JP7246147B2 - SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD - Google Patents

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD Embodiments of the present invention relate to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method.

A substrate processing apparatus is an apparatus for processing substrates such as wafers and liquid crystal substrates in the manufacturing process of semiconductors, liquid crystal panels and the like. In terms of uniformity and reproducibility, this substrate processing apparatus employs a single wafer method in which substrates are processed one by one in a dedicated processing chamber. Further, in order to share the substrate transfer system, the substrates are housed in a common dedicated case (for example, FOUP) and transferred. In this dedicated case, substrates are stacked and housed at predetermined intervals.

2. Description of the Related Art In a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate transfer device such as a transfer robot is used to take out a substrate from a dedicated case, transfer it to a processing chamber, and then store the processed substrate in the dedicated case. At this time, the type of substrate processing is not limited to one type, and multiple types of processing steps may be performed in dedicated processing chambers for each type, and then the processed substrates may be returned to the dedicated case.

The transport robot transfers substrates between a plurality of dedicated cases, a plurality of processing chambers, and buffers on the way therebetween. For example, a transport robot takes out an unprocessed substrate from a buffer, moves to the vicinity of a desired processing chamber, and sets the unprocessed substrate in that processing chamber. When this transfer robot sets an unprocessed substrate in another processing chamber, it moves back to the vicinity of the buffer, takes out the unprocessed substrate from the buffer again, moves it to the vicinity of the desired processing chamber, and processes it. An untreated substrate is set in the chamber. In this case, it takes time for the transport robot to return to the vicinity of the buffer and then move to the vicinity of the desired processing chamber.

JP 2013-058735 A

A problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of improving productivity.

A substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment includes a storage container for storing substrates, a plurality of processing chambers for processing the substrates, a substrate positioned between the storage container and the processing chamber, and a substrate processed in the processing chamber or a transfer table on which an unprocessed substrate is placed; a transfer unit that transfers the substrate from the transfer table to the processing chamber; and a moving mechanism for individually moving the transfer table and the transport unit, wherein the plurality of processing chambers include a plurality of first processing chambers for performing a first processing and a plurality of processing chambers for performing a second processing continuously from the first processing. two rows of the plurality of first processing chambers and a row of the plurality of second processing chambers facing each other; The first treatment to the second treatment are performed with the first treatment chamber and the second treatment chamber facing each other as a set, and the moving mechanism is configured to place the transfer section and the untreated substrate. The delivery table is moved between the two rows in the row direction of the two rows, and the vicinity of the first processing chamber where the first processing is completed and the second processing chamber where the second processing is completed. position, the transport unit takes out the unprocessed substrate from the transfer table, exchanges the unprocessed substrate and the substrate that has undergone the first processing in the first processing chamber, and then transfers the substrate. The substrate that has undergone the second treatment is removed from the second treatment chamber without going through the table, and the substrate that has undergone the first treatment is transferred from the first treatment chamber to the second treatment chamber. The unprocessed substrate is taken out from the transfer table when the substrate that has been transferred and taken out and has undergone the second treatment is transferred to the transfer table.

In a substrate processing method according to an embodiment, a transport unit includes a transfer table for holding a substrate, a plurality of first processing chambers for performing a first process, and a plurality of second processing chambers for performing a second process continuously from the first process. and a row in which the plurality of first processing chambers are arranged and a row in which the plurality of second processing chambers are arranged. a step of performing the first processing to the second processing as a set of the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber which are provided facing each other and facing each other; In the step of transporting, based on substrate processing information relating to processing of the substrate, the transfer table on which the unprocessed substrate is placed is moved between the two rows by a moving mechanism. moving in a direction to position it at a position in the vicinity of the first processing chamber having completed the first processing and the second processing chamber having completed the second processing, and taking out the unprocessed substrate from the transfer table; After exchanging the unprocessed substrate and the substrate that has undergone the first processing in the first processing chamber, the substrate that has undergone the second processing is transferred to the second processing chamber without passing through the transfer table. , transferring the substrate that has undergone the first processing, which has been removed from the first processing chamber, to the second processing chamber , and transferring the substrate that has undergone the second processing, which has been removed from the first processing chamber, to the transfer table. and removing the unprocessed substrate from the transfer table .

According to the substrate processing apparatus or substrate processing method according to the embodiment, productivity can be improved.

1 is a plan view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a perspective view showing a buffer unit, a second transport robot, and a second moving mechanism according to the first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram for explaining movement operations of the buffer unit and the second transport robot according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a first explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a second explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a third explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a fourth explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a fifth explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a sixth explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is a seventh explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is an eighth explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 20 is a ninth explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 20 is a tenth explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 21 is an eleventh explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 20 is a twelfth explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 21 is a thirteenth explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 21 is a fourteenth explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 20 is a fifteenth explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 21 is a sixteenth explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 21 is a seventeenth explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 20 is an eighteenth explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 20 is a nineteenth explanatory diagram for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the correlation between the processing times of the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber and the operation time of the second transfer robot according to the first embodiment; FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining movement operations of the buffer unit and the second transport robot according to the second embodiment;

<First Embodiment>
A first embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 23. FIG.

(basic configuration)
As shown in FIG. 1, a substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the first embodiment includes a plurality of opening/closing units 11, a first transfer robot 12, a first moving mechanism 13, a buffer unit 14, a second , a second moving mechanism 16 , a plurality of substrate processing units 17 , and an apparatus auxiliary unit 18 . The opening/closing unit 11 functions as a storage container, the first transfer robot 12 and the second transfer robot 15 function as transfer units, and the buffer unit 14 functions as a transfer table.

The substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described as an apparatus for processing the substrate surface by supplying a processing liquid (for example, a resist stripping liquid, a rinse liquid, a cleaning liquid, etc.) to the substrate surface. In the plurality of substrate processing units 17, a plurality of types of processing steps (for example, resist stripping step, rinsing step, cleaning step, etc.) are performed.

Each opening/closing unit 11 is arranged in a row. These opening/closing units 11 open and close the door of a dedicated case (FOUP, for example) that functions as a transport container. When the dedicated case is a FOUP, the opening/closing unit 11 is called a FOUP opener. In this dedicated case, substrates W are stacked and housed at predetermined intervals.

The first transport robot 12 is provided next to the row of the opening/closing units 11 so as to move along the first transport direction in which the opening/closing units 11 are arranged. The first transport robot 12 takes out an unprocessed substrate W from a special case whose door is opened by the opening/closing unit 11 , rotates, and places it in the buffer unit 14 . Also, the first transport robot 12 takes out the processed substrate W from the buffer unit 14 , rotates, and puts it in a dedicated case whose door is opened by the opening/closing unit 11 . When the first transport robot 12 is at a position where the transfer of the substrate W to the buffer unit 14 is impossible, it moves in the first transport direction to a position where the transfer is possible. As the first transport robot 12, for example, a robot having a robot arm, a robot hand, or the like can be used.

The first moving mechanism 13 is a mechanism that extends in the first transport direction and moves the first transport robot 12 on a straight line parallel to the first transport direction. The first transport robot 12 is provided on the first moving mechanism 13 and is movable from end to end of the opening/closing units 11 arranged in the first transport direction. As the first moving mechanism 13, for example, a moving mechanism using a linear guide can be used.

The buffer unit 14 is positioned near the center of the first robot movement path along which the first transport robot 12 moves, and is provided on one side of the first robot movement path, that is, on the side opposite to the opening/closing units 11 . there is The buffer unit 14 is a buffer stand on which the substrate W is temporarily placed so that the substrate W is transferred between the first transport robot 12 and the second transport robot 15 . In this buffer unit 14, unprocessed and processed substrates W are stacked and stored at predetermined intervals. As the buffer unit 14, for example, it is possible to use a unit having a storage section, a support, and the like (details will be described later).

