Patent ID: 8377721

Claim:
A substrate processing method comprising: performing a resist process on a plurality of substrate each with an underlying film present thereon to form a resist pattern on the underlying film in a resist pattern forming apparatus, by processing the substrates respectively by a plurality of modules of the resist pattern forming apparatus, which are configured to perform a same process step but having individual differences; performing a first examination on the substrates to measure and examine a pattern attribute of the resist pattern; performing an etching process on the substrates to etch the underlying film by use of the resist pattern as a mask and thereby to form an etched pattern in a etched pattern forming apparatus, by processing the substrate respectively by a plurality of chambers of the etched pattern forming apparatus, which are configured to perform a same process step but having individual differences; removing the resist pattern from the substrates; performing a second examination on the substrates to measure and examine a pattern attribute of the etched pattern; checking, by a controller, measurement results obtained by a the first and second examinations and transfer data for specifying a relationship of the substrates with use of the modules and the chambers for processing the substrates in performing the resist process and the etching process; obtaining, by the controller, correction value ranges respectively settable in the modules and the chambers for the substrates by use of the measurement results and the transfer data; determining, by the controller, a plurality of acceptable combinations of a module and a chamber from the modules and the chambers, in view of the individual differences of the modules and the chambers, such that corrections to be made in each of the acceptable combinations within the correction value ranges cause a pattern attribute of the etched pattern to approximate a predetermined value for each of the substrates, and the controller determines that a respective combination of a module and a chamber from the modules and chambers to be unacceptable when corrections to be made the respective combinations do not cause the pattern attribute of the etched pattern to approximate a predetermined value for each of the substrates; and determining, by the controller, transfer routes of substrates each undergoing a subsequent performance of the resist process and the etching process from the plurality of acceptable combinations of a module and chamber.