Information processing device

Abstract

This invention provides an information processing device that can create a substrate processing schedule in a short amount of time by reducing the time required for mathematical optimization. [Solution] The information processing device 3 performs a first mathematical optimization to determine the start timing of each process on the board, targeting multiple board processing units and board transport units, without using an exclusive processing condition to select one of two processes as a constraint condition for mathematical optimization. Based on the result, it determines whether there are any board processing units or board transport units that perform processes that cannot be performed simultaneously. Then, targeting the board processing units or board transport units that are determined to perform processes that cannot be performed simultaneously, it adds an exclusive processing condition to the constraint condition of the first mathematical optimization to determine which of the two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the board should be prioritized, and performs a second mathematical optimization to determine the start timing of each process on the board.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus having a function of creating a substrate processing schedule.

Background Art

[0002] As one of substrate processing apparatuses that perform various processes on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, a substrate processing apparatus that performs chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) processing is known. Such a substrate processing apparatus includes, for example, a polishing unit that performs a polishing process on a substrate, a finishing unit that performs a finishing process (for example, a cleaning process or a drying process) on the substrate after the polishing process, and a transfer unit that performs a transfer process of transferring the substrate between the units, and is configured to execute a series of processes by operating each unit sequentially.

[0003] In order to improve processing efficiency, such a substrate processing apparatus is configured to include a plurality of polishing units, a plurality of finishing units, and a plurality of transfer units. Therefore, in the substrate processing apparatus, when operating each unit sequentially with a predetermined number of substrates as processing targets, it is required to create a substrate processing schedule for each process by appropriately determining the operation order and operation timing of each unit so that the time required for each process on all substrates is minimized. Therefore, conventionally, an information processing apparatus having a function of creating a substrate processing schedule has been proposed (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, in conventional information processing devices, two processes that cannot be processed simultaneously are identified in advance from among the processes performed by each unit, and mathematical optimization is performed using selection conditions (exclusive processing conditions) to determine which of the two processes should be prioritized as constraints for mathematical optimization. As a result, the number of combinations of processing order to be selected through optimization increases, and it takes a relatively long time to create a board processing schedule.

[0006] The creation of the substrate processing schedule is performed intermittently during the operation of the substrate processing equipment (for example, each time a substrate is transported to a unit). The shorter the time required to create the substrate processing schedule, the better; ideally, it should be possible to create the schedule in a few seconds. Therefore, there has been a demand for the development of an information processing device that can create substrate processing schedules in a short amount of time.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above problems, and aims to provide an information processing device that can create a substrate processing schedule in a short amount of time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus comprising a substrate storage unit for storing substrates, a plurality of substrate processing units for performing a plurality of different substrate processing on the substrates, and a substrate transport unit for transporting the substrates, wherein the information processing apparatus creates a substrate processing schedule when the plurality of substrate processing is performed sequentially on a predetermined number of substrates, and the information processing apparatus includes an information acquisition unit that acquires processing time information indicating the processing time required for each processing on the substrate, which includes a transport process for transporting the substrate from the substrate storage unit to the first substrate processing unit, each of the plurality of substrate processing units performed, a transport process for transporting the substrate from the substrate processing unit that performed the first processing to the substrate processing unit that will perform the next processing, and a transport process for transporting the substrate from the last substrate processing unit to the substrate storage unit, and based on the processing time information acquired by the information acquisition unit, the start time of each processing on the substrate is set to minimize the processing time from when the first substrate is transported from the substrate storage unit to the first substrate processing unit until the last substrate is transported from the last substrate processing unit to the substrate storage unit. The system includes a scheduling unit that determines the timing, and the scheduling unit includes a first mathematical optimization unit that performs a first mathematical optimization to determine the start timing of each process for the substrate, with the objective function of the mathematical optimization being to minimize the processing time, without setting an exclusive processing condition for selecting one of two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate as a constraint condition for the mathematical optimization, with the objective function of the mathematical optimization being to minimize the processing time; a duplicate determination unit that determines from the result of the first mathematical optimization whether or not there is a substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit that performs a process that cannot be performed simultaneously; and a second mathematical optimization unit that performs a second mathematical optimization to determine the start timing of each process for the substrate, with the objective function of the mathematical optimization being to minimize the processing time, with the exclusive processing condition for determining which of the two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate should be prioritized, added as a constraint condition for the first mathematical optimization, with the objective function of the mathematical optimization being to minimize the processing time, for the substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit that the duplicate determination unit has determined to perform a process that cannot be performed simultaneously.

[0009] With this configuration, in mathematical optimization targeting multiple board processing units and board transport units, the first mathematical optimization is performed without using an exclusive processing condition—selecting one of two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the board—as a constraint. This significantly reduces the time compared to when the exclusive processing condition is used as a constraint. Then, as a result of the first mathematical optimization, a second mathematical optimization is performed targeting only the board processing units or board transport units that are determined to perform processes that cannot be performed simultaneously. This second mathematical optimization adds an exclusive processing condition to the constraint of the first mathematical optimization, determining which of the two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously should be prioritized. Since only overlapping processes are added as constraints, the computation time is shorter (compared to the conventional method where two processes that do not ultimately overlap are also identified as processes that cannot be performed simultaneously and used as constraints). In this way, by reducing the time required for mathematical optimization, a board processing schedule can be created in a shorter time.

[0010] Furthermore, in the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the processing time required for each processing of the substrate includes the usage time, which is the time for processing the substrate or the time for transporting the substrate, and a predetermined time margin set before and after the usage time. The overlap determination unit may determine that if the usage time for one substrate and the usage time for another substrate overlap for one of the substrate processing units or substrate transport units, the simultaneous processing that is impossible can be performed in that substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit.

[0011] In this configuration, if the usage time for one substrate overlaps with the usage time for another substrate, it is determined that simultaneous processing is impossible. A mathematical optimization (second mathematical optimization) is then performed, targeting only the substrate processing unit or the substrate transport unit, by adding an exclusive processing condition to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization to determine which of the two simultaneous impossible processing units should take priority. This reduces the time required for mathematical optimization, making it possible to create a substrate processing schedule in a shorter time.

[0012] Furthermore, in the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the processing time required for each processing of the substrate includes the usage time, which is the time for processing the substrate or the time for transporting the substrate, and a predetermined time margin set before and after the usage time. The overlap determination unit may determine that if the usage time for one substrate and the time margin for another substrate overlap for one of the substrate processing units or substrate transport units, the simultaneous processing that is impossible can be performed in that substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit.

