Substrate process apparatus

By introducing a sequence adjustment unit into the substrate process device, the process sequence is dynamically adjusted according to the process flow and the status of the transmission module, the problem of inefficiency in traditional processes is solved, and the utilization rate and production efficiency of equipment are improved.

CN119314918APending Publication Date: 2025-01-14SYSTEM ENGINEERING MEGA SOLUTION CO LTD
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Patent Information

Application Number
CN202410911274.X
Authority / Receiving Office
CN · China
Patent Type
Applications(China)
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2023-07-11
Filing Date
2024-07-09
Publication Date
2025-01-14

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

In the manufacturing of integrated circuit devices, traditional substrate process devices are only queued and transmitted in a predetermined order, resulting in reduced efficiency and cannot fully utilize the availability of process modules, resulting in low equipment utilization and low production efficiency.

Method used

A substrate process device including a process module unit, a transmission module unit and a sequence adjustment unit is designed. By monitoring the process flow and the status of the transmission module, the process sequence is adjusted so that the transmission module that is idle or about to be idle is preferred to process the substrate. Improve the utilization rate of equipment.

Benefits of technology

By optimizing the queuing and transmission order of the substrate, the efficiency of the process device is improved, production time is reduced, and the manufacturing efficiency of integrated circuit devices is improved, especially the productivity of display devices.

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Abstract

The invention provides a substrate process device which comprises a first process module, a second process module, a first conveying module, a second conveying module and a sequence adjusting unit. The first transfer module and the second transfer module are used for queuing and transferring a first substrate which can only be supplied to the first process module and a second substrate which can only be supplied to the second process module respectively. The first transfer module or the second transfer module can be used to queue and transfer a third substrate that can be loaded into both the first process module and the second process module. A sequence adjustment unit adjusts a process sequence such that at least some of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate are prioritized to queue and transport using the first transport module or the second transport module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state, the at least some of the substrates are lower than the substrates being processed in the process sequence.
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Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority from Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0089544 filed on July 11, 2023 in the Korean Intellectual Property Office (KIPO), the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to substrate processing equipment and more particularly to a technique for improving utilization of manufacturing process modules by optimizing process priorities of substrate lots. Background Art

[0004] In the manufacture of integrated circuit devices such as semiconductor devices, display devices, etc., substrates may be frequently queuing and transferred to or from process modules that perform processing processes. In recent years, substrate process apparatuses used in the manufacture of integrated circuit devices may be configured to have a structure including at least two process modules for improving the efficiency of the order of queuing and transferring substrates, the efficiency of device self-control, etc.

[0005] The process modules may be arranged to have a batch structure that is mainly multi-stage, and each batch structure may be equipped to perform different processes. However, conventionally, the queuing and transfer of substrates to the above process modules may be arranged to be performed only in a predetermined order. Thus, if the substrates are queued and transferred to the above process modules only in a predetermined order, the efficiency of using the substrate process equipment may be reduced. Summary of the invention

[0006] The object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of improving the utilization of a manufacturing facility by queuing and transferring substrates of at least two process modules, not in a predetermined order, but in an optimized priority order of working processes based on the availability of process equipment for the substrates.

[0007] A substrate process device for achieving the purpose of the present disclosure according to an exemplary embodiment includes a process module unit, a conveying module unit, and a sequence adjustment unit. The process module unit includes at least a first process module and a second process module, wherein the first process module and the second process module are configured to perform different processes on a substrate. The conveying module unit includes a first conveying module and a second conveying module, wherein the first conveying module is configured to queue and convey a first substrate that can only be loaded into the first process module, and the second conveying module is configured to queue and convey a second substrate that can only be loaded into the second process module, wherein either the first conveying module or the second conveying module can be used to queue and convey a third substrate that can be loaded into both the first process module and the second process module. The sequence adjustment unit is configured to adjust the process sequence according to the process flow recipe, so that the first conveying module or the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state is used to prioritize the queuing and conveying of at least some of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate, and the at least some of the substrates are lower than the substrates being processed in the process sequence.

[0008] In an exemplary embodiment, when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe is such that the first substrate is queued and conveyed first, and then the first conveying module queues and conveys the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so as to prioritize the queuing and conveying of the second substrate using the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state; or when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe is such that the second substrate is queued and conveyed first, and then the second conveying module queues and conveys the first substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so as to prioritize the queuing and conveying of the first substrate using the first conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state.

[0009] In an exemplary embodiment, when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe causes the first conveying module to queue and convey the first substrate first, or the second conveying module to queue and convey the second substrate first, or the first conveying module and the second conveying module queue and convey the first substrate and the second substrate respectively, after completing the queuing and conveying of the first substrate, the second substrate, or the first substrate and the second substrate, scheduling is performed to execute the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so that the first conveying module or the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state can be used to preferentially execute the queuing and conveying of the third substrate.

[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe in the first conveying module is such that queuing and conveying of the third substrate is performed after completing queuing and conveying of the first substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so that queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the second conveying module, and wherein, when the first conveying module completes queuing and conveying of the first substrate and the second conveying module completes queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can readjust the process sequence so that queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the first conveying module.

[0011] In an exemplary embodiment, when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe in the second conveying module is such that queuing and conveying of the third substrate is performed after completing queuing and conveying of the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so that queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the first conveying module, and wherein, when the second conveying module completes queuing and conveying of the second substrate and the first conveying module completes queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can readjust the process sequence so that queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the second conveying module.

