Substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention provide a substrate processing apparatus including a chemical liquid processing device. The chemical liquid processing device includes a first chemical liquid processing section, a second chemical liquid processing section configured to be stacked with the first chemical liquid processing section, a heat processing section located opposite the first and second chemical liquid processing sections, and a substrate transfer section located between the first and second chemical liquid processing sections and the heat processing section. The substrate transfer section is configured to have at least two first robot hands, at least one second robot hand, and at least one third robot hand arranged in parallel layers, and at least one pair of first buffer units located between two adjacent first robot hands and configured to load and unload a substrate via the at least one second robot hand. The at least two first robot hands are configured to transfer a substrate between the first chemical liquid processing section and the heat processing section, and the at least one third robot hand is configured to transfer a substrate between the second chemical liquid processing section and the heat processing section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to substrate processing equipment, and more particularly to an online chemical liquid processing apparatus capable of performing chemical liquid coating and developing processes on a substrate, as well as a substrate processing apparatus including the apparatus. Background Technology

[0002] Generally, methods for forming photoresist patterns on a substrate (such as a semiconductor wafer) can include coating processes, which involve coating a substrate with photoresist solution using a coating apparatus to form a photoresist film; exposure processes, which involve irradiating a photoresist film with light having a predetermined pattern using an exposure apparatus; and development processes, which involve applying a developer solution to a photoresist film using a development apparatus to form a photoresist pattern.

[0003] Increasingly, online chemical liquid processing devices are being used, which connect exposure equipment with coating and developing equipment, as well as heat treatment devices within chemical liquid processing devices that perform heat treatment processes on the substrate before and after the application of photoresist and developer solutions to the substrate.

[0004] In recent years, chemical liquid processing apparatuses capable of coating and developing chemical liquids have needed to be able to process a large number of substrates at once. Therefore, the number of heat treatment modules, coating modules, and developing modules installed in a single chemical liquid processing apparatus has increased. To reduce the area occupied by the coating and developing modules constituting the chemical liquid processing apparatus, these modules are installed in a vertically stacked manner.

[0005] To perform coating and developing processes on substrates, chemical liquid processing equipment also includes multiple process robots for transferring substrates between the heat treatment, coating, and developing modules. Currently, to increase the throughput of chemical liquid processing equipment, existing manufacturers have only increased the number of heat treatment, coating, and developing modules, as well as the number of stacked layers. This results in the process robots being overworked, ultimately without a significant increase in throughput. The transfer efficiency of the process robots limits throughput. Simply increasing the number of heat treatment, coating, and developing modules, and the number of stacked layers, without optimizing other aspects of the chemical liquid processing equipment's structure, makes it difficult to improve throughput. Summary of the Invention

[0006] One object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus that can provide scalability options to improve productivity.

[0007] Another object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus that can improve substrate transfer efficiency and thus increase production capacity.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus includes a chemical liquid processing device configured to perform processing on a substrate. The chemical liquid processing device includes a first chemical liquid processing unit configured to supply a first chemical liquid to the substrate and perform a first chemical processing on the substrate; a second chemical liquid processing unit configured to be stacked with the first chemical liquid processing unit and supply a second chemical liquid to the substrate and perform a second chemical processing on the substrate; a heat treatment unit arranged opposite to the first and second chemical liquid processing units and configured to perform heat treatment on the substrate before and after performing the first or second chemical processing on the substrate; and a substrate transfer unit located between the first and second chemical liquid processing units and the heat treatment unit. The substrate transfer unit is configured to have at least two first robotic arms, at least one second robotic arm, and at least one third robotic arm, the first, second, and third robotic arms being arranged in parallel layers, and at least one pair of first buffer units located between two adjacent first robotic arms and configured to load substrates onto and unload substrates from the pair of first buffer units using at least one second robotic arm. At least two first robotic arms are configured to transfer a substrate between a first chemical liquid processing unit and a heat treatment unit, and at least one third robotic arm is configured to transfer a substrate between a second chemical liquid processing unit and a heat treatment unit.

[0009] Another object of the present invention is to provide a chemical liquid processing apparatus capable of automatically adjusting at least one nozzle to align it with the center of a substrate located in the processing unit.

[0010] In one embodiment of the present invention, a chemical liquid processing apparatus includes at least one nozzle assembly, at least one processing unit, and a controller. The nozzle assembly includes a support arm; a drive actuator configured to be positioned on the support arm; a nozzle holder configured to be connected to and driven by the drive actuator for movement; at least one nozzle configured to be fixed to the nozzle holder; a support shaft configured to be fixed to the support arm; a vertical drive device configured to be connected to the support shaft to drive the support shaft to move upward or downward; a rotary drive device configured to be connected to the support shaft to drive the support shaft to rotate; and a controller configured to be connected to the drive actuator, the vertical drive device, and the rotary drive device, respectively.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present invention, a method for adjusting at least one nozzle to align with the center of a substrate located in a processing unit includes: establishing a polar coordinate system in a controller, wherein the controller is connected to a rotary drive device configured to drive the nozzle to rotate, a vertical drive device configured to drive the nozzle to move upward or downward, and a drive actuator configured to drive the nozzle to move forward or backward; acquiring the polar coordinates of the nozzle and recording the polar coordinates of the nozzle in the controller, wherein the polar coordinates of the nozzle are aligned with the center of the substrate in the processing unit; and the controller sending instructions to the rotary drive device and the drive actuator based on the polar coordinates of the nozzle recorded in the controller to cause the nozzle to reach the polar coordinates, thereby aligning the nozzle with the center of the substrate in the processing unit. Attached Figure Description

[0012] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0013] Figure 1 A perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0014] Figure 2 A front perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0015] Figure 3 A rear perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0016] Figure 4 A top view of a developing module in a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0017] Figure 5 A top view of a coating module in a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0018] Figure 6 A perspective view of a processing module in a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0019] Figure 7 A perspective view of a processing module with the developing module and coating module concealed according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0020] Figure 8 A perspective view of a processing module with a hidden heat treatment module according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0021] Figure 9 A perspective view of a processing module with a hidden heat treatment module is shown according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0022] Figure 10A perspective view of a processing module with a concealed heat treatment module according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0023] Figure 11 A perspective view of a processing module with a hidden heat treatment module is shown according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0024] Figure 12 A perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0025] Figure 13 A front perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0026] Figure 14 A rear perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0027] Figure 15 A top view of a developing module in a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0028] Figure 16 A top view of a coating module in a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0029] Figure 17 A perspective view of a processing module in a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0030] Figure 18 A perspective view of a processing module with the developing module and coating module concealed, according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0031] Figure 19 A perspective view of a processing module with a hidden heat treatment module is shown according to another embodiment of the present invention;

[0032] Figure 20 A perspective view of a processing module with a concealed developing module and a coating module, according to another embodiment of the present invention, is shown.

