Patent ID: 8785216
Filing Date: 2014-07-22
Classification: H01J,H01L

Abstract:
1. A substrate processing method for a substrate processing apparatus, the apparatus including at least one process chamber in which predetermined processing is carried out on a substrate as an object to be processed, the method comprising: a dummy processing step of carrying out dummy processing on a non-product substrate; and a determining step of determining whether or not the dummy processing is to be executed, wherein: said determining step includes a stability determining step of determining whether or not an interior of the process chamber is in a stable state; said dummy processing step includes a dummy processing omitting step of omitting the execution of the dummy processing when it is determined in said stability determining step that the interior of the process chamber is in the stable state; a power applied in a main step, in which processing is carried out at the highest temperature, for the dummy processing to be carried out once is increased to a higher level than a power applied in a main step for the predetermined processing to be carried out on the substrate; when a standing time over which the process chamber is left standing and counting of which is started from a time count start reference time set to an execution end time of the predetermined processing has not exceeded a predetermined time period, it is determined in said stability determining step that the interior of the process chamber is in the stable state; and said predetermined time period is longer than a time interval between successive lot transfers, whereby constant execution of the dummy processing between successive lot transfers can be prevented.