The second transport robot 15 is provided so as to move in a second transport direction perpendicular to the first transport direction (an example of a direction crossing the first transport direction). The second transport robot 15 takes out the unprocessed substrate W from the buffer unit 14 , rotates, and places the unprocessed substrate W in a desired substrate processing unit 17 . Also, the second transport robot 15 takes out the processed substrate W from the substrate processing unit 17 , rotates, and places the processed substrate W in another substrate processing unit 17 or the buffer unit 14 . When the second transport robot 15 is at a position where the transfer of the substrate W to the buffer unit 14 is impossible, it moves in the second transport direction to a position where the transfer is possible. As the second transport robot 15, for example, a robot having a robot arm, a robot hand, or the like can be used (details will be described later).

The second moving mechanism 16 extends in the second transport direction, and is a mechanism for individually moving the buffer unit 14 and the second transport robot 15 on a straight line parallel to the second transport direction. The buffer unit 14 and the second transport robot 15 are provided on the second moving mechanism 16, and the buffer unit 14 is positioned closer to the first transport robot 12 than the second transport robot 15. . The buffer unit 14 and the second transport robot 15 are movable from end to end of each substrate processing unit 17 arranged in the second transport direction. As the second moving mechanism 16, for example, a moving mechanism using a linear guide can be used (details will be described later).

For example, four substrate processing units 17 are provided on both sides of the second robot movement path along which the second transport robot 15 moves. The substrate processing unit 17 has a processing chamber 17a, a substrate holding section 17b, a first processing liquid supply section 17c, and a second processing liquid supply section 17d. The substrate holding portion 17b, the first processing liquid supply portion 17c, and the second processing liquid supply portion 17d are provided in the processing chamber 17a.

The processing chamber 17a is formed, for example, in a rectangular parallelepiped shape, and has a substrate shutter 17a1. The substrate shutter 17a1 is formed openable and closable on the wall surface of the processing chamber 17a on the second robot movement path side. The inside of the processing chamber 17a is kept clean by a down flow (vertical laminar flow), and is kept at a lower pressure than the outside.

The substrate holding part 17b holds the substrate W in a horizontal state by means of pins (not shown) or the like, and an axis (an example of an axis that intersects the surface of the substrate W to be processed) perpendicularly intersects substantially the center of the surface to be processed of the substrate W. is a mechanism for rotating the substrate W in a horizontal plane with the center of rotation. For example, the substrate holding part 17b rotates the substrate W held in a horizontal state by a rotating mechanism (not shown) having a rotating shaft, a motor, and the like.

The first processing liquid supply part 17c supplies the first processing liquid to the vicinity of the center of the surface to be processed of the substrate W on the substrate holding part 17b. The first processing liquid supply unit 17c has, for example, a nozzle for discharging the processing liquid, and the nozzle is moved to the vicinity of the center of the surface to be processed of the substrate W on the substrate holding unit 17b. Supply processing liquid. The first processing liquid is supplied to the first processing liquid supply section 17c from the liquid supply unit 18a through a pipe (not shown).

The second processing liquid supply portion 17d supplies the second processing liquid to the vicinity of the center of the surface to be processed of the substrate W on the substrate holding portion 17b. The second processing liquid supply unit 17d has, for example, a nozzle that discharges the processing liquid, and the nozzle is moved to the vicinity of the center of the surface to be processed of the substrate W on the substrate holding unit 17b, and the liquid is discharged from the nozzle. Supply processing liquid. The second processing liquid is supplied to the second processing liquid supply unit 17d from the liquid supply unit 18a through a pipe (not shown).

The device-accompanying unit 18 is provided at one end of the second robot movement path, that is, the end opposite to the first transfer robot 12 . The apparatus accessory unit 18 accommodates a liquid supply unit 18a and a control unit (control section) 18b. The liquid supply unit 18 a supplies various processing liquids (for example, resist stripping liquid, rinse liquid, cleaning liquid, etc.) to each substrate processing unit 17 . The control unit 18b includes a microcomputer that centrally controls each part, and a storage part (none of which is shown) that stores substrate processing information and various programs related to substrate processing. The control unit 18b controls each opening/closing unit 11, the first transfer robot 12, the first transfer mechanism 13, the second transfer robot 15, the second transfer mechanism 16, and each substrate based on substrate processing information and various programs. Each part such as the processing unit 17 is controlled.

(Buffer Unit, Second Transport Robot, and Second Moving Mechanism)
Next, the buffer unit 14, the second transport robot 15 and the second moving mechanism 16 will be described with reference to FIG.

As shown in FIG. 2, the buffer unit 14 includes a storage portion 14a and a support 14b. The storage part 14a is formed so as to be able to store a plurality of substrates W in a stacked state. The column 14b is formed to support the storage section 14a at a height at which the substrates W can be loaded and unloaded by the first transport robot 12 and the second transport robot 15. As shown in FIG.

At least one or more unprocessed substrates W and one or more processed substrates W can be placed in the storage unit 14a. In the storage portion 14a, stand members (not shown) for stacking and storing the substrates W at predetermined intervals are provided at predetermined intervals in the height direction. These pedestal members are positioned so as to face each other in a horizontal plane, and a pair of pedestal members existing at the same height position mutually support a part of the outer periphery of the substrate W to hold one substrate W. A substrate W is placed on the pair of table members from above by the second transfer robot 15 .

The second transfer robot 15 includes a first arm unit 15a, a second arm unit 15b, a liquid receiving cover 15c, and an elevation rotating section 15d. This second transfer robot 15 is a double-arm robot having two arm units 15a and 15b in two stages, upper and lower.

The first arm unit 15 a includes a hand portion (substrate holding portion) 21 and an arm portion 22 . The hand part 21 is formed so as to be able to grip and release the substrate W by a gripping mechanism (not shown). As the gripping mechanism, for example, it is possible to use a mechanism in which a plurality of claws that contact the outer peripheral surface of the substrate W are divided into sets for sandwiching the substrate W from both sides of the substrate W, and each set is moved in the contact/separation direction. is. The arm portion 22 is connected to the elevation rotation portion 15d so that it can be raised and lowered along the vertical direction by the elevation rotation portion 15d, and can also be rotated around the vertical axis. The arm portion 22 is formed to be extendable, holds the hand portion 21, and moves it in a horizontal linear direction. The first arm unit 15a holds the substrate W by the hand portion 21, and the arm portion 22 advances to carry the substrate W into the buffer unit 14 or the processing chamber 17a, and the arm portion 22 moves backward. , and the substrate W is unloaded therefrom.

The second arm unit 15b has basically the same structure as the first arm unit 15a, and includes a hand section 21 and an arm section 22. As shown in FIG. Since these have the same structure as described above, the description thereof is omitted. The hand portion 21 of the first arm unit 15a and the hand portion 21 of the second arm unit 15b are provided in two stages, one above the other.

The liquid receiving cover 15c is provided so as to surround the first arm unit 15a and the second arm unit 15b, and is formed so as not to hinder the expansion and contraction of each arm portion 22. As shown in FIG. Since the liquid receiving cover 15c exists, even if the liquid drops and splashes from the substrate W when the wet substrate W after the processing is transported, the liquid hits the liquid receiving cover 15c. As a result, it is possible to prevent the liquid dropped from the substrate W from scattering on the floor surface of the apparatus and the second moving mechanism 16 .