[0033] Figure 21 A perspective view of a processing module with a concealed developing module and a coating module, according to another embodiment of the present invention, is shown.

[0034] Figure 22 A perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus according to yet another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0035] Figure 23 This diagram illustrates the operation of controlling the substrate temperature in a heat treatment module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 24 A perspective view of a coating module in a chemical liquid processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0037] Figure 25 A top view of a coating module in a chemical liquid handling apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0038] Figure 26 A block diagram showing the alignment of a coating nozzle or developing nozzle with the center of a substrate in a coating unit or developing unit in a chemical liquid processing apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 27 A figure illustrating an exemplary method for aligning a coating nozzle or developing nozzle with the center of a substrate in a coating unit or developing unit in a chemical liquid handling apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 28 A perspective view of a developing module in a chemical liquid processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0041] Figure 29 A perspective view of a coating module in a chemical liquid handling apparatus according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown;

[0042] Figure 30 A perspective view of a coating module with concealed chemical liquid nozzles according to another embodiment of the present invention is shown; and

[0043] Figure 31 A perspective view showing the chemical liquid nozzle of the coating module according to an embodiment of the present invention being removed and rotated to the center of the substrate in the coating unit. Detailed Implementation

[0044] Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the invention will be described more fully with reference to the accompanying drawings, which illustrate exemplary embodiments of the invention to help understand the configuration and effects of the invention. However, the specific structural and functional details disclosed herein are for the purpose of describing exemplary embodiments only. Therefore, the invention can be implemented in many alternative forms and should not be construed as being limited to the exemplary embodiments described herein. The embodiments of the invention are for illustrative purposes only and are not intended to limit the invention. Those skilled in the art can make various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention; therefore, all equivalent technical solutions also fall within the scope of the invention.

[0045] It is understood that although the terms “first,” “second,” etc., may be used to describe various elements, these elements should not be limited by these terms. These terms are used only to distinguish one element from another. Thus, without departing from the scope of the exemplary embodiments, for example, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element. As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.

[0046] For ease of description, spatially relative terms such as “below,” “under,” “below,” “above,” “above,” etc., may be used herein to describe the relationship between one element or feature and another element(s) or feature as shown in the figures. It will be understood that spatially relative terms are intended to cover not only the orientation shown in the figures but also different orientations of the device during use or operation. For example, if the device in the figures is flipped, an element described as “below” or “below” other elements or features will be oriented as “above” another element or feature. Thus, the exemplary term “below” can cover both above and below orientations. The device may be oriented in other ways (rotated 90° or other orientations), and the spatially relative descriptive terms used herein shall be interpreted accordingly.

[0047] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to limit the inventive concept. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” also include the plural forms unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, when the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and / or “including” are used in this specification to specify the presence of the described features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof, they do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integrals, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0048] See Figures 1 to 8 The diagram illustrates a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present invention includes a first transport module 110, a processing module 120, a second transport module 130, and an interface module 140.

[0049] The first transport module 110 is configured to load substrates into or unload substrates from the processing module 120 via a first transport unit 114 disposed within the first transport module 110. The first transport module 110 has multiple wafer cassette loading sections 111, wherein multiple wafer cassettes 112, which are sealed and store a fixed number of substrates (e.g., 25 substrates), are placed within the multiple wafer cassette loading sections 111. Multiple opening / closing sections 113 are disposed in front of the first transport module 110 and corresponding to the wafer cassette loading sections 111 along the substrate transport direction, and substrates housed in the wafer cassettes 112 can be transferred to the first transport module 110 via the opening / closing sections 113.

[0050] A processing module 120 is disposed on one side of the first transport module 110 and is configured to perform chemical liquid processing, heat treatment, etc., and a chemical liquid processing apparatus, which will be described later, is disposed in the processing module 120. A second transport module 130 coupling the processing module 120 and the interface module 140 is disposed on one side of the processing module 120. An interface module 140 configured to perform online operation with an external device, such as an exposure device (not shown), is disposed on one side of the second transport module 130. The second transport module 130 is configured to transfer substrates that have undergone coating processes in the processing module 120 to the interface module 140 via a second transport unit 131, and to transfer substrates that have undergone exposure processes in the exposure device to the processing module 120. The interface module 140 is configured to transfer substrates that have undergone exposure processes in the exposure device to the processing module 120 via a third transport unit 141, and to transfer substrates that have undergone coating processes in the processing module 120 to the exposure device.

[0051] Although the present invention illustrates an example of dividing the substrate processing apparatus 100 into four modules, it is not limited thereto. Any apparatus can be applied in which a chemical liquid processing device configured to perform coating and developing processes is located in the processing module 120 and coupled in-line to the exposure apparatus.

[0052] The processing module 120 according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a chemical liquid processing apparatus configured to perform chemical liquid processing and heat treatment on a substrate. The chemical liquid processing apparatus includes a first chemical liquid processing unit 1210, a second chemical liquid processing unit 1220, a heat treatment unit 1230, and a substrate transport unit 1240. The first chemical liquid processing unit 1210 is configured to supply a first chemical liquid to the substrate and perform a first chemical processing on the substrate. The second chemical liquid processing unit 1220 is stacked with the first chemical liquid processing unit 1210 and configured to supply a second chemical liquid to the substrate and perform a second chemical processing on the substrate. The heat treatment unit 1230 is located opposite the first chemical liquid processing units 1210 and the second chemical liquid processing units 1220, and is configured to perform heat treatment operations on the substrate before and after performing the first chemical processing or the second chemical processing. The substrate transport unit 1240 is located between the first and second chemical liquid processing units 1210 and 1220 and the heat treatment unit 1230. The substrate transfer unit 1240 is configured to have at least two first robotic arms 1241 and 1242, at least one second robotic arm 1243, at least one third robotic arm 1244, and at least one pair of first buffer units 1251 and 1252. The at least two first robotic arms 1241 and 1242, at least one second robotic arm 1243, and at least one third robotic arm 1244 are arranged in parallel layers. The at least two first robotic arms 1241 and 1242 are configured to transfer the substrate between the first chemical liquid processing unit 1210 and the heat treatment unit 1230. The at least one third robotic arm 1244 is configured to transfer the substrate between the second chemical liquid processing unit 1220 and the heat treatment unit 1230. At least one pair of first buffer units 1251, 1252 are located between two adjacent first manipulators 1241, 1242 and are configured to load substrates into and unload substrates from the first buffer units 1251, 1252 by at least one second manipulator 1243.

