Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

A substrate processing method comprises: an execution step of executing the first processing for the plurality of substrates, and executing the second processing for the substrates having undergone the first processing; a recovery step of recovering the plurality of substrates having undergone the first processing and the second processing to the retraction chamber; a conditioning step of, after completion of the first processing for the last substrate among the plurality of substrates, loading a dummy substrate into the first processing chamber, executing the third processing for the dummy substrate, and unloading the dummy substrate from the first processing chamber; and a second execution step of, after the dummy substrate is unloaded from the first processing chamber in the conditioning step, loading the substrates recovered in the recovery step into the first processing chamber, and executing the third processing for the substrates loaded into the first processing chamber.

1 . A substrate processing method of using a substrate processing apparatus including at least a first processing chamber, a second processing chamber, and a retraction chamber to execute, for a plurality of substrates, a series of processing including first processing of processing a substrate in the first processing chamber, second processing of processing the substrate in the second processing chamber after the first processing, and third processing of performing processing, different from the first processing, for the substrate in the first processing chamber after the second processing, comprising:
 an execution step of executing the first processing for the plurality of substrates, and executing the second processing for the substrates having undergone the first processing;   a recovery step of recovering the plurality of substrates having undergone the first processing and the second processing to the retraction chamber;   a conditioning step of, after completion of the first processing for the last substrate among the plurality of substrates, loading a dummy substrate into the first processing chamber, executing the third processing for the dummy substrate, and unloading the dummy substrate from the first processing chamber; and   a second execution step of, after the dummy substrate is unloaded from the first processing chamber in the conditioning step, loading the substrates recovered in the recovery step into the first processing chamber, and executing the third processing for the substrates loaded into the first processing chamber.   
     
     
         2 . The method according to  claim 1 , further comprising:
 an input step of accepting input of transport order information which specifies an order in which the substrates are transported into a plurality of processing chambers to process the substrates in the plurality of processing chambers, and processing condition information which specifies a substrate processing condition in each of the plurality of processing chambers; and   a generation step of generating process route information which specifies a substrate transport route, including a recovery process of retracting the substrates into the retraction chamber in the series of processing, from the transport order information and the processing condition information which are accepted in the input step,   wherein in the recovery step, processing of recovering the substrates into the retraction chamber is executed in accordance with the process route information generated in the generation step.   
     
     
         3 . A substrate processing apparatus which includes at least a first processing chamber, a second processing chamber, a retraction chamber, a transport unit configured to transport a substrate, and a control unit configured to control the first processing chamber, the second processing chamber, and the transport unit, and executes, for a plurality of substrates, a series of processing including first processing of processing a substrate in the first processing chamber, second processing of processing the substrate in the second processing chamber after the first processing, and third processing of performing processing, different from the first processing, for the substrate in the first processing chamber after the second processing,
 wherein the control unit comprises:   a processing chamber control unit configured to control the first processing chamber to execute the first processing for the plurality of substrates, and control the second processing chamber to execute the second processing for the substrates having undergone the first processing; and   a transport control unit which controls the transport unit to execute processing of recovering the substrates having undergone the first processing and the second processing into the retraction chamber after execution of the second processing, and controls the transport unit to load a dummy substrate into the first processing chamber after completion of the first processing for the last substrate among the plurality of substrates, and   wherein said processing chamber control unit controls the first processing chamber to execute the third processing for the dummy substrate after the dummy substrate is loaded into the first processing chamber,   said transport control unit controls the transport unit to execute processing of unloading the dummy substrate from the first processing chamber after completion of the third processing for the dummy substrate, and controls the transport unit to load the recovered substrate into the first processing chamber after the dummy substrate is unloaded from the first processing chamber, and   said processing chamber control unit controls the first processing chamber to execute the third processing after the recovered substrate is loaded into the first processing chamber.   
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 an input unit configured to accept input of transport order information which specifies an order in which the substrates are transported into a plurality of processing chambers to process the substrates in the plurality of processing chambers, and processing condition information which specifies a substrate processing condition in each of the plurality of processing chambers; and   a generation unit configured to generate process route information which specifies a substrate transport route, including a recovery process of retracting the substrates into the retraction chamber in the series of processing, from the transport order information and the processing condition information which are accepted by said input unit,   wherein said transport control unit executes processing of recovering the substrates into the retraction chamber, in accordance with the process route information generated by said generation unit.