TWI900787B - Processing device, conveying method, and manufacturing method of article - Google Patents

Abstract

A processing apparatus is provided for processing a plurality of substrates transported from an external apparatus, comprising: a transport section comprising an import section for loading substrates transported from the external apparatus to the processing apparatus and an export section for loading substrates transported from the processing apparatus to the external apparatus, and transporting substrates between the import section, the export section, and a processing section for processing the substrates; and a control section for controlling the transport of substrates between the external apparatus and the processing apparatus according to a transport mode; the transport mode comprising an import priority mode, wherein, when there are substrates to be loaded into the import section and substrates to be loaded out of the export section, the import priority mode gives priority to loading substrates into the import section over unloading substrates from the export 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 for manufacturing an article.

In the photolithography process, which is part of the manufacturing process for semiconductor devices, liquid crystal displays, etc., an exposure apparatus is a processing device that transfers a pattern on a master (mask or reticle) to a substrate (wafer, etc.) coated with a resist (photosensitive agent) via a projection optical system. For example, in the photolithography process, the process preceding the exposure process performed by the exposure apparatus is the coating process of applying the resist to (the surface of) the substrate, while the process following the exposure process is the development process of developing the substrate (the resist on which) the transferred pattern is developed. The equipment that performs these coating and development processes includes, for example, a coating and development device called a coater developer, which combines both coating and development functions. The coating function uniformly applies the resist to the substrate by rotating the substrate at high speed. Substrate transport between the exposure system and the coating and development system is automated by a substrate transport device located between the devices to improve throughput while avoiding the hassle of adding batches to each process and maintaining the chemical properties of the resist. When the exposure system and coating and development system are connected inline via a substrate transport device, a transport unit is provided in either or both of the exposure system and the coating and development system. This transport unit is used to transport (pass) substrates between the systems via the substrate transport device. To efficiently manufacture semiconductor devices at high throughput, efficient substrate transport is required in the transport units provided in the exposure system and the coating and development system. The substrate transport unit generally transports substrates (unexposed substrates) that have completed the coating process in the coating and development system to a transport unit that is part of the exposure system. On the other hand, the exposure system temporarily transports substrates that have completed the exposure process (exposed substrates) to the coating and developing system (waiting in the transport section). Therefore, during the initial stages of batch processing, substrate transport between the exposure system and the coating and developing system primarily involves transport (loading) from the coating and developing system to the exposure system. Subsequently, as batch processing progresses, transport from the coating and developing system to the exposure system and transport (unloading) from the exposure system to the coating and developing system are performed in parallel. During this substrate transport (handover), the substrate transport system receives instructions such as "operation start requests" and "operation completion notifications" from each of the exposure and coating and developing systems, and sequentially and in real time performs the corresponding actions. When the substrate transport system's throughput is equal to or higher than that of the exposure system, the exposure system typically immediately initiates the substrate loading operation (substrate loading operation) when the exposure system requests the substrate transport system to load a substrate. On the other hand, when the exposure system's throughput is low, the substrate loading operation may not begin immediately even if the exposure system requests the substrate transport system to load a substrate. In this situation, when the substrate transport system begins the operation related to unloading a substrate from the exposure system (substrate unloading operation), the substrate loading operation cannot begin until the unloading operation is complete, resulting in a decrease in overall throughput. Therefore, Japanese Patent No. 4915033 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-66463 propose technologies for suppressing reductions in throughput during substrate transfer between an exposure system and a substrate transport system. Japanese Patent No. 4915033 discloses an exposure system that transmits time information, either a predicted time or a predetermined time until a substrate can be removed from the exposure system, to the substrate transport system before performing operations related to substrate transfer. In a lithography system including the exposure system disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4915033, after the exposure system requests the substrate transport system to load a substrate, the exposure system can determine the timing of loading the substrate from the substrate transport system into the exposure system. Therefore, in this photolithography system, the operation of unloading a substrate from the exposure system can be put on hold before the substrate is loaded from the substrate transport system into the exposure system. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-66463 discloses a substrate transport system that compares the time required to retrieve (unload) a substrate from the exposure system with the time required to supply (load) the substrate to the exposure system to determine whether to prioritize substrate supply. In the substrate transport system disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-66463, when a request is made to supply a substrate from the exposure system, the substrate transport system prioritizes substrate supply over substrate retrieval.

[Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4915033 requires the communication (transmission and reception) of time information between the exposure system and the substrate transport system, necessitating the redefinition of the communication interface between the devices. Furthermore, the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4915033 requires a program to control substrate transport based on time information, which is expected to incur corresponding costs in both software and hardware. On the other hand, the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-66463 requires the decision of whether to prioritize substrate collection or supply, not only on the exposure system side but also on the substrate transport system side. Therefore, if the goal is to achieve this with a single exposure device (i.e., by upgrading the exposure device), the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-66463 cannot be applied. The present invention provides a processing device that is advantageous for increasing processing throughput while reducing costs. [Means for Solving the Problem] A processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention processes a plurality of substrates transferred from an external device, comprising: a transfer unit including an inlet for loading substrates transferred from the external device into the processing apparatus and an outlet for loading substrates transferred from the processing apparatus to the external device, and transferring substrates between the inlet, outlet, and a processing unit in which the substrates are processed; and a control unit for controlling the transfer of substrates between the external device and the processing apparatus according to a transfer mode; the transfer mode including an inlet priority mode, wherein, when there are substrates to be transferred into the inlet and substrates to be transferred out of the outlet, the inlet priority mode prioritizes the transfer of substrates into the inlet over the transfer of substrates from the outlet. Further objectives and other aspects of the present invention will become apparent through the following description of the embodiments with reference to the accompanying drawings. [Comparison with Prior Art Efficacy] According to the present invention, for example, a processing device can be provided that reduces costs while increasing processing throughput.