[0053] According to one embodiment of the present invention, a first chemical liquid processing unit 1210 is disposed on the lower side inside the processing module 120, and may be a processing unit configured to perform coating processing on a substrate conveyed by a first transport module 110. The first chemical liquid processing unit 1210 has a plurality of first processing modules 1211. These plurality of first processing modules 1211 are arranged in multiple rows, and each row has one or more layers. For example, in one embodiment, the first chemical liquid processing unit 1210 has four first processing modules 1211, and the four first processing modules 1211 are arranged in two rows, each row having two layers. Each first processing module 1211 is a coating device configured to form a photoresist film for patterning on the substrate by coating a photoresist solution onto the substrate. A second chemical liquid processing unit 1220 is disposed on the upper side inside the processing module 120, and may be a processing unit configured to perform development processing on a substrate that has been exposed in an exposure device and conveyed to the processing module 120 via a second transport module 130. The second chemical liquid processing unit 1220 has a plurality of second processing modules 1221. These second processing modules 1221 are arranged in multiple rows, and each row has one or more layers. For example, in one embodiment, the second chemical liquid processing unit 1220 has four second processing modules 1221, and the four second processing modules 1221 are arranged in two rows, each row having two layers. Each second processing module 1221 is a developing device configured to apply a developing solution onto a substrate.

[0054] The heat treatment unit 1230 has a plurality of heat treatment modules 1231. The plurality of heat treatment modules 1231 are arranged in multiple rows, and each row has multiple layers. Each heat treatment module 1231 is a heating device configured to heat the substrate to a desired temperature before and after a first chemical treatment or a second chemical treatment on the substrate.

[0055] See Figure 23 As shown, in one embodiment of the present invention, the multilayer heat treatment module 1231 in each column can be configured as a wafer cassette, and the spacing between the heat treatment modules 1231 is adjustable. Figure 23 A method for controlling the substrate temperature is illustrated. Heating plates disposed in each heat treatment module 1231 can be heated to different temperatures and used. For example, a heating plate set to the lowest temperature can be arranged in the bottommost heat treatment module 1231, and a heating plate set to the highest temperature can be arranged in the topmost heat treatment module 1231. This is because the heating plate with the lowest temperature is arranged at the bottom, and therefore is less affected by the heat generated by the heating plate with the highest temperature and located at the top. Five examples are illustrated below. In these examples, the four heat treatment modules 1231 are configured in the form of wafer cassettes.

[0056] First, in the basic case, the four heating plates have different temperatures, such as 200°C, 180°C, 150°C and 120°C (see a1), and the four heat treatment modules 1231 can be arranged to be spaced apart from each other at the same interval (e.g. 30 mm), regardless of the temperature difference (see a2).

[0057] In the first case, Case 1, the temperature of the four heating plates is the same, for example, 120°C (see b1), and the four heat treatment modules 1231 can be arranged at the same interval, for example, without any spacing (0 mm) (see b2). In this case, the heating plate in the uppermost heat treatment module 1231 can be arranged to be separated from the upper surface of the heat treatment module 1231 by a fixed interval.

[0058] In the second case, Case 2, the temperatures of the four heating plates are 200°C, 200°C, 120°C and 120°C respectively (see c1), and the four heat treatment modules 1231 can be arranged such that only the heating plates with different temperatures can be separated by a fixed interval, for example, only the adjacent heat treatment modules 1231 with heating plates of 200°C and 120°C are separated by a fixed interval (e.g., 90 mm) (see c2).

[0059] In the third case, case 3, the temperatures of the four heating plates are 180°C, 150°C, 150°C, and 120°C respectively (see d1). The four heat treatment modules 1231 can be arranged such that only the heat treatment modules 1231 with heating plates of different temperatures can be arranged at different intervals. For example, adjacent heat treatment modules 1231 with heating plates of 180°C and 150°C can be arranged at a fixed interval (e.g., 60 mm), and other adjacent heat treatment modules 1231 with heating plates of 150°C and 120°C can be arranged at a fixed interval (e.g., 30 mm) (see d2). In this case, even if the temperature difference (30°C) between adjacent heating plates is the same as the temperature difference (30°C) between other adjacent heating plates, the four heat treatment modules 1231 can be arranged such that the interval between adjacent heat treatment modules 1231 with heating plates of 180°C and 150°C is different from that between other adjacent heat treatment modules 1231 with heating plates of 150°C and 120°C.

[0060] In the fourth case, case 4, the temperatures of the four heating plates are 200°C, 150°C, 150°C, and 120°C respectively (see e1). The four heat treatment modules 1231 can be arranged such that only the heat treatment modules 1231 with heating plates having different temperatures are arranged with the same spacing. For example, adjacent heat treatment modules 1231 with heating plates at 200°C and 150°C can be arranged with a fixed spacing (e.g., 60 mm), and other adjacent heat treatment modules 1231 with heating plates at 150°C and 120°C can be arranged with the same fixed spacing (e.g., 60 mm) (see e2). At this time, even if the temperature difference (50°C) between adjacent heating plates is different from the temperature difference (30°C) between other adjacent heating plates, the four heat treatment modules 1231 can be arranged in such a way that adjacent heat treatment modules 1231 with heating plates of 200°C and 150°C can be arranged at the same interval as other adjacent heat treatment modules 1231 with heating plates of 150°C and 120°C.

[0061] Figure 23 An example of a method for controlling the substrate temperature is shown, but it is not limited to this. The substrate temperature can be controlled by adjusting the interval between the heat treatment modules 1231 through various methods.

[0062] As can be seen from the above description, since the temperature difference between the heating plates can be controlled by adjusting the spacing between the heat treatment modules 1231, the heating plates can be controlled at different temperatures. Furthermore, the heat treatment modules 1231 can be configured in the form of a wafer cassette, and multiple heat treatment modules 1231 are arranged in the inner cavity of the wafer cassette, allowing the spacing between the heating plates to be freely adjusted and controlled. Therefore, the thermal effect around the heating plates can be minimized, and the spacing between the heating plates can be easily changed according to the temperature effect.

[0063] The substrate transfer unit 1240 includes at least two first robotic arms 1241 and 1242 and at least one second robotic arm 1243. The first robotic arms 1241 and 1242 are configured to transfer substrates between the first chemical liquid processing unit 1210 and the heat treatment unit 1230. The first robotic arm 1241 places a substrate already processed in the first chemical liquid processing unit 1210 and the heat treatment unit 1230 into a first buffer unit 1251. The second robotic arm 1243 is configured to remove a substrate from the first buffer unit 1251 and transfer it via a second transport module 130 and an interface module 140 to the substrate to be processed in the exposure equipment. The second robotic arm 1243 is also configured to pick up a substrate transported by the first transport module 110 and load it into another first buffer unit 1252. The other first robotic arm 1242 removes a substrate from the other first buffer unit 1252 and transfers it to the first chemical liquid processing unit 1210 and the heat treatment unit 1230 for processing. The second robotic arm 1243 has multiple (e.g., five) end effectors 12431 for transferring the substrate. The second robotic arm 1243 is configured to move along guide rails 12432 provided in the substrate transfer section 1240. A first fan filter unit (FFU) 1261 is located above the two first robotic arms 1241, 1242, and a second fan filter unit (FFU) 1262 is located above the second robotic arm 1243 for supplying clean gas.