The elevation rotation section 15d holds the arm sections 22 of the first arm unit 15a and the second arm unit 15b and moves along the vertical axis to move the first arm unit 15a and the second arm unit 15b. 15b is moved up and down together with the liquid receiving cover 15c. The up-and-down rotating section 15d rotates about a vertical axis as a rotation axis (robot rotation axis), and rotates each arm section 22 it holds together with the liquid receiving cover 15c. The elevation/rotation unit 15d incorporates an elevation mechanism and a rotation mechanism (both not shown). The up-and-down rotation part 15d is electrically connected to the control unit 18b (see FIG. 1), and its drive is controlled by the control unit 18b.

The second moving mechanism 16 includes a linear rail (first moving shaft) 16a, a moving base (first moving portion) 16b, and a moving base (second moving portion) 16c. The linear rail 16a is provided on the floor surface and extends along the above-described second transport direction. The moving base 16b supports the strut 14b of the buffer unit 14 and is provided on the linear rail 16a so as to be movable along the linear rail 16a. Further, the moving base 16c rotatably supports the up-and-down rotating portion 15d of the second transfer robot 15, and is provided on the linear rail 16a so as to be movable along the linear rail 16a. The second moving mechanism 16 moves the buffer unit 14 along the linear rail 16a together with the moving base 16b, and moves the second transport robot 15 along the linear rail 16a together with the moving base 16c. This second moving mechanism 16 is electrically connected to a control unit 18b (see FIG. 1), and its drive is controlled by the control unit 18b.

Here, the movements of the buffer unit 14 and the second transport robot 15 are restricted as necessary. For example, when the substrate W is transferred between the buffer unit 14 and the second transport robot 15, movement of the buffer unit 14 and the second transport robot 15 is restricted. However, if the buffer unit 14 and the second transport robot 15 are moved together at the same speed, it is possible to transfer the substrate W during the movement. Further, for example, in FIG. 1, the second transfer robot 15 moves from the processing chamber 17a on the left side of the second robot transfer path extending vertically (in the direction connecting the apparatus-accompanying unit 18 and the opening/closing unit 11) to the processing chamber 17a. When transferring the substrate W to the right processing chamber 17a (during 180-degree turning motion), the movement of the second transfer robot 15 is restricted. If the buffer unit 14 is in a position that prevents the second transfer robot 15 from rotating during this swinging motion, the buffer unit 14 will move the second transport robot 15 from the swinging motion before the second transport robot 15 swings. evacuate to a position that does not interfere with

(Substrate processing step)
Next, the flow of substrate processing (including substrate transfer processing) performed by the substrate processing apparatus 10 described above will be described. When two types of processing are performed on the substrate W, four processing chambers 17a (hereinafter referred to as the first processing chambers 17a) on the left side of the second robot transfer path extending vertically in FIG. ) and the four processing chambers 17a on the right (hereinafter sometimes referred to as second processing chambers 17a) are set to perform different processing. When performing different processes, the first processing chamber 17a is the processing chamber in which the first processing is performed, and the second processing chamber 17a is the processing chamber in which the next processing (second processing) after the first processing is performed. is.

(Substrate processing including basic substrate replacement work)
First, the flow of substrate processing including basic substrate replacement work will be described with reference to FIG. A first processing chamber 17a and a second processing chamber 17a facing the first processing chamber 17a are grouped, and the first processing and the second processing are performed on unprocessed substrates W for each group. Repeated. As described above, the first transport robot 12, the buffer unit 14, and the second transport robot 15 may move as necessary, but the description of their movements will be omitted.

The first transport robot 12 takes out an unprocessed substrate W from a special case in the opening/closing unit 11 , rotates, and places the unprocessed substrate W in the buffer unit 14 . As a result, unprocessed substrates W are accommodated in the buffer unit 14 . The second transport robot 15 takes out the unprocessed substrate W from the buffer unit 14 and rotates to place the unprocessed substrate W in the desired first processing chamber 17a. Thereby, an unprocessed substrate W is set in the first processing chamber 17a. Thereafter, a first process is performed on the substrate W in the first process chamber 17a.

When the first processing in the first processing chamber 17a is completed, the second transfer robot 15 takes out the first processed substrate W from the first processing chamber 17a, turns 180 degrees, and moves to the first processing chamber 17a. A processed substrate W is placed in the second processing chamber 17a. As a result, the first processed substrate W is set in the second processing chamber 17a. After that, the substrate W is subjected to a second process in the second process chamber 17a.

When the processing in the second processing chamber 17a is completed, the second transfer robot 15 takes out the second processed substrate W from the second processing chamber 17a, rotates, and lifts the second processed substrate W. placed in the buffer unit 14; As a result, the buffer unit 14 accommodates the substrate W that has undergone the second processing. The first transport robot 12 takes out the second processed substrate W from the buffer unit 14 and turns to place the processed substrate W in a desired dedicated case. Thereby, the processed substrate W is accommodated in the dedicated case.

Such a flow of substrate processing is performed for each pair of the first processing chamber 17a and the second processing chamber 17a facing thereto. , the processing contents are different, so the processing time is also different. In addition, in order to improve productivity, in each processing chamber 17a, upon completion of processing, the processed substrate W is taken out by one of the first and second arm units 15a and 15b, and the other arm unit The next substrate W to be processed is set by the arm unit. In this case, the second transport robot 15 performs the operation of taking out the processed substrate W and the operation of delivering the unprocessed substrate W in each of the buffer unit 14, the first processing chamber 17a, and the second processing chamber 17a. The first transport robot 12 performs the operation of taking out the processed substrate W and the operation of transferring the unprocessed substrate W in the buffer unit 14 as one set of operations. Further, in order to improve productivity, an unprocessed substrate W is set in each of the first processing chambers 17a, and the first processing is performed in parallel in each of the first processing chambers 17a. Then, the substrate W after the first processing is taken out from the first processing chamber 17a and set in the corresponding second processing chamber 17a, and the second processing is performed in parallel in each of the second processing chambers 17a. . Therefore, since the flow of actual substrate processing is more complicated than the above-described flow of substrate processing, substrate processing including more specific substrate replacement work will be described below.

(Substrate processing including specific substrate replacement work)
Next, substrate processing (including an example of movement processing of the buffer unit 14 and the second transfer robot 15) including concrete substrate exchange work will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 3 to 22. FIG. The buffer unit 14 and the second transport robot 15 individually move according to the control of the control unit 18b based on the substrate processing information regarding the processing of the substrate W. FIG. Examples of the substrate processing information include information indicating the processing chamber 17a requiring substrate replacement, information indicating the completion or start of processing in the processing chamber 17a, and the like. 4 to 22, the hatched substrates W are substrates W that have undergone the first treatment, the substrates W that are filled in black are those that have undergone the second treatment, and the white substrates W are substrates W that have not been treated. showing.

In FIG. 1, the four first processing chambers 17a are shown as (A1), (A2), (A3), and (A4) in order from the first transfer robot 12 side along the second robot transfer path. , four second processing chambers 17a are shown as (B1), (B2), (B3), and (B4) in order from the first transfer robot 12 side along the second robot transfer path.

In FIG. 3, as in FIG. 1, the four first processing chambers 17a are sequentially (A1) and (A2) from the first transfer robot 12 side along the second robot transfer path (straight rail 16a). , (A3) and (A4). In FIG. 3, positions (1), (2), (3), and (4) at which the second transport robot 15 transfers the substrates W to and from the buffer unit 14 are shown.

However, the position (1) is also the position where the second transfer robot 15 carries the substrate W into or out of the processing chamber 17a (A1) or (B1). The position (2) is also the position where the second transport robot 15 carries the substrate W into or out of the processing chamber 17a (A2) or (B2). The position (3) is also the position where the second transfer robot 15 carries the substrate W into or out of the processing chamber 17a (A3) or (B3). The position (4) is also the position where the second transfer robot 15 carries the substrate W into or out of the processing chamber 17a (A4) or (B4). The position (1) is also the position at which the first transport robot 12 transfers the substrate W to and from the buffer unit 14 .

