Patent ID: 7916271

Claim:
An apparatus comprising: a computer configured to detect magnitude of correlation between (i) an explanatory variable corresponding to operation data related to an operation made by an exposure apparatus for exposing a substrate, and (ii) a response variable corresponding to inspection data related to a result of inspection made to the substrate after the same is exposed, the magnitude of correlation between the explanatory variable and the response variable being detected with respect to each of plural kinds of operation data; and wherein said computer is further configured to specify, on the basis of detected correlation magnitudes, the correlation between the explanatory variable and the response variable with respect to each of the plural kinds of operation data, and wherein said computer is further configured to obtain a plurality of sets of data of the explanatory variable and data of the response variable and to calculate a plurality of the magnitudes of correlation while changing at least one of the number or range of the obtained sets of the data used for calculation of the magnitudes of correlation.