Substrate Processing Apparatus, Substrate Processing Method, and Storage Medium

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a storage medium. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a first loading port (2A, 2B) and a second loading port (2C, 2D), the first loading port (2A, 2B) and the second loading port (2C, 2D) are respectively arranged on one side and the other side in the left-right direction in a manner of respectively placing a transfer container for accommodating a substrate; a processing unit (D2) for processing the substrate; an inspection component (4) for inspecting the substrate before or after being processed by the processing unit (D2); and a substrate transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate to the processing unit (D2), the transfer container placed on the loading port, and the inspection component (4).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology in a substrate processing apparatus including an inspection unit for inspecting a substrate. Background Art

[0002] In a lithography method in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, a resist film is formed by coating a resist on a surface of a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) as a substrate, and a resist pattern is formed by performing a development process after exposing the resist film. In a coating / development apparatus for forming and developing such a resist film, an inspection unit for inspecting a surface state of the wafer before or after each process in the coating / development apparatus may be provided.

[0003] However, due to the provision of this inspection unit, there is a risk that the space in the apparatus where components for processing the wafer can be provided is reduced. That is, due to space reasons, it is sometimes difficult to provide or add an inspection unit in the coating / development apparatus. Also, for example, the inspection unit is sometimes regularly maintained so that the inspection unit performs high-precision inspection, and thus the inspection unit sometimes needs to be provided in a manner that allows easy maintenance. Therefore, a technology that can provide the inspection unit in the apparatus in a manner that solves these problems is sought.

[0004] In addition, Patent Document 1 discloses a coating / development apparatus including: a carrier block having a loading port for loading a carrier for accommodating a wafer; a processing block having a plurality of processing components for processing the wafer; and an interface component for connecting the processing block to an exposure apparatus, wherein an inspection unit is provided in a lateral direction of the carrier block. However, according to the structure of this apparatus, due to the inspection unit, the package of the apparatus becomes larger, and a wafer transfer mechanism provided in the carrier block transfers the wafer to each processing block and the inspection unit, so the load on this transfer mechanism becomes larger, and there is a possibility that the productivity of the apparatus becomes lower. Therefore, it is also sought to prevent a decrease in productivity and an increase in the package of the apparatus due to the provision of the above-described inspection unit.

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-151878 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a technology that achieves high productivity in a substrate processing apparatus including an inspection unit for inspecting a substrate.

[0008] Solutions for Solving the Problems

[0009] The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a first loading port and a second loading port, which are respectively arranged on one side and the other side in the left-right direction in a manner of respectively placing transfer containers for accommodating substrates; a processing unit that processes the substrate; an inspection component that inspects the substrate before or after being processed by the processing unit; and a substrate transfer mechanism that transfers the substrate to the processing unit, the transfer container placed on the loading port, and the inspection component.

[0010] Alternatively, in the above substrate processing apparatus, the inspection component is arranged between the first loading port and the second loading port in the left-right direction, and the substrate transfer mechanism comprises: a first substrate transfer mechanism arranged on one side in the left-right direction of the inspection component, which transfers the substrate to the processing unit and the transfer container placed on the first loading port respectively; a second substrate transfer mechanism arranged on the other side in the left-right direction of the inspection component, which transfers the substrate to the inspection component and the transfer container placed on the second loading port respectively; and a transfer portion that transfers the substrate between the first substrate transfer mechanism and the second substrate transfer mechanism.

[0011] The substrate processing method of the present invention is characterized by including the following steps: respectively placing transfer containers for accommodating substrates on a first loading port and a second loading port that are respectively arranged on one side and the other side in the left-right direction; processing the substrate by using a processing unit; before or after being processed by the processing unit, inspecting the substrate by using an inspection component arranged between the first loading port and the second loading port in the left-right direction; transferring the substrate to the processing unit and the transfer container placed on the first loading port respectively by using a first substrate transfer mechanism arranged on one side in the left-right direction of the inspection component; transferring the substrate to the inspection component and the transfer container placed on the second loading port respectively by using a second substrate transfer mechanism arranged on the other side in the left-right direction of the inspection component; and transferring the substrate between the first substrate transfer mechanism and the second substrate transfer mechanism by means of a transfer portion.

[0012] A storage medium stores a computer program used in a substrate processing apparatus, and the storage medium is characterized in that the program is programmed with steps to execute the substrate processing method of the present invention.

[0013] Effects of the Invention

[0014] In the present invention, an inspection component is provided between a first loading port and a second loading port arranged in the left - right direction. Moreover, on one side in the left - right direction of the inspection component, a first substrate transfer mechanism for respectively transferring substrates between the processing unit of the substrate and the transfer container at the first loading port is provided, and on the other side in the left - right direction of the inspection component, a second substrate transfer mechanism for respectively transferring substrates between the inspection component and the transfer container placed at the second loading port is provided, and substrates are transferred between the respective substrate transfer mechanisms by means of a transfer portion. According to such a structure, it is possible to prevent the load of one substrate transfer mechanism from becoming too large, and thus it is possible to suppress a decrease in the productivity of the device. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0015] Figure 1 FIG. is a cross - sectional top view of a coating and developing apparatus as an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 2 FIG. is a longitudinal cross - sectional side view of the coating and developing apparatus.

[0017] Figure 3 FIG. is a front view of a carrier block constituting the coating and developing apparatus.

[0018] Figure 4 FIG. is a perspective view of the carrier block.

[0019] Figure 5 FIG. is a schematic perspective view of a door of a loading port provided in the carrier block.

[0020] Figure 6 FIG. is a longitudinal cross - sectional side view of an inspection component provided in the carrier block.

[0021] Figure 7 FIG. is a schematic top view of the inspection component.

[0022] Figure 8 FIG. is a longitudinal cross - sectional front view of the carrier block.

[0023] Figure 9 FIG. is an explanatory diagram showing a transfer path of a wafer in the carrier block.

[0024] Figure 10 FIG. is an explanatory diagram showing a transfer path of a wafer in the carrier block.

[0025] Figure 11 FIG. is an explanatory diagram showing a transfer path of a wafer in the carrier block.

[0026] Figure 12 FIG. is an explanatory diagram showing a transfer path of a wafer in the carrier block.

[0027] Figure 13 FIG. is a front view showing other structures of the carrier block.

[0028] Figure 14 It is a front view showing other structures of the carrier block.

[0029] Figure 15 It is a front view showing other structures of the carrier block.

[0030] Figure 16 It is a longitudinal sectional side view showing other structures of the carrier block.

[0031] Figure 17 It is a front view showing other structures of the carrier block.