[0012] In an exemplary embodiment, when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe is such that the first conveying module performs queuing and conveying of the first substrate, and then, after completing the queuing and conveying of the first substrate, sequentially performs queuing and conveying of the third substrate and the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so that the second conveying module preferentially performs queuing and conveying of the third substrate; and wherein, when the first conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the first substrate, and the second conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can readjust the process sequence so that the first conveying module can perform queuing and conveying of the third substrate, and the second conveying module can perform queuing and conveying of the second substrate.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment, when the process sequence of the process flow recipe is such that the second conveying module performs queuing and conveying of the second substrate, and then, after completing the queuing and conveying of the second substrate, sequentially performs queuing and conveying of the third substrate and the first substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so that the first conveying module preferentially performs queuing and conveying of the third substrate; and wherein, when the second conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the second substrate, and the first conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can readjust the process sequence so that the second conveying module can perform queuing and conveying of the third substrate, and the first conveying module can perform queuing and conveying of the first substrate.

[0014] In an exemplary embodiment, when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe causes the first conveying module and the second conveying module to first respectively perform queuing and conveying of the first substrate and the second substrate, and then perform queuing and conveying of the third substrate after the first conveying module or the second conveying module completes queuing and conveying of the first substrate or the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so that whichever of the first conveying module and the second conveying module completes the conveying first can preferentially perform queuing and conveying of the third substrate.

[0015] A substrate process device for achieving the purpose of the present invention according to an exemplary embodiment includes a first process module, a second process module, a conveying module unit and a sequence adjustment unit. The conveying module unit includes a first conveying module and a second conveying module, wherein the first conveying module is configured to queue and convey a first substrate that can only be loaded into the first process module, and the second conveying module is configured to queue and convey a second substrate that can only be loaded into the second process module, wherein either the first conveying module or the second conveying module can be used to queue and convey a third substrate that can be loaded into both the first process module and the second process module. The sequence adjustment unit is configured to adjust the process sequence according to the process flow recipe, so that the first conveying module or the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state is used to prioritize the queuing and conveying of at least some of the first substrate, the second substrate and the third substrate, and the at least some substrates are lower than the substrate being processed in the process sequence.

[0016] In an exemplary embodiment, when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe is such that the first substrate is queued and conveyed first, and then the first conveying module queues and conveys the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so as to prioritize the queuing and conveying of the second substrate using the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state; or when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe is such that the second substrate is queued and conveyed first, and then the second conveying module queues and conveys the first substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so as to prioritize the queuing and conveying of the first substrate using the first conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state.

[0017] In an exemplary embodiment, when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe causes the first conveying module to queue and convey the first substrate first, or the second conveying module to queue and convey the second substrate first, or the first conveying module and the second conveying module queue and convey the first substrate and the second substrate respectively, after completing the queuing and conveying of the first substrate, the second substrate, or the first substrate and the second substrate, scheduling is performed to execute the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so that the first conveying module or the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state can be used to preferentially execute the queuing and conveying of the third substrate.

[0018] In an exemplary embodiment, when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe in the first conveying module is such that queuing and conveying of the third substrate is performed after completing queuing and conveying of the first substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so that queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the second conveying module, and wherein, when the first conveying module completes queuing and conveying of the first substrate and the second conveying module completes queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can readjust the process sequence so that queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the first conveying module.

[0019] In an exemplary embodiment, when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe in the second conveying module is such that queuing and conveying of the third substrate is performed after completing queuing and conveying of the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so that queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the first conveying module, and wherein, when the second conveying module completes queuing and conveying of the second substrate and the first conveying module completes queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can readjust the process sequence so that queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the second conveying module.

[0020] In an exemplary embodiment, when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe is such that the first conveying module performs queuing and conveying of the first substrate, and then, after completing the queuing and conveying of the first substrate, sequentially performs queuing and conveying of the third substrate and the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so that the second conveying module preferentially performs queuing and conveying of the third substrate; and wherein, when the first conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the first substrate, and the second conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can readjust the process sequence so that the first conveying module can perform queuing and conveying of the third substrate, and the second conveying module can perform queuing and conveying of the second substrate.

[0021] In an exemplary embodiment, when the process sequence of the process flow recipe is such that the second conveying module performs queuing and conveying of the second substrate, and then, after completing the queuing and conveying of the second substrate, sequentially performs queuing and conveying of the third substrate and the first substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so that the first conveying module preferentially performs queuing and conveying of the third substrate; and wherein, when the second conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the second substrate, and the first conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can readjust the process sequence so that the second conveying module can perform queuing and conveying of the third substrate, and the first conveying module can perform queuing and conveying of the first substrate.

[0022] In an exemplary embodiment, when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe causes the first conveying module and the second conveying module to first respectively perform queuing and conveying of the first substrate and the second substrate, and then perform queuing and conveying of the third substrate after the first conveying module or the second conveying module completes queuing and conveying of the first substrate or the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so that whichever of the first conveying module and the second conveying module completes the conveying first can preferentially perform queuing and conveying of the third substrate.

[0023] Meanwhile, a substrate process apparatus for achieving the purpose of the present invention according to an exemplary embodiment includes: a first process module configured to perform a first treatment process with a first process condition; a second process module configured to perform a second treatment process with a second process condition; a transfer module unit; and a sequence adjustment unit. The transfer module unit includes a first transfer module and a second transfer module, the first transfer module being configured to queue and transfer a first substrate that can only be loaded into the first process module, the second transfer module being configured to queue and transfer a second substrate that can only be loaded into the second process module, wherein either the first transfer module or the second transfer module can be used to queue and transfer a third substrate that can be loaded into both the first process module and the second process module. A sequence adjustment unit is configured to adjust a process sequence according to a process flow recipe, wherein, when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe causes the first substrate to be queued and conveyed first, and then the first conveying module to queue and convey the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state is used to prioritize the queuing and conveying of the second substrate; or when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe causes the second substrate to be queued and conveyed first, and then the second conveying module to queue and convey the first substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that the first conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state is used to prioritize the queuing and conveying of the second substrate. Queuing and conveying of a first substrate; or wherein, when the first conveying module first queues and conveys the first substrate, or the second conveying module first queues and conveys the second substrate, or the first conveying module and the second conveying module queue and convey the first substrate and the second substrate respectively according to the process sequence of the process flow recipe, after completing the queuing and conveying of the first substrate, the second substrate, or the first substrate and the second substrate, scheduling is performed to execute queuing and conveying of the third substrate, and the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that the first conveying module or the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state can be used to preferentially execute queuing and conveying of the third substrate.

