Substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

The CMP apparatus is provided with a polishing unit 3; a cleaning unit 4; a load/unload unit for transferring substrates to the polishing unit 3 and receiving substrates from the cleaning unit 4; a wafer transporting unit; and a control section 5 for controlling the timing of loading wafers into the CMP apparatus. The control section 5 creates a time table correlating treatment ending times or scheduled treatment ending times in polishing sections, cleaning sections and transporting sections for each plurality of wafers to be loaded into the CMP apparatus and controls the timing of loading the plurality of wafers into the CMP apparatus on the basis of the time table, so that a standby state does not occur in a period from when the wafers are loaded into the CMP apparatus to when cleaning treatment is completed.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
 a polishing unit including at least one polishing section configured to polish a substrate;   a cleaning unit including at least one cleaning section configured to clean a substrate polished by the polishing unit;   a load/unload unit configured to transfer a substrate to the polishing unit and receive a substrate from the cleaning unit; and   a transporting unit including at least one transporting section configured to transport the substrate,   the substrate processing apparatus being provided with a control section configured to control the timing of loading the substrate into the substrate processing apparatus, wherein the control section creates a time table correlating treatment ending times or scheduled treatment ending times in the polishing section, the cleaning section and the transporting section for each plurality of substrates to be loaded into the substrate processing apparatus and controls the timing of loading the plurality of substrates into the substrate processing apparatus on the basis of the time table, so that a standby state does not occur in a period from when the substrate is loaded into the substrate processing apparatus to when cleaning treatment is completed.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control section creates the time table on the basis of historical records of time taken in treatment in at least one of the polishing section and the cleaning section and time taken in transportation from the polishing unit to the cleaning unit in the transporting section. 
     
     
         3 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the control section calculates the provisional times of arrival of a substrate to be newly loaded at the polishing section, the cleaning section and the transporting section when creating the time table for the substrate to be newly loaded into the substrate processing apparatus, compares the provisional arrival times and the treatment ending times or the scheduled treatment ending times of a substrate precedently loaded into the substrate processing apparatus in the polishing section, the cleaning section and the transporting section, adds a difference between the earlier provisional arrival times and the treatment ending times or the scheduled treatment ending times to the provisional times of arrival at the polishing section, the cleaning section and the transporting section, if any provisional arrival time earlier than the treatment ending times or the scheduled treatment ending times exists in the same or a conflicting treatment section, to create actual arrival times, and thus creates the time table on the basis of the actual arrival times. 
     
     
         4 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the control section adds the largest of differences among the earlier provisional arrival times and the treatment ending times or the scheduled treatment ending times to the provisional times of arrival at the polishing section, the cleaning section and the transporting section, if a plurality of the earlier provisional arrival times exist, to create actual arrival times, and thus creates the time table on the basis of the actual arrival times. 
     
     
         5 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein the control section creates the time table on the basis of the provisional arrival times if any provisional arrival time earlier than the treatment ending times or the scheduled treatment ending times does not exist in the same or the conflicting treatment section. 
     
     
         6 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 2 , wherein the control section calculates the provisional times of arrival of a substrate to be newly loaded at the polishing section, the cleaning section and the transporting section when creating the time table for the substrate to be newly loaded into the substrate processing apparatus, compares the provisional arrival times and the treatment ending times or the scheduled treatment ending times of a substrate precedently loaded into the substrate processing apparatus in the polishing section, the cleaning section and the transporting section, adds a difference between the earlier provisional arrival times and the treatment ending times or the scheduled treatment ending times to the provisional times of arrival at the polishing section, the cleaning section and the transporting section, if any provisional arrival time earlier than the treatment ending times or the scheduled treatment ending times exists in the same or a conflicting treatment section, to create actual arrival times, and thus creates the time table on the basis of the actual arrival times. 
     
     
         7 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the control section creates the time table on the basis of the provisional arrival times if any provisional arrival time earlier than the treatment ending times or the scheduled treatment ending times does not exist in the same or the conflicting treatment section.