Hereinafter, the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the following embodiment does not limit the scope of the inventor of the patent application. Although the embodiment describes a plurality of features, it is not limited to all of these plurality of features being essential to the invention, and a plurality of features may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, in the drawings, the same reference symbols are given to the same or identical components, and repeated descriptions are omitted. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of a photolithography system 1 having an exposure device 2 and a coating and developing device 3 as one solution of the present invention. The photolithography system 1 is used, for example, in a photolithography process for the manufacture of semiconductor devices. In a clean room within a factory, the photolithography system 1 is arranged so that the exposure device 2 and the coating and developing device 3 are adjacent to each other. The exposure device 2 is a processing device for processing a plurality of substrates transported from the coating and developing device 3, which is an external device. Specifically, the exposure device 2 is a device that performs an exposure process in which a pattern of an original plate (reduction mask or mask) is projected onto a substrate (wafer) having a resist (photosensitive agent) layer formed on its surface, and the substrate is exposed. The coating and developing device 3 is a device that, as a pre-process (pre-process) of the exposure process performed in the exposure device 2, coats the resist on the surface of the substrate, and, as a post-process (post-process) after the exposure process, develops the substrate to which the pattern has been transferred. The structure of the exposure device 2 is described below. The exposure device 2 has a chamber 4 that accommodates the entire device. Inside the chamber 4, there are provided: an exposure section 5 that houses a main body for performing exposure processing; and a substrate transport device (hereinafter referred to as the "first transport device") 6 that transports (transfers) the substrate between the exposure section 5 and the coating and developing device 3. FIG2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the structure of the main body 20 disposed inside the exposure section 5. The main body 20 adopts a step-and-scan method as an exposure method to project the pattern of the original plate 21 onto the substrate 22. However, the main body 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 carrier 24 that holds the original plate 21, a projection optical system 25, and a substrate stage 26 that holds the substrate 22. In Figure 2 , the axis parallel to the optical axis of projection optical system 25 is defined as the Z axis, the axis parallel to the scanning direction of substrate 22 in a plane perpendicular to the Z axis is defined as the Y axis, and the axis parallel to the non-scanning direction perpendicular to the Y axis is defined as the X axis. The illumination optical system 23 illuminates the original plate 21 with light from a light source (not shown). A pulsed light source, such as a laser, is used as the light source. Examples of lasers that can be used as light sources include ArF excimer lasers with a wavelength of approximately 193 nm, _F2 lasers with a wavelength of approximately 153 nm, and YAG lasers. The type and number of lasers used are not limited. When a laser is used as a light source, the illumination optical system 23 preferably includes: a shaping optical system that shapes parallel light from the light source into a predetermined shape, and an incoherent optical system that incoheres coherent light. In addition, the light source is not limited to a pulsed light source, and one or more continuous light sources such as mercury lamps and xenon lamps may also be used. The illumination optical system 23 includes various optical components such as lenses, reflectors, optical integrators, and apertures. The original plate 21 is made of, for example, quartz glass and has a pattern (circuit pattern, etc.) to be transferred to the substrate 22. The original plate carrier 24 is a carrier that can move in at least the X and Y directions while holding the original plate 21. The projection optical system 25 projects the pattern on the master plate 21, illuminated by the light from the illumination optical system 23, onto the substrate 22 at a predetermined magnification (e.g., 1/4 or 1/5). Examples of the projection optical system 25 include an optical system consisting solely of a plurality of refractive lens elements, an optical system consisting of a plurality of refractive lens elements and at least one concave mirror (a catadioptric optical system), and the like. Furthermore, examples of the projection optical system 25 include an optical system consisting of a plurality of refractive lens elements and at least one diffractive optical element such as a kinoform lens, and a total internal reflection mirror-type optical system. The substrate 22 is a substrate coated with an etch resist and is, for example, a processed substrate formed of single-crystal silicon. The substrate stage 26 is a stage that can move in at least the X and Y directions while holding the substrate 22. In this embodiment, a step-and-scan method is adopted, so the original stage 24 and the substrate stage 26 move synchronously with each other. The first conveying device 6 has: a pre-alignment section 30, which positions the substrate 22 before the exposure process; and a supply hand 31, which supplies (transports) the substrate 22 from the pre-alignment section 30 to the substrate stage 26 of the main body 20. In addition, when an open box body that can accommodate a plurality of substrates 22 is used to directly transport (carry in) the substrate 22 to the main body 20, the first conveying device 6 has a carrier port 32 as a place (portion) for placing the open box body. Alternatively, the carrier port 32 may be configured as a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) for holding a sealed carrier, instead of an open cassette. The first transport device 6, serving as the first transport location (transfer unit) for transporting (transferring) the substrate 22 between the exposure device 2 and the coating and developing device 3, includes a first loading unit 33 and a first unloading unit 34. Furthermore, the first transport device 6 includes a loading hand 35 and an unloading hand 36 for appropriately transferring the substrate 22 to each component of the first transport device 6. The loading hand 35 and the unloading hand 36 include, for example, a horizontal multi-joint robot (selective adaptive assembly robot arm). In addition, although the first loading section 33 is a transportation location when the substrate 22 (unexposed substrate) is transported (loaded) from the coating and developing device 3 to the exposure device 2, it can also have the function of the pre-alignment section 30 and the function of a program processing section for adjusting the temperature of the substrate. In addition, although the first unloading section 34 is a transportation location when the substrate 22 (exposed substrate) is transported (loaded) from the exposure device 2 to the coating and developing device 3, it can also have the function of a program processing section for performing peripheral exposure processing. In addition, the exposure device 2 has a control section (hereinafter referred to as the "first control section") 7. The first control section 7 is composed of, for example, a computer, is connected to each part of the exposure device 2, and controls each part of the exposure device 2 according to the program stored in the memory. The first control section 7 can be integrally configured inside the exposure device 2 or configured outside the exposure device 2. The first control unit 7 controls various parts of the exposure device 2 and performs exposure device processing including various alignment processing, exposure processing, etc. In addition, in the present embodiment, the first control unit 7 controls the transportation of the substrate between the exposure device 2 and the coating and developing device 3 according to the transportation mode. The structure of the coating and developing device 3 is described. As shown in Figure 1, the coating and developing device 3 has: a coating and developing processing unit 8, which is arranged inside the chamber 40; and a substrate conveying device (hereinafter referred to as the "second conveying device") 9, which is arranged inside the chamber 41 and implements the transportation (transfer) of the substrate between the exposure device 2. The coating and developing processing unit 8 serves as a program processing unit for the substrate 22, and includes a coating unit 44, a heating unit 45, a developing unit 46 and a cooling unit 47. The coating unit 44, which includes, for example, a rotary coater, rotates the substrate 22 while dripping resist onto the surface of the substrate 22, thereby forming a uniform resist film on the surface of the substrate 22. The heating unit 45 performs a pre-bake (pre-baking) on the substrate 22 (unexposed substrate) and a post-exposure bake (post-exposure bake) on the substrate 22 (exposed substrate). Pre-baking is a heat treatment performed after applying the resist to the surface of the substrate 22 to evaporate any residual solvent in the resist film, thereby strengthening the adhesion between the resist film and the surface of the substrate 22. The pre-baking of the unexposed (before exposure) substrate 22 is preferably performed at a temperature that does not thermally decompose the polymer or additives. In addition, pre-development baking is a heat treatment performed on the substrate 22 after exposure and