KR100873099B1 - Processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a treatment apparatus, wherein a treatment apparatus 100 that executes a series of treatments including a plurality of liquid treatments to a substrate G is processed while the substrate G is conveyed substantially horizontally. A plurality of thermal processing unit sections 26, 27, 28 in which a plurality of liquid processing units 21, 23, 24 are executed, and a plurality of thermal processing units performing thermal processing accompanying the plurality of liquid treatments are concentrated. Equipped. The plurality of liquid treatment units 21, 23, 24 are arranged in the order of processing, such as two rows of conveying lines A, B, etc., in which the conveying lines of the substrate to be processed are parallel, and between the conveying lines A, B. In the space portion 40 is formed. Provided is a technology in which the substrate holding / moving member 41 is held when the substrate G is guided between the conveying lines A and B so as to move the space portion 40.

Description

Processing Equipment {PROCESSING APPARATUS}

1 is a plan view showing a resist coating and developing apparatus for an LCD glass substrate according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing the interior of a resist processing unit of the resist coating and developing apparatus for an LCD substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 3 is a side view showing the first thermal processing unit section of the coating and developing apparatus for LCD substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a side view showing a second thermal processing unit section of the resist coating and developing apparatus of the LCD substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 5 is a side view showing a third thermal processing unit section of the resist coating and developing apparatus of the LCD substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the shuttle structure used in the resist coating and developing apparatus for an LCD substrate according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a resist coating and developing apparatus for an LCD substrate according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a resist coating and developing apparatus for an LCD substrate according to the third embodiment of the present invention.                 

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the shuttle structure used in the resist coating and developing apparatus for an LCD substrate according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 10 is a perspective view showing the structure of a conveyance mechanism used in the resist coating and developing apparatus for an LCD substrate according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a side view for explaining an operation of placing a substrate on the shuttle of FIG. 9 using the conveyance mechanism of FIG. 10.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view showing a shuttle structure in which a resist coating and developing apparatus for an LCD substrate according to a third embodiment of the present invention is used.

<Description of reference numerals indicating major parts>

1: cassette station 2: processing station

3: interface station

21: scrub cleaning unit (liquid treatment unit)

23: resist processing unit (liquid processing unit)

24: Developing Unit (Liquid Processing Unit)

26: first thermal treatment unit section

27: second thermal treatment unit section

28: third thermal treatment unit section

31, 32, 34, 35, 37, 38: heat treatment unit block

33: first conveying apparatus 36: second conveying apparatus

39: third conveying apparatus 40: space part                 

41, 41 ', 41 ": Shuttle

100, 100 ', 100 ": resist coating and developing apparatus (processing apparatus)

G: LCD glass substrate

The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for performing a plurality of processes such as, for example, a resist coating and a post-exposure developing process, and a thermal process performed before and after the processed substrate such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) glass substrate. .

In LCD manufacturing, after a predetermined film is formed on an LCD glass substrate, which is a substrate to be processed, a photoresist solution is applied to form a resist film, a resist film is exposed to correspond to a circuit pattern, and so-called photolithography. A circuit pattern is formed by a graphics technique.

In the photolithography technology, an LCD substrate, which is a substrate to be processed, is a main process, and has undergone a series of processes ranging from washing treatment to dehydration baking to adhibization treatment to resist coating to prebaking exposure to development to post baking. A predetermined circuit pattern is formed in the resist layer.

Conventionally, such a process arranges a process unit for executing each process in a form conscious of a process path on both sides of the conveying path, and carries out the carrying out of the substrate to be processed into each processing unit by a central conveying apparatus capable of traveling the conveying path. It is executed by the processing system which consists of one or more process block to execute. Since such a processing system is basically random access, the processing freedom is very high.

In recent years, however, LCD substrates have a strong demand for larger size, have a large substrate of about 1m on one side, and have a large footprint in a processing system having a planar arrangement as described above. There is a strong demand for a reduction in footprint.

In order to reduce the footprint, it is considered to overlap the processing units in the vertical direction. However, in the current processing system, the conveying apparatus moves a large substrate in a horizontal direction at a high speed or high precision in terms of yield improvement. Therefore, there is a limit to moving at high speed or high precision even in the height direction. In addition to the increase in the size of the substrate, the processing unit is also enlarged, and it is very difficult to duplicate the spinner units such as the resist coating unit and the developing unit.

In addition, as other means for reducing the footprint, it is considered to arrange the processing units in the order of processing without using the central transfer device, but in this case, it is impossible to cope with only a predetermined series of processes, and the processing freedom is small. there is a problem.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible to reduce the footprint without reducing the yield and without the problem of device configuration, and to provide a high degree of freedom in processing and a plurality of processing units. It is an object to provide a treatment apparatus.

According to a first aspect of the present invention, in a processing apparatus that executes a series of processes including a plurality of liquid treatments to a substrate to be processed, the liquid processing is performed while the substrate to be processed is substantially horizontally conveyed, and the conveying line is processed in the order of processing. A plurality of liquid processing units arranged in two rows, a plurality of thermal processing units for performing thermal processing accompanying the plurality of liquid processes, a space portion provided between the two rows of conveying lines, and the space portion are moved. The processing apparatus provided so that the substrate to be processed is conveyed between the said conveyance line and the board | substrate holding and moving member which hold | maintains and moves a board | substrate is provided.

In the second aspect of the present invention, in a processing apparatus that executes a series of processes including a plurality of liquid processes on a substrate to be processed, a plurality of processes for performing predetermined processing on each of the substrates in correspondence with the series of processes are performed. A processing unit having a processing unit and a storage unit for storing the substrate to be processed before processing and / or the substrate to be processed after being processed, and carrying in and out of the substrate to and from the processing unit; The liquid treatment is performed while the substrate to be processed is substantially horizontally conveyed, the plurality of liquid treatment units arranged so that the conveying lines are arranged in two rows in the order of processing, and a plurality of thermal treatments accompanying the plurality of liquid treatments. The substrate to be processed is conveyed between the conveying lines when the space portion provided between the thermal processing unit, the two rows of conveying lines, and the space part is movable. The present invention provides a processing apparatus having a substrate holding and moving member for holding and moving a substrate.

In the treatment apparatus, the plurality of thermal treatment units constitute a plurality of thermal treatment unit sections that are concentrated for each of the corresponding heat treatments, and corresponding to each thermal treatment unit section, and a plurality of thermal treatment units therein. It is possible to comprise a plurality of conveying apparatuses for carrying out and handing over the substrate to be processed between and with the corresponding liquid treatment unit. Further, the plurality of thermal processing unit sections can be configured to include thermal processing unit blocks formed by stacking a plurality of thermal processing units adjacent to each conveying apparatus in a vertical direction.