In the substrate exchange operation, when it is determined from the substrate processing information described above that the processing chamber 17a requiring the next substrate exchange is (A1), the buffer unit 14 at the position (1) is moved to the first chamber 17a. receives the unprocessed substrate W from the transport robot 12 of , and stays at the position (1). In the present embodiment, the position (1), which is the position at which the first transport robot 12 transfers the substrate W between the buffer unit 14 and the buffer unit 14, is the position (A1) when the processing in the processing chamber 17a is performed. Although it is also a position to wait at the same time, it may be different. In this case, after receiving the unprocessed substrate W from the first transfer robot 12, the buffer unit 14 moves to a standby position when the processing in the processing chamber 17a of (A1) is performed.

As shown in FIG. 4, the second transport robot 15 receives an unprocessed substrate W from the buffer unit 14, sets the substrate W in the processing chamber 17a (A1), and undergoes the first processing. Subsequently, the second transport robot 15 sets the unprocessed substrates W in the processing chambers 17a (A2) to (A4), and the first processing is performed.

Here, at least while the second transport robot 15 is not transferring the substrate W to the buffer unit 14, for example, while the first process (A1) is being performed in the processing chamber 17a, the buffer unit 14 is One transport robot 12 moves to the position (1) where the buffer unit 14 and the substrate W are transferred, and receives from the first transport robot 12 an unprocessed substrate W to be processed next.

As shown in FIG. 5, the second transport robot 15 receives unprocessed substrates W from the buffer unit 14 before the first process (A1) in the process chamber 17a ends. When the first processing in the (A1) processing chamber 17a is completed, the second transfer robot 15 takes out the first processed substrate W and sets the unprocessed substrate W in the (A1) processing chamber 17a. . After that, as shown in FIG. 6, the second transfer robot 15 turns 180 degrees, sets the substrate W in the processing chamber 17a of (B1), and performs the second processing.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 7, the second transfer robot 15 exchanges the first processed substrate W and the unprocessed substrate W in the processing chamber 17a (A2), and as shown in FIG. , turns 180 degrees, and sets the first processed substrate W in the processing chamber 17a of (B2). Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 9, the second transfer robot 15 exchanges the first processed substrate W and the unprocessed substrate W in the processing chamber 17a (A3), and as shown in FIG. , turns 180 degrees, and sets the first processed substrate W in the processing chamber 17a of (B3). Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 11, the second transfer robot 15 exchanges the first processed substrate W and the unprocessed substrate W in the (A4) processing chamber 17a, and as shown in FIG. , turns 180 degrees, and sets the first processed substrate W in the processing chamber 17a of (B4). After that, the first processing of the substrate W set in the processing chamber 17a of (A1) is completed.

Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 13, the second transport robot 15 receives the unprocessed substrate W from the buffer unit 14 after the second process (B1) in the process chamber 17a is completed. Then, the second transport robot 15 exchanges the unprocessed substrate W and the first processed substrate W in the processing chamber 17a of (A1). Subsequently, as shown in FIG. 14, the second transfer robot 15 turns 180 degrees and exchanges the first processed substrate W and the second processed substrate W in the processing chamber 17a of (B1). . Subsequently, the second transport robot 15 transfers the second processed substrate W to the buffer unit 14 and receives the unprocessed substrate W from the buffer unit 14, as shown in FIG. Specifically, the operation at this time is that the second transport robot 15 places the second processed substrate W held by the first arm unit 15a in the buffer unit 14, and then the first arm unit 15a An unprocessed substrate W is taken out from the buffer unit 14 by the unit 15a.

After that, even after the second processing in (B2) to (B4) is completed, substrate processing including substrate exchange is performed in the same flow.

When wet processing is performed continuously from the first processing chamber 17a to the second processing chamber 17a as in the present embodiment, for example, after the cleaning processing with pure water, the substrate surface remains wet with water. It may be efficient to carry out the processing of the next step. At this time, if the substrate surface is not uniformly wetted, the substrate surface is partially dried and the substrate quality is deteriorated. For this reason, the substrate W is leveled and transported to the next processing chamber 17a in a state of being covered with a liquid film. During this transfer, it is important to carry out the transfer so that water does not drop from the substrate surface. In such a case, even if two arm units 15a and 15b are provided, they are selectively used depending on the processing state of the substrate W, and the number of arms that enter the buffer unit 14 is limited to one. In some cases, there is no other choice but to reserve the substrate W with the arm of .

In this case, when wet processing is continuously performed from the first processing chamber 17a to the second processing chamber 17a, one arm unit transports the first processed substrate W to the second processing chamber 17a while wet. The hand part 21 is used as a wet hand. When an unprocessed substrate W is taken out from the buffer unit 14 and set in the first processing chamber 17a, or when a processed substrate W is taken out from the second processing chamber 17a and transferred to the buffer unit 14, The hand portion 21 of the other arm unit is used as a dry hand. That is, entry into the buffer unit 14 on which unprocessed and processed substrates W are placed is performed by dry hand. This prevents the wet hand from entering the buffer unit 14 and prevents the liquid from adhering to the unprocessed and processed substrates W.

In the case of this embodiment, the hand portion 21 of the first arm unit 15a functions as a dry hand, and the hand portion 21 of the second arm unit 15b functions as a wet hand. Since the wet hand is positioned below the dry hand, it is possible to prevent the liquid dropped from the substrate W from adhering to the dry hand even while the wet substrate W is being transported.

In the substrate processing flow described above, the movements and substrate exchange operations of the buffer unit 14 and the second transfer robot 15 are as follows.

From FIG. 13, in which the substrates W are set in all the processing chambers 17a of (A1) to (A4) and (B1) to (B4), the movement of the buffer unit 14 and the second transfer robot 15 and the movement of the substrates. An exchange operation will be described. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state in which the second processing is completed in the processing chamber 17a of (B1). In the following description, FIG. 3 will be referred to for positions (1) to (4).

When it is determined from the substrate processing information described above that the processing chamber 17a that needs to be replaced next is (A1), as shown in FIG. The second transport robot 15 receives unprocessed substrates W from the buffer unit 14 . Subsequently, the second transfer robot 15 faces the processing chamber 17a of (A1), and the hand part 21 (wet hand) of the second arm unit 15b performs the first processing from the processing chamber 17a of (A1). While taking out the substrate W, the unprocessed substrate W held by the hand portion 21 (dry hand) of the first arm unit 15a is set in the (A1) processing chamber 17a.

When the removal of the first processed substrate W and the setting of the unprocessed substrate W are completed, the second transfer robot 15 turns 180 degrees as shown in FIG. face to face In this state, the second transfer robot 15 takes out the second processed substrate W from the second processing chamber 17a by the first arm unit 15a, and the first processed wafer W held by the second arm unit 15b. The substrate W of (B1) is set in the processing chamber 17a of (B1). The first transport robot 12 places the unprocessed substrate W in the buffer unit 14 as shown in FIG.

Subsequently, when it is determined that (A2) is the processing chamber 17a that needs to be replaced next from the substrate processing information described above, the buffer unit 14 at position (1) is moved by the first transfer robot 12. After the substrate exchange is completed, an unprocessed substrate W to be processed next is held and moved from position (1) to position (2) as shown in FIG. At this time, if the movement of the buffer unit 14 interferes with the operation of the second transport robot 15, the buffer unit 14 waits at position (1) as shown in FIG.