before development in order to reduce the deformation of the resist pattern caused by the stationary effect when exposing with light of a single wavelength. Pre-development baking also has the effect of promoting the catalytic reaction of the chemically enhanced resist after exposure. In addition, as a baking treatment method of the heating section 45, a resistance heating method, an infrared heating method, etc. can be adopted. The developing section 46 develops the substrate 22 (the exposed substrate). As a development treatment method of the developing section 46, a spinning method, a spray method, etc. can be adopted. The cooling section 47 includes, for example, a cooling plate that is cooled by circulating cooling water, and cools the heated substrate 22. As other methods of cooling treatment of the cooling section 47, electronic cooling based on the Peltier effect may be used. Furthermore, the coating and developing processing section 8 includes: a carrier port 48, which is a place (part) for placing a carrier such as an open box or FOUP; and a transfer arm 49, which appropriately transfers the substrate 22 between the carrier and each part. The transfer arm 49 includes, for example, a selectively compliant assembly robot. The open box or FOUP is transferred in the clean room by a manual transfer trolley (PGV: Person Guided Vehicle) and is automatically transferred to the carrier port 48. In addition, there is also a structure in which the open box or FOUP is placed from the top of the clean room to the carrier port 48 by OHT (Over Head Transfer). The second transport unit 9 serves as a second transport location (transfer unit) for transporting (handing) the substrate 22 between the exposure unit 2 and the coating and developing unit 3, and includes a second loading unit 50 and a second unloading unit 51. The second transport unit 9 also includes a transport arm 52 that appropriately transports the substrate 22 between the second loading unit 50 and the second unloading unit 51 and the first loading unit 33 and the first unloading unit 34 provided on the first transport unit 6. The transport arm 52 includes, for example, a selectively compliant assembly robot. The second loading unit 50 serves as a transport location for transporting (loading) the substrate 22 (exposed substrate) from the exposure unit 2 to the coating and developing unit 8. The second unloading section 51 is a transport location for transferring (unloading) substrates 22 (unexposed substrates) from the coating and developing processing section 8 to the exposure apparatus 2. Furthermore, the coating and developing apparatus 3 includes a control unit (hereinafter referred to as the "second control unit") 10. The second control unit 10 is composed of, for example, a computer, is connected to various components of the coating and developing apparatus 3, and controls these components according to a program stored in a memory unit. The second control unit 10 can be integrally formed within the coating and developing apparatus 3 or externally. The following describes the operations within the photolithography system 1. Here, substrates 22 to be processed are stored in batches of 25 in an open cassette and transported to the loading port 48 of the coating and development processing section 8 in the coating and development device 3. First, in the coating and development processing section 8, a transport arm 49 takes the substrates 22 from the open cassettes loaded in the loading port 48 and transports them to the coating section 44, where the coating section 44 applies an etchant to the substrates 22. The transport arm 49 then transports the substrates 22, now coated with etchant, from the coating section 44 to the heating section 45, where the substrates 22 undergo a pre-bake process. The transport arm 49 then transports the pre-baked substrate 22 from the heating unit 45 to the cooling unit 47, where the cooling unit 47 cools the substrate 22. It is also preferable to set the temperature of the substrate 22 during transport (load) into the exposure apparatus 2 to a temperature that does not affect the interior of the chamber 4 of the exposure apparatus 2. Therefore, the cooling unit 47 can adjust the temperature of the substrate 22 using, for example, the temperature of the air conditioning system of the main body 20 as a target temperature. In the exposure apparatus 2, if a temperature control unit is provided in the first load-in section 33 of the first transport apparatus 6, the substrate 22 transferred from the coating and developing apparatus 3 can be subjected to final and precise temperature control. Therefore, in the cooling section 47, the temperature of the substrate 22 can be brought close to the target temperature to a certain extent, or it can be adjusted to a temperature slightly higher than the final target temperature. The transfer arm 49 then transfers the cooled substrate 22 from the cooling section 47 to the second carry-out section 51. In this manner, the transfer arm 49 of the coating and development processing section 8 sequentially retrieves the substrates 22 stored in the open cassette and transfers them to various sections of the coating and development apparatus 3. The transfer arm 52 of the second transfer apparatus 9 then transfers the substrate 22, transferred to the second carry-out section 51, to the first carry-in section 33 of the first transfer apparatus 6 in the exposure apparatus 2. Then, in the first conveying device 6, the temperature of the substrate 22 is adjusted to the target temperature by the temperature adjustment section provided inside the first loading section 33. Then, the loading hand 35 transports the substrate 22 whose temperature has been adjusted from the first loading section 33 to the pre-alignment section 30. In the pre-alignment section 30, the substrate 22 is placed on the pre-alignment stage and is rotationally driven by the pre-alignment stage drive system. At this time, the edge of the substrate 22 is detected by a detector such as a CCD sensor, and the first control section 7 calculates the notch direction, substrate center, and eccentricity of the substrate 22 based on the output from the detector. Then, the pre-alignment section 30 will eventually align the direction of the notch formed on the substrate 22 with the predetermined direction. The supply hand 31 then supplies the pre-aligned substrate 22 from the pre-alignment section 30 to the substrate stage 26 of the main body 20, and the main body 20 performs an exposure process on the substrate 22 held on the substrate stage 26. The unloading hand 36 then transfers the exposed substrate 22 (exposed substrate) from the substrate stage 26 to the first unloading section 34. The transfer hand 52 of the second transfer device 9 then transfers the substrate 22, which has been transferred to the first unloading section 34, from the first unloading section 34 to the second loading section 50. The transfer hand 49 of the coating and development processing section 8 then transfers the substrate 22, which has been transferred to the second loading section 50, from the second loading section 50 to the heating section 45, where the heating section 45 performs a pre-development baking process on the substrate 22. Then, the transfer arm 49 transfers the substrate 22 that has completed the pre-development baking process from the heating unit 45 to the developing unit 46, and the developing unit 46 performs a development process on the substrate 22. In addition, the transfer arm 49 transfers the substrate 22 that has completed the development process from the developing unit 46 to a predetermined slot of the open cassette placed in the carrier port 48. The photolithography system 1 performs this series of processes sequentially and continuously on all substrates 22 accommodated in the open cassette. Therefore, after each gripper 35, 36, 49, and 52 completes the exposure process for the first substrate in the batch, it is necessary to add the action of transferring the exposed substrate from the exposure device 2 to the coating and developing device 3, and it is necessary to perform the transfer action for the unexposed substrate and the exposed substrate in parallel. Next, the processing related to the transportation of the substrate 22 in the photolithography system 1, that is, the transportation processing (transportation method) is explained. First, as a comparative example, the transportation processing in the prior art is explained. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating the transportation sequence of the substrate between the exposure device and the coating and developing device in the prior art. Here, attention is paid to the movement of the loading hand of the first transport device in the exposure device and the movement of the transport hand of the second transport device in the coating and developing device. In addition, the components of the exposure device and the coating and developing device in the prior art are marked with the same symbols as the components of the exposure device 2 and the coating and developing device 3 in this embodiment. As shown in S31, the first control unit 7 of the exposure apparatus 2 sends a "substrate carry-in request" to the second control unit 10 of the coating and development apparatus 3 in order to instruct the second transport unit 9 of the coating and development apparatus 3 to transport the next substrate to be processed. In response to this substrate carry-in request, if the coating and development apparatus 3 cannot immediately prepare a substrate, that is, if the coating and development apparatus 3 cannot immediately carry a substrate from the coating and development apparatus 3 to the exposure apparatus 2, the exposure apparatus 2 enters a waiting state (substrate carry-in standby state) before the substrate is carried in from the coating and development apparatus 3. During this substrate carry-in standby state, the exposure apparatus 2 is expected to place a substrate that has completed exposure processing (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 the substrate unloading request (S33) from the exposure device 2, and as shown in S34, the transfer arm 52 unloads the substrate placed on the first unloading unit 34. During the substrate unloading process (S34) of unloading the substrate from the exposure device 2 to the coating and developing device 3, even if the substrate preparation for the substrate loading request (S31) is completed in the coating and developing device 3, the substrate unloading process (S34) cannot be interrupted. Therefore, after the substrate unloading process (S34) is completed, the substrate loading process for the substrate loading request (S31) begins, as shown in S35. In the substrate carrying-in process, the substrate is carried from the coating and developing device 3 to the exposure device 2 by the transport arm 52 (the substrate is placed on the first carrying-in part 33). FIG4 is a diagram showing an example of a timing diagram for continuously processing a plurality of substrates, such as 6 substrates, based on the transport sequence in the prior art shown in FIG3. In FIG4, the passage of time is represented from left to right, and the order of the substrates to be processed is represented from top to bottom. Referring to FIG4, first, as shown in S401, the exposure device 2 carries out (starts) the carrying-in of the first substrate. This is equivalent to the substrate carrying-in process (S35) through the transport arm 52. Then, the exposure device 2 transports the first substrate to each part of the exposure device 2 in sequence, and performs exposure device processing including various alignment processing, exposure processing, etc. as shown in S402. Then, when the exposure device processing (S402) of the first substrate is completed, the exposure device 2 carries out the first substrate as shown in S403. This is equivalent to the substrate carrying-out processing (S34) through the transport hand 52. In parallel with the exposure device processing (S402) of the first substrate, the exposure device 2 carries in the second substrate as shown in S411. When the carrying-in (S411) of the second substrate is completed, the exposure device 2 sequentially transports the second substrate to each part of the exposure device 2 and carries out the exposure device processing as shown in S412. Then, when the exposure device processing (S412) of the second substrate is completed, the exposure device 2 carries out the second substrate as shown in S413. As for the substrates after the third one, as shown in FIG4 , each process (substrate loading process, exposure device process, substrate unloading process) is repeated in parallel from the loading of the third substrate to the completion of the unloading of the sixth substrate (final processed substrate). Referring to FIG4 , in the prior art, before the loading of the third substrate shown in S421, a substrate loading standby (standby time) shown in S424 is required. This means that during the unloading of the first substrate (S403), although the preparation for loading the third substrate is completed, the loading of the third substrate (S421) cannot be performed until the unloading of the first substrate is completed, and therefore the process is in a substrate 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. When substrate loading is on standby, i.e., when a waiting time is required, the processing capacity related to substrate transport between the exposure unit 2 and the coating and developing unit 3 is affected. In the example shown in FIG4 , for example, after the exposure unit processing of the third substrate shown in S422 is completed, the third substrate is not immediately unloaded (S423), but the fifth substrate is first loaded (S441) to allow for the subsequent processing to proceed earlier. Therefore, in this embodiment, before the exposure unit 2 sends a substrate unloading request to the coating and developing unit 3 (S33), it is determined whether the substrate loading process that has passed through the coating and developing unit 3 (transport arm 52) should be prioritized (S35). Then, based on the result of this determination, the substrate transport sequence between the exposure unit 2 and the coating and development unit 3 is modified to reduce the substrate loading standby time (S424, S444), thereby achieving an increase in processing throughput. For example, in this embodiment, when there is a need to request the coating and development unit 3 to load substrates into the first loading section 33 and a need to request the coating and development unit 3 to unload substrates from the first unloading section 34, the substrate loading process is prioritized over the substrate unloading process. Specifically, when there are substrates to be loaded into the first load-in section 33 and substrates to be unloaded from the first unload-out section 34, the transport mode for transporting substrates between the exposure unit 2 and the coating and developing unit 3 is changed to the load-in priority mode. The load-in priority mode prioritizes loading substrates into the first load-in section 33 over unloading substrates from the first unload-out section 34. In this embodiment, the transport mode for transporting substrates between the exposure unit 2 and the coating and developing unit 3 includes both the load-in priority mode and the normal mode. The normal mode, as described in the prior art (Figures 3 and 4), is the following transport mode: the substrate carry-in process is not prioritized over the substrate carry-out process, but when the substrate is placed on the first carry-out section 34, the substrate is immediately subjected to the substrate carry-out process. The following describes the process related to the transport of the substrate in this embodiment, that is, the transport process (transport method). Figure 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 Figure 5, in this embodiment, during the substrate carry-in standby state, as shown in S52, when the substrate that has completed the exposure process (exposure-completed substrate) is placed on the first carry-out section 34, the carry-in and carry-out sequential control process shown in S5 is performed before the substrate carry-out request (S33) is sent. In other words, in this embodiment ( FIG. 5 ), compared to the prior art ( FIG. 3 ), the process of placing a substrate on the first carry-out section 34 ( S32 ) is replaced with a carry-in/out sequential control process ( S5 ). The carry-in/out sequential control process includes not only the process of placing a substrate on the first carry-out section 34 ( S52 ), but also a carry-in priority determination ( S57 ) and a substrate carry-in standby ( S58 ). In the carry-in priority determination ( S57 ), it is determined whether the substrate carry-in process, which is the process of placing a substrate from the coating and developing device 3 on the exposure device 2 and placing the substrate on the first carry-in section 33 , is prioritized over the substrate carry-out process, which is the process of removing the substrate placed on the first carry-out section 34 from the exposure device 2 . In other words, it is determined whether the transport mode related to transporting the substrate between the exposure device 2 and the coating and developing device 3 is set to the transport-in priority mode. Here, when the substrate transport-in process is prioritized over the substrate transport-out process, a substrate transport-out request (S33) is not immediately sent to the coating and developing device 3, but the substrate transport-in process is waited for to start, that is, the substrate transport-in standby (S58) for the substrate transport-in process is started. Then, as shown in S55, during the substrate transport-in standby (S58), the substrate transport-in process in response to the substrate transport-in request (S31) is started. In addition, when the substrate transport-in process (S55) starts, a substrate transport-out request (S33) is sent to the coating and developing device 3, and the substrate transport-out request (S33) is accepted, and the substrate transport-out process shown in S54 is started. FIG6 is a flowchart for explaining the sequential control process for loading and unloading (S5). Referring to FIG6 , in S52, a substrate that has completed the exposure process (exposure-completed substrate) is placed on the first unloading section 34. Once the substrate is placed on the first unloading section 34, a priority determination is performed in S57 to determine whether the substrate loading process is prioritized over the substrate unloading process. If the substrate loading process is prioritized over the substrate unloading process (the loading mode is set to the loading priority mode), a substrate loading standby is initiated in S58. After the substrate loading standby is executed, a substrate unloading request is issued in S33. On the other hand, when the substrate carry-in process is not prioritized over the substrate carry-out process, the substrate carry-in standby (S58) is not implemented, and the substrate carry-out request is sent in S33 (i.e., immediately). FIG7 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the determination of carry-in priority (S57). Referring to FIG7, in S571, it is determined whether the exposure device 2 needs subsequent substrates. Specifically, it is determined whether there are substrates that have not yet been carried into the exposure device 2 from the coating and developing device 3 (unloaded substrates). For example, when 25 substrates are set as one batch, when the substrates up to the 5th are