| 摘要 |
PURPOSE:To make it possible to conduct a highly precise detection without being affected by the effect of sparseness of a developed pattern by a method wherein, in the development endpoint detecting method for a wafer, the region equal to the size of the unit section of the material to be developed is used at least as one of detection ranges of a reflected light and a scattered light. CONSTITUTION:The aperture sizes Xp and Yp of a light-transmitting region 4a, in a variable caliber aperture unit 4, is set by a microprocessor 18 in accordance with a wafer 1. As a result, the endpoint detection region 1a of the irradiation region (detection region of reflected light and scattered light Pr) against the wafer 1 of inspection light Pi is set so that it becomes equal in size to a unit element forming region (including a boundary region). Then, after a developing solution has been fed in the state wherein the wafer 1 is rotated, the wafer 1 is brought to come to a standstill, and a developing treatment is started. At the same time, the inspection light Pi is projected on the end-point detection region 1a of the wafer 1 which is being developed. At this time, the reflected light or the scattered light Pr generated on the endpoint detection region 1a are made incident on a photomultiplier tube 11, and they are transfered to the microprocessor 18. |
