KR102259067B1 - Substrate Processing Apparatus and Substrate Transfer Method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate. A substrate processing apparatus includes: a support unit including a support plate provided with a plurality of pins for supporting a substrate; A transfer unit including a hand for loading or unloading a substrate on the pins; It includes a controller, wherein the hand includes a base having an annular ring shape in which a part of the circumference is bent, and the controller includes an area between the upper end of the pin and the upper surface of the support plate as viewed from the side of the hand. The transfer unit can be controlled to rotate at a set angle before moving in a straight line.

Description

Substrate Processing Apparatus and Substrate Transfer Method

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate transport method.

Among the semiconductor manufacturing processes, the photo-lithography process is a process of forming a desired pattern on a wafer. The photographic process is usually carried out in a spinner local facility where an exposure facility is connected to continuously process the coating process, the exposure process, and the development process. A plurality of chambers are provided in this spinner facility, and transfer robots having a transfer hand transfer a substrate between the chambers.

Some of the plurality of chambers are provided as an unprocessed substrate or a buffer chamber in which the processed substrate is temporarily stored. As shown in FIG. 1, the buffer chamber 1 is provided with a support plate 2, and the support plate 2 is provided with a plurality of pins 3 on which a substrate W is mounted. A plurality of such support plates 2 are stacked and provided in the buffer chamber 1. One or more of a plurality of transfer hands may enter the buffer chamber 1 provided with the plurality of support plates 2. Particularly, when a plurality of transfer hands enter the buffer chamber 1 at the same time, some of the plurality of transfer hands are provided as shown in FIG. 2 in order to secure driving ease between the transfer hands. Referring to FIG. 2, the transfer hand 4 may include a base 5, a support protrusion 6, and a support 7. The base 5 has an annular ring shape in which a part of the circumference is bent when viewed from the top. Further, the regions bent in the base 5 pass through the center of the base 5 and are provided asymmetrically with respect to an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the support portion 7.

3 is a view showing a typical example in which the transfer hand of FIG. 2 transfers a substrate to a support plate. Referring to FIG. 3, the transfer hand 4 enters the upper portion of the support plate 2 while supporting the substrate W. Thereafter, the transfer hand 4 moves downward to place the substrate W on the pin 3. Thereafter, the transfer hand 4 moves horizontally and linearly and comes out between the substrate W and the support plate 2. In order for the transfer hand 4 to move linearly and not interfere with each other with the pin 3, it is parallel to the direction in which the transfer hand 4 moves linearly, and between the two lines passing through both ends where the base 5 is bent (D) The pin 3 must be placed inside. However, the bent area of the transfer hand 4 is provided asymmetrically, and the area in which the pin 3 can be placed is narrowed while the transfer hand 4 moves horizontally and linearly. In other words, in order to prevent the transfer hand 4 and the pin 3 from interfering with each other, the distance between the pin 3 and the pin 3 must be small. However, when the distance between the pin 3 and the pin 3 is small, the ease of seating of the substrate W supported by the pin 3 is very low. Accordingly, there is a risk that the substrate W is separated from the support plate 2.

An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate transport method capable of efficiently loading or unloading a substrate onto a support plate.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate transfer method capable of avoiding interference between a hand and a pin without changing the arrangement design of the pins provided on the support plate.

The problem to be solved by the present invention is not limited thereto, and other problems that are not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

The present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate. A substrate processing apparatus includes: a support unit including a support plate provided with a plurality of pins for supporting a substrate; A transfer unit including a hand for loading or unloading a substrate on the pins; It includes a controller, wherein the hand includes a base having an annular ring shape in which a part of the circumference is bent, and the controller includes an area between the upper end of the pin and the upper surface of the support plate as viewed from the side of the hand. The transfer unit can be controlled to rotate at a set angle before moving in a straight line.

According to an embodiment, the set angle may be an angle at which interference with the pins of the base is avoided during the linear movement.

According to an embodiment, the hand may include a plurality of support protrusions extending inward from the base and supporting an edge region of the substrate.

According to an embodiment, the hand supports the base and includes a support portion for moving the base, and a region bent at the base passes through the center of the base and is based on an axis parallel to the length direction of the support portion. Can be asymmetric with each other.

According to an embodiment, the controller, wherein the hand moves downward to load the substrate onto the pins, and the hand moves linearly after the rotation to the lower surface of the support plate and the substrate supported by the pin. It is possible to control the conveying unit so as to advance between them.

According to an embodiment, the controller moves the hand linearly after the rotation to enter between the support plate and the lower surface of the substrate supported by the pin, and the hand moves upward to move the substrate from the pins to the substrate. Can be unloaded.