[0032] Explanation of Reference Signs

[0033] C: Carrier; D1: Carrier block; D2: Processing unit; 1: Coating and developing apparatus; 2A - 2D: Loading ports; 21: Transfer port; 23: Moving stage; 24: Lift gate; 25: Rotating gate; 4: Inspection component; 5A, 5B: Transfer mechanisms; 5: Buffer component. Detailed implementation manners

[0034] [First implementation manner]

[0035] Refer to respectively Figure 1 the cross-sectional top view of Figure 2 the longitudinal sectional side view of

[0036] to describe the coating and developing apparatus 1 related to the first implementation manner of the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention. The carrier block D1, the processing block D2, and the interface block D3 are linearly connected in the lateral direction in the described order to form the coating and developing apparatus 1. The interface block D3 is connected to the exposure machine D4.

[0037] The wafer W is transported in the order of the carrier C → carrier block D1 → processing block D2 → interface block D3 → exposure machine D4 → interface block D3 → processing block D2 → carrier block D1 → carrier C and undergoes processing. In this transportation, the wafer W is transported to the inspection component 4 provided on the carrier block D1 before being carried into the processing block D2 or after being carried out from the processing block D2 to inspect the state of the surface of the wafer W. Specifically, for example, it is inspected whether there are foreign objects and whether the size of the pattern is abnormal. Thereafter, the inspection performed before carrying into the processing block D2 is recorded as the pre-processing inspection, and the inspection performed after being carried out from the processing block D2 is recorded as the post-processing inspection.

[0038] Next, with reference also to Figure 3 the front view of Figure 4 and the perspective view of Figure 4 the carrier block D1 will be described. In addition, in order to show each part of the front surface of the carrier block D1 in Figure 4 , the carrier block D1 is divided into upper and lower parts for illustration. In addition, in the following description, the side of the carrier block D1 is set as the front side, and the side of the interface block D3 is set as the rear side for description. As long as the left and right sides in the description are not specifically described, they are the left and right sides when observing from the front to the rear.

[0039] The carrier block D1 includes a rectangular housing 11, and the side walls of the housing 11 are formed vertically. Three portions separated from each other in the vertical direction protrude forward from the front wall 12 which is one of the side walls to form a three-layer rack. The lower layer of the three-layer rack is set as the support table 13, the middle layer is set as the support table 14, and the upper layer is set as the support table 15. In addition, the lower end portion of the support table 13 further protrudes forward to form the support table 16. These support tables 13 to 16 are horizontally formed so as to be able to support the carrier C on the table.

[0040] In the front wall 12 of the housing 11, between the support table 13 and the support table 14, the transfer ports 21 of the wafer W, the transfer ports 21 of the wafer W, the opening 22 for setting the inspection component, and the transfer ports 21 of the wafer W are provided separately from each other and arranged in a row in the order described from left to right. The above-mentioned opening 22 is a flat rectangle, and two are provided separately from each other in the vertical direction. In the support table 13, a movable mounting table 23 for mounting the carrier C is provided in front of each transfer port 21. The movable mounting table 23 moves back and forth between a front position where the carrier C is handed over with respect to the movable mounting table 23 and a rear position where the wafer W is handed over between the carrier C and the inside of the housing 11 via the transfer port 21.

[0041] At each of the above-described transfer ports 21, a lift gate 24 is provided. On the front surface of the lift gate 24, a holding mechanism (not shown) for holding the lid of the carrier C is provided, and it is configured to be able to perform the handover of the lid with respect to the container body constituting the carrier C on the moving placement table 23 in the rear position. In addition, the lift gate 24 moves between a closed position closing the transfer port 21 and an open position that retreats and descends from this closed position to open the transfer port 21. Thus, the lift gate 24 opens and closes the transfer port 21 and the lid of the carrier C. In addition, in Figure 2 , Figure 3 , the above-described open position is indicated by a single-dot chain line. Thus, if a device having a placement table for placing a transfer container for accommodating the wafer W, a transfer port for loading and unloading the wafer W with respect to the transfer container placed on the placement table, and a door for opening and closing the transfer port and the lid of the transfer container is used as a load port, then three load ports are provided on the support table 13. In each drawing, in order to distinguish the three load ports from each other, they are sequentially represented as 2A, 2B, and 2C from left to right.

[0042] Between the front wall 12 and the support tables 14 and 15, an opening of a transfer port 21 for one wafer W is formed vertically above the transfer port 21 of the above-described load port 2C. In the support table 14, the above-described moving placement table 23 is provided in front of the transfer port 21 thus provided between the support tables 14 and 15, and in addition, a rotary gate 25 is provided at the transfer port 21. Figure 5 is a perspective view of the rotary gate 25, Figure 5 in which 26 is an arm, and one end of the arm is connected to the edge portion of the rotary gate 25. Figure 5 in which 27 is a rotation mechanism connected to the other end of the arm 26. When viewed in the front-rear direction, the rotation mechanism 27 rotates the rotary gate 25 around a horizontal rotation axis R1 located below the transfer port 21 and extending in the front-rear direction. In addition, Figure 5 in which 28 is a front-rear movement mechanism for moving the rotary gate 25 together with the rotation mechanism 27 and the arm 26 in the front-rear direction.

[0043] The rotary gate 25 moves between a closed position closing the transfer port 21 and a position that retreats from this closed position and rotates 90°, that is, an open position opening the transfer port 21, by the front-rear movement mechanism 28 and the rotation mechanism 27. In Figure 2 , Figure 3 , this open position is indicated by a single-dot chain line, as Figure 3As shown, when viewed in the front-rear direction, the rotary door 25 in the open position is laterally offset from the transfer port 21 and is located above the opening 22. In addition, similar to the front surface of the lift door 24, a holding mechanism (not shown) for holding the lid of the carrier C is provided on the front surface of the rotary door 25, and the lid is exchanged with the container body placed on the movable mounting table 23 at the rear position of the support table 14. That is, the rotary door 25 also opens and closes the transfer port 21 and the lid of the carrier C. Therefore, the rotary door 25, the transfer port 21 opened and closed by the rotary door 25, and the movable mounting table 23 on the support table 14 also constitute a loading port, which is shown as 2D in the figure.

[0044] In addition, on the support table 14 and to the left of the above-mentioned loading port 2D, three standby mounting tables 29 for placing the carrier C are respectively provided at intervals and arranged in a row in the left-right direction. When viewed in the front-rear direction, the standby mounting tables 29 of the support table 14 are respectively provided directly above the opening 22, directly above the movable mounting table 23 of the loading port 2A, and directly above the movable mounting table 23 of the loading port 2B. Next, the support tables 15 and 16 will be described. On the support table 15, a loading-in mounting table 31, standby mounting tables 29, standby mounting tables 29, and a loading-out mounting table 32 for placing the carrier C are respectively provided at intervals and arranged in a row in the order described from left to right. When viewed in the front-rear direction, the loading-out mounting table 31 and the standby mounting tables 29 provided on the support table 15 are respectively located directly above the standby mounting tables 29 of the support table 14, and the loading-in mounting table 31 is located directly above the movable mounting table 23 of the support table 14. At a position, for example, to the right of the center in the left-right direction of the support table 16, two standby mounting tables 29 are arranged in a row in the left-right direction. However, the standby mounting tables 29 may also be provided at a position to the left of the center in the left-right direction.

