Patent ID: 7972755
Filing Date: 2011-07-05
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
1. A substrate processing method comprising a lithography process and an etching process, each of the processes is performed to one substrate at least twice, wherein the lithography process includes a plurality of steps for forming a mask having a predetermined pattern on the substrate, wherein the etching process etches the substrate by using the mask formed by the lithography process, and wherein said substrate processing method is performed by using a substrate processing system having a plurality of process unit groups respectively assigned to said plurality of process steps, and each of the process unit groups includes a plurality of process units of a same type, said method further comprising the steps of: judging whether a lithography process to be performed to a substrate from now is a first lithography process to the substrate, or a second or more lithography process to the substrate; and determining process units to be used in the lithography process to be performed from now, by selecting one process unit from each of the process unit groups in such a way that at least one process unit to be used in the lithography process to be performed to the substrate from now is identical to a process unit used in a lithography process performed to the substrate most recently, if the judging step judges that the lithography process to be performed to the substrate from now is a second or more lithography process to the substrate.