carried into the exposure device 2, 20 substrates will remain in the coating and developing device 3, so it is determined that there are unloaded substrates (yes). Therefore, basically, before the last substrate in the batch, that is, the 25th substrate, is carried into the exposure device 2, it is determined that there are unloaded substrates. In the case where an instruction to suspend or interrupt the operation is input, even if one batch is being processed, that is, there are substrates that have not been brought in, it is determined that there are no substrates that have not been brought in (No). In this way, when it is determined that there are substrates that have not been brought in, the process moves to S572, and when it is determined that there are no substrates that have not been brought in, 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 conveying device 6 is in a transportable state for conveying the substrate that has been brought into the exposure device 2 (first loading section 33) from the coating and developing device 3. In the following, with reference to Figures 8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D, an example of a specific method for determining whether the state of the first conveying device 6 is in a transportable state is described. Figures 8A, 8B, 8C, and 8D respectively illustrate the states of the loading hand 35, unloading hand 36, pre-alignment section 30, and supply hand 31 that constitute the first conveying device 6. Here, the states of the loading hand 35, unloading hand 36, pre-alignment section 30, and supply hand 31 refer to whether a substrate is being held or placed. For example, as shown in Figure 8A, when none of the loading hand 35, unloading hand 36, pre-alignment section 30, and supply hand 31 that constitute the first conveying device 6 is holding or placing a substrate, the state of the first conveying device 6 is determined to be a transportable state (yes). Starting from the state shown in Figure 8A, when substrates are sequentially loaded from the coating and developing device 3 into the exposure device 2, the state becomes, for example, the state shown in Figure 8B. In the state shown in FIG8B , the loading hand 35, the unloading hand 36, the pre-alignment part 30, and the supply hand 31 constituting the first conveying device 6 all hold or carry substrates, and therefore the substrate cannot be carried into the exposure device 2. 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 FIG8A and the state shown in FIG8B , for example, in the state shown in FIG8C , the loading hand 35 does not hold the substrate, and therefore the substrate can be carried into the exposure device 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 FIG8C , although the substrate is not placed on the pre-alignment part 30, even if the substrate is placed on the pre-alignment part 30, it is determined that the state of the first conveying device 6 is a conveyable state (Yes). On the other hand, in the state shown in FIG8D , although the substrate is not placed on the pre-alignment section 30, the carry-in hand 35 holds the substrate. In the exposure device 2, the carry-in hand 35 is the next transport destination of the first carry-in section 33. When the carry-in hand 35 holds the substrate, the first conveying device 6 cannot transport the substrate. Therefore, it is determined that the state of the first conveying device 6 is not a transportable state (No). Therefore, in this embodiment, if the carry-in hand 35 is in a state where it does not hold the substrate (FIG. 8A, FIG8C), it is determined that the state of the first conveying device 6 is a transportable state. On the other hand, if the carry-in hand 35 is in a state where it holds the substrate (FIG. 8B, FIG8D), it is determined that the state of the first conveying device 6 is not a transportable state. Furthermore, the current status of the substrate held by the loading hand 35 (whether or not a substrate is held) can be obtained, for example, from the detection results of sensors on the loading hand 35 or in the movement path of the loading hand 35. Thus, in S572, if it is determined that the first transport device 6 is in a state where transport is possible, the process proceeds to S573, where the transport mode for transporting substrates is set to the load-in priority mode, which prioritizes substrate load-in processing over substrate unload processing. Furthermore, in S572, if it is determined that the first transport device 6 is not in a state where transport is possible, the process proceeds to S574, where the transport mode for transporting substrates is set to the normal mode, which does not prioritize substrate load-in processing over substrate unload processing and instead transports substrates in the same manner as in the prior art. In other words, in this embodiment, when there is a substrate that has not been loaded and the first transport unit 6 is in a transportable state, the substrate load-in process is prioritized over the substrate load-out process. In other cases, the substrate load-in process is not prioritized over the substrate load-out process. FIG9 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the substrate load-in standby (S58). Referring to FIG9, in S581, it is determined whether the substrate has been loaded from the coating and developing device 3 to the exposure device 2, specifically, whether the substrate is placed on the first load-in section 33. If the substrate is placed on the first load-in section 33, the substrate load-in standby is terminated (released). On the other hand, if the substrate is not placed on the first load-in section 33, the process proceeds to S582. In S582, it is determined whether the time elapsed after the start of the substrate loading standby exceeds the maximum standby time (predetermined time). If the time elapsed after the start of the substrate loading standby exceeds the maximum standby time, the substrate loading standby is terminated. On the other hand, if the time elapsed after the start of the substrate loading standby does not exceed the maximum standby time, the process proceeds to S581, where it is again determined whether the substrate is placed on the first loading section 33. In this manner, the determination of whether the substrate is placed on the first loading section 33 is repeated until the time elapsed since the start of the substrate loading standby exceeds the maximum standby time. With reference to Figures 10A and 10B, an example of a method for determining the maximum standby time T for the substrate loading standby (S58) is described. 10A , the upper graph 100 is a timing diagram showing the effective state of the substrate carry-in request (S31) transmitted by the exposure device 2. In the graph 100 , the low side indicates that the substrate carry-in request is ineffective, and the high side indicates that the substrate carry-in request is effective. In addition, the lower graph 101 is a timing diagram showing the state of whether the substrate is placed on the first carry-in section 33. In the graph 101 , the low side indicates that the substrate is not placed on the first carry-in section 33, and the high side indicates that the substrate is placed on the first carry-in section 33. Similarly, with reference to FIG10B , the upper graph 110 is a timing diagram showing the effective state of the substrate carry-in request (S31) transmitted by the exposure device 2, and the lower graph 111 is a timing diagram showing the state of whether the substrate is placed on the first carry-in section 33. In addition, the graph 112 shown in the middle is a timing diagram showing the effective state of the substrate carry-out request (S33) of the exposure device 2. In the graph 112, the low side indicates that the substrate carry-out request is ineffective, and the high side indicates that the substrate carry-out request is effective. Figure 10A is equivalent to the case where the substrate carry-in request (S31) is issued when the substrate is not placed on the first carry-out section 34. In this case, the time from the issuance of the substrate carry-in request, that is, from the time the substrate carry-in request becomes effective until the substrate is placed on the first carry-in section 33, is set as the reference carry-in time _t0 (first time). The reference carry-in time _t0 is stored in, for example, a memory unit of the exposure device 2. FIG10B corresponds to the following situation: with a substrate placed on the first unloading section 34, a substrate carry-in request is issued for the first time or at an arbitrary timing after the operation starts (S31). In this case, the time from the issuance of the substrate carry-in request (i.e., from the time the substrate carry-in request becomes valid) to the time the substrate placed on the first unloading section 34 is unloaded and placed on the first carry-in section 33 is defined as the carry-out carry-in time _t1 (second time). The carry-out carry-in time _t1 is stored, for example, in a memory unit of the exposure apparatus 2. When both the standard carry-in time _t0 and the carry-out time _t1 are stored (acquired), the first control unit 7 of the exposure apparatus 2 sets (determines) the maximum standby time T based on the standard carry-in time _t0 and the carry-out time _t1. For example, the difference ( _t0 - _t1 ) between the standard carry-in time _t0 and the carry-out time _t1 is set as the maximum standby time T. The maximum standby time T is stored, for example, in a memory unit of the exposure apparatus 2. When the maximum standby time T is set, as long as there is no significant change in the operating time of the exposure apparatus 2 and the coating and developing apparatus 3, it is expected that the substrate will be placed on the first carry-in unit 33 from the start of the substrate