[0013] In this configuration, if the usage time for one substrate overlaps with the time margin for another substrate, it is determined that simultaneous processing is impossible. A mathematical optimization (second mathematical optimization) is then performed, targeting only the substrate processing unit or the substrate transport unit, by adding an exclusive processing condition to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization to determine which of the two simultaneous impossible processing units should take priority. This reduces the time required for mathematical optimization, making it possible to create a substrate processing schedule in a shorter time.

[0014] Furthermore, in the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the processing time required for each processing of the substrate includes the usage time, which is the time for processing the substrate or the time for transporting the substrate, and a predetermined time margin set before and after the usage time. The overlap determination unit may determine that, for one of the substrate processing units or substrate transport units, if the time margin for one substrate overlaps with the time margin for another substrate, the substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit can perform the processing that cannot be performed simultaneously.

[0015] In this configuration, if the time margin for one substrate overlaps with the time margin for another substrate, it is determined that simultaneous processing is impossible. A mathematical optimization (second mathematical optimization) is then performed, targeting only the substrate processing unit or the substrate transport unit, by adding an exclusive processing condition to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization to determine which of the two simultaneous impossible processing units should take priority. This reduces the time required for mathematical optimization, making it possible to create a substrate processing schedule in a shorter time.

[0016] Furthermore, in the information processing apparatus of the present invention, the duplicate determination unit determines, based on the results of the first mathematical optimization, whether or not there is a substrate transport unit that performs transport operations that cannot be performed simultaneously, and the second mathematical optimization unit, targeting the substrate transport unit that the duplicate determination unit has determined to perform transport operations that cannot be performed simultaneously, adds an exclusive processing condition to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization that determines which of the two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate should be prioritized, and determines the start timing of the transport operation on the substrate with the objective function of the mathematical optimization being to minimize the processing time.

[0017] With this configuration, a mathematical optimization (second mathematical optimization) is performed only on the substrate transport section where it is determined that transport processes cannot be performed simultaneously. This optimization adds an exclusive processing condition to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization, which determines which of the two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously should take priority. This reduces the time required for mathematical optimization, making it possible to create a substrate processing schedule in a shorter time.

[0018] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus comprising a substrate storage unit for storing substrates, a plurality of substrate processing units for performing a plurality of different substrate processing operations on the substrates, and a substrate transport unit for transporting the substrates, wherein the method is executed by an information processing apparatus for creating a substrate processing schedule when the plurality of substrate processing operations are performed sequentially on a predetermined number of substrates, the method comprising: an information acquisition step of acquiring processing time information indicating the processing time required for each processing operation on the substrate, which includes a transport operation for transporting the substrate from the substrate storage unit to the first substrate processing unit, each of the plurality of substrate processing operations performed by the plurality of substrate processing units, a transport operation for transporting the substrate from the substrate processing unit that performed the first processing operation to the substrate processing unit that will perform the next processing operation, and a transport operation for transporting the substrate from the last substrate processing unit to the substrate storage unit; and determining the start timing of each processing operation on the substrate based on the processing time information acquired by the information acquisition step, such that the processing time from when the first substrate is transported from the substrate storage unit to the first substrate processing unit until when the last substrate is transported from the last substrate processing unit to the substrate storage unit is minimized. The scheduling step includes: a scheduling step, the scheduling step includes: a first mathematical optimization step which determines the start timing of each process for the substrate, with the objective function of the mathematical optimization being to minimize the processing time, without setting an exclusive processing condition for selecting one of two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate as a constraint condition for the mathematical optimization; a duplicate determination step which determines from the result of the first mathematical optimization whether there is a substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit that performs processes that cannot be performed simultaneously; and a second mathematical optimization step which determines the start timing of each process for the substrate, with the objective function of the mathematical optimization being to minimize the processing time, with the objective function of the mathematical optimization being to minimize the processing time, with the exclusive processing condition for selecting one of two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate as a constraint condition for the first mathematical optimization.

[0019] This method, as with the above-mentioned device, allows for mathematical optimization targeting multiple substrate processing units and substrate transport units without using an exclusive processing condition (first mathematical optimization) as a constraint. This significantly reduces the time required compared to cases where the exclusive processing condition is used as a constraint. Then, as a result of the first mathematical optimization, a second mathematical optimization is performed targeting only the substrate processing units or substrate transport units where simultaneous processing is determined to be impossible. This second mathematical optimization adds an exclusive processing condition to the constraint of the first mathematical optimization, determining which of the two simultaneous impossible processing units should take priority. Since only overlapping processing is added as a constraint, the computation time is shorter (compared to the conventional method where two processes that do not ultimately overlap are also identified as processes that cannot be processed simultaneously and used as constraints). In this way, by reducing the time required for mathematical optimization, a substrate processing schedule can be created in a shorter time.

[0020] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus comprising a substrate storage unit for storing substrates, a plurality of substrate processing units for performing a plurality of different substrate processing on the substrates, and a substrate transport unit for transporting the substrates, wherein the program is executed by an information processing apparatus that creates a substrate processing schedule when the plurality of substrate processing is performed sequentially on a predetermined number of substrates, the program includes an information acquisition process that acquires processing time information indicating the processing time required for each processing on the substrate, which includes a transport process for transporting the substrate from the substrate storage unit to the first substrate processing unit, each of the plurality of substrate processing units performed, a transport process for transporting the substrate from the substrate processing unit that performed the substrate processing earlier to the substrate processing unit that will perform the next substrate processing, and a transport process for transporting the substrate from the last substrate processing unit to the substrate storage unit, based on the processing time information acquired by the information acquisition process, so as to minimize the processing time from when the first substrate is transported from the substrate storage unit to the first substrate processing unit until the last substrate is transported from the last substrate processing unit to the substrate storage unit. The system includes: a scheduling process that determines the start timing of a process; a first mathematical optimization process that performs a first mathematical optimization to determine the start timing of each process for the substrate, with the objective function of the mathematical optimization being to minimize the processing time, without setting an exclusive processing condition as a constraint for mathematical optimization that selects one of two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate for each of the multiple substrate processing units and the substrate transport unit; a duplicate determination process that determines from the result of the first mathematical optimization whether or not there is a substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit that performs a process that cannot be performed simultaneously; and a second mathematical optimization process that performs a second mathematical optimization to determine the start timing of each process for the substrate, with the objective function of the mathematical optimization being to minimize the processing time, with the objective function of the mathematical optimization being to minimize the processing time, for the substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit that has been determined by the duplicate determination process to perform a process that cannot be performed simultaneously.