[0024] In an exemplary embodiment, the first process module may be configured to perform a first baking process on the first substrate or the third substrate under a first temperature condition, and the second process module may be configured to perform a second baking process on the second substrate or the third substrate under a second temperature condition.

[0025] In an exemplary embodiment, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so that when the first conveying module subsequently queues and conveys the third substrate, the second conveying module can give priority to performing the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, and when the second conveying module subsequently queues and conveys the third substrate, the first conveying module can give priority to performing the queuing and conveying of the third substrate.

[0026] In an exemplary embodiment, when the first conveying module performs queuing and transferring of the first substrate, and the second conveying module performs queuing and transferring of the second substrate, and the third substrate is subsequently queued in the first conveying module or the second conveying module, the sequence adjustment unit can adjust the process sequence so that the first conveying module or the second conveying module that first completes the queuing and transferring can perform the queuing and transferring of the third substrate.

[0027] The substrate process apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can optimize the queuing and transfer of substrates to process modules, not in a predetermined order, but in an optimized priority order based on the availability of process equipment for the substrate, thereby improving the efficiency of the use of the apparatus. In addition, the present invention can reduce the time required for the substrate transfer process, thereby improving the productivity of manufacturing integrated circuit devices, especially display devices.

[0028] However, the effects of the present invention are not limited to the above-described effects and can be extended in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram schematically illustrating a configuration of a substrate process apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0030] Figure 2 is a flow chart illustrating a process for optimizing the sequence of jobs in a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0031] Figure 3A and Figure 3B 2 is a diagram illustrating states before and after the order of operations in a substrate processing apparatus is changed according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0032] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a diagram of states before and after the order of jobs in a substrate process apparatus is changed according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0033] Figure 5A and Figure 5Bis a diagram of states before and after the order of jobs in a substrate process apparatus is changed according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0034] Fig. 6A and Figure 6B 2 is a schematic diagram of states before and after the order of jobs in a substrate processing apparatus is changed according to still another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0035] Figure 7 is a flow chart illustrating a process of optimizing the sequence of jobs on a substrate based on determining which transfer modules are scheduled to terminate in a substrate processing apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] FIG. 8A to FIG. 8C According to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, in a substrate processing device according to Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the status before and after the order of jobs is changed.

[0037] Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B According to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a substrate processing device according to Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the job status before and after the priority change.

[0038] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B In another exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a substrate processing device according to Figure 7 Schematic diagram of the status before and after the work priority is changed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0039] The present invention can be modified in various ways and can take various forms, and its embodiments are described in detail herein. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to any specific open form, and will be understood to include all modifications, equivalents or replacements within the scope of the thought and technology of the present invention. When describing each of the accompanying drawings, similar reference numerals are used for similar components. Terms such as first, second, etc. can be used to describe various components, but these components are not limited by these terms. These terms are only used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component. The terms used in this application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the invention. Unless the context clearly states otherwise, the singular form of the expression includes plural. In this application, the term "including" or "consisting of..." etc. is intended to represent the existence of the described features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or their combinations, and should not be understood to exclude the possibility of existing or adding one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts or their combinations.

[0040] Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical or scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. As defined in commonly used dictionaries, these terms should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and unless explicitly defined in this application, should not be interpreted as having an idealized or overly formal meaning.

[0041] The exemplary embodiments will be described in more detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same components in the drawings are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated description of the same components is omitted.

[0042] Figure 1 The configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is schematically shown.

[0043] refer to Figure 1 The substrate process apparatus 100 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be used to perform a process for a substrate for manufacturing an integrated circuit device (e.g., a semiconductor device, a display device, etc.). The substrate process apparatus 100 may include a process module unit 11, a transfer module unit 13, a sequence adjustment unit 15, etc.

[0044] The process module unit 11 may be arranged to provide a process space for performing a process on a substrate. The process module unit 11 may include at least two process modules, one for one process and the other for another process. The process module unit 11 is not limited to having at least two process modules. One process module may be a first process module 11a, and the other process module may be a second process module 11b. The first process module 11a and the second process module 11b may be arranged in the up-down direction, or alternatively, they may be arranged in the side-to-side direction. The first process module 11a and the second process module 11b may be provided to perform different treatment processes. The first process module 11a may be configured to perform a first treatment process under a first process condition, and the second process module 11b may be configured to perform a second treatment process under a second process condition. In one example, the first process module 11a may be configured to perform a first baking process under a first temperature condition (e.g., a temperature of about 100°C to 110°C), and the second process module 11b may be configured to perform a second baking process under a second temperature condition (e.g., a temperature of about 110°C to 120°C).

[0045] The conveying module unit 13 may be provided for queuing and transferring the substrate to the process module unit 11 for supply. The conveying module unit 13 may include, for example, two conveying modules, a first conveying module 13a for queuing and transferring the substrate to one process module, and a second conveying module 13b for queuing and transferring the substrate to another process module. The first conveying module 13a may be configured to queue and transfer a first substrate that can only be fed into one of the process modules, and the second conveying module 13b may be configured to queue and transfer a second substrate that can only be fed into another process module. That is, the first conveying module 13a may be configured to queue and transfer a first substrate that can only be fed into the first process module 11a, and the second conveying module 13b may be configured to queue and transfer a second substrate that can only be fed into the second process module 11b. And the conveying module unit 13 may be configured to queue and transfer a third substrate that can be loaded into both one process module and another process module. In other words, the queuing and transfer of the third substrate may use the first conveying module 13a or the second conveying module 13b. Thus, the first transfer module 13a can be configured to queue and transfer the first substrate or the third substrate to one of the process modules (i.e., the first process module 11a), and the second transfer module 13b can be configured to queue and transfer the second substrate or the third substrate to another of the process modules (i.e., the second process module 11b).