carry-in standby (S58) until the maximum standby time T has elapsed. Therefore, based on the comparison between FIG3 and FIG5, it is obvious that the start timing of the substrate carry-in process (S55) in this embodiment is earlier than the start timing of the substrate carry-in process (S35) in the prior art. In the exposure device 2, as shown in FIG4, the exposure device process (for example, S422) and the substrate carry-out process (for example, S413) can be performed in parallel. Therefore, when a plurality of substrates are processed continuously, the portion where the start timing of the substrate being loaded on the first carry-in section 33 is earlier can increase the overall processing capacity of the photolithography system 1 (exposure device 2) accordingly. FIG11 is a diagram showing an example of a timing diagram for continuously processing a plurality of substrates, for example, six substrates, based on the transport sequence in this embodiment shown in FIG5. In FIG11 , the passage 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 device 2 carries in (starts) the first substrate. Then, the exposure device 2 sequentially transports the first substrate to each part of the exposure device 2, and performs exposure device processing including various alignment processing, exposure processing, etc. as shown in S1102. Then, when the exposure device processing (S1102) of the first substrate is completed, the exposure device 2 carries out the first substrate as shown in S1103. As shown in S1111, when carrying in (starting) the second substrate, the exposure device processing (S1102) is being performed on the first substrate, so no substrate is loaded (does not exist) in the first carry-out section 34. Therefore, the time from the request for the second substrate to be loaded (after the substrate load request is issued) in S1115 to the start of the second substrate load in S1111 is acquired (stored) as the reference load-in time t0. Meanwhile, as shown in S1121, when the third substrate is loaded (started), the first substrate has already been unloaded (S1103), so a substrate is placed (existing) on the first unloading section 34. Therefore, the time from the request for the third substrate to be loaded (after the substrate load request is issued) in S1125 to the start of the third substrate load in S1121 is acquired (stored) as the unload-in time _t1 . Here, since the reference carry-in time t ₀ and the carry-in time t ₁ during carry-out are obtained, the maximum standby time T = t ₀ -t ₁ can be set (stored). When the exposure device processing of the third substrate shown in S1122 is completed, since the maximum standby time T has been set, the substrate carry-in standby is started as shown in S1126. Accordingly, from the start of the exposure processing of the third substrate (S1122) to the elapse of the maximum standby time T, the carry-in of the fifth substrate shown in S1141 is performed (started). As described above, in the prior art (Figure 4), before the carry-in of the fifth substrate (S441), the substrate carry-in standby (S444) is required. On the other hand, in this embodiment, the start of the carry-in of the fifth substrate (S1141) can be advanced by an amount equivalent to the substrate carry-in standby (S444). In addition, in the present embodiment, the unloading of the third substrate shown in S1123 is performed after the loading of the fifth substrate (S1141). However, 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 processing capacity of the photolithography system 1 (exposure device 2) is not affected. Furthermore, in the present embodiment, after the unloading of the fifth substrate shown in S1143 and after the unloading of the sixth substrate shown in S1153, it is determined whether there are any unloaded substrates (S571), and thus it is determined that there are no unloaded substrates (No). Therefore, the substrate loading process is not given priority over the substrate unloading process, and the substrate loading standby shown in S1125 does not occur. Thus, according to this embodiment, the overall processing throughput of the photolithography system 1 (exposure device 2) can be increased compared to the prior art. For example, FIG11 illustrates the case of continuously processing six substrates. However, for the seventh and subsequent substrates, the processing throughput can be increased by an amount equivalent to one substrate loading standby period for every two substrates. Therefore, when continuously processing a batch of 25 substrates, the substrate loading standby period can be shortened by an amount equivalent to 11 times, thereby increasing the processing throughput. In addition, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG11 , the maximum standby time T (load-in time t ₁ during unloading) is set only at the start of loading the third substrate ( S1121 ). However, if the operating time of the coating and developing device 3 fluctuates significantly, the next substrate may not be loaded before the maximum standby time T has elapsed. Assuming such a situation, the unloading and loading time _tn may be obtained when loading the fourth and subsequent substrates, and the maximum standby time T may be updated on a per-substrate basis. When updating the maximum standby time T, the maximum standby time T may be updated based on the immediately preceding unloading and loading time _tn , or based on a statistical value such as the average of the unloading and loading times _tn , tn _-1 , tn _-2 , and so on up to the immediately preceding time. In this way, by updating the maximum standby time T based on the status of substrate processing by the exposure device 2, the stability of the coating and developing device 3 against fluctuations in operating time can be improved. Furthermore, this embodiment assumes that the time required for exposure processing (e.g., S1102) is fixed. However, in reality, the time required for exposure processing may fluctuate due to changes in processing per substrate or any abnormality recovery. After setting the maximum standby time T, if, for example, the time required for exposure processing increases, the maximum standby time T can be shortened accordingly. On the other hand, after setting the maximum standby time T, if, for example, the time required for exposure processing decreases, the maximum standby time T needs to be increased accordingly. Therefore, the maximum standby time T can also be adjusted based on changes in the time required for exposure processing. 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 with respect to changes in the time required for the exposure device processing can be improved. In addition, in the present embodiment, in the judgment of the carry-in priority (S57), attention is paid to whether the carry-in hand 35 constituting the first conveying device 6 holds a substrate. Among them, whether the carry-in hand 35 holds a substrate (whether it is in a transportable state) changes from moment to moment. For example, at the beginning of the substrate carry-in standby, the carry-in hand 35 holds a substrate, but during the substrate carry-in standby period, the substrate held by the carry-in hand 35 is sometimes moved to the pre-alignment part 30. In such a case, it is sufficient to obtain in advance the time (holding time) that the carry-in hand 35 constituting the first conveying device 6 holds the substrate, and to judge whether the carry-in hand 35 holds the substrate. For example, the holding time of the substrate of 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 based on the motion profile of the carrying-in hand 35. Then, based on the current state related to the holding of the substrate by the carrying-in hand 35 estimated based on the motion profile of the carrying-in hand 35, it is determined whether the carrying-in hand 35 is holding the substrate. In this way, in the determination of the carry-in priority (S57), it is estimated how the current state related to the holding of the substrate by the carrying-in hand 35 changes during the maximum standby time T, so that the carry-in priority determination can be performed more rigorously. The manufacturing method of the article in the embodiment of the present invention is suitable for manufacturing articles such as devices (semiconductor elements, magnetic storage media, liquid crystal display elements, etc.). Such a manufacturing method includes: forming a pattern on a substrate using a photolithography system 1 (exposure apparatus 2); processing the substrate with the pattern formed thereon; and manufacturing an article from the processed substrate. Furthermore, such a manufacturing method may include other well-known processes (oxidation, film formation, evaporation, doping, planarization, etching, resist stripping, dicing, bonding, packaging, etc.). The article manufacturing method according to this embodiment improves at least one of the article's performance, quality, productivity, and production cost compared to conventional methods. In the aforementioned embodiments, an exposure apparatus is used as an example of a processing apparatus for processing a substrate, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, substrate processing devices include embossing devices, which use a mold to shape an embossing material on a substrate to form a pattern on the substrate, and planarizing devices, which use a mold with a flat surface to flatten a composition on the substrate. Furthermore, substrate processing devices also include drawing devices, which use a charged particle beam (electron beam, ion beam, etc.) to draw a pattern on the substrate. The invention is not limited to the aforementioned embodiments; various modifications and variations are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, drafting patent applications is important to disclose the scope of the invention.