[0064] In one embodiment, the second robotic arm 1243 is arranged below and parallel to the two first robotic arms 1241 and 1242. The guide rail 12432 is horizontally arranged at the bottom of the substrate transfer section 1240.

[0065] The substrate transfer unit 1240 includes at least one pair of first buffer units 1251, 1252 located between two adjacent first manipulators 1241, 1242. (Reference) Figure 7 and Figure 8This paper discloses a first embodiment of the first buffer units 1251 and 1252. In this embodiment, the two first buffer units 1251 and 1252 are arranged side by side and parallel to the guide rail 12432. The two first buffer units 1251 and 1252 are configured to rise and fall. For example, the two first buffer units 1251 and 1252 can rise and fall along their respective support frames. To process the substrate, a first robot arm 1241 picks up the substrate to be coated from the first transport module 110 and transfers the substrate to the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231. Simultaneously, the first buffer unit 1252 descends, and a second robot arm 1243 picks up the substrate to be coated from the first transport module 110 and transfers the substrate to the first buffer unit 1252. The first buffer unit 1252 rises, and the first robot arm 1242 picks up the substrate from the first buffer unit 1252 and transfers the substrate to the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231. After the substrate is processed in the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231, the first robot 1241 transfers the substrate to the first buffer unit 1251. The first buffer unit 1251 descends, and the second robot 1243 removes the substrate from the first buffer unit 1251 and transfers it to the second transport module 130. After the substrate is processed in the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231, the first robot 1242 transfers the substrate to the second transport module 130.

[0066] See Figure 9The diagram illustrates a second embodiment of the first buffer units 1251 and 1252. In this embodiment, the two first buffer units 1251 and 1252 are arranged in a stacked manner, and are configured to rise and fall. For example, the two first buffer units 1251 and 1252 can rise and fall together along a support frame. To process the substrate, a first robot arm 1241 picks up the substrate to be coated from the first transport module 110 and transfers it to the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231. Simultaneously, the first buffer units 1251 and 1252 descend, and a second robot arm 1243 picks up the substrate to be coated from the first transport module 110 and transfers it to the first buffer unit 1252. The first buffer units 1251 and 1252 rise, and the first robot arm 1242 picks up the substrate from the first buffer unit 1252 and transfers it to the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231. After the substrate is processed in the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231, the first robot 1241 transfers the substrate to the first buffer unit 1251. The first buffer units 1251 and 1252 descend, and the second robot 1243 removes the substrate from the first buffer unit 1251 and transfers it to the second transport module 130. After the substrate is processed in the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231, the first robot 1242 transfers the substrate to the second transport module 130. Compared to the first embodiment with first buffer units 1251 and 1252, this embodiment saves more space.

[0067] See Figure 10The diagram illustrates a third embodiment of the first buffer units 1251 and 1252. In this embodiment, the two first buffer units 1251 and 1252 are arranged side-by-side and perpendicular to the guide rail 12432. The two first buffer units 1251 and 1252 are configured to rise and fall. For example, the two first buffer units 1251 and 1252 can rise and fall together along the support frame. To process the substrate, a first robot arm 1241 picks up the substrate to be coated from the first transport module 110 and transfers it to the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231. Simultaneously, the first buffer units 1251 and 1252 descend, and a second robot arm 1243 picks up the substrate to be coated from the first transport module 110 and transfers it to the first buffer unit 1252. The first buffer units 1251 and 1252 rise, and the first robot arm 1242 picks up the substrate from the first buffer unit 1252 and transfers it to the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231. After the substrate is processed in the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231, the first robot 1241 transfers the substrate to the first buffer unit 1251. The first buffer units 1251 and 1252 descend, and the second robot 1243 retrieves the substrate from the first buffer unit 1251 and transfers it to the second transport module 130. After the substrate is processed in the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231, the first robot 1242 transfers the substrate to the second transport module 130.

[0068] See Figure 11The diagram illustrates a fourth embodiment of the first buffer units 1251 and 1252. In this embodiment, the two first buffer units 1251 and 1252 are arranged in a stacked manner. The upper first buffer unit 1251 is fixed, while the lower first buffer unit 1252 is configured to rise and fall. For example, the first buffer unit 1252 can rise and fall along a support frame. To process the substrate, a first robot arm 1241 picks up the substrate to be coated from the first transport module 110 and transfers the substrate to the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231. Simultaneously, the first buffer unit 1252 descends, and a second robot arm 1243 picks up the substrate to be coated from the first transport module 110 and transfers the substrate to the first buffer unit 1252. The first buffer unit 1252 rises, and the first robot arm 1242 picks up the substrate from the first buffer unit 1252 and transfers the substrate to the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231. After the substrate is processed in the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231, the first robot 1241 transfers the substrate to the first buffer unit 1251. The first robot 1242 removes the substrate from the first buffer unit 1251 and transfers it to the second transport module 130. After the substrate is processed in the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231, the first robot 1242 transfers the substrate to the second transport module 130.

[0069] The substrate transfer unit 1240 includes at least one third robot arm 1244 configured to transfer substrates between the second chemical liquid processing unit 1220 and the heat treatment unit 1230. The third robot arm 1244 is configured to pick up the substrate to be developed from the second transport module 130 and transfer it to the second processing module 1221 and the heat treatment module 1231. After the substrate is processed in the second processing module 1221 and the heat treatment module 1231, the third robot arm 1244 transfers the substrate to the first transport module 110. A third fan filter unit (FFU) 1263 is located above the third robot arm 1244 and is used to supply cleaning gas. Two first robots arm 1241, 1242, a second robot arm 1243, and a third robot arm 1244 are arranged in parallel layers within the substrate transfer unit 1240.

[0070] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the processing module 120 further includes a pair of second buffer units 1253 and 1254, a pair of third buffer units 1255 and 1256, and at least a pair of fourth buffer units 1257 and 1258. One second buffer unit 1253 is configured to correspond to the first transport module 110 and the first robot arm 1241, and another second buffer unit 1254 is configured to correspond to another first robot arm 1242 and the second transport module 130. One third buffer unit 1255 is configured to correspond to the first transport module 110 and the second robot arm 1243, and another third buffer unit 1256 is configured to correspond to the second robot arm 1243 and the second transport module 130. One fourth buffer unit 1257 is configured to correspond to the second transport module 130 and the third robot arm 1244, and another fourth buffer unit 1258 is configured to correspond to the third robot arm 1244 and the first transport module 110.

[0071] In one embodiment, a second robotic arm 1243 is arranged at the bottom of the substrate transfer section 1240, and two third buffer units 1255 and 1256 are configured to rise and fall to facilitate the transfer of the substrate.

[0072] In the following description, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be understood that the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present invention can be varied according to different process requirements.

[0073] The wafer cassette 112 storing the substrate can be installed in the wafer cassette loading section 111 of the first transport module 110. The substrate stored in the wafer cassette 112 can be loaded into the first transport module 110 by the first transport unit 114 provided in the first transport module 110 through the opening / closing section 113.