In addition, the present invention provides a method for conveying a substrate by a hand having an annular ring shape in which a part of the circumference is bent. The substrate transport method includes: a loading step of the hand loading the substrate onto the pins; The hand includes an unloading step of unloading the substrate from the pins, wherein in the loading step or the unloading step, the hand is in a region between the upper end of the pin viewed from the side and the upper surface of the support plate It can be rotated by a set angle before moving straight.

According to an embodiment, the set angle may be an angle at which interference with the pins of the hand is avoided when the hand moves in a straight line.

According to an embodiment, the loading step includes: a first loading step of loading the substrate onto the pins by moving the hand downward; After the hand is rotated, the linear movement may include a second loading step of advancing between the support plate and the lower surface of the substrate supported by the pin.

According to an embodiment, the unloading step includes: a first unloading step of moving the hand linearly after the rotation of the hand to enter between the support plate and the lower surface of the substrate supported by the pin; It may include a second unloading step of unloading the substrate from the pins by moving the hand in an upward direction.

Further, the present invention provides an apparatus for processing a substrate. A substrate processing apparatus includes an index module provided with a load port on which a container in which a substrate is accommodated is provided; A processing module for processing a substrate conveyed from the index module; A controller, wherein the processing module includes: a process chamber for processing a substrate; A buffer chamber temporarily storing a substrate and including a support plate provided with a plurality of pins to support the substrate; A transfer robot transferring a substrate between the buffer chamber and the process chamber; The index module and a buffer robot for transferring a substrate between the buffer chamber, the index module, the load port, and an index robot for transferring the substrate between the buffer chamber, the transfer robot, The index robot includes a transfer base having an annular ring shape in which a part of the circumference is bent symmetrically, and a transfer hand including a transfer support unit that supports the transfer base and moves the transfer base. An index base having an annular ring shape bent so as to be bent, and an index hand including an index support part supporting the index base and moving the index base, and the buffer robot includes an annular shape in which a part of the circumference is asymmetrically bent. And a buffer hand including a buffer base having a ring shape of and a buffer support part for supporting the buffer base and moving the buffer base, and the controller includes an upper end of the pin and the support as viewed from a side of the buffer hand. The buffer robot may be controlled to rotate at a set angle before linear movement within the area between the upper surfaces of the plates.

According to an embodiment, the set angle may be an angle at which interference with the pins is avoided by the buffer base during the linear movement.

In addition, the present invention provides a method of conveying a substrate. The substrate transfer method includes: a loading step of loading the substrate onto the pin by the buffer hand; The buffer hand includes an unloading step of unloading the substrate from the pin, wherein in the loading step or the unloading step, a region between the upper end of the pin and the upper surface of the support plate viewed from the side of the buffer hand It can be rotated at a set angle before moving linearly within.

According to an embodiment, the set angle may be an angle at which interference with the pins is avoided by the buffer hand when the linear movement is performed.

According to an embodiment, the loading step may include: a first loading step of loading the substrate onto the pins by moving the buffer hand downward; After the buffer hand is rotated, the linear movement may include a second loading step of advancing between the support plate and a lower surface of the substrate supported by the pins.

According to an embodiment, the unloading step may include: a first unloading step of moving the buffer hand linearly after the rotation of the buffer hand to enter between the support plate and the lower surface of the substrate supported by the pins; It may include a second unloading step of unloading the substrate from the pins by moving the buffer hand upward.

According to an embodiment, when the index hand or the transfer hand loads the substrate onto the pins, the index hand or the transfer hand moves the substrate to an upper portion of the pin and moves the substrate in a downward direction. It is loaded onto the pins and moves linearly to advance between the support plate and the substrate.

According to an embodiment, when the index hand or the transfer hand unloads the substrate from the pins, the index hand or the transfer hand moves linearly and enters between the support plate and the substrate, and moves the substrate. It can be moved upward to unload from the pins, and the substrate can be moved from the top of the pins.

According to an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to efficiently load or unload a substrate onto a support plate.

In addition, according to an embodiment of the present invention, interference between a hand and a pin can be avoided without changing the arrangement design of the pins provided on the support plate.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects, and effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art from the present specification and the accompanying drawings.

