Coating and developing equipment

Abstract

This invention discloses a coating and developing apparatus, comprising a front-end module, a process station, and an interface station connected in sequence. The process station includes a coating unit, a developing unit, at least one laterally movable transfer unit, and at least one side-mounted robot. After the substrate is processed in the coating unit, the at least one side-mounted robot moves the substrate into the transfer unit, and then the transfer unit conveys it to the interface station. Similarly, after the substrate is processed in the developing unit, the at least one side-mounted robot moves the substrate into the transfer unit, and then the transfer unit conveys it to the front-end module. In this invention, the transfer unit and the side-mounted robot are configured to transfer the substrate after processing in the coating or developing unit between the front-end module and the interface station. This reduces the operating load of the robot within the coating or developing unit, thereby reducing the impact of robot operating efficiency on the output rate of the coating and developing apparatus, and ultimately improving the output rate of the coating and developing apparatus.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of semiconductor manufacturing equipment, and in particular to a coating and developing apparatus. Prior Technology

[0002] Currently, the interconnecting station for photolithography consists of a coating and developing machine and an exposure machine. The general process of photolithography is as follows: after the substrate completes the coating process in the coating and developing machine, it is sent to the exposure machine for exposure. After exposure, the substrate is returned to the coating and developing machine to complete the development process.

[0003] Traditional coating and developing machines, such as those described in Patent Document 1 (CN104465460B), include a carrier block, a processing block, and an interface block connected in series. The processing block comprises four coating unit blocks arranged in a stacked configuration, and a developing unit block stacked on top of these four coating unit blocks. Each unit block contains a robotic arm that moves horizontally in its central transport area. Due to design limitations in the overall height of the equipment, there may not be sufficient space to accommodate a fan filter unit (FFU) for each unit block, thus compromising the cleanliness of the process environment within each unit block and ultimately increasing the risk of particulate contamination on the substrate surface.

[0004] In addition, the robotic arms in each unit block are busy transferring substrates between processing modules (such as coating modules, developing modules, or heat treatment modules) within the unit block, as well as between carrier blocks and interface blocks. This will make the process robots very busy, which will inhibit the operating efficiency of the equipment to some extent. Summary of the Invention

[0005] The coating and developing equipment and its substrate transfer method proposed in this invention can reduce the risk of substrate particle contamination and improve the overall operating efficiency of the equipment.

[0006] The coating and developing apparatus provided by this invention includes a front-end module, a process station, and an interface station connected in sequence, wherein the process station includes: A coating unit comprising at least one column of vertically stacked coating modules for coating a substrate; A developing unit includes at least one column of vertically stacked developing modules for developing a substrate; At least one transversely moving transmission unit; and At least one vertically moving lateral manipulator; After the substrate is processed in the coating unit, it is moved into the moving transfer unit by at least one side robot and then transferred to the interface station by the moving transfer unit; after the substrate is processed in the developing unit, it is moved into the moving transfer unit by at least one side robot and then transferred to the front-end module of the equipment by the moving transfer unit.

[0007] The coating modules within the coating unit are arranged vertically, allowing multiple coating modules to share the same coating robot. This reduces the number of FFUs (Fan Filter Units) required within the coating unit, making process environment control easier. Similar to the coating unit, the developing unit can maintain a clean environment throughout the entire unit using a smaller number of FFUs.

[0008] The effective cooperation between the lateral moving transport unit and the vertical moving side robot enables the rapid transfer of substrates after processing in the coating or developing unit to the interface station or front-end module of the equipment, thereby improving the operating efficiency of the equipment.

[0009] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the coating unit further includes at least one vertically stacked heat treatment module located opposite the coating module, for heating and cooling the substrate before and after the coating process; The developing unit also includes at least one vertically stacked heat treatment module located opposite the developing module, used to heat and cool the substrate before and after the developing process.

[0010] As an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the at least one movable transmission unit is located at the top or bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit.

[0011] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the coating unit further includes at least one coating robot for transferring the substrate between the coating module and the heat treatment module of the coating unit; The developing unit also includes at least one developing robot for transferring substrates between the developing module and the heat treatment module of the developing unit.

[0012] Multiple vertically stacked coating modules within a coating unit can share the same coating robot. Therefore, only one fan filter unit (FFU) is needed within the coating unit to ensure a clean process environment and reduce particulate contamination of the substrate. Similarly, the developing unit can also achieve a clean internal environment and reduce particulate contamination by using only one FFU. Therefore, adopting a vertical layout for both coating and developing modules makes controlling the coating or developing process environment much easier.

[0013] As an alternative embodiment of the present invention, the at least one movable transmission unit is located between the top and bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit.

[0014] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the coating unit includes at least one coating robot disposed on the upper and lower sides of a movable transfer section located between the top and bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit, for transferring a substrate between the coating module and the heat treatment module of the coating unit; The developing unit includes at least one developing robot disposed on the upper and lower sides of a movable transport section located between the top and bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit, for transferring a substrate between the developing module and the heat treatment module of the developing unit.

[0015] When the moving transport unit is located between the top and bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit, the laterally arranged moving transport unit divides the internal space of the coating unit and the developing unit into several relatively independent subspaces. For example, when a pair of moving transport units are set between the top and bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit, the laterally arranged pair of moving transport units divides the coating unit and the developing unit into relatively independent upper space and lower space. At this time, a coating robot and a developing robot are respectively configured in the upper space and the lower space. Similarly, in order to ensure the cleanliness of the process environment, an FFU is configured in the upper space and the lower space to realize the control of the internal environment of each unit.

[0016] As an alternative embodiment of the present invention, at least one of the side-mounted robotic arms is disposed between the coating unit and the developing unit for moving the substrate after processing in the coating unit into the moving transport unit, or for moving the substrate after processing in the developing unit into the moving transport unit.

[0017] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the process station includes at least two of the aforementioned side-mounted robots, at least one of which is configured between the coating unit and the equipment front-end module for moving the substrate after processing in the coating unit into the transfer unit, or moving the substrate after processing in the developing unit out of the transfer unit; and At least one of the at least two side manipulators is disposed between the developing unit and the interface station for moving the substrate after processing in the developing unit into the moving transport unit, or moving the substrate after processing in the coating unit out of the moving transport unit.