[0074] The third buffer unit 1255 rises, and the substrate loaded in the first transport module 110 is transferred to the second buffer unit 1253 and the third buffer unit 1255 respectively for coating processing in the chemical liquid handling apparatus. The first robot arm 1241 picks up the substrate to be coated from the second buffer unit 1253 and transfers it to the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231. Simultaneously, the first buffer unit 1252 and the third buffer unit 1255 descend, and the second robot arm 1243 picks up the substrate to be coated from the third buffer unit 1255 and transfers it to the first buffer unit 1252. The first buffer unit 1252 rises, and the first robot arm 1242 picks up the substrate from the first buffer unit 1252 and transfers it to the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231. After the substrate is processed in the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231, the first robot arm 1241 transfers the substrate to the first buffer unit 1251. The first buffer unit 1251 and the third buffer unit 1256 descend, and the second robot arm 1243 picks up the substrate from the first buffer unit 1251 and transfers the substrate to the third buffer unit 1256. After the substrate is processed in the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231, the first robot arm 1242 transfers the substrate to the second buffer unit 1254. The coating processes for the ARC film and the photoresist film can be completed in the first chemical liquid processing unit 1210.

[0075] The third buffer unit 1256 rises. Then, the substrates in the second buffer units 1254 and 1256 are transferred to the second transport module 130 and the interface module 140 via the second transport unit 131 and the third transport unit 141. The substrates transferred to the interface module 140 can be transported to the exposure equipment (not shown) via the third transport unit 141 provided in the interface module 140. The substrates that have completed the exposure process can be collected and transferred to the second transport module 130.

[0076] The substrate transferred to the second transport module 130 can be transported to the fourth buffer unit 1257. The third robot arm 1244 can take the substrate from the fourth buffer unit 1257 and transfer it to the second processing module 1221 and the heat treatment module 1231 to perform a developing process on the substrate. The substrate that has completed the developing process can be transferred to the fourth buffer unit 1258.

[0077] The substrate in the fourth buffer unit 1258 can be collected and transferred to the slot of the initial wafer cassette 112 via the first transport unit 114 of the first transport module 110.

[0078] Because the time requirement (the time from the completion of the substrate coating process to the substrate's exposure process) is not very strict, and the substrate coating process time is shorter than the substrate development process time, a single first robot can handle the transfer of substrates with four coating units in a two-layer arrangement or six coating units in a three-layer arrangement. Furthermore, working in conjunction with a second robot can reduce the workload of the first robot. In addition, two first robots can independently handle substrate transfer, and one first robot will not transfer a substrate to the other, thereby improving substrate transfer efficiency and reducing particle contamination. Moreover, because precise control of the substrate development process time is required, substrates to be developed are transferred one by one by a third robot.

[0079] A key advantage of the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present invention is that it offers scalability options. To improve productivity, the substrate processing apparatus 100 can be augmented with multiple first processing modules 1211, multiple second processing modules 1221, and multiple heat treatment modules 1231. Furthermore, to improve substrate transfer efficiency, the number of first robotic arms, first buffer units, and third robotic arms can be increased. An exemplary embodiment will be provided below for illustration.

[0080] See Figures 12 to 19 The diagram illustrates a substrate processing apparatus 200 according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 200 includes a first transport module 110, a processing module 120', a second transport module 130, and an interface module 140. The construction of the first transport module 110, the second transport module 130, and the interface module 140 can be the same as that in the substrate processing apparatus 100; therefore, the first transport module 110, the second transport module 130, and the interface module 140 will not be described again here.

[0081] Compared to the processing module 120 of the substrate processing apparatus 100, the processing module 120' of the substrate processing apparatus 200 can be considered as an extension of the processing module 120 by adding multiple first processing modules 1211, multiple second processing modules 1221, and multiple heat treatment modules 1231. In this embodiment, the processing module 120' has six first processing modules 1211 and six second processing modules 1221, which are arranged in three columns, and each column has two layers.

[0082] To improve substrate transfer efficiency, processing module 120' also includes another first robot 2241 corresponding to the added first processing module 1211. Another pair of first buffer units 2251, 2252 are added and arranged between two adjacent first robots 2241, 1242. Processing module 120' also includes another third robot 2244 arranged parallel to the third robot 1244. Accordingly, another third fan filter unit (FFU) 2263 is located above the third robot 2244, and another pair of fourth buffer units 2257, 2258 are configured to correspond to the third robot 2244. One fourth buffer unit 2257 is configured to correspond to the second transport module 130 and the third robot 2244, and the other fourth buffer unit 2258 is configured to correspond to the third robot 2244 and the first transport module 110. The third robotic arm 1244 may be located above another third robotic arm 2244 and is responsible for transferring the substrate between the upper-level second processing module 1221 and the heat treatment module 1231. The other third robotic arm 2244 is responsible for transferring the substrate between the lower-level second processing module 1221 and the heat treatment module 1231.

[0083] See Figure 20 The diagram illustrates a processing module that conceals the first and second processing modules according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, processing module 120” is substantially the same as processing module 120, except that in processing module 120”, the second robotic arm 1243 is positioned above the two first robotic arms 1241 and 1242. The guide rail 12432 of the second robotic arm 1243 is vertically disposed on the side wall of the substrate transfer section 1240. A pair of third buffer units 1255 and 1256 corresponding to the second robotic arm 1243 are located above a pair of second buffer units 1253 and 1254 corresponding to the two first robotic arms 1241 and 1242. Because the position of the second robotic arm 1243 is relatively high, and the second robotic arm 1243 can easily remove the substrate to be processed from the third buffer unit 1255 and load the processed substrate into the third buffer unit 1256, the pair of third buffer units 1255 and 1256 do not need to rise and fall. In addition, the first robotic arms 1241, 1242 and the second robotic arm 1243 can share a fan filter unit (FFU) 1262 located above the second robotic arm 1243, and the first fan filter unit (FFU) 1261 located above the first robotic arms 1241, 1242 can be omitted.

[0084] See Figure 21The diagram illustrates a processing module that conceals both a first processing module and a second processing module according to another embodiment of the present invention. In this embodiment, processing module 120”' is substantially the same as processing module 120, except that processing module 120”' further includes another second robotic arm 3243 and another fourth buffer unit 3258. The two second robotic arms 1243, 3243 are arranged parallel to the first robotic arms 1241, 1242 and located on both sides of the first buffer units 1251, 1252. Specifically, the two second robotic arms 1243, 3243 are disposed below the first robotic arms 1241, 1242. The two second robotic arms 1243, 3243 share the same guide rail. The first buffer units 1251, 1252 are arranged side by side, and the arrangement direction of the first buffer units 1251, 1252 is perpendicular to the guide rail. The first buffer units 1251, 1252 are configured to be able to rise and fall. First buffer units 1251 and 1252 are located between two first robotic arms 1241 and 1242. To process the substrate, the first robotic arm 1241 picks up the substrate to be coated from the second buffer unit 1253 and transfers it to the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231. Simultaneously, the first buffer unit 1252 descends, and the second robotic arm 1243 picks up the substrate to be coated from the third buffer unit 1255 and transfers it to the first buffer unit 1252. The first buffer unit 1252 rises, and the first robotic arm 1242 removes the substrate from the first buffer unit 1252 and transfers it to the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231. After the substrate is processed in the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231, the first robotic arm 1241 transfers the substrate to the first buffer unit 1251. The first buffer unit 1251 descends, and the second robot arm 3243 removes the substrate from the first buffer unit 1251 and transfers the substrate to the third buffer unit 1256. After the substrate is processed in the first processing module 1211 and the heat treatment module 1231, the first robot arm 1242 transfers the substrate to the second buffer unit 1254.