In a third aspect of the present invention, in a processing apparatus that performs a series of processes including cleaning, resist coating, and post-exposure development on a substrate to be processed, predetermined processing is performed on the substrate to be processed in response to the series of processing. A processing unit having a plurality of processing units for carrying out a plurality of processing units, a storage container for storing a substrate to be processed before processing and / or a substrate to be processed after processing, and carrying in and out of the processing substrate, An interface unit for transferring and processing the substrate to be processed between the processing unit and the exposure apparatus, wherein the processing unit is a cleaning processing unit in which cleaning processing and drying processing with a cleaning liquid are executed while the substrate to be processed is conveyed substantially horizontally. And a resist processing oil in which a resist process including application of a resist liquid is performed while the substrate to be processed is conveyed substantially horizontally. And a developing processing unit for carrying out a developer solution, removing and drying the developer after development, and the cleaning processing unit, the resist processing unit, and the developing processing unit while the substrate to be processed is substantially horizontally conveyed. Two parallel rows of conveying lines for carrying the substrate to be processed, a plurality of thermal processing units for carrying out thermal processing accompanying the respective processing units, a space portion provided between the two rows of conveying lines, and the space portion to be movable The substrate to be processed is conveyed between the conveying line and a substrate holding / moving member for holding and moving the substrate, and one of the two rows of conveying lines carries the substrate to be processed at the carrying in and out portions. The interface portion passes through the cleaning process unit and the resist processing unit, and the other side is the interface unit. The present invention provides a processing apparatus that reaches the loading / exiting part after passing through the developing processing unit.

In the processing apparatus, the plurality of thermal processing units include: a first thermal processing unit section in which a plurality of thermal processing units for performing predetermined thermal processing are performed on the substrate to be carried out from the cleaning processing unit; A second thermal processing unit section in which a plurality of thermal processing units for carrying out a predetermined thermal processing on the substrate to be carried out from the resist processing unit is concentrated, and for the substrate to be taken out from the developing unit, And a third thermal treatment unit section in which a plurality of thermal treatment units for performing thermal treatment of the same are concentrated, and further, a substrate to be processed taken out of the cleaning treatment unit is returned to the first thermal treatment unit section, and the first thermal treatment unit section is carried out. A first conveying apparatus for conveying the substrate to be processed in the thermal processing unit section to the resist processing unit, and the resist processing unit And a second conveying apparatus for conveying the substrate to be processed to the second thermal treatment unit section, and for conveying the substrate to be processed from the second thermal treatment unit section to the interface unit, and the object to be removed from the developing unit. It is also possible to further include a third conveying apparatus for conveying the substrate to the third thermal treatment unit section and conveying the substrate to be processed to the inlet / outlet portion in the third thermal treatment unit section. In addition, the first, second and third thermal treatment unit sections each have a thermal treatment unit block formed by stacking a plurality of thermal treatment units disposed adjacent to the first, second and third conveying apparatus in a vertical direction. It is possible to configure so that.

Also in any of the above processing apparatuses, the substrate holding / moving member has a base member that supports a substrate to be processed on an upper surface thereof, and a cover member that is freely attached to the base member and covers a space above the base member. It is possible to employ a configuration. In this case, the opening and closing of the cover member is preferably performed by an opening and closing mechanism provided at a receiving / conveying position of the substrate to be processed with respect to the substrate holding / moving member.

In addition, in the second or third aspect, the carry-in / out unit includes a substrate transfer mechanism for transferring and delivering the substrate to be processed between the processing unit, and the processing unit carries the substrate in the space portion. In a portion adjacent to the mechanism, a substrate transfer mechanism is provided between the substrate transfer mechanism and the substrate holding / moving member for transferring and delivering the substrate to be processed, wherein the substrate transfer mechanism changes a direction of the substrate to be processed. It is possible to be configured to have a substrate rotating mechanism. In this case, the substrate conveying mechanism has a substrate supporting portion that can be lifted and the substrate holding / moving member has a base member for supporting a substrate to be processed, the hole being formed through which the substrate supporting portion passes. The substrate support portion of the base member receives the substrate to be processed in a state where it penetrates the hole from the lower side of the base member and protrudes upward, and rotates the substrate to be processed by the substrate rotating mechanism to lower the support portion. The substrate to be processed supported by the support portion can be mounted on the base member.

According to the present invention, a plurality of liquid processing units for performing liquid processing, such as cleaning processing, resist processing, and developing processing, are configured such that predetermined liquid processing is performed while the substrates to be processed are substantially horizontally conveyed therein, and these are processed. In this way, the transfer lines of the substrates to be processed are arranged in two parallel rows, and a series of treatments are carried out while the substrates to be processed are transported along the transfer lines, so that a high yield can be maintained, and a plurality of processes as in the prior art A large-scale central transporter traveling between units and a central transport path on which it travels are basically unnecessary, so that space can be simplified and the footprint can be made small. Further, since the space between the two rows of conveying lines is provided to be movable and a substrate holding / moving member which is held when the substrate is conveyed between the conveying lines is provided, various pattern processing can be executed in addition to the normal processing. high. At this time, since the substrate holding member only moves by holding the substrate to be processed, unlike a conventional central transfer apparatus, a large mechanism is unnecessary, and a large space such as a central transfer path on which the conventional central transfer apparatus travels. Is not required, and the simplified space effect is maintained.

Further, as described above, by making the plurality of thermal processing units constitute a plurality of thermal processing unit sections that are aggregated for each corresponding to the thermal processing, the footprint can be further reduced, and thermal Since the processing can also be performed in accordance with the flow of the processing of the substrate to be processed, the yield is further increased.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiment of this invention is described in detail with reference to attached drawing.

1 is a plan view showing a LDC glass substrate resist coating and developing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

The resist coating and developing apparatus 100 includes a cassette station (load-in / out unit) 1 on which a cassette C containing a plurality of LCD glass substrates G is placed, and a resist coating and development on a substrate G. Interface station (interface part) for performing acquisition and delivery of substrate G between a processing station (processing part) 2 having a plurality of processing units for performing a series of processes and an exposure apparatus 4 3), a cassette station 1 and an interface station 3 are disposed at both ends of the processing station 2, respectively. 1, the longitudinal direction of the resist coating and developing apparatus 100 is in the X direction, and the direction perpendicular to the X direction is Y in the plane.

