TW202312239A - Processing apparatus, transporting method and article manufacturing method advantageous in improving throughput while suppressing costs - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a processing apparatus for processing a plurality of substrates transported from an external apparatus, comprising: a transporting part comprising a loading section for loading substrates from the external apparatus to the processing apparatus and an unloading section for placing a substrate unloaded from the processing apparatus to the external apparatus and transporting the substrate between the loading section, the unloading section, and the processing section for processing the substrate; and a control unit for controlling transport of the substrate between the external apparatus and the processing apparatus according to a transport mode, wherein the transport mode comprises a carry-in priority mode in which, in the presence of substrate to be loaded to the loading section and the substrate to be unloaded from the unloading section, the loading of the substrate to be loaded to the loading section is prioritized over the unloading of the substrate to be unloaded from the unloading section.

Description

Processing device, conveying method, and manufacturing method of article

The present invention relates to a processing device, a conveying method, and a method of manufacturing an article.

Exposure device, in the photolithography process of the semiconductor device, liquid crystal display device, etc., is used to transfer the pattern of the original plate (mask or reticle) to the coated resist (photosensitive agent) through the projection optical system processing equipment for substrates (wafers, etc.). For example, in the photolithography process, as a process before the exposure process performed by an exposure device, it is a coating process of applying a resist to (the surface of) a substrate, and as a post-exposure process, it includes A developing process in which the substrate (resist on it) is developed. As a device for implementing the coating process and the developing process, for example, there is a coating and developing device called a coater developer that has both a coating function and a developing function. Apply evenly to the substrate. The substrate transfer between the exposure device and the coating and developing device is installed between each device in order to increase the throughput while avoiding the trouble of putting in the processed batch (batch) in each process and maintaining the chemical properties of the resist. The substrate transfer device is automatically carried out. In this way, when the exposure device and the coating and developing device are connected inline via the substrate conveying device, either or each of the exposure device and the coating and developing device is provided with a conveying section for passing the substrate through the substrate conveying device. A transfer device is used to transfer (transfer) substrates between devices. In order to efficiently manufacture semiconductor devices with a high throughput, it is necessary to efficiently carry out the substrate transfer in the transfer section provided in the exposure device and the coating and developing device. Generally, the substrate conveying device sequentially conveys the substrates (unexposed substrates) that have been coated in the coating and developing device to a conveying unit that is a part of the conveying unit provided in the exposure device. On the other hand, before the exposure apparatus conveys the substrate (exposed substrate) whose exposure process has been completed to the coating and developing apparatus, it is temporarily conveyed to a carry-out section which is a part of the conveyance section (standby in the carry-out section). Therefore, in the transfer of the substrate between the exposure device and the coating and developing device, the transfer (carry-in) from the coating and developing device to the exposure device is mainly carried out in the initial stage of batch processing. Then, as batch processing progresses, the transfer from the coating and developing device to the exposure device and the transfer (carrying out) from the exposure device to the coating and developing device are performed in parallel. In the conveyance (transfer) of such substrates, the substrate conveying device receives instructions such as "operation start request" and "operation completion notification" from each device of the exposure device and the coating and developing device, and responds to the instructions sequentially and in real time. Actions. When the throughput of the substrate transfer device is the same or higher than the throughput of the exposure device, usually when the exposure device requests the substrate transfer device to carry a substrate, it immediately starts an operation related to the substrate transfer (substrate transfer operation). On the other hand, when the throughput of the substrate transfer device is low relative to the throughput of the exposure device, the substrate transfer operation may not start immediately even if the exposure device requests the substrate transfer device to carry a substrate. In this state, when the substrate transfer device starts an operation related to unloading the substrate from the exposure device (substrate unloading operation), the substrate loading operation cannot be started until the substrate unloading operation is completed, resulting in a decrease in overall throughput. Therefore, Japanese Patent No. 4915033 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-66463 have proposed techniques for suppressing a decrease in throughput regarding substrate transfer between the exposure apparatus and the substrate transfer device. Japanese Patent No. 4915033 discloses an exposure device that transmits time information of either a predicted time or a predetermined time until a substrate can be unloaded from the exposure device to the substrate transfer device before operations related to substrate transfer are performed. . In a photolithography system including the exposure apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4915033, after the exposure apparatus requests the substrate transfer apparatus to carry a substrate, the exposure apparatus side can grasp the timing of substrate transfer from the substrate transfer apparatus to the exposure apparatus. Therefore, according to this photolithography system, the operation of carrying out the substrate from the exposure device can be made to stand by before the substrate is carried in from the substrate transfer device to the exposure device. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-66463 discloses a substrate transfer device that compares the time required to recover (unload) the substrate from the exposure device with the time required to supply (carry) the substrate to the exposure device to determine whether to give priority to supplying the substrate . According to the substrate transfer device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-66463, when the substrate is requested to be supplied from the exposure device, the substrate transfer device can prioritize the supply of the substrate over the recovery of the substrate.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, in the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4915033, time information communication (reception and reception) is required between the exposure device and the substrate transfer device, so it is necessary to redefine the communication interface between the devices. In addition, in the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4915033, a program for controlling substrate transfer based on time information is required, so it is expected that corresponding costs are required in terms of both software and hardware. On the other hand, in the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-66463, not only the exposure device side but also the substrate transfer device side must decide whether to give priority to collecting or supplying substrates. Therefore, the technique disclosed in JP-A-2008-66463 cannot be applied when it is desired to implement the exposure apparatus alone (that is, when it is desired to implement it by updating the exposure apparatus). The present invention provides a processing device that is advantageous for increasing throughput while suppressing costs. [Means used to solve problems] A processing device according to an aspect of the present invention is a processing device that processes a plurality of substrates transferred from an external device, and includes a transfer unit including a carrying-in unit for placing substrates carried in from the external device into the processing device, and a loading unit. A carry-out unit for carrying out substrates from the processing apparatus to the external device, and transporting substrates between the carrying-in part, the carrying-out part, and a processing part that processes the substrates; and a control part that controls the external device according to a transfer mode The transfer of substrates between the processing device; the transfer mode includes a load-in priority mode, and the load-in priority mode is when there are substrates to be loaded into the load-in section and substrates to be unloaded from the load-out section. The unloading of the substrate in the unloading section gives priority to the loading of the substrate into the loading section. Further objects and other aspects of the present invention will be clarified through the embodiments described below with reference to the drawings. [compared to the effect of prior art] According to the present invention, for example, it is possible to provide a processing device that is advantageous in increasing throughput while suppressing costs.

Embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In addition, the following embodiments do not limit the inventors of the claims. Although plural features are described in the embodiments, all of these plural features are not limited to being essential to the invention, and plural features may be combined arbitrarily. In addition, in the drawing, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar configurations, and overlapping explanations are omitted. FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a photolithography system 1 including an exposure device 2 and a coating and developing device 3 as one aspect of the present invention. The photolithography system 1 is used, for example, in a photolithography process of a semiconductor device manufacturing process. In a clean room in a factory, the photolithography system 1 is installed such that an exposure device 2 and a coating and developing device 3 are adjacent to each other. The exposure device 2 is a processing device for processing a plurality of substrates conveyed from a coating and developing device 3 which is an external device. Specifically, the exposure device 2 is a device that implements an exposure process, which is to project the pattern of the original plate (reduced mask or mask) onto the substrate (wafer) on which the resist (photosensitive agent) layer is formed on the surface. ), and expose the substrate. The coating and developing device 3 is a device that coats a resist on the surface of the substrate as a pre-processing (pre-process) of the exposure treatment performed in the exposure device 2, and as a post-processing (post-process) of the exposure process, The substrate on which the pattern is transferred is developed. The configuration of the exposure device 2 will be described. The exposure apparatus 2 has the chamber 4 which accommodates the whole apparatus. Inside the chamber 4, there are provided: an exposure unit 5 for accommodating the main body subjected to exposure processing; Carry out substrate transfer (transfer) between them. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the main body 20 disposed inside the exposure unit 5 . The main body 20 adopts a step and scan method as an exposure method, and projects the pattern of the original plate 21 onto the substrate 22 . Wherein, however, the subject 20 may also adopt a step and repeat method or other exposure methods. The main body 20 has an illumination optical system 23 , an original plate stage 24 holding an original plate 21 , a projection optical system 25 , and a substrate stage 26 holding a substrate 22 . In addition, in FIG. 2, the axis parallel to the optical axis of the projection optical system 25 is defined as the Z axis, and the axis parallel to the scanning direction of the substrate 22 in a plane perpendicular to the Z axis is defined as the Y axis. An axis perpendicular to the Y axis and not parallel to the scanning direction is defined as an X axis. The illumination optical system 23 illuminates the original plate 21 with light from a light source (not shown). As for the light source, a pulsed light source, such as laser, is used. Lasers that can be used as light sources are ArF excimer lasers with a wavelength of about 193nm, _F2 lasers with a wavelength of about 153nm, YAG lasers, etc. In addition, the type and number of lasers are not limited. In the case of using a laser as a light source, preferably, the illumination optical system 23 includes: a shaping optical system for shaping the parallel light from the light source into a predetermined shape, and an incoherent optical system for incoherence of coherent light. . In addition, the light source is not limited to a pulsed light source, and one or a plurality of continuous light sources such as a mercury lamp or a xenon lamp may be used. The illumination optical system 23 includes various optical members such as a lens, a mirror, an optical integrator, and a diaphragm. The original plate 21 is made of, for example, quartz glass, and a pattern (circuit pattern, etc.) to be transferred to the substrate 22 is formed. The original plate stage 24 is a stage movable in at least the X direction and the Y direction while holding the original plate 21 . The projection optical system 25 projects the pattern of the original plate 21 illuminated by the light from the illumination optical system 23 onto the substrate 22 at a predetermined magnification (for example, 1/4 or 1/5). As the projection optical system 25 , an optical system including only a plurality of refractive lens elements, an optical system (catadioptric optical system) including a plurality of refractive lens elements and at least one concave mirror, or the like can be used. In addition, as the projection optical system 25, an optical system including a plurality of refractive lens elements, at least one diffractive optical element such as a kinoform, a total reflection mirror type optical system, or the like can be used. The substrate 22 is a substrate on which a resist is coated, and is a processed substrate formed of, for example, single crystal silicon. The substrate stage 26 is a stage movable at least in the X direction and the Y direction while holding the substrate 22 . In this embodiment, since the step-and-scan method is adopted, the original plate stage 24 and the substrate stage 26 move in synchronization with each other. The first transfer device 6 includes a pre-alignment unit 30 for positioning the substrate 22 before exposure processing, and a supply hand 31 for supplying (transferring) the substrate 22 from the pre-alignment unit 30 to the substrate stage 26 of the main body 20 . In addition, when the first transfer device 6 directly transfers (carries in) the substrate 22 to the main body 20 using an open case capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates 22, it has a location (position) for placing the open case. Carrier port 32. In addition, the carrier port 32 may be configured as a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) in which a closed carrier is mounted instead of the open case. The first conveying device 6 has a first carrying-in part 33 and a first carrying-out part 34 as a first carrying place (transfer part) when the substrate 22 is carried (transferred) between the exposure device 2 and the coating and developing device 3 . In addition, the first transport device 6 has a carrying-in hand 35 and a carrying-out hand 36 for appropriately transporting the substrate 22 to each part constituting the first transporting device 6 . The carrying-in hand 35 and the carrying-out hand 36 include, for example, a horizontal multi-joint type robot (selective conformal assembly arm robot). In addition, although the first carrying-in part 33 is a transfer place when the substrate 22 (unexposed substrate) is transferred (carried in) from the coating and developing device 3 to the exposure device 2, it may also have the function of the pre-alignment part 30 and adjust the temperature of the substrate. The function of the program processing unit. In addition, the first carry-out unit 34 is a transfer place when the substrate 22 (exposed substrate) is transferred (unloaded) from the exposure device 2 to the coating and developing device 3, but may also function as a program processing unit for performing peripheral exposure processing. In addition, the exposure apparatus 2 has a control unit (hereinafter referred to as “the first control unit”) 7. The first control unit 7 is composed of, for example, a computer, etc., and is connected to each part of the exposure apparatus 2. Each part of the exposure device 2 is controlled. The first control unit 7 may be integrally configured inside the exposure device 2 or may be configured outside the exposure device 2 . The first control unit 7 controls each part of the exposure device 2 and performs exposure device processing including various alignment processing, exposure processing, and the like. In addition, in the present embodiment, the first control unit 7 controls the conveyance of the substrate between the exposure device 2 and the coating and developing device 3 according to the conveyance mode. The configuration of the coating and developing device 3 will be described. As shown in FIG. 1 , the coating and developing device 3 has: a coating and developing processing unit 8 installed inside a chamber 40; Inside, substrate transfer (transfer) is carried out between the exposure device 2 and the exposure device 2 . The coating and development processing unit 8 includes a coating unit 44 , a heating unit 45 , a developing unit 46 , and a cooling unit 47 as a program processing unit for the substrate 22 . The coating unit 44 includes, for example, a spin coater, and rotates the substrate 22 while dripping the resist onto the surface of the substrate 22 to form a uniform resist film on the surface of the substrate 22 . The heating unit 45 performs prebake (PreBake) on the substrate 22 (unexposed substrate) and pre-development bake (Post Exposure Bake) on the substrate 22 (exposed substrate). The prebaking is a heat treatment performed to evaporate the residual solvent of the resist film after coating the resist on the surface of the substrate 22 to strengthen the adhesion between the resist film and the surface of the substrate 22 . In order to perform prebaking on the substrate 22 in an unexposed state (before exposure), it is preferable to perform the prebaking at a temperature that does not cause pyrolysis of polymers and additives. In addition, the pre-development bake is heat treatment performed on the substrate 22 after exposure and before development processing in order to reduce deformation of the resist pattern due to the standing wave effect when exposure is performed with light of a single wavelength. Baking before development also has the effect of promoting the catalytic reaction of the chemically amplified resist after exposure. In addition, as the method of the baking process of the heating part 45, a resistance heating method, an infrared heating method, etc. can be employ|adopted. The developing unit 46 develops the substrate 22 (exposed substrate). As a method of developing processing in the developing