1: Photolithography System 2: Exposure Unit 3: Coating and Development Unit 4: Chamber 5: Exposure Unit 6: First Transport Unit 7: First Control Unit 8: Coating and Development Processing Unit 9: Second Transport Unit 10: Second Control Unit 20: Main Body 21: Master Plate 22: Substrate 23: Illumination Optics 24: Master Plate Stage 25: Projection Optics 26: Substrate Stage 30: Pre-Alignment Unit 31: Supply Handle 32: Substrate 33: First Loading Unit 34: First Unloading Unit 35: Loading Handle 36: Unloading Handle 40: Chamber 41: Chamber 44: Coating Unit 45: Heating Unit 46: Development Unit 47: Cooling Unit 48: Carrier Port 49: Handle 50: Second Load-in Port 51: Second Load-out Port 52: Handle 100: Graphics 101: Graphics 110: Graphics 111: Graphics 112: Graphics

[Figure 1] is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a photolithography system. [Figure 2] is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a main unit located within an exposure unit. [Figure 3] illustrates the substrate transport sequence between an exposure unit and a coating and development unit in the prior art. [Figure 4] illustrates an example of a timing diagram for sequentially processing substrates in the prior art. [Figure 5] illustrates the substrate transport sequence between an exposure unit and a coating and development unit in the present embodiment. [Figure 6] is a flowchart illustrating the sequential control process for loading and unloading. [Figure 7] is a flowchart illustrating an example of determining the priority of loading. Figure 8A illustrates an example of a specific method for determining whether the first transport unit is in a transportable state. Figure 8B illustrates an example of a specific method for determining whether the first transport unit is in a transportable state. Figure 8C illustrates an example of a specific method for determining whether the first transport unit is in a transportable state. Figure 8D illustrates an example of a specific method for determining whether the first transport unit is in a transportable state. Figure 9 illustrates an example of a flowchart for describing a substrate loading standby state. Figure 10A illustrates an example of a method for determining a maximum standby time for substrate loading standby state. Figure 10B illustrates an example of a method for determining a maximum standby time for substrate loading standby state. Figure 11 shows an example of a timing diagram for continuously processing substrates in this embodiment.

