Patent ID: 7774082

Claim:
A substrate processing method to be adopted in a substrate processing apparatus that includes a processing chamber where processing is executed on a processing target substrate based upon a specific processing parameter and a measurement chamber where a preprocessing surface profile and a postprocessing surface profile of the processing target substrate are measured, comprising: a preprocessing measurement phase in which the preprocessing surface profile of the processing target substrate is measured in said measurement chamber; a first calculation phase executed before starting to transfer the processing target substrate toward said processing chamber, in which a processing parameter value for achieving a target surface profile is calculated by using a preprocessing surface profile measurement value obtained by measuring said preprocessing surface profile; a decision-making phase in which a decision is made as to whether or not said processing parameter value having been calculated is within a preset allowable range; a second calculation phase executed during the time elapsing after starting to transfer the processing target substrate toward said processing chamber and ending before the processing target substrate is actually carried into said processing chamber when said processing parameter value is judged to be within the allowable range in said decision-making phase in which said processing parameter value for achieving said target surface profile is recalculated by using an adjustment value obtained based upon a postprocessing surface profile measurement value resulting from measurement of the postprocessing surface profile of a processing target substrate having been most recently processed in said processing chamber and said preprocessing surface profile measurement value; and a processing phase in which the processing target substrate is carried into said processing chamber and is processed based upon said processing parameter value calculated in said second calculation phase.