unit 46, a spinning method, a spray method, or the like can be employed. The cooling unit 47 includes, for example, a cooling plate for cooling by circulation of cooling water, etc., and cools the heated substrate 22 . As another form of the cooling process of the cooling unit 47 , electron cooling based on the Peltier effect or the like may be employed. Furthermore, the coating and development processing part 8 includes: a carrier port 48, which is a place (position) for placing a carrier such as an open cassette or a FOUP; and a transfer hand 49, which appropriately transfers the substrate between the carrier and each part. twenty two. Handling hands 49 include, for example, a selective compliance assembly robotic arm robot. The open case or FOUP is conveyed in the clean room by a manual conveyance vehicle (PGV: Person Guided Vehicle), and is automatically conveyed to the carrier port 48 . In addition, there is also a configuration in which an open cassette or FOUP is placed on the carrier port 48 from above in the clean room by OHT (Over Head Transfer). The second conveying device 9 has a second carrying-in part 50 and a second carrying-out part 51 as a second carrying place (transfer part) when the substrate 22 is carried (transferred) between the exposure device 2 and the coating and developing device 3 . In addition, the second conveying device 9 has a conveying hand 52 provided between the second carrying-in part 50 and the second carrying-out part 51 and the first carrying-in part 33 and the first carrying-out part 34 provided on the first carrying device 6 . The board|substrate 22 is conveyed suitably. The handling hand 52 comprises, for example, a selective compliance assembly robotic arm robot. The second carrying-in unit 50 is a transport place when the substrate 22 (exposed substrate) is transported (carried in) from the exposure device 2 to the coating and development processing unit 8 . The second carry-out unit 51 is a transfer place when the substrate 22 (unexposed substrate) is transferred (unloaded) from the coating and development processing unit 8 to the exposure device 2 . Furthermore, the coating and developing device 3 has a control section (hereinafter referred to as "second control section") 10. The second control section 10 is composed of a computer, for example, and is connected to each part of the coating and developing device 3. Each part of the coating and developing device 3 is controlled by a program. The second control unit 10 may be integrally configured inside the coating and developing device 3 , or may be configured outside of the coating and developing device 3 . Operations in the photolithography system 1 will be described. Here, substrates 22 which are substrates to be processed are stored in open cassettes in batches of 25, and are conveyed to the carrier port 48 of the coating and developing processing section 8 in the coating and developing device 3 . First, in the coating and development processing unit 8 , the transport hand 49 takes the substrate 22 from the open cassette placed on the carrier port 48 and transports it to the coating unit 44 , and the coating unit 44 coats the substrate 22 with a resist. Then, the transfer hand 49 transfers the substrate 22 on which the resist has been applied from the coating unit 44 to the heating unit 45 , and the heating unit 45 performs a prebaking process on the substrate 22 . Then, the transfer hand 49 transfers the prebaked substrate 22 from the heating unit 45 to the cooling unit 47 , and the cooling unit 47 performs cooling processing on the substrate 22 . In addition, it is preferable to set the temperature of the substrate 22 at the time of conveyance (carry-in) to the exposure apparatus 2 to a temperature that does not affect the inside of the chamber 4 of the exposure apparatus 2, so the cooling unit 47 can be replaced by the air conditioning system of the main body 20, for example. The temperature of the substrate 22 is adjusted as the target temperature. However, in the exposure apparatus 2, when the temperature adjustment part is provided in the 1st carrying-in part 33 of the 1st conveyance apparatus 6, the temperature of the board|substrate 22 conveyed from the coating development apparatus 3 can be finally and finely adjusted. Therefore, in the cooling unit 47, the temperature of the substrate 22 may be brought closer to the target temperature to some extent, or may be adjusted to a temperature slightly higher than the final target temperature. Then, the transfer hand 49 transfers the cooled substrate 22 from the cooling unit 47 to the second transfer unit 51 . In this way, the conveying hand 49 of the coating and developing processing part 8 sequentially acquires the substrate 22 accommodated in the open cassette, and conveys it to each part of the coating and developing apparatus 3 . Then, the transport hand 52 of the second transport device 9 transports the substrate 22 transported to the second carry-out unit 51 to the first carry-in unit 33 of the first transport device 6 in the exposure apparatus 2 . Then, in the first transfer device 6 , the temperature of the substrate 22 is adjusted to a target temperature via a temperature adjustment unit provided inside the first carrying-in unit 33 . Then, the carrying-in hand 35 transports the temperature-adjusted substrate 22 from the first carrying-in unit 33 to the pre-alignment unit 30 . In the pre-alignment section 30 , the substrate 22 is placed on a pre-alignment stage, and is rotationally driven via a pre-alignment stage driving system. At this time, the edge of the substrate 22 is detected by a detector such as a CCD sensor, and the first control unit 7 calculates the notch direction, the substrate center, and the amount of eccentricity of the substrate 22 based on the output from the detector. Then, the pre-alignment unit 30 finally aligns the direction positions of the notches formed on the substrate 22 to a predetermined direction. Then, the supply hand 31 supplies the pre-alignment-processed substrate 22 from the pre-alignment unit 30 to the substrate stage 26 of the main body 20 , and the main body 20 performs exposure processing on the substrate 22 held on the substrate stage 26 . Then, the carry-out hand 36 carries the exposed substrate 22 (exposed substrate) from the substrate table 26 to the first carry-out unit 34 . Then, the transport hand 52 of the second transport device 9 transports the substrate 22 transported to the first carry-out unit 34 from the first carry-out unit 34 to the second carry-in unit 50 . Then, the transfer hand 49 of the coating and development processing unit 8 transfers the substrate 22 transferred to the second transfer unit 50 from the second transfer unit 50 to the heating unit 45 , and the heating unit 45 applies pre-development baking to the substrate 22 . Then, the conveying hand 49 conveys the substrate 22 that has been subjected to the pre-development baking treatment from the heating unit 45 to the developing unit 46 , and the developing unit 46 performs a developing process on the substrate 22 . In addition, the conveying hand 49 conveys the substrate 22 on which the development process has been completed from the developing unit 46 to a predetermined slot of the open cassette mounted on the carrier port 48 . The photolithography system 1 sequentially and continuously performs such a series of processes on all the substrates 22 housed in the open cassette. Therefore, after the first substrate in the batch has been exposed by each holding member 35, 36, 49, 52, the operation of transferring the exposed substrate from the exposure device 2 to the coating and developing device 3 is added, and it is necessary to The unexposed substrate and the exposed substrate are conveyed in parallel. Next, a transfer process (transfer method), which is a process related to the transfer of the substrate 22 in the photolithography system 1 , will be described. First, as a comparative example, transfer processing in the prior art will be described. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a transfer sequence of a substrate between an exposure device and a coating and developing device in the prior art. Here, attention is paid to the movement of the carrying hand of the first conveying device in the exposure device and the movement of the conveying hand of the second conveying device in the coating and developing device. In addition, the same code|symbol as each component of the exposure apparatus 2 and the coating development apparatus 3 in this embodiment is attached|subjected to each component of the conventional exposure apparatus and coating development apparatus. As shown in S31, the first control unit 7 of the exposure device 2 sends a message to the second control unit 10 of the coating and developing device 3 in order to cause the second conveying device 9 in the coating and developing device 3 to carry the substrate to be processed next. "Substrate loading requirements". In response to this substrate loading request, when the coating and developing device 3 cannot immediately prepare the substrate, that is, when the substrate cannot be immediately loaded from the coating and developing device 3 to the exposure device 2, before loading the substrate from the coating and developing device 3, the exposure device 2 is a waiting state (substrate loading standby state). During such a substrate carry-in standby state, it is considered that the exposure apparatus 2 mounts the exposed substrate (exposed substrate) on the first carry-out unit 34 as shown in S32 . In this case, as shown in S33 , the first control unit 7 of the exposure device 2 sends a “substrate unloading request” to the second control unit 10 of the coating and developing device 3 . The second control unit 10 of the coating and developing device 3 receives a substrate carry-out request from the exposure device 2 ( S33 ), and as shown in S34 , the transfer hand 52 carries out the substrate placed on the first carry-out unit 34 . Here, during the substrate unloading process (S34) in which the substrate is unloaded from the exposure device 2 to the coating and developing device 3, even if the preparation of the substrate for