Patent ID: 8909364
Filing Date: 2014-12-09
Classification: H01L

Abstract:
1. A substrate processing system performing a processing operation by taking out a substrate from a carrier that stores the substrate on each wafer lot, the system comprising: (1) a processing apparatus group including a plurality of coating apparatuses each configured to form a resist film on the substrate, a plurality of exposure apparatuses each configured to expose the resist film on the substrate, and a plurality of developing apparatuses each configured to develop the substrate with a developer after an exposure process, (2) each of the coating apparatuses, each of the exposure apparatuses, and each of the developing apparatuses in the processing apparatus group includes a carry-in and carry-out stage through which a carrier that stores the substrate on each wafer lot is carried in and out, a carrier standby unit configured to allow the carrier to stand by, a carrier moving and loading unit configured to move and load the carrier between the carry-in and carry-out stage and the carrier standby unit, a delivery mechanism configured to deliver the substrate to the carrier loaded on the carry-in and carry-out stage, and a processing unit configured to perform a target process for the substrate delivered by the delivery mechanism, (3) a common carry-in port with respect to the processing apparatus group configured to receive the carrier that stores the substrate on each wafer lot from an automatic transportation apparatus and a common carry-out port with respect to the processing apparatus group configured to deliver the carrier to the automatic transportation apparatus, (4) an exclusive transportation mechanism configured to transport the carrier that stores the substrate on each wafer lot between the processing apparatuses adjacent to each other, (5) a group controller configured to manage the processing apparatus group, and control the carrier moving and loading unit and the exclusive transportation mechanism, and (6) a host computer configured to transmit a processing recipe for the substrate stored in the carrier transported by the automatic transportation apparatus to the carry-in and carry-out stage of a predetermined processing apparatus to the group controller, wherein the processing recipe includes parameters for the substrate stored in the carrier at one of a coating apparatus, an exposure apparatus, and a developing apparatus within the processing apparatus group, (7) wherein the group controller is programmed to: (7-1) analyze the processing recipe of the substrate and a processing status sent from each coating apparatus, exposure apparatus, and developing apparatus within the processing group, and determine a combination of processing apparatuses in the processing apparatus group having a shortest total processing time for the substrate stored in the carrier when the carrier storing the substrate is carried into the common carry-in port of the processing apparatus group, the determined combination of processing apparatuses including at least one coating apparatus, one exposure apparatus, and one developing apparatus each selected among same type of processing apparatuses to have an earliest starting time among the same type of processing apparatuses, (7-2) calculate a predictable stand-by time for the substrate stored in the carrier located in the carry-in and carry-out stage of one of processing apparatuses in the determined combination from a processing end time for the substrate by the one of processing apparatuses in the determined combination up to a processing start time for the substrate by a processing apparatus next to the one of processing apparatuses in the determined combination on the basis of the processing recipe of the substrate and the processing status sent from each processing apparatus of the determined combination of processing apparatuses, and determine a timing of discharging the substrate from the carrier located in the carry-in and carry-out stage of the one of processing apparatuses in the determined combination to the one of processing apparatuses in the determined combination such that the predictable stand-by time is set within a predetermined time if the predictable stand-by time exceeds the predetermined time, and (7-3) carries out the carrier that stores the substrate in which a series of processing operations is completed by the plurality of processing apparatuses to the carry-out port.