[0046] Here, the first substrate may be subjected to the first treatment process only in the first process module 11a, and the second substrate may be subjected to the second treatment process only in the second process module 11b. In addition, the third substrate may be subjected to both the first treatment process in the first process module 11a and the second treatment process in the second process module 11b. In other words, the first treatment process may be performed on the first substrate under the first process conditions in the first process module 11a, and the second treatment process may be performed on the second substrate under the second process conditions in the second process module 11b. The third substrate may be subjected to the first treatment process under the first process conditions in the first process module 11a, and may be subjected to the second treatment process under the second process conditions in the second process module 11b.

[0047] In addition, the first substrate to the third substrate may be stored in a box for queuing and conveying. Therefore, the conveying module unit 13 may be configured to queue and convey the substrates stored in the box, wherein the first conveying module 13a may be configured to queue and convey the first substrate and the third substrate stored in the first box and the third box, respectively, and the second conveying module 13b may be configured to queue and convey the second substrate and the third substrate stored in the second box and the third box, respectively.

[0048] Hereinafter, the transfer module unit 13 and the process module unit 11 will be described in more detail. The transfer module unit 13 may be configured to transfer a substrate from a previous process to the process module unit 11, and may have a structure including a lot port, an index module, and the like. The lot port may be configured to queue substrates scheduled to be transferred to the process module unit 11. In one example, the lot port may be a member on which a box or the like is placed, wherein a plurality of substrates are stored in the box or the like. An example of a box may be a front opening unified pod (FOUP) having a front opening, and the like. The index module may be configured to transfer substrates stored in a box queued at the lot port to the process module unit 11. In an example, the index module may include a robot arm, and the like.

[0049] The process module unit 11 may be configured to perform a predetermined treatment process on the substrate transported from the transfer module unit 13. As described above, the process module unit 11 may include a first process module 11a and a second process module 11b. The first process module 11a and the second process module 11b may be identical in structure, with only process conditions for the predetermined treatment process being different.

[0050] As described above, the transfer module unit 13 may include a first transfer module 13a having a first batch port and a first indexing module, and a second transfer module 13b having a second batch port and a second indexing module. The process module unit 11 may include a first process module 11a and a second process module 11b, the first process module 11a being used, for example, to perform a first baking process on a first substrate or a third substrate under a first temperature condition, and the second process module 11b being used, for example, to perform a second baking process on a second substrate or a third substrate under a second temperature condition. The baking process is an example of a process performed in the process module unit 11, although other processes may also be performed.

[0051] The process module unit 11 may include a buffer member for temporarily storing the substrate transferred from the transfer module unit 13. In addition, each of the first process module 11a and the second process module 11b may be configured as a structure in which a plurality of process modules are arranged. Therefore, each of the first process module 11a and the second process module 11b may be provided with its own transfer member so as to transfer the substrate to each of the first process modules 11a and the second process modules 11b of the plurality of arranged structures.

[0052] The sequence adjustment unit 15 may be configured to adjust the order in which the substrates start working. To this end, the sequence adjustment unit 15 may include a monitoring unit 17 and a calculation control unit 19. The monitoring unit 17 may be configured to monitor whether each of the first conveying module 13a and the second conveying module 13b has a waiting substrate, and if so, what type of substrate (each type of substrate has a specific type of processing process to be performed), and monitor whether each of the first process module 11a and the second process module 11b is currently performing a process operation or is in an idle state without a process operation to be performed, and provide the monitoring information to the calculation control unit 19. For example, the monitoring unit 17 may perform such monitoring by detecting the identification information of the box in which the substrate is stored. The calculation control unit 19 may be configured to use the monitoring information provided by the monitoring unit 17 as input data, and execute a job management software program to adjust the job start order of the waiting substrates to an optimal order from time to time or periodically, and control the process module unit 11 and the conveying module unit 13 so that the substrates waiting to be processed are rearranged on the first conveying module 13a and the second conveying module 13b according to the adjusted order, and the processing process jobs are performed according to the adjusted order.

[0053] For example, the computing control unit 19 may include a processor, a controller, an arithmetic logic unit (ALU), a digital signal processor, a microcomputer, a field programmable array (FPA), a programmable logic unit (PLU), a microprocessor, or any combination of a data processing device capable of executing and responding to instructions and a job management software program, which is a program that can be executed on a data processing device. The program can be implemented according to an algorithm provided by a method according to an exemplary embodiment described below. The program can be stored on one or more computer-readable non-volatile recording media, such as, for example, a storage device such as a ROM, a flash memory, etc.

[0054] The substrate process apparatus 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be configured to maximize the utilization of process equipment by adjusting the order of substrates waiting to be input into the process module unit 11 in the transfer module unit 13, that is, the order in which the substrates are transferred to the process module unit 11, based on the availability of process equipment for the substrate, rather than in a predetermined order according to a process flow recipe. When a predetermined process is performed on a substrate, performing the process in a predetermined order according to a predetermined process recipe condition may result in only some modules (robots / units) of the process equipment being used, and the remaining modules are not used for work and are idle. When the process equipment is idle, the utilization rate of the equipment is reduced. The substrate process apparatus 100 can improve the utilization rate of the process equipment by flexibly adjusting the working order of the process equipment when the substrate is put into processing in a predetermined working order, thereby improving the efficiency of the process equipment. That is, the substrate processing device 100 can be configured to adjust the process sequence so that the first conveying module 13a or the second conveying module 13b that is currently in an unused (idle) state or scheduled for end of use can prioritize queuing and conveying at least some of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate, which are ranked junior to the substrate currently being processed in the process sequence according to the process flow recipe.

