Substrate processing device, substrate processing method, and substrate processing system

A substrate processing method executed by a substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus connected to an intermediate apparatus, the intermediate apparatus conveying a substrate that has been processed by a first substrate processing apparatus that processes substrates in a state of directly supporting the substrate outside the first substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus including:

• a plurality of load ports that hold a plurality of carriers that are capable of containing a plurality of substrates, respectively;
• a direct carry-in entrance that accepts a substrate carried in from the intermediate apparatus;
• a plurality of processing units that process a substrate conveyed from at least either the plurality of load ports or the direct carry-in entrance;
• a transfer unit that conveys a substrate among the plurality of load ports, the direct carry-in entrance, and the plurality of processing units;
• and
• a control device that controls the substrate processing apparatus;
• the substrate processing method comprising:
• a first step that creates a first schedule including a first carrying-in step of allowing the transfer unit to convey a substrate from the plurality of load ports to the plurality of processing units, a first processing step of allowing the plurality of processing units to process the substrate conveyed to the plurality of processing units, and a first carrying-out step of allowing the transfer unit to convey the substrate processed by the plurality of processing units from the plurality of processing units to the plurality of load ports;
• a second step that creates a second schedule including a second carrying-in step of allowing the transfer unit to convey a substrate processed by the first substrate processing apparatus from the direct carry-in entrance to the plurality of processing units, a second processing step of allowing the plurality of processing units to process the substrate conveyed to the plurality of processing units, and a second carrying-out step of allowing the transfer unit to convey the substrate processed by the plurality of processing units from the plurality of processing units to the plurality of load ports, the second schedule being created so that at least one of the second carrying-in step, the second processing step, and the second carrying-out step is executed simultaneously with at least one of the first carrying-in step, the first processing step, and the first carrying-out step;
• a third step of determining whether processing-start expected time for a substrate planned in the second schedule is equal to or earlier than a processing-start time limit to allow the substrate processing apparatus to process a substrate processed by the first substrate processing apparatus;
• a fourth step of, if the processing-start expected time is later than the processing-start time limit in the third step, changing the first schedule and the second schedule so that the processing-start expected time becomes equal to or earlier than the processing-start time limit and allowing the substrate processing apparatus to execute the first schedule and the second schedule that have been changed;
• and
• a fifth step of, if the processing-start expected time is equal to or earlier than the processing-start time limit in the third step, allowing the substrate processing apparatus to execute the first schedule and the second schedule without changing the first schedule and the second schedule.