Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

• a substrate transport mechanism for transferring a substrate from one module to another module, the substrate transport mechanism comprises a horizontally movable holding member for holding a substrate and is provided in an area other than the one module and the another module;
• a detection section for detecting the position of the substrate on the holding member after the holding member has received the substrate from the one module and before the holding member transports the substrate to the another module;
• a calculating section for determining a displacement of the substrate on the holding member from a reference position based on the results of detection by the detection section;
• a substrate stage module for temporarily placing thereon the substrate which the substrate transport mechanism has received from the one module is provided in the area where the substrate transport mechanism is provided other than the one module and the another module;
• and
• a control section configured to compare a detected displacement value, obtained in the calculating section, with an acceptable range of displacement and, when the detected displacement value is within the acceptable range, output a control signal to cause the substrate transport mechanism to transport the substrate to the another module, and when the detected displacement value is out of the acceptable range, output a control signal to cause the substrate transport mechanism to transfer the substrate to the substrate stage module, and then receive the substrate from the substrate stage module so that a detected displacement value comes to fall within the acceptable range.