The cassette station 1 is provided with a conveying apparatus 11 for carrying out the carrying out of the LCD substrate G between the cassette C and the processing station 2, and the cassette station 1 In and out of the cassette C to the outside is carried out. Moreover, the conveying apparatus 11 is equipped with the conveying arm 11a, and can move on the conveyance path 10 provided along the Y direction which is the arrangement direction of the cassette C, and the cassette C is conveyed by the conveying arm 11a. ) Is loaded and unloaded between the substrate G and the processing station 2.

The processing station 2 basically has two parallel rows of conveying lines A and B for conveying the substrate G extending in the X direction, and interfaces from the cassette station 1 side along the conveying line A. Towards the station 3, a scrub cleaning unit (SCR) 21, a first thermal processing unit section 26, a resist processing unit 23 and a second thermal processing unit section 27 are arranged. Further, along the conveying line B, the second thermal treatment unit section 27, the developing treatment unit (DEV) 24, the i-ray UV irradiation unit (i) from the interface station 3 side toward the cassette station 1 -UV) 25 and a third thermal treatment unit 28 are arranged. An excimer UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 22 is provided on a part of the upper side of the scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21. In addition, the excimer UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 22 is provided to remove organic matter from the substrate G prior to scrubber cleaning, and the i-ray UV irradiation unit (i-UV) 25 is decolorized for development. It is installed to run.

The scrubber cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21 is configured to execute the cleaning process and the drying process while being transported substantially horizontally without the substrate G being rotated as in the prior art. The development processing unit (DEV) 24 is also configured to carry out developer application, cleaning of the developer after development, and drying if the substrate G is conveyed substantially horizontally without the substrate G being rotated therein. In addition, in the scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21 and the developing processing unit (DEV) 24, the transfer of the substrate G is performed by, for example, a single line transfer or a belt transfer. The inlet and outlet of the is installed at mutually opposite short sides. In addition, the conveyance of the board | substrate G to the i-line UV irradiation unit (i-UV) 25 is performed continuously by the same mechanism as the conveyance mechanism of the developing process unit (DEV) 24. FIG.

The resist processing unit 23 is applied by dropping and applying a nozzle resist liquid (not shown) while rotating the substrate G by the spin chuck 51 in the cup 50 as shown in the plan view of the inside thereof in FIG. A substrate placed on the pressure-sensitive drying apparatus (VD) 23b and the stage 54 for drying the resist coating treatment apparatus (CT) 23a and the resist film formed on the substrate G under reduced pressure in the pressure-sensitive vessel 52 ( Peripheral resist removal apparatus (ER) 23c which removes the excess resist adhering around the board | substrate G by the solvent discharge head 53 which can scan the four sides of G) is arrange | positioned in that order, and the guide rail The board | substrate G is conveyed substantially horizontally between these by the pair of subarms 56 guided and moving to 55. As shown in FIG. The resist processing unit 23 is provided with an inlet 57 and an outlet 58 of the substrate G at short sides facing each other, and the guide rail 55 has these inlets 57 and outlets ( It extends outward from 58, and the sub arm 56 enables conveyance of the board | substrate G. FIG.

The first thermal processing unit section 26 includes two thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 31 and 32 formed by stacking thermal processing units for thermal processing on the substrate G. The thermal processing unit block ( The TB (31) is provided on the scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21 side, and the thermal processing unit block (TB) 32 is provided on the resist processing unit 23 side. Then, a first conveying device 33 is provided between these two thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 31, 32. As shown in the side view of FIG. 3, the thermal processing unit block (TB) 31 is dewatered with respect to the pass unit (PASS) 61 and board | substrate G which perform acquisition and delivery of the board | substrate G in order from the bottom. It is composed of a four-stage stack of Adhasion treatment unit (AD) 64 which performs hydrophobic treatment on two dehydration baking units (DHP) 62 and 63 for carrying out the baking treatment. The processing unit block (TB) 32 is a pass unit (PASS) 65 for carrying out and delivering the substrate G in order from the bottom, and two cooling units (COL) for cooling the substrate G ( 66, 67, and a four-stage stack of an adhesion process unit (AD) 68 which performs a hydrophobization treatment on the substrate G. As shown in FIG. The first conveying apparatus 33 receives the substrate G from the scrub cleaning process unit SCR 21 via a pass unit PASS 61, and thus the substrate G between the thermal processing units. The transfer and delivery of the substrate G is performed by the resist processing unit 23 via the loading and unloading and pass unit (PASS) 65.

The first conveying apparatus 33 includes a guide rail 91 extending up and down, an elevating member 92 for elevating along the guide rail, a base member 3 rotatably mounted on the elevating member 92, The base member 93 is provided so as to be able to move forward and backward and has a substrate holding arm 94 for holding the substrate G. As shown in FIG. The lifting and lowering of the lifting member 92 is performed by the motor 95, the turning of the base member 93 is performed by the motor 96, and the forward and backward movement of the substrate holding arm 94 is performed by the motor 97. Is executed by Since the 1st conveying apparatus 33 is provided so that it can move | move forward, backward and forward, and a swiveling movement in this way, it is accessible to any one unit of thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 31 and 32. As shown in FIG.

The second thermal processing unit section 27 has two thermal processing unit blocks (TBs) 34 and 35 formed by stacking thermal processing units for thermal processing on the substrate G. The thermal processing unit blocks ( TB) 34 is provided on the resist processing unit 23 side, and the thermal processing unit block (TB) 35 is provided on the developing process unit (DEV) 24 side. A second conveyance device 36 is provided between the two thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 34 and 35. As shown in the side view of Fig. 4, the thermal processing unit block (TB) 34 is provided with respect to the pass unit PASS 69 and the board | substrate G which perform acquisition and delivery of the board | substrate G in order from the bottom. It consists of four stacks of three pre-baking units (PREBAKEs) 70, 71, and 72 which carry out the pre-baking process, and the thermal processing unit block (TB) 35 takes over the substrate G in order from the bottom. Pass unit (PASS) 73 for carrying out India, cooling unit (COL) 74 for cooling the board | substrate G, and two pre-baking units (PREBAKE) which perform prebaking process with respect to the board | substrate G. Four layers of (75, 76) are laminated. The second transfer device 36 receives the substrate G from the resist processing unit 23 via a pass unit PASS 69, carries in and out of the substrate G between the thermal processing units, and a pass unit PASS. To the extension processing stage (EXT / COL) 44, which is a substrate transfer part of the interface station 3 described later, and the substrate G transfer to the development processing unit (DEV) 24 via the &quot; 73 &quot; The conveyance and receipt of the board | substrate G are performed. In addition, the second conveying apparatus 36 has the same structure as the first conveying apparatus 33 and is accessible to either unit of the thermal processing unit blocks 34 and 35.