[0045] The carrier transfer mechanism 3 described below is used to transfer the carrier C among the loading stage 31 for loading, the unloading stage 32 for unloading, and the standby stage 29. The loading stage 31 is a stage for placing the carrier C so that the carrier C can be loaded into the carrier block D1 by an external transfer mechanism (not shown). The external transfer mechanism receives the carrier C placed on the unloading stage 32 and unloads the carrier C from the carrier block D1. In addition, each standby stage 29 is a stage for making the carrier C standby before loading the wafer W into the device and for making the empty carrier C standby after loading the wafer W into the device. Therefore, the carrier C is transferred in the order of the loading stage 31 → the standby stage 29 → the moving stage 23 of any one of the loading ports 2A to 2D, and the wafer W is delivered to the moving stage 23. After that, the carrier C is transferred in the order of the standby stage 29 → the moving stage 23 of any one of the loading ports 2A to 2D, and the wafer W is received from the moving stage 23. After that, the carrier C is transferred in the order of the standby stage 29 → the unloading stage 32.

[0046] In addition, the standby stage 29 will be further described. As described above, the loading port 2D is provided at the right end of the support table 14, so the number of standby stages 29 that can be provided on the support table 14 is limited. However, in addition to the standby stages 29 provided on the support tables 14 and 15, the standby stages 29 are also provided on the support table 16 below the loading ports 2A to 2D. Therefore, a sufficient number of carriers C can be loaded into the carrier block D1. Thus, high productivity can be ensured.

[0047] The above-mentioned carrier transfer mechanism 3 will be described. The carrier transfer mechanism 3 is provided on the front side of the front wall 12 of the carrier block D1 and includes an articulated arm 33 capable of holding the held portion provided on the upper part of the carrier C, a lifting mechanism 34 for lifting the articulated arm 33, and a left-right moving mechanism 35 for moving the lifting mechanism 34 left and right, and transfers the carrier C along the above-mentioned path.

[0048] Two inspection components 4 for inspecting the wafer W are provided in the carrier block D1. Also refer to Figure 6 The longitudinal sectional side view of is used to illustrate the inspection component 4. The inspection component 4 includes, for example, a flat rectangular housing 41 that is long in the front-rear direction. The housing 41 is inserted into the housing 11 from the outside of the housing 11 through the above-mentioned opening 22, and thus is provided in the carrier block D1. Since the openings 22 are vertically arranged in the up-down direction, the inspection components 4 are also vertically arranged in the up-down direction. Transfer ports 42 for the wafer W are respectively formed on the side walls in the left-right direction at the rear of the housing 41, and the transfer ports 42 open toward the inside of the housing 11. The front side of the housing 41 protrudes from the front wall 12 of the housing 11.

[0049] Inside the housing 41, a placement portion 43 is provided. The placement portion 43 adsorbs the central portion on the back side of the wafer W and holds the wafer W horizontally. Inside the housing 41, the placement portion 43 can move between a standby position on the rear side and an imaging end position on the front side. In Figure 6 , the standby position is indicated by a solid line, and the imaging end position is indicated by a one-dot chain line. In addition, in Figure 1 , the placement portion 43 in the standby position is shown. The standby position is a position facing the above-mentioned transfer port 42. The forks 56 of the transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B described later that enter the housing 41 through the transfer port 42 are lifted and lowered, whereby the wafer W is transferred between the transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B and the placement portion 43. In addition, instead of lifting and lowering the forks 56, pins that can freely move up and down may be provided inside the housing 41, and the wafer W is transferred between the transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B and the placement portion 43 in the standby position using these pins. In the figure, 44 is a moving mechanism for moving the placement portion 43 back and forth.

[0050] Inside the housing 41 and above the movement path of the wafer W based on the placement portion 43, a horizontally long semi-transmissive semi-reflective mirror 45 that extends in the left-right direction inside the housing 41 is provided. When viewed from the side, the semi-transmissive semi-reflective mirror 45 is provided obliquely with respect to the movement direction of the wafer W. In addition, above the semi-transmissive semi-reflective mirror 45, an illumination 46 that irradiates light downward through the semi-transmissive semi-reflective mirror 45 is provided. A camera 47 is provided on the far side of the semi-transmissive semi-reflective mirror 45. The irradiation light from the illumination 46 passes through the semi-transmissive semi-reflective mirror 45 and reaches the irradiation area below the semi-transmissive semi-reflective mirror 45. Moreover, the reflected light of the object in the irradiation area is reflected by the semi-transmissive semi-reflective mirror 45 and then taken into the camera 47. That is, the camera 47 can photograph the object in the imaging area located below the semi-transmissive semi-reflective mirror 45.

[0051] During the period when the placement portion 43 that has received the wafer W from the transfer mechanism 5A or 5B at the standby position moves toward the imaging end position, the camera 47 intermittently performs imaging, thereby photographing the entire surface of the wafer W to obtain image data. The image data is sent from the camera 47 to the control unit 10 described later, and the control unit 10 checks the surface of the wafer W based on the image data. In addition, the placement portion 43 that has moved to the imaging end position returns to the standby position to transfer the wafer W to the transfer mechanism 5A or 5B.

[0052] In addition, the inspection assembly 4 is configured to be detachable from the carrier block D1. For example Figure 7As shown, a guide rail 48 extending along the opening direction of the opening portion 22 is provided at the edge of the opening portion 22 of the carrier block D1 as an engaging portion facing the inside of the housing 11. On the other hand, a groove 49 extending from the rear end to the front of the housing 41 of the inspection assembly 4 is provided as an engaged portion on the housing 41 of the inspection assembly 4. When the rear portion of the housing 41 of the inspection assembly 4 is inserted into the housing 11 of the carrier block D1 as described above to mount the inspection assembly 4 on the carrier block D1, as shown in the upper part of Figure 7 the groove 49 engages with the guide rail 48.

[0053] For example, the operator pulls the front portion of the inspection assembly 4 protruding from the opening portion 22 forward, thereby pulling the rear portion of the housing 41 out of the housing 11 along the guide rail 48. As shown in the lower part of Figure 7 the groove 49 disengages from the guide rail 48, and the inspection assembly 4 is detached from the carrier block D1. When mounting the inspection assembly 4 on the housing 41, the operation opposite to that during detachment is performed. By making the inspection assembly 4 detachable and attachable with respect to the carrier block D1 in this way, for example, maintenance of the inspection assembly 4 such as replacement of the illumination 46 can be easily performed. In addition, in Figure 7 other figures, the representation of the guide rail 48 and the groove 49 is omitted.

