Transfer robot and substrate processing system including the same

Abstract

The present invention relates to a transfer robot for transporting substrates through a transfer module and a substrate processing system including the same. The present invention discloses a substrate processing system, comprising: a transfer module having a transfer robot for transporting substrates; one or more dual-process modules, arranged on one side of the transfer module, for simultaneously loading and unloading two substrates, and having a pair of substrate support portions configured horizontally for placing the two substrates; one or more single-process modules, arranged on one side of the transfer module, for loading and unloading one substrate, and having one or more substrate support portions for placing the substrates; wherein the transfer robot includes a first substrate placement portion and a second substrate placement portion, each having a placement surface for placing the substrate and located on the same first plane, at least one of which rotates around a vertical rotation axis to be located in an area that does not interfere with the transfer of the substrates during transport.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a transfer robot and a substrate processing system including the same, and more particularly, to a transfer robot for transporting a substrate through a transfer module and a substrate processing system including the same. Background Art

[0002] Generally, a cluster-type substrate processing system may include: a transfer module having a transfer robot for transporting substrates; one or more process modules arranged on one side of the transfer module to perform substrate processing; and a load lock module arranged on one side of the transfer module to transfer substrates from the outside or receive substrates that have completed substrate processing.

[0003] In this case, the process module may be a dual process module having a pair of substrate supporting parts for placing two substrates or a single process module having one substrate supporting part for placing one substrate.

[0004] In the case of the single process module, one substrate can be loaded and unloaded at a time.

[0005] In the case of the dual process module, two substrates can be loaded and unloaded at the same time.

[0006] In the past, in the case of a transfer robot used to transport substrates to a single process module, it could only transport one substrate at a time and could not transport two substrates at a time, thus greatly reducing the efficiency of transporting substrates to a dual process module. In contrast, in the case of a transfer robot used to transport substrates to a dual process module, two end effectors need to be arranged side by side, so there is a problem of not being able to transport substrates to a single process module.

[0007] As a result, conventionally, there has been a distinction between a substrate processing system for a single process module and a substrate processing system for a dual process module.

[0008] However, depending on the substrate processing process, there is a case where a composite process is required for both a single process module and a dual process module. In a case where the single process module substrate processing system and the dual process module substrate processing system are established separately, when the substrate is transported to the other substrate processing system, the substrate is inevitably exposed to the atmosphere. Therefore, there is a high possibility that the quality of the substrate processing will be reduced, and it takes time to transport the substrate between the substrate processing systems, which leads to the problem of reduced production. Summary of the Invention

[0009] (Problem to be solved)

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, an object of the present invention is to provide a transfer robot capable of including both a single-process module and a dual-process module in one substrate processing system, and a substrate processing system including the transfer robot.

[0011] (Methods of solving the problem)

[0012] The present invention is proposed to achieve the purpose of the present invention as described above, and discloses a substrate processing system, including: a conveying module 300, having a conveying robot 500 for transporting substrates; one or more dual-process modules 100, arranged on one side of the conveying module 300, for simultaneously taking in and out two substrates 10, and a pair of substrate support parts 13 for placing the two substrates 10 are arranged in a horizontal direction; one or more single-process modules 200, arranged on one side of the conveying module 300, for taking in and out one substrate 10, and having one or more substrate support parts 13 for placing the substrate 10.

[0013] The transfer robot 500 may include a first substrate placement portion 510 a and a second substrate placement portion 510 b . The first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b each have a placement surface 11 for placing the substrate 10 and are located on the same first plane.

[0014] At least one of the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b may be configured to rotate about a vertical rotation axis C1 so as to be located in an area that does not interfere with the transfer of a substrate.

[0015] When transporting substrates to the dual process module 100 , the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b may be arranged side by side to simultaneously transport two substrates 10 to the dual process module 100 .

[0016] When transporting a substrate to the single process module 200 , one of the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b can be moved in and out of the single process module 200 to transport a substrate 10 .

[0017] The remaining one of the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b may be located in a region that does not interfere with the transfer of a substrate.

[0018] When transporting a substrate to the single process module 200, one of the first substrate placement portion 510a and the second substrate placement portion 510b enters and exits the single process module 200 to transport the substrate 10 out of the single process module 200, and the remaining one of the first substrate placement portion 510a and the second substrate placement portion 510b can wait in an area that does not interfere with the transport of the substrate in the state of placing the substrate 10 to be transported into the single process module 200.

