Patent ID: 9257318
Filing Date: 2016-02-09
CPC Classification: H01L

Claim Text:
1. A method for operating a vacuum processing apparatus, the vacuum processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of cassette stands on which a cassette capable of housing a plurality of wafers therein can be placed; a plurality of vacuum processing vessels each having a processing chamber arranged therein, wherein the wafer is arranged and processed in the processing chamber; and at least one transport robot transporting the wafer on a transport path between either one of the plurality of cassettes and the plurality of vacuum processing vessels, the vacuum processing apparatus sequentially transporting in a predetermined transport order the plurality of wafers from either one of the plurality of cassettes to a predetermined one of the plurality of vacuum processing vessels and processing the plurality of wafers, the method comprising: a number determining step of, before any one of the plurality of wafers is carried out from the cassette, determining whether or not a number of the wafers being present and currently being transported on the transport path between the cassette and one of the plurality of vacuum processing vessels, in which a relevant wafer is scheduled to be processed, is equal to or less than a predetermined value; a remaining-time determining step of determining whether or not a total of a remaining processing time of the wafer being scheduled to be processed and being present in the one vacuum processing vessel and a processing time of the wafer being present and currently being transported on the transport path is equal to or less than a predetermined value; and a transport order skip step of, if a condition in the number determining step or in the remaining-time determining step is not satisfied, performing the number determining step and the remaining processing time determining step on the wafers after the any one wafer in accordance with the transport order, and newly specifying the wafer first satisfying the condition in these steps, as a wafer to be carried out from the cassette in place of the arbitrary one wafer, wherein the newly specified wafer is transported from the cassette, in which this wafer is housed, to the predetermined vacuum processing vessel and processed.