The third thermal processing unit section 28 includes two thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 37 and 38 formed by stacking thermal processing units for thermal processing on the substrate G. The thermal processing unit block ( The TB (37) is provided on the developing processing unit (DEV) 24 side, and the thermal processing unit block (TB) 38 is provided on the cassette station 1 side. Then, a third conveying apparatus 39 is provided between these two thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 37 and 38. As shown in the side view of FIG. 5, the thermal processing unit block (TB) 37 posts to the pass unit (PASS) 77 and the board | substrate G which perform acquisition and delivery of the board | substrate G in order from the bottom. It is composed of four stacks of three post-baking units (POBAKEs) 78, 79, and 80 for carrying out the baking process, and the thermal processing unit block (TB) 38 is in turn a POBAKE unit (from bottom to bottom) 81, a pass cooling unit (PASS COL) 82 for carrying and cooling the substrate G, and two post bake units (POBAKE) 83 for performing a post bake process on the substrate G. 84) is composed of four layers of lamination. The third conveying apparatus 39 receives the substrate G from the i-ray UV irradiation unit (i-UV) 25 via a pass unit (PASS) 77, and the substrate G between the thermal processing units. The transfer and delivery of the substrate G is performed to the cassette station 1 via the loading and unloading and the pass cooling unit (PASS COL) 82. The third conveying apparatus 39 also has the same structure as that of the first conveying apparatus 33, and is accessible to any one unit of the thermal processing unit blocks (TB) 37 and 38.

In addition, the conveyance of the board | substrate G to the said scrub cleaning process unit (SCR) 21 and the excimer UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 22 is performed by the conveying apparatus 11 of the cassette station 1. . Further, the substrate G of the scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21 is, as described above, the pass unit (PASS) 61 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 31 by, for example, one-line transfer. It is conveyed to the board | substrate, and the board | substrate G lifted by the pin not shown above protrudes is conveyed by the 1st conveying apparatus 33. As shown in FIG. In addition, carrying in of the board | substrate G to the resist processing unit 23 is a pair of subarm 56 after the board | substrate G is conveyed to the pass unit PASS 65 by the 1st conveying apparatus 33. FIG. ) Is executed from the inlet 57. In the resist processing unit 23, the substrate G is conveyed to the pass unit PASS 69 of the thermal processing unit block TB by the sub-arm 56 through the outlet port 58. The substrate G is carried out on the pin (not shown) protruding from the plane. Loading of the substrate G into the development processing unit (DEV) 24 is carried out in a pass unit (PASS) 73 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 35 to protrude a pin (not shown) to raise the substrate. By descending from the state, for example, the line transfer mechanism extending to the pass unit (PASS) 73 is operated. The substrate G of the i-ray UV irradiation unit (i-UV) 25 is conveyed to the pass unit (PASS) 77 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 37 by, for example, a single line transfer. The board | substrate G lifted by the pin which is not shown in figure is conveyed by the 3rd conveying apparatus 39 in this. In addition, after the completion of the entire processing, the substrate G is conveyed to the pass cooling unit (PASS COL) 82 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 38 and carried out by the conveying apparatus 11 of the cassette station. do.

In the processing unit station 2, each processing unit and a conveying apparatus are arranged so as to configure the conveying lines A and B in two rows as described above, and the processing is basically performed, and these conveying lines A and B are arranged. The space part 40 is provided in between. And a shuttle (substrate holding / moving member) 41 is provided so that the space part 40 can be reciprocated mainly. The shuttle 41 is configured to hold the substrate G, and the substrate G is capable of being transported between the transfer lines A and B.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, the shuttle 41 is provided so as to protrude from the surface of the base member 101 and the base member 101, and the plurality of lifting pins 102 for elevating and lowering the substrate G. ) And a guide member 103 for positioning the substrate G, a pin driver 104 and a connecting portion 105 for driving the lifting pins 102, and the connecting portion 105 includes a space portion 40. It is slidably connected to the guide rail 106 which extends inside. Then, the shuttle 41 is moved along the guide rail 106 along the guide rail 106 along the X direction by a drive mechanism not shown, such as a drive using a magnet and a belt drive. Magnet driving is advantageous from the viewpoint of preventing color development. The conveyance of the board | substrate G to the shuttle 41 is performed by the said 1st to 3rd conveying apparatuses 33,36,39. In addition, the conveyance of the board | substrate G by the shuttle 41 is made to be performed also by the conveying apparatus 11 of the cassette station 1. As shown in FIG.

The interface station 3 includes a transfer device 42 for carrying in and out of the substrate G between the processing station 2 and the exposure apparatus 4, and a buffer stage (BUF) 43 for arranging a buffer cassette. And an extension / cooling stage (EXT / COL) 44, which is a substrate transfer part having a cooling function, and an external device block 45 in which a titler and an ambient exposure device EE are stacked up and down. It is provided adjacent to the conveying apparatus 42. The conveying apparatus 42 is provided with the conveying arm 42a, and carrying in / out of the board | substrate G is performed between the processing station 2 and the exposure apparatus 4 by the said conveying arm 42a.

In the resist coating and developing apparatus 100 configured as described above, first, the substrate G in the cassette C disposed in the cassette station 1 is excimer UV of the processing station 2 by the conveying apparatus 11. It is carried directly to the irradiation unit (e-UV) 22, and the scrub preprocess is performed. Next, the conveyance mechanism 11 carries in the board | substrate G to the scrub cleaning process unit (SCR) 21 arrange | positioned under the excimer UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 22, and scrubs cleaning. do. In the scrub cleaning, the substrate G is conveyed substantially horizontally without being rotated as in the prior art, and the cleaning treatment and the drying treatment are carried out. It is possible to realize the same processing capacity as that used by two units in a smaller space. After the scrub cleaning process, the substrate G is passed by a pass unit PASS 61 of the thermal processing unit block TB 1 belonging to the first thermal processing unit section 26 by, for example, one-line transfer. It is taken out.

The substrate G disposed on the pass unit PASS 61 is lifted by the projection of a pin (not shown), and is conveyed to the first thermal processing unit section 26 to perform the following series of processing. . That is, first of all, the dehydration baking units (DHPs) 62 and 63 of the thermal treatment unit block (TB) 31 are transferred to and heat-treated, and then the thermal treatment unit block (TB) 32 is applied. After adhering and cooling to any one of the cooling units (COL) 66 and 67 of the adhering process unit (AD) 64 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 31 for improving the fixability of the resist, And the adhering process unit (AD) 68 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 32, which is subjected to an adhigenation process (hydrogenation process) by HMDS, and then the cooling unit ( COL) 66 and 67 are conveyed and cooled, and are also conveyed to the pass unit PASS 65 of the thermal processing unit block TB. At this time, the conveyance processing is performed by the entire first conveying apparatus 33. In addition, in some cases, the adhesion process is not performed. In this case, the substrate G0 is immediately transferred to the pass unit PASS 65 after the dehydration bake and cooling.                     