[0018] The side robotic arms are set on both sides of the process station, eliminating the side robotic arms between the coating unit and the developing unit. This shortens the equipment length and reduces the equipment footprint. Furthermore, the shorter travel distance of the moving and transporting parts improves their transport efficiency, thereby increasing the overall operating efficiency of the equipment.

[0019] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the process station includes at least three of the aforementioned side robots, wherein at least one of the aforementioned three side robots is configured between the coating unit and the front-end module of the equipment, for removing the substrate from the moving transport unit after processing in the developing unit; At least one of the at least three side manipulators is disposed between the coating unit and the developing unit, for moving the substrate after processing in the coating unit into the moving transport unit, or moving the substrate after processing in the developing unit into the moving transport unit; and At least one of the at least three side manipulators is configured between the developing unit and the interface station for removing the substrate from the moving transport section after the coating unit has completed its processing.

[0020] As an optional embodiment of the present invention, the front-end module of the equipment includes a front-end robot arm, which removes the substrate after it has been processed in the developing unit from the moving and transporting unit; The interface station includes an interface robot, which removes the substrate from the moving and transporting unit after it has been processed in the coating unit.

[0021] This invention also proposes a substrate transfer method for a coating and developing apparatus, employing the aforementioned coating and developing apparatus, wherein... The front-end module of the equipment is equipped with a front-end robot arm, which moves the substrate from the front-end module to the process station. The coating unit in the process station is equipped with a coating robot. The coating robot feeds the substrate into the coating unit, where the substrate undergoes coating and heat treatment. The coating robot will remove the substrate from the coating unit after it has been processed. The side-mounted robotic arm moves the substrate removed from the coating unit into the moving and transporting unit; The mobile transmission unit will transfer the substrate, after it has been processed in the coating unit, to the interface station; The interface station is equipped with an interface robot. After the coating unit completes its processing, the interface robot will move the substrate from the moving and transporting unit to the interface station, or the robot on the other side will move the substrate from the moving and transporting unit after the coating unit completes its processing, and then the interface robot will move the substrate into the interface station. The interface robot removes the exposed substrate from the interface station and transfers it to the process station; The developing unit of the process station is equipped with a developing robot. The developing robot feeds the substrate into the developing unit, where the substrate undergoes developing and heat treatment. After processing in the developing unit, the substrate is removed from the developing unit by a developing robot. The side-mounted robotic arm moves the substrate removed from the developing unit into the moving transport unit; The mobile transmission unit will transfer the substrate processed in the developing unit to the front-end module of the equipment; After the developing unit has finished processing, the front-end robot will move the substrate out of the moving and transporting unit and into the front-end module of the equipment. Alternatively, the robot on the other side will move the substrate out of the moving and transporting unit after the developing unit has finished processing, and then the front-end robot will move the substrate into the front-end module of the equipment. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0022] Figure 1 shows a front perspective view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 1; Figure 2 shows a rear perspective view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 1; Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 1; Figure 4 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 1; Figure 5 shows another cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 1; Figure 6 shows another longitudinal cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 1; Figure 7 shows another longitudinal cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 1; Figure 8a shows the transport path of the substrate in the coating and developing equipment before the exposure process in Embodiment 1; Figure 8b shows the transport path of the substrate in the coating and developing equipment after exposure processing in Embodiment 1; Figure 9 shows a cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 2; Figure 10 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 2; Figure 11 shows another cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 2; Figure 12a shows the transport path of the substrate in the coating and developing equipment before the exposure process in Example 2; Figure 12b shows the transport path of the substrate in the coating and developing equipment after exposure processing in Example 2; Figure 13 shows a cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 3; Figure 14 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 3; Figure 15 shows another cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 3; Figure 16a shows the transport path of the substrate in the coating and developing equipment before the exposure process in Example 3; Figure 16b shows the transport path of the substrate in the coating and developing equipment after exposure processing in Example 3; Figure 17 shows a cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 4; Figure 18 shows another cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 4; Figure 19 shows a perspective view of the process station concealing the coating and developing modules in the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 4; Figure 20a shows the transport path of the substrate in the coating and developing equipment before the exposure process in Example 4; Figure 20b shows the transport path of the substrate in the coating and developing equipment after exposure processing in Example 4; Figure 21 shows a cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 5; Figure 22 shows another cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment 5; Figure 23a shows the transport path of the substrate in the coating and developing equipment before the exposure process in Example 5; Figure 23b shows the transport path of the substrate in the coating and developing equipment after exposure processing in Example 5; Figure 24 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment Six; Figures 25a and 25c show schematic diagrams of the longitudinal layout of the coating module and heating module within the coating unit; and Figures 26a to 26c show schematic diagrams of the longitudinal layout of the developing module and the heating module within the developing unit. Implementation

[0023] To illustrate the technical content, structural features, objectives, and effects of the present invention in detail, the following will provide a detailed description in conjunction with embodiments and accompanying drawings.

[0024] The coating and developing equipment proposed in this invention includes a front-end module (EFEM), a process station, and an interface station connected in series. The front-end module is equipped with a front-end robot (EFEM robot), and the interface station is equipped with an interface robot.

[0025] The process station includes a coating unit, a developing unit, at least one laterally moving transfer unit, and at least one vertically moving side robot. After the substrate is processed in the coating unit, the side robot moves the substrate into the transfer unit, and the transfer unit then transports it to the interface station. After the substrate is processed in the developing unit, the side robot moves the substrate into the transfer unit, and the transfer unit then transports it to the front-end module of the equipment.

[0026] The coating unit includes at least one column of vertically stacked coating modules, at least one column of vertically stacked heat treatment modules, and at least one coating robot. The coating modules are used to coat the substrate, the heat treatment modules are used to heat and cool the substrate before and after coating, the heat treatment modules are located opposite the coating modules, and the coating robot is used to transfer the substrate between the coating modules and the heat treatment modules of the coating unit.

[0027] The developing unit includes at least one row of vertically stacked developing modules, at least one row of vertically stacked heat treatment modules, and at least one developing robot. The developing modules are used to develop the substrate, the heat treatment modules are used to heat and cool the substrate before and after the developing process, the heat treatment modules are located opposite the developing modules, and the developing robot is used to transfer the substrate between the developing modules and the heat treatment modules in the developing unit.