Further, as shown in FIG. 15, when the second transfer robot 15 completes the substrate exchange operation in the processing chamber 17a of (B1) in the previous operation, it transfers the second processed substrate W to the first arm unit. While being held by the hand portion 21 (dry hand) of 15a, the substrate is moved to the position (2) where the next board replacement work is performed. Along with the movement of the second transport robot 15, the buffer unit 14 waiting at position (1) also moves to position (2) (movement from (1) to (2)).

Then, as shown in FIG. 15, the second transport robot 15 places the second processed substrate W picked up by the first arm unit 15a in the buffer unit 14, and then moves the first arm unit 15a. The unprocessed substrate W is taken out from the buffer unit 14 by . 16, the buffer unit 14 on which the unprocessed substrate W is taken out and the second processed substrate W is placed moves from the position (2) to the position (1) ((2 ) → move to (1)).

Note that, for example, when the moving speeds of the buffer unit 14 and the second transport robot 15 are the same, the buffer unit 14 and the second transport robot 15 move from position (1) to position (2). It is also possible to execute delivery of unprocessed substrates W during the process.

As shown in FIG. 16, the second transfer robot 15 faces the (A2) processing chamber 17a, and the hand portion 21 (wet hand) of the second arm unit 15b moves from inside the (A2) processing chamber 17a. The first processed substrate W is taken out, and an unprocessed substrate W held by the hand portion 21 (dry hand) of the first arm unit 15a is set in the (A2) processing chamber 17a.

When the removal of the first processed substrate W and the setting of the unprocessed substrate W are completed, the second transport robot 15 turns 180 degrees and moves to the processing chamber 17a (B2) as shown in FIG. face to face In this state, the second transfer robot 15 takes out the second processed substrate W from the second processing chamber 17a by the first arm unit 15a, and the first processed wafer W held by the second arm unit 15b. The substrate W of (B2) is set in the processing chamber 17a of (B2).

Further, as shown in FIG. 16, the first transport robot 12 takes out the second processed substrate W from the buffer unit 14 that has returned to the position (1), and moves the unprocessed substrate W into the buffer unit 14. put in

When the transfer of the substrate W by the first transfer robot 12 is completed, the buffer unit 14 moves to a place where the next substrate exchange operation is performed based on the above-described substrate processing information. When the processing chamber 17a requiring the next substrate exchange is (A3), the buffer unit 14 moves from the position (1) to the position (3) as shown in FIG. If the movement of the buffer unit 14 interferes with the movement of the second transport robot 15, the buffer unit 14 moves to position (2) and stands by at position (2), as shown in FIG. (move from (1) to (2)).

Further, as shown in FIG. 18, the second transfer robot 15 transfers the second processed substrate W to the first arm unit after completing the substrate exchange operation in the processing chamber 17a of (B2) in the previous operation. While being held by the hand portion 21 (dry hand) of 15a, the substrate is moved to the position (3) where the next board replacement work is performed. Along with the movement of the second transport robot 15, the buffer unit 14 waiting at the position (2) also moves to the position (3) (movement from (2) to (3)).

Then, as shown in FIG. 18, the second transport robot 15 places the second processed substrate W picked up by the first arm unit 15a in the buffer unit 14, and then moves the first arm unit 15a. The unprocessed substrate W is taken out from the buffer unit 14 by . 19, the buffer unit 14 on which the unprocessed substrate W is taken out and the second processed substrate W is placed moves from the position (3) to the position (1) ((3 ) → move to (1)).

As shown in FIG. 19, the second transfer robot 15 faces the (A3) processing chamber 17a, and the hand portion 21 (wet hand) of the second arm unit 15b moves from inside the (A3) processing chamber 17a. The first processed substrate W is taken out, and an unprocessed substrate W held by the hand portion 21 (dry hand) of the first arm unit 15a is set in the (A3) processing chamber 17a.

When the removal of the first processed substrate W and the setting of the unprocessed substrate W are completed, the second transfer robot 15 turns 180 degrees and moves to the processing chamber 17a (B3) as shown in FIG. face to face In this state, the second transfer robot 15 takes out the second processed substrate W from the second processing chamber 17a by the first arm unit 15a, and the first processed wafer W held by the second arm unit 15b. The substrate W of (B3) is set in the processing chamber 17a of (B3).

Further, as shown in FIG. 19, the first transport robot 12 takes out the second processed substrate W from the buffer unit 14 that has returned to the position (1), and moves the unprocessed substrate W into the buffer unit 14. put in

When the transfer of the substrate W by the first transfer robot 12 is completed, the buffer unit 14 moves to a place where the next substrate exchange operation is performed based on the above-described substrate processing information. When the processing chamber 17a requiring the next substrate exchange is (A4), the buffer unit 14 moves from the position (1) to the position (4) as shown in FIG. If the movement of the buffer unit 14 interferes with the movement of the second transfer robot 15, the buffer unit 14 moves to position (3) and stands by at position (3) as shown in FIG. (move from (1) to (3)).

Further, as shown in FIG. 21, when the second transfer robot 15 completes the substrate exchange operation in the processing chamber 17a ( B3 ) in the previous operation, the second processed substrate W is transferred to the first arm unit. While being held by the hand portion 21 (dry hand) of 15a, the substrate is moved to the position (4) where the next board replacement work is performed. Along with the movement of the second transport robot 15, the buffer unit 14 waiting at position (3) also moves to position ( 4 ) (movement from (3) to (4)).

Then, as shown in FIG. 21, the second transport robot 15 places the second processed substrate W taken out by the first arm unit 15a in the buffer unit 14, and then moves the first arm unit 15a. The unprocessed substrate W is taken out from the buffer unit 14 by . Next, the second transfer robot 15 performs the substrate exchange operations in the processing chambers 17a (A4) and (B4) in the same manner as the substrate exchange operations in the processing chambers 17a (A3) and (B3) described above. As shown in FIG. 22, the buffer unit 14 from which the unprocessed substrates W have been taken out moves from the position (4) to the position (1) (movement from (4) to (1)).

Further, as shown in FIG. 22, the first transport robot 12 takes out the second processed substrate W from the buffer unit 14 that has returned to the position (1), and moves the unprocessed substrate W into the buffer unit 14. put in

Substrate processing proceeds by repeating the above-described operations. The first transport robot 12 takes out the second processed substrate W from the buffer unit 14 and places the unprocessed substrate W in the buffer unit 14 while the buffer unit 14 is at position (1). repeat.

In such a substrate processing process, the buffer unit 14 and the second transfer robot 15 are independent of each other according to the progress of the substrate processing, and the substrate exchange work position (buffer unit 14 and the second transfer robot 15) are separated for each processing chamber 17a. It is possible to move to a position where the robot 15 replaces the substrate W). When the buffer unit 14 is fixed at the position of (1) in FIG. 3, if the processing chamber 17a that needs to be replaced next is (A3), the second transfer robot 15 at the position of (2) is: After returning to the position (1), the fixed buffer unit 14 and the substrate are exchanged, and then the position (3) is reached. However, as described above, the position of the buffer unit 14 is not fixed, and the buffer unit 14 can move. Therefore, when the processing chamber 17a that needs to be replaced next is (A3), the second transfer robot 15 only needs to move from the position (2) to the position (3) together with the buffer unit 14. , the movement time of the second transport robot 15 is shorter than when the buffer unit 14 is fixed. As a result, the waiting time until starting the board replacement work can be shortened, and the board replacement work, that is, the board transfer can be carried out efficiently.

Further, when the buffer unit 14 and the second transport robot 15 are moved together, it is possible to transfer the substrate W during their movement. As a result, compared to the case where the transfer of the substrate W is not executed during movement, the start of the substrate replacement work can be made earlier. Therefore, it is possible to further shorten the waiting time until the start of the board replacement work, and to efficiently carry out the board transfer.