[0021] Even with this program, in the mathematical optimization for a plurality of substrate processing units and substrate transfer units, similar to the above-described apparatus, in the mathematical optimization, the exclusive processing condition of selecting one of two mutually impossible processes among each process for the substrate is not set as a constraint condition for the mathematical optimization, and the mathematical optimization (first mathematical optimization) is performed. Therefore, compared with the case where the exclusive processing condition is set as a constraint condition for the mathematical optimization, the time can be significantly shortened. Then, as a result of the mathematical optimization (first mathematical optimization), for only the substrate processing unit or the substrate transfer unit determined to perform mutually impossible processes, the mathematical optimization (second mathematical optimization) is performed by adding the exclusive processing condition of determining which of the two mutually impossible processes should be prioritized to the constraint condition of the first mathematical optimization. Since only the overlapping processes are added to the constraint conditions, (compared with the conventional case where two processes that do not overlap as a result are also specified in advance as processes that cannot be processed simultaneously and set as constraint conditions,) the calculation time can be shortened. In this way, by shortening the time required for the mathematical optimization, a substrate processing schedule can be created in a short time.

Effects of the Invention

[0022] According to the present invention, by shortening the time required for mathematical optimization, a substrate processing schedule can be created in a short time.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0023] [Figure 1] It is an explanatory diagram of a substrate processing system in which an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is used. [Figure 2] It is an explanatory diagram of an information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] It is a diagram showing an example of a substrate processing unit (first and second polishing units) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] It is a diagram showing an example of a substrate processing unit (first finishing unit) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] It is a diagram showing an example of a substrate processing unit (second finishing unit) according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of a substrate processing unit (third finishing unit) in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of an information processing device in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows an example of duplicate detection in an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the information processing device in an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0024] The information processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, an example of an information processing apparatus used in a substrate processing system for processing substrates such as semiconductor wafers will be given. The information processing apparatus of this embodiment is equipped with a function for creating a substrate processing schedule. This function is realized by a program stored in the memory area of ​​the information processing apparatus.

[0025] (Information Processing System) Figure 1 is an overall configuration diagram showing an example of a substrate processing system 1. The substrate processing system 1 according to this embodiment comprises, as its main components, a substrate processing device 2 and an information processing device 3, and is connected to a wired or wireless network 4 to enable the mutual transmission and reception of various types of data. The number of substrate processing devices 2 and information processing devices 3 and the connection configuration of the network 4 are not limited to the example in Figure 1 and may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the information processing device 3 may not be a separate device from the substrate processing device 2, but may be provided as part of the substrate processing device 2 (for example, as a functional module).

[0026] The substrate processing apparatus 2 is equipped with multiple processing units (details described later) that perform various processes on a substrate (hereinafter referred to as "wafer") W such as a semiconductor wafer, and by operating each processing unit, it performs chemical mechanical polishing (hereinafter referred to as "polishing"), finishing, transport, etc. on the wafer W. In doing so, the substrate processing apparatus 2 controls the operation of each processing unit while referring to device setting information 10 consisting of multiple device parameters set for each processing unit, and substrate recipe information 11 that defines the operation of polishing and finishing processes.

[0027] The information processing device 3 is a terminal device used by the user and consists of stationary and portable devices. The information processing device 3 accepts various input operations via a display screen such as an application program or a web browser, and displays various information via the display screen.

[0028] The information processing device 3 is a device that supports the simulation of automated operation of the substrate processing device 2 and the formulation of production plans by creating a substrate processing schedule 13 when the substrate processing device 2 sequentially performs each process on a predetermined number of wafers W based on substrate recipe information 11 and transport time information 12 indicating the time required for transport processing, and by calculating an evaluation index 14 of the substrate processing schedule 13. The information processing device 3 may be configured as a server-type or cloud-type device, in which case it should be configured to operate in cooperation with a client-side user terminal device (not shown).

[0029] (Substrate processing equipment) Figure 2 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus 2. The substrate processing apparatus 2 is configured to include a load / unload section 21, a polishing section 22, a finishing section 23, a substrate transport section 24, and a control unit 25, all housed inside a housing 20 that is roughly rectangular in plan view.

[0030] (Load / Unload section) The load / unload section 21 includes first and second front load sections 210A and 210B on which wafer cassettes (FOUP, etc.) capable of storing a large number of wafers W in the vertical direction are placed, and a loading / unloading robot 211 as a transport unit that can move along the storage direction (vertical direction) of the wafers W stored in the wafer cassette and the alignment direction of the first and second front load sections 210A and 210B (short side direction of the housing 20). The first and second front load sections 210A and 210B correspond to the substrate storage section of the present invention. In this embodiment, wafers W before processing may be transported from the first front load section 210A, and wafers W after processing may be transported to the second front load section 210B. That is, in the present invention, the substrate storage section in which substrates before processing are stored and the substrate storage section in which substrates after processing are stored do not necessarily have to be the same substrate storage section.

[0031] The loading / unloading robot 211 is configured to access the substrate loading position PS, the first substrate transfer position PD1, the finishing section 23 (specifically, the downstream finishing unit 23C described later), and the substrate unloading position PE. The loading / unloading robot 211 is equipped with two upper and lower hands (not shown) for transferring wafers W. The lower hand is used when transferring wafers W before processing, and the upper hand is used when transferring wafers W after processing.

[0032] The substrate loading position PS and the substrate unloading position PE are the positions of wafer cassettes placed on the first and second front load sections 210A and 210B, respectively. The loading / unloading robot 211 performs two processes for transporting the wafer W: a loading process in which the wafer W is loaded from the wafer cassette designated as the substrate loading position PS to the first substrate transfer position PD1, and an unloading process in which the finished wafer W is unloaded from the finishing section 23 to the wafer cassette designated as the substrate unloading position PE. The substrate loading position PS and the substrate unloading position PE may be the same position or may be different positions.

[0033] (polishing section) The polishing section 22 comprises a plurality (two in this embodiment) of polishing units 22A and 22B, each performing a polishing process on the wafer W. In this embodiment, the first and second polishing units 22A and 22B are arranged side by side along the longitudinal direction of the housing 20 and perform the polishing process in parallel. The polishing section 22 (polishing units 22A and 22B) corresponds to the substrate processing section of the present invention.

[0034] Figure 3 is a perspective view showing an example of the first and second polishing units 22A and 22B. In this embodiment, the basic configuration and functions of the first and second polishing units 22A and 22B are described as being common to both.