the substrate loading request (S31) is completed in the coating and developing device 3, the substrate cannot be transferred. The carry-out process (S34) is interrupted. Therefore, after the substrate carrying-out process ( S34 ) is completed, as shown in S35 , the substrate carrying-in process for the substrate carrying-in request ( S31 ) starts. In the substrate carrying-in process, the substrate is carried from the coating and developing device 3 into the exposure device 2 by the conveying hand 52 (the substrate is placed on the first carrying-in unit 33 ). FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a timing chart in a case where a plurality of substrates, such as six substrates, are continuously processed based on the transfer sequence in the prior art shown in FIG. 3 . In FIG. 4 , the lapse of time is shown from left to right, and the order of substrates to be processed is shown from top to bottom. Referring to FIG. 4 , first, as shown in S401 , the exposure apparatus 2 performs (starts) loading of the first substrate. This corresponds to the board carrying process (S35) through the transfer hand 52. Then, the exposure apparatus 2 sequentially transports the first substrate to each part of the exposure apparatus 2, and performs exposure apparatus processing including various alignment processing, exposure processing, and the like as shown in S402. Then, when the exposure apparatus process (S402) with respect to the 1st board|substrate is completed, the exposure apparatus 2 carries out carrying out the 1st board|substrate as shown in S403. This corresponds to the substrate unloading process through the transfer hand 52 (S34). In parallel with the exposure device processing (S402) of the first substrate, the exposure device 2 carries out the loading of the second substrate as shown in S411. When the loading of the second substrate (S411) is completed, the exposure device 2 sequentially transports the second substrate to each part of the exposure device 2, and performs exposure device processing as shown in S412. Then, when the exposure apparatus process (S412) with respect to the 2nd board|substrate is completed, the exposure apparatus 2 carries out carrying out the 2nd board|substrate as shown in S413. As for the third and subsequent substrates, as shown in Fig. 4, each process (substrate loading process, exposure device processing, substrate move out processing). Referring to FIG. 4 , in the prior art, before carrying in the third substrate shown in S421 , a substrate loading standby (standby time) shown in S424 is required. This indicates that during the unloading of the first substrate (S403), although preparations for the loading of the third substrate have been completed, the loading of the third substrate cannot be carried out (S421) until the unloading of the first substrate is completed. Therefore, it is in the board loading standby state. Similarly, since the unloading of the third substrate shown in S423 is performed, the loading of the fifth substrate shown in S441 cannot be performed, and the substrate loading standby shown in S444 is required. In this way, when the substrate is placed on standby, that is, the standby time is required, the amount of processing related to substrate transfer between the exposure device 2 and the coating and developing device 3 is affected. In the example shown in FIG. 4 , for example, when the exposure apparatus processing for the third substrate shown in S422 is completed, the third substrate is not carried out immediately ( S423 ), but the fifth substrate is first carried out. import (S441), so that subsequent processing can be performed in advance. Therefore, in the present embodiment, before the substrate unloading request is sent from the exposure device 2 to the coating and developing device 3 (S33), it is determined whether or not to carry out the substrate carrying-in process that has passed through the coating and developing device 3 (transfer hand 52) with priority (S35). . Then, based on the determination result, the substrate transfer sequence between the exposure device 2 and the coating and developing device 3 is changed to reduce the substrate loading standby time (S424, S444), thereby improving the throughput. For example, in this embodiment, the necessity of carrying in the substrate to the first carrying-in part 33 should be requested to the coating and developing device 3 and the necessity of carrying out the substrate from the first carrying-out part 34 should be requested to the coating and developing device 3 (competition). ) in the case of board loading processing is prioritized over board unloading processing. Specifically, when there are substrates to be loaded into the first load-in unit 33 and substrates to be unloaded from the first load-out unit 34 , the transfer mode related to the transfer of the substrate between the exposure device 2 and the coating and developing device 3 is determined. , to change to import priority mode. The carry-in priority mode is a transfer mode in which substrates are loaded into the first carry-in unit 33 with priority over the carry-out of the substrates from the first carry-out unit 34 . In addition, in this embodiment, the conveyance mode related to conveyance of a board|substrate between the exposure apparatus 2 and the coating development apparatus 3 includes a normal mode in addition to the carry-in priority mode. The normal mode, as described in the prior art (FIG. 3 and FIG. 4), is a transport mode in which the substrate carrying-in process is not prioritized over the substrate carrying-out process, and the substrate is placed on the first carrying-out unit 34. Next, the substrate is immediately carried out to the substrate unloading process. Hereinafter, the processing related to transferring the substrate in this embodiment, that is, the transfer processing (transfer method) will be described. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the transport sequence of the substrate between the exposure device 2 and the coating and developing device 3 in this embodiment. Referring to FIG. 5 , in the present embodiment, during the substrate carry-in standby state, as shown in S52, when the exposed substrate (exposed substrate) is placed on the first carry-out unit 34, a substrate carry-out request is sent. Before (S33), the carry-in/out sequential control process shown in S5 is performed. In other words, in the present embodiment ( FIG. 5 ), compared with the prior art ( FIG. 3 ), the process of placing the substrate on the first unloading unit 34 ( S32 ) is replaced by the process of sequentially controlling the loading and unloading ( S5 ). The carry-in sequential control process includes not only the process of placing the substrate on the first carry-out unit 34 ( S52 ), but also the determination of the carry-in priority shown in S57 and the board carry-in standby shown in S58 . In the determination of the priority for carrying in (S57), it is determined whether or not to give priority to the substrate carrying-in process of carrying the substrate from the coating and developing device 3 into the exposure device 2 and placing the substrate on the first carrying-in part over the substrate carrying-out process. 33 , the substrate unloading process is a process of unloading the substrate placed on the first unloading unit 34 from the exposure device 2 . In other words, it is determined whether or not the conveyance mode related to conveyance of the substrate between the exposure device 2 and the coating and developing device 3 is set to the carry-in priority mode. Here, when prioritizing the substrate carry-in process over the substrate carry-out process, the substrate carry-out request is not immediately sent to the coating and developing device 3 (S33), but the substrate carry-in process is started, that is, the substrates on standby for the substrate carry-in process are started. Move into standby (S58). Then, as shown in S55 , the substrate carrying-in process for the substrate carrying-in request ( S31 ) starts during the substrate carrying-in standby ( S58 ). Also, when the substrate carrying-in process (S55) starts, a substrate carrying-out request is sent to the coating and developing device 3 (S33), and the substrate carrying-out request is received (S33), and the substrate carrying-out process shown in S54 is started. Fig. 6 is a flow chart for explaining the carry-in/out sequential control process (S5). Referring to FIG. 6 , in S52 , a process of placing an exposed substrate (exposed substrate) on the first carry-out unit 34 is performed. When the substrate is placed on the first carry-out unit 34 , in S57 , a carry-in priority determination is performed, and it is determined whether or not to give priority to the substrate carry-in process over the substrate carry-out process. When prioritizing the substrate carrying-in processing over the substrate carrying-out processing (when the carrying-in mode is set to the carrying-in priority mode), in S58, the substrate carrying-in standby is performed. Then, after the substrate carry-in standby is performed, a substrate carry-out request is transmitted in S33. On the other hand, if the substrate carrying-in processing is not prioritized over the substrate carrying-out processing, the substrate carrying-in standby (S58) is not performed, and (that is, immediately) a substrate carrying-out request is sent in S33. FIG. 7 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the determination of the import priority (S57). Referring to FIG. 7 , in S571, it is determined whether the exposure device 2 needs a subsequent substrate, specifically, whether there is a substrate that has not been carried into the exposure device 2 from the coating and developing device 3 (unloaded substrate). For example, when a batch of 25 substrates is used, 20 substrates remain in the coating and developing device 3 when the substrates up to the fifth are carried into the exposure device 2, so it is determined that there are uncarried substrates. (yes). Therefore, basically, it is determined that there is an uncarried substrate before the 25th substrate that is the last substrate in the lot is carried into the exposure