Patent ID: 7867673

Claim:
A substrate processing system for forming a predetermined pattern on a substrate by executing a series of processes, which comprises a coating process for applying a resist liquid onto the substrate with an underlying film formed thereon, a first heat process for performing a heat process on the substrate after the coating process, a light exposure process for performing light exposure on a resist film in accordance with a predetermined pattern, a second heat process for promoting a chemical reaction in the resist film after the light exposure, a developing process for developing the resist film after the light exposure, and an etching process for etching the underlying film by use of a resist pattern formed by the developing process as a mask, the system comprising: a checking apparatus configured to measure and check a state of a resist pattern formed on the substrate after the developing process and output a first check result thus obtained, and to measure and check a state of a pattern formed on the substrate after the etching process and output a second check result thus obtained; a storage device that stores a correlation formula obtained from the first check result and the second check result; and a control section configured to use the correlation formula to obtain a target value of the state of the pattern after the developing process from a target value of the state of the pattern after the etching process, and to use a difference between the target value of the state of the pattern after the developing process and the first check result to set a condition for the first heat process and/or the second heat process.