Schedule making device, substrate processing apparatus, schedule making program, schedule making method, and substrate processing method

A schedule making device for creating a control schedule for a substrate processing apparatus including a schedule of a carrying-out process for carrying out a plurality of substrate sets processed in parallel at individual times in a plurality of processing units included in a predetermined processing part to a predetermined carrying-out destination by means of a predetermined transport portion, each of said substrate sets being a group of at least two substrates, said schedule making device comprising:

• (a) a comparing portion that makes a comparison between a first judging time value and a second judging time value,
• said first judging time value corresponding to a time at which a sequential carrying-out procedure is completed as a carrying-out sequence for performing said carrying-out process sequentially on a preceding substrate set and a succeeding substrate set,
• said second judging time value corresponding to at time at which a batch carrying-out procedure is completed as a carrying-out sequence for causing said preceding substrate set to wait until the completion of the process of said succeeding substrate set in said processing part and for performing said carrying-out process on said preceding substrate set and said succeeding substrate set in one batch after the completion of the process of said succeeding substrate set,
• said preceding substrate set being a substrate set the process of which is completed earlier in said processing part,
• said succeeding substrate set being a substrate set the process of which is completed later than said preceding substrate set in said processing part;
• and
• (b) a selective schedule creating portion that creates schedule data for said substrate processing apparatus, while employing said sequential carrying-out procedure when said first judging time value is earlier than said second judging time value and employing said batch carrying-out procedure when said second judging time value is earlier than said first judging time value.

A schedule making method for creating a control schedule of a substrate process including a schedule of a transport process for transporting a plurality of substrates processed in parallel at individual times in a plurality of processing units to a predetermined transport destination by means of a predetermined transport portion, said schedule making method comprising:

• a first specifying step that specifies a first judging time value corresponding to a time at which a sequential carrying-out procedure is completed as a carrying-out sequence for performing said transport process sequentially on a preceding substrate and a succeeding substrate;
• a second specifying step that specifies a second judging time value corresponding to a time at which a batch carrying-out procedure is completed as a carrying-out sequence for causing said preceding substrate to wait until the completion of the process of said succeeding substrate in a second processing unit and for performing said transport process on said preceding substrate and said succeeding substrate in one batch after the completion of the process of said succeeding substrate,
• said preceding substrate being a substrate the process of which is completed earlier in any one of said plurality of processing units,
• said succeeding substrate being a substrate the process of which is completed later than said preceding substrate in a different one of said plurality of processing units than said any one processing unit,
• the processing unit which performs the process of said preceding substrate being referred to as a “first processing unit”,
• the processing unit which performs the process of said succeeding substrate being referred to as the “second processing unit”;
• a comparing step that compares a comparison between said first judging time value and said second judging time value;
• and
• a selective schedule creating step that creates schedule data for said substrate process, said selective schedule creating step employing said sequential carrying-out procedure when said first judging time value is earlier than said second judging time value, said selective schedule creating step employing said batch carrying-out procedure when said second judging time value is earlier than said first judging time value.

A schedule making method for creating a control schedule of a substrate process including a schedule of a carrying-out process for carrying out a plurality of substrate sets processed in parallel at individual times in a plurality of processing units included in a predetermined processing part to a predetermined carrying-out destination by means of a predetermined transport portion, each of said substrate sets being a group of at least two substrates, said schedule making method comprising:

• a first specifying step that specifies a first judging time value corresponding to a time at which a sequential carrying-out procedure is completed as a carrying-out sequence for performing said carrying-out process sequentially on a preceding substrate set and a succeeding substrate set;
• a second specifying step that specifies a second judging time value corresponding to a time at which a batch carrying-out procedure is completed as a carrying-out sequence for causing said preceding substrate set to wait until the completion of the process of said succeeding substrate set in said processing part and for performing said carrying-out process on said preceding substrate set and said succeeding substrate set in one batch after the completion of the process of said succeeding substrate set,
• said preceding substrate set being a substrate set the process of which is completed earlier in said processing part,
• said succeeding substrate set being a substrate set the process of which is completed later than said preceding substrate set in said processing part;
• a comparing step that makes a comparison between said first judging time value and said second judging time value;
• and
• a selective schedule creating step that creates schedule data for said substrate process, said selective schedule creating step employing said sequential carrying-out procedure when said first judging time value is earlier than said second judging time value, said selective schedule creating step employing said batch carrying-out procedure when said second judging time value is earlier than said first judging time value.