KR20090127592A - Substrate processing apparatus and method for transferring substrate of the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: A substrate processing apparatus and a method for transferring a substrate of the same are provided to dividedly receive a substrate in a region for receiving a substrate which is completely processed and a region for receiving a substrate which is not processed, thereby preventing the substrate which is completely processed from being contaminated due to the substrate which is not processed. CONSTITUTION: A receiving container contains a plurality of substrates. A processing chamber performs processing in a substrate. A buffer unit(300) has an input region and a discharging region. The input region receives a substrate to be inputted to the processing chamber from the receiving container. The discharging region is located on the input region and receives a complete processing substrate in the processing chamber. A plurality of supports are vertically spaced to support an end of each substrate.

Description

SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR TRANSFERRING SUBSTRATE OF THE SAME}

The present invention relates to an apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor substrate, and more particularly to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a semiconductor substrate and a substrate transfer method thereof.

In general, in the substrate manufacturing process, the deposition, etching, coating of photoresist, development, and removal of asher are repeated several times in order to perform fine patterning. Patterning) is made, and as the process progresses, foreign substances are left in the substrate that are not completely removed by etching or ashing. A process for removing such foreign matters is a cleaning process using deionized water or chemical.

Substrate cleaning devices are classified into a batch processor and a single processor. The batch washing apparatus includes a chemical bath, a rinse bath, a dry bath, and the like, which can process 25 sheets or 50 sheets at a time. The batch cleaning device soaks the substrates in each bath for a period of time to remove debris. Such a batch cleaning device has the advantage that the upper and lower portions of the substrate can be cleaned at the same time and at the same time can handle a large capacity. However, as the diameter of the substrate increases, the size of the tank increases, and thus the size of the apparatus and the amount of chemical liquid used increase, and at the same time, foreign matters separated from adjacent substrates are reattached to the substrate that is being cleaned in the chemical chamber.

Recently, due to the increase in the diameter of the substrate, sheet type cleaning devices are frequently used. The single sheet cleaning apparatus fixes the substrate with a substrate chuck in a small chamber capable of processing a single substrate, and then rotates the substrate by a motor and nozzles at the top of the substrate. The chemical liquid or pure water is provided to the substrate through. Chemical liquid or pure water is spread over the substrate by the rotational force of the substrate, thereby removing foreign substances adhering to the substrate. This single sheet type washing apparatus has an advantage that the size of the apparatus is smaller than that of the batch washing apparatus and has a homogeneous washing effect.

In general, the single-sheet cleaning device is composed of a structure including a loading / unloading unit, an index robot, a buffer unit, a process chamber, and a main transfer robot from one side. The index robot transfers the substrate between the buffer unit and the loading / unloading unit, and the main transfer robot transfers the substrate between the buffer unit and the process chamber. In the buffer unit, the substrate before cleaning is waited to be introduced into the process chamber, or the substrate after cleaning is waited to be transferred to the loading / unloading unit.

As such, the buffer unit is frequently loaded and picked up by the index robot and the main transfer robot. However, since the slot spacing of the buffer portion is formed different from the spacing between the arms of the index robot and the arms of the main transport robot, the index robot and the main transport robot must pick up or load the substrates one by one. For this reason, since the transfer time of a board | substrate increases, productivity falls.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of improving the efficiency of loading and unloading a substrate.

It is also an object of the present invention to provide a method of transferring a substrate in the substrate processing apparatus described above.

A substrate processing apparatus according to one feature for realizing the above object of the present invention comprises a storage container, a process chamber, and a buffer portion.

The storage container accommodates a plurality of substrates. The process chamber is processed on a substrate. The buffer part has a plurality of input areas for accommodating the substrate to be inserted into the process chamber from the storage container, and a plurality of discharge areas for accommodating the substrate on which the process is completed in the process chamber. Here, the input area and the discharge area are alternately located.

In addition, the substrate processing apparatus may further include a first transfer member transferring the substrate between the storage container and the buffer unit. The first conveying member has a plurality of arms which are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction and disposed to face each other. The plurality of arms includes a plurality of source arms for transporting a substrate to be introduced into the process chamber, and a plurality of processing arms for transporting a substrate positioned above the source arms and completing the process.