[0085] The substrate processing apparatus of the present invention can perform both coating and developing processes. Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention can perform either coating or developing processes. Taking the developing process as an example, the third robot 1244 removes the substrate to be developed from the fourth buffer unit 1258 and transfers the substrate to the second processing module 1221 and the heat treatment module 1231. After the substrate is processed in the second processing module 1221 and the heat treatment module 1231, the third robot 1244 transfers the substrate to another fourth buffer unit 3258. The substrate in the fourth buffer unit 3258 can be collected by the first transport unit 114 of the first transport module 110 and transferred to the slot of the initial wafer cassette 112. It should be understood that the application of these buffer units can be adjusted according to process requirements to achieve different process objectives.

[0086] See Figure 22 The diagram illustrates a substrate processing apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 800 is substantially the same as the substrate processing apparatus 100, except that in the substrate processing apparatus 800, inside the processing module 120, a first chemical liquid processing unit 1210 having a plurality of first processing modules 1211 is located above a second chemical liquid processing unit 1220 having a plurality of second processing modules 1221. Correspondingly, at least two first robotic arms and at least one second robotic arm are disposed above at least one third robotic arm.

[0087] See Figure 24 , Figure 26 and Figure 27 As shown, the first processing module 1211 can be a coating module installed in a chemical liquid processing device. The coating module 1211 includes a support platform 1212, two coating units 1213 installed on the support platform 1212, a coating nozzle device 1214 located at the center between the two coating units 1213, two edge cleaning devices 1216, and a controller 1215.

[0088] The coating nozzle assembly 1214 includes a horizontally arranged support arm 12141, a drive actuator 12142 positioned on the support arm 12141, a nozzle holder 12144 connected to and driven by the drive actuator 12142 to move forward or backward, at least one nozzle fixed to the nozzle holder 12144, a support shaft 12145 fixed to the support arm 12141, a vertical drive device 12146 connected to the support shaft 12145 to drive the support shaft 12145 to move upward or downward, and a rotary drive device 12147 connected to the support shaft 12145 to drive the support shaft 12145 to rotate. In one embodiment, the drive actuator 12142 has a sliding groove 12143. The first end of the nozzle holder 12144 is disposed in the sliding groove 12143 and configured to move forward or backward in the sliding groove 12143 by a drive actuator 12142. The drive actuator 12142 may be a linear motor. The nozzle is a coating nozzle for dispensing photoresist liquid to a substrate located in two coating units 1213 arranged in the same row, the coating nozzle being located at the center between the two coating units 1213. The coating nozzle includes a solvent nozzle PW configured to dispense solvent to the substrate and a plurality of chemical liquid nozzles PR, such as PR1, PR2, PR3, PR4, configured to dispense photoresist liquid to the substrate. The solvent nozzle PW is located in the middle of the plurality of chemical liquid nozzles PR1, PR2, PR3, PR4 to dispense solvent to the substrate, so that the surface of the substrate is hydrophilic before the photoresist liquid is dispensed from the plurality of chemical liquid nozzles PR1, PR2, PR3, PR4. Pipes connecting solvent nozzles and multiple chemical liquid nozzles pass through support shaft 12145 and support arm 12141. Spaces are provided in support shaft 12145 and support arm 12141 for pipes to move within these spaces.

[0089] In another embodiment, such as Figure 25 As shown, to facilitate alignment of the coating nozzles with the centers of the substrates located in the two coating units 1213, the second end of the nozzle holder 12144' has multiple holes, such as five holes, for mounting solvent nozzles PW and multiple chemical liquid nozzles such as PR1, PR2, PR3, and PR4. The centers of the holes and the centers of the two coating units 1213 are located on the same arc.

[0090] Each edge cleaning device 1216 corresponds to a coating unit 1213 and is configured to remove photoresist film formed on the edge of a substrate located in the coating unit 1213. Each edge cleaning device 1216 includes a dispenser holder 12161 and a dispenser 12162 mounted on one end of the dispenser holder 12161 for dispensing cleaning fluid to the substrate edge to remove the photoresist film formed on the substrate edge. The other end of the dispenser holder 12161 is connected to a vertical drive actuator 12163. The vertical drive actuator 12163 is configured to drive the dispenser holder 12161 to move vertically to adjust the distance between the dispenser 12162 and the substrate. A horizontal drive actuator 12164 is configured to drive the dispenser holder 12161 and the vertical drive actuator 12163 to move horizontally together to adjust the removal width of the photoresist film formed on the substrate edge.

[0091] The controller 1215 is configured to connect to the drive actuator 12142, the vertical drive device 12146, and the rotary drive device 12147 of the coating nozzle assembly 1214, respectively, and is capable of controlling the alignment of the coating nozzle with the center of the substrate located in two coating units 1213 arranged in the same row. The controller 1215 is also configured to connect to the vertical drive actuator 12163 and the horizontal drive actuator 12164 of the edge cleaning device 1216, respectively, and is capable of controlling the removal width of the photoresist film formed on the edge of the substrate.

[0092] like Figure 26 and Figure 27 As shown, before dispensing photoresist onto the substrates in the two coating units 1213 using the coating nozzles, it is crucial to adjust each nozzle to align with the center of the substrates in the two coating units 1213. The adjustment method may include the following steps:

[0093] Step 1: Establish a polar coordinate system in the controller 1215, with the pole O located on the axis of the support shaft 12145, and the polar axis OX parallel to the line passing through the center point of the two coating units 1213 arranged in the same row;

[0094] Step 2: Obtain the polar coordinates of each nozzle and record them in the controller 1215, wherein the polar coordinates of each nozzle are aligned with the center of the substrate in the coating unit 1213; and

[0095] Step 3: The controller 1215 sends instructions to the rotary drive 12147 and the drive actuator 12142 based on the polar coordinates of each nozzle recorded in the controller 1215, so that each nozzle reaches the polar coordinates, thereby aligning the nozzle with the center of the substrate to be processed in the coating unit 1213. For example, if nozzle PR1 is used to dispense photoresist onto the substrate in the coating unit 1213, the controller 1215 instructs the rotary drive 12147 and the drive actuator 12142 to drive the nozzle holder 12144 to rotate and move linearly, so that nozzle PR1 is located at the polar coordinates P(r1, θ1) of nozzle PR1, thereby aligning nozzle PR1 with the center of the substrate.