1 is a view as viewed from above of a support plate provided in a buffer chamber.
2 is a view showing a transfer hand for transferring a substrate to the support plate of FIG. 1.
3 is a view showing a typical example in which the transfer hand of FIG. 2 transfers a substrate to a support plate.
4 is a perspective view schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus of the present invention.
5 is a cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus showing a coating block or a developing block of FIG. 4.
6 is a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 4.
7 is a view showing a transfer hand provided in the transfer chamber of FIG. 6.
8 is a perspective view schematically showing the buffer chamber of FIG. 6.
9 is a perspective view showing the support unit of FIG. 8.
10 is a diagram illustrating a buffer hand according to an embodiment of the present invention.
11 is a flow chart showing a method of transferring a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention.
12 is a diagram illustrating a first loading step of FIG. 11.
13 and 14 are views illustrating a second loading step of FIG. 11.
15 and 16 are views illustrating a first unloading step of FIG. 11.
17 is a diagram illustrating a second unloading step of FIG. 11.
18 is a diagram illustrating the length of an area bent in a buffer hand according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those of ordinary skill in the art may easily implement the present invention. However, the present invention may be implemented in various different forms and is not limited to the embodiments described herein. In addition, in describing a preferred embodiment of the present invention in detail, if it is determined that a detailed description of a related known function or configuration may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, the detailed description thereof will be omitted. In addition, the same reference numerals are used throughout the drawings for parts having similar functions and functions.

"Including" a certain component means that other components may be further included rather than excluding other components unless specifically stated to the contrary. Specifically, terms such as "comprises" or "have" are intended to designate the presence of features, numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof described in the specification, but one or more other features or It is to be understood that the presence or addition of numbers, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof does not preclude the possibility of preliminary exclusion.

Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In addition, shapes and sizes of elements in the drawings may be exaggerated for clearer explanation.

4 is a perspective view schematically showing the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention, FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus showing the coating block or the developing block of FIG. 4, and FIG. 6 is a plan view of the substrate processing apparatus of FIG. 4.

4 to 6, the substrate processing apparatus 10 includes an index module 20, a treating module 30, and an interface module 40. According to an embodiment, the index module 20, the processing module 30, and the interface module 40 are sequentially arranged in a row. Hereinafter, the direction in which the index module 20, the processing module 30, and the interface module 40 are arranged is referred to as the first direction 12, and when viewed from the top, the direction perpendicular to the first direction 12 is referred to as The second direction 14 is referred to as, and a direction perpendicular to both the first direction 12 and the second direction 14 is referred to as the third direction 16.

The index module 20 transfers the substrate W from the container 10 in which the substrate W is stored to the processing module 30, and stores the processed substrate W into the container 10. The longitudinal direction of the index module 20 is provided in the second direction 14. The index module 20 has a load port 22 and an index chamber 2200. The load port 22 is located on the opposite side of the processing module 30 based on the index frame 24. The container 10 in which the substrates W are accommodated is placed in the load port 22. A plurality of load ports 22 may be provided, and a plurality of load ports 22 may be disposed along the second direction 14.

As the container 10, a container 10 for sealing such as a front open unified pod (FOUP) may be used. The container 10 can be placed in the load port 22 by a transport means (not shown) such as an overhead transfer, an overhead conveyor, or an Automatic GuidedVehicle, or by an operator. have.

An index robot 2220 is provided inside the index chamber 2200. The index robot 2220 may transport the substrate W. Hereinafter, components such as the index robot 2220, the transfer robot 3420, the first buffer robot 3820, the second buffer robot 3860, and the transfer robot 4600 that transfer the substrate W are used as a transfer unit. define. The index robot 2220 may transport the substrate W between the index module 20 and the buffer chamber 3800. The index robot 2220 may include an index hand 2230 and an index rail 2240. The substrate W may be placed on the index hand 2230. The index hand 2230 may include an index base having an annular ring shape in which a part of the circumference is bent symmetrically, and an index support portion for moving the index base. The configuration of the index hand 2230 is the same as or similar to the configuration of the transfer hand 3430 described later. The index hand 2230 may be provided to be movable on the index rail 2240. Accordingly, the index hand 2230 may move forward and backward along the index rail 2240. In addition, the index hand 2230 may be provided to be rotated about the third direction 16 and movable along the third direction 160.

The processing module 30 performs a coating process and a developing process on the substrate W. The processing module 30 has a coating block 30a and a developing block 30b. The coating block 30a performs a coating process on the substrate W, and the developing block 30b performs a development process on the substrate W. A plurality of application blocks 30a are provided, and they are provided to be laminated to each other. A plurality of developing blocks 30b are provided, and the developing blocks 30b are provided to be stacked on each other. According to the embodiment of FIG. 4, two coating blocks 30a are provided, and two developing blocks 30b are provided. The coating blocks 30a may be disposed under the developing blocks 30b. According to an example, the two coating blocks 30a perform the same process with each other, and may be provided with the same structure. In addition, the two developing blocks 30b perform the same process with each other, and may be provided with the same structure.