In addition, the substrate processing apparatus may further include a second transfer member transferring the substrate between the buffer unit and the process chamber. The second conveying member has a plurality of hands which are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction and disposed to face each other. The plurality of hands includes a plurality of source hands for transporting a substrate to be inserted into the process chamber, and a plurality of processing hands for transporting a substrate positioned above the source hands and having completed the process.

In addition, the substrate transfer method according to one feature for realizing the above object of the present invention is as follows.

First, the substrates accommodated in the storage container are loaded in a buffer unit in which an input region and an discharge region are alternately positioned, and the substrates are loaded in the input region. Substrates stored in the input area are provided to a plurality of process chambers in which the substrate is processed. The processed substrate is taken out from the process chamber and loaded into the discharge area.

According to the present invention described above, the buffer unit is separated from each other and the part handling the substrate that has not been processed and the part handling the processed substrate separately from each other. Accordingly, the substrate processing apparatus can prevent the processed substrate from being contaminated by the untreated substrate in the process of transferring the substrate, and improve the yield of the product.

Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings will be described in detail a preferred embodiment of the present invention. In the following, the wafer is described as an example of the substrate, but the technical spirit and scope of the present invention are not limited thereto.

1 is a view schematically showing a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention, Figure 2 is a perspective view of the index robot shown in FIG.

Referring to FIG. 1, the substrate processing system 1000 of the present invention includes a loading / unloading unit 110, an index robot 200, a buffer unit 300, and a main transfer robot 500. ) And a plurality of process chambers 600.

The loading / unloading unit 110 includes a plurality of load ports 110a, 110b, 110c and 110d. In this embodiment, the loading / unloading unit 110 has four load ports 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d, but the number of load ports 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d is the substrate. It may increase or decrease depending on the process efficiency and the foot print conditions of the processing system 1000.

Front open unified pods (FOUPs) 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d in which wafers are accommodated are mounted in the load ports 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d. Each of the pools 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d is provided with a plurality of slots for accommodating the wafers in a state in which the wafers are arranged horizontally with respect to the ground. In the pools 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d, wafers that are introduced into the process chamber 600 and processed are received or wafers that are injected into the process chamber 600 to be processed. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, a wafer processed by the substrate processing system 1000 is called a processed wafer, and a wafer not yet processed is called a raw wafer.

1 and 2, the index robot 200 is installed between the loading / unloading unit 110 and the buffer unit 300. Each of the index robots 200 includes a plurality of index arms 210 on which wafers are seated, a plurality of connection parts 220 connected to any one of the index arms, and a driver for driving the plurality of index arms 210, respectively. 230.

Each of the plurality of index arms 210 may be individually driven, and picks up a raw wafer from a pool seated on one of the plurality of load ports 110a, 110b, 110c, and 110d to the buffer unit 300. to provide.

In detail, the plurality of index arms 210 are disposed to face each other in the vertical direction, and the index arms PA for loading the raw wafers into the buffer unit 300 and the processed wafers are extracted from the buffer unit 300. It is divided into the index arms (PA). Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the index arms SA for loading the wafer in the buffer unit 300 are called source arm SA, and the index arms PA for withdrawing the wafer from the buffer unit 300 are referred to as index arms SA. It is called treatment arm part (PA).

The source arm SA is positioned below the treatment arm PA and includes at least two index arms 213 and 214. The source arm SA extracts the raw wafers from the pools 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d and loads the raw wafers into the buffer unit 300. In this embodiment, the source arm SA is composed of two index arms 213 and 214, but the number of index arms 213 and 214 constituting the source arm SA is equal to the index robot (S). It may increase depending on the total number of index arms that the 200 has.

The source arm SA picks up one or a plurality of raw wafers from the pools 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d at a time, and loads one or more raw wafers into the buffer unit 300 at a time. In this embodiment, since the source arm SA is composed of two index arms 213 and 214, it is possible to transfer two processed wafers at a time.

The treatment arm PA includes at least two index arms 211 and 212 and loads the processed wafers loaded on the buffer unit 300 into the pools 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d. In this embodiment, the treatment arm PA includes two index arms 211 and 212, but the number of index arms 211 and 212 constituting the treatment arm PA is the index robot 200. ) May increase depending on the total number of index arms included with).

The treatment arm PA may load one raw wafer into the buffer unit 300 one by one, or may simultaneously load a plurality of raw wafers. That is, the treatment arm PA picks up one or more raw wafers from the pools 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d at a time, and then loads the picked up raw wafers into the buffer unit 300 one by one or simultaneously. Can also be loaded. In this embodiment, since the treatment arm PA is composed of two index arms 211 and 212, two raw wafers may be transferred at a time.

