In a transferring region of a
wafer transferring portion that transfers a
wafer placed in a carrier loading and unloading portion, a pattern inspecting portion for inspecting a
resist pattern and a carrier for accommodating a
wafer determined as an unacceptable wafer are disposed. The carrier is conveyed to an external cleaning portion.
Resist on the unacceptable wafer is cleaned and removed. The
resultant wafer is loaded to the
coating and developing unit. The film thickness of a monitor wafer is measured by a film thickness measuring portion disposed in the
coating and developing unit. Thereafter,
resist on the entire surface of the monitor wafer is removed with thinner supplied from a
solvent nozzle. Thus, the monitor wafer is regenerated. Consequently, when the
coating and developing unit is operated and a substrate and a monitor substrate that have been processes are inspected, the
throughput of the coating and developing unit becomes high and the processes can be automatically performed.