Patent ID: 7300524

Claim:
A substrate cleaning method for processing substrates by using a substrate cleaning apparatus having an indexer for receiving a cassette storing a plurality of substrates, a cleaning unit for cleaning a substrate, a particle inspecting unit for detecting a distribution of particles adhering to the substrate, and a transport unit for transporting the substrate between the indexer, the cleaning unit and the particle inspecting unit, said method comprising the steps of: a) cleaning a back surface of a substrate transported from said cassette to said cleaning unit; b) detecting a distribution of particles on the back surface of the substrate cleaned by said cleaning unit and transported to said particle inspecting unit; c) determining whether the back surface of the substrate is clean, based on the distribution of particles detected in said particle detecting step (b); d) if the substrate is determined to be unclean in said determining step (c), varying substrate cleaning conditions of said cleaning unit based on the distribution of particles detected by said particle inspecting unit; e) transporting the substrate determined to be unclean in said determining step (c) to said cleaning unit, cleaning the substrate again with the cleaning conditions being as varied in said cleaning condition varying step (d); and f) repeating steps (b), (c) and if necessary (d) and (e) until said back surface is determined to be clean in said determining step (c); and then: g) cleaning a front surface of said substrate using said cleaning unit; h) detecting a distribution of particles on the front surface of the substrate cleaned by said cleaning unit and transported to said particle inspecting unit; i) determining whether the front surface of the substrate is clean, based on the distribution of particles detected in said particle detecting step (h); j) if the substrate is determined to be unclean in said determining step (i), varying substrate cleaning conditions of said cleaning unit based on the distribution of particles detected by said particle inspecting unit; k) transporting the substrate determined to be unclean in said determining step (i) to said cleaning unit, cleaning the substrate again with the cleaning conditions as being as varied in said cleaning condition varying step (j); l) repeating steps (h), (i) and if necessary (j) and (k) until in said determining step (i) said front surface is determined to be clean; m) after a first substrate has been determined to be clean in step (i) after being cleaned with a final set of front and back surface cleaning conditions; then cleaning front and back surfaces of at least one additional substrate in said cleaning unit using said final set of front and back surface cleaning conditions; and n) repeating step (m) until all substrates in said cassette have been cleaned and determined to be clean.