Subsequently, the substrate G disposed on the pass unit PASS 65 is loaded into the resist processing unit 23 by the subarm 56 of the resist processing unit 23. Subsequently, the substrate G is first conveyed to a resist coating apparatus (CT) 23a therein, and spin coating of the resist liquid on the substrate G is performed as described above. It is conveyed to the pressure reduction drying apparatus (VD) 23b, and it is dried under reduced pressure, and is conveyed to the peripheral resist removal apparatus (ER) 23c by the subarm 56, and the extra resist around the board | substrate G is removed. After completion of the removal of the peripheral resist, the substrate G is carried out from the resist processing unit 23 by the subarm 56. Thus, after the resist coating apparatus (CT) 23a, the decompression drying apparatus (VD) 23b is provided after prebaking the substrate G to which the resist is applied, if not provided. After the post-baking treatment after the development treatment, forms such as lift pins and fixing pins may be transferred to the substrate G. However, by performing the vacuum drying without being heated by the vacuum drying apparatus VD in this manner, It is possible to accelerate the drying of the resist without releasing the solvent in the resist gradually and not causing rapid drying as in the case of heating and drying, without adversely affecting the resist, and effectively preventing the transfer from occurring on the substrate. Because it is possible.

Thus, the application | coating process is complete | finished and the board | substrate G carried out from the resist process unit 23 by the sub arm 56 is the thermal process unit block TB which belongs to the 2nd thermal process unit section 27 ( It is conveyed to the pass unit (PASS) 69 of 34). The substrate G disposed on the pass unit PASS 69 is prebaked 70 and 71 of the thermal processing unit block TB 34 by the second transfer device 36. It is conveyed to any one of the prebaking units 75 and 76 of the processing unit block (TB) 35 and prebaked, and the cooling unit COL of the thermal processing unit block TB 35 is thereafter. It is conveyed to 74 and cooled to predetermined temperature. Then, the second conveying device 36 is also conveyed to the pass unit PASS 73 of the thermal processing unit block TB (35).

After the above, the board | substrate G is conveyed by the 2nd conveyance apparatus 36 to the extension cooling stage (EXT * COL) 44 of the interface station 3, and the conveyance apparatus 42 of the interface station 3 is carried out. Is conveyed to the peripheral exposure apparatus EE of the external device block 45, and the exposure for removing the peripheral resist is performed, and is then conveyed to the exposure apparatus 4 by the conveying apparatus 42, and the substrate G is described above. The resist film on) is exposed and a predetermined pattern is formed. In some cases, the substrate G is accommodated on the buffer cassette on the buffer stage BUF 43 and then conveyed to the exposure apparatus 4.

After the end of the exposure, the substrate G is brought into the titler TITLER of the upper end of the external device block 45 by the conveying device 42 of the interface station 3, and predetermined information is written on the substrate G. Then, it is mounted in the extension cooling stage (EXT COL) 44, and is carried back to the processing station 2 above. That is, the board | substrate G is conveyed by the 2nd conveying apparatus 36 to the pass unit PASS 73 of the thermal processing unit block TB which belongs to the 2nd thermal processing unit section 27. As shown in FIG. . In the pass unit (PASS) 73, the pins protrude to lower the substrate G from the raised state, thereby extending from the developing unit (DEV) 24 to the pass unit (PASS) 73. For example, the substrate G is carried into the development processing unit (DEV) 24 by acting on the line transfer mechanism, and development processing is performed. In the above development process, the substrate G is conveyed substantially horizontally, for example, by one-line transfer without rotating the developer G, and the developer solution after the development is removed, and the drying process is performed. In addition, it is possible to realize the same processing capacity with a smaller space by using three development units of the conventional rotation type.

After completion of the development process, the substrate G is conveyed to the i-line UV irradiation unit (i-UV) 25 by a continuous transport mechanism, for example, in a line transfer, from the development processing unit (DEV) 24, and the substrate. Decoloration treatment is performed on (G). Subsequently, the substrate G is subjected to a thermal processing unit block 37 belonging to the third thermal processing unit section 28 by a conveying mechanism in the i-ray UV irradiation unit (i-UV) 25, for example, in a single row transfer. Is transferred to the pass unit (PASS) 77 of the control unit.

The substrate G on which the pass unit PASS 77 is disposed is subjected to the post-baking units POBAKEs 78, 79, and 80 of the thermal processing unit block TB 37 by the third transfer device 39. It is conveyed to any one of the post-baking units (POBAKEs) 81, 83, and 84 of the processing unit block (TB) 38 and post-baked to pass-cool the post thermal processing unit block (TB) 38. The unit (PASS · COL) 82 is conveyed and cooled to a predetermined temperature, and is then accommodated in a predetermined cassette C disposed in the cassette station 1 by the conveying apparatus 11 of the cassette station 1.

As described above, while the scrubber cleaning treatment unit (SCR) 21, the resist treatment unit 23, and the development treatment unit (DEV) 24 are transported therein substantially horizontally, the predetermined liquid treatment is performed. It is configured to be executed, and these are arranged so that the conveyance lines of the board | substrate G become two rows according to the processing order, and a series of processes are performed, conveying the board | substrate G along these parallel two rows of conveyance lines A and B. As a result, it is possible to maintain a high yield, and a large-scale central conveying apparatus for traveling between a plurality of processing units as in the prior art and a central conveying path for driving the above are basically unnecessary, thereby simplifying the space of the minute. The footprint can be reduced, and the footprint can be reduced. In addition, in the scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21 and the developing processing unit (DEV) 24, since it is a so-called flat flow system which performs a process, conveying in a horizontal direction, without rotating the board | substrate G, It becomes possible to reduce the mist which a lot generate | occur | produced while rotating the board | substrate G conventionally.

In addition, a plurality of thermal processing units for performing the subsequent thermal processing are collected for each liquid processing unit of the scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21, the resist processing unit 23, and the developing processing unit (DEV) 24. Since the first to third heat treatment unit sections 26, 27, 28 are provided, and these are constituted by a thermal treatment unit block (TB) in which a plurality of thermal treatment units are stacked, the above-described components can also reduce the footprint. The thermal processing can be carried out along the flow of the processing of the substrate G by making the transfer of the substrate G very small, so that the yield can be further increased. Moreover, since the 1st to 3rd conveying apparatus 33, 36, 39 dedicated to each thermal processing unit section was provided corresponding to each thermal processing unit section, respectively, it is possible to raise a yield also in the above-mentioned case.

