JP2834970B2 - Substrate storage device - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an apparatus for processing a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer, a rectangular glass substrate for liquid crystal, a work, etc. in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus or a liquid crystal manufacturing apparatus. The present invention relates to a substrate storage device used for temporarily storing a plurality of cassettes.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art For example, semiconductors and liquid crystals are manufactured by successively passing through various surface treatment processes for various substrates, ie, a washing process, a resist coating / drying process, an exposure process, a developing process, an etching / stripping process, and the like. Is done. In this case, there is a difference in the time required to process one substrate in each of the series of processing steps. When the processing time in the first step is shorter than the processing time in the second step, a substrate storage device for temporarily storing the substrate processed in the first step before the processing in the second step. Is required.

In a conventional substrate storage apparatus, for example, as shown in a schematic plan view of FIG. 3, a plurality of, for example, 25 substrates are stored in a loader unit 4 of a substrate processing apparatus 2 for performing a predetermined processing of a substrate. Four cassettes 8 can be accommodated, and four cassettes can be accommodated in the unloader unit 6, so that a total of 100 substrates can be temporarily stored in the loader unit 4 and the unloader unit 6, respectively. It is configured so that it can be stored.

[0004]

However, in the conventional substrate storage device having the above-described configuration, a plurality of cassettes are arranged and stored in a plane, so that the number of substrates that can be stored is increased. Then, there is a problem in that the plane space of the loader section and the unloader section of the apparatus increases, and the floor area occupied by the apparatus increases.

[0005] In addition, the substrate processing apparatus includes factory equipment (Gas).
Equipment for supplying air, compressed air, water, electricity, etc.)
Various piping, wiring, and various mechanisms are arranged.
Is the substrate transport height at which the substrate is transported for substrate processing
The location (hereinafter referred to as “pass line”) is usually
Above the space where pipes, wiring and various mechanisms are located
Is set. And below the pass line of the device
Is in an environment where dust easily occurs. For this reason, when a plurality of cassettes accommodating the substrates are arranged and accommodated in a plane as in the conventional substrate accommodating apparatus, the unprocessed substrates accommodated in the cassettes and temporarily accommodated in the loader unit are provided. However, there is a concern that it will be affected by dust.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and can increase the number of substrates that can be stored without increasing the floor area occupied by the apparatus.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a substrate storage device capable of reducing the possibility that a temporarily stored substrate before processing is affected by dust.

[0007]

A plurality of unprocessed substrates are disposed adjacent to a receiving position for receiving a cassette loaded and loaded with a plurality of unprocessed substrates and adjacent to a loading portion of a substrate processing apparatus. The cassette is stored adjacent to the loading position where the substrates are transferred one by one to the loading section of the substrate processing apparatus, and the empty cassette is disposed adjacent to the loading section of the substrate processing apparatus. An unloading position for holding and processing the substrates after processing to the cassette one by one from an unloading unit of the substrate processing apparatus, and a discharge position for discharging a cassette containing a plurality of processed substrates are provided. In the substrate storage device, in the present invention, at least the receiving position and the loading position are arranged above a pass line, and the receiving position and the loading position are moved from the receiving position to the loading position. One or more cassette storage positions for temporarily storing cassettes in which a plurality of unprocessed substrates are stored are provided in the transport path until the position is above the pass line, and at least one cassette storage position is provided. The two cassette storage positions are arranged above the receiving position.

[0008]

In the substrate storage device according to the present invention, a cassette storage position is provided in a transport path until a cassette carried in from the preceding substrate processing apparatus is transferred from the receiving position to the receiving position and transferred to the loading position. Since at least one of the positions is arranged above the receiving position, for example, immediately above the receiving position, the number of substrates that can be stored can be increased without increasing the plane space. Further, the receiving position and the loading position are set above the pass line, and the cassette storing position is also set above the pass line. Therefore, the unprocessed substrates stored in the cassette and temporarily stored are affected by dust. Hateful.