S1101: Move in

S1102: Exposure device processing

S1103: Moving Out

S1111: Move in

S1115: Requirements for moving in the second substrate

S1121: Move in

S1122: Exposure device processing

S1123: Moving Out

S1124: Board loading and standby

S1125: Requirements for moving in the third substrate

S1126: Board loading and standby

S1132: Exposure device processing

S1141: Move in

S1143: Moving Out

S1153: Moving Out

Claims (14)

A processing apparatus processes a plurality of substrates transferred from an external device. The apparatus comprises: a transport unit including an inlet unit for loading substrates transferred from the external device into the processing apparatus and an outlet unit for loading substrates transferred from the processing apparatus to the external device, and transporting substrates between the inlet unit, the outlet unit, and a processing unit where the substrates are processed; a control unit for controlling the transport of substrates between the external device and the processing apparatus according to a transport mode; the transport mode includes an inlet priority mode, wherein, when there are substrates to be transferred into the inlet unit and substrates to be transferred out of the outlet unit, the inlet priority mode prioritizes the transfer of substrates into the inlet unit over the transfer of substrates from the outlet unit. The processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the control unit determines whether to set the transport mode to a carry-in priority mode before requesting the external device to carry in a substrate to the carry-in unit or to carry out a substrate from the carry-out unit. As in claim 1, the processing device, wherein the control unit determines whether to set the transport mode to the import priority mode based on whether the state of the transport unit is a transportable state in which the substrate imported from the external device to the import unit can be transported by the transport unit. The processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein: the transport unit further includes a transport hand for holding a substrate brought into the carry-in unit from the external device and transporting the substrate between the carry-in unit and the processing unit; the control unit, when the transport hand is not holding a substrate, determines that the transport unit is in the transportable state and sets the transport mode to the carry-in priority mode; when the transport hand is holding a substrate, determines that the transport unit is not in the transportable state and does not set the transport mode to the carry-in priority mode. A processing device as claimed in claim 4, wherein the control unit determines whether the transport hand is holding the substrate based on a detection result of the current state related to the holding of the substrate by the transport hand or the current state related to the holding of the substrate by the transport hand inferred from the movement distribution of the transport hand. The processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein, in the carry-in priority mode, after the control unit requests the external device to carry in a substrate to the carry-in unit, and while the external device has not completed preparations for carrying in the substrate, and while the carry-out unit is loaded with a substrate, the control unit waits until a predetermined time has elapsed before requesting the external device to unload the substrate from the transport unit. If a substrate is carried in from the external device and loaded on the carry-in unit before the predetermined time has elapsed, after the transport unit begins transporting the substrate loaded on the carry-in unit, the control unit requests the external device to unload the substrate from the transport unit. The processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein, in the carry-in priority mode, when the substrate is not carried in from the external device before the predetermined time has elapsed, the control unit requests the external device to carry out the substrate from the conveying unit. The processing device of claim 6, wherein: The predetermined time is set based on: When a substrate is not placed on the unloading section, a first time period from when the control section requests the external device to load a substrate into the load-in section until the substrate is loaded from the external device and placed on the load-in section; and When a substrate is placed on the unloading section, a second time period from when the control section requests the external device to load a substrate into the load-in section until the substrate loaded on the unloading section is unloaded and loaded from the external device and placed on the load-in section. As in the processing device of claim 8, wherein a difference between the first time and the second time is set at the predetermined time. As in claim 8, the processing apparatus, wherein the predetermined time is also set in the processing section based on the time required for processing the substrate. The processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the predetermined time is updated according to processing of the substrate in the processing section. The processing device of claim 1, wherein the processing section includes a projection optical system for projecting the original pattern onto the substrate as processing of the substrate. A transport method transports substrates between a processing apparatus having a transport unit and an external device. The transport unit includes an inlet for loading substrates from the external device and an outlet for loading substrates from the external device. The substrates are transported between the inlet, outlet, and a processing unit where the substrates are processed. The method includes a program for controlling the transport of substrates between the external device and the processing apparatus according to a transport mode. The transport mode includes an inlet priority mode. In the inlet priority mode, when there are substrates to be loaded into the inlet and substrates to be unloaded from the outlet, the inlet priority mode prioritizes loading substrates into the inlet over unloading substrates from the outlet. A method for manufacturing an article comprises: a process of forming a pattern on a substrate using the processing apparatus of claim 12; a process of processing the substrate on which the pattern has been formed in the process; and a process of manufacturing an article from the processed substrate.