Patent ID: 8033244

Claim:
A substrate processing system comprising: a coating and developing block provided with a plurality of processing units for processing a substrate by a coating process for coating the substrate with a resist solution and a developing process; a substrate transfer block for carrying an unprocessed substrate from a cassette containing a plurality of substrates into the coating and developing block and returning a processed substrate into a cassette; an interface block for transferring a substrate between the coating and developing block and an exposure system; a smoothing block provided with a smoothing unit for smoothing a surface of a resist pattern formed on a substrate by processing the substrate by an exposure process and a developing process by exposing the surface of the resist pattern to a solvent vapor; an airflow producing means for producing down airflow that flows down from above the coating and developing block, the substrate transfer block, the interface block and the smoothing block; and a control means for controlling the airflow producing means; wherein the control means is configured to control a first flow regulating valve placed in an air passage connecting the airflow producing means to the coating and developing block and a second flow regulating valve placed in an air passage connecting the airflow producing means to the smoothing unit on the basis of a signal provided by a first pressure sensor for measuring pressure in the coating and developing block and a signal provided by a second pressure sensor for measuring pressure in the smoothing block such that the pressure in the smoothing block is lower than that in the coating and developing block.