[0035] Each of the first and second polishing units 22A and 22B includes a polishing table 220 that rotatably supports a polishing pad 2200 having a polishing surface, a top ring (substrate holding part) 221 that rotatably holds a wafer W and polishes the wafer W while pressing it against the polishing pad 2200 on the polishing table 220, a polishing fluid supply part 222 that supplies polishing fluid to the polishing pad 2200, a dresser 223 that rotatably supports a dresser disc 2230 and dresses the polishing pad 2200 by bringing the dresser disc 2230 into contact with the polishing surface of the polishing pad 2200, and an atomizer 224 that sprays cleaning fluid onto the polishing pad 2200.

[0036] The polishing table 220 is supported by a polishing table shaft 220a and includes a rotational movement mechanism 220b that rotates the polishing table 220 around its axis, and a temperature control mechanism 220c that adjusts the surface temperature of the polishing pad 2200.

[0037] The top ring 221 is supported by a top ring shaft 221a that is movable in the vertical direction and comprises a rotational movement mechanism 221c that rotates the top ring 221 around its axis, a vertical movement mechanism 221d that moves the top ring 221 in the vertical direction, and a oscillating movement mechanism 221e that oscillates (oscillates) the top ring 221 around the support shaft 221b as the pivot point. The rotational movement mechanism 221c, the vertical movement mechanism 221d, and the oscillating movement mechanism 221e function as a substrate movement mechanism that moves the relative position between the polishing pad 2200 and the surface of the wafer W to be polished.

[0038] The polishing fluid supply unit 222 includes a polishing fluid supply nozzle 222a that supplies polishing fluid to the polishing surface of the polishing pad 2200, a swinging movement mechanism 222c supported by a support shaft 222b that pivots the polishing fluid supply nozzle 222a around the support shaft 222b, a flow rate adjustment unit 222d that adjusts the flow rate of the polishing fluid, and a temperature control mechanism 222e that adjusts the temperature of the polishing fluid. The polishing fluid is a polishing liquid (slurry) or pure water, and may also contain a chemical solution, or a polishing liquid with a dispersant added.

[0039] The dresser 223 is supported by a dresser shaft 223a that is movable in the vertical direction and includes a rotational movement mechanism 223c that rotates the dresser 223 around its axis, a vertical movement mechanism 223d that moves the dresser 223 in the vertical direction, and a swinging movement mechanism 223e that pivots the dresser 223 around the support shaft 223b as the pivot point.

[0040] The atomizer 224 is supported by a support shaft 224a and includes a swinging mechanism 224b that rotates the atomizer 224 around the support shaft 224a as the pivot point, and a flow rate adjustment unit 224c that adjusts the flow rate of the cleaning fluid. The cleaning fluid is a mixed fluid of liquid (e.g., pure water) and gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) or liquid (e.g., pure water).

[0041] The wafer W is held by suction on the lower surface of the top ring 221 and moved to predetermined polishing positions PP1 and PP2 on the polishing table 220. After that, it is polished by being pressed by the top ring 221 against the polishing surface of the polishing pad 2200, which is supplied with polishing fluid from the polishing fluid supply nozzle 222a.

[0042] (Finishing section) The finishing section 23 comprises a plurality of finishing units 23A to 23C (three in this embodiment) that each perform a finishing process on the wafer W, and a wafer station 23D on which the polished wafer W can wait. The first to third finishing units 23A to 23C and the wafer station 23D are arranged in a line along the longitudinal direction of the housing 20, and the first to third finishing units 23A to 23C perform the finishing process in the order they are arranged (finishing process order). The finishing section 23 (first to third finishing units 23A to 23C) corresponds to the substrate processing section of the present invention.

[0043] In this embodiment, the first finishing unit 23A performs a roll sponge cleaning process using a roll sponge 2300 to clean the wafer W after polishing as the upstream finishing process. The second finishing unit 23B performs a pen sponge cleaning process using a pen sponge 2301 to clean the wafer W after the roll sponge cleaning process. The third finishing unit 23C performs a drying process to dry the wafer W after the pen sponge cleaning process as the downstream finishing process. The wafer station 23D holds the wafer W after polishing, which has been handed over from the polishing transporter 240 (details described later), and performs a waiting process to wait until the polished wafer W is handed over to the finishing transporter 241 (details described later). Note that the finishing process may, for example, start with the pen sponge cleaning process, omitting the roll sponge cleaning process.

[0044] The finishing unit 23 may be equipped with a finishing unit (not shown) that performs a buffing cleaning process for cleaning the wafer W using a buff, in place of or in addition to either the first or second finishing units 23A or 23B, or either the first or second finishing units 23A or 23B may be omitted. In this embodiment, the first to third finishing units 23A to 23C are described as holding the wafer W in a horizontal position (horizontal holding), but they may also hold the wafer W vertically or at an angle.

[0045] Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a first finishing unit 23A that performs roll sponge cleaning. The first finishing unit 23A includes a substrate cleaning unit 230 that rotatably supports a roll sponge 2300 and cleans the wafer W by bringing the roll sponge 2300 into contact with the wafer W, a substrate holding unit 231 that holds the wafer W, a cleaning fluid supply unit 232 that supplies substrate cleaning fluid to the wafer W, and a cleaning tool cleaning unit 233 that cleans (self-cleans) the roll sponge 2300 with cleaning tool cleaning fluid. The substrate cleaning fluid may be pure water (rinse solution) or a chemical solution, may be a liquid, may be a two-fluid mixture of liquid and gas, or may contain a solid such as dry ice. The cleaning tool cleaning fluid may be pure water (rinse solution) or a chemical solution.

[0046] In the roll sponge cleaning process by the first finishing unit 23A, the wafer W is rotated while being held in the first finishing position PC1 by the substrate holding unit 231. Then, with substrate cleaning fluid supplied from the cleaning fluid supply unit 232 to the surface of the wafer W to be cleaned, the roll sponge 2300, which has been rotated around its axis by the substrate cleaning unit 230, rubs against the surface of the wafer W to be cleaned. The wafer W is cleaned by contact.

[0047] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a second finishing unit 23B that performs pen sponge cleaning. The second finishing unit 23B includes a substrate cleaning unit 230 that rotatably supports a pen sponge 2301 and cleans the wafer W by bringing the pen sponge 2301 into contact with the wafer W, a substrate holding unit 231 that holds the wafer W, a cleaning fluid supply unit 232 that supplies substrate cleaning fluid to the wafer W, and a cleaning tool cleaning unit 233 that cleans (self-cleans) the pen sponge 2301 with cleaning tool cleaning fluid.

