Patent ID: 6996449

Claim:
A control system for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that controls a stepper based on information obtained from a host computer, comprising: means for detecting the progress of the exposure of a first group of wafers from said stepper; means for obtaining information from said host computer before exposure of the first group of wafers is completed, the information obtained to be referenced when performing exposure of a second group of wafers which is to be subject to exposure following said first group of wafers; means for determining, based on the information obtained by said means for obtaining information, whether or not said second group of wafers can be transported to an exposure stage following the last wafer of said first group of wafers and instructing said stepper to perform the exposure in accordance with the determination result and the detection result by said means for detecting progress; and when said means for determining determines, based on the information obtained by said means for obtaining information, that said second group of wafers can be transported to the exposure stage following said first group of wafers, said means for instructing instructs said stepper to start transportation of said second group of wafers immediately after said stepper transports the last wafer of said first group of wafers in accordance with the determination result and the detection result by said means for detecting progress.