[0054] Next, the structure inside the housing 11 will also be described with reference to the longitudinal sectional front view of the carrier block D1 in Figure 8 A buffer assembly 51 is provided inside the housing 11. The buffer assembly 51 is configured to place a plurality of wafers W at intervals in the vertical direction. For example, a plurality of groups each composed of three pins for supporting the back surface of the wafer W are provided in the vertical direction, thereby constituting the buffer assembly 51. In addition, as the buffer assembly 51, it is not limited to such a structure with pins. For example, it can also be configured to support the peripheral portion of the wafer W in a bowl shape to guide the peripheral portion of the wafer W to make the wafer W fall into a specified position. The buffer assembly 51 is provided above the inspection assembly 4 so as to overlap the standby position of the placement portion 43 of the inspection assembly 4 when viewed from above. The buffer assembly 51 constitutes a standby portion for placing subsequent wafers W so that the wafers W can standby before the inspection assembly 4 becomes available (i.e., the wafers W previously inspected by the inspection assembly 4 are carried out) and subsequent wafers W can be carried into the inspection assembly 4.

[0055] A transfer mechanism 5A is provided on the left side of the buffer assembly 51 and the inspection assembly 4, and a transfer mechanism 5B is provided on the right side. The transfer mechanism 5A includes an erected frame 52, a left-right movement mechanism 53 for moving the frame 52 left and right, a lift table 54 provided on the frame 52 so as to be vertically movable, a base 55 rotatable about a vertical axis on the lift table 54, and a fork 56 that is retractable on the base 55 and supports the back surface of the wafer W. In addition, the area where the above-mentioned frame 52 moves through the left-right movement mechanism 53 is restricted to the left side of the buffer assembly 51 and the inspection assembly 4.

[0056] The transfer mechanism 5A, which is the first substrate transfer mechanism, can transfer the wafer W between the carriers C placed on the loading ports 2A and 2B that are the first loading ports, the placement section 43 at the standby position of the inspection assembly 4, the buffer assembly 51, and the transfer assembly of the tower T1 described later through the cooperation of the above-mentioned various parts that make up the transfer mechanism 5A. In addition, Figure 1 57 in is the transfer path of the wafer W provided on the rear side of the housing 11 to transfer the wafer W to the tower T1 as described above. Regarding the transfer mechanism 5B, which is the second substrate transfer mechanism, it is configured in the same manner as the transfer mechanism 5A except that the left-right movement mechanism 53 is not provided. The transfer mechanism 5B can transfer the wafer W between the carriers C placed on the loading ports 2C and 2D that are the second loading ports, the placement section 43 at the standby position of the inspection assembly 4, and the buffer assembly 51 through the cooperation of the various parts that make up the transfer mechanism 5B. In this way, both the transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B can transfer the wafer W to the placement section 43 of the buffer assembly 51 and the inspection assembly 4, and the buffer assembly 51 and the placement section 43 also serve as transfer sections for placing the wafer W to transfer the wafer W between these transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B.

[0057] Next, use Figure 1 、 Figure 2 The processing block D2 will be described. The processing block D2 is composed of the first unit block E1 to the sixth unit block E6 for performing liquid processing on the wafer W stacked in order from bottom to top. E1 and E2 are identical unit blocks to each other, E3 and E4 are identical unit blocks to each other, and E5 and E6 are identical unit blocks to each other. The wafer W is transferred to one of the two identical unit blocks. Here, the unit block E3 shown in Figure 1 will be described as a representative of the unit blocks. A transfer area 61 for the wafer W is formed to extend in the front-rear direction. On the right side of the transfer area 61, two resist film forming assemblies 62 for coating the surface of the wafer W with a resist as a liquid medicine to form a resist film are arranged in the front-rear direction. On the left side of the transfer area 61, a plurality of heating assemblies 63 for heating the wafer W are provided along the transfer area 61 in the front-rear direction. In addition, a transfer mechanism F3 for transferring the wafer W within the unit block E3 is provided in the above-mentioned transfer area 61.

[0058] Explain the differences between the unit blocks E1, E2, E5, E6 and the unit blocks E3, E4. The unit blocks E1 and E2 are equipped with an anti-reflection film forming component to replace the resist film forming component 62. The anti-reflection film forming component coats a liquid medicine for forming an anti-reflection film instead of coating a resist to form an anti-reflection film on the wafer W. The unit blocks E5 and E6 are equipped with a developing component to replace the resist film forming component 62. The developing component supplies a developing solution to the wafer W as the liquid medicine. In this way, the types of the liquid medicine in the components that supply the liquid medicine are different. Except for this, the unit blocks E1 to E6 are configured to be the same as each other. In addition, in Figure 2 Regarding the transfer mechanisms corresponding to the transfer mechanism F3 of each of the unit blocks E1, E2, E4 to E6, F1, F2, F4 to F6 are shown.

[0059] On the carrier block D1 side in the processing block D2, there is provided a tower T1 including a plurality of transfer components that extend in the vertical direction so as to straddle each of the unit blocks E1 to E6 and are stacked on each other, and a transfer mechanism 64 for transferring the wafer W between the components constituting the tower T1. In the tower T1, for example, at each height position where the unit blocks E1 to E6 are provided, there are provided transfer components TRS1 to TRS6 for placing the wafer W. In addition, in order to transfer the wafer W to and from the transfer mechanism 5A as described above, a transfer component for placing the wafer W is provided in the tower T1, and this transfer component is set as TRS0 and TRS10.

[0060] The interface block D3 includes towers T2, T3, and T4 that extend in the vertical direction so as to straddle the unit blocks E1 to E6, and is provided with a transfer mechanism 65 for transferring the wafer W between the towers T2 and T3, a transfer mechanism 66 for transferring the wafer W between the towers T2 and T4, and a transfer mechanism 67 for transferring the wafer W between the tower T2 and the exposure machine D4. The tower T2 is formed by stacking transfer components TRS for transferring the wafer W to and from each unit block. Components are also provided in the towers T3 and T4, but the description of these components is omitted.

[0061] As Figure 1 shown, a control unit 10 including a computer is provided in the coating and developing apparatus 1. The control unit 10 has a program storage unit (not shown) that stores a program. The control unit 10 outputs control signals to each part of the coating and developing apparatus 1 to control the transfer of the wafer W by each transfer mechanism, the transfer of the carrier C by the carrier transfer mechanism 3, and the processing of the wafer in each component, and commands are incorporated into the above program to form and inspect a resist pattern on the wafer W as described later. This program is stored in the program storage unit, for example, in a state stored in a storage medium such as a hard disk, an optical disk, a DVD, or a memory card.