[0048] In the pen sponge cleaning process by the second finishing unit 23B, the wafer W is rotated while being held in the second finishing position PC2 by the substrate holding unit 231. Then, with substrate cleaning fluid supplied from the cleaning fluid supply unit 232 to the surface of the wafer W to be cleaned, the wafer W is cleaned by the pen sponge 2301, which is rotated around its axis by the substrate cleaning unit 230, sliding into contact with the surface of the wafer W to be cleaned.

[0049] Figure 6 is a perspective view showing an example of a third finishing unit 23C that performs drying. The third finishing unit 23C includes a substrate holding section 231 that holds the wafer W and a drying fluid supply section 235 that supplies a substrate drying fluid to the wafer W. The substrate drying fluid is, for example, IPA vapor and pure water (rinsing fluid), and may be a liquid, a two-fluid mixture of liquid and gas, or may contain a solid such as dry ice.

[0050] In the drying process by the third finishing unit 23C, the wafer W is rotated while being held in the third finishing position PC3 by the substrate holding unit 231. Then, with substrate drying fluid supplied from the drying fluid supply unit 235 to the surface of the wafer W to be cleaned, the drying fluid supply unit 235 is moved toward the side edge (radially outward) of the wafer W. After that, the wafer W is dried by high-speed rotation.

[0051] (Circuit board transport section) As shown in Figure 2, the substrate transport unit 24 includes a polishing transporter 240, which is a transport unit that can move along the alignment direction of the first and second polishing units 22A and 22B (the longitudinal direction of the housing 20) and can transfer the wafer W to the wafer station 23D, which is the second substrate transfer position PD2, and a finishing transporter 241, which is a transport unit that can move along the alignment direction of the wafer station 23D and the first to third finishing units 23A to 23C (the longitudinal direction of the housing 20).

[0052] The polishing transporter 240 is configured to access the first substrate transfer position PD1, the first and second transport positions PT1 and PT2, and the second substrate transfer position PD2. Therefore, the polishing transporter 240 performs a pre-polishing transport process in which the wafer W is transported from the first substrate transfer position PD1 to the first and second polishing units 22A and 22B (in this embodiment, the first and second transport positions PT1 and PT2), and a post-polishing transport process in which the polished wafer W is transported from the first and second polishing units 22A and 22B (in this embodiment, the first and second transport positions PT1 and PT2) to the second substrate transfer position PD2.

[0053] The first substrate transfer position PD1 is the position where the wafer W is transferred between the loading / unloading robot 211 and the polishing transporter 240. The first substrate transfer position PD1 is a position set on the loading / unloading robot 211 side within the movement range of the polishing transporter 240, and is accessed by the movement of the loading / unloading robot 211.

[0054] At the first and second transport positions PT1 and TP2, there are loaders for transferring wafers W to the top rings 221 of the first and second polishing units 22A and 22B, respectively. The first and second transport positions PT1 and TP2 are installed at a predetermined interval within the movement range of the polishing transporter 240, and are the positions where the polishing transporter 240 transfers wafers W to their respective loaders. The first and second transport positions PT1 and TP2 are accessed by the oscillating movement of the top rings 221 of the first and second polishing units 22A and 22B.

[0055] The finishing transporter 241 is configured to have access to the second substrate transfer position PD2 and the first to third finishing units 23A to 23C. Therefore, the finishing transporter 241 performs a pre-finishing transport process in which the polished wafer W is transported from the second substrate transfer position PD2 to the upstream finishing unit 23A, and an intermediate finishing transport process in which the wafer W undergoing finishing is transported between the first to third finishing units 23A to 23C in the order of the finishing processes. In this embodiment, the finishing transporter 241 performs a first intermediate finishing transport process in which the wafer W undergoing finishing is transported from the first finishing unit 23A to the second finishing unit 23B, and a second intermediate finishing transport process in which the wafer W undergoing finishing is transported from the second finishing unit 23B to the second finishing unit 23C.

[0056] The second substrate transfer position PD2 is the position where the wafer W is transferred between the polishing transporter 240 and the finishing transporter 241. The second substrate transfer position PD2 is a position set inside the wafer station 23D and is accessed by the movement of the polishing transporter 240 and the finishing transporter 241, respectively.

[0057] (Information processing device) The configuration of the information processing device 3 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 7 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the information processing device 3 of this embodiment. As shown in Figure 7, the information processing device 3 includes an input unit 30, an output unit 31, a communication unit 32, a storage unit 33, and a control unit 34. The control unit 34 includes an information acquisition unit 35 and a scheduling unit 36 ​​as functional blocks.

[0058] The input unit 30 has the function of accepting various input operations from the user and functions as an input user interface. The output unit 31 has the function of outputting various information via a display screen or sound and functions as an output user interface. The communication unit 32 is connected to an external device (for example, the board processing device 2) via the network 4 and functions as a communication interface for sending and receiving various data. The storage unit 33 stores various programs (operating system and information processing programs, etc.) and various data (device setting information, board recipe information, transport time information, board processing schedule, etc.) used in the operation of the information processing device 3.

[0059] The information acquisition unit 35 has the function of acquiring processing time information indicating the processing time required for each processing of the substrate, for example, by sending and receiving data to and from the substrate processing device 2 via the communication unit 32 or by referring to the storage unit 33. Each processing of the substrate includes a transport process that transports the substrate from the substrate storage unit (first and second front loading units 210A, 210B) to the first substrate processing unit (polishing unit 22A, 22B), each substrate processing performed in multiple substrate processing units (polishing units 22A, 22B, first to third finishing units 23A to 23C), a transport process that transports the substrate from the substrate processing unit that performed the previous substrate processing to the substrate processing unit that will perform the next substrate processing, and a transport process that transports the substrate from the last substrate processing unit (first to third finishing units 23A to 23C) to the substrate storage unit (first and second front loading units 210A, 210B).

[0060] The processing time information includes information on the time required for substrate processing (polishing and finishing processes) (for example, the time the top ring 221 presses against the substrate, the dresser 223 operates, the atomizer 224 operates, the roll sponge operates during the roll sponge cleaning process, the pen sponge operates during the pen sponge cleaning process, the drying process operates, the timing of supplying the substrate drying fluid, etc.). These processing times may be set for each individual wafer W, or for multiple wafers constituting a lot.

