Patent ID: 7497912
Filing Date: 2009-03-03
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a plurality of locations to which substrates are transported; a transport element configured for circulatingly transporting preceding substrates and succeeding substrates successively between said plurality of locations, said preceding substrates belonging to a preceding lot determined to follow a first transport sequence, said succeeding substrates belonging to a succeeding lot determined to follow a second transport sequence different from said first transport sequence, said preceding lot being immediately followed by said succeeding lot; and an operation control element configured for controlling the operation of said transport element, wherein said plurality of locations include one or more processing units each being configured for performing a predetermined process on a substrate, and wherein said operation control element includes a judging element configured for making a predictive judgment as to whether or not interference occurs between the transport of said succeeding substrates and the transport of said preceding substrates in a new transport cycle, based on information representing said first and second transport sequences, an objective substrate determining element configured for determining an objective substrate, said objective substrate being one of said succeeding substrates occupying one of said one or more processing units and causing said interference when transported out of said one of said one or more processing units after being processed in said one of said one or more processing units, if said interference is predicted, and a transport cycle correcting element configured for executing said new transport cycle while causing said objective substrate to remain in said one of said one or more processing units.