Referring to FIG. 6, the coating block 30a includes a heat treatment chamber 3200, a transfer chamber 3400, a liquid processing chamber 3600, and a buffer chamber 3800. The heat treatment chamber 3200 performs a heat treatment process on the substrate W. The heat treatment process may include a cooling process and a heating process. The liquid processing chamber 3600 supplies a liquid on the substrate W to form a liquid film. The liquid film may be a photoresist film or an antireflection film. The transfer chamber 3400 transfers the substrate W between the heat treatment chamber 3200 and the liquid processing chamber 3600 within the coating block 30a.

The conveying chamber 3400 is provided in its longitudinal direction parallel to the first direction 12. A transfer robot 3420 is provided in the transfer chamber 3400. The transfer robot 3420 transfers the substrate between the heat treatment chamber 3200, the liquid processing chamber 3600, and the buffer chamber 3800. According to an example, the transfer robot 3420 has a transfer hand 3430 on which the substrate W is placed, and the hand 3430 moves forward and backward, a rotation about the third direction 16, and a third It may be provided to be movable along the direction 16. In the transfer chamber 3400, a transfer rail 3440 whose longitudinal direction is provided in parallel with the first direction 12 may be provided, and the transfer hand 3430 may be provided to be movable on the transfer rail 34400. .

7 is a view showing a transfer hand provided in the transfer chamber of FIG. 6. Referring to FIG. 7, a conveyance hand 3430 includes a conveyance base 3432, a conveyance support protrusion 3434, and a conveyance support portion 3434. The transfer base 3432 may have an annular ring shape in which a part of the circumference is bent. The transfer base 3432 may have a ring shape in which a part of the circumference is bent symmetrically. The areas bent in the conveying base 3432 may be provided to pass through the center of the conveying base 3432 and be symmetrical to each other with respect to an axis parallel to the longitudinal direction of the conveying support part 3434. The transfer base 3432 has an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the substrate W. The conveyance support protrusion 3434 extends inwardly from the conveyance base 3432. A plurality of conveyance support protrusions 3432 are provided, and support an edge region of the substrate W. According to an example, four conveyance support protrusions 3434 may be provided at equal intervals. In addition, the conveyance support part 3434 can support the conveyance base 3432 and move the conveyance base 3432.

Referring again to FIGS. 5 and 6, a plurality of heat treatment chambers 3200 are provided. The heat treatment chambers 3200 are arranged to be arranged along the first direction 12. The heat treatment chambers 3200 are located on one side of the transfer chamber 3400.

The buffer chamber 3800 is provided in plural. Some of the buffer chambers 3800 are disposed between the index module 20 and the transfer chamber 3400. Hereinafter, these buffer chambers are referred to as a front buffer 3802. The shear buffers 3802 are provided in plural, and are positioned to be stacked with each other along the vertical direction. Other portions of the buffer chambers 3802 and 3804 are disposed between the transfer chamber 3400 and the interface module 40 below. These buffer chambers are referred to as rear buffer 3804. The rear buffers 3804 are provided in plural, and are positioned to be stacked with each other along the vertical direction. Each of the front buffers 3802 and the rear buffers 3804 temporarily stores a plurality of substrates W. The substrate W stored in the shear buffer 3802 is carried in or taken out by the index robot 2220 and the transfer robot 3420. The substrate W stored in the rear buffer 3804 is carried in or taken out by the transfer unit 3420 and the first robot 4602.

8 is a perspective view schematically showing the buffer chamber of FIG. 4. Referring to FIG. 8, the buffer chamber 3800 may include a housing 3810 and support units 3820 and 3850.

The housing 3810 has a space therein. The inner space of the housing 3810 functions as a space in which a substrate is temporarily stored. The housing 3810 has a generally rectangular parallelepiped shape. Both sides of the housing 3810 are open. As an example, in the housing 3810, both open side portions are positioned to face each other, and one of them is provided to face the index module 20. Both open sides of the housing 3810 function as entrances through which the substrate W enters and exits.

A pedestal 3812 is provided inside the housing 3810. The pedestal 3810 may be provided as a rectangular plate. A plurality of pedestal 3812 may be provided. Each of the pedestal 3812 is positioned to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. Accordingly, the inner space of the housing 3812 is partitioned in the vertical direction. For example, three pedestal 3812 are provided. Optionally, two or less or four or more pedestal 3812 may be provided.

