Patent ID: 7312018

Claim:
A pattern forming method in which a pattern of a resist film is formed, comprising: forming a liquid film including a solution in which a first material including a resist material containing a material having photosensitivity to an energy line is dissolved in a solvent on a substrate; removing the solvent from the liquid film, until a substrate side of the liquid film solidifies and the solvent remains on a side opposite to the substrate side; supplying a dissolution inhibitor material which inhibits the resist film from being dissolved in a developer to the liquid film in a state in which the solvent remains in a surface layer of the liquid film; removing the solvent remaining in the liquid film to form the resist film; selectively irradiating the resist film with the energy line, and selectively forming a latent image in the resist film; and developing the resist film in which the latent image is formed to form the resist pattern.