[0028] At least one laterally moving transfer unit is located at the top or bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit, or at least one laterally moving transfer unit is located between the top and bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit. When at least one laterally moving transfer unit is located between the top and bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit, the coating unit has at least one coating robot on each of the upper and lower sides of the transfer unit located between the top and bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit for transferring the substrate between the coating module and the heat treatment module of the coating unit; the developing unit has at least one developing robot on each of the upper and lower sides of the transfer unit located between the top and bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit for transferring the substrate between the developing module and the heat treatment module of the developing unit.

[0029] The side-mounted robotic arm is positioned between the front-end module and the coating unit, or between the coating unit and the developing unit, or between the developing unit and the interface station.

[0030] The following will describe in detail the position and number of side-mounted robotic arms, as well as the corresponding substrate transfer method, with reference to specific embodiments.

[0031] Example 1 Please refer to Figures 1 to 7, which illustrate the coating and developing apparatus proposed in this embodiment of the invention. Figures 1 and 2 show perspective views of the coating and developing apparatus proposed in this invention. The coating and developing apparatus mainly consists of a front-end module (EFEM) 100, a process station 200, and an interface station 300 arranged in a straight line. Figure 3 shows a cross-sectional view of the coating and developing apparatus in this embodiment. The front-end module 100 has multiple loading ports 110 for holding one or more wafer cassettes 120 containing multiple substrates. An EFEM robot R10 is provided within the front-end module 100, which can transfer substrates between the EFEM 100 and the process station 200. The interface station 300 is used to connect to external equipment, such as an exposure machine, for exposing the substrates after processing in the coating unit 210. An interface robot R30 is provided within the interface station 300 for transferring substrates between the process station 200 and the interface station 300.

[0032] Process station 200 includes a linearly arranged coating unit 210 and developing unit 220, at least one laterally (e.g., horizontal direction in FIG. 4) moving transfer unit 230, and at least one vertically (e.g., vertical direction in FIG. 4) moving side robot R21. The coating unit 210 is used to perform coating and heat treatment on a substrate and includes at least one row of vertically stacked coating modules 211, at least one row of vertically stacked heat treatment modules 212, and at least one coating robot R21. The coating modules 211 and heat treatment modules 212 are arranged opposite each other; FIG. 25a to 25c show various different layouts of the coating modules 211 and heat treatment modules 212 arranged opposite each other. The coating modules 211 are used to coat the substrate, the heat treatment modules 212 are used to heat and cool the substrate, and the coating robot R21 is used to transfer the substrate between the coating modules 211 and heat treatment modules 212 of the coating unit 210. The developing unit 220 is used to perform developing and heat treatment on a substrate, and includes at least one row of vertically stacked developing modules 221, at least one row of vertically stacked heat treatment modules 222, and at least one developing robot R22. The developing modules 221 and heat treatment modules 222 are arranged opposite to each other; Figures 26a to 26c show various different layouts of the developing modules 221 and heat treatment modules 222 arranged opposite to each other. The developing modules 221 are used to perform developing processes on the substrate, and the heat treatment modules 222 are used to perform heating and cooling processes on the substrate. The developing robot R22 is used to transfer the substrate between the developing modules 221 and heat treatment modules 222 of the developing unit 220. After the substrate is processed in the coating unit 210, it is moved into the moving transfer unit 230 by the side robot R0 and then transferred to the interface station 300 by the moving transfer unit 230; after the substrate is processed in the developing unit 220, it is moved into the moving transfer unit 230 by the side robot R0 and then transferred to the front-end module 100 of the equipment by the moving transfer unit 230.

[0033] Compared to the prior art where a robot inside the coating or developing unit transfers the substrate between the EFEM and the interface station, in the embodiments of the present invention, a separate moving transfer unit and a side robot are configured to transfer the coated or developed substrate between the EFEM and the interface station. This reduces the operating load of the robot inside the coating or developing unit, thereby reducing the impact of the robot's operating efficiency on the output of the coating and developing equipment, and thus improving the output of the coating and developing equipment.

[0034] As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, the coating unit 210 includes three vertically stacked coating modules C1~C3, each column containing four coating modules 211; the developing unit 220 includes three vertically stacked developing modules D1~D3, each column containing four developing modules 221. The number of columns and quantities of coating, developing, and heat treatment modules in the coating and developing units can be adjusted according to specific process capacity and equipment size requirements.

[0035] It should be noted that the coating modules mentioned in the embodiments of the present invention include three types: a coating module for forming a photoresist coating, a coating module for forming a top anti-reflective coating, and a coating module for forming a bottom anti-reflective coating. The coating unit is configured with corresponding coating modules according to specific process requirements. Coating modules of the same type configured within the coating unit can share a liquid supply nozzle, or each can have its own liquid supply nozzle. Coating modules of different types can each have their own liquid supply nozzle.

[0036] Referring to Figures 4 and 5, a laterally movable transfer unit 230 is disposed between the top and bottom of the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220. The transfer unit 230 is capable of moving laterally along a straight transport path connecting the EFEM 100 and the interface station 300. The coating unit 210 is provided with two coating robots R21. One coating robot R21 is located above the transfer unit 230 and is used to transfer the substrate between the coating module 211 and the heat treatment module 212 located above the transfer unit 230. The other coating robot R21 is located below the transfer unit 230 and is used to transfer the substrate between the coating module 211 and the heat treatment module 212 located below the transfer unit 230. The developing unit 220 is equipped with two developing robots R22. One developing robot R22 is located on the upper side of the moving transfer section 230, for transferring the substrate between the developing module 221 and the heat treatment module 222 located on the upper side of the moving transfer section 230. The other developing robot R22 is located on the lower side of the moving transfer section 230, for transferring the substrate between the developing module 221 and the heat treatment module 222 located on the lower side of the moving transfer section 230. In other embodiments, multiple laterally movable moving transfer sections may also be provided between the top and bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit. The coating unit has at least one coating robot on each of the upper and lower sides of the moving transfer section between the top and bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit, for transferring the substrate between the coating module and the heat treatment module of the coating unit. The developing unit has at least one developing robot on each of the upper and lower sides of the moving transfer section between the top and bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit, for transferring the substrate between the developing module and the heat treatment module of the developing unit.