[0055] When a predetermined process is performed on a substrate in the substrate process device 100, it is expected that a process sequence is predetermined according to a process flow recipe, so that the first substrate is queued in the first conveying module 13a to be transferred to the first process module 11a, and then the second substrate is queued and transferred. The sequence adjustment unit 15 can monitor the status of the first conveying module 13a and the second conveying module 13b periodically or whenever a predetermined event occurs to analyze whether the process sequence needs to be adjusted. If the analysis determines that the utilization rate of the process equipment can be improved, the current process sequence can be adjusted to a new process sequence. For example, in the case where the first conveying module 13a is currently in use and the second conveying module 13b is idle, the process sequence can be adjusted so that the second conveying module 13b (rather than the first conveying module 13a) that is not in use (i.e., idle, no substrate to be queued and transferred) or scheduled for end of use (i.e., no substrate queued for transfer except the substrate currently being transferred) is used to prioritize the queuing and transfer of the second substrate to the second process module 11b.

[0056] On the contrary, when the process sequence is such that the second substrate is queued in the second conveying module 13b to be conveyed for performing a process in the second process module 11b, and the first substrate is subsequently queued and conveyed, the sequence adjustment unit 15 can be configured to adjust the process sequence so as to increase the utilization of the process equipment so that the queuing and conveying of the first substrate can be prioritized for performing a process in the first process module 11a using the first conveying module 13a identified as not currently in use or the first conveying module 13a identified as once idle. In addition, let us consider a process sequence in which the first conveying module 13a is queuing the first substrate for conveying, the second conveying module 13b is queuing the second substrate for conveying, or the first conveying module 13a and the second conveying module 13b are both queuing the first substrate and the second substrate for conveying, and then after completing the queuing and conveying of the first substrate, the second substrate, or the first substrate and the second substrate, the queuing and conveying of the third substrate is scheduled. In this case, the sequence adjustment unit 15 can adjust the process sequence to prioritize the queuing and conveying of the third substrate using the first conveying module 13a or the second conveying module 13b determined to be not currently in use. Alternatively, the sequence adjustment unit 15 may adjust the process sequence to prioritize queuing and transfer of the third substrate using the first transfer module 13 a or the second transfer module 13 b scheduled for end of use.

[0057] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described in which the process sequence is adjusted using the sequence adjustment unit 15 to prioritize the queuing and transfer of the third substrate. First, an exemplary embodiment will be described in which the queuing and transfer of the third substrate are prioritized based on the inspection result of the transfer module that is currently in an idle state (i.e., not currently provided for use).

[0058] Figure 2 A process for adjusting a process sequence or a job sequence in a substrate processing apparatus to an optimal sequence according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown. FIG. 3A to FIG. 6B States before and after adjusting a process sequence for initiating a job or a treatment process on a substrate in a substrate processing apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention are shown.

[0059] Reference Figure 2, the calculation control unit 19 of the sequence adjustment unit 15 checks whether the first conveying module 13a or the second conveying module 13b is idle through the monitoring unit 17 because there is no substrate waiting to be transferred (step S21). If it is confirmed that there is any idle conveying module, the calculation control unit 19 of the sequence adjustment unit 15 checks whether the third substrate can be input to the idle conveying module through the monitoring unit 17 (step S23). If, as a result of the check, the third substrate can be supplied to the idle conveying module, the calculation control unit 19 of the sequence adjustment unit 15 can adjust the process sequence so as to prioritize the queuing and transfer of the third substrate to the idle conveying module (step S25).

[0060] In this way, when the substrate is queued and transferred to the process module unit 11 using the transfer module unit 13, the substrate process apparatus 100 can monitor the availability or operability of the process equipment (process module unit 11 and / or transfer module unit 13) periodically or when an event occurs, without following the predetermined sequence according to the process flow recipe. Based on the monitored availability, the queuing and transfer operations of the substrate in the transfer module unit 13 can be reordered. By allowing the substrate to be transferred to the corresponding process module unit 11 according to the adjusted order of the operation, the downtime of the process equipment can be minimized, and the process equipment can be operated at maximum capacity.

[0061] refer to Figure 3A and Figure 3B , showing the process sequence in the first conveying module 13a so that, for example, after completing the queuing and transferring the two first substrates 31 to the first process module 11a, the third substrate 35 is subsequently queued and transferred to the first process module 11a. At this time, the second conveying module 13b may be empty and there is no substrate to be transferred. In addition, the third substrate 35 needs to be processed not only in the first process module 11a, but also in the second process module 11b. In this case, the calculation control unit 19 of the sequence adjustment unit 15 monitors the states of the first conveying module 13a and the second conveying module 13b through the monitoring unit 17, and checks whether the second conveying module 13b is idle (empty) because there is no substrate to be processed. If it is determined that the second conveying module 13b is idle, the process sequence can be adjusted to allow the third substrate 35 waiting to be transferred from the first conveying module 13a to the first process module 11a to be queued at the second conveying module 13b and transferred to the second process module 11b (see Figure 3A ). By adjusting the process sequence, the third substrate 35 can be put into the process earlier than before the process sequence is adjusted without causing a delay in the process of the first substrate 31. In other words, this adjustment of the process sequence results in a higher utilization of the second transfer module 13b and the second process module 11b.

[0062] Furthermore, when the process is performed according to the process sequence adjusted as described above, the sequence adjustment unit 15 can monitor that the first transfer module 13a is terminated in queuing and transferring the first substrate 31 to the first process module 11a, and the second transfer module 13b is completed in queuing and transferring the third substrate 35 to the second process module 11b. If, as a result of the monitoring, it is found that the first transfer module 13a is empty and there is no substrate to be transferred (see Figure 3B ), the sequence adjustment unit 15 can adjust the process sequence so that the third substrate 35 can be queued and transferred from the first transfer module 13a so that the process of the third substrate 35 can be performed in the first process module 11a.