[0019] The transfer robot 500 may also include: a first combining part 502, which combines the first substrate placing part 510a and the second substrate placing part 510b; a driving part 540, which drives the first combining part 502 to move in three-dimensional space and at least one of the first substrate placing part 510a and the second substrate placing part 510b to rotate around the rotation axis C1; and a control part, which controls the action of the driving part 540.

[0020] The first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b can be driven to rotate independently of each other about the rotation axis C1 .

[0021] The transfer robot 500 may further include a third substrate placement portion 510c and a fourth substrate placement portion 510d, which are arranged side by side on a second plane and combined with the first combining portion 502, and the second plane is parallel to the first plane and has an upper and lower interval.

[0022] The third substrate placement portion 510 c and the fourth substrate placement portion 510 d are rotatable about the rotation axis C1 .

[0023] When transporting substrates to the dual process module 100 , the third substrate placement portion 510 c and the fourth substrate placement portion 510 d can wait in an area that does not interfere with the transport of substrates, with two substrates 10 to be transported into the dual process module 100 being placed thereon.

[0024] The first substrate placement portion 510 a and the third substrate placement portion 510 c may be rotationally symmetrical about the rotation axis C1 .

[0025] The second substrate placement portion 510 b and the fourth substrate placement portion 510 d may be rotationally symmetrical about the rotation axis C1 .

[0026] The first substrate placement portion 510 a , the second substrate placement portion 510 b , the third substrate placement portion 510 c , and the fourth substrate placement portion 510 d are rotatably driven independently of each other about the rotation axis C1 .

[0027] The substrate processing system may further include a load lock module 400 coupled to one side of the transfer module 300 for transferring the substrate 10 between the transfer modules 300 .

[0028] On the other hand, the present invention discloses a transfer robot 500, which is configured in the transfer module 300 of the substrate processing system, wherein the substrate processing system includes: a transfer module 300, for transporting substrates; one or more dual-process modules 100, arranged on one side of the transfer module 300, for simultaneously entering and exiting two substrates 10, and having a pair of substrate support parts 13 configured in a horizontal direction for placing the two substrates 10; one or more single-process modules 200, arranged on one side of the transfer module 300, for entering and exiting one substrate 10, and having one or more substrate support parts 13 for placing the substrate 10.

[0029] The transfer robot 500 includes a first substrate placement portion 510a and a second substrate placement portion 510b, wherein the first substrate placement portion 510a and the second substrate placement portion 510b respectively have a placement surface 11 for placing the substrate 10 and are located on the same first plane; at least one of the first substrate placement portion 510a and the second substrate placement portion 510b can be configured to rotate around a vertical rotation axis so as to be located in an area that does not interfere with the transportation of the substrate when the substrate is being transported.

[0030] (Effects of the Invention)

[0031] The substrate processing device of the present invention can include both a single process module and a dual process module in one substrate processing system, thereby minimizing the frequency of substrate exposure to the atmosphere, thereby having the advantage of improving substrate processing quality while maximizing the output of processed substrates. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0032] Figure 1a and Figure 1b FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 2 It shows Figure 1a to Figure 1b Side view of a transfer robot of a substrate processing system.

[0034] Figure 3a and Figure 3b It shows Figure 2 Figure 2 shows the movement of the transfer robot transporting substrates to the dual process module.

[0035] Figures 4a to 4c It shows Figure 2 Figure 2 shows the movement of a transfer robot transporting a substrate to a single process module.

[0036] Figure 5a and Figure 5b FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0037] (Explanation of Reference Numerals)

[0038] 10: Substrate 100: Dual process module

[0039] 200: Single process module 300: Transfer module

[0040] 400: Load lock module DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] Hereinafter, a substrate processing system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0042] The substrate processing system of the present invention is a system for performing deposition, etching, etc. on a substrate 10. Figures 1a to 5b As shown, it includes: a conveying module 300, which has a conveying robot 500 for transporting substrates; one or more dual-process modules 100, which are arranged on one side of the conveying module 300, and simultaneously take in and out two substrates 10, and a pair of substrate support parts 13 are configured in a horizontal direction for placing the two substrates 10; one or more single-process modules 200, which are arranged on one side of the conveying module 300, and take in and out one substrate 10, and have a substrate support part 13 for placing the substrate 10.