[0037] In other embodiments, the moving transfer unit 230 may also be disposed at the top or bottom of the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, respectively. When the moving transfer unit 230 is located at the top or bottom of the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220, the coating unit 210 is equipped with at least one coating robot, for example, two, as shown in Figures 6 or 7. The interior of the coating unit 210 is divided into upper and lower spaces. One coating robot R21 is used to transfer the substrate between the coating module 211 and the heat treatment module 212 located in the upper space of the coating unit 210; the other coating robot R21 is used to transfer the substrate between the coating module 211 and the heat treatment module 212 located in the lower space of the coating unit 210. At this time, a fan filter unit (FFU) is disposed in the upper space and the lower space of the coating unit 210 to ensure the cleanliness of the process environment in the upper and lower spaces of the coating unit 210. Of course, the coating unit 210 can also be configured with only one coating robot R21 to transfer substrates between all coating modules 211 and heat treatment modules 212 within the entire space of the coating unit 210. In this case, the coating unit 210 only needs to be configured with one fan filter unit (FFU) to achieve a clean process environment for the coating unit 210, which makes the control of the equipment process environment easier to operate. Similarly, the developing unit 220 can be configured with only one developing robot R22, or multiple developing robots R22.

[0038] In Embodiment 1, a side-mounted robot R0 is disposed between the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220 for moving substrates after processing in the coating unit 210 or the developing unit 220 into the transfer unit 230. To facilitate substrate transfer between different robots, a first buffer unit (241, 242) is disposed between the EFEM 100 and the coating unit 210, a second buffer unit (251, 252) is disposed between the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220, and a third buffer unit (261, 262) is disposed between the developing unit 220 and the interface station 300. The buffer units can accommodate multiple substrates and hold them in place. The side-mounted robot R0 can move vertically up and down along the height direction of the coating and developing equipment to access the buffer units at different heights.

[0039] Figure 8a illustrates the method of transferring the substrate in the coating and developing equipment before exposure processing in Embodiment 1. The substrate to be processed is moved from the front module 100 of the equipment by the EFEM robot R10 and into the first buffer section 241. Then, the coating robot R21 moves it from the first buffer section 241 and into the coating unit 210. The substrate undergoes coating and heat treatment in the coating unit 210. Next, after the substrate has been processed in the coating unit 210, the coating robot R21 moves it out of the coating unit 210 and into the second buffer section 251. Then, the side robot R0 moves it out of the second buffer section 251 and into the moving transfer section 230. The moving transfer section 230 then transfers it to the interface station 300. After that, the interface robot R30 located in the interface station 300 moves it out of the moving transfer section 230 and sends it into the exposure machine for exposure processing.

[0040] Figure 8b illustrates the method of transferring the substrate in the coating and developing equipment after exposure processing in Embodiment 1. After exposure processing, the substrate is received from the exposure machine by the interface robot R30 and moved into the third buffer section 262. Then, the developing robot R22 moves it out of the third buffer section 262 and into the developing unit 220. The substrate undergoes developing and heat treatment in the developing unit 220. Next, after processing in the developing unit 220, the substrate is moved out of the developing unit 220 by the developing robot R22 and into the second buffer section 252. Then, the side robot R0 moves it out of the second buffer section 252 and into the moving transfer section 230. The moving transfer section 230 then transfers it to the EFEM 100. After that, the EFEM robot R10 located in the EFEM 100 moves it out of the moving transfer section 230 and sends it into the wafer cassette 120 located in the loading port 110.

[0041] Example 2 Referring to Figures 9 to 11, the difference between Embodiment 2 and Embodiment 1 is that: 1) two side-mounted robotic arms are arranged between the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220, namely a first side-mounted robotic arm R1 and a second side-mounted robotic arm R2; 2) a pair of moving transfer units are arranged between the top and bottom of the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220, namely a first moving transfer unit 231 and a second moving transfer unit 232. The first side-mounted robotic arm R1 is used to move the substrate processed in the coating unit 210 into the first moving transfer unit 231, and the second side-mounted robotic arm R2 is used to move the substrate processed in the developing unit 220 into the second moving transfer unit 232. The other structures of the coating and developing equipment proposed in Embodiment 2 are basically the same as those in Embodiment 1, and will not be described again below.

[0042] Figure 12a illustrates the method of transferring the substrate in the coating and developing equipment before exposure processing in Embodiment 2. The substrate to be processed is moved from EFEM 100 by EFEM robot R10 and into the first buffer section 241, and then moved from the first buffer section 241 by coating robot R21 and into the coating unit 210. The substrate undergoes coating and heat treatment in the coating unit 210. Next, after the substrate has been processed in the coating unit 210, it is moved out of the coating unit 210 by coating robot R21 and into the second buffer section 251. Then, the first side robot R1 moves it out of the second buffer section 251 and into the first moving transfer section 231, and then it is transferred to the interface station 300 by the first moving transfer section 231. After that, the interface robot R30 located in the interface station 300 moves it out of the first moving transfer section 231 and sends it into the exposure machine for exposure processing.

[0043] Figure 12b illustrates the method of transferring the substrate in the coating and developing equipment after exposure processing in Embodiment 2. After exposure processing, the substrate is received from the exposure machine by the interface robot R30 and moved into the third buffer section 262. Then, the developing robot R22 moves the substrate out of the third buffer section 262 and moves it into the developing unit 220. The substrate undergoes developing and heat treatment in the developing unit 220. Next, after processing in the developing unit 220, the substrate is moved out of the developing unit 220 by the developing robot R22 and moved into the second buffer section 252. Then, the second side robot R2 moves it out of the second buffer section 252 and moves it into the second moving transfer section 232. Then, the second moving transfer section 232 transfers it to the EFEM 100. After that, the EFEM robot R10 located in the EFEM moves it out of the second moving transfer section 232 and sends it into the wafer cassette 120 located in the loading port 110.

[0044] Without changing the equipment's footprint, two side robotic arms and a pair of moving transport units are installed to ensure that the substrate transport paths after processing in the coating and developing units do not overlap. This avoids cross-contamination caused by sharing side robotic arms and moving transport units and can improve the equipment's transport efficiency to some extent.