[0061] Furthermore, the processing time information includes information on the time required for transporting the substrate (transport time required for each of the following processes: loading, pre-polishing transport, post-polishing transport, pre-finish transport, intermediate-finish transport, and unloading). The transport time may be an actual measured value obtained by measuring the time when the transport unit (e.g., loading / unloading robot 211, polishing transporter 240, finishing transporter 241, loader for transferring wafer W to the top rings 221 of the first and second polishing units 22A and 22B) is actually operating. For example, if the measured transport time is stored in the substrate processing device 2 or an external production management device, the transport time may be obtained from the substrate processing device 2 or an external production management device. Alternatively, the transport time may be a theoretical value calculated from the specifications of the transport unit. If the device setting information includes the movement speed of the transport unit, the device setting information may be obtained from the substrate processing device 2 or the storage unit 33, and the transport time may be calculated based on the device setting information. Furthermore, the transport time may be an inferred value that takes into account the error (actual error) between the theoretical value mentioned above and the measured value when the transport unit is actually operating. For example, the actual error may be calculated using an estimation model such as machine learning. Note that the transport time information may be set for each individual wafer W, or for multiple wafers that make up a lot.

[0062] The scheduling unit 36 ​​has a function to determine the start timing of each process for each substrate so that the processing time (also called the processing completion time) from the time the first substrate is transported from the substrate storage unit (first and second front loading units 210A, 210B) to the first substrate processing unit (polishing unit 22A, 22B) (i.e., from the time the first substrate is removed) until the time the last substrate is transported from the last substrate processing unit (first to third finishing units 23A to 23C) to the substrate storage unit (first and second front loading units 210A, 210B) is minimized, based on the processing time information acquired by the information acquisition unit 35. The scheduling unit 36 ​​includes a first mathematical optimization unit 37, a duplicate determination unit 38, and a second mathematical optimization unit 39 as functional blocks for this purpose.

[0063] The first mathematical optimization unit 37 has a function to perform mathematical optimization (first mathematical optimization) that determines the start timing of each process on the substrate, targeting all substrate processing units (polishing units 22A, 22B, first to third finishing units 23A to 23C) and substrate transport units (loading / unloading robot 211, polishing transporter 240, finishing transporter 241) of the substrate processing device 2. This optimization does not use an exclusive processing condition, which selects one of two processes that cannot be processed simultaneously from among the processes performed by the substrate processing units and substrate transport units, as a constraint for mathematical optimization. Instead, the objective function of mathematical optimization is to minimize the maximum processing time.

[0064] The duplicate determination unit 38 has a function to determine, based on the results of the first mathematical optimization, whether there are substrate processing units (polishing units 22A, 22B, first to third finishing units 23A to 23C) or substrate transport units (loading / unloading robot 211, polishing transporter 240, finishing transporter 241) that perform processing that cannot be done simultaneously.

[0065] Figure 8 shows an example of the processing time for a substrate transport unit (e.g., a polishing transporter 240) as part of the results of the first mathematical optimization. As shown in Figure 8, the processing time required for each process on the substrate includes "usage time," which is the time for substrate processing or substrate transport, and a predetermined "time margin" set before and after the usage time. Note that the time margin may be zero.

[0066] The overlap detection unit 38 can determine that if the usage time for one substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit overlaps with the usage time for another substrate, it is impossible to perform the same processing simultaneously in that substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit. The overlap detection unit 38 may also target only the substrate transport units (loading / unloading robot 211, polishing transporter 240, finishing transporter 241) for overlap detection. In other words, the overlap detection unit 38 may determine only whether or not there is a substrate transport unit where simultaneous transport processing is performed, based on the results of the first mathematical optimization.

[0067] For example, in the example shown in Figure 8(a), for one substrate transport unit (polishing transporter 240), the usage time for wafer A and the usage time for wafer C overlap between time t1 and t2. In this case, the overlap determination unit 38 determines that simultaneous processing is not possible in that substrate transport unit (loading / unloading robot 211).

[0068] Furthermore, the overlap determination unit 38 can determine that if the usage time for one substrate and the time margin for another substrate overlap for a single substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit, it is impossible to perform simultaneous processing in that substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit. In the example in Figure 8(b), for a single substrate transport unit (loading / unloading robot 211), the time margin for wafer B and the time margin for wafer C overlap between time t3 and t4. In this case, the overlap determination unit 38 determines that simultaneous processing is impossible for that substrate transport unit (loading / unloading robot 211).

[0069] Furthermore, the overlap determination unit 38 can determine that if the time margin for one substrate and the time margin for another substrate overlap for a single substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit, it is impossible to perform simultaneous processing in that substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit. In the example in Figure 8(c), for a certain substrate transport unit (loading / unloading robot 211), the time margin for wafer A and the usage time for wafer B overlap between time t5 and t6, and the usage time for wafer A and the time margin for wafer B overlap between time t7 and t8. (Note that the time margin for wafer A and the time margin for wafer B also overlap between time t6 and t7.) In this case, the overlap determination unit 38 determines that simultaneous processing is impossible for that substrate transport unit (loading / unloading robot 211).

[0070] The second mathematical optimization unit 39 has a function to perform mathematical optimization (second mathematical optimization) that determines the start timing of each process for the substrate, with the objective function being to minimize the maximum processing time, by adding an exclusive processing condition to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization that determines which of the two processes of the substrate processing unit or the substrate transport unit (e.g., loading / unloading robot 211) that the duplicate determination unit 38 has determined cannot be performed simultaneously, to determine which should be prioritized.

[0071] In addition, similar to the duplication determination unit 38, the second mathematical optimization unit 39 may target only the substrate transport unit (loading / unloading robot 211, polishing transporter 240, finishing transporter 241). That is, the second mathematical optimization unit 39 may target the substrate transport unit that the duplication determination unit 38 has determined to be unable to perform transport operations simultaneously, and add an exclusive processing condition to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization described above, which determines which of the two operations that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate should be prioritized. The objective function of the mathematical optimization is to minimize the maximum processing time, and the start timing of the transport operations on the substrate may be determined.

[0072] The mathematical optimization method used in the first mathematical optimization unit 37 or the second mathematical optimization unit 39 may be, for example, mixed-integer linear programming (MIP), or other methods may be used. Furthermore, any search algorithm such as exact methods, approximate methods, or heuristic methods can be used to search for the optimal solution.

[0073] To explain the first and second mathematical optimizations with an example, the process of the polishing transporter 240 taking the nth substrate polished by the polishing unit 22B from the loader PT2 and transporting it to PD2, and the process of taking the n+mth unpolished substrate from PD1 and transporting it to the loader PT1 (or PT2) cannot be performed simultaneously. The first mathematical optimization does not use overlapping processes that cannot be performed simultaneously as a constraint, so it is possible that the transport schedule determined by the first mathematical optimization may be judged as being impossible to perform simultaneously (if they are far apart in time, they are not considered to overlap). Then, the second mathematical optimization adds a condition selection (branching condition) to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization so that it is possible to determine which of the two processes can be performed to achieve the shortest maximum processing time. The process that was not selected is incorporated into the transport schedule at a time that does not overlap with the time when the selected process is being performed. Alternatively, if there is another substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit that can perform the unselected process instead, it may be replaced.