[0096] In step 2, the method for obtaining the polar coordinates of each nozzle also includes:

[0097] First, a standard sample W is placed in the coating unit 1213, and a camera 1217 is placed at the center of the standard sample W and connected to the controller 1215, wherein the center of the standard sample W is aligned with the center of the chuck, which is set in the coating unit 1213 for positioning and holding the substrate.

[0098] Secondly, the rotary drive 12147 drives the support shaft 12145 to rotate so that the nozzle (e.g., PR4) is aligned with the camera 1217. If the camera 1217 captures the nozzle PR4, the polar coordinates P(r4, θ4) of the nozzle PR4 are recorded in the controller 1215, where r4 is the length L, which is the distance from the nozzle PR4 to the pole O, and θ4 is the rotation angle of the nozzle PR4. If the camera 1217 does not capture the nozzle PR4, the actuator 12145 is driven. 142 drives the nozzle holder 12144 to move linearly, causing the nozzle PR4 to move forward or backward until the camera 1217 captures the nozzle PR4. The polar coordinates P(r4, θ4) of the nozzle PR4 are recorded in the controller 1215, where r4 is the length L±σ, +σ is the distance the actuator 12142 drives the nozzle PR4 to move forward, -σ is the distance the actuator 12142 drives the nozzle PR4 to move backward, and θ4 is the rotation angle of the nozzle PR4.

[0099] Using the same method, we can obtain the polar coordinates P(r2, θ2) of nozzle PR2, the polar coordinates P(r, θ) of nozzle PW, the polar coordinates P(r1, θ1) of nozzle PR1, and the polar coordinates P(r3, θ3) of nozzle PR3.

[0100] This invention employs a oscillating coating nozzle device 1214, which saves space. The challenge with this oscillating coating nozzle device 1214 lies in centering. Therefore, this invention designs a nozzle holder 12144 connected to and driven by a drive actuator 12142 to move forward or backward. Thus, the coating nozzle device 1214 of this invention can automatically adjust the centering of the coating nozzle before dispensing chemical liquid onto the substrate, and the solvent nozzle PW is located in the middle of multiple chemical liquid nozzles such as PR3, PR1, PW, PR2, and PR4, improving processing efficiency by reducing the nozzle's travel distance and travel time.

[0101] See Figure 28 As shown, the second processing module 1221 can be a developing module disposed in a chemical liquid processing device. The developing module 1221 includes a support base 1222, two developing units 1223 disposed on the support base 1222, two developing nozzle devices 1224, two rinsing nozzle devices 1226, and a controller. Each developing nozzle device 1224 and each rinsing nozzle device 1226 corresponds to one developing unit 1223.

[0102] The coating nozzle assembly 1214 and the developing nozzle assembly 1224 are basically the same in construction, except that the type and number of nozzles differ. Each developing nozzle assembly 1224 includes a horizontally arranged support arm 12241, a drive actuator 12242 configured to be positioned on the support arm 12241, a nozzle holder 12244 configured to be connected to and driven by the drive actuator 12242 to move forward or backward, at least one nozzle configured to be fixed to the nozzle holder 12244, a support shaft 12245 configured to be fixed to the support arm 12241, a vertical drive device 12246 configured to connect to the support shaft 12245 to drive the support shaft 12245 to move upward or downward, and a rotation drive device 12247 configured to connect to the support shaft 12245 to drive the support shaft 12245 to rotate. In one embodiment, the drive actuator 12242 has a sliding groove 12243. The first end of the nozzle holder 12244 is disposed in the sliding groove 12243 and configured to move forward or backward in the sliding groove 12243 by being driven by the drive actuator 12242. The drive actuator 12242 may be a linear motor. The nozzle is a developing nozzle for dispensing developer onto a substrate located in a developing unit 1223. The developing nozzle includes multiple chemical liquid nozzles DV, such as DV1, DV2, configured to dispense developer onto the substrate, and a gas nozzle N2N configured to dispense a non-reactive gas such as inert gas or nitrogen onto the substrate to prevent developer from rebounding onto the substrate, thereby preventing pattern defects and reducing particulate contamination. Conduits connected to the multiple nozzles are respectively via a support shaft 12245 and a support arm 12241, in which spaces are provided for movement of the conduits.

[0103] Similarly, to facilitate alignment of the developing nozzle with the center of the substrate located in the developing unit 1223, preferably, the second end of the nozzle holder 12244 has multiple holes for mounting the gas nozzle N2N and multiple chemical liquid nozzles. The center of the holes and the center of the developing unit 1223 are located on the same arc.

[0104] Each flushing nozzle assembly 1226 includes a flushing nozzle holder 12261 and a flushing nozzle 12262 mounted on the flushing nozzle holder 12261 for spraying liquid to flush the substrate. The flushing nozzle holder 12261 is fixed to one end of a support member 12263. The other end of the support member 12263 is configured to be connected to a vertical drive unit 12264 for driving vertical movement of the support member 12263 and a rotary drive unit 12265 for driving rotation of the support member 12263.

[0105] The controller is configured to be connected to the drive actuator 12242, the vertical drive unit 12246, and the rotary drive unit 12247 of the developing nozzle assembly 1224, and is capable of controlling the alignment of the developing nozzle with the center of the substrate located in the developing unit 1223. The controller is also configured to be connected to the vertical drive unit 12264 and the rotary drive unit 12265 of the rinsing nozzle assembly 1226, and is capable of controlling the movement of the rinsing nozzle 12262.

[0106] Before using the developing nozzles to dispense developer onto the substrate in the developing unit 1223, it is crucial to align each of the multiple nozzles with the center of the substrate. The adjustment method is the same as that for the coating nozzles and will not be repeated here.

[0107] See Figures 29 to 31 The diagram illustrates a coating module according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention. The coating module 3211 includes a support platform 3212, two coating units 3213 arranged on the support platform 3212, a coating nozzle device 3214 located at the center between the two coating units 3213, two edge cleaning devices 3216, and a controller.

