing associated with the optimized substrate processing,
• wherein the plurality of substrate processings include a film formation processing of forming a film on the substrate, an exposure processing of forming a pattern on the substrate by liquid immersion exposure, a removal processing of liquid on the substrate and a postbake processing to the substrate,
• the information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results includes first information on a foreign substance inspection result of the substrate before the postbake processing and second information on a foreign substance inspection result of the substrate after the postbake processing,
• in the case the first information is normal and the second information is abnormal, information on a processing state of the postbake processing is acquired, and
• in the optimization process, in the case the postbake processing is judged not to be a factor of abnormality in the second information based on the acquired information, at least one of a processing condition of the foreign substance inspection processing of the substrate before the postbake processing, a processing condition of the exposure processing and a processing condition of the liquid removal processing is optimized.

An adjustment method in which a processing condition of a substrate processing from amongst a plurality of substrate processings that are performed in series and that include a measurement and/or inspection processing is adjusted, the method comprising:

• a collection process of collecting information on at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results obtained from at least one substrate;
• an optimization process of optimizing a processing condition of at least one of the plurality of substrate processings based on the collected information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results;
• and
• a transmission process of transmitting information on the optimized processing condition to an apparatus that performs the processing associated with the optimized substrate processing,
• wherein the plurality of substrate processings include a film formation processing of forming a film on the substrate, an exposure processing of forming a pattern on the substrate by liquid immersion exposure, a removal processing of liquid on the substrate, a postbake processing to the substrate and a development processing to the substrate,
• the information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results includes first information on a foreign substance inspection result of the substrate before the postbake processing and second information on a pattern inspection result of the substrate after the development processing,
• in the case the first information is normal and the second information is abnormal, information on a processing state of the development processing and the postbake processing is acquired, and
• in the optimization process, in the case the development processing and the postbake processing are judged not to be a factor of abnormality in the second information based on the acquired information, at least one of an inspection condition of the substrate before and after the postbake processing, a processing condition of the exposure processing and a processing condition of the liquid removal processing is optimized.

An adjustment method in which a processing condition of a substrate processing from amongst a plurality of substrate processings that are performed in series and that include a measurement and/or inspection processing is adjusted, the method comprising:

• a collection process of collecting information on at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results obtained from at least one substrate;
• an optimization process of optimizing a processing condition of at least one of the plurality of substrate processings based on the collected information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results;
• and
• a transmission process of transmitting information on the optimized processing condition to an apparatus that performs the processing associated with the optimized substrate processing,
• wherein the plurality of substrate processings include a film formation processing of forming a film on the substrate, an exposure processing of forming a pattern on the substrate by liquid immersion exposure, a removal processing of liquid on the substrate, a postbake processing to the substrate and a development processing to the substrate,
• the information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results includes first information on a foreign substance inspection result of the substrate before the development processing and second information on a pattern inspection result of the substrate after the development processing,
• in the case the first information is normal and the second information is abnormal, information on a processing state of the development processing is acquired, and
• in the optimization process, in the case the development processing is judged not to be a factor of abnormality in the second information based on the acquired information, at least one of a measurement and/or inspection condition of the measurement and/or inspection before the development processing, a processing condition of the exposure processing and a processing condition of the liquid removal processing is optimized.

An adjustment method in which a processing condition of a substrate processing from amongst a plurality of substrate processings that are performed in series and that include a measurement and/or inspection processing is adjusted, the method comprising:

• a collection process of collecting information on at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results obtained from at least one substrate;
• an optimization process of optimizing a processing condition of at least one of the plurality of substrate processings based on the collected information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results;
• and
• a transmission process of transmitting information on the optimized processing condition to an apparatus that performs the processing associated with the optimized substrate processing,
• wherein the plurality of substrate processings include a film formation processing of forming a film on the substrate, an exposure processing of forming a pattern on the substrate by liquid immersion exposure, a removal processing of liquid on the substrate, a postbake processing to the substrate, a development processing to the substrate and an etching processing to the substrate,
• the information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results includes first information on a measurement result of a surface shape of an exposed surface of the substrate before the exposure processing, and second information on a measurement result of a size of a pattern on the substrate after the development processing or the etching processing,
• in the case the first information is normal and the second information is abnormal, information on a processing state of at least one of the development processing, the postbake processing and the exposure processing is acquired and analyzed, and
• in the case the development processing, the postbake processing and the etching processing are judged not to be a factor of abnormality in the second information, at least one of a processing condition of the exposure processing and a processing condition of the liquid removal processing is optimized.

An adjustment method in which a processing condition of a substrate processing from amongst a plurality of substrate processings that are performed in series and that include a measurement and/or inspection processing is adjusted, the method comprising:

• a collection process of collecting information on at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results obtained from at least one substrate;
• an optimization process of optimizing a processing condition of at least one of the plurality of substrate processings based on the collected information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results;
• and
• a transmission process of transmitting information on the optimized processing condition to an apparatus that performs the processing associated with the optimized substrate processing,
• wherein the plurality of substrate processings include a film formation processing of forming a film on the substrate, an exposure processing of forming a pattern on the substrate by liquid immersion exposure, a development processing to the substrate and an etching processing to the substrate,
• the information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results includes first information on a measurement result of a size of a pattern on the substrate after the development processing and second information on a measurement result of a size of the pattern on the substrate after the etching processing,
• in the case the first information is normal and the second information is abnormal, information on a processing state of the etching processing is acquired and analyzed, and
• in the case the etching processing is judged not to be a factor of abnormality in the second information, at least one of a processing condition of the exposure processing and a processing condition of the liquid removal processing is optimized.

An adjustment method in which a processing condition of a substrate processing from amongst a plurality of substrate processings that are performed in series and that include a measurement and/or inspection processing is adjusted, the method comprising:

• a collection process of collecting information on at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results obtained from at least one substrate;
• an optimization process of optimizing a processing condition of at least one of the plurality of substrate processings based on the collected information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results;
• and
• a transmission process of transmitting information on the optimized processing condition to an apparatus that performs the processing associated with the optimized substrate processing,
• wherein the plurality of substrate processings include a film formation processing of forming a film on the substrate, an exposure processing of forming a pattern on the substrate by liquid immersion exposure, a postbake processing to the substrate, a development processing to the substrate and an etching processing to the substrate,
• the information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results includes first information on a measurement and/or inspection result before the exposure processing of a film formed on the substrate by the film formation processing, and second information on a measurement result of variation in a size of a pattern on the substrate after the development processing or the etching processing, and
• based on correlativity between the first information and the second information and the change of the first information and the second information, at least one of a film formation/coating condition and a processing condition of the exposure processing is optimized.

An adjustment method in which a processing condition of a substrate processing from amongst a plurality of substrate processings that are performed in series and that include a measurement and/or inspection processing is adjusted, the method comprising:

• a collection process of collecting information on at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results obtained from at least one substrate;
• an optimization process of optimizing a processing condition of at least one of the plurality of substrate processings based on the collected information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results;
• and
• a transmission process of transmitting information on the optimized processing condition to an apparatus that performs the processing associated with the optimized substrate processing,
• wherein the plurality of substrate processings include a film formation processing of performing formation or coating of a film on the substrate, and an exposure processing of forming a pattern on the substrate by liquid immersion exposure,
• the information on the at least two types of measurement and/or inspection results includes first information on a measurement result of a processing parameter that is used for alignment of the substrate before the exposure processing, and second information on a measurement result of overlay of a pattern on the substrate after the development processing or the etching processing, and
• in the case the first information is normal and the second information is abnormal, a processing condition of an alignment processing of the substrate is optimized based on correlativity between the first information and second information.