Although the above is a basic process pattern, in this embodiment, in the process unit station 2, the space part 40 is provided between the conveyance lines A and B of 2 rows, and the space part 40 reciprocates. Since the shuttle 41 is provided to be movable, it is possible to execute various pattern processing in addition to the basic processing pattern, and has high degree of freedom in processing.

For example, when only a resist process is performed, it is possible by the following procedures. First, the shuttle 41 is moved to a position adjacent to the cassette station 1, and then, the substrate G of the cassette C is taken out by the transfer device 11 and placed on the shuttle 41. Then, the shuttle 41 is moved to a position corresponding to the first conveying device 33, and the substrate G on the shuttle 41 is moved by the first conveying device 33 (AD) 64. , 68), the adduct treatment is performed on the substrate G, and then the substrate G is cooled in the cooling unit (COL) 66 or 67, and the thermal processing unit block TB It passes through the pass unit (PASS) 65 of (32), and is carried in to the resist process unit 23. Then, in the resist processing unit 23, the resist removal processing by the peripheral resist removal apparatus (ER) 23c ends, and the pass unit (PASS) 69 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 34 is completed. The board | substrate G is carried out, the board | substrate G is mounted in the shuttle 41 by the 2nd conveying apparatus 36, and it returns to the cassette station 1. FIG. In addition, in the case where the adhigen process is not executed, the first transfer device 33 which receives the substrate G from the shuttle 41 directly transfers the substrate to the pass unit PASS 65.

In addition, when only development processing is to be performed, it is possible by the following procedure. First, the shuttle 41 which received the board | substrate G in the cassette station 1 is moved to the position corresponding to the 2nd conveyance apparatus 36, and the board | substrate on the shuttle 41 by the 2nd conveyance apparatus 36 ( G) is passed through the pass unit (PASS) 73 of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 35 into the development processing unit (DEV) 24. Then, the development treatment and the decolorization treatment by the i-ray UV irradiation unit (i-UV) 25 are finished, so that the substrate G is transferred to the pass unit PASS 77 of the thermal treatment unit block TB. Carrying out, the board | substrate G is mounted in the shuttle 41 by the 3rd conveying apparatus 39, and it returns to the cassette station 1. As shown in FIG.

When the shuttle 41 is not used, the space portion 40 can be used as a maintenance space by leaving the shuttle 41 at the end of the space portion 40.

Unlike the conventional central transport apparatus, such a shuttle 41 only moves by holding the substrate to be processed. Therefore, a large scale mechanism is unnecessary, and a large space such as a central transport path on which the conventional central transport apparatus travels is not provided. There is no need, and the space-simplification effect is maintained even if the shuttle 41 is provided.

Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Fig. 7 is a plan view showing a resist coating and developing apparatus for an LCD glass substrate according to a second embodiment of the present invention. In the first embodiment, the substrate G is loaded into the processing station 2 from one end in one direction in the Y direction in the cassette station 1 and carried out at another end in the other direction, but the resist of the present embodiment is carried out. The coating and developing apparatus 100 ′ is provided with a processing station 2 ′ so as to carry in and out of the substrate G from the center of the cassette station 1. Specifically, the processing station 2 'replaces the thermal processing unit block (TB) 38 with the portion corresponding to the center of the Y direction of the cassette station 1 in place of the third thermal processing unit section 28. A thermal processing unit block (TB) 38 'in which the same unit is stacked is disposed, and a thermal processing unit block (TB) in which the same unit as the thermal processing unit block (TB) 37 is stacked at the end of the transfer line B. A third thermal processing unit section 28 'in which 37 ' is disposed, and a third conveying device 39' is installed at the end of the cassette station 1 side of the space 40, and the substrate ( Any one of the carrying in and out of the processing station 2 'of G) is transferred to the third conveying apparatus 39' via the pass cooling unit PASS COL of the thermal processing unit block TB '38'. To be executed by In addition, in the present embodiment, the carry-in port is provided toward the space portion 40 in correspondence with the third conveying apparatus 39 'in the present embodiment because the form of the carry-out of the substrate G is different from that of the first embodiment. The scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21 'and the exemer UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 22' are stacked and provided in the same manner as in the first embodiment. In addition, the conveyance of the board | substrate G from the i-line UV irradiation unit (e-UV) 25 to the thermal processing unit block (TB) 37 'is performed by a line transfer, for example.

Also in this embodiment, a process is performed by the same process as the basic 1st embodiment. At this time, since the third conveying apparatus 39 'always rotates 90 degrees at the time of conveyance of the substrate G, for example, a scrub cleaning processing unit (SCR) 21 from the third conveying apparatus 39'. ), The direction of the substrate G deviates by 90 degrees. In order to prevent this, a rotating mechanism is provided in the pass cooling unit (PASS / COL) of the thermal processing unit block (TB) 38 '.                     

In this embodiment, since the loading and unloading of a board | substrate is performed from the center of the cassette station 1, it was specified that the thing of the cassette station is not the structure as shown, for example, of the type which a conveying apparatus cannot move to a Y direction. It is also compatible and has high versatility.

Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described.

Fig. 8 is a plan view showing a resist coating and developing apparatus for an LCD glass substrate according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The resist coating and developing apparatus 100 ″ of the present embodiment is provided with a shuttle 41 ′ of a different form from the shuttle 41 of the first and second embodiments, and the cassette station of the space 40. 1) At the side end, the conveyance mechanism 110 which takes over and delivers the board | substrate G between the conveyance apparatus 11 and the shuttle 41 'of the cassette station 1 is provided. It is comprised similarly to embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 9, the shuttle 41 ′ is installed near the square of the surface of the base member 121 and the base member 121, four support pins 122 supporting the substrate G, and a connection portion. 123 is provided, and the connection part 123 is slidably connected to the guide rail 124 which extends in the space part 40 to an X direction. The center of the base member 121 is formed with a recess 125 cut out in a circular shape.

On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 10, the conveyance mechanism 110 rotates the support part 131 for supporting the board | substrate G, and the cylinder 132 and the cylinder 132 which can raise / lower the support part 131. The rotating mechanism 133 which rotates the board | substrate G supported by the support part 131 is provided. In addition, the support part 131 may support a cross member 135 attached to the upper end of the piston 134 of the cylinder 132 and a substrate G protruding upward from four ends of the cross member 135. Two support pins (136).