As such, the index robot 200 arranges the arms for transporting the raw wafer among the index arms 210 at the bottom and the arms for transporting the processed wafer at the top. Accordingly, the index robot 200 may prevent particles generated from the raw wafer from being attached to the processed wafer in the process of drawing and extracting the wafer.

During the process, the number of wafers that the index robot 200 picks up or loads at one time depends on the number of processed wafers and raw wafers currently loaded in the buffer unit 300.

In this embodiment, the index robot 200 simultaneously transfers two wafers when simultaneously processing a plurality of wafers, but the number of wafers that the index robot 200 can simultaneously transfer is the index robot 200. It may increase depending on the number of index arms 210 provided therein.

Meanwhile, the buffer unit 300 is located between an area in which the index robot 200 is installed, and an area in which the plurality of process chambers 600 and the main transfer robot 500 are installed. The buffer unit 300 accommodates the raw wafers transferred by the index robot 200 and stores the processed wafers processed in the process chamber 600.

3 is a perspective view illustrating the buffer unit illustrated in FIG. 1, FIG. 4 is a plan view of the buffer unit illustrated in FIG. 3, and FIG. 5 is an enlarged plan view of part 'A' of FIG. 4.

3 to 5, the buffer part 300 of the present invention includes the main body 310 and the first and second support parts 320 and 330.

In detail, the main body 310 includes a bottom surface 311, first and second sidewalls 312 and 313 vertically extending from the bottom surface 311, and the first and second sidewalls 312 and 313. It may include a top surface 314 coupled to the top of the).

The main body 310 has a front sidewall facing the index robot 200 and a rear sidewall facing the main transfer robot 500 to open and close the wafer. Accordingly, the index robot 200 and the main transfer robot 500 can easily draw and withdraw wafers from the buffer unit 300.

The first and second sidewalls 312 and 313 are disposed to face each other, and the upper surface 314 is partially removed to form an opening 314a.

The first and second support parts 320 and 330 are formed in the body 310. The first support 320 is coupled to the first sidewall 312, and the second support 330 is coupled to the second sidewall 313. The first and second supports 320 and 330 each include a plurality of supports. The supports of the first support part 320 correspond one to one with the supports of the second support part 330, and the wafer supports the support of the first support part 320 and the support of the second support part 330 corresponding to each other. The end is supported by and is received in the buffer unit 300. In this case, the wafer is disposed to face the bottom surface 311.

In this embodiment, the supports of the first support 320 and the supports of the second support 330 have the same configuration. Therefore, hereinafter, the configuration of the support will be described in detail with the first support 320 as an example.

3 and 4, the supports of the first support part 320 are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction, and a pair of adjacent supports may be spaced apart from each other at a first interval D1 according to their position. It may be spaced apart from the second interval D2 larger than the first interval D1. The first interval D1 is equal to the interval between the index arms 210 of the index robot 200 (see FIG. 1).

Specifically, 2 * N (where N is a natural number of 1 or more) th support among the supports of the first support 320 is spaced apart from the (2 * N) -1 th support and the first spacing D1, ( 2 * N) + 1st support and spaced apart by said 2nd space | interval D2.

That is, each of the even-numbered supports is spaced apart from the odd-numbered support positioned directly above the first interval D1 and spaced apart from the odd-numbered support positioned directly below the second interval D1. For example, the first support 321 and the second support 322 of the first support 320 is spaced apart by the first interval (D1), the second support 322 and the third support 323 is the Spaced apart from the second interval D2. The third support 323 and the fourth support 324 are spaced apart from the first interval D1.

In this way, the buffer unit 300 is set equal to the interval between the index arms 210 in units of two supports. Accordingly, the index robot 200 may simultaneously pick up two processed wafers from the buffer unit 300 or simultaneously load two raw wafers into the buffer unit 300.

Here, the spacing between the index arms 210 is set equal to the slot spacing of the pulls 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d (see FIG. 1). Accordingly, the index robot 210 may simultaneously pick up or load two wafers at the time of transferring the wafers with the pulls 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d.

Meanwhile, the first support part 320 is continuously spaced apart from the first gap D1 and spaced apart from the adjacent supports and the second gap D2. That is, when defining the support units continuously positioned at the first interval D1 as one unit group, two adjacent unit groups are spaced apart from the second interval D2.

