Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method and storage medium

A substrate processing method comprising:

• in a substrate processing apparatus including:
• a carrier block in which a first carrier placement unit and second carrier placement unit are arranged, each carrier placement unit for holding thereon a carrier capable of accommodating substrates;
• a processing block disposed on a rear side of the carrier block, the processing block having a layered structure in which layered parts configured to sequentially process a substrate are vertically arranged, and the layered parts each including a substrate transport mechanism configured to transport a substrate and a processing module configured to process a substrate;
• a tower unit located on a position between the first carrier placement unit and the second carrier placement unit which are vaced.apart from each other in a right and left direction including substrate placement units, each substrate placement unit being located at a height position where a substrate is transferred by the substrate transport mechanism of one layered part corresponding to the substrate placement unit;
• and a first substrate transfer mechanism configured to transfer a substrate between the carrier on the first carrier placement unit and the substrate placement unit of the tower unit, and between the two substrate placement units included in the tower unit;
• and a second substrate transfer mechanism configured to transfer a substrate between the carrier on the second carrier placement unit and the substrate placement unit of the tower unit, and between the two substrate placement units included in the tower unit placing a carrier on the first carrier placement unit or on the second carrier placement unit;
• taking out a substrate from the carrier one the first or second carrier placement unit so as to transfer the substrate to the substrate placement unit of the tower unit by means of a first substrate holding member of the corresponding substrate transfer mechanism of the first substrate transfer mechanism and the second substrate transfer mechanism;
• receiving the substrate on the substrate placement unit so as to transport the substrate to the processing module by means of the corresponding substrate transport mechanism in the processing block, and processing the substrate in the processing module;
• transporting the processed substrate to the substrate placement unit of the tower unit by means of the substrate transport mechanism;
• receiving the substrate placed on the substrate placement unit so as to transfer the substrate to another substrate placement unit of the tower unit corresponding to a layered part where a succeeding process is performed, by means of a second holding member different from the first holding member of the first or second substrate transfer mechanism;
• and
• receiving the substrate on another substrate placement unit so as to transport the substrate to the processing module by means of the substrate transport mechanism of the layered part where the succeeding process is performed, and processing the substrate in the processing module.