apparatus 2 . However, when an instruction to suspend or interrupt the job is input, it is determined that there is no unloaded substrate even during the processing of one lot, that is, when there is an unloaded substrate (No). In this way, when it is determined that there are unloaded substrates, the process moves to S572, and when it is determined that there are no unloaded substrates, the process moves to S574. In S572, it is determined whether the exposure device 2 is in a transportable state, specifically, it is determined whether the state of the first transport device 6 is capable of handling substrates carried into the exposure device 2 (first carrying-in section 33) from the coating and developing device 3 Transportable state for transport. Hereinafter, an example of a specific method of determining whether or not the state of the first conveying device 6 is a conveyable state will be described with reference to FIGS. 8A , 8B, 8C, and 8D. 8A , 8B, 8C, and 8D respectively show states of the carrying-in hand 35 , carrying-out hand 36 , pre-alignment unit 30 , and supply hand 31 constituting the first transport device 6 . Here, the states of the carrying-in hand 35 , carrying-out hand 36 , pre-alignment unit 30 , and supply hand 31 refer to whether or not a substrate is held or placed. For example, as shown in FIG. 8A , in a state where any of the carrying-in hand 35 , carrying-out hand 36 , pre-alignment unit 30 , and supply hand 31 constituting the first transport device 6 does not hold or place a substrate, it is determined that The state of the first conveying device 6 is the conveyable state (Yes). Starting from the state shown in FIG. 8A , when substrates are sequentially carried into the exposure device 2 from the coating and developing device 3 , the state shown in FIG. 8B is achieved, for example. In the state shown in FIG. 8B , the carrying-in hand 35 , the carrying-out hand 36 , the pre-alignment unit 30 , and the supply hand 31 constituting the first transfer device 6 all hold or place the substrate, so the substrate cannot be carried into the exposure device 2 any more. . Therefore, it is determined that the state of the first conveying device 6 is not a conveyable state (NO). In a state between the state shown in FIG. 8A and the state shown in FIG. 8B , for example, in the state shown in FIG. 8C , since the carrying hand 35 does not hold the substrate, the substrate can be carried into the exposure apparatus 2 . Therefore, it is determined that the state of the first conveying device 6 is a conveyable state (Yes). In addition, in the state shown in FIG. 8C , although the substrate is not placed on the pre-alignment section 30, even if the substrate is placed on the pre-alignment section 30, it is determined that the state of the first transport device 6 is a transportable state ( yes). On the other hand, in the state shown in FIG. 8D , although the substrate is not placed on the pre-alignment section 30 , the carry-in hand 35 holds the substrate. In the exposure apparatus 2 , the carrying-in hand 35 is the next transport destination of the first carrying-in unit 33 , and when the carrying-in hand 35 holds a substrate, the substrate cannot be transported by the first transport device 6 . Therefore, it is determined that the state of the first conveying device 6 is not a conveyable state (NO). Therefore, in the present embodiment, if the carry-in hand 35 is in a state where the substrate is not held ( FIGS. 8A and 8C ), it is determined that the state of the first transport device 6 is a transportable state. On the other hand, if the carry-in hand 35 is in the state holding the substrate ( FIG. 8B , FIG. 8D ), it is determined that the state of the first transfer device 6 is not in the transferable state. In addition, for example, the current state (whether a substrate is held by the carrying-in hand 35 ) related to the substrate being held by the carrying-in hand 35 can be obtained from the detection results of the carrying-in hand 35 or a sensor provided on the movement path of the carrying-in hand 35 . In this way, in S572, when it is determined that the state of the first transport device 6 is the transportable state, the process moves to S573, and the transport mode for transporting the substrate is set to the load-in priority mode. The mode of board unloading processing. In addition, in S572, when it is determined that the state of the first transport device 6 is not in the transportable state, the process proceeds to S574, and the transport mode for transporting the substrate is set to the normal mode. A mode in which substrates are processed and transported in the same manner as in the prior art. In other words, in the present embodiment, when there is a substrate that has not been carried in and the state of the first conveyance device 6 is a transportable state, the substrate carry-in process is prioritized over the substrate carry-out process, and in other cases, the substrate is not carried out. Load-in processing takes precedence over board carry-out processing. FIG. 9 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the substrate loading standby (S58). Referring to FIG. 9 , in S581 , it is determined whether the substrate is carried into the exposure device 2 from the coating and developing device 3 , specifically, it is determined whether the substrate is placed on the first carrying-in unit 33 . When the substrate is placed on the first carrying-in unit 33 , the substrate carrying-in standby is terminated (cancelled). On the other hand, when the board|substrate is not loaded on the 1st carrying-in part 33, it transfers to S582. In S582, it is determined whether or not the elapsed time from the start of the substrate carry-in standby exceeds the maximum standby time (predetermined time). When the elapsed time from the start of the substrate loading standby exceeds the maximum standby time, the substrate loading standby is terminated. On the other hand, if the elapsed time after starting the substrate loading standby has not exceeded the maximum standby time, the process moves to S581, and it is determined again whether or not the substrate is placed on the first loading unit 33 . In this way, until the elapsed time from the start of the substrate loading standby exceeds the maximum standby time, the determination of whether or not the substrate is placed on the first loading section 33 is repeated. An example of a method of determining the maximum waiting time T of the substrate loading standby ( S58 ) will be described with reference to FIGS. 10A and 10B . Referring to FIG. 10A , a graph 100 shown in the upper part is a timing chart showing the valid state of the substrate carry-in request ( S31 ) transmitted through the exposure apparatus 2 . In the graph 100, the low (Low) side indicates that the substrate loading request is not valid, and the high (High) side indicates that the substrate loading request is valid. In addition, a graph 101 shown in the lower part is a timing chart showing a state of whether or not a substrate is placed on the first carrying-in unit 33 . In the graph 101 , the Low side indicates that the substrate is not placed on the first loading unit 33 , and the High side indicates that the substrate is placed on the first loading unit 33 . Similarly, referring to FIG. 10B , the graph 110 shown in the upper part is a timing chart showing the valid state of the substrate loading request (S31) passed through the exposure device 2, and the graph 111 shown in the lower part is a timing chart showing whether the substrate is placed on the first board or not. 1 Timing chart of the state of the carry-in unit 33. In addition, the graph 112 shown in the middle is a timing chart showing the valid state of the substrate carry-out request ( S33 ) of the exposure apparatus 2 . In the graph 112, the low (Low) side indicates that the substrate carry-out request is not valid, and the high (High) side indicates that the substrate carry-out request is valid. FIG. 10A corresponds to a case where a substrate carry-in request is sent while the substrate is not placed on the first carry-out unit 34 ( S31 ). In this case, the time from when the board load-in request is sent, that is, from when the board load-in request becomes valid, to when the board is placed on the first load-in unit 33 is defined as a reference load-in time t ₀ (first time). The reference carry-in time _t0 is memorized, for example, in a storage unit included in the exposure device 2 . FIG. 10B corresponds to a case where a substrate carrying-in request is sent for the first time or at an arbitrary timing after the operation is started while the substrate is placed on the first carrying-out unit 34 ( S31 ). In this case, the time from when the substrate carry-in request is sent, that is, from when the substrate carry-in request becomes valid, to when the substrate placed on the first carry-out unit 34 is carried out and the substrate is placed on the first carry-in unit 33 is set to be Carry-in time t ₁ (second time) when moving out. The carrying-in time _t1 at the time of carrying-out is memorized, for example, in the memory part which the exposure apparatus 2 has. When both the reference carry-in time _t0 and the carry-in time _t1 at the time of carry-out are memorized (acquired), the first control unit 7 of the exposure device 2 sets (determines) based on the standard carry-in time _t0 and the carry-in time _t1 at the time of carry-out. Maximum standby time T. For example, the difference (t ₀ −t ₁ ) between the standard import time t ₀ and the export time t ₁ is set as the maximum waiting time T. The maximum standby time T is stored in, for example, a memory unit included in the exposure device 2 . When the maximum standby time T is set, as long as the operating time of the exposure device 2 and the coating and developing device 3 does not fluctuate greatly, it can be expected that the substrate will be loaded from the start of the substrate loading standby (S58) until the maximum standby time T elapses. It is placed in the first loading unit 33 . Therefore, as is apparent from a comparison of FIG. 3 and FIG. 5 , the start timing of the substrate carrying process ( S55 ) in