| 摘要 |
<p>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a reliable processing apparatus and method capable of avoiding decrease in yield, wherein replacement timing of a filter for removing impurities that causes poor resolution can be grasped promptly. SOLUTION: The processing apparatus comprises a box body 25, a plurality of processing units installed in the box body 25 for effecting a series of processing steps including application of a processing liquid to a matter to be processed and development after exposure, a transfer mechanism 5 for transferring the matter to be processed into and out of each of the processing units, an air cleaning mechanism 27 having filters 28a, 28b for removing an impurity lowering resolution that is present in air taken in an interior of the box body 25, a concentration detecting mechanism 40 for detecting concentration of the impurity outside of the filters 28a, 28b and a life estimating means 50 for estimating replacement life of the filters 28a, 28b on the basis of detection result of the concentration detecting mechanism 40.</p> |