[0043] Here, the substrate 10 may be various substrates such as a semiconductor wafer, a glass substrate for an LCD panel, a substrate for an OLED, or a substrate for a solar cell.

[0044] The transfer module 300 includes a transfer robot 500 for transferring a substrate, and may have various structures.

[0045] The transfer module 300 may have a plurality of gates on the side thereof for the transfer robot 500 to enter and exit the substrate.

[0046] The transfer module 300 may be configured to transport a substrate to be processed from a loading and locking module 400 to a process module 100 or 200, or to transport a processed substrate from a process module 100 or 200 to the loading and locking module 400, or to transport a substrate from one process module 100 or 200 to another process module 100 or 200.

[0047] The transfer module 300 may include a vacuum system for creating a vacuum environment in the interior of the transfer module 300 .

[0048] The transmission module 300 can be formed into various square structures such as a planar quadrilateral, a hexagon, and an octagon.

[0049] The dual process module 100 is a process module disposed on one side of the transfer module 300 and capable of processing two substrates 10 at the same time, and more than one dual process module 100 may be configured.

[0050] A gate for allowing substrates to enter and exit may be formed between the dual process module 100 and the transfer module 300 .

[0051] The dual process module 100 includes a process chamber forming a sealed process space and a gas injection unit injecting gas into the process space, and may have various structures depending on the type of substrate processing such as heating, cooling, sputtering, CVD, or PVD.

[0052] A pair of substrate supporting portions 13 for placing two substrates 10 may be arranged side by side in the dual process module 100 .

[0053] The pair of substrate supporting parts 13 may be arranged side by side in the horizontal direction.

[0054] The dual-process module 100 can simultaneously load and unload two substrates 10 .

[0055] The inner space of the dual process module 100 may be divided into two processing areas for substrate processing or may have one processing area.

[0056] In addition, the dual process module 100 may have a vacuum system for creating a vacuum environment in the internal space of the dual process module 100 .

[0057] The single process module 200 is a process module disposed on one side of the conveying module 300 for loading and unloading one substrate 10 at a time, and more than one single process module 200 may be configured.

[0058] A gate for allowing substrates to enter and exit may be formed between the single process module 200 and the transfer module 300 .

[0059] The single process module 200 includes a process chamber forming a sealed process space and a gas injection unit injecting gas into the process space, and may have various structures depending on the type of substrate processing such as heating, cooling, sputtering, CVD, or PVD.

[0060] The single process module 200 may have one or more substrate supporting parts 13 for placing substrates.

[0061] In addition, the single process module 200 may have a vacuum system for creating a vacuum environment in the internal space of the single process module 200 .

[0062] At this time, the substrate processing system may further include a load lock module 400 , which is coupled to one side of the transfer module 300 to transport the substrate 10 between the transfer modules 300 .

[0063] The load lock module 400 can meet environmental conditions close to those in the transfer module 300 and isolate the transfer module 300 from external influences, and can have various structures.

[0064] That is, the load lock module 400 may be changed from a process pressure state close to vacuum to an atmospheric pressure state, or may be changed from an atmospheric pressure state to a process pressure state.

[0065] In addition, the load lock module 400 may receive the substrate 10 from the outside (eg, a loading port connected to a substrate storage container (not shown)) in an atmospheric pressure state.

[0066] One side of the loading and locking module 400 is connected to the loading portion, and the other side can be combined with the transfer module 300 through a gate.

[0067] After the substrate 10 is transported from the atmosphere through the loading unit, the interior of the load lock module 400 becomes a process pressure state close to vacuum, similar to the transfer module 300 , and the substrate 10 in the load lock module 400 can be transferred to the transfer module 300 by the transfer robot 500 .

[0068] Conversely, if the substrate 10 processed in the process modules 100 and 200 is transferred to the load lock module 400 via the transfer module 300 , the interior of the load lock module 400 may be changed to atmospheric pressure to transfer the substrate 10 to an external substrate storage container (FOUP) via the loader.

[0069] The aforementioned transfer of substrates between the transfer module 300 and the load lock module 400 and the transfer of substrates between the transfer module 300 and the process modules 100 and 200 may be performed by the transfer robot 500 disposed inside the transfer module 300 .

[0070] The transfer robot 500 is a structure for supporting and transporting the substrate 10 and may have various structures, for example, a horizontal multi-joint robot or a SCARA robot.