[0009]

Preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the present invention and schematically showing a schematic configuration of a substrate storage device. The apparatus includes a receiving position 12 in a housing 10 for receiving a plurality of, for example, 25, substrates W to be processed from a preceding substrate processing apparatus, a cassette 40 which is transported and loaded, and a substrate before processing. A plurality of, in this example, three, pre-processing substrate cassette storage positions 14, 16, and 18 for temporarily storing the cassette 40 in which W is stored, and a substrate processing device (not shown) (on the side opposite the housing 10). The cassette 40 holds a plurality of unprocessed substrates W and accommodates a cassette 40 from which the substrates W are loaded one by one from the cassette 40. loading position 20 to be transferred to the substrate processing a plurality of all the substrates W 25 Like the carry-in section of the apparatus is temporarily stored empty cassette 40 after being transferred, in this example five empty cassette storage position 22, 4, 26, 28, 30 arranged adjacent to the unloading section of the substrate processing apparatus, holding an empty cassette 40, and transferring the processed substrates w to the cassette 40 one by one from the unloading section of the substrate processing apparatus. Unloading position 3
Cassette 40 containing 2,25 processed substrates w
For temporarily storing a plurality of substrates , in this example two processed substrates
Use cassette storage positions 34 and 36, and the discharge position 38 is provided for discharging the cassette 40 is accommodated substrate w after 25 sheets of the processing.

The receiving position 12 is provided so as to face an introduction opening 42 formed in the housing 10, and the discharge position 3 is provided.
8 is provided so as to face a discharge opening 44 formed in the housing 10. Further, the receiving position 12 and the loading position 20 are disposed above a pass line 46 in which a mechanism for connecting to a factory facility is disposed. Then, immediately before the receiving position 12, the unprocessed substrate W
The first process for temporarily storing the cassette 40 in which
Physical pre substrate cassette storage position 14 is located, the processing
Order soon 2 in the transverse direction before the substrate cassette accommodating position 14, the third pretreatment is disposed a substrate cassette accommodating position 16, 18, a third pretreatment directly above the loading position 20
A substrate cassette storage position 18 is arranged. In addition, immediately below the loading position 20, a first empty cassette storage position 22 for temporarily storing an empty cassette 40 is disposed, and a second empty cassette storage position 24 is provided in the lateral direction of the empty cassette storage position 22. Are located. Further, third and fourth empty cassette storage positions 26 and 28 are sequentially arranged in the upward direction of the second empty cassette storage position 24,
A fifth empty cassette storage position 30 is disposed laterally of the fourth empty cassette storage position 28, and a fifth empty cassette storage position 30 is disposed immediately above the unloading position 32. It has become so. In addition, immediately below the unloading position 32, the cassette 4 in which the processed substrate w is stored.
A first post-processing substrate cassette storage position 34 for temporarily storing 0 is disposed, and a second post-processing substrate cassette storage position 36 is disposed laterally to the post-processing substrate cassette storage position 34. In addition, the second post-processing substrate cassette storage position 36 is disposed immediately below the discharge position 38. Although illustration is omitted in this device,
A transport mechanism for transporting the substrate from each of the above positions to the next position is provided.