When a plurality of processing chambers 17a are arranged in a row as in this embodiment, one end of the second robot movement path provided in the direction in which the processing chambers 17a are arranged, that is, the first transfer robot 12 The processing chamber 17a ((A4) in FIG. 1) provided at the opposite end to the buffer unit 14 positioned at the position where the substrate W is exchanged with the first transport robot 12 is located at a distance of It is the furthest processing chamber.

Here, when the buffer unit 14 is fixed at a position where the substrate W is exchanged with the first transport robot 12, the distance from the buffer unit 14 is larger than that of the processing chamber 17a which is closer to the buffer unit 14 than the processing chamber 17a which is closer to the buffer unit 14. The processing chamber 17a, which is far from the center, requires a longer movement time for the second transfer robot 15. FIG. FIG. 23 is a diagram showing the correlation between the processing times of the first processing chamber 17a and the second processing chamber 17a and the operation time of the second transfer robot 15. As shown in FIG. In FIG. 23, A is the time required for replacement in the buffer unit 14, B is the time required to move the substrate W to the processing chamber 17a where the next substrate W is replaced based on the substrate processing information, and C is the substrate replacement in the processing chamber 17a. D is the time required for rotating transfer from the first processing chamber 17a to the second processing chamber 17a, E is the time required for substrate exchange in the processing chamber 17a, and F is the processing chamber 17a where the substrate W has been exchanged. to the buffer unit 14. As shown in the “comparative example” of FIG. 23 , the movement time of B and F becomes longer as the processing chamber 17 a is farther from the buffer unit 14 . Therefore, as shown in the "comparative example", the second transfer robot 15 may continue to exchange substrates in the other processing chambers 17a even after the processing is finished, and the processing is performed in the processing chamber 17a where the processing has been finished. There may be a waiting time for taking out the substrate W that has been processed and setting the substrate W that has not been processed. In particular, when a process with a short processing time is performed in the processing chamber 17a, or when the difference in processing time between the first process and the second process is large, the waiting time increases and the productivity decreases.

As in the embodiment described above, the buffer unit 14 is movable from end to end of each substrate processing unit 17 aligned in the second transport direction. Therefore, as shown in the "first embodiment" of FIG. 23, in each substrate exchange operation in the processing chambers (A1) to (A4), the movement time of the second transfer robot 15 is the shortest processing chamber (A1). The substrate W can be transported to each of the other processing chambers 17a in the same movement time as the movement time to . In addition, while the second transport robot 15 is performing the operations B to E, the buffer unit 14 moves to the transfer position of the first transport robot 12 and separates the unprocessed substrate W and the processed substrate W. The waiting time of the second transfer robot 15 can also be reduced because the exchange is performed and the transfer robot 17a is moved to the position of the next processing chamber 17a. As a result, it is possible to complete the substrate exchange work in the other processing chambers 17a during the processing time in the predetermined processing chamber 17a, reduce the processing waiting time in the processing chamber 17a, and efficiently transport the substrate. realizable.

Also, the buffer unit 14 and the second transport robot 15 are provided on the second moving mechanism 16 . That is, the buffer unit 14 and the second transfer robot 15 are provided on a coaxial moving mechanism (on the same axis). Therefore, compared to the case where the buffer unit 14 and the second transport robot 15 are moved on separate axes, the second robot movement path can be narrowed. By narrowing the second robot movement path, the distance between the first processing chamber 17a and the second processing chamber 17a provided across the second robot movement path can be shortened. As described above, the substrate W in a wet state after the first processing is swiveled and transported toward the second processing chamber 17a. A centrifugal force is applied during this swirling transportation, and there is a possibility that the liquid may splash from the substrate W and adhere to the inside of the apparatus. For this reason, the second transfer robot 15 needs to slow down its turning motion so as to reduce the centrifugal force. However, if the distance between the first processing chamber 17a and the second processing chamber 17a can be shortened, the turning radius of the second transfer robot 15 can be reduced, and the influence of centrifugal force can be reduced. Circular transport can be performed. Therefore, the turning operation can be performed faster, and the transport time can be shortened.

Also, when the second transport robot 15 transported the wet substrate W from the first processing chamber 17a toward the second processing chamber 17a, the buffer unit 14 approached the second transport robot 15. If the second transfer robot 15 rotates, the liquid may splash and adhere to the inside of the buffer unit 14 due to the centrifugal force. If it adheres to the inside of the buffer unit 14, it may adhere to the unprocessed substrates W and the processed substrates W stored therein, adversely affecting the product quality. Therefore, the second transport robot 15 performs a turning motion in a direction in which the hand portion 21 holding the substrate W moves away from the buffer unit 14 . For example, in FIG. 1, the buffer unit 14 is located on the left side of the second transport robot 15, so the second transport robot 15 makes a turning motion so as to turn clockwise. As a result, it is possible to prevent the liquid from splashing into the buffer unit 14 and carry out the revolving transfer, thereby preventing the product quality of the substrate W from being adversely affected.

As described above, according to the first embodiment, the buffer unit 14 and the second transport robot 15 move individually based on the substrate processing information regarding the substrate W processing. As a result, the buffer unit 14 and the second transfer robot 15 can independently move to the substrate exchange work position (desired position) near the processing chamber 17a according to the substrate processing information. Therefore, the waiting time until starting the substrate replacement work can be shortened, and the substrates can be transported efficiently, so that the productivity of the substrate processing apparatus 10 can be improved.

<Second embodiment>
A second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. In addition, in the second embodiment, the difference from the first embodiment (the second moving mechanism) will be explained, and other explanations will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 24, the second moving mechanism 16 according to the second embodiment positions the moving path along which the buffer unit 14 moves above the moving path along which the second transport robot 15 moves. And the buffer unit 14 and the second transport robot 15 are individually moved so that the second transport robot 15 does not interfere with them. The second moving mechanism 16 includes a linear rail (second moving axis) 16d in addition to the linear rail (first moving axis) 16a, moving base 16b and moving base 16c according to the first embodiment. there is

The straight rail 16d is a rail provided on the ceiling surface and extending along the second transport direction. A buffer unit 14 is provided on the straight rail 16d so as to be movable in the extending direction of the straight rail 16d. A moving base 16b of the buffer unit 14 is attached to a linear rail 16d, and a storage section 14a is attached to the moving base 16b via a support 14b functioning as a hanging member.

The straight rail 16a is provided on the floor as described in the first embodiment. A second transfer robot 15 is provided on the linear rail 16a so as to be movable in the extending direction of the linear rail 16a. A moving base 16c of the second transfer robot 15 is attached to the linear rail 16a.

In this manner, the buffer unit 14 is configured in such a layout that it can freely move above the second transfer robot 15 when exchanging the substrates W with respect to each processing chamber 17a. In this buffer unit 14, the height of the storage section 14a is such that the first transport robot 12 can perform the board exchange work, and even if the storage section 14a moves along the straight rail 16a, It is formed so as to have a height that does not collide with the second transfer robot 15 .

In addition, the second transport robot 15 adjusts the height (hand height) of the first arm unit 15a and the second arm unit 15b to the buffer unit by using the elevation mechanism (vertical movement mechanism) of the elevation rotation unit 15d. By matching the height of the storage portion 14a of 14, it has an operating range that enables setting of processed substrates W to the buffer unit 14 and removal of unprocessed substrates W from the buffer unit 14. .

