Patent ID: 6894773

Claim:
A processing method for semiconductor devices in a semiconductor fabrication line, comprising the steps of: processing a substrate in a first processing apparatus; transferring the substrate processed in the first processing apparatus to a detecting apparatus without removal of the substrate from the semiconductor fabrication line while continuing fabrication of the semiconductor devices; detecting foreign particle defects on the substrate transferred to the detecting apparatus utilizing a foreign particle detector having a pitch variable spatial filter to cut a light reflected from a pattern formed on the substrate, wherein a light cutting portion of the pitch variable spatial filter is pitch variable according to the pattern; sending a detected signal from the detecting apparatus to a foreign particle detecting processing apparatus which is separate from the detecting apparatus; processing the detected signal sent from the detecting apparatus by the foreign particle detecting processing apparatus; determining a foreign particle generation condition of the first processing apparatus based on information processed by the foreign particle detecting processing apparatus; transferring the substrate detecting in the detecting apparatus to a second processing apparatus in the semiconductor fabrication line; and processing the substrate in the second processing apparatus, wherein an amount of the foreign particle defects detected in the detecting step is stored in a memory.