Next, the operation of storing a substrate in the above-described substrate storage device will be described. First, a cassette 40 containing a plurality of, for example, 25 unprocessed substrates is conveyed from the preceding substrate processing apparatus to this substrate storage apparatus, and the cassette 40 is carried into the receiving position 12 through the introduction opening 42 of the housing 10. You. The cassette 40 is located in the first cassette-to-be- processed cassette storage position 1 immediately above the receiving position 12.
4 and the pre-processing substrate cassette storage position 14
, And the second and third processes in the horizontal direction
The wafers are sequentially transferred to the front substrate cassette storage positions 16 and 18 while being temporarily stored at the respective positions, and transferred to the loading position 20 immediately below the third pre-processing substrate cassette storage position 18. When the cassette 40 accommodating the substrates W before processing is held at the loading position 20, the substrates W are sequentially taken out of the cassettes 40 one by one by a transfer robot (not shown) provided at the loading section of the substrate processing apparatus. . Then, the substrate taken out of the cassette 40 is sent to the substrate processing apparatus and subjected to the single-wafer processing. When all 25 substrates W stored in the cassette 40 are taken out,
The empty cassette 40 is transferred to a first empty cassette storage position 22 immediately below the loading position 20, and is temporarily stored in the empty cassette storage position 22, and then the second, third, and second cassettes are stored. 4. Fifth empty cassette storage position 24, 26, 2
8 and 30 are sequentially transferred while being temporarily stored at each position, and transferred to an unloading position 32 immediately below the fifth empty cassette storage position 30. When the empty cassette 40 is held at the unloading position 32, the transfer robot (not shown) provided at the unloading section of the substrate processing apparatus sequentially removes the substrates w after processing by the substrate processing apparatus one by one. It is inserted into the cassette 40. When the 25 processed substrates w are stored in the cassette 40 held at the unloading position 32, the cassette 40 storing the processed substrates w is placed in the first cassette immediately below the unloading position 32. The wafer is transferred to the post-processing substrate cassette storage position 34 , temporarily stored in the post- processing substrate cassette storage position 34, and then transferred to the second post-processing substrate cassette storage position 36 in the lateral direction. It is temporarily stored and finally transferred to a discharge position 38 immediately above the second post-processing substrate cassette storage position 36. When the cassette 40 containing the processed substrates w is held at the discharge position 38, the cassette 40 is carried out through the discharge opening 44 of the housing 10 and sent to the next substrate processing apparatus. The transfer timing of the cassette 40 between the positions in the series of operations described above is determined according to the in-process processing tact, the inter-process transfer conditions, and the like.

FIGS. 2A to 2E are schematic diagrams showing various arrangement examples of cassette storage positions arranged on a transport path from a cassette receiving position to a loading position. The arrangement example shown in FIG. 2A corresponds to the substrate storage device shown in FIG. 1, and FIGS. 2B to 2E show other modified examples. In any of these variations, the cassette receiving positions 52, 62, 72, 82 and the loading positions 60, 70, 80, 90 and the cassette storage positions 54, 6
4, 65, 74, 75, 76, 77, 84, 85, 86, and 87 are provided such that their positions are above the pass line 46. One of the cassette storage positions is disposed above the receiving positions 52, 62, 72, and 82.

[0014]

Since the present invention is constructed and operates as described above, the use of the substrate storage device according to the present invention increases the number of substrates that can be stored without increasing the floor area occupied by the device. In addition, there is less fear that the temporarily stored substrate before processing is affected by dust.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing a schematic configuration of a substrate storage device according to one embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing various arrangement examples of a cassette storage position arranged on a transport path from a cassette receiving position to a loading position in the substrate storage device according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a plan view schematically showing a schematic configuration of a conventional substrate storage device.

[Description of Signs] 10 Housing 12 Cassette receiving position 14, 16, 18 Storage position of cassette containing substrates before processing 20 Loading position 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 Storage position of empty cassette 32 Unloading Positions 34, 36 Storage position of cassette containing processed substrates 38 Cassette discharge position 40 Cassette 42 Housing introduction opening 44 Housing discharge opening 46 Pass line W Substrate before processing w Substrate after processing

Claims (2)

(57) [Claims] 1. A receiving position for receiving a cassette which receives a plurality of unprocessed substrates and is loaded therein, and is disposed adjacent to a loading portion of a substrate processing apparatus, wherein a plurality of unprocessed substrates are stored. And a loading position in which substrates are transferred one by one from the cassette to the loading section of the substrate processing apparatus, and an empty cassette is disposed adjacent to the loading section of the substrate processing apparatus. In a substrate storage device having an unloading position in which substrates after processing to a cassette are transferred one by one from an unloading unit of a substrate processing apparatus, and a discharge position for discharging a cassette containing a plurality of processed substrates. , At least the receiving position and the loading position are connected to various kinds of piping, wiring and various
It is set above the space where the mechanism is located, and
For this reason, a cassette in which a plurality of unprocessed substrates are accommodated is arranged in a transport path from the receiving position to the loading position, while being disposed above the substrate transport height position at which the substrate is transported. Set the cassette storage position to store
A substrate storage device, wherein at least one cassette storage position is provided above the substrate transfer height position , and at least one cassette storage position is disposed above the receiving position. 2. The substrate storage device according to claim 1, wherein one cassette storage position is disposed immediately above the receiving position.