[0074] The operation of the information processing device 3, configured as described above, will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 9.

[0075] When creating a substrate processing schedule using the information processing device 3 of the embodiment of the present invention, first, the user instructs the information processing device 3, for example, on the substrate processing optimization screen displayed on the information processing device 3, on the conditions for creating the substrate processing schedule (for example, the lot number of wafers W to be subject to automatic operation, the model number of the substrate processing device 2 that performs automatic operation, the number of wafers to be processed, etc.), and also instructs the information processing device 33 to start creating the substrate processing schedule, and the information processing device 33 accepts this input operation (S1).

[0076] Then, the information processing device 33 obtains processing time information indicating the processing time required for each process on the board by sending and receiving data to and from the board processing device 2 via the communication unit 32 and by referring to the storage unit 33 (S2).

[0077] Subsequently, the information processing device 33 performs a first mathematical optimization (S1). Specifically, it targets all substrate processing units (polishing units 22A, 22B, the first to third finishing units 23A to 23C) and substrate transport units (loading / unloading robot 211, polishing transporter 240, finishing transporter 241) of the substrate processing device 2, and determines the start timing of each process on the substrate without setting an exclusive processing condition that requires selecting one of two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate as a constraint condition for mathematical optimization. Instead, it sets the objective function of mathematical optimization as minimizing the maximum processing time.

[0078] Next, the information processing device 33 performs a duplicate determination based on the results of the first mathematical optimization (S4). That is, it determines whether there are any substrate processing units (polishing units 22A, 22B, first to third finishing units 23A to 23C) or substrate transport units (loading / unloading robot 211, polishing transporter 240, finishing transporter 241) that cannot be processed simultaneously.

[0079] Then, the information processing device 33 performs a second mathematical optimization based on the result of the duplication determination (S5). Specifically, targeting the substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit (e.g., loading / unloading robot 211) that the duplication determination unit 38 has determined to be unable to perform processes simultaneously, the device adds an exclusive processing condition to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization described above, which determines which of the two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate should be prioritized. The objective function of the mathematical optimization is to minimize the maximum processing time, and the device determines the start timing of each process on the substrate.

[0080] In the information processing device 33, a board processing schedule is created based on the start timing of each process determined as described above (S6). Then, the created board processing schedule is output (S7).

[0081] According to the information processing device 3 of this embodiment, only overlapping processes are added as constraints, so the computation time is shorter (compared to the conventional method where two processes that do not overlap are also identified in advance as processes that cannot be processed simultaneously and added as constraints). In this way, by shortening the time required for mathematical optimization, a substrate processing schedule can be created in a short time.

[0082] In this embodiment, only the substrate transport section (loading / unloading robot 211, polishing transporter 240, finishing transporter 241) where simultaneous transport processes are determined to be impossible is targeted, and a mathematical optimization (second mathematical optimization) is performed by adding an exclusive processing condition to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization to determine which of the two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously should be prioritized. This reduces the time required for mathematical optimization, making it possible to create a substrate processing schedule in a shorter time.

[0083] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8(a), when the usage time for one substrate overlaps with the usage time for another substrate, it is determined that simultaneous processing is impossible. In this case, a mathematical optimization (second mathematical optimization) is performed that adds an exclusive processing condition to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization, which determines which of the two simultaneous processing operations should take priority, targeting only the substrate processing unit or the substrate transport unit. This reduces the time required for mathematical optimization, making it possible to create a substrate processing schedule in a shorter time.

[0084] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8(b), when the usage time for one substrate overlaps with the time margin for another substrate, it is determined that simultaneous processing is impossible. In this case, a mathematical optimization (second mathematical optimization) is performed that adds an exclusive processing condition to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization, which determines which of the two simultaneous impossible processing operations should take priority, targeting only that substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit. This reduces the time required for mathematical optimization, making it possible to create a substrate processing schedule in a shorter time.

[0085] Furthermore, in this embodiment, as shown in Figure 8(c), when the time margin for one substrate overlaps with the time margin for another substrate, it is determined that simultaneous processing is impossible. A mathematical optimization (second mathematical optimization) is then performed, which adds an exclusive processing condition to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization, targeting only the substrate processing unit or the substrate transport unit, to determine which of the two simultaneous impossible processing units should take priority. This reduces the time required for mathematical optimization, making it possible to create a substrate processing schedule in a shorter time.

[0086] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above by example, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these, and modifications and alterations can be made within the scope described in the claims depending on the purpose. [Industrial applicability]

[0087] As described above, the information processing device according to the present invention has the effect of creating a substrate processing schedule in a short time by reducing the time required for mathematical optimization, and is useful for use in substrate processing systems that process substrates such as semiconductor wafers. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0088] 1. Substrate Processing System 2. Substrate Processing Equipment 20 Housing 21 Load / Unload Section (Circuit Board Storage Section) 22 Polishing section (substrate processing section) 23 Finishing section (substrate processing section) 24. Substrate transport section 25 Control Unit 3. Information Processing Device 30 Input section 31 Output section 32 Communications Department 33 Storage section 34 Control Unit 35 Information Acquisition Department 36 Scheduling Unit 37. First Mathematical Optimization Unit 38 Duplication determination section 39. Second Mathematical Optimization Unit

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising a substrate storage section for storing substrates, a plurality of substrate processing sections for performing a plurality of different substrate processing on the substrates, and a substrate transport section for transporting the substrates, wherein an information processing apparatus creates a substrate processing schedule when sequentially performing the plurality of substrate processing on a predetermined number of substrates, The aforementioned information processing device is An information acquisition unit acquires processing time information indicating the processing time required for each processing of the substrate, including a transport process for transporting the substrate from the substrate storage unit to the first substrate processing unit, each of the multiple substrate processing units performed, a transport process for transporting the substrate from the substrate processing unit that performed the substrate processing first to the substrate processing unit that will perform the substrate processing next, and a transport process for transporting the substrate from the last substrate processing unit to the substrate storage unit. A scheduling unit determines the start timing of each process for the boards, based on the processing time information acquired by the information acquisition unit, such that the processing time from when the first board is transported from the board storage unit to the first board processing unit until the last board is transported from the last board processing unit to the board storage unit is minimized. Equipped with, The aforementioned scheduling unit, A first mathematical optimization unit performs a first mathematical optimization to determine the start timing of each process on the substrate, with respect to the plurality of substrate processing units and the substrate transport unit, without using an exclusive processing condition that selects one of two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate as a constraint condition for mathematical optimization, and with minimizing the processing time as the objective function of the mathematical optimization. Based on the results of the first mathematical optimization, a duplicate determination unit determines whether there is a substrate processing unit or a substrate transport unit that performs processing that cannot be done simultaneously, A second mathematical optimization unit performs a second mathematical optimization to determine the start timing of each process on the substrate, targeting the substrate processing unit or the substrate transport unit for which the duplicate determination unit has determined that the processes cannot be performed simultaneously. This second mathematical optimization unit adds an exclusive processing condition to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization to determine which of the two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate should be prioritized, and sets the objective function of the mathematical optimization as minimizing the processing time. An information processing device equipped with the following features.