9 is a perspective view showing the support unit of FIG. 8. Referring to FIG. 9, the support units 3820 and 3850 may include a support plate 3820 and a support shaft 3850. Pins 3822 may be provided on the support plate 3820. The pin 3822 may be a pin supporting the substrate W. The pin 3822 may be provided in plurality. The pin 3822 may be disposed on the circumference of an imaginary circle when looking at the support plate 3820 from above. The plurality of pins 3822 may be provided to be spaced apart from each other. The plurality of pins 3822 may be provided to be spaced apart from each other at regular intervals. Optionally, a plurality of support plates 3822 may be provided. A plurality of support plates 3822 may be stacked to be adjacent to each other and provided.

The plurality of support plates 3822 may be supported by the support shaft 3850. The support shaft 3850 may include a plurality of support blocks. The support blocks are arranged to be stacked on each other. The support blocks are provided as a rectangular parallelepiped-shaped block. Each of the support blocks supports one support plate 3850.

Referring back to FIG. 6, buffer robots 3820 and 3860 may be provided on one side of the buffer chamber 3800. The buffer robots 3820 and 3860 may include a first buffer robot 3820 and a second buffer robot 3860. The first buffer robot 3820 may be provided on one side of the shear buffer 3802. The second buffer robot 3860 may be provided on one side of the rear buffer 3804. However, the present invention is not limited thereto, and the buffer robots 3820 and 3860 may be provided on both sides of the buffer chamber 3800.

The first buffer robot 3820 may transport the substrate W between the index module 20 and the buffer chamber 3800. The first buffer robot 3820 may include a first buffer hand 3830. The first buffer hand 3830 may be moved vertically along the third direction 16. The first buffer hand 3830 may be rotated. The first buffer hand 3830 can transport the substrate W. The first buffer hand 3830 may load or unload the substrate W onto the pins 3822 provided on the support plate 3820.

The second buffer robot 3860 may include a second buffer hand 3870. Since the configurations of the first buffer robot 3820 and the second buffer robot 3860 are the same or similar, the configuration of the first buffer robot 3820 will be described in detail below.

10 is a diagram illustrating a buffer hand according to an embodiment of the present invention. Specifically, FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of a first buffer hand. Referring to FIG. 10, the first buffer hand 3830 may include a first buffer base 3832, a first buffer support protrusion 3834, and a first buffer support part 3836. The first buffer base 3832 may have an annular ring shape in which a part of the circumference is bent. The regions bent in the first buffer base 3832 may pass through the center of the first buffer base 3832 and may be asymmetric with respect to an axis parallel to the length direction of the first buffer support part 3834. That is, the first buffer base 3832 may have an annular ring shape in which a portion of the circumference is asymmetrically bent. In addition, the first buffer support protrusion 3834 may extend in the inner direction of the first buffer base 3822. The first buffer support protrusion 3834 may be provided in plural. The first buffer support protrusion 3834 may support an edge region of the substrate W. The first buffer support part 3836 may support the first buffer base 3832. The first buffer support part 3836 may move the first buffer base 3832.

Hereinafter, a method of transporting a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail. In order to perform the substrate transport method described below, the substrate processing apparatus may be controlled by a controller (not shown). For example, it is possible to control the transfer unit to perform the substrate transfer method described below. In addition, the substrate transport method described below will be described with an example performed by the first buffer hand 3830 included in the first buffer robot 3820. However, the method is not limited thereto, and the substrate transport method described below can be performed in the same manner as long as it is a transport unit that transports the substrate W.

11 is a flowchart showing a substrate transport method according to an embodiment of the present invention, FIG. 12 is a view showing a first loading step of FIG. 11, and FIGS. 13 and 14 are views showing a second loading step of FIG. 11 15 and 16 are views showing a first unloading step of FIG. 11, and FIG. 17 is a view showing a second unloading step of FIG. 11. 11 to 17, a method of transporting a substrate according to an embodiment of the present invention may include a loading step (S10) and an unloading step (S20).

In the loading step (S10), the first buffer hand 3830 is a step of loading the substrate W onto the plurality of pins 3822 provided on the support plate 3820. In the unloading step S20, the first buffer hand 3830 is a step of unloading the substrate W from the plurality of pins 3822 provided on the support plate 3820.

The loading step S10 may include a first loading step S11 and a second loading step S12.

In the first loading step (S11), the first buffer hand 3830 moves to the top of the support plate 3820 while supporting the substrate W. Then, the first buffer hand 3830 moves downward to load the supported substrate W onto the pins 3822 (FIG. 12).