In the substrate exchange operation, when it is first determined from the substrate processing information described above that the processing chamber 17a requiring the next substrate exchange is (A1), the buffer unit 14 at the position (1) is , receives an unprocessed substrate W from the first transfer robot 12 and stays at the position (1). In the present embodiment, the position (1) where the first transfer robot 12 transfers the buffer unit 14 and the substrate W stands by when the processing in the processing chamber 17a (A1) is performed. It is also the position, but it may be different. In that case, the buffer unit 14 moves to a standby position when the processing in the processing chamber 17a of (A1) is performed.

The second transport robot 15 receives the unprocessed substrate W from the buffer unit 14, sets the substrate W in the processing chamber 17a (A1), and performs the first processing.

Here, at least while the second transport robot 15 is not transferring the substrate W to the buffer unit 14, for example, while the first process (A1) is being performed in the processing chamber 17a, the buffer unit 14 is One transport robot 12 moves to the position (1) where the buffer unit 14 and the substrate W are transferred, and receives from the first transport robot 12 an unprocessed substrate W to be processed next.

After the first processing in the processing chamber 17a of (A1) is completed, the second transfer robot 15 turns 180 degrees, sets the substrate W in the processing chamber 17a of (B1), and performs the second processing.

When the second processing in the processing chamber 17a (B1) is completed, the second transport robot 15 takes out the substrate W that has undergone the second processing from the processing chamber 17a (B1), transfers it to the buffer unit 14, and transfers it to the buffer unit 14. receives an unprocessed substrate W from. Specifically, the operation at this time is that the second transport robot 15 places the second processed substrate W held by the first arm unit 15a in the buffer unit 14, and then the first arm unit 15a An unprocessed substrate W is taken out from the buffer unit 14 by the unit 15a.

Subsequently, when it is determined that (A2) is the processing chamber 17a that needs to be replaced next from the substrate processing information described above, the buffer unit 14 at position (1) is moved by the first transfer robot 12. After the substrate exchange is completed, the unprocessed substrate W to be processed next is held and moved from the position (1) to the position (2). At this time, since the movement of the buffer unit 14 does not interfere with the operation of the second transfer robot 15, the buffer unit 14 moves over the second transfer robot 15 performing the substrate exchange operation at the position (1). and waits at position (2) (movement from (1) to (2)).

When the substrate exchange operation in the processing chamber 17a of (B1) in the previous operation is completed, the second transfer robot 15 holds the second processed substrate W with the first arm unit 15a (dry hand). Then, it moves to the position (2) where the substrate replacement work is performed. At this position, the second transport robot 15 raises the first arm unit 15a to the height of the buffer unit 14, places the processed substrate W held by the first arm unit 15a in the buffer unit 14, and After that, the unprocessed substrate W is taken out from the buffer unit 14 by the first arm unit 15a. The buffer unit 14 from which the unprocessed substrate W has been taken out moves from the position (2) to the position (1) (movement from (2) to (1)).

The second transfer robot 15 lowers the first arm unit 15a holding the unprocessed substrate W to the substrate transfer height between the processing chambers 17a (A2) and (B2), and moves the processing chamber 17a (A2). , the first processed substrate W is removed from the processing chamber 17a (A2) by the second arm unit 15b (wet hand), and the unprocessed substrate W held by the first arm unit 15a is removed. It is set in the processing chamber 17a of (A2). When the removal of the first processed substrate W and the setting of the unprocessed substrate W are completed, the second transport robot 15 turns 180 degrees to face the processing chamber 17a (B2). In this state, the second transfer robot 15 takes out the second processed substrate W from the second processing chamber 17a by the first arm unit 15a, and the first processed wafer W held by the second arm unit 15b. The substrate W of (B2) is set in the processing chamber 17a of (B2).

The first transport robot 12 takes out the processed substrate W from the buffer unit 14 that has returned to the position (1) and places the unprocessed substrate W in the buffer unit 14 . When the transfer of the substrate W by the first transfer robot 12 is completed, the buffer unit 14 moves to a place where the next substrate exchange operation is performed based on the above-described substrate processing information. If the processing chamber 17a requiring the next substrate exchange is (A3), the buffer unit 14 moves from the position (1) to the position (3). Since the movement of the buffer unit 14 does not interfere with the operation of the second transfer robot 15, the buffer unit 14 moves over the second transfer robot 15 performing the substrate exchange operation at the position (2). and waits at position (3) (movement from (1) to (3)).

After completing the substrate exchange operation in the processing chamber 17a of (B2) in the previous operation, the second transfer robot 15 holds the second processed substrate W with the first arm unit 15a (dry hand). Then, it moves to the position (3) where the substrate replacement work is performed. At this position, the second transport robot 15 raises the first arm unit 15a to the height of the buffer unit 14, and moves the second processed substrate W held by the first arm unit 15a into the buffer unit 14. After that, the unprocessed substrate W is taken out from the buffer unit 14 by the first arm unit 15a. Then, the second transfer robot 15 performs the substrate exchange work in the processing chambers 17a (A3) and (B3) in the same manner as the substrate exchange work in the processing chambers 17a (A2) and (B2) described above. The buffer unit 14 from which the unprocessed substrate W has been taken out moves from the position (3) to the position (1) (movement from (3) to (1)).

The first transport robot 12 takes out the processed substrate W from the buffer unit 14 that has returned to the position (1) and places the unprocessed substrate W in the buffer unit 14 . When the transfer of the substrate W by the first transfer robot 12 is completed, the buffer unit 14 moves to a place where the next substrate exchange operation is performed based on the above-described substrate processing information. If the processing chamber 17a requiring substrate replacement next is (A4), the buffer unit 14 moves from position (1) to position (4). Since the movement of the buffer unit 14 does not interfere with the operation of the second transfer robot 15, the buffer unit 14 moves over the second transfer robot 15 performing the substrate exchange operation at the position (3). and waits at position (4) (movement from (1) to (4)).

After completing the substrate exchange operation in the processing chamber 17a (B3) in the previous operation, the second transfer robot 15 holds the second processed substrate W with the first arm unit 15a (dry hand). Then, it moves to the position (4) where the substrate replacement work is performed. At this position, the second transport robot 15 raises the first arm unit 15a to the height of the buffer unit 14, and moves the second processed substrate W held by the first arm unit 15a into the buffer unit 14. After that, the unprocessed substrate W is taken out from the buffer unit 14 by the first arm unit 15a. Then, the second transfer robot 15 performs the substrate exchange work in the processing chambers 17a (A4) and (B4) in the same manner as the substrate exchange work in the processing chambers 17a (A3) and (B3) described above. The buffer unit 14 from which the unprocessed substrate W has been taken out moves from the position (4) to the position (1) (movement from (4) to (1)).

In such a substrate processing process, the buffer unit 14 and the second transfer robot 15 can move independently and without interference to the substrate exchange positions for each processing chamber 17a. As in the first embodiment, it is possible to shorten the waiting time until the substrate replacement work is performed, and to efficiently perform the substrate replacement work, that is, the substrate transfer. Since the buffer unit 14 can be moved without interfering with the second transfer robot 15, the buffer unit 14 is moved to the substrate exchange work position near the processing chamber 17a before the second transfer robot 15. can be kept

As described above, according to the second embodiment, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be obtained. In addition, by separately providing the movement path of the buffer unit 14 and the movement path of the second transport robot 15, the movement of the buffer unit 14 and the movement of the second transport robot 15 do not interfere with each other. 14 and the second transfer robot 15 can be improved in freedom of movement. Therefore, even in various substrate processing steps other than the substrate processing steps in which the first processing and the second processing are performed, it is possible to shorten the waiting time until the start of the substrate replacement work and efficiently transfer the substrates. Since it becomes possible, the productivity of the substrate processing apparatus 10 can be improved.