When transferring the substrate G from the conveyance mechanism 11 to the shuttle 41 ', as shown in FIG. 10, the piercing portion 125 supports the support pin 136 of the conveyance mechanism 110 as shown in FIG. ). Specifically, as shown in Figs. 11A to 11C, arguments and deliveries are executed. First, as shown in A, the shuttle 41 'is moved to a position corresponding to the conveyance mechanism 110, and as shown in B in that state, the support pin 136 is driven by the cylinder 132 to form a recess ( The support 131 is raised to protrude upward through 125. And the board | substrate G is conveyed on the support part 131 from the conveyance mechanism 11, and the cylinder 132 is rotated by the rotating mechanism 133 in the said state, and a board | substrate is rotated 90 degrees. Next, the support part 131 is lowered by the cylinder 132, and the board | substrate G is mounted on the support pin 122 provided in the base member 121 by C as above.

When conveying the board | substrate G from the shuttle 41 'to the 1st-3rd conveyance mechanism 33, 36, 39, the arm of each conveyance mechanism between the board | substrate G and the base member 121 is carried out. When the board | substrate G is located on the base member 121, when the board | substrate G is conveyed by the shuttle 41 'from these conveyance mechanisms, it is implement | achieved by raising an arm after inserting into space. The substrate G is placed on the support pin 122 by lowering the arm.

By interposing the conveyance mechanism 110 in this manner, it is possible to adjust the direction of the substrate G when conveying the substrate G from the conveyance mechanism 11 to the shuttle 41 '. That is, since the conveyance mechanism 11 hold | maintains the board | substrate G by making the longitudinal direction of the board | substrate G into an X direction, the conveyance mechanism 11 simply conveyed the board | substrate G from the conveyance mechanism 11 to the shuttle 41 '. In this case, on the shuttle 41 ', the longitudinal direction of the substrate G is in the X direction. When the substrate G is conveyed from the shuttle 41 'to any of the first to third conveyance mechanisms 3, 36, and 39, when the substrate G is conveyed to each processing unit from these conveyance mechanisms. The direction of the substrate G is deviated by 90 degrees. By the above, by rotating the board | substrate G by 90 degrees with the conveyance mechanism 110, such an irrationality is eliminated. By providing the conveyance mechanism 110 in this way, it is possible to convey the board | substrate G to a predetermined direction, without providing the mechanism which rotates the board | substrate G for each conveyance mechanism.

Moreover, in this embodiment, since the pin drive part does not exist in the shuttle 41 ', the weight can be reduced and a burden can be reduced by a drive mechanism. In addition, since there is no cylinder in the shuttle 41 ', air piping to the moving shuttle 41' becomes unnecessary.

Next, examples other than the shuttle will be described.

As shown in FIG. 12, the shuttle 41 ″ of the above example is detachably installed with respect to the base member 141 and the base member 141 supporting the substrate G, and covers a space above the base member 141. A cover member 142 is provided, and when the substrate G is conveyed, as shown in Fig. 12A, the cover member 142 causes the substrate G to be in a sealed space. The side wall is formed to surround the base, and the base member 141 and the cover member 142 are locked so as to be locked in the state of A by a lock mechanism (not shown). At the time of conveyance of the board | substrate G, as shown in FIG. 12B, as shown in FIG. 12B, the plurality of cylinders provided in the conveyance position of the shuttle 41 ", for example, four cylinders 143 (only two are shown) The cover member 142 is raised by the base member 142. Thus, the base member 141 is made by the cover member 142. As shown in FIG. Since the substrate (G) existing region in the closed space, it is possible to prevent adhesion of particles to the substrate deuyi (G) at the time of transporting the substrate (G) by the shuttle (41 "). In addition, since the cylinder for opening / closing the cover member 142 is not provided in the shuttle 41 ″, troublesome air pipes can be avoided.

In addition, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible within the scope of this invention. For example, the device layout is illustrative only and is not limited to the above. In addition, the structure of the shuttle is not limited to the above structure, for example, the structure having the same structure as that of the sub arm 56 used for the resist processing unit 23 in the above-described embodiment is also easy. It is also easy to hold a plurality of substrates in a shuttle. The processing is not limited to the processing by the resist coating and developing apparatus as described above, but can be applied to other apparatuses for performing liquid processing and thermal processing. In addition, although the case where an LCD substrate is used as a to-be-processed board | substrate was shown, it is not limited to the above and of course, it is applicable also to the case of other to-be-processed substrate processes, such as a color filter.

As described above, according to the present invention, a plurality of liquid processing units for performing liquid processing are configured such that predetermined liquid processing is performed while the substrate to be processed is conveyed about horizontally, and these are processed in the order of processing. It is arranged so that the conveying lines of the two rows are arranged in parallel, and the substrate to be processed is conveyed along the conveying line so that a series of treatments can be carried out, so that a high yield can be maintained, and a large scale that travels between a plurality of conventional processing units. The central transport apparatus and the central transport path on which it runs are basically unnecessary, and the space can be simplified, and the footprint can be reduced. Further, since the space between the two rows of conveying lines is provided to be movable, and the substrate holding member for conveying and holding the substrate is provided between the conveying lines, various pattern processing can be performed in addition to the normal processing, and the degree of freedom of processing. Is high.

In addition, as described above, the plurality of thermal processing units constitute a plurality of thermal processing unit sections that are concentrated for each of the corresponding heat treatments, thereby further reducing the footprint and thermally. Since the processing can be performed along the flow of processing of the substrate to be processed, it is possible to further increase the yield.

Claims (18)

In the processing apparatus which performs a series of processes containing a some liquid process with respect to a to-be-processed substrate, A plurality of liquid treatment units arranged so that the liquid treatment is performed while the substrate to be processed is horizontally conveyed, and the conveying lines are arranged in two rows in the order of treatment; A plurality of thermal processing units for performing thermal processing accompanying the plurality of liquid treatments; A space portion provided between the two rows of conveying lines; And a substrate holding / moving member which is provided to be movable in the space portion, the substrate to be processed is conveyed between the conveying line, and holds and moves the substrate. The method according to claim 1, The plurality of thermal processing units comprise a plurality of thermal processing unit sections that are aggregated for each corresponding to the thermal processing, And a plurality of conveying devices for conveying the substrate to be processed between the plurality of thermal processing units therein, corresponding to the respective thermal processing unit sections. The method according to claim 1 or 2, The substrate holding member includes: a base member for supporting a substrate to be processed on an upper surface thereof; Desorption is provided freely with respect to the base member, characterized in that it has a cover member covering the upper space. The method according to claim 3, Opening and closing of the cover member, And an opening / closing mechanism provided at a receiving / taking position of the substrate to be processed with respect to the substrate holding / moving member. In the processing apparatus which performs a series of processes containing a some liquid process with respect to a to-be-processed substrate, A processing unit having a plurality of processing units each performing a predetermined process on a substrate to be processed in response to the series of processings; The storage container in which the substrate to be processed before processing and / or the substrate to be processed after processing is stored is placed, A carrying-out unit for carrying in and out of the substrate to be processed with respect to the processing unit; The processing unit, A plurality of liquid processing units arranged so that the substrate to be processed is horizontally conveyed and liquid processing is performed, and in order of processing, the conveying lines are formed in two rows; A plurality of thermal processing units for performing thermal processing accompanying the plurality of liquid treatments; A space portion provided between the two rows of conveying lines; And a substrate holding / moving member which is provided so as to be movable in the space portion, the substrate to be processed is transferred to and passed from the conveying line, and which holds and moves the substrate. The method according to claim 5, The plurality of thermal processing units, Constitute a plurality of thermal processing unit sections aggregated for each corresponding thermal treatment, And a plurality of conveying apparatuses for conveying the substrate to be processed between the plurality of thermal processing units described above, corresponding to each thermal processing unit section. The method according to claim 6, And said plurality of thermal processing unit sections have a thermal processing unit block arranged adjacent to each conveying apparatus and configured by stacking a plurality of thermal processing units in a vertical direction. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, The carry-in / out section has a substrate transport mechanism for carrying out and delivering the substrate to be processed between the processing unit and The processing unit includes, at a portion adjacent to the substrate transport mechanism of the space part, a substrate acquisition and delivery mechanism for performing the acquisition and delivery of the substrate to be processed between the substrate transport mechanism and the substrate holding / moving member, The substrate take-up and delivery mechanism is provided with a substrate rotating mechanism for changing the direction of the substrate to be processed. The method according to claim 8, The said board | substrate acquisition and delivery mechanism is equipped with the board | substrate support part which can be elevated, The substrate holding / moving member includes a base member for supporting a substrate to be processed having a hole through which the substrate supporting portion penetrates. The substrate supporting portion of the substrate receiving / inducing mechanism receives the substrate to be processed in a state where it penetrates the hole from the lower side of the base member and protrudes upward. And the substrate to be supported on the support is placed on the base member by rotating the substrate to be processed by the substrate rotating mechanism to lower the support. The method according to any one of claims 5 to 7, The substrate holding / moving member includes a base member supporting a substrate to be processed on an upper surface thereof, and a cover member freely attached to and detachable from the base member and covering a space above the base member. The method according to claim 10, And the cover member is opened and closed by an opening / closing mechanism provided at a receiving / delivering position of the substrate to be processed with respect to the substrate holding / moving member. In a processing apparatus which performs a series of processing including cleaning, resist coating and post-exposure development on a substrate to be processed, A processing unit having a plurality of processing units each performing a predetermined process on a substrate to be processed in response to the series of processings; An import / export unit for placing a storage container for storing a substrate to be processed before processing and / or a substrate to be processed after processing, and carrying in and out of the substrate to be processed; An interface unit for performing the acquisition and delivery of the substrate to be processed between the processing unit and the exposure apparatus; The processing unit, A cleaning treatment unit in which the substrate to be processed is horizontally conveyed, and the cleaning treatment and the drying treatment by the cleaning liquid are performed; A resist processing unit for carrying out a resist process including application of a resist liquid while the substrate to be processed is horizontally conveyed; A developing unit for carrying out the developer solution, removing and drying the developer after drying, and drying the substrate to be processed; Two parallel rows of conveying lines for conveying a substrate to be processed constituted by the cleaning processing unit, the resist processing unit and the developing unit; A plurality of thermal processing units for performing thermal processing accompanying each processing unit; A space portion provided between the two rows of conveying lines; The space part is provided to be movable, and the board | substrate to be processed is taken over and guided between the said conveyance line, and is equipped with the board | substrate support and the movement member which hold | maintain and move a board | substrate, One of the two rows of conveying lines passes through the cleaning processing unit and the resist processing unit to the substrate to be loaded from the carrying-out unit and reaches the interface unit, and the other side transfers the developing unit from the interface unit. The processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned reaching the carrying-out part.  The method according to claim 12, The plurality of thermal processing units, A first thermal processing unit section in which a plurality of thermal processing units for performing a predetermined thermal treatment are collected on the substrate to be carried out from the cleaning processing unit; A second thermal processing unit section in which a plurality of thermal processing units for performing a predetermined thermal processing are collected on the substrate to be carried out from the resist processing unit; A third thermal processing unit section in which a plurality of thermal processing units for carrying out a predetermined thermal treatment is concentrated on the processing target substrate carried out from the developing unit, A first conveying apparatus for conveying the substrate to be processed taken out of the cleaning processing unit to the first thermal processing unit section and conveying the substrate to be processed from the first thermal processing unit section to the resist processing unit; A second conveying apparatus for conveying the substrate to be processed taken out of the resist processing unit to the second thermal processing unit section and for conveying the substrate to be processed from the second thermal processing unit section to the interface unit; And a third conveying apparatus for conveying the substrate to be processed carried out from the developing unit to the third thermal processing unit section and for conveying the substrate to be processed from the third thermal processing unit section to the carrying-in / out portion. Processing apparatus. The method according to claim 13, The first, second and third thermal processing unit sections each include a thermal processing unit block formed by stacking a plurality of thermal processing units adjacent to the first, second and third conveying apparatus in a vertical direction. Processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, The import and export section, A substrate transport mechanism for carrying out the delivery and delivery of the substrate to be processed between the processing unit and The processing unit includes, at a portion adjacent to the substrate transport mechanism of the space part, a substrate acquisition and delivery mechanism for performing the acquisition and delivery of the substrate to be processed between the substrate transport mechanism and the substrate holding / moving member, The substrate take-up and delivery mechanism is provided with a substrate rotating mechanism for changing the direction of the substrate to be processed. The method according to claim 15, The said board | substrate acquisition and delivery mechanism is equipped with the board | substrate support part which can be elevated, The substrate holding / moving member includes a base member for supporting a substrate to be processed having a hole through which the substrate supporting portion penetrates. The substrate supporting portion of the substrate receiving / inducing mechanism receives the substrate to be processed in a state where it penetrates the hole from the lower side of the base member and protrudes upward. The substrate to be processed is rotated by the substrate rotating mechanism, The processing apparatus characterized in that the substrate to be processed supported by the support is placed on the base member by lowering the support. The method according to any one of claims 12 to 14, The substrate holding and moving member includes a base member for supporting a substrate to be processed on an upper surface thereof; And a cover member which is detachably attached to the base member and covers a space above the base member. The method according to claim 17, The opening and closing of the cover member is performed by an opening and closing mechanism provided at a receiving / exporting position of a substrate to be processed with respect to the substrate holding / moving member.

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