Patent ID: 7030957

Claim:
An apparatus for use in a photolithography process applied to substrates, the apparatus comprising a phototrack tool arrangement including at least a photoresist coating unit, a developing unit, and a monitoring system for optically monitoring the parameters of the substrates; said monitoring system comprising an optical monitoring station and a control unit connectable thereto, the optical monitoring station comprising a supporting assembly for receiving substrates to be inspected and an optical assembly operable to apply optical measurements to the supported substrate and generate measured data indicative thereof, said optical assembly being configured so as to be physically combined inside the foot print of the phototrack tool arrangement and comprising a low-magnification channel for aligning the optical assembly with respect to the substrate on a supporting plate, and a high-magnification channel for measuring predetermined parameters of the photolithography process after the substrate has passed through the developing unit and before reaching an unloading station, the control unit being configured for controlling the monitoring station and for processing the measured data to determine at least one parameter of the substrate.