In the second loading step S12, the first buffer hand 3830 may be rotated by a set angle A within a region between the upper surface of the support plate 3820 and the upper surface of the pin 3822 viewed from the side (FIG. 13). ). In this case, the set angle A may be an angle capable of avoiding interference with the pin 3822 when the first buffer hand 3830 moves linearly. Also, the rotation of the first buffer hand 3830 may be performed along a horizontal plane. Thereafter, the first buffer hand 3830 linearly moves within a region between the upper end of the pin 3822 viewed from the side and the upper surface of the support plate 3820 (FIG. 14). Accordingly, the first buffer hand 3830 may advance to the outside between the support plate 3820 and the lower surface of the substrate W supported by the pin 3822.

The unloading step S20 may include a first unloading step S21 and a second unloading step S22.

In the first unloading step S21, the first buffer hand 3830 may be rotated by a set angle A (FIG. 15). The set angle A may be an angle at which interference with the pin 3822 is avoided when the first buffer hand 3830 moves linearly. Thereafter, the first buffer hand 3830 may move linearly to enter between the support plate 3820 and the lower surface of the substrate W supported by the pin 3822 (FIG. 16).

In the second unloading step S22, the first buffer hand 3830 moves upward (FIG. 17). Accordingly, the substrate W is unloaded from the pins 3822. Thereafter, the first buffer hand 3830 may transfer the substrate W to the buffer chamber 3800 or the index module 20.

In general, in order for the asymmetrically bent hand to move linearly and not interfere with each other with a plurality of pins provided on the support plate, the pins must be placed between two lines that are parallel to the direction in which the hand moves linearly and pass through both ends of the bent. do. The spacing between the pins provided on the support plate is narrowed. If the spacing between the pins becomes narrow, the substrate cannot be properly supported. That is, considering the linear movement path of the hand, the area in which the pin can be placed is narrowed. This problem can similarly occur not only with asymmetrically bent hands but also with symmetrically bent hands.

However, according to an embodiment of the present invention, before the first buffer hand 3830 linearly moves in a region between the upper end of the pin 3822 viewed from the side and the upper surface of the support plate 3820, the set angle (A) Is rotated. Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 18, an area in which a plurality of pins 3822 can be disposed is widened. Specifically, when the first buffer hand 3830 moves in a straight line, the pins 3822 are arranged in the distance D1 between the two straight lines that are parallel to the direction in which the first buffer hand 3830 moves, and pass through the bent ends. It should be. However, according to an embodiment of the present invention, it is sufficient if the pins 3822 are disposed within the gap D2 between the bent ends. Accordingly, in the present invention, it is possible to efficiently load or unload the substrate onto the support plate, and to avoid interference between the hand and the pin without changing the arrangement design of the pins provided on the support plate.

Referring again to FIGS. 4 to 6, the developing block 30b includes a heat treatment chamber 3200, a transfer chamber 3400, and a liquid treatment chamber 3600. The heat treatment chamber 3200, the transfer chamber 3400, and the liquid treatment chamber 3600 of the developing block 30b are the heat treatment chamber 3200, the transfer chamber 3400, and the liquid treatment chamber 3600 of the coating block 30a. ) Is provided with a structure and arrangement that is substantially similar to that of), so a description thereof will be omitted. However, in the developing block 30b, all of the liquid processing chambers 3600 are provided as a developing chamber 3600 for developing and processing a substrate by supplying a developer in the same manner.

The interface module 40 connects the processing module 30 to an external exposure apparatus 50. The interface module 40 has an interface frame 4100, an additional process chamber 4200, an interface buffer 4400, and a transfer member 4600.

A fan filter unit may be provided at an upper end of the interface frame 4100 to form a downward airflow therein. The additional process chamber 4200, the interface buffer 4400, and the transfer member 4600 are disposed inside the interface frame 4100. The additional process chamber 4200 may perform a predetermined additional process before the substrate W, which has been processed in the coating block 30a, is carried into the exposure apparatus 50. Optionally, the additional process chamber 4200 may perform a predetermined additional process before the substrate W, which has been processed by the exposure apparatus 50, is carried into the developing block 30b. According to an example, the additional process is an edge exposure process of exposing the edge region of the substrate W, a top surface cleaning process of cleaning the upper surface of the substrate W, or a lower surface cleaning process of cleaning the lower surface of the substrate W. I can. A plurality of additional process chambers 4200 may be provided, and they may be provided to be stacked on each other. All of the additional process chambers 4200 may be provided to perform the same process. Optionally, some of the additional process chambers 4200 may be provided to perform different processes.