[0045] Example 3 Referring to Figures 13 to 15, the difference between Embodiment 3 and Embodiment 1 is that: 1) no side robot R0 and second buffer (251, 252) are provided between the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220. Instead, a side robot is provided between the EFEM 100 and the coating unit 210 and between the developing unit 220 and the interface station 300, respectively defined as the third side robot R3 and the fourth side robot R4; 2) a pair of moving transfer units are arranged between the top and bottom of the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220, namely the first moving transfer unit 231 and the second moving transfer unit 232. The third side robot R3 is used to move the substrate after processing in the coating unit 210 into the first moving transfer unit 231, or to move the substrate after processing in the developing unit 220 out of the second moving transfer unit 232. The fourth side robot R4 is used to move the substrate after processing in the developing unit 220 into the second moving transfer unit 232, or to move the substrate after processing in the coating unit 210 out of the first moving transfer unit 231. The coating and developing equipment proposed in Example 3 has the same other structures as that in Example 1, and will not be described again below.

[0046] In Embodiment 3, the side robotic arm between the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220 is eliminated, which can shorten the length of the coating and developing equipment and reduce the floor space occupied by the equipment. At the same time, it can shorten the movement stroke of the moving transmission unit and improve its transmission efficiency, thereby improving the overall operating efficiency of the equipment.

[0047] Figure 16a illustrates the method of transferring the substrate in the coating and developing equipment before exposure processing in Embodiment 3. The substrate to be processed is moved from the front module 100 of the equipment by the EFEM robot R10 and into the first buffer section 241, and then moved from the first buffer section 241 by the coating robot R21 and into the coating unit 210. The substrate undergoes coating and heat treatment in the coating unit 210. Next, after the substrate has been processed in the coating unit 210, the coating robot R21 moves it out of the coating unit 210 and into the first buffer section 241, and then the third side robot R3 moves it from the first buffer section 241. The material is moved out and into the first moving transmission unit 231, and then transported by the first moving transmission unit 231 to the interface station 300. After that, the interface robot R30 located in the interface station 300 directly moves it out from the first moving transmission unit 231 and sends it into the exposure machine for exposure processing. Alternatively, the fourth side robot R4 moves it out from the first moving transmission unit 231 and into the third buffer unit 261, and then the interface robot R30 moves it out from the third buffer unit 261 and sends it into the exposure machine for exposure processing.

[0048] Figure 16b illustrates the method of transferring the substrate in the coating and developing equipment after exposure processing in Embodiment 3. After exposure processing, the substrate is received from the exposure machine by the interface robot R30 and moved into the third buffer section 262. Then, the developing robot R22 moves it out of the third buffer section 262 and into the developing unit 220. The substrate undergoes developing and heat treatment in the developing unit 220. Next, after processing in the developing unit 220, the substrate is moved out of the developing unit 220 by the developing robot 220 and into the third buffer section 262. Then, the fourth side robot R4 moves it out of the third buffer section 262 and into the second moving transfer section 232, which then transfers it to the EFEM. 100. Then, the EFEM robot R10 located inside the EFEM directly takes the wafer from the second moving transfer unit 232 and puts it into the wafer cassette 120 located at the loading port 110, or the third side robot R3 takes the wafer from the second moving transfer unit 232 and puts it into the first buffer unit 242, and then the EFEM robot R10 takes the wafer from the first buffer unit 242 and puts it into the wafer cassette 120 located at the loading port 110.

[0049] Example 4 Referring to Figures 17 to 19, the difference between Embodiment 4 and Embodiment 1 is as follows: 1) Two side robotic arms are arranged between the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220, namely the first side robotic arm R1 and the second side robotic arm R2; two side robotic arms are arranged between the EFEM 100 and the coating unit 210, namely the third side robotic arm R3 and the fifth side robotic arm R5; and one side robotic arm is arranged between the developing unit 220 and the interface station 300, defined as the fourth side robotic arm R4. The operation process of the multiple side robotic arms will be described in detail below in conjunction with the substrate transfer process; 2) A pair of moving transfer units are arranged between the top and bottom of the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220, namely the first moving transfer unit 231 and the second moving transfer unit 232. The first side robotic arm R1 is used to transfer... After the substrate is processed in the coating unit 210, it is moved into the first moving transfer unit 231. The second side robot R2 is used to move the substrate after the substrate is processed in the developing unit 220 into the second moving transfer unit 232. The third side robot R3 is used to move the substrate after the substrate is processed in the developing unit 220 out of the second moving transfer unit 232. The fourth side robot R4 is used to move the substrate after the substrate is processed in the coating unit 210 out of the first moving transfer unit 231. 3) Multiple functional modules. The specific layout and function of the functional modules will be described in detail below. The other structures of the coating and developing equipment proposed in Embodiment 4 are basically the same as those in Embodiment 1, and will not be described again below.

[0050] The functional modules include an adhesion enhancement module 271, a pre-cooling module 272, an edge exposure module 273, a pre-cleaning module 274, a post-cooling module 275, and a post-cleaning module 276.

[0051] In this embodiment, multiple vertically stacked adhesion-enhancing modules 271 and multiple vertically stacked pre-cooling modules 272 are arranged between the EFEM 100 and the coating unit 210. The adhesion-enhancing modules 271 are used to form an adhesion-enhancing film on the substrate surface before the substrate is fed into the coating unit 210 for processing. For example, HMDS gas is used to blow onto the substrate surface to improve the hydrophobicity of the substrate surface, which is beneficial for enhancing the adhesion between the photoresist and the substrate. After the adhesion-enhancing treatment, the substrate temperature is at a high temperature of 120°C to 130°C. The substrate is transferred from the adhesion-enhancing module 271 to the pre-cooling module 272 by the fifth-side robot R5, cooling the substrate from the high temperature to 22°C to 23°C.

[0052] Multiple vertically stacked edge exposure modules 273 are arranged between the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220 to perform edge exposure processing on the substrate after the coating process. If the interface station 300 is connected to an immersion exposure machine, a pre-cleaning operation is generally required on the substrate before it is transferred to the exposure machine for immersion exposure to reduce defocusing during exposure. Therefore, in this embodiment, multiple vertically stacked pre-cleaning modules 274 are arranged between the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220 to clean the substrate after edge exposure processing.

[0053] Multiple post-cooling modules 275 are arranged between the developing unit 220 and the interface station 300 to cool the pre-cleaned substrate. Furthermore, for substrates after immersion exposure, they need to be cleaned before entering the developing unit 220 for processing to prevent damage to the photoresist from residual immersion solution on the substrate surface during heating. Therefore, in this embodiment, multiple vertically stacked post-cleaning modules 276 are arranged between the developing unit 220 and the interface station 300 to clean the substrate after immersion exposure.