[0062] Next, with reference to Figure 9 and Figure 10 , the transfer path of the wafer W in the carrier block D1 when forming the above-mentioned resist pattern and performing the pre-processing inspection will be described. In this Figure 9 and Figure 10 and in the following Figure 11 and Figure 12 , for the convenience of illustration, the load ports 2C and 2D are shown arranged horizontally, and the inspection component 4 is shown offset from the buffer component 51.

[0063] In the case of performing a pre-processing inspection, for example, the load ports 2C and 2D are used as load ports for loading the wafer W into the apparatus, and the load ports 2A and 2B are used as load ports for unloading the wafer W from the apparatus. First, the wafer W is transferred from the carriers C placed on the load ports 2C and 2D respectively to the buffer component 51 by the transfer mechanism 5B ( Figure 9 Arrow A1 in

[0064] ). Next, when the wafer W can be transferred to the inspection component 4, the wafer W is loaded into the inspection component 4 by the transfer mechanism 5B ( Figure 9 Arrow A2 in Figure 9 ), and image data of the surface of the wafer W is obtained for inspection. Then, the wafer W is unloaded from the inspection component 4 by the transfer mechanism 5A and transferred to the transfer and receiving component TRS0 of the tower T1 ( Figure 9 Arrow A3 in Figure 10 ). The wafer W transferred to the transfer and receiving component TRS0 is transferred to the processing block D2, the interface block D3, and the exposure machine D4 as described above to form a resist pattern, and then is transferred to the transfer and receiving component TRS10 of the tower T1. Then, the wafer W is transferred to the carrier C of the load port 2A or 2B by the transfer mechanism 5A (

[0065] Arrow A4 in Figure 11 and Figure 12 ). Next, with reference to Figure 11 and

[0066] , the transfer path of the wafer W in the carrier block D1 when forming the above-mentioned resist pattern and performing the post-processing inspection will be described. In the case of performing a post-processing inspection, for example, the load ports 2A and 2B are used as load ports for loading, and the load ports 2C and 2D are used as load ports for unloading. First, the wafer W is transferred from the carriers C placed on the load ports 2A and 2B respectively to the transfer and receiving component TRS0 of the tower T1 by the transfer mechanism 5A ( Figure 11 Arrow B1 in ). The wafer W is transferred to the processing block D2, the interface block D3, and the exposure machine D4 as described above to form a resist pattern, and then is transferred to the transfer and receiving component TRS10 of the tower T1.

[0066] Next, the transfer mechanism 5A is used to transfer the wafer W from the transfer component TRS10 to the buffer component 51 ( Figure 12 arrow B2 in). When the wafer W can be transferred to the inspection component 4, the transfer mechanism 5B is used to transfer the wafer W into the inspection component 4 ( Figure 12 arrow B3 in), and image data of the surface of the wafer W is acquired for inspection. Then, the transfer mechanism 5B is used to transfer the wafer W out of the inspection component 4 and then to the carrier C at the load ports 2C or 2D ( Figure 12 arrow B4 in).

[0067] Through the above-described various transfers of the wafer W, the transfer path of the wafer W from the transfer component TRS0 to the transfer component TRS10 is described. The transfer mechanism 64 distributes and transfers the wafer W transferred to the transfer component TRS0 to the unit blocks E1 and E2. For example, when the wafer W is transferred to the unit block E1, the wafer W is transferred to the transfer component TRS1 (the transfer component that can transfer the wafer W using the transfer mechanism F1) corresponding to the unit block E1 in the transfer component TRS of the tower T1. In addition, when the wafer W is transferred to the unit block E2, the wafer W is transferred to the transfer component TRS2 corresponding to the unit block E2 in the transfer component TRS of the tower T1.

[0068] The wafer W distributed in this way is transferred in the order of TRS1 (TRS2) → antireflection film forming component → heating component 63 → TRS1 (TRS2) using the transfer mechanism F1 (F2), and is distributed to the transfer component TRS3 corresponding to the unit block E3 and the transfer component TRS4 corresponding to the unit block E4 using the transfer mechanism 64. The wafer W distributed to TRS3 and TRS4 in this way is transferred in the order of TRS3 (TRS4) → resist film forming component 62 → heating component 63 → the transfer component TRS31 (TRS41) of the tower T2 using the transfer mechanism F3 (F4). Then, the transfer mechanisms 65 and 67 are used to transfer the wafer W to the exposure machine D4, and the resist film formed on the surface of the wafer W is exposed along a specified pattern.

[0069] The exposed wafer W is transferred between the towers T2 and T4 using the transfer mechanisms 66 and 67, and the exposed wafer W is respectively transferred to the transfer components TRS51 and TRS61 corresponding to the unit blocks E5 and E6 of the tower T2. Then, the wafer W is transferred in the order of heating component 63 → developing component using the transfer mechanisms F5 and F6, the resist film is dissolved along the pattern obtained by exposure by the exposure machine D4 to form a resist pattern, and then the wafer W is transferred to the transfer component TRS10.

[0070] According to the above-described coating and developing apparatus 1, an inspection component 4 is provided between the loading ports 2A and 2B disposed on the left side of the carrier block D1 and the loading ports 2C and 2D disposed on the right side of the carrier block D1. Moreover, the transfer mechanism 5A disposed on the left side of the inspection component 4 exchanges the carrier C and the processing block D2 respectively placed on the loading ports 2A and 2B, and the transfer mechanism 5B disposed on the right side of the inspection component 4 exchanges the carrier C respectively placed on the loading ports 2C and 2D, and the wafer W is exchanged between the transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B via the inspection component 4 or the buffer component 51. According to such a structure, the inspection component 4 can be disposed near the loading ports 2A to 2D, so that the wafer W just carried into the coating and developing apparatus 1 and the wafer W about to be carried out of the coating and developing apparatus 1 can be inspected respectively. Therefore, when an abnormality occurs before the wafer W is carried into the coating and developing apparatus 1, it is possible to accurately identify that the abnormality occurs outside the coating and developing apparatus 1, and when an abnormality occurs during the processing and transfer in the coating and developing apparatus 1, the abnormality can be reliably detected.