When simultaneously picking up or stacking a plurality of wafers in the buffer unit 300, the index robot 200 and the main transfer robot 500 pick up or load wafers in unit units. Since the buffer unit 300 is spaced apart from each other by two unit groups adjacent to each other at the second interval D2 wider than the first interval D1, the index robot 200 and the index robot 200 are located within the buffer unit 300. The operation of the main transfer robot 500 is easy.

That is, when the index robot 200 and the main transfer robot 500 move after picking up or loading the wafer, the narrower the gap between the supports is, the easier it is to cause collision with the wafer positioned above or below. However, since the unit groups of the first and second support portions 320 and 330 are spaced apart from the second interval D2, which is wider than the first interval D1, the buffer unit 300 may be formed of the index arms 210. ) And the transfer arms 510 may be sufficiently secured.

In one example of the present invention, the supports are in a group of two so that the supports in the group are spaced apart at the first interval D1, but the number of supports continuously arranged at the first interval D1 is the index. The robot 200 or the main transfer robot 500 may be set equal to the number of wafers that can be picked up or stacked at the same time.

In addition, the buffer unit 300 is divided into at least one discharge area OA in which processed wafers are accommodated and at least one input area IA in which source wafers are accommodated, and the discharge area and the input area alternate with each other. Is placed. In this case, the discharge area OA is located at the top of the buffer unit 300. In one embodiment of the present invention, each discharge area (OA) and each input area (OA) is composed of one unit group in which the supports are spaced at the first interval (D1).

On the other hand, the guide guide portion 31 may be formed in the position of the wafer on each support of the first and second support portions 320 and 330. The guide part 31 is formed to protrude from the upper surface of the support, and supports the side of the wafer.

6 is a perspective view showing the main transport robot shown in FIG.

1 and 6, the raw wafers accommodated in the buffer unit 300 are transferred to each process chamber 600 by the main transfer robot 500. The main transfer robot 500 is installed in the transfer passage 400, and the transfer passage 400 is connected to the plurality of process chambers. The main transfer robot 500 may include a plurality of hands 510 each having a wafer seated thereon, and a hand driver 520 driving the plurality of hands 510.

The plurality of hands 510 may be individually driven and disposed to face each other in the vertical direction. The hands 510 are divided into hands SH for picking up a raw wafer from the buffer unit 300 and hands PH for loading a processed wafer in the buffer unit 300. Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the hands SH which withdraw the source wafer from the buffer unit 300 are called the source hand unit SA, and the hands that load the processing wafer in the buffer unit 300 ( PH) is called the processing hand part PA.

The source hand part SH is located below the processing hand part PH and consists of at least two hands 513 and 514. The source hand part SH extracts the raw wafers from the buffer part 300 and provides them to the plurality of process chambers 600. In this embodiment, the source hand portion (SH) is composed of two hands (513, 514), the number of hands 513, 514 constituting the source hand portion (SH) is the main transfer robot ( It may also increase according to the total number of hands that 500 has.

The source hand part SH may pick up one or more raw wafers from the buffer part 300 at a time. In this embodiment, since the source hand portion SH is composed of two hands 513 and 514, two source wafers can be transferred at a time. The number of source wafers that the main transfer robot 500 can simultaneously transfer may vary according to the number of hands of the source hand part SH.

On the other hand, the processing hand portion PH is composed of at least two hands (511, 512), the process is completed in the process chamber 600, that is, the processing wafer is loaded on the buffer unit 300. . In this embodiment, the processing hand portion PH is composed of two hands 511 and 512, but the number of hands 511 and 512 constituting the processing hand portion PH is the main transfer robot ( It may also increase according to the total number of hands that 500 has.

As such, the main transfer robot 500 arranges the hands for transferring the raw wafer among the hands 510 at the bottom and the hands for transferring the processed wafer at the top. Accordingly, the main transfer robot 500 may prevent particles generated from the raw wafer from being attached to the processed wafer in the process of drawing and extracting the wafer.

The processing hand part PA may transfer one processed wafer to the buffer unit 300 at a time, or may transfer a plurality of processed wafers to the buffer unit 300 at a time. That is, the hands 510 are spaced apart from each other at the first interval D1 (see FIG. 5) in the same manner as the supports positioned in the discharge area OA of the buffer unit 300. Accordingly, the main transfer robot 500 may simultaneously load a plurality of processed wafers into the buffer unit 300.

