Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

A substrate processing method comprising:

• providing a substrate processing apparatus including a carrier block in which a carrier is disposed, the carrier being a transfer container that accommodates a substrate, and a processing block including a processing module that processes the substrate while delivering the substrate from and to the carrier block,
• mounting the carrier on each of a carrier carry-in port and a carrier carry-out port to carry the carrier into/out of the substrate processing apparatus;
• mounting the carrier on each of a plurality of substrate discharge ports and a substrate reception port provided in the carrier block to discharge the substrate from the carrier to the processing block and carry the substrate from the processing block into the carrier;
• temporarily mounting the carrier on a first temporary carrier mount stage and a second temporary carrier mount stage;
• transferring the carrier by a carrier transfer mechanism between the carrier carry-in port, the carrier carry-out port, the substrate reception port, the plurality of substrate discharge ports, and one of the first temporary carrier mount stage and the second temporary carrier mount stage;
• transferring the carrier by the carrier transfer mechanism among the carrier carry-in port, the carrier carry-out port, the substrate reception port, the plurality of substrate discharge ports, the first temporary carrier mount stage, and the second temporary carrier mount stage;
• and
• in transferring the carrier from a transfer source among the carrier carry-in port, the substrate discharge port, the substrate reception port, and the carrier carry-out port to a transfer destination via the first temporary carrier mount stage or the second temporary carrier mount stage, comparing a transfer time via the first temporary carrier mount stage and a transfer time via the second temporary carrier mount stage, and transferring the carrier to either one of the first temporary carrier mount stage and the second temporary carrier mount stage, which has a shorter transfer time,
• wherein, when a plurality of transfer destination candidates is provided, a controller determines the transfer destination by selecting the candidate that becomes vacant first, and
• in a state where the transfer source and the transfer destination are the carrier carry-in port and one of the plurality of substrate discharge ports, respectively, and the carrier is mounted on each of the plurality of substrate discharge ports,
• the controller determines which of the plurality of substrate discharge ports is to be the transfer destination, according to a processing order for a lot of the substrate accommodated in the carrier of each of the plurality of substrate discharge ports, and compares the transfer times.

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

• a carrier block configured to dispose a carrier that accommodates a substrate;
• a processing block including a processing module that processes the substrate while delivering the substrate from and to the carrier block;
• a carrier carry-in port and a carrier carry-out port configured to mount the carrier thereon to carry the carrier into/out of the substrate processing apparatus;
• a substrate discharge port and a plurality of substrate reception ports provided in the carrier block and configured to mount the carrier thereon to discharge the substrate from the carrier to the processing block and carry the substrate from the processing block into the carrier;
• a first temporary carrier mount stage and a second temporary carrier mount stage each configured to temporarily mount the carrier thereon;
• a carrier transfer mechanism including an arm configured to transfer the carrier among the carrier carry-in port, the carrier carry-out port, the plurality of substrate reception ports, the substrate discharge port, the first temporary carrier mount stage, and the second temporary carrier mount stage;
• and
• a controller configured to compare, in order to transfer the carrier from a transfer source to a subsequent transfer destination among the carrier carry-in port, the substrate discharge port, the plurality of substrate reception ports, and the carrier carry-out port via the first temporary carrier mount stage or the second temporary carrier mount stage, a transfer time via the first temporary carrier mount stage and a transfer time via the second temporary carrier mount stage, and output a control signal for controlling an operation of the carrier transfer mechanism to transfer the carrier to either one of the first temporary carrier mount stage and the second temporary carrier mount stage, which has a shorter transfer time,
• wherein, when a plurality of transfer destination candidates is provided, the controller determines the transfer destination by selecting the candidate that becomes vacant first, and
• in a state where the transfer source is the substrate discharge port, the transfer destination is one of the plurality of substrate reception ports, and the carrier is mounted on each of the plurality of substrate reception ports,
• with respect to the carrier mounted on each of the plurality of substrate reception ports, the controller determines a substrate reception port, which mounts thereon the carrier with an earliest carry-in timing of a last substrate to be carried into the carrier, to be the transfer destination, and compares the transfer times.