Patent ID: 8467895

Claim:
A processing system comprising: a plurality of process modules of plural types, wherein the same number process modules belong to each type such that plural sets of process modules, each set including of one process module of each type are made to perform a composite process composed of a series of processes to a substrate; a transfer system including a first transfer module and configured to transfer each of plural substrates from a cassette containing the plural substrates to any one of the process modules, wherein the plurality of process modules are connected to a peripheral region of the first transfer module; and a controller that controls operation of the transfer System and the process modules, wherein the controller is configured to: (a) monitor a conditioning status of each process module after each process module begins conditioning; (b) immediately after at least one process module of each type has completed conditioning to become a conditioning-completed module, make up a first set of conditioning-completed process modules by selecting one conditioning-completed module of each type, and start transferring one of the substrates along a first transfer path for transferring the one substrate to the first set of process modules, and start performing the composite processes by use of the process modules of the first set; (c) thereafter, immediately after at least one process module of each type, among the processing modules which do not yet belong to a set of process modules, has completed the conditioning to become a conditioning-completed module, make up another set of conditioning-completed process modules by selecting one conditioning-completed module of each type and start transferring of another of the substrates along another transfer path for transferring the another substrate to said another set of process modules, and start performing the composite processes by use of process modules of said another set; (d) repeat (c) until there is no conditioning-completed module that does not belong to a set; and (e) thereafter, perform the composite process to the plurality of substrates, while distributing the substrates to any one of the process module sets whereby each substrate is transferred to and processed only by the process modules of the set to which the substrate is distributed.