[0063] refer to Figure 4A and Figure 4B , showing that the predetermined process sequence in the second conveying module 13b is scheduled so that after completing the queuing and transfer of the two second substrates 33 to the second process module 11b, the third substrate 35 is subsequently scheduled to be queued and transferred to the second process module 11b. In this case, the first conveying module 13a can be in an empty state with no waiting substrates. However, the third substrate 35 can be a substrate to be processed not only in the second process module 11b but also in the first process module 11a. Therefore, the calculation control unit 19 of the sequence adjustment unit 15 can check whether the first conveying module 13a is empty through the monitoring unit 17. If it is confirmed to be empty, the calculation control unit 19 can adjust the process sequence of the third substrate 35 scheduled to be transferred to the second conveying module 13b, so that the third substrate 35 queued in the first conveying module 13a can be preferentially transferred to the first process module 11a (see Figure 4A ).

[0064] In addition, after starting the operation according to the adjusted process sequence, the sequence adjustment unit 15 can monitor whether the second transfer module 13b has completed the queuing and transfer of the second substrate 33 to the second process module 11b, and whether the first transfer module 13a has completed the queuing and transfer of the third substrate 35 to the first process module 11a (see Figure 4B ). If this state is confirmed, the sequence adjustment unit 15 can monitor whether the second conveying module 13b is empty, and if the second conveying module 13b is found to be empty, the process sequence can be adjusted to allow the third substrate 35 to be queued in the second conveying module 13b and transferred to the second process module 11b. Such flexible adjustment of the process sequence can allow higher utilization of process equipment.

[0065] refer to Figure 5A and Figure 5B, shows an example in which the queue in the first conveying module 13a and the conveyance of the first conveying module 13a to the first process module 11a are scheduled according to the order of the first substrate 31, the third substrate 35, and then the first substrate 31 again according to the predetermined process sequence (see Figure 5A ) are performed sequentially. In this case, the second conveyor module 13b may be in an empty state. Therefore, the sequence adjustment unit 15 may check to see whether the second conveyor module 13b is empty, and if it is found to be empty, adjust the process sequence so that the third substrate 35 waiting to be supplied to the first process module 11a can be transferred from the second conveyor module 13b to the second process module 11b (see Figure 5B ).

[0066] Then, the sequence adjustment unit 15 can check whether the queuing of the two first substrates 31 in the first conveying module 13a and the transfer to the first process module 11a are completed, and whether the waiting of the third substrate 35 in the second conveying module 13b and the transfer to the second process module 11b are completed, and whether the first conveying module 13a is empty. If all these checks are "yes", the sequence adjustment unit 15 can adjust the process sequence so that the third substrate 35 waits in the first conveying module 13a and is transferred to the first process module 11a (see Figure 5B According to the adjustment of the process sequence, the process of the third substrate 35 can be performed faster than before the process sequence is adjusted, and the waiting time of the first substrate 31 can be reduced.

[0067] refer to Fig. 6A and Figure 6B , an example is shown in which the queue in the first conveying module 13a and the conveyance of the first conveying module 13a to the first process module 11a are scheduled to be performed in sequence again according to the predetermined process sequence according to the order of the first substrate 31, the third substrate 35, and then the second substrate 33. In this case, the second conveying module 13b may be in an empty state. Therefore, the calculation control unit 19 of the sequence adjustment unit 15 can monitor the states of the first conveying module 13a and the second conveying module 13b through the monitoring unit 17 to check whether the second conveying module 13b is empty, and if the second conveying module 13b is empty, the process sequence can be adjusted so that the third substrate 35 scheduled to be conveyed to the first process module 11a can wait in the second conveying module 13b and be conveyed to the second process module 11b. As a result, the third substrate 35 can be repositioned to queue at the second conveying module 13b according to the adjusted process sequence.

[0068] Continuing, the sequence adjustment unit 15 determines that the queuing of the first substrate 31 in the first conveying module 13a and its transfer to the first process module 11a have ended, and the queuing of the third substrate 35 in the second conveying module 13b and its transfer to the second process module 11b have ended, and the sequence adjustment unit 15 can rearrange the process sequence to allow the queuing of the third substrate 35 in the first conveying module 13a and its transfer to the first process module 11a to be executed, while allowing the queuing of the second substrate 33 in the second conveying module 13b and its transfer to the second process module 11b to be executed.

[0069] Optionally, although not shown in the figure, the jobs in the second transfer module 13b may be scheduled so that the queuing of substrates in the second transfer module 13b and their transfer to the second process module 11b are sequential, for example, in the order of the second substrate 33, the third substrate 35, and the first substrate 31. The first transfer module 13a may be empty. In this case, the sequence adjustment unit 15 may check to see if the first transfer module 13a is empty, and if it is found to be empty, the process sequence of the third substrate 35 scheduled to be supplied to the second process module 11b may be adjusted to prioritize the queuing in the first transfer module 13a and the transfer to the first process module 11a.

[0070] Next, after the sequence adjustment unit 15 confirms through monitoring that the queuing of the second substrate 33 in the second conveying module 13b and its transfer to the second process module 11b have been completed, and the queuing of the third substrate 35 in the first conveying module 13a and its transfer to the first process module 11a have been completed, the sequence adjustment unit 15 can adjust the process sequence to allow the queuing of the third substrate 35 in the second conveying module 13b and its transfer to the second process module 11b, while also allowing the queuing of the first substrate 31 in the first conveying module 13a and its transfer to the first process module 11a.

[0071] Figure 7 A process for adjusting the queuing and transfer of a third substrate to prioritize it based on checking transfer modules scheduled as idle is shown according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 8A to FIG. 10B Specific states before and after adjustment of a process sequence in a substrate process apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention are shown.

[0072] Reference Figure 7, the calculation control unit 19 of the sequence adjustment unit 15 checks whether the first conveying module 13a or the second conveying module 13b is a conveying module that is about to become idle through the monitoring unit 17 (step S71). If it is confirmed as a result of the check that there is a conveying module that is about to become idle, the calculation control unit 19 of the sequence adjustment unit 15 checks whether the third substrate 35 can be supplied to the conveying module that is about to become idle through the monitoring unit 17 (step S73). If it is confirmed that the third substrate 35 can be input to the conveying module that is about to become idle, the sequence adjustment unit 15 can adjust the process sequence so that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate 35 can be preferentially performed in the conveying module (step S75).