<Other embodiments>
In the above description, the linear movement conversion mechanism using the linear guide of the linear rail 16a was exemplified as the moving mechanism for the buffer body of the buffer unit 14 and the robot body of the second transfer robot 15, but this is not the only option. For example, it is possible to move the buffer main body and the robot main body by an eccentric cam mechanism instead of a linear guide. The straight rail 16a on the floor is used as the slide axis for the buffer body and the robot body. and the robot body may be moved individually. However, in this case, since two straight rails are provided on the floor surface, the size of the device increases in the direction in which the straight rails are arranged. Therefore, in order to suppress an increase in the size of the device in the direction in which the linear rails are arranged, it is desirable to provide the two linear rails so that the two linear rails are positioned one above the other.

Also, in the above description, two types of processing chambers 17a are used as an example, but the present invention is not limited to this, and for example, three types of processing chambers 17a may be used. In this case, the process is performed in order of process 1→process 2→process 3, and then the processed substrate W is returned to the buffer unit 14. FIG. For example, two processing chambers 17a for processing 1, four processing chambers 17a for processing 2, and two processing chambers 17a for processing 3 are used. This is because it is assumed that the treatment of the chamber 17a takes twice as long as the treatment 1 or the treatment 3, and the number of units is set to double.

In the above description, the buffer unit 14 is moved to the position (1) for substrate exchange with the first transfer robot 12 each time the transfer of the substrate with the second transfer robot 15 is completed. , but not limited to this. For example, if the buffer unit 14 has a multistage configuration capable of holding a plurality of substrates W, it can hold a plurality of unprocessed substrates W or a plurality of processed substrates W, and when the unprocessed substrates W run out, or When the buffer unit 14 runs out of the table member 14a1 capable of holding the processed substrates W, the substrate exchange with the first transport robot 12 may be moved to the position (1). In this case, the number of reciprocations of the buffer unit 14 in the second transport direction can be reduced.

Further, in the description of the second embodiment, the second transport robot 15 adjusts the height of the storage section 14a of the buffer unit 14 using the lifting mechanism (vertical movement mechanism) of the lifting and rotating section 15d. However, it is not limited to this. For example, the buffer unit 14 has an elevating mechanism, and the first transport robot 12 and the second transport robot 15 move the buffer unit 14 vertically to a height at which the substrate W can be transferred to the storage unit 14a. may In this case, when the substrate W is transferred between the first transport robot 12 and the buffer unit 14, and between the second transport robot 15 and the buffer unit 14, the buffer unit 14 descends, otherwise the buffer unit 14 moves upward. It is positioned at a height that does not interfere with the second transfer robot 15 .

Although several embodiments of the invention have been described above, these embodiments are presented by way of example and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention. These novel embodiments can be implemented in various other forms, and various omissions, replacements, and modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention. These embodiments and modifications thereof are included in the scope and gist of the invention, and are included in the scope of the invention described in the claims and equivalents thereof.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 substrate processing apparatus 11 opening/closing unit 14 buffer unit 15 second transport robot 16 second moving mechanism 17a processing chamber W substrate

Claims (12)

a storage container for storing the substrate;
a plurality of processing chambers for processing the substrate;
a transfer table positioned between the storage container and the processing chamber, on which a substrate processed in the processing chamber or an unprocessed substrate is placed;
a transfer unit that transfers the substrate from the transfer table to the processing chamber;
a movement mechanism that individually moves the transfer table and the transport unit in a row direction in which the plurality of processing chambers are arranged based on substrate processing information related to the processing of the substrate;
with
The plurality of processing chambers includes a plurality of first processing chambers for performing a first process and a plurality of second processing chambers for performing a second process continuously from the first process, and A row in which the processing chambers are arranged and a row in which the plurality of second processing chambers are arranged are provided in two rows facing each other, and a set of the first processing chamber and the second processing chamber facing each other is provided. The first process to the second process are executed as
The moving mechanism moves the transfer table, on which the unprocessed substrates are placed, between the two rows in the row direction of the two rows, thereby moving the first substrate on which the first treatment has been completed. Positioned at a position near the processing chamber and the second processing chamber where the second processing has been completed,
The transfer unit takes out the unprocessed substrate from the transfer table, exchanges the unprocessed substrate with the substrate that has undergone the first treatment in the first processing chamber, and then passes through the transfer table. the substrate that has undergone the second processing is taken out from the second processing chamber, and the substrate that has undergone the first processing taken out from the first processing chamber is transferred to the second processing chamber and taken out. and a substrate processing apparatus, wherein an unprocessed substrate is taken out from the transfer table when the substrate that has been subjected to the second processing is transferred to the transfer table. The transport unit includes a substrate holding unit that holds the substrate,
The transport unit is configured to rotate from the first processing chamber toward the second processing chamber in a direction in which the substrate holding unit moves away from the transfer table, thereby transporting the first processed substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized by: 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the moving mechanism moves the transfer table to a desired position before the transfer unit transfers the substrate from the transfer table. The moving mechanism moves the delivery table and the transport unit together,
4. The substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the transfer unit takes out the substrate from the transfer table while it is being moved together with the transfer table by the moving mechanism. processing equipment. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in the moving mechanism, the transfer table and the transfer section are provided coaxially. The moving mechanism positions the movement path along which the transfer table moves above the movement path along which the transfer section moves, and moves the transfer table and the transfer section individually so that the transfer table and the transfer section do not interfere with each other. 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5 , wherein the substrate processing apparatus A plurality of processes having a transfer table for holding a substrate, a plurality of first process chambers for performing a first process, and a plurality of second process chambers for performing a second process in succession to the first process by a transfer unit. transferring the substrate between the chambers;
A row in which the plurality of first processing chambers are arranged and a row in which the plurality of second processing chambers are arranged are provided in two rows facing each other, and the first processing chambers and the second processing chambers facing each other are provided in two rows. a step of performing the first processing to the second processing with a processing chamber as a set;
with
In the step of transporting the substrate,
based on substrate processing information relating to the processing of the substrate, the transfer table on which the unprocessed substrate is placed is moved between the two rows by a moving mechanism in the row direction of the two rows, positioned in the vicinity of the first processing chamber where the first processing is completed and the second processing chamber where the second processing is completed;
After taking out the unprocessed substrate from the transfer table and exchanging the unprocessed substrate for the substrate that has undergone the first treatment in the first processing chamber, the second substrate is processed without going through the transfer table. taking out the processed substrate from the second processing chamber, delivering the substrate having undergone the first processing taken out from the first processing chamber to the second processing chamber, and taking out the second processing; A substrate processing method , wherein an unprocessed substrate is taken out from the transfer table when transferring the processed substrate to the transfer table . 8. The method according to claim 7, wherein when the transfer table is moved by the moving mechanism, the transfer table is moved to a desired position before the transfer unit transfers the substrate from the transfer table. substrate processing method. When the transfer table and the transfer section are moved together by the moving mechanism, the substrate is taken out from the transfer table by the transfer section while the transfer table and the transfer section are moving together. 8. The substrate processing method according to claim 7. When the transfer table and the transport section are individually moved by the moving mechanism, the movement path along which the delivery table moves is positioned above the movement path along which the transport section moves, and the transfer table and the transport section move 10. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 7 to 9, wherein the transfer table and the transfer section are individually moved so as not to interfere with each other. The transport unit includes a substrate holding unit that holds the substrate,
Using the transfer unit, the substrate holding unit is rotated in a direction away from the transfer table from the first processing chamber toward the second processing chamber, thereby transferring the first processed substrate. The substrate processing method according to claim 7, characterized by: the first treatment is a cleaning treatment,
The transport section includes two upper and lower transport arms, the lower transport arm holding the first processed substrate, and the upper transport arm holding the second processed substrate. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.

Images