Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method, and program for implementing the method

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus which is capable of enhancing productivity in manufacturing product substrates. In process chambers 106 and 107 of an etching apparatus 100, etching is carried out on a substrate as an object to be processed, and dummy processing is carried out on at least one non-product substrate before execution of the etching. A host computer 200 determines whether or not the dummy processing is to be executed. The host computer 200 determines whether or not the interior of each of the process chambers 106 and 107 is in a stable state, and omits the execution of the dummy processing when it is determined that it is in the stable state.

1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising: 
 at least one process chamber in which predetermined processing is carried out on a substrate as an object to be processed;    dummy processing means for carrying out dummy processing on a non-product substrate; and    determining means for determining whether or not the dummy processing is to be executed,    wherein:    said determining means includes stability determining means for determining whether or not an interior of said process chamber is in a stable state; and    said dummy processing means includes dummy processing omitting means for omitting execution of the dummy processing when said stability determining means determines that the interior of said process chamber is in the stable state.    
   
   
       2 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein when a standing time over which said process chamber is left standing and counting of which is started from a time count start reference time set to an execution end time of the predetermined processing has not exceeded a predetermined time period, said stability determining means determines that the interior of said process chamber is in the stable state.  
   
   
       3 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said determining means performs the determination based on preset dummy processing execution requirements or dummy processing non-execution requirements, the dummy processing non-execution requirements including a condition that the standing time does not exceed the predetermined time period.  
   
   
       4 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the dummy processing non-execution requirements include a condition that the non-product substrate does not exist.  
   
   
       5 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the dummy processing non-execution requirements include a condition that execution of the dummy processing on the non-product substrate before execution of the predetermined processing on the substrate is not designated.  
   
   
       6 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the dummy processing execution requirements include a condition that it is configured such that omission of execution of the dummy processing by said dummy processing omitting means is disabled.  
   
   
       7 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the dummy processing execution requirements include a condition that said process chamber is in an off-line state.  
   
   
       8 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the dummy processing execution requirements include a condition that the substrate is a first substrate to be processed after power of the substrate processing apparatus is turned on.  
   
   
       9 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the dummy processing execution requirements include a condition that a substrate processed before the substrate was processed in an off-line state.  
   
   
       10 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the dummy processing execution requirements include a condition that the substrate is a first substrate to be processed after execution of maintenance of said process chamber.  
   
   
       11 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 3 , wherein the dummy processing execution requirements include a condition that abort processing for forcibly terminating processing being executed was executed on a substrate which was being processed immediately before processing of the substrate.  
   
   
       12 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein when said stability determining means determines that the interior of said process chamber is not in the stable state, said dummy processing means carries out the dummy processing once.  
   
   
       13 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein processing time of the dummy processing carried out once is longer than processing time of the predetermined processing to be carried out on the substrate.  
   
   
       14 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein a set value of power required for the dummy processing to be carried out once is higher than a set value of power required for the predetermined processing to be carried out on the substrate.  
   
   
       15 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said determining means performs the determination for each substrate lot including the substrate.  
   
   
       16 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising abort processing setting means for allowing setting to be made as to whether or not the abort processing is to be executed on the substrate, after abort processing for forcibly terminating processing being executed was executed on a substrate which was being processed immediately before processing of the substrate.  
   
   
       17 . A substrate processing apparatus as claimed in  claim 1 , comprising log recording means for recording a log indicative of whether or not execution of the dummy processing was omitted.  
   
   
       18 . A substrate processing method for a substrate processing apparatus including at least one process chamber in which predetermined processing is carried out on a substrate as an object to be processed, comprising: 
 a dummy processing step of carrying out dummy processing on a non-product substrate; and    a determining step of determining whether or not the dummy processing is to be executed,    wherein:    said determining step includes a stability determining step of determining whether or not an interior of the process chamber is in a stable state; and    said dummy processing step includes a dummy processing omitting step of omitting the execution of the dummy processing when it is determined in said stability determining step that the interior of the process chamber is in the stable state.    
   
   
       19 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein when a standing time over which the process chamber is left standing and counting of which is started from a time count start reference time set to an execution end time of the predetermined processing has not exceeded a predetermined time period, it is determined in said stability determining step that the interior of the process chamber is in the stable state.  
   
   
       20 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 19 , wherein the determination in said determining step is performed based on preset dummy processing execution requirements or dummy processing non-execution requirements, the dummy processing non-execution requirements including a condition that the standing time does not exceed the predetermined time period.  
   
   
       21 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the dummy processing non-execution requirements include a condition that the non-product substrate does not exist.  
   
   
       22 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the dummy processing non-execution requirements include a condition that execution of the dummy processing on the non-product substrate before execution of the predetermined processing on the substrate is not designated.  
   
   
       23 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the dummy processing execution requirements include a condition that it is configured such that omission of execution of the dummy processing in said dummy processing omitting step is disabled.  
   
   
       24 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the dummy processing execution requirements include a condition that the process chamber is in an off-line state.  
   
   
       25 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the dummy processing execution requirements include a condition that the substrate is a first substrate to be processed after power of the substrate processing apparatus is turned on.  
   
   
       26 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the dummy processing execution requirements include a condition that a substrate processed before the substrate was processed in an off-line state.  
   
   
       27 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the dummy processing execution requirements include a condition that the substrate is a first substrate to be processed after execution of maintenance of the process chamber.  
   
   
       28 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 20 , wherein the dummy processing execution requirements include a condition that abort processing for forcibly terminating processing being executed was executed on a substrate which was being processed immediately before processing of the substrate.  
   
   
       29 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein when it is determined in said stability determining step that the interior of the process chamber is not in the stable state, the dummy processing is carried out once in said dummy processing step.  
   
   
       30 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein processing time of the dummy processing carried out once is longer than processing time of the predetermined processing to be carried out on the substrate.  
   
   
       31 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein a set value of power required for the dummy processing to be carried out once is higher than a set value of power required for the predetermined processing to be carried out on the substrate.  
   
   
       32 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 18 , wherein said determining step comprises performing determination for each substrate lot including the substrate.  
   
   
       33 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 18 , comprising an abort processing setting step of allowing setting to be made as to whether or not the abort processing is to be executed on the substrate, after abort processing for forcibly terminating processing being executed was executed on a substrate which was being processed immediately before processing of the substrate.  
   
   
       34 . A substrate processing method as claimed in  claim 18 , comprising a log recording step of recording a log indicative of whether or not execution of the dummy processing was omitted.  
   
   
       35 . A program for causing a computer to execute a substrate processing method for a substrate processing apparatus including at least one process chamber in which predetermined processing is carried out on a substrate as an object to be processed, comprising: 
 a dummy processing module for carrying out dummy processing on a non-product substrate; and    a determining module for determining whether or not the dummy processing is to be executed,    wherein:    said determining module includes a stability determining module for determining whether or not an interior of the process chamber is in a stable state; and    said dummy processing module includes a dummy processing omitting module for omitting the execution of the dummy processing when said stability determining module determines that the interior of the process chamber is in the stable state.