The interface buffer 4400 provides a space in which the substrate W transferred between the coating block 30a, the additional process chamber 4200, the exposure apparatus 50, and the developing block 30b temporarily stays during the transfer process. A plurality of interface buffers 4400 may be provided, and a plurality of interface buffers 4400 may be provided to be stacked on each other.

According to an example, an additional process chamber 4200 may be disposed on one side and an interface buffer 4400 may be disposed on the other side based on an extension line in the length direction of the transfer chamber 3400.

The conveying member 4600 conveys the substrate W between the coating block 30a, the addition process chamber 4200, the exposure apparatus 50, and the developing block 30b. The transfer member 4600 may be provided as one or a plurality of robots. According to an example, the carrying member 4600 has a first robot 4602 and a second robot 4606. The first robot 4602 transfers the substrate W between the coating block 30a, the additional process chamber 4200, and the interface buffer 4400, and the interface robot 4606 is the interface buffer 4400 and the exposure apparatus ( 50), and the second robot 4604 may be provided to transport the substrate W between the interface buffer 4400 and the developing block 30b.

Each of the first robot 4602 and the second robot 4606 includes a hand on which the substrate W is placed, and the hand moves forward and backward, rotates about an axis parallel to the third direction 16, and It may be provided to be movable along the three directions (16).

In the above description, the substrate transport method has been described as an example that the first buffer robot 3820 performs, but is not limited thereto. The above-described substrate transport method can be similarly performed by all substrates including a hand that transports the substrate.

In addition, the above-described substrate transfer method, specifically the method of rotating the hand at a set angle (A) before the hand moves linearly, is omitted when the index robot 2220 and the transfer robot 3420 transfer the substrate W. It could be. Specifically, when the index hand 2230 or the transfer hand 3430 loads the substrate W onto the pins 3822, the index hand 2230 or the transfer hand 3830 transfers the substrate W to the pin 3822. It is moved to the top of and the substrate W is moved in a downward direction to be loaded onto the pins 3822, and linearly moved to advance between the support plate 3820 and the substrate W. In addition, when the index hand 2230 or the transfer hand 3430 unloads the substrate W from the pins 3822, the index hand 2230 or the transfer hand 3430 linearly moves to the support plate 3820 and It enters between the substrates W, moves the substrate W in an upward direction to unload it from the pins 3822, and moves it from the top of the pins of the substrate W.

The detailed description above is illustrative of the present invention. In addition, the above description shows and describes preferred embodiments of the present invention, and the present invention can be used in various other combinations, modifications, and environments. That is, changes or modifications may be made within the scope of the concept of the invention disclosed in the present specification, the scope equivalent to the disclosed contents, and/or the technology or knowledge in the art. The above-described embodiments are to describe the best state for implementing the technical idea of the present invention, and various changes required in the specific application fields and uses of the present invention are also possible. Therefore, the detailed description of the invention is not intended to limit the invention to the disclosed embodiment. In addition, the appended claims should be construed as including other embodiments.

Index Chamber: 2200
Index Robot: 2220
Index Hand: 2230
Index rail: 2240
Transfer chamber: 3400
Transfer Robot: 3420
Bounce Hand: 3430
Bounce Base: 3432
Transfer support protrusion: 3434
Transfer support: 3436
Transfer rail: 3440
1st buffer robot: 3820
1st buffer hand: 3830
1st buffer base: 3832
1st buffer support protrusion: 3834
1st buffer support part: 3836
2nd buffer robot: 3860
2nd buffer hand: 3870
Loading step: S10
Unloading step: S20

Claims (18)