[0054] Figure 20a illustrates the method of transferring the substrate in the coating and developing equipment before exposure processing in Embodiment 4. The EFEM robot R10 feeds the substrate to be processed into the first buffer section 241. The fifth side robot R5 removes the substrate from the first buffer section 241 and feeds it into the adhesion-enhancing module 271. The substrate after adhesion-enhancing processing is then transferred to the front cooling module 272. The coating robot R21 removes the substrate from the front cooling module 272 and feeds it into the coating unit 210. The substrate undergoes coating and heat treatment in the coating unit 210. Next, the coating robot R21 feeds the substrate after processing in the coating unit 210 into the second buffer section 251. The first side robot R1 then feeds the substrate from the second buffer section... Unit 251 removes the substrate and sends it to the edge exposure module 273. Then, the substrate after edge exposure is transferred to the pre-cleaning module 274 for pre-cleaning. After pre-cleaning, the substrate is transferred to the first moving transfer unit 231. The first moving transfer unit 231 transfers the substrate to the interface station 300. The fourth side robot R4 removes the substrate from the first moving transfer unit 232 and sends it to the third buffer unit 261 or the post-cooling module 275. The interface robot R30 removes the substrate from the third buffer unit 261 or the post-cooling module 275 and sends it to the exposure machine for exposure processing.

[0055] Figure 20b illustrates the method of transferring the substrate in the coating and developing equipment after exposure processing in this embodiment. Interface robot R30 receives the exposed substrate from the exposure machine and sends it into the third buffer section 262. Fourth side robot R4 takes the substrate out of the third buffer section 262 and sends it into the post-exposure cleaning module 276 for post-exposure cleaning. The cleaned substrate is then transferred to the third buffer section 262. Developing robot R22 takes the substrate out of the third buffer section 262 and sends it into the developing unit 220. The substrate undergoes developing and heat treatment in the developing unit 220. Next, developing robot R22 sends the substrate after processing in the developing unit into the second buffer section 252. Second side robot R2 takes the substrate out of the second buffer section 252 and moves it into the second moving and transporting section 232. The second moving and transporting section 232 transfers the substrate to EFEM 100. Third side robot R3 takes the substrate out of the second moving and transporting section 232 and sends it into the first buffer section 242. Then, EFEM robot R10 takes it out of the first buffer section 242 and sends it into the wafer cassette 120 located at loading port 110.

[0056] In Embodiment 4, compared to Embodiment 1, two temporary storage sections may be included: a first temporary storage section 281 and a second temporary storage section 282. The first temporary storage section 281 and the second temporary storage section 282 are stacked and arranged between the developing unit 220 and the interface station 300. The first temporary storage section 281 is used to temporarily store the substrate after the coating unit 210 has completed processing, so that it can wait to enter the exposure machine for exposure processing. When there is an idle station in the exposure machine, the substrate is preferentially taken from the first temporary storage section 281 and sent to the exposure machine for exposure processing. This allows the substrate after the coating unit 210 has completed processing to be temporarily stored before the exposure machine, so that there are enough substrates waiting to enter the exposure machine for exposure processing, thereby reducing the waiting time of the exposure machine and improving the utilization efficiency of the exposure machine.

[0057] The second temporary storage unit 282 is used to temporarily store the substrate after exposure processing, waiting to enter the developing unit for processing. When there is an idle station in the developing unit, the substrate is preferentially retrieved from the second temporary storage unit 282 and sent to the developing unit for processing. This allows the substrate after exposure processing to be temporarily stored before the developing unit 220, so that the substrate after exposure processing in the exposure machine can be sent out in a timely manner, thereby reducing the occupation or waiting time of the exposure machine and improving the utilization efficiency of the exposure machine.

[0058] Example 5 Referring to Figures 21 and 22, the difference between Embodiment 5 and Embodiment 1 is that: 1) no side robot R0 and second buffer (251, 252) are provided between the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220. Instead, two side robots are provided between the EFEM 100 and the coating unit 210, defined as the third side robot R3 and the fifth side robot R5, and two side robots are provided between the developing unit 220 and the interface station 300, defined as the fourth side robot R4 and the sixth side robot R6, respectively. The operation process of the multiple side robots will be described in detail below in conjunction with the substrate transfer process; 2) a pair of moving transfer units are arranged between the top and bottom of the coating unit 210 and the developing unit 220, namely the first moving transfer unit 231 and the second moving transfer unit 232, and the fifth side robot R6. The surface robot R5 is used to move the substrate processed in the coating unit 210 into the first moving transfer unit 231; the sixth side robot R6 is used to move the substrate processed in the coating unit 210 out of the first moving transfer unit 231; the fourth side robot R4 is used to move the substrate processed in the developing unit 220 into the second moving transfer unit 232; and the third side robot R3 is used to move the substrate processed in the developing unit 220 out of the second moving transfer unit 232. 3) Multiple functional modules. The specific layout and function of the functional modules will be described in detail below. The other structures of the coating and developing equipment proposed in Embodiment 5 are basically the same as those in Embodiment 1, and will not be described again below.

[0059] The functional modules include an adhesion-enhancing module 271, a pre-cooling module 272, an edge exposure module 273, a pre-cleaning module 274, a post-cooling module 275, and a post-cleaning module 276. The functions of each module are the same as in Embodiment 4. In this embodiment, multiple vertically stacked adhesion-enhancing modules 271 and multiple vertically stacked pre-cooling modules 272 are arranged between the EFEM 100 and the coating unit 210; multiple vertically stacked edge exposure modules 273, multiple vertically stacked pre-cleaning modules 274, multiple vertically stacked post-cooling modules 275, and multiple vertically stacked post-cleaning modules 276 are all arranged between the developing unit 220 and the interface station 300. In other embodiments, multiple vertically stacked edge exposure modules 273 and multiple vertically stacked pre-cleaning modules 274 may also be arranged between the EFEM 100 and the coating unit 210.

