METHOD OF PROCESSING SUBSTRATE, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING SYSTEM AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS

摘要

Immediately before or immediately after an alignment process for adjusting an exposure position of a pattern image in an exposure unit compatible with immersion exposure, a dummy substrate for use in the alignment process is transported from the exposure unit to a substrate processing apparatus. In the substrate processing apparatus, a cleaning processing unit cleans and dries the received dummy substrate. The cleaned dummy substrate is transported from the substrate processing apparatus back to the exposure unit. The use of the clean dummy substrate for the execution of the alignment process in the exposure unit reduces contamination of mechanisms within the exposure unit, such as a substrate stage. When the dummy substrate is water-repellent, the cleaning in the substrate processing apparatus restores the water repellency of the dummy substrate.