[0071] On the basis of being able to perform such an inspection, according to the structure of the above-described carrier block D1, the number of loading ports accessed by each transfer mechanism 5A and 5B can be suppressed, and the wafer W is transferred by the transfer mechanism 5A with respect to the processing block D2. On the other hand, the wafer W can be transferred to the inspection component 4 by using the transfer mechanism 5B that does not transfer the processing block D2. That is, the tasks are shared by the transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B, so that the wafer W can be transferred between the carrier C and the processing block D2 and inspected during the transfer, and thus the number of times of exchanging the wafer W by each transfer mechanism 5A and 5B can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to suppress the load of each transfer mechanism 5A and 5B from becoming large, so that the productivity of the apparatus can be improved.

[0072] Moreover, as described above, the inspection component 4 provided between the loading ports in the left-right direction is disposed at the same height position as the transfer ports 21 of the loading ports 2A to 2C. That is, the inspection component 4 and the loading ports 2A to 2C are arranged in a line in the left-right direction. Thereby, the distance between the carrier C of the loading ports 2A to 2C and the inspection component 4 can be made short, and the wafer W can be quickly transferred between these loading ports 2A to 2C and the carrier C, so that the productivity of the apparatus can be more reliably improved. In addition, even when the transfer is performed between the carrier C and the inspection component 4 via the buffer component 51 as described above, if the inspection component 4 and the loading ports 2A to 2C are arranged in a line, the moving distance of the transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B can be suppressed from becoming long by arranging the buffer component 51 near the inspection component 4, so that the wafer W can be transferred quickly.

[0073] Moreover, by providing the loading ports 2A to 2C and the loading port 2D as described above, a decrease in productivity due to insufficient number of loading ports is avoided. However, by arranging the loading port 2D above the loading port 2C, an increase in the package size of the carrier block D1 caused by providing the inspection unit 4 and four loading ports at the above-described positions can be prevented. Regarding the loading ports 2A to 2C, the lift gates 24 are used to open and close the transfer ports 21 respectively, whereby the space in the left-right direction required to open and close the transfer ports 21 can be suppressed, and the distance between the inspection unit 4 and the loading ports can be prevented from increasing, thereby preventing an increase in the width of the carrier block D1 in the left-right direction. On the other hand, the loading port 2D is configured such that the rotary gate 25 is used to open and close the transfer port 21, whereby the space in the up-down direction required to open and close the transfer port 21 is suppressed, and the distance between the loading ports 2C and 2D is shortened. That is, even if the loading ports 2C and 2D are arranged in the up-down direction, the distance that the transfer mechanism 5B moves up and down to access each of the loading ports 2C and 2D can be suppressed, and thus productivity can be more reliably improved.

[0074] In addition, two inspection units 4 are provided to prevent a decrease in productivity, but only one inspection unit 4 may be provided. Alternatively, three or more inspection units 4 may be provided. Also in this case, it is preferable to arrange the inspection units 4 to be stacked on top of each other to suppress the package size of the apparatus while enabling the respective transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B to transfer the wafers W.

[0075] Furthermore, the inspection unit 4 is not limited to being provided at the same height position as the transfer ports 21 of the loading ports 2A to 2C. For example, the buffer unit 51 may be arranged at the same height position as the transfer ports 21 of the loading ports 2A to 2C, and the inspection unit 4 may be provided at a position higher than the buffer unit 51. However, in order to avoid interference between the rotary gate 25 of the loading port 2D and the inspection unit 4, the height of the loading port 2D relative to the loading port 2C is increased, and thus there is a risk that the distance that the transfer mechanism 5B moves up and down to access the loading ports 2C and 2D respectively increases. Also, from the viewpoint of quickly transferring the carrier C between the loading ports 2A to 2C and the inspection unit 4 as described above, it is also preferable to arrange the inspection unit 4 at the same height position as the transfer ports 21 of the loading ports 2A to 2C.

[0076] In addition, the buffer component 51 is arranged to overlap with the placement part 43 of the standby position of the inspection component 4 when viewed from above. Therefore, the base 55 provided with the fork 56 does not need to move in the left-right direction in the transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B, and the wafer W standing by at the buffer component 51 can be transferred to the inspection component 4 only by lifting and lowering operations. Thus, the time required for transferring the wafer W between the buffer component 51 and the inspection component 4 can be suppressed, and the productivity can be more reliably improved. In addition, the buffer component 51 may not be provided in the carrier block D1, and the wafer W may be transferred between the transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B only via the inspection component 4. For example, when the wafer W is loaded into the inspection component 4, the transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B hold the wafer W and make it stand by until the inspection component 4 becomes available. However, during the period when the wafer W is held in this way, the transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B cannot transfer other wafers W. Therefore, in order to prevent a decrease in productivity, it is effective to provide the buffer component 51.

[0077] And, in the above-mentioned carrier block D1, the placement part 43 of the inspection component 4 and the buffer component 51 are configured as a transfer part for placing the wafer W to transfer the wafer W between the transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B. However, a transfer part may be provided separately for the inspection component 4 and the buffer component 51. However, by using the inspection component 4 as the transfer part as Figure 9 shown, the transfer mechanism 5A can directly receive the inspected wafer W and transfer it to the tower T1. In addition, by using the buffer component 51 as the transfer part as Figure 12 shown, the wafer W of the tower T1 can be directly transferred to the buffer component 51 and made to stand by. That is, the inspection component 4 and the buffer component 51 each serve as the transfer part, whereby the load on the transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B can be suppressed, and an increase in productivity can be achieved.

[0078] In addition, it is not limited to performing only one of the above-mentioned pre-processing inspection and post-processing inspection before re-accommodating the wafer W taken out from the carrier C into the carrier C. An example of the transfer for performing the pre-processing inspection and the post-processing inspection is shown. First, as shown by the arrows A1 to A3 in Figure 9 , the wafer W taken out from the load ports 2C and 2D is transferred in the order of the buffer component 51, the inspection component 4, and the transfer component TRS0, whereby the wafer W is subjected to a pre-processing inspection and transferred to the processing block D2. Then, the wafer W that has formed a resist pattern and has been transferred to the transfer component TRS10 is as shown in Figure 12It is transported in the order of the buffer component 51 and the inspection component 4 as indicated by the arrows B2 to B3, and after the post-processing inspection, it is transported to the carrier C at the load ports 2A and 2B. By performing the pre-processing inspection and the post-processing inspection in this way, when an abnormality is detected in the wafer W, it is possible to more reliably identify whether the abnormality is caused by the coating and developing apparatus 1 or by the outside of the coating and developing apparatus 1.

[0079] Another transport example for the pre-processing inspection will be described. The wafer W unloaded from the carrier C at the load ports 2C and 2D is transported in the order of the buffer component 51, the inspection component 4, and the transfer component TRS0 as indicated by the arrows A1 to A3 in Figure 9 . Moreover, the wafer W on which the resist pattern is formed and which is transported to the transfer component TRS10 is transported to the buffer component 51 by the transport mechanism 5A, and then transported to the carrier C at the load ports 2C and 2D by the transport mechanism 5B. That is, when this series of transports is set as the first loading and unloading transport, in the first loading and unloading transport, the load ports 2C and 2D constitute the loading port for loading and the unloading port for unloading.