[0108] The coating nozzle assembly 3214 includes a horizontally arranged support arm 32141, a drive actuator 32142 positioned on the support arm 32141, a nozzle holder 32144 connected to and driven by the drive actuator 32142 to move forward or backward, a solvent nozzle PW fixed to the nozzle holder 32144 for dispensing solvent onto substrates located in two coating units 3213, a support shaft 32145 fixed to the support arm 32141, a vertical drive device 32146 connected to the support shaft 32145 to drive the support shaft 32145 to move upward or downward, and a rotary drive device 32147 connected to the support shaft 32145 to drive the support shaft 32145 to rotate. In one embodiment, the drive actuator 32142 has a sliding groove 32143. The first end of the nozzle holder 32144 is disposed in a sliding groove 32143 and configured to move forward or backward in the sliding groove 32143 by a drive actuator 32142. The drive actuator 32142 may be a linear motor. The second end of the nozzle holder 32144 protrudes forward to form a pin 321441. The coating nozzle assembly 3214 has a plurality of chemical liquid nozzles PR, such as PR1, PR2, PR3, and PR4, which are configured to dispense photoresist liquid onto a substrate located in two coating units 3213. Each chemical liquid nozzle PR is configured to be disposed in and pass through a housing member 32148. A pin hole 32149 is provided on the side wall of the housing member 32148 opposite to the second end of the nozzle holder 32144. The plurality of housing members 32148 are arranged in a groove 32140. The slot 32140 can be supported above the support platform 3212 by, for example, a pair of support columns. The interior of the slot 32140 can be divided into multiple separate areas, each accommodating a shell member 32148.

[0109] like Figure 31As shown, when the chemical liquid nozzle PR delivers photoresist liquid to the substrate located in the two coating units 3213, taking the chemical liquid nozzle PR3 as an example, under the drive of the vertical drive device 32146 and the rotary drive device 32147, the pin 321441 of the nozzle holder 32144 is aligned with the pin hole 32149 on the housing member 32148, wherein the chemical liquid nozzle PR3 is disposed on the housing member 32148. Then, the drive actuator 32142 drives the nozzle holder 32144 to move forward, so that the pin 321441 of the nozzle holder 32144 is inserted into the pin hole 32149 on the housing member 32148 on which the chemical liquid nozzle PR3 is disposed. The vertical drive device 32146 drives the support shaft 32145 to move upward, causing the housing component 32148, on which the chemical liquid nozzle PR3 is mounted, and the chemical liquid nozzle PR3 to leave the groove 32140 and be positioned above the groove 32140. The rotary drive device 32147 drives the support shaft 32145 to rotate, positioning the chemical liquid nozzle PR3 above the substrate. The method for adjusting the chemical liquid nozzle PR3 to align with the center of the substrate is the same as that for the coating module 1211, and will not be described again here.

[0110] The edge cleaning device 3216 and the controller are constructed in the same way as the edge cleaning device 1216 and the controller 1215 of the coating module 1211, and will not be described again here.

[0111] The foregoing description of the present invention is intended to explain the technical solutions. The technical solutions of the present invention are not limited to the specific forms disclosed in this embodiment. Obviously, various modifications and variations can be made based on the teachings given above. These modifications and variations, which are obvious to those skilled in the art, are all within the scope of protection of the claims of this invention.

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising a chemical liquid processing device configured to perform processing on a substrate, characterized in that, The chemical liquid processing device includes: The first chemical liquid processing unit is configured to supply a first chemical liquid to a substrate and perform a first chemical processing on the substrate; The second chemical liquid processing unit is configured to be stacked with the first chemical liquid processing unit and to supply a second chemical liquid to the substrate and perform a second chemical processing on the substrate; The heat treatment section is located opposite the first chemical liquid treatment section and the second chemical liquid treatment section, and is configured to perform heat treatment on the substrate before and after the first chemical treatment or the second chemical treatment on the substrate. A substrate transport section is located between the first and second chemical liquid processing sections and the heat treatment section, wherein the substrate transport section is configured to have: At least two first robotic arms, at least one second robotic arm, and at least one third robotic arm are arranged in parallel layers. The at least two first robotic arms are configured to transfer a substrate between a first chemical liquid processing unit and a heat treatment unit. The at least one third robotic arm is configured to transfer a substrate between a second chemical liquid processing unit and a heat treatment unit. At least one pair of first buffer units, located between two adjacent first robotic arms, are configured to load substrates into and unload substrates from the at least one pair of first buffer units via the at least one second robotic arm.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first chemical liquid processing unit is configured to perform a coating process on a substrate, and the second chemical liquid processing unit is configured to perform a developing process on a substrate.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, characterized in that, The first chemical liquid treatment unit is located below the second chemical liquid treatment unit, or the first chemical liquid treatment unit is located above the second chemical liquid treatment unit.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The chemical liquid handling device also includes a fan filter unit located above the at least two first robotic arms, the at least one second robotic arm, and the at least one third robotic arm.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, At least one of the first buffer units is configured to rise and fall.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, characterized in that, The first buffer unit is configured in one of the following ways: a) two first buffer units are arranged side by side and parallel to the direction of movement of the second robot arm, and both first buffer units are configured to rise and fall; b) two first buffer units are stacked, and both first buffer units are configured to rise and fall; c) two first buffer units are arranged side by side and perpendicular to the direction of movement of the second robot arm, and both first buffer units are configured to rise and fall. d) Two first buffer units are stacked, with the upper first buffer unit being fixed and the lower first buffer unit being configured to rise and fall.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Further includes: The processing module contains the chemical liquid processing device. The first transport module is configured to transport a substrate housed in a wafer cassette and to be processed in the processing module to the processing module, or to transport a substrate that has been processed in the processing module to the wafer cassette. The second transport module is configured to transport a substrate that has been processed in the processing module or a substrate that will be processed in the processing module. as well as An interface module is configured to perform engagement between the second transport module and an external device.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, characterized in that, The processing module further includes: A pair of second buffer units, one of which is configured to correspond to one of the first transport module and the first robotic arm, and the other of which is configured to correspond to the other of the first robotic arm and the second transport module; A pair of third buffer units, one of which is configured to correspond to the first transport module and the second robotic arm, and the other of which is configured to correspond to the second robotic arm and the second transport module; and At least one pair of fourth buffer units, one of which is configured to correspond to the second transport module and the third robot, and the other of which is configured to correspond to the third robot and the first transport module.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The third buffer unit is configured to rise and fall.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, characterized in that, The fourth buffer unit includes at least one fourth buffer unit configured to correspond to the second transport module and the third robot arm, and one or more fourth buffer units configured to correspond to the third robot arm and the first transport module.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second robotic arm is positioned below the at least two first robotic arms.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second robotic arm is positioned above the at least two first robotic arms.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, Two second robotic arms are positioned on either side of a pair of first buffer units.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The first chemical liquid processing unit includes a plurality of first processing modules, which are arranged in multiple columns, and each column has one or more layers.

15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The substrate transmission section has multiple first robotic arms, and a pair of first buffer units are provided between every two adjacent first robotic arms.

16. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The second chemical liquid processing unit includes a plurality of second processing modules arranged in multiple columns, and each column has one or more layers.

17. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16, characterized in that, The substrate transmission unit has multiple third robotic arms, and each third robotic arm corresponds to a second processing module in a layer.

18. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, characterized in that, The heat treatment section has multiple heat treatment modules, which are arranged in multiple columns and each column has multiple layers. The multiple heat treatment modules in each column are configured in the form of wafer cassettes and the spacing between the heat treatment modules is adjustable.

Images