Method of controlling a lithographic processing cell, device manufacturing method, lithographic apparatus, track unit lithographic processing cell, and computer program

摘要

A method of controlling a track apparatus in a lithocell apparatus arrangement, is presented herein. The lithocell includes a lithographic exposure apparatus configured to expose substrates and a track apparatus configured to prepare substrates before exposure and develop substrates after exposure. The method comprises predicting times at which the lithographic exposure apparatus will be available to accept a prepared substrate for exposure from the track apparatus, and adjusting a rate at which the track apparatus prepares substrates so that a substrate is prepared in time for acceptance by the lithographic exposure apparatus. By adjusting the track rate so that substrates are ready just as the lithographic exposure apparatus needs them, the use of the buffer in the track can be largely avoided or even eliminated entirely.