2. The processing time required for each of the processes on the substrate includes the usage time, which is the time for processing the substrate or the time for transporting the substrate, and a predetermined time margin set before and after the usage time. The duplicate determination unit, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, with respect to one substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit, if the usage time for one substrate overlaps with the usage time for another substrate, the substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit determines that the simultaneous processing cannot be performed.

3. The processing time required for each of the processes on the substrate includes the usage time, which is the time for processing the substrate or the time for transporting the substrate, and a predetermined time margin set before and after the usage time. The duplicate determination unit, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, with respect to one substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit, if the usage time for one substrate and the time margin for another substrate overlap, the substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit determines that the processing that cannot be performed simultaneously is to be performed in the said substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit.

4. The processing time required for each of the processes on the substrate includes the usage time, which is the time for processing the substrate or the time for transporting the substrate, and a predetermined time margin set before and after the usage time. The duplicate determination unit, The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, with respect to one substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit, if the time margin for one substrate and the time margin for another substrate overlap, the substrate processing unit or substrate transport unit determines that the processing that cannot be performed simultaneously is to be performed.

5. The duplicate determination unit, Based on the results of the first mathematical optimization, it is determined whether or not there is a substrate transport unit where transport operations that cannot be performed simultaneously are performed. The second mathematical optimization unit is: The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, for the substrate transport unit which the duplicate determination unit has determined is capable of performing the transport operations that cannot be performed simultaneously, an exclusive processing condition is added to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization to determine which of the two operations that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate should be prioritized, and the objective function of the mathematical optimization is to minimize the processing time, thereby determining the start timing of the transport operations on the substrate.

6. A method for creating a substrate processing schedule when sequentially performing the multiple substrate processing operations on a predetermined number of substrates in a substrate processing apparatus, comprising a substrate storage unit for storing substrates, a plurality of substrate processing units for performing a plurality of different substrate processing operations on the substrates, and a substrate transport unit for transporting the substrates, wherein the substrate processing apparatus creates a substrate processing schedule for sequentially performing the plurality of substrate processing operations on a predetermined number of substrates, The aforementioned method, Information acquisition step to acquire processing time information indicating the processing time required for each processing of the substrate, including a transport process for transporting the substrate from the substrate storage unit to the first substrate processing unit, each of the substrate processing performed in the plurality of substrate processing units, a transport process for transporting the substrate from the substrate processing unit that performed the substrate processing first to the substrate processing unit that will perform the substrate processing next, and a transport process for transporting the substrate from the last substrate processing unit to the substrate storage unit; A scheduling step in which, based on the processing time information obtained in the information acquisition step, the start timing of each process for the boards is determined such that the processing time from when the first board is transported from the board storage unit to the first board processing unit until the last board is transported from the last board processing unit to the board storage unit is minimized. Includes, The aforementioned scheduling step is, A first mathematical optimization step is performed to determine the start timing of each process on the substrate, with respect to the plurality of substrate processing units and the substrate transport unit, without setting an exclusive processing condition that selects one of two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate as a constraint condition for mathematical optimization, and with minimizing the processing time as the objective function of the mathematical optimization. Based on the results of the first mathematical optimization, a duplication determination step is made to determine whether there is a substrate processing unit or a substrate transport unit that performs processing that cannot be done simultaneously, A second mathematical optimization step is performed to determine the start timing of each process on the substrate, with the substrate processing unit or the substrate transport unit, which have been determined by the overlap determination step to be processes that cannot be performed simultaneously, by adding an exclusive processing condition to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization to determine which of the two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate should be prioritized, and with the objective function of the mathematical optimization being to minimize the processing time, the second mathematical optimization is performed to determine the start timing of each process on the substrate. Methods that include...

7. A substrate processing apparatus comprising a substrate storage section for storing substrates, a plurality of substrate processing sections for performing a plurality of different substrate processing on the substrates, and a substrate transport section for transporting the substrates, wherein a program executed by an information processing apparatus creates a substrate processing schedule for sequentially performing the plurality of substrate processing on a predetermined number of substrates, The program is configured on the information processing device. Information acquisition process for acquiring processing time information indicating the processing time required for each processing of the substrate, including a transport process for transporting the substrate from the substrate storage unit to the first substrate processing unit, each of the multiple substrate processing units performed, a transport process for transporting the substrate from the substrate processing unit that performed the substrate processing first to the substrate processing unit that will perform the substrate processing next, and a transport process for transporting the substrate from the last substrate processing unit to the substrate storage unit, Based on the processing time information obtained by the information acquisition process, a scheduling process is performed to determine the start timing of each process for the boards such that the processing time from when the first board is transported from the board storage unit to the first board processing unit until the last board is transported from the last board processing unit to the board storage unit is minimized. Make it run, The aforementioned scheduling process is: A first mathematical optimization process is performed to determine the start timing of each process on the substrate, with respect to the plurality of substrate processing units and the substrate transport unit, without using an exclusive processing condition that selects one of two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate as a constraint condition for mathematical optimization, and with minimizing the processing time as the objective function of the mathematical optimization. Based on the results of the first mathematical optimization, a duplicate determination process is performed to determine whether there is a substrate processing unit or a substrate transport unit that performs processing that cannot be done simultaneously. A second mathematical optimization process is performed to determine the start timing of each process on the substrate, with the substrate processing unit or the substrate transport unit, which have been determined by the duplicate determination process to be unable to perform the processes simultaneously, by adding an exclusive processing condition to the constraints of the first mathematical optimization to determine which of the two processes that cannot be performed simultaneously on the substrate should be prioritized, and with the objective function of the mathematical optimization being to minimize the processing time, the second mathematical optimization process determines the start timing of each process on the substrate. A program that includes this.

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