[0080] Another transport example for the post-processing inspection will be described. Regarding the wafer W that is transported from the carrier C at the load ports 2A and 2B to the transfer component TRS0 as described in Figure 11 , on which the resist pattern is formed after being transported to the transfer component TRS10, it is transported in the order of the buffer component 51 and the inspection component 4 as indicated by the arrows B2 and B3 in Figure 12 . Then, the wafer W is transported from the inspection component 4 to the carrier C at the load ports 2A and 2B by the transport mechanism 5A. That is, when this series of transports is set as the second loading and unloading transport, in the second loading and unloading transport, the load ports 2A and 2B constitute the loading port for loading and the unloading port for unloading.

[0081] For example, the control may also be performed in the following manner: Usually, the wafer W is transported as described in Figures 9 to 12 . When both of the load ports 2A and 2B cannot be used, the first loading and unloading transport is performed. When both of the load ports 2C and 2D cannot be used, the second loading and unloading transport is performed. In addition, for example, one of the two inspection components 4 may be used as a component dedicated to the first loading and unloading transport, and the other may be used as a component dedicated to the second loading and unloading transport, so that the first loading and unloading transport and the second loading and unloading transport are performed in parallel. That is, it is not limited to controlling the operations of the transport mechanisms 5A and 5B as in the example shown in Figures 9 to 12 such that one of the transport mechanisms 5A and 5B only receives the wafer W from the carrier C, and the other of the transport mechanisms 5A and 5B only transports the wafer W to the carrier C.

[0082] [First Variation of the First Embodiment]

[0083] Next, with reference to Figure 13 , the carrier block D11 related to the first variation of the first embodiment will be described centering on the differences from the carrier block D1. In this carrier block D11, the loading port 2A is provided at the same height position as the loading port 2D, and the position of the loading port 2A in the left - right direction is aligned with the position of the loading port 2B in the left - right direction. As a door for opening and closing the transfer port 21 of the loading port 2A, a swing door 25 is provided in the same way as the loading port 2D to avoid interference with the loading port 2B. In addition, on the left side of the loading port 2B in this carrier block D11, two inspection components 4 are provided in the vertical direction in the same way as on the right side. For the sake of convenience of explanation, the two inspection components on the right side of the loading port 2B are designated as 4A, and the two inspection components on the left side are designated as 4B. The transfer mechanism 5A is located on the left side of the inspection component 4A corresponding to the inspection component 4B and the loading port 2A, whereby the transfer mechanism 5A performs the transfer of the wafer W.

[0084] An example of the transfer in the carrier block D11 is shown. For example, Figure 9 as described, for the wafers W taken out from the carriers C of the loading ports 2C and 2D and transferred to the buffer component 51, they are transferred to the inspection component 4A by the transfer mechanism 5B or transferred to the inspection component 4B by the transfer mechanism 5A to undergo pre - processing inspection. The inspected wafers W are transferred to the transfer component TRS0 of the tower T1 by the transfer mechanism 5A. In addition, as another transfer example, after transferring the wafers W transferred from the transfer component TRS10 to the buffer component 51 to the inspection components 4A and 4B for post - processing inspection, they can be returned to the carrier C of the specified loading port. According to this carrier block D11, compared with the first embodiment, the number of inspection components 4 is larger, so the standby time of the wafers W in the buffer component 51 can be suppressed. However, since the load on the transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B increases due to accessing a larger number of inspection components 4 than the number of carrier blocks D1, it is preferably set to the structure of the carrier block D1 to obtain higher productivity.

[0085] [Second Variation in the First Embodiment]

[0086] Next, with reference to Figure 14, the carrier block D12 according to the second modification will be described centering on the differences from the carrier block D1. In this carrier block D12, in addition to the loading ports 2A to 2D, a loading port 2E is also provided. The loading port 2E is provided at the same height position as the loading port 2D, and the position in the left-right direction thereof is aligned with the position in the left-right direction of the loading port 2A. Similar to the loading port 2D, a swing door 25 is provided at the loading port 2E to avoid interference with the loading port 2A. However, contrary to the swing door 25 of the loading port 2D, the swing door 25 of this loading port 2E rotates clockwise from the closed position to avoid interference with the side wall of the housing 11 of the carrier block D1. Since the loading port 2E is located on the left side of the inspection unit 4, the transfer mechanism 5B exchanges the wafer W with the carrier C placed on this loading port 2E.

[0087] In this carrier block D12, for example Figures 9 to 12 As described above, the wafer W is transferred. When the loading ports 2A and 2B become the loading ports for loading, for example, the loading port 2E also becomes the loading port for loading. When the loading ports 2A and 2B become the loading ports for unloading, for example, the loading port 2E also becomes the loading port for unloading.

[0088] As shown in the first embodiment and each modification above, according to the present invention, two transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B are provided, and the inspection unit 4 and the loading ports can be provided in the area where the wafer W can be transferred by any one of the transfer mechanisms. Therefore, there is an advantage that the degree of freedom in the arrangement of these inspection unit 4 and the loading ports 2 is high, and it is easy to design the apparatus according to the required productivity, the time required for inspection in the inspection unit 4, and the like.

[0089] [Second Embodiment]

[0090] The coating and developing apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described centering on the differences from the first embodiment. Figure 15 , Figure 16Respectively represent the front view and the horizontal cross-sectional top view of the carrier block D5 of the coating and developing apparatus in the second embodiment. In the carrier block D5, load ports 2A to 2C and two inspection components 4 are provided, but the load ports 2A to 2C are located on the left side of each inspection component 4. In addition, the support tables 15, 16, and 17 are not provided in the carrier block D5, and an external transfer mechanism that transfers the carrier C with respect to the carrier block D5 transfers the carrier C to the moving stage 23 of the load ports 2A to 2C. Moreover, the transfer between the standby stage 29, the loading stage 31, and the unloading stage 32 of the carrier C is not performed. In addition, only the transfer mechanism 5A among the transfer mechanisms 5A and 5B is provided in the housing 11, and the frame 52 of the transfer mechanism 5A moves in the left-right direction so that the wafer W can be transferred with respect to each carrier C placed on the load ports 2A to 2C.

[0091] The transfer mechanism 5A takes out the wafer W from the carrier C of the load ports 2A to 2C and transfers it to the transfer component TRS0 of the tower T1, and transfers the wafer W with the resist pattern formed thereon, which has been transferred to the transfer component TRS10 of the tower T1, to the carrier C of the load ports 2A to 2C. In the case of performing pre-processing inspection, the wafer W is transferred to the inspection component 4 for inspection before being transferred to the transfer component TRS0. In the case of performing post-processing inspection, the wafer W is transferred to the inspection component 4 for inspection before returning to the carrier C.