[0071] The transfer robot 500 of the present invention may be configured to include both the dual process module 100 and the single process module 200 in one substrate processing system.

[0072] The transfer robot 500 of the present invention is adaptive in carrying substrates for the dual-process module 100 and the single-process module 200, and can thereby perform multiple various composite processes without restriction within a substrate processing system. It also increases production by effectively transporting substrates and minimizes the possibility of exposing the substrate 10 to the atmosphere, thereby having the advantage of significantly improving the quality of substrate processing.

[0073] The transfer robot 500 is configured to freely transform and perform the transfer of two substrates to the dual process module 100 and the transfer of one substrate to the single process module 200 .

[0074] As an example, the transfer robot 500 may include a first substrate placement portion 510 a and a second substrate placement portion 510 b , each of which has a placement surface 11 for placing the substrate 10 and is located on the same first plane.

[0075] The first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b are portions that directly act on the substrate 10 through the placement surface 11 , and may correspond to the end arm coupled to the end portion of the transfer robot 500 and the end effector fixedly coupled to the end arm.

[0076] The first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b may have various structures and shapes as long as they can stably support the substrate 10 .

[0077] like Figure 1a As shown, the end effector region having the placement surface 11 may be formed into a fork shape divided into two branches, but is not limited thereto.

[0078] At least one of the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b may be rotatable about a vertical rotation axis C1 so as to be located in a region that does not interfere with the transfer of a substrate.

[0079] More specifically, the transfer robot 500 may include: a first combining part 502, which combines the first substrate placing part 510a and the second substrate placing part 510b; a driving part 540, which drives the first combining part 502 to move in three-dimensional space and at least one of the first substrate placing part 510a and the second substrate placing part 510b to rotate around the rotation axis; and a control part, which controls the action of the driving part 540.

[0080] The first coupling portion 502 serves as a coupling hinge for coupling the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b to form a vertical rotation axis C1 , and may have various structures.

[0081] At least one of the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b can be coupled to the first coupling portion 502 and can rotate around a vertical rotation axis C1 .

[0082] As an example, one of the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b may be rotatably coupled to the first coupling portion 502 , and the remaining one may be fixedly coupled to the first coupling portion 502 .

[0083] As another example, the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b are rotatably coupled to the first coupling portion 502 .

[0084] At this time, the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b may be driven to rotate independently of each other about the rotation axis.

[0085] The driving unit 540 is a structure for driving the movement of the transfer robot 500. It is a structure for driving the first connecting unit 502 to move in three-dimensional space and at least one of the first substrate placement unit 510a and the second substrate placement unit 510b to rotate around the rotation axis C1. It can have various structures.

[0086] The driving portion 540 may include one or more motors for driving the first combining portion 502 to move in a three-dimensional space and at least one of the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b to rotate about the rotation axis C1 .

[0087] The motor may be fixedly disposed on the lower side of the transfer module 300 .

[0088] At this time, the transfer robot 500 may include a plurality of robotic arms 520 and 530 , and the plurality of robotic arms 520 and 530 are disposed between the driving portion and the first coupling portion 502 to drive the first coupling portion 502 to move in a three-dimensional space.

[0089] As an example, the transfer robot 500 may include: a first robotic arm 520 , one end of which is fixed and coupled to the first coupling portion 502 ; and a second robotic arm 530 , which is disposed between the first robotic arm 520 and the driving portion.

[0090] In this case, a connection member 504 may be provided between the first robot arm 520 and the second robot arm 530 to allow the first robot arm 520 to rotate around the rotation axis C2.

[0091] In addition, a connection member 506 for rotating the second robot arm 530 around the rotation axis C3 may be provided between the second robot arm 530 and the driving unit.

[0092] Although not shown, it is of course possible to implement an embodiment in which the transfer robot 500 has three or more robot arm parts rotatably connected to each other.

[0093] The first robot arm 520 and the second robot arm 530 are preferably configured to be rotatable around axes C2 and C3 perpendicular to the horizontal plane, but are not limited thereto.

[0094] According to the rotational driving of the plurality of robot arms 520 and 530 , the position of the first coupling portion 502 in the three-dimensional space can be changed.

[0095] The driving force generated by the driving unit 540 may be transmitted to the first robot arm 520 , the second robot arm 530 , and the first to second substrate placement units 510 a and 510 b via various power transmission means such as a pulley structure.

