Method for setting coating module quantity and robot speed

A method of controlling a spreading and developing machine to perform a wafer processing operation, the method comprising

• determining a processing time parameter value (TP) of said machine according to a target throughput of said machine, said processing time parameter value (TP) being equal to 3,600 divided by the target throughput of said machine;
• setting, for a plurality of processing modules of said machine, a processing periodic time parameter value (Tn), the processing periodic time parameter value (Tn) of each processing module in the plurality of processing modules being set by summing a processing time and an auxiliary time of a respective processing module and dividing the sum by a quantity of the plurality of processing modules that are of the same class as the respective processing module, wherein the processing periodic time parameter value (Tn) is set to a value that minimizes a difference between the processing periodic time parameter value (Tn) and the processing time parameter value (TP);
• setting, for a plurality of wafer transfer robots of said machine, a transfer periodic time parameter value (Tr), the transfer periodic time parameter value (Tr) of each wafer transfer robot in the plurality of wafer transfer robots being determined by multiplying a transfer time for a respective wafer transfer robot to transfer a wafer between two processing modules by a quantity of different classes of processing modules that the respective wafer transfer robot serves, wherein the transfer periodic time parameter value (Tr) is set to a value that is within a range defined by a lower end point corresponding with a minimum value set as the processing periodic time parameter value (Tn) among the plurality of processing modules and an upper end point corresponding with a maximum value set as the processing periodic time parameter value (Tn) among the plurality of processing modules;
• controlling the plurality of processing modules in accord with the set value of the processing periodic time parameter value (Tn);
• controlling the plurality of wafer transfer robots in accord with the set value of the transfer periodic time parameter value (Tr);
• and
• performing a spreading and developing operation to a plurality of wafers through use of the plurality of processing modules and the plurality of wafer transfer robots in accord with the processing time parameter value (TP).