In one example of the present invention, the main transfer robot 500 may simultaneously load the processed wafers into the buffer unit 300 as many times as the maximum number of processed wafers that can be loaded in one discharge area OA.

In addition, in this embodiment, since the processing hand portion PH is composed of two hands 511 and 512, two processing wafers can be transferred at a time.

The number of processed wafers that the main transfer robot 500 can simultaneously transfer depends on the number of hands of the processing hand portion PH and the maximum number of processed wafers that can be loaded in the discharge area OA.

As described above, the substrate processing system 1000 controls the index arms 210, the buffer unit 300, and the hands 510 of the main transfer robot 500 to the source wafer. It is operated separately to the portion that deals with the area handling the wafer. Accordingly, the substrate processing system 1000 may prevent the processing wafer from being contaminated by the source wafer in the process of transferring the source wafer and the processing wafer, thereby improving the yield of the product.

In addition, the substrate processing system 1000 of the present invention has a spacing between the supports positioned in the input area IA of the buffer unit 300 and a spacing between the source arms 213 and 214 of the index robot 200. And the intervals between the source hands 513 and 514 of the main transport robot 500 are equal to each other, and the intervals of the supports positioned in the discharge area OA of the buffer unit 300 and the index robot ( The interval between the processing arms 211 and 212 of the 200 and the interval between the processing hands 511 and 512 of the main transport robot 500 are equal to each other.

Accordingly, each of the index robot 200 and the main transfer robot 500 may simultaneously load and pick up a plurality of wafers into the buffer unit 300. Therefore, the substrate processing system 1000 may shorten the transfer time of the wafer, shorten the process time, and improve productivity.

On the other hand, on both sides of the transfer passage 400 where the main transfer robot 500 is installed, the process chamber 600 for processing the raw wafer to generate the processed wafer are respectively disposed. As a processing process performed in the process chamber 600, there is a cleaning process for cleaning the raw wafer. In this embodiment, the substrate processing system 1000 includes six process chambers, but the number of the process chambers may increase or decrease according to the process efficiency and the footprint of the substrate processing system 1000. . In the plurality of hearing chambers, two process chambers are disposed to face each other with the transfer passage 400 interposed therebetween. That is, three process chambers are disposed at both sides of the transfer passage 400.

Hereinafter, a process of loading a processed wafer and a raw wafer into the buffer unit 300 will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

7 is a view illustrating a process of loading a wafer into the buffer unit illustrated in FIG. 3, and FIG. 8 is a plan view illustrating a state in which wafers are respectively accommodated in the discharge region and the input region of the buffer unit illustrated in FIG. 4.

1, 7 and 8, a process of transferring the source wafers 11 and 12 to the buffer unit 300 is as follows. First, the index arms 213 and 214 of the source arm SA of the index arms 210 of the index robot 200 are among the pulls 120a, 120b, 120c, and 120d seated on the load / unload unit 110. The source wafers 11 and 12 are picked up from either pool.

Subsequently, the index robot 200 moves toward the buffer unit 300, and the index arms 213 and 214 of the source arm SA are placed in an idle input area among the input areas of the buffer 300. The source wafers 11 and 12 are loaded at the same time.

The source wafers 11 and 12 loaded in the input region IA of the buffer unit 300 are transferred to the process chamber 600 by the main transfer robot 500. That is, the hands 513 and 514 (see FIG. 6) constituting the source hand part SH of the main transfer robot 500 are loaded in one input area IA of the buffer part 300. The source wafers 11 and 12 are simultaneously picked up. Subsequently, the main transfer robot 500 transfers the picked-up source wafers 11 and 12 and provides them to an idle process chamber.

Meanwhile, the hands 511 and 512 of the processing hand part PH of the hands 510 of the main transfer robot 500 draw out the processed wafers 13 and 14 processed in each process chamber 600.

Subsequently, the main transfer robot 500 moves toward the buffer unit 300, and the hands 511 and 512 of the processing hand unit PH discharge an idle state among the discharge regions of the buffer unit 300. The processing wafers 13 and 14 are simultaneously loaded in the area.

The processing wafers 13 and 14 stacked in the discharge area OA of the buffer unit 300 are loaded into the corresponding pools by the index robot 200. That is, the index arms 211 and 213 (see FIG. 2) constituting the processing arm PA of the index arms 210 of the index robot 200 may be disposed in one of the buffer units 300. At the same time, the processing wafers 13 and 14 loaded on the wafer are picked up. Subsequently, the index robot 200 transfers the picked-up processed wafers 13 and 14 and loads them into the corresponding pools.

Although described with reference to the embodiments above, those skilled in the art will understand that the present invention can be variously modified and changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Could be.

1 is a schematic view of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the index robot shown in FIG. 1.

3 is a perspective view illustrating the buffer unit illustrated in FIG. 1.

4 is a plan view viewed from the side of the buffer unit shown in FIG.

5 is an enlarged plan view of a portion 'A' of FIG. 4.

6 is a perspective view showing the main transport robot shown in FIG.

FIG. 7 is a view illustrating a process of loading a wafer into the buffer unit shown in FIG. 3.

8 is a plan view illustrating a state in which wafers are respectively accommodated in the discharge area and the input area of the buffer unit shown in FIG. 4.

Explanation of symbols on the main parts of the drawings

110: loading / unloading unit 120a, 120b, 120c, 120d: loosening

200: index robot 300: buffer unit

400: transfer passage 500: main transfer robot

600: process chamber 1000: substrate processing system

Claims (12)

A storage container accommodating a plurality of substrates; A process chamber in which a substrate is treated; And A buffer unit having a plurality of input areas for receiving a substrate to be inserted into the process chamber from the storage container, and a plurality of discharge areas for storing the substrate having completed the process in the process chamber, And the input area and the discharge area are alternately positioned with each other. The method of claim 1, wherein the buffer unit A substrate processing apparatus comprising a plurality of supports spaced apart in the vertical direction to support the end of the substrate, respectively. The method of claim 2, Further comprising a first transfer member for transferring the substrate between the storage container and the buffer, The first conveying member is provided with a plurality of arms spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction and each substrate is seated, The plurality of arms includes a plurality of source arms for transporting a substrate to be inserted into the process chamber, and a plurality of processing arms positioned on the source arms and transporting a substrate on which the process is completed. Device. The method of claim 3, The spacing between the source arms is the same as the spacing between the supports located in the input area of the plurality of supports, Wherein the spacing between the processing arms is equal to the spacing between the supports located in the discharge area of the plurality of supports. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, Further comprising a second transfer member for transferring the substrate between the buffer unit and the process chamber, The second conveying member is provided with a plurality of hands which are spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction and disposed on each substrate, The plurality of hands includes a plurality of source hands for transporting a substrate to be put into the process chamber, and a plurality of processing hands for transporting a substrate positioned above the source hands and having completed the process. Device. The method of claim 5, The spacing between the source hands is equal to the spacing between the supports positioned in the input area of the plurality of supports, Wherein the spacing between the processing hands is equal to the spacing between the supports located in the discharge area of the plurality of supports. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the discharge area is positioned at an uppermost end of the buffer unit. Loading the substrates accommodated in the storage container into a buffer unit in which an input region and an discharge region are alternately positioned, and loading the substrates into the input region; Providing the substrates stored in the input area to a plurality of process chambers in which substrates are processed; And And removing the processed substrate from the process chamber and loading the processed substrate into the discharge area. The method of claim 8, Picking up the substrates accommodated in the discharge area and loading the processing arms of the first transfer member into the storage container; The loading of the substrates into the input area may include picking up the substrates accommodated in the storage container from the source arms provided under the processing arms in the first transfer member and loading the substrates into the input area of the buffer part. Substrate transfer method, characterized in that. The method of claim 9, And the first transfer member simultaneously loads the substrates seated on each of the source arms in the input region, and the processing arms pick up the substrates simultaneously in the discharge region. The method according to any one of claims 8 and 9, Providing the substrates accommodated in the input region to the process chamber may include: source hands of a second transfer member picking up the substrates accommodated in the input region and providing the substrates to each process chamber; The loading of the processed substrates into the discharge region may include processing hands disposed on the source hands in the second transfer member to extract the processed substrates from the plurality of process chambers and load the processed substrates into the discharge region. Substrate transfer method comprising the step. The method of claim 11, And the second transfer member simultaneously loads the substrates seated in each of the processing hands into the discharge region, and the source hands simultaneously load the substrates loaded into the input region.

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