[0073] Thus, the substrate processing apparatus 100 of the present invention may allow substrates to be queued and transferred to prioritized process modules based on the order in which the substrates may be processed rather than in a predetermined order.

[0074] refer to Fig. 8A , according to a predetermined process sequence, currently the first conveying module 13a may queue and transfer the first substrate 31 to the first process module 11a, and the second conveying module 13b may queue and transfer the second substrate 33 to the second process module 11b, and after the first conveying module 13a and / or the second conveying module 13b completes the queuing and transfer of the first substrate 31 and / or the second substrate 33, the third substrate 35 may be subsequently queued and transferred. In this case, the sequence adjustment unit 15 may adjust the process sequence, and the queuing and transfer of the third substrate 35 may be prioritized by completing the transfer operation first by either the first conveying module 13a that transfers the first substrate 31 or the second conveying module 13b that transfers the second substrate 33. That is, if it is determined that the queuing and transfer of the second substrate 33 by the second conveying module 13b is completed first, as shown in FIG. Figure 8B As shown, the sequence adjustment unit 15 can adjust the process sequence to prioritize the queuing and conveying of the third substrate 35 by the second conveying module 13b. And when it is confirmed that the queuing and conveying of the first substrate 31 by the first conveying module 13a has been completed, the sequence adjustment unit 15 can adjust the process sequence so that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate 35 can also be completed by the first conveying module 13a in combination with the second conveying module 13b.

[0075] Optionally, although not shown, if it is determined that the queuing and conveying of the first substrate 31 by the first conveying module 13a is scheduled to be completed first, the sequence adjustment unit 15 may adjust the process sequence so that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate 35 by the first conveying module 13a may be preferentially performed. And when it is confirmed that the queuing and conveying of the second substrate 33 by the second conveying module 13b has been completed, the sequence adjustment unit 15 may adjust the process sequence so that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate 35 by the second conveying module 13b in combination with the first conveying module 13a may also be performed.

[0076] Embodiments of adjusting a process sequence to prioritize the queuing and transfer of a first substrate or a second substrate that is designated as a later priority in the process sequence are described below.

[0077] 9A to 10B Specific states before and after adjusting a process sequence in a substrate processing apparatus according to another exemplary embodiment of the present invention are shown.

[0078] First reference Fig. 9A and Fig. 9B , the process sequence may be such that the first conveying module 13a may be in the process of queuing and transferring the two first substrates 31 to the first process module 11a, and after the queuing and transferring of the first substrate 31 in the first conveying module 13a is completed, the second conveying module 13b may be scheduled to perform the queuing and transferring of the second substrate 33. In other words, the process sequence may be such that the first substrate 31 is the first and the second substrate 33 is the second. In this case, the sequence adjustment unit 15 may check whether the second conveying module 13b is currently idle (unused) or is about to be idle, and then check whether the second conveying module 13b is available for queuing the second substrate 33. If so, the sequence adjustment unit 15 may adjust the process sequence so that the queuing and transferring of the second substrate 33 by the second conveying module 13b is performed preferentially.

[0079] And refer to Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B, the process sequence may be such that the second conveying module 13b may queue and transfer the two second substrates 33 to the second process module 11b, and after the queuing and transfer of the second substrate 33 in the second conveying module 13b are completed, the first conveying module 13a may be used to schedule to perform the queuing and transfer of the first substrate 31. That is, the process sequence may be such that the second substrate 33 is the first and the first substrate 31 is the second. In this case, the sequence adjustment unit 15 may check whether the first conveying module 13a is currently idle (unused) or is about to be idle, and then check whether the first conveying module 13a is available for queuing the first substrate 31. If so, the sequence adjustment unit 15 may adjust the process sequence so that the queuing and transfer of the first substrate 31 by the first conveying module 13a is performed preferentially.

[0080] According to the aforementioned embodiment, the substrate process apparatus 100 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can be adapted to simultaneously and effectively use the second transfer module 13b together with the first transfer module 13a even if only the process sequence is adjusted by the sequence adjustment unit 15. In particular, since the substrate process apparatus 100 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can effectively operate two of the at least two process modules by adjusting only the process sequence by the sequence adjustment unit 15, the operation efficiency of two or more substrate process apparatuses can be obtained by using only one substrate process apparatus.

[0081] The substrate process apparatus according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention may be applied to the manufacture of integrated circuit devices such as semiconductor devices, display devices, etc., and may be particularly applied to a transfer process for transferring a substrate.

[0082] While the present invention has been described above with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and changes can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as described in the appended claims.

Claims

1. A substrate processing device, comprising: A process module unit, comprising at least a first process module and a second process module, wherein the first process module and the second process module are configured to perform different processes on a substrate; a transfer module unit, comprising a first transfer module and a second transfer module, wherein the first transfer module is configured to queue and transfer a first substrate that can only be loaded into the first process module, and the second transfer module is configured to queue and transfer a second substrate that can only be loaded into the second process module, wherein either the first transfer module or the second transfer module can be used to queue and transfer a third substrate that can be loaded into both the first process module and the second process module; as well as A sequence adjustment unit is configured to adjust a process sequence according to a process flow recipe so as to prioritize queuing and transferring at least some of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate using the first conveying module or the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state, and the at least some of the substrates are lower than substrates being processed in the process sequence.

2. The substrate processing device according to claim 1, wherein: When the process sequence according to the process flow recipe is such that the first substrate is queued and conveyed first, and then the first conveying module queues and conveys the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so as to prioritize the queuing and conveying of the second substrate using the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state; or when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe is such that the second substrate is queued and conveyed first, and then the second conveying module queues and conveys the first substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so as to prioritize the queuing and conveying of the first substrate using the first conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state.