this embodiment is earlier than that of the conventional substrate carrying process ( S35 ). In the exposure apparatus 2, as shown in FIG. 4, the exposure apparatus process (for example, S422) and the board|substrate carry-out process (for example, S413) can be performed in parallel. Therefore, when a plurality of substrates are processed continuously, the substrates are placed on the portion where the start timing of the first loading unit 33 is earlier, and the overall throughput of the photolithography system 1 (exposure apparatus 2 ) can be increased accordingly. FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating an example of a timing chart in a case where a plurality of substrates, such as six substrates, are continuously processed based on the transfer sequence in the present embodiment shown in FIG. 5 . In FIG. 11 , the lapse of time is shown from left to right, and the order of substrates to be processed is shown from top to bottom. First, as shown in S1101, the exposure apparatus 2 performs (starts) loading of the first substrate. Then, the exposure apparatus 2 sequentially transports the first substrate to each part of the exposure apparatus 2, and performs exposure apparatus processing including various alignment processing, exposure processing, and the like as shown in S1102. Then, when the exposure device processing (S1102) of the first substrate is completed, the exposure device 2 carries out the unloading of the first substrate as shown in S1103. As shown in S1111, when carrying in (starting) the second substrate, the first substrate is being processed by the exposure device (S1102), so no substrate is placed (does not exist) on the first carrying-out unit 34 . Therefore, the time from when the second substrate is requested in S1115 (from when the substrate import request is sent) to when the second substrate is started in S1111 is acquired (stored) as the reference import time t0. On the other hand, as shown in S1121, when carrying in (starting) the carrying-in of the third substrate, the carrying-out of the first substrate has already started (S1103), and therefore the first carrying-out part 34 is placed (existing) There are substrates. Therefore, the time from when the third board is requested in S1125 (from when the board import request is sent) to when the third board is started in S1121 is obtained (memorized) as the unloading time t ₁ . Here, since the reference import time t ₀ and the export import time t ₁ are obtained, the maximum standby time T=t ₀ −t ₁ can be set (memorized). When the processing of the exposure apparatus for the third substrate shown in S1122 is completed, since the maximum standby time T has already been set, as shown in S1126 , the substrate loading standby is started. Accordingly, before the maximum standby time T elapses from the start of the exposure process for the third substrate (S1122), the loading of the fifth substrate shown in S1141 is performed (started). As described above, in the prior art ( FIG. 4 ), before the fifth board is loaded ( S441 ), it is necessary to wait for board loading ( S444 ). On the other hand, in the present embodiment, the start of carrying in the fifth substrate ( S1141 ) can be advanced by the amount corresponding to the waiting time for carrying in the substrate ( S444 ). In addition, in this embodiment, the unloading of the third board shown in S1123 is after the loading of the fifth board (S1141). Here, since the unloading of the third substrate (S1123) and the exposure device processing of the fourth substrate shown in S1132 are performed in parallel, the overall throughput of the photolithography system 1 (exposure device 2) is not affected. Furthermore, in this embodiment, after the unloading of the fifth substrate shown in S1143 and the unloading of the sixth substrate shown in S1153, it is determined whether there are unloaded substrates (S571), so that it is determined that there are no unloaded substrates. Load the substrate (No). Therefore, the substrate carrying-in processing is not prioritized over the substrate carrying-out processing, and the substrate carrying-in standby shown in S1125 does not occur. Thus, according to this embodiment, compared with the conventional technique, the throughput of the whole on the photolithography system 1 (exposure apparatus 2) can be improved. For example, in FIG. 11 , the case where six substrates are processed continuously is described, but similarly for the seventh and subsequent substrates, the throughput equivalent to one substrate loading standby can be increased for every two substrates. Therefore, in the case of continuously processing one batch of 25 substrates, it is possible to shorten the waiting time for substrate loading equivalent to 11 times, thereby improving the throughput. In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11 , the maximum standby time T (carry-in time t ₁ at the time of carry-out) is set only when the carry-in of the third substrate (S1121) starts. However, when the operating time of the coating and developing device 3 fluctuates greatly, it is not always possible to carry in the next substrate before the maximum standby time T elapses. Assuming such a case, the loading-in time t _n at the time of unloading may also be obtained when loading the fourth and subsequent boards, and the maximum standby time T may be updated in units of boards. When updating the maximum waiting time T, the maximum waiting time T may be updated based on the immediately preceding moving-in time t _n , or may be based on the immediately preceding moving-in time t _n , t _n-1 , t _{n -2} , the statistical value of the average value of ... to update the maximum standby time T. In this way, by updating the maximum standby time T according to the processing of the substrate by the exposure device 2, the stability of the coating and developing device 3 with respect to fluctuations in operating time can be improved. In addition, in this embodiment, the time required for the processing of the exposure apparatus (S1102, etc.) In both cases, the time required for processing by the exposure apparatus may vary. After setting the maximum standby time T, for example, when the time required for processing by the exposure apparatus increases, the maximum standby time T can be shortened accordingly. On the other hand, after setting the maximum standby time T, for example, when the time required for processing by the exposure apparatus is shortened, the maximum standby time T needs to be increased accordingly. Therefore, the maximum standby time T can also be added and subtracted according to fluctuations in the time required for processing by the exposure device. In this way, by setting the maximum standby time T based on the time required for the exposure device 2 to process the substrate (exposure device processing), the stability against fluctuations in the time required for the exposure device processing can be improved. In addition, in the present embodiment, in the determination of carrying-in priority ( S57 ), attention is paid to whether or not the carrying-in hand 35 constituting the first transport device 6 holds a substrate. Among them, whether or not the carrying-in hand 35 holds a substrate (whether it is in a transportable state) changes every moment. For example, the carry-in hand 35 holds the substrate at the start of the substrate carry-in standby, but the substrate held by the carry-in hand 35 may be moved to the pre-alignment unit 30 during the substrate carry-in standby. In such a case, the time during which the substrate is held by the carry-in hand 35 constituting the first transfer device 6 (holding time) may be obtained in advance, and it may be determined whether or not the carry-in hand 35 holds the substrate. For example, the holding time of the substrate by the carrying-in hand 35 , that is, the current state related to the holding of the substrate by the carrying-in hand 35 is estimated from the motion profile of the carrying-in hand 35 . Then, it is determined whether or not the carrying-in hand 35 is holding a substrate based on the current state of the substrate being held by the carrying-in hand 35 estimated from the motion distribution of the carrying-in hand 35 . In this way, during the maximum waiting time T in determining the priority of loading ( S57 ), it is possible to more strictly determine the priority of loading by estimating how the current situation related to the substrate held by the carrying-in hand 35 has changed. The method of manufacturing an article in the embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing an article such as a device (semiconductor element, magnetic memory medium, liquid crystal display element, etc.), for example. Such a manufacturing method includes: a process of forming a pattern on a substrate using the photolithography system 1 (exposure device 2 ); a process of processing the patterned substrate; and a process of manufacturing an article from the processed substrate. In addition, such fabrication methods may include other well-known procedures (oxidation, film formation, evaporation, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The method of manufacturing an article according to this embodiment is advantageous in at least one of the performance, quality, productivity, and production cost of the article compared to conventional ones. In the foregoing embodiments, the exposure apparatus has been described as an example of a processing apparatus for processing a substrate, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, a processing device for processing a substrate includes an imprint device that shapes an imprint material on a substrate with a mold to form a pattern on the substrate, and a planarization device that uses a mold with a flat surface to flatten the substrate. The composition on the planarization. In addition, processing apparatuses for processing substrates also include drawing apparatuses for drawing patterns on substrates using charged particle beams (electron beams, ion beams, etc.). The invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, the scope of the patent application is drafted to disclose the scope of the invention.

1: Photolithography system 2: Exposure device 3: Coating and developing device 4: chamber 5: Exposure department 6: The first conveying device 7: 1st control department 8: Coating and development processing department 9: The second conveying device 10: 2nd control department 20: subject 21: Original 22: Substrate 23: Illumination optical system 24: Original carrier 25: Projection optical system 26: Substrate table 30: Pre-alignment part 31: supply hand 32: Substrate 33: The first import department 34: The first export department 35: Move in 36: move out 40: chamber 41: chamber 44: Coating department 45: heating part 46:Development department 47: cooling department 48: carrier port 49: Carrier 50: The second import department 51: The second export department 52: Carrier 100: graphics 101: Graphics 110: graphics 111: Graphics 112: graphics

[ FIG. 1 ] is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a photolithography system. [FIG. 2] It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the main body provided in the exposure part. [ Fig. 3 ] is a diagram illustrating a transfer sequence of a substrate between an exposure device and a coating and developing device in the prior art. [ Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a timing chart when substrates are continuously processed in the prior art. [FIG. 5] It is a figure which shows the conveyance sequence of the board|substrate between the exposure apparatus and the coating development apparatus in this Embodiment. [FIG. 6] It is a flow chart for explaining the process of carrying out sequential control. [FIG. 7] It is a flow chart for demonstrating an example of the judgment of import priority. [ Fig. 8A] Fig. 8A is a diagram for explaining an example of a specific method of judging whether or not the state of the first conveying device is a conveyable state. [FIG. 8B] It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the concrete determination method of whether the state of the 1st conveyance apparatus is a conveyance-ready state. [FIG. 8C] It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the concrete determination method of whether the state of the 1st conveyance apparatus is a conveyance-ready state. [FIG. 8D] It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the concrete determination method of whether the state of the 1st conveyance apparatus is a conveyance-ready state. [FIG. 9] It is a flow chart for demonstrating an example of board|substrate carrying-in standby. [ Fig. 10A] Fig. 10A is a diagram for explaining an example of a method of determining the maximum waiting time for board loading waiting. [FIG. 10B] It is a figure for demonstrating an example of the method of determining the maximum waiting time in board|substrate carrying-in standby. [ Fig. 11 ] is a diagram illustrating an example of a timing chart when substrates are continuously processed in the present embodiment.

S1101: Move in

S1102: Exposure device processing

S1103: Move out

S1111: Move in

S1115: Requirements for loading the second board

S1121: Move in

S1122: Exposure device processing

S1123: Move out

S1124: Substrate loading standby

S1125: Requirements for loading the third board

S1126: Substrate loading standby

S1132: Exposure device processing

S1141: Move in

S1143: Move out

S1153: Move out

Claims (14)

A processing device that processes a plurality of substrates transferred from an external device, have: The conveying unit includes a carrying-in unit on which the substrate carried in from the external device to the processing device is placed, and a carrying-out part on which the substrate carried out from the processing device to the external device is placed, and the carrying-in part, the carrying-out part, and the carrying-out part transporting substrates between processing sections of the aforementioned substrate processing; and a control unit that controls the transfer of the substrate between the external device and the processing device according to a transfer mode; The transfer mode includes a carry-in priority mode. In the carry-in priority mode, when there are substrates to be carried into the carry-in part and substrates to be carried out from the carry-out part, the substrates to be carried out from the carry-out part are prioritized to the Priority is given to the loading of substrates in the loading section. The processing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether the transfer mode is a load-in priority mode before requesting the external device to carry in the substrate to the carry-in portion or to unload the substrate from the carry-out portion. The processing device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether to set the transfer mode to Move into priority mode. The processing device of claim 3, wherein, The transfer unit further includes a transfer hand for holding the substrate carried into the transfer unit from the external device and transferring the substrate between the transfer unit and the processing unit, the aforementioned control unit, When the transfer hand does not hold the substrate, it is determined that the state of the transfer unit is the transferable state, and the transfer mode is set to the carry-in priority mode, When the transfer hand is holding the substrate, it is determined that the state of the transfer unit is not the transferable state, and the transfer mode is not set to the carry-in priority mode. The processing device according to claim 4, wherein the control unit is based on a detection result of the current state related to the holding of the substrate by the transfer hand or a result related to the holding of the substrate by the transfer hand estimated from the motion distribution of the transfer hand In the current state, it is determined whether or not the transfer hand is holding the substrate. The processing device of claim 1, wherein, In the aforementioned move-in priority mode, After the control unit has requested the external device to carry in the substrate to the carry-in portion, if the external device is not ready for carrying in the substrate, when a substrate is placed on the carry-out portion, the control portion responds to The external device waits until a predetermined time elapses before the substrate is requested to be unloaded from the transfer unit, When the substrate is carried in from the external device and placed on the carrying unit before the predetermined time elapses, the control unit controls the external The device requests the unloading of the substrate from the transfer unit. The processing device according to claim 6, wherein, in the carry-in priority mode, when the substrate is not carried in from the external device before the predetermined time elapses, the control unit requests the external device to carry out the substrate from the transfer unit . The processing device of claim 6, wherein, The aforementioned predetermined time is set based on the following: In the state where the substrate is not placed on the carrying-out unit, the control unit requests the external device to carry-in the substrate to the carrying-in part until the substrate is carried in from the external device and placed on the carrying-in part. time; and In the state where the substrate is placed on the carrying-out unit, from the time when the control unit requests the external device to carry in the substrate to the carrying-in unit until the substrate placed on the carrying-out unit is carried out and the substrate is carried in from the external device And the second time until it is placed in the above-mentioned carrying-in section. The processing device according to claim 8, wherein a difference between the first time and the second time is set at the predetermined time. The processing device according to claim 8, wherein the predetermined time is also set in the processing unit based on the time required for processing the substrate. The processing device according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined time is updated according to the processing of the substrate in the processing section. The processing device according to claim 1, wherein the processing section includes a projection optical system for projecting the pattern of the original plate on the substrate as the processing of the substrate. A transfer method that transfers a substrate between a processing device having a transfer unit and an external device, the transfer unit includes a load-in unit for placing a substrate carried in from the external device and a carry-out unit for placing a substrate carried out to the external device, and transferring the substrate between the loading-in section, the unloading section, and the processing section for processing the substrate, having a program for controlling the transfer of the substrate between the external device and the processing device according to the transfer mode, The transfer mode includes a carry-in priority mode. In the carry-in priority mode, when there are substrates to be carried into the carry-in part and substrates to be carried out from the carry-out part, the substrates to be carried out from the carry-out part are prioritized to the Priority is given to the loading of substrates in the loading section. A method of manufacturing an article comprising: A process for forming a pattern on a substrate using the processing device as claimed in claim 12; A process of processing the aforementioned substrate having the aforementioned pattern formed in the aforementioned process; and A procedure for fabricating articles from the processed aforementioned substrates.

Images