Patent ID: 8916804

Claim:
A thermal processing method in which each of a plurality of substrates of a substrate group is sequentially disposed and processed on a heating plate set to a predetermined temperature, the method comprising: changing a set temperature of the heating plate from a first temperature which is a starting temperature of the heating plate to a second temperature; initiating a thermal processing for a first substrate of the substrate group before the temperature of the heating plate reaches the second temperature; obtaining temperature data of the heating plate after the thermal processing is initiated for the first substrate; when the set temperature of the heating plate reaches the second temperature, calculating a heat quantity liven to the first substrate by the heating plate based on the obtained temperature data of the heating plate; changing the set temperature of the heating plate from the second temperature to a third temperature based on the heat quantity given to the first substrate by the heating plate obtained at the calculating such that the heat quantity given to the first substrate by the heating plate becomes the same as a heat quantity determined in advance for a case where a thermal processing is initiated after the temperature of the heating plate reaches the second temperature; and thermal processing of the first substrate using the heating plate for which the set temperature has been changed; reinstating the temperature of the heating plate from the third temperature to the second temperature after the thermal processing of the first substrate is completed; and thermal processing of a next substrate of the substrate group using the heating plate while the temperature of the heating plate is maintained at the second temperature.