In the apparatus for processing a substrate,
A support unit including a support plate provided with a plurality of pins supporting a substrate;
A transfer unit including a hand for loading or unloading a substrate on the pins;
Including a controller,
The hand,
It includes a base having an annular ring shape in which a part of the circumference is bent,
The controller,
Before the hand moves linearly within a region between the upper end of the pins viewed from the side and the upper surface of the support plate, the hand is rotated at a set angle,
When the hand loads the substrate on the pins,
A substrate controlling the transfer unit such that the hand moves downward to load the substrate onto the pins, and the hand moves linearly after the rotation to advance between the support plate and the lower surface of the substrate supported by the pins Processing device. The method of claim 1,
The setting angle is,
A substrate processing apparatus having an angle at which the base is prevented from interfering with the pins during the linear movement. The method of claim 1,
The hand,
A substrate processing apparatus including a plurality of support protrusions extending inward from the base and supporting an edge region of the substrate. The method of claim 1,
The hand,
Supporting the base, including a support for moving the base,
The area bent at the base,
A substrate processing apparatus that passes through the center of the base and is asymmetric with respect to an axis parallel to the length direction of the support part. delete The method according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
The controller,
When the hand unloads the substrate to the pins,
The hand moves linearly after the rotation and enters between the support plate and the lower surface of the substrate supported by the pins,
The substrate processing apparatus for unloading the substrate from the pins by moving the hand in an upward direction. In the method for conveying a substrate by a hand having an annular ring shape in which a part of the circumference is bent,
A loading step in which the hand loads the substrate onto the pins on a support plate provided with a plurality of pins;
Including an unloading step of the hand unloading the substrate from the pins,
In the loading step or the unloading step,
The hand is rotated by a set angle before linearly moving within a region between the upper end of the pins and the upper surface of the support plate viewed from the side,
The loading step,
A first loading step in which the hand moves downward to load the substrate onto the pins;
And a second loading step in which the hand moves linearly after the rotation and advances between the support plate and a lower surface of the substrate supported by the pins. The method of claim 7,
The setting angle is,
A substrate transport method in which the hand is at an angle at which interference with the pins is avoided during the linear movement. delete The method of claim 7,
The unloading step,
A first unloading step in which the hand moves linearly after the rotation and enters between the support plate and the lower surface of the substrate supported by the pins;
And a second unloading step of unloading the substrate from the pins by moving the hand in an upward direction. In the apparatus for processing a substrate,
An index module provided with a load port on which a container in which a substrate is accommodated is provided;
A processing module for processing a substrate conveyed from the index module;
Including a controller,
The processing module,
A process chamber for processing a substrate;
A buffer chamber temporarily storing a substrate and including a support plate provided with a plurality of pins to support the substrate;
A transfer robot transferring a substrate between the buffer chamber and the process chamber;
It includes a buffer robot for transporting the substrate between the index module and the buffer chamber,
The index module,
Including an index robot for transporting the substrate between the load port and the buffer chamber,
The transfer robot,
A transfer base having an annular ring shape in which a part of the circumference is bent symmetrically, and a transfer hand including a transfer support portion supporting the transfer base and moving the transfer base,
The index robot,
An index hand including an index base having an annular ring shape in which a part of the circumference is bent symmetrically, and an index support part supporting the index base and moving the index base,
The buffer robot,
A buffer base having an annular ring shape in which a portion of the circumference is asymmetrically bent, and a buffer hand including a buffer support portion supporting the buffer base and moving the buffer base,
The controller,
Before the buffer hand linearly moves within a region between the upper surface of the pins and the upper surface of the support plate as viewed from the side, the buffer hand is rotated at a set angle,
When the buffer hand loads the substrate on the pins,
Control the buffer robot so that the buffer hand moves downward to load the substrate onto the pins, and the hand moves linearly after the rotation to advance between the support plate and the lower surface of the substrate supported by the pins Substrate processing apparatus. The method of claim 11,
The setting angle is,
A substrate processing apparatus having an angle at which interference with the pins is avoided by the buffer base during the linear movement. In a method of transferring a substrate using the substrate processing apparatus of claim 11 or 12,
A loading step of the buffer hand loading the substrate onto the pins;
Including an unloading step of the buffer hand unloading the substrate from the pins,
In the loading step or the unloading step,
A substrate transport method in which the buffer hand is rotated by a set angle before linearly moving within a region between the upper end of the pins viewed from the side and the upper surface of the support plate. The method of claim 13,
The setting angle is,
The method of transporting a substrate at an angle at which interference with the pins of the buffer hand is avoided during the linear movement. The method of claim 13,
The loading step,
A first loading step of loading the substrate onto the pins by moving the buffer hand downward;
And a second loading step of moving the buffer hand linearly after the rotation of the buffer hand to advance between the support plate and a lower surface of the substrate supported by the pins. The method of claim 13,
The unloading step,
A first unloading step of moving the buffer hand linearly after the rotation of the buffer hand to enter between the support plate and the lower surface of the substrate supported by the pins;
And a second unloading step of unloading the substrate from the pins by moving the buffer hand in an upward direction. The method of claim 13,
When the index hand or the transfer hand loads the substrate onto the pins, the index hand or the transfer hand,
A substrate transport method in which the substrate is moved above the pins, the substrate is moved downward to load the pins, and moves linearly to advance between the support plate and the substrate. The method of claim 13,
When the index hand or the transfer hand unloads the substrate from the pins, the index hand or the transfer hand,
A substrate transport method in which the substrate moves linearly to enter between the support plate and the substrate, moves the substrate upward to unload the pins, and moves the substrate from the upper portions of the pins.

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