[0060] Figure 23a illustrates the method of transferring the substrate in the coating and developing equipment before exposure processing in Embodiment 5. The EFEM robot R10 feeds the substrate to be processed into the first buffer section 241. The fifth side robot R5 removes the substrate from the first buffer section 241 and feeds it into the adhesion-enhancing module 271. The substrate after adhesion-enhancing processing is then transferred to the pre-cooling module 272. The coating robot R21 removes the substrate from the pre-cooling module 272 and feeds it into the coating unit 210. The substrate undergoes coating and heat treatment in the coating unit 210. Next, the coating robot R21 feeds the substrate after processing in the coating unit 210 back into the first buffer section 241. The fifth side robot R5 removes the substrate from the first buffer section... Unit 241 removes the substrate and sends it to the first moving and transporting unit 231. The substrate is then transported from the first moving and transporting unit 231 to the interface station 300. The sixth side robot R6 removes the substrate from the first moving and transporting unit 231 and sends it to the edge exposure module 273. The substrate after edge exposure is then transported to the pre-cleaning module 274 for pre-cleaning. The pre-cleaned substrate is then moved to the third buffer unit 261 or the post-cooling module 275. The interface robot R30 removes the substrate from the third buffer unit 261 or the post-cooling module 275 and sends it to the exposure machine for exposure processing.

[0061] Figure 23b illustrates the method of transferring the substrate after exposure processing in the coating and developing equipment according to Embodiment 5. The interface robot R30 receives the substrate after exposure processing from the exposure machine and sends it into the third buffer section 262. The fourth side robot R4 removes the substrate from the third buffer section 262 and sends it to the post-exposure cleaning module 276 for post-exposure cleaning. The cleaned substrate is then transferred back to the third buffer section 262. The developing robot R22 removes the substrate from the third buffer section 262 and sends it into the developing unit 220. The substrate undergoes developing and heat treatment in the developing unit 220. Next, the developing robot R22 sends the substrate, after processing in the developing unit 220, back to the third buffer section 262. The fourth side robot R4 removes the substrate from the third buffer section 262 and transfers it into the second moving transport section 232. The second moving transport section 232 then transfers the substrate to the EFEM. 100. The third side robot R3 moves the substrate out of the second moving and transferring section 232 and sends it into the first buffer section 242. Then, the EFEM robot R10 takes it out of the first buffer section 242 and sends it into the wafer cassette 120 located at the loading port 110.

[0062] Similarly, the first temporary storage unit 281 and the second temporary storage unit 282 can also be applied to Embodiment 5.

[0063] Example 6 Figure 24 shows a longitudinal cross-sectional schematic diagram of the coating and developing apparatus of Embodiment Six. The difference between Embodiment Six and Embodiment Five is that: 1) the coating unit 210 has two rows of vertically stacked coating modules 211, each row having five coating modules 211; the developing unit 220 has two rows of vertically stacked developing modules 221, each row having five developing modules 221; 2) the coating and developing apparatus also integrates a photoresist tank 280 and a photoresist pump (not shown). The photoresist tank 280 stores photoresist, and the photoresist tank 280 supplies photoresist to the coating modules 211 via the photoresist pump. The photoresist tank 280 is located on one side of the transport direction of the moving transport unit (231, 232), and the photoresist pump is located between EFEM 100 and the coating unit 210 (not shown). Other structures and component numbers of the coating and developing apparatus proposed in Embodiment Six are basically the same as in Embodiment Five, and will not be described further below.

[0064] The functional modules in Embodiment 6 are not shown in Figure 24. The specific layout and function of each functional module in Embodiment 6 can be found in Embodiment 5.

[0065] In other embodiments, the photoresist tank and photoresist pump may also be arranged outside the coating and developing equipment, for example, stored in an external cabinet.

[0066] The coating and developing equipment and its substrate transfer method proposed in this invention adopt a vertical layout for the coating module and the developing module, with completely independent coating and developing process atmospheres. This makes it easier to control the cleanliness of the environment and reduce the risk of substrate particle contamination. At the same time, through the cooperation of the lateral moving transfer unit and the vertical moving side robot, it is specifically used to transport the substrates that have been processed in the coating or developing unit to the interface station or the front module of the equipment, thereby improving the operating efficiency of the robot in the coating or developing unit and thus improving the overall operating efficiency of the equipment.

[0067] The above embodiments are merely illustrative of the principles and effects of the present invention and are not intended to limit the invention. Anyone skilled in the art can modify or alter the above embodiments without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Therefore, all equivalent modifications or alterations made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and technical concept disclosed in the present invention should still be covered by the scope of the patent application of the present invention.

[0068] 100: Equipment front-end module 110: Loading Port 120: Wafer Box 200: Process Station 210: Coating Unit 211: Coating Module 212: Heat treatment module 220: Development Unit 221: Developing Module 222: Heat treatment module 230: Mobile Transmission Department 231: First Mobile Transmission Unit 232: Second Mobile Transmission Unit 241, 242: First Cache Section 251, 252: Second Cache Section 261, 262: Third Cache Section 271: Adhesion-enhancing module 272: Front cooling module 273: Edge Exposure Module 274: Pre-cleaning module 275: Aftercooling Module 276: Post-cleaning module 280: Photoresist container 281: First Temporary Storage Department 282: Second Temporary Storage Department 300: Interface Station C1, C2, C3: Coating Module D1, D2, D3: Developing modules R0: Side-mounted robotic arm R1: First Side Mechanical Arm R2: Second Side Mechanical Arm R3: Third Side Mechanical Arm R4: Fourth Side Mechanical Arm R5: Fifth Side Mechanical Arm R6: Sixth Side Mechanical Arm R10: EFEM robotic arm R21: Coating Robot R22: Developing Robot R30: Interface Robotic Arm

Claims

1. A coating and developing apparatus, comprising a front-end module, a process station, and an interface station connected in sequence, wherein, The process station includes: a coating unit comprising at least one column of vertically stacked coating modules for coating a substrate; a developing unit comprising at least one column of vertically stacked developing modules for developing a substrate, wherein the coating unit and the developing unit are arranged in a straight line; at least one laterally moving transfer unit; and at least one vertically moving side robot; wherein after the coating unit completes processing, the substrate is moved into the transfer unit by the at least one side robot and then transferred to the interface station by the transfer unit; after the developing unit completes processing, the substrate is moved into the transfer unit by the at least one side robot and then transferred to the front-end module of the equipment by the transfer unit.

2. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The coating unit also includes at least one vertically stacked heat treatment module located opposite the coating module, for heating and cooling the substrate before and after coating; the developing unit also includes at least one vertically stacked heat treatment module located opposite the developing module, for heating and cooling the substrate before and after developing.

3. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The at least one moving transport unit is located at the top or bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit.

4. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein, The coating unit further includes at least one coating robot for transferring the substrate between the coating module and the heat treatment module of the coating unit; the developing unit further includes at least one developing robot for transferring the substrate between the developing module and the heat treatment module of the developing unit.

5. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein, The at least one movable transport unit is located between the top and bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit.

6. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 5, wherein, The coating unit includes at least one coating robot disposed on the upper and lower sides of a movable transfer section located between the top and bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit, for transferring a substrate between the coating module and the heat treatment module of the coating unit; the developing unit includes at least one developing robot disposed on the upper and lower sides of a movable transfer section located between the top and bottom of the coating unit and the developing unit, for transferring a substrate between the developing module and the heat treatment module of the developing unit.

7. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, At least one of the side-mounted robotic arms is disposed between the coating unit and the developing unit for moving the substrate after processing in the coating unit into the moving transport unit, or for moving the substrate after processing in the developing unit into the moving transport unit.

8. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The process station includes at least two of the aforementioned side robots, at least one of which is configured between the coating unit and the front-end module of the equipment, for moving a substrate after processing in the coating unit into the transfer unit, or moving a substrate after processing in the developing unit out of the transfer unit; and at least one of the aforementioned side robots is configured between the developing unit and the interface station, for moving a substrate after processing in the developing unit into the transfer unit, or moving a substrate after processing in the coating unit out of the transfer unit.

9. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The process station includes at least three of the aforementioned side robots. At least one of the aforementioned three side robots is configured between the coating unit and the front-end module of the equipment for removing the substrate from the moving transport unit after processing in the developing unit. At least one of the aforementioned three side robots is configured between the coating unit and the developing unit for moving the substrate into the moving transport unit after processing in the coating unit, or moving the substrate into the moving transport unit after processing in the developing unit. At least one of the aforementioned three side robots is configured between the developing unit and the interface station for removing the substrate from the moving transport unit after processing in the coating unit.

10. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The equipment front-end module includes an equipment front-end robot, which removes the substrate from the moving and transporting unit after it has been processed in the developing unit; the interface station includes an interface robot, which removes the substrate from the moving and transporting unit after it has been processed in the coating unit.

11. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The process station also includes: multiple vertically stacked adhesion-enhancing modules for forming an adhesion-enhancing film on the substrate surface; and multiple vertically stacked pre-cooling modules for cooling the substrate after adhesion-enhancing treatment; wherein the multiple adhesion-enhancing modules and the multiple pre-cooling modules are located between the coating unit and the equipment front-end module; before the substrate is fed into the coating unit for processing, at least one side robot transfers the substrate to the adhesion-enhancing module, and then transfers the substrate after adhesion-enhancing treatment to the pre-cooling module.

12. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The process station also includes: multiple vertically stacked edge exposure modules for edge exposure processing of the substrate after it has been processed in the coating unit; multiple edge exposure modules are located between the coating unit and the developing unit, or between the coating unit and the front-end module, or between the developing unit and the interface station; at least one side robot will transfer the substrate to the edge exposure module for edge exposure processing before the substrate after it has been processed in the coating unit is sent to the interface station.

13. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein, The process station also includes: multiple vertically stacked pre-cleaning modules for cleaning the substrate after edge exposure; wherein the multiple pre-cleaning modules are located between the coating unit and the developing unit, or between the coating unit and the front-end module, or between the developing unit and the interface station; at least one side robot transfers the substrate to the pre-cleaning module for cleaning before the substrate after edge exposure is fed into the interface station.

14. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein, The process station also includes: multiple vertically stacked post-cooling modules for cooling the pre-cleaned substrate; wherein the multiple post-cooling modules are located between the developing unit and the interface station; and at least one side robot transfers the substrate to the post-cooling modules for cooling before the pre-cleaned substrate is fed into the interface station.

15. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The process station also includes: multiple vertically stacked post-cleaning modules for post-cleaning the substrate after immersion exposure and before it is fed into the developing unit; wherein the multiple post-cleaning modules are located between the developing unit and the interface station; at least one side robot conveys the exposed substrate to the post-cleaning module for cleaning, and then conveys the post-cleaned substrate to the developing unit for further processing.

16. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The process station also includes: a first temporary storage unit for temporarily storing the substrate after the coating unit has completed processing, in preparation for entering the exposure machine for exposure processing; and a second temporary storage unit for temporarily storing the substrate after the exposure processing has been completed, in preparation for entering the developing unit for processing; wherein the first temporary storage unit and the second temporary storage unit are located between the developing unit and the interface station.

17. The coating and developing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, The process station also includes: a photoresist pump, located between the front-end module and the coating unit; and a photoresist tank, located on one side of the moving and transporting unit, for storing photoresist and supplying it to the coating module via the photoresist pump.

18. A substrate transfer method for a coating and developing apparatus, employing the coating and developing apparatus described in claim 1, wherein, A front-end robot arm is installed in the front-end module of the equipment. This robot arm removes the substrate from the front-end module and transfers it to the process station. A coating robot arm is installed in the coating unit of the process station. The coating robot arm feeds the substrate into the coating unit, where it undergoes coating and heat treatment. The coating robot arm removes the substrate from the coating unit after processing. A side robot arm moves the substrate from the coating unit into a transfer unit. The transfer unit then transfers the substrate from the coating unit to the interface station. An interface robot arm is installed in the interface station. This interface robot arm moves the substrate from the transfer unit into the interface station after processing, or vice versa. The interface robot arm then moves the substrate from the transfer unit into the interface station after processing, or vice versa. The interface robot arm removes the exposed substrate from the interface station and transfers it to the process station. A developing robot arm is installed in the developing unit of the process station. The substrate undergoes developing and heat treatment in the developing unit. After processing in the developing unit, the substrate is removed from the developing unit by the developing robot; the side robot moves the substrate removed from the developing unit into the moving transport unit; the moving transport unit transfers the substrate after processing in the developing unit to the front-end module of the equipment; the front-end robot moves the substrate after processing in the developing unit from the moving transport unit into the front-end module of the equipment, or the other side robot moves the substrate after processing in the developing unit from the moving transport unit, and then the front-end robot moves the substrate into the front-end module of the equipment.

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