3. The substrate processing device according to claim 1, wherein: When the process sequence according to the process flow recipe makes the first conveying module queue and convey the first substrate first, or the second conveying module queue and convey the second substrate first, or the first conveying module and the second conveying module queue and convey the first substrate and the second substrate respectively, after completing the queuing and conveying of the first substrate, the second substrate, or the first substrate and the second substrate, scheduling is performed to execute the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that the first conveying module or the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state can be used to preferentially execute the queuing and conveying of the third substrate.

4. The substrate processing device according to claim 3, wherein: When the process sequence according to the process flow recipe in the first conveying module is such that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate is performed after the queuing and conveying of the first substrate is completed, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the second conveying module, and wherein, when the first conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the first substrate and the second conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit readjusts the process sequence so that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the first conveying module.

5. The substrate processing device according to claim 3, wherein: When the process sequence according to the process flow recipe in the second conveying module is such that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate is performed after the queuing and conveying of the second substrate is completed, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the first conveying module, and wherein, when the second conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the second substrate and the first conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit readjusts the process sequence so that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the second conveying module.

6. The substrate processing device according to claim 3, wherein: When the process sequence according to the process flow recipe enables the first conveying module to execute queuing and conveying of the first substrate, and then, after completing the queuing and conveying of the first substrate, sequentially executes queuing and conveying of the third substrate and the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that the second conveying module preferentially executes queuing and conveying of the third substrate; and wherein, when the first conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the first substrate, and the second conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit readjusts the process sequence so that the first conveying module can execute queuing and conveying of the third substrate, and the second conveying module can execute queuing and conveying of the second substrate.

7. The substrate processing device according to claim 3, wherein: When the process sequence according to the process flow recipe enables the second conveying module to execute queuing and conveying of the second substrate, and then, after completing the queuing and conveying of the second substrate, sequentially executes queuing and conveying of the third substrate and the first substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that the first conveying module preferentially executes queuing and conveying of the third substrate; and wherein, when the second conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the second substrate, and the first conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit readjusts the process sequence so that the second conveying module can execute queuing and conveying of the third substrate, and the first conveying module can execute queuing and conveying of the first substrate.

8. The substrate processing device according to claim 3, wherein: When the process sequence according to the process flow recipe makes the first conveying module and the second conveying module first respectively perform queuing and conveying of the first substrate and the second substrate, and then perform queuing and conveying of the third substrate after the first conveying module or the second conveying module completes queuing and conveying of the first substrate or the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that whichever of the first conveying module and the second conveying module completes the conveying first can preferentially perform queuing and conveying of the third substrate.

9. A substrate processing device, comprising: A first process module; A second process module; a transfer module unit, comprising a first transfer module and a second transfer module, wherein the first transfer module is configured to queue and transfer a first substrate that can only be loaded into the first process module, and the second transfer module is configured to queue and transfer a second substrate that can only be loaded into the second process module, wherein either the first transfer module or the second transfer module can be used to queue and transfer a third substrate that can be loaded into both the first process module and the second process module; as well as A sequence adjustment unit is configured to adjust a process sequence according to a process flow recipe so as to prioritize queuing and transferring at least some of the first substrate, the second substrate, and the third substrate using the first conveying module or the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state, and the at least some of the substrates are lower than substrates being processed in the process sequence.

10. The substrate processing device according to claim 9, wherein: When the process sequence according to the process flow recipe is such that the first substrate is queued and conveyed first, and then the first conveying module queues and conveys the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so as to prioritize the queuing and conveying of the second substrate using the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state; or when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe is such that the second substrate is queued and conveyed first, and then the second conveying module queues and conveys the first substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so as to prioritize the queuing and conveying of the first substrate using the first conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein: When the process sequence according to the process flow recipe makes the first conveying module queue and convey the first substrate first, or the second conveying module queue and convey the second substrate first, or the first conveying module and the second conveying module queue and convey the first substrate and the second substrate respectively, after completing the queuing and conveying of the first substrate, the second substrate, or the first substrate and the second substrate, scheduling is performed to execute the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that the first conveying module or the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state can be used to preferentially execute the queuing and conveying of the third substrate.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: When the process sequence according to the process flow recipe in the first conveying module is such that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate is performed after the queuing and conveying of the first substrate is completed, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the second conveying module, and wherein, when the first conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the first substrate and the second conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit readjusts the process sequence so that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the first conveying module.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: When the process sequence according to the process flow recipe in the second conveying module is such that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate is performed after the queuing and conveying of the second substrate is completed, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the first conveying module, and wherein, when the second conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the second substrate and the first conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit readjusts the process sequence so that the queuing and conveying of the third substrate can be performed preferentially by using the second conveying module.

14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: When the process sequence according to the process flow recipe enables the first conveying module to execute queuing and conveying of the first substrate, and then, after completing the queuing and conveying of the first substrate, sequentially executes queuing and conveying of the third substrate and the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that the second conveying module preferentially executes queuing and conveying of the third substrate; and wherein, when the first conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the first substrate, and the second conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit readjusts the process sequence so that the first conveying module can execute queuing and conveying of the third substrate, and the second conveying module can execute queuing and conveying of the second substrate.

15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: When the process sequence according to the process flow recipe enables the second conveying module to execute queuing and conveying of the second substrate, and then, after completing the queuing and conveying of the second substrate, sequentially executes queuing and conveying of the third substrate and the first substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that the first conveying module preferentially executes queuing and conveying of the third substrate; and wherein, when the second conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the second substrate, and the first conveying module completes the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, the sequence adjustment unit readjusts the process sequence so that the second conveying module can execute queuing and conveying of the third substrate, and the first conveying module can execute queuing and conveying of the first substrate.

16. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11, wherein: When the process sequence according to the process flow recipe makes the first conveying module and the second conveying module first respