Substrate unloading method, substrate unloading apparatus and substrate processing system

Abstract

In a substrate unloading apparatus, substrates are unloaded from a side opening of a container that holds multiple substrates in a multi-segment vertical direction according to a pre-set sequence. The apparatus prioritizes determining whether the first substrate in the unloading sequence (i.e., the first substrate) is permitted or prohibited from being unloaded, thereby shortening the waiting time for substrate unloading. At the side opening, a camera unit moves vertically relative to the container while simultaneously taking photographs of the interior of the container, thereby acquiring multiple frame images. Furthermore, for each substrate, a substrate image displaying the substrate's state is created based on the frame image of the corresponding substrate from the multiple frame images acquired by the frame image acquisition unit. However, the determination of whether unloading / prohibition of the first substrate (i.e., the first substrate) is permitted or prohibited from being unloaded is prioritized based on the substrate image of the first substrate in the unloading sequence.

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