Patent ID: 8563230
Filing Date: 2013-10-22
Classification: B05C,G03F,H01L

Abstract:
1. A substrate processing method of smoothing an irregular surface of a resist pattern formed on a surface of a substrate by an exposure process and a developing process, said substrate processing method comprising the steps of: executing a pretreatment process for coating the surface of the resist pattern with water molecules under a condition that the substrate is cooled so that the water molecules condense on the resist pattern; executing the smoothing process for smoothing the surface of the resist pattern by spouting a solvent vapor of water-soluble solvent capable of dissolving a resist forming the resist pattern on the surface of the resist pattern condensed with the water molecules so as to connect the water-soluble solvent with water molecules and to swell a surface layer of the resist pattern; and executing a posttreatment process for removing the water molecules and the solvent remaining on a smoothed surface, smoothed by the smoothing process, of the resist pattern formed on the substrate by drying.