[0096] As an example, the power transmission means may include a belt (not shown) and a pulley (not shown) wound around the belt (not shown).

[0097] The wheel (not shown) may be rotationally driven by the driving portion 540 .

[0098] Here, wheels (not shown) may be provided on the connecting members 504 and 506 and the first coupling portion 502 to rotate the first substrate placement portion 510 a , the second substrate placement portion 510 b and the robot arms 520 and 530 .

[0099] At this time, a belt (not shown) wound around a wheel (not shown) may be connected from the driving part 540 to the first to second substrate placement parts 510 a ˜ 510 b through an empty space inside the transfer robot 500 .

[0100] In addition, the wheel (not shown) may be configured as a plurality of independent wheels combined in a multi-stage structure to rotationally drive the first and second substrate placement parts 510 a - 510 b and the robot arms 520 and 530 independently of each other.

[0101] A plurality of motors (not shown) for independently rotationally driving the plurality of wheels may be provided inside the driving portion 540 .

[0102] On the other hand, Figure 2 As shown, the first to second substrate placement parts 510a~510b and the robot arms 520 and 530 are located inside the conveying module 300 (vacuum environment, VAC), and the driving part 540 can be located outside the conveying module 300 (atmosphere, ATM).

[0103] The example of power transmission by pulley driving is described, but as long as the first to second substrate placement parts 510a~510d, the first robot arm part 520, and the second robot arm part 530 can be rotationally driven, various driving methods can of course be applied.

[0104] In addition, the driving unit 540 may further include a vertical driving unit for adjusting the vertical heights of the first and second substrate placement portions 510a-510b.

[0105] On the other hand, the transfer robot 500 may also include a third substrate placement portion 510c and a fourth substrate placement portion 510d, which are arranged side by side on the second plane and combined with the first combining portion 502. The second plane is parallel to the first plane and has an upper and lower spacing.

[0106] The third substrate placement portion 510c and the fourth substrate placement portion 510d are the same as the first substrate placement portion 510a and the second substrate placement portion 510b mentioned above, and can correspond to the end effector of the transfer robot 500, and the structure can be the same or similar to the first substrate placement portion 510a and the second substrate placement portion 510b, so the description will be centered on the differences.

[0107] Figure 2 The case shown is a case where the first plane is located on the upper side compared to the second plane, but the opposite case can also be achieved.

[0108] The third substrate placement portion 510c and the fourth substrate placement portion 510d are parallel to the first substrate placement portion 510a and the second substrate placement portion 510b and rotate on different second planes. Therefore, they do not interfere with each other due to rotation and can only overlap each other.

[0109] The third substrate placement portion 510 c and the fourth substrate placement portion 510 d may be provided to be rotatable about the same rotation axis C1 as the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b .

[0110] At this time, the third substrate placement portion 510c and the fourth substrate placement portion 510d can be rotatably coupled to the first coupling portion 502 around the rotation axis C1, and can be independently driven to rotate via the driving portion 540 and the power transmission portion (pulley structure).

[0111] In this case, the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the third substrate placement portion 510 c may be rotationally symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis C1 .

[0112] Similarly, the second substrate placement portion 510 b and the fourth substrate placement portion 510 d can be rotationally symmetrical with respect to the rotation axis C1 .

[0113] That is, the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the third substrate placement portion 510 c are configured to be stacked on top of each other by rotating about a common rotation axis C on different planes.

[0114] Similarly, the second substrate placement portion 510 b and the fourth substrate placement portion 510 d are configured to be stacked vertically by rotating about a common rotation axis C on different planes.

[0115] When the transfer robot 500 further includes a third substrate placement portion 510c and a fourth substrate placement portion 510d, the driving portion 540 and the power transmission portion may also have a structure for rotationally driving the third substrate placement portion 510c and the fourth substrate placement portion 510d.

[0116] The control unit, which is a structure for controlling the driving unit 540 for the operation of the transfer robot 500 , may have various structures.

[0117] The control unit may control the driving unit 540 to control the first to fourth substrate placement units 510 a to 510 d to rotate around the rotation axis C1 and control the movements of the robot arms 520 and 530 .

[0118] Below, refer to Figures 3a to 4c , a substrate transport method is described in detail through a substrate processing system including the above-mentioned structure.

[0119] Figure 3a to Figure 3b FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating the operation of the transfer robot 500 when the transfer robot 500 simultaneously transfers two substrates 10 to the dual process module 100 .