[0092] Figure 17 This is a modification example of the above-mentioned carrier block D5, and shows an example in which two inspection components 4 are provided at intervals in the vertical direction in a region where the transfer port 21 with the load port 2D formed in the first embodiment is formed when viewed in the front-rear direction. Therefore, in Figure 17 the shown carrier block D5, four inspection components 4 are provided in the vertical direction. In the second embodiment described above, similar to the first embodiment, the inspection component 4 is configured to be detachable from the housing 11 of the carrier block D5, so that maintenance can be easily performed.

[0093] In addition, the inspection component 4 is structured to be inserted into the opening 22 of the housing 41 from the outside of the housing 41 like this. Therefore, a part of the inspection component 4 can be set to protrude from the housing 41 of the carrier block. That is, the occupied space of the inspection component 4 in the device can be suppressed, so that it can be prevented that the inspection component 4 cannot be set due to the setting or addition of other components in the device. In addition, since it has a small occupied space like this and is detachable from the housing 41, it has the advantage that the inspection component 4 can be easily added without interfering with the operation of the substrate transfer mechanism and the arrangement of other components. Furthermore, as is clear from the first embodiment and the second embodiment, when the inspection component 4 is structured to be detachable from the housing 41, with respect to the loading ports and the inspection component 4 arranged in a row in the left-right direction, the inspection component 4 can be located at the end of the row or at the center of the row.

[0094] In addition, as a processing component for transferring the wafer W from the carrier block D1 and processing the wafer W, it is not limited to the above examples. For example, it can be a component for coating a chemical solution for forming an insulating film on the wafer W, a cleaning component for supplying a cleaning solution to the wafer W, or a component for supplying an adhesive for bonding the wafers W to each other. In addition, for example, a processing component for forming a vacuum atmosphere via a load lock vacuum component capable of switching between an atmospheric pressure atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere can also be provided. In this case, processes such as CVD, ALD, or etching can be performed by supplying a processing gas to the wafer W. Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the above-described examples, and each example can be appropriately changed or combined with each other.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, characterized in that, Comprising: A first loading port and a second loading port, which are respectively arranged on one side and the other side in the left - right direction in a manner of respectively placing a transfer container for accommodating a substrate; A processing unit that processes the substrate; An inspection component for inspecting the substrate before or after being processed by the processing unit; And A substrate transfer mechanism for transferring the substrate to the processing unit, the transfer container placed on the loading port, and the inspection component, Wherein, the inspection component is arranged between the first loading port and the second loading port in the left - right direction, The substrate transfer mechanism comprises: A first substrate transfer mechanism arranged on one side of the inspection component in the left - right direction for transferring the substrate to the processing unit and the transfer container placed on the first loading port respectively; And A second substrate transfer mechanism arranged on the other side of the inspection component in the left - right direction for transferring the substrate to the inspection component and the transfer container placed on the second loading port respectively.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein The substrate processing device further comprises: the transfer container for accommodating the substrate, The substrate transfer mechanism further comprises: a transfer part for transferring the substrate between the first substrate transfer mechanism and the second substrate transfer mechanism.

3. The substrate processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that The first loading port, the second loading port, and the inspection component are arranged in a row in the left - right direction.

4. The substrate processing device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that At least one of the first loading port and the second loading port is composed of a plurality of loading ports, The plurality of loading ports include an upper - side loading port and a lower - side loading port respectively arranged in the up - down direction.

5. The substrate processing device according to claim 4, characterized in that The upper - side loading port is provided with a rotating door, and the rotating door rotates around a rotation axis along the front - back direction to open and close the transfer opening of the substrate.

6. The substrate processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that The inspection component also serves as the transfer part.

7. The substrate processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that The transfer part also serves as a standby part for placing the substrate to make it standby before transferring the substrate into the inspection component.

8. The substrate processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that A control unit is provided in the substrate processing device, and the control unit outputs a control signal to make: One of the first substrate transfer mechanism and the second substrate transfer mechanism only performs the acceptance of the substrate from the transfer container among the acceptance of the substrate from the transfer container and the transfer of the substrate to the transfer container; And The other of the first substrate transfer mechanism and the second substrate transfer mechanism only performs the transfer of the substrate to the transfer container among the acceptance of the substrate from the transfer container and the transfer of the substrate to the transfer container.

9. The substrate processing device according to claim 2, characterized in that A first housing is provided in the substrate processing apparatus. The first housing houses the first substrate transfer mechanism, the second substrate transfer mechanism, and the transfer portion, and openings are formed in the side wall to form transfer ports for the substrates of the first loading port and the second loading port respectively. The inspection assembly includes a second housing for accommodating the substrate to inspect the substrate. The second housing is inserted into an opening provided in the side wall of the first housing from the outside of the first housing in a detachable manner.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein: The inspection assembly includes a placement portion for placing the substrate transferred by the second substrate transfer mechanism. The transfer portion and the placement portion are arranged to overlap each other in the vertical direction.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: A plurality of the inspection assemblies are provided, and the plurality of inspection assemblies are respectively located on the left and right of the first loading port or the second loading port.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein In the substrate processing apparatus, there is provided: A placement portion for the transfer container, which is provided at a position below the first loading port and the second loading port for standby of the transfer container; and A transfer mechanism for the transfer container, which transfers the transfer container between the first loading port and the placement portion for the transfer container, or between the second loading port and the placement portion for the transfer container.

13. A substrate processing method, characterized in that, Including the following steps: Respectively place transfer containers for accommodating substrates on the first loading port and the second loading port provided on one side and the other side in the left - right direction; Process the substrate using the processing portion; Before or after the processing by the processing portion, inspect the substrate using an inspection assembly provided between the first loading port and the second loading port in the left - right direction; Use the first substrate transfer mechanism provided on one side in the left - right direction of the inspection assembly to transfer the substrate to the processing portion and the transfer container placed on the first loading port respectively; Use the second substrate transfer mechanism provided on the other side in the left - right direction of the inspection assembly to transfer the substrate to the inspection assembly and the transfer container placed on the second loading port respectively; And Transfer the substrate between the first substrate transfer mechanism and the second substrate transfer mechanism by means of the transfer portion.

14. A storage medium stores a computer program used in a substrate processing apparatus. The storage medium is characterized in that: The program is programmed with steps to execute the substrate processing method according to claim 13.

15. A computer program product includes a computer program used in a substrate processing apparatus. The computer program product is characterized in that: The program is programmed with steps to execute the substrate processing method according to claim 13.

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