[0120] When the control unit simultaneously transports two substrates 10 to the dual process module 100 , the control unit may arrange the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b side by side on the first plane so that the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b enter the dual process module 100 at the same time.

[0121] At this time, the first substrate placement portion 510a and the second substrate placement portion 510b simultaneously enter the dual process module 100 to transfer the two substrates 10 while supporting the two substrates 10 to be processed, or simultaneously enter the dual process module 100 to receive the two substrates 10 that have been processed.

[0122] In addition, if Figure 3b As shown, when the transfer robot 500 further has a third substrate placement portion 510c and a fourth substrate placement portion 510d, the control portion can place the remaining third substrate placement portion 510c and the fourth substrate placement portion 510d that have not entered the dual process module 100 in an area that does not interfere with the transport of substrates.

[0123] Since the third substrate placement portion 510 c and the fourth substrate placement portion 510 d are moved away from the area where they do not interfere with the conveying of substrates, two substrates 10 can be conveyed through the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b .

[0124] Furthermore, the third substrate placement portion 510 c and the fourth substrate placement portion 510 d can respectively place two substrates 10 to be transported into the dual process module 100 and wait in an area that does not interfere with the transport of the substrates.

[0125] That is, when the first substrate placement section 510a and the second substrate placement section 510b enter the dual process module 100 and transport out the substrate 10 that has completed substrate processing, in order to directly transport the substrate 10 to be processed into the dual process module 100 after the substrate 10 that has completed substrate processing is transported out, the third substrate placement section 510c and the fourth substrate placement section 510d can wait with the substrate 10 to be processed placed thereon.

[0126] If the first substrate placement section 510a and the second substrate placement section 510b simultaneously enter the dual process module 100 to transport out two substrates 10 that have completed substrate processing, the third substrate placement section 510c and the fourth substrate placement section 510d, which are arranged side by side to place substrates 10 to be processed and wait, can enter the dual process module 100.

[0127] At this time, the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b may be located in a region that does not interfere with the third substrate placement portion 510 c and the fourth substrate placement portion 510 d in transferring substrates.

[0128] Accordingly, two substrates can be continuously carried in and out of the dual process module 100 .

[0129] Then, Figures 4a to 4c 1 and 2 are diagrams illustrating the operation of the transfer robot 500 when the transfer robot 500 conveys one substrate 10 to the single process module 200 .

[0130] When the transfer robot 500 includes a first substrate placement portion 510a and a second substrate placement portion 510b, at least one of the first substrate placement portion 510a and the second substrate placement portion 510b is rotatable, and preferably, the first substrate placement portion 510a and the second substrate placement portion 510b are rotatable independently of each other.

[0131] More specifically, when transporting a substrate to the single process module 200 , one of the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b can be moved in and out of the single process module 200 to transport one substrate 10 .

[0132] At this time, the remaining one of the first substrate placement portion 510 a and the second substrate placement portion 510 b may be located in a region that does not interfere with the transfer of the substrate.

[0133] In addition, in order to be able to continuously transport the substrate 10 in and out of the single process module 200, one of the first substrate placement section 510a and the second substrate placement section 510b enters and exits the single process module 200 to transport the substrate 10 out of the single process module 200, and the remaining one of the first substrate placement section 510a and the second substrate placement section 510b can wait in an area that does not interfere with the transportation of the substrate in the state of placing the substrate 10 to be transported into the single process module 200.

[0134] In the case where the transfer robot 500 further includes a third substrate placement section 510c and a fourth substrate placement section 510d, the control section may position the remaining substrate placement sections among the first substrate placement section 510a, the second substrate placement section 510b, the third substrate placement section 510c and the fourth substrate placement section 510d, except for one that enters the single process module 200, in an area that does not interfere with the transport of substrates.

[0135] More specifically, when transporting a substrate to the single process module 200 , one of the first to fourth substrate placement portions 510 a to 510 d can be moved in and out of the single process module 200 to transport one substrate 10 .

[0136] At this time, the remaining substrate placement portions 510 a - 510 d may be located in an area that does not interfere with the transfer of the substrate.

[0137] In addition, in order to continuously carry substrates 10 in and out of the single process module 200 , one of the substrate placement portions 510 a - 510 d can wait in an area that does not interfere with the transport of the substrates, with the substrate 10 to be carried into the single process module 200 being placed thereon.

[0138] As an example, Figure 4a and Figure 4c As shown, when the second substrate placement portion 510b enters the single process module 200, the remaining first substrate placement portion 510a, the third substrate placement portion 510c and the fourth substrate placement portion 510d can be located in an area that does not interfere with the transport of substrates through the control portion.

[0139] In addition, in order to allow the substrate 10 to be processed to be directly transported into the single process module 200 after the substrate 10 that has completed substrate processing is transported out, any one of the first substrate placement part 510a, the third substrate placement part 510c and the fourth substrate placement part 510d can wait in a state where the substrate 10 to be processed is placed.

[0140] If the substrate 10 is carried out of the single process module 200 , the substrate placement portions 510 a to 510 d on which the substrates 10 to be processed are placed enter the single process module 200 , and the remaining substrate support portions may be located at positions that do not interfere with the transport of the substrate.

[0141] Accordingly, a substrate can be continuously carried out of and into the single process module 200 .

[0142] Specifically, if Figure 4a As shown, in the case where the first substrate placement portion 510 a transfers the substrate 10 , the remaining second to fourth substrate placement portions 510 d excluding the first substrate placement portion 510 a may be located in a region that does not interfere with the transfer of the substrate.

[0143] Here, the region that does not interfere with the transfer of the substrate may refer to a region that does not interfere not only with the first substrate placement portion 510 a but also with the inner sidewall of the transfer module 300 .

[0144] The remaining second to fourth substrate placement portions 510 d except the first substrate placement portion 510 a may be configured to avoid an area that does not interfere with the transfer of substrates, so that the transfer robot 500 can transfer substrates to the single process module 500 .

[0145] In addition, in order to enable the substrate 10 to be processed to be directly transported into the single process module 200 after the substrate 10 that has completed substrate processing is transported out, any one of the second substrate placement part 510b, the third substrate placement part 510c and the fourth substrate placement part 510d can wait in a state where the substrate 10 to be processed is placed.

[0146] Figure 4a The single process module 200 located on the right side is shown as transporting the substrate 10. Figure 4c The state where the substrate 10 is conveyed to the single process module 200 located on the left is shown.

[0147] At this time, the first to fourth substrate placement sections 510 a to 510 d can each transport one substrate 10 at a time to the single process module 200 regardless of the left or right position of the single process module 200 .

[0148] That is, the second substrate placement portion 510b corresponds to Figure 4a and Figure 4c In all cases, one substrate 10 can be transported. At this time, the remaining substrate placement parts 510b to 510d can be rotated independently of the second substrate placement part 510b, so they can be avoided to an area that does not interfere with the transport of the substrate.

[0149] Figure 5a to Figure 5bFIG. 1 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0150] The transfer robot 500 of the present invention is applicable to any substrate processing system as long as the system includes both a dual-process module 100 and a single-process module 200 .

[0151] The above is only a partial description of the preferred embodiments that can be implemented by the present invention. Therefore, it is well known that the scope of the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments. The technical ideas of the present invention described above and its fundamental technical ideas should all be included in the scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A substrate processing system, characterized in that: include: A conveying module (300) having a conveying robot (500) for conveying substrates; One or more dual-process modules (100) are arranged on one side of the conveying module (300) to simultaneously take in and out two substrates (10), and a pair of substrate support parts (13) for placing the two substrates (10) are arranged in a horizontal direction; One or more single process modules (200) are arranged on one side of the conveying module (300), are used to take a substrate (10) in and out, and have one or more substrate supporting parts (13) for placing the substrate (10); Wherein, the transfer robot (500) comprises: A first substrate placement portion (510a) and a second substrate placement portion (510b), wherein the first substrate placement portion (510a) and the second substrate placement portion (510b) respectively have placement surfaces (11) for placing substrates (10) and are located on the same first plane; and A first coupling portion (502) serving as a coupling hub for coupling the first substrate placement portion (510a) and the second substrate placement portion (510b) and forming a vertical rotation axis (C1); At least one of the first substrate placement portion (510a) and the second substrate placement portion (510b) is configured to rotate about the same vertical rotation axis (C1) so as to be located in an area that does not interfere with the transport of the substrate when the substrate is transported. The first substrate placement portion (510a) and the second substrate placement portion (510b) are independently driven to rotate about the same vertical rotation axis (C1) so as to simultaneously transport two substrates to the dual-process module (100) and transport one substrate to the single-process module (200).

2. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: When transporting the substrate to the dual process module (100), The first substrate placement portion (510a) and the second substrate placement portion (510b) are arranged side by side to simultaneously transport two substrates (10) to the dual-process module (100).

3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: When transporting the substrate to the single process module (200), One of the first substrate placement portion (510a) and the second substrate placement portion (510b) enters and exits the single process module (200) to transport a substrate (10). The remaining one of the first substrate placement portion (510a) and the second substrate placement portion (510b) is located in an area that does not interfere with the transport of the substrate.

4. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: When transporting the substrate to the single process module (200), One of the first substrate placement portion (510a) and the second substrate placement portion (510b) is inserted into and removed from the single process module (200) to transport the substrate (10) out of the single process module (200). The remaining one of the first substrate placement portion (510a) and the second substrate placement portion (510b) waits in an area that does not interfere with the transport of the substrate, with the substrate (10) to be transported into the single process module (200) being placed thereon.

5. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: The transfer robot (500) further includes: a driving unit (540) for driving the first combining unit (502) to move in three-dimensional space and for driving at least one of the first substrate placement unit (510a) and the second substrate placement unit (510b) to rotate about the rotation axis (C1); and a control unit for controlling the movement of the driving unit (540).

6. The substrate processing system according to claim 5, wherein: The transfer robot (500) further includes a third substrate placement portion (510c) and a fourth substrate placement portion (510d). The third substrate placement portion (510c) and the fourth substrate placement portion (510d) are arranged side by side on a second plane and are combined with the first combination portion (502). The second plane is parallel to the first plane and has an upper and lower interval.

7. The substrate processing system according to claim 6, wherein: The third substrate placement portion (510c) and the fourth substrate placement portion (510d) rotate around the rotation axis (C1).

8. The substrate processing system according to claim 6, wherein: When transporting the substrate to the dual process module (100), The third substrate placement portion (510c) and the fourth substrate placement portion (510d) wait in an area that does not interfere with the transport of substrates, with two substrates (10) to be transported into the dual process module (100) being placed thereon respectively.

9. The substrate processing system according to claim 6, wherein: The first substrate placement portion (510a) and the third substrate placement portion (510c) are rotationally symmetrical with the rotation axis (C1) as the center; The second substrate placement portion (510b) and the fourth substrate placement portion (510d) are rotationally symmetrical with the rotation axis (C1) as the center.

10. The substrate processing system according to claim 6, wherein: The first substrate placement portion (510a), the second substrate placement portion (510b), the third substrate placement portion (510c), and the fourth substrate placement portion (510d) are driven to rotate independently of each other with respect to the rotation axis (C1).

11. The substrate processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein: Also includes: A loading and locking module (400) is coupled to one side of the transfer module (300) and is used to transport substrates (10) between the transfer modules (300).

12. A transfer robot (500), as a transfer robot (500) configured in a transfer module (300) of a substrate processing system, wherein: The substrate processing system comprises: a conveying module (300) for transporting substrates; one or more dual-process modules (100) arranged on one side of the conveying module (300) for simultaneously taking in and out two substrates (10), and having a pair of substrate support parts (13) arranged in a horizontal direction for placing the two substrates (10); and one or more single-process modules (200) arranged on one side of the conveying module (300) for taking in and out one substrate (10), and having one or more substrate support parts (13) for placing the substrates (10), characterized in that: The transfer robot (500) comprises: A first substrate placement portion (510a) and a second substrate placement portion (510b), wherein the first substrate placement portion (510a) and the second substrate placement portion (510b) respectively have placement surfaces (11) for placing substrates (10) and are located on the same first plane; and A first coupling portion (502) serving as a coupling hub for coupling the first substrate placement portion (510a) and the second substrate placement portion (510b) and forming a vertical rotation axis (C1); At least one of the first substrate placement portion (510a) and the second substrate placement portion (510b) is configured to rotate about the same vertical rotation axis (C1) so as to be located in an area that does not interfere with the transport of the substrate when the substrate is being transported. The first substrate placement portion (510a) and the second substrate placement portion (510b) are independently driven to rotate about the same vertical rotation axis (C1) so as to simultaneously transport two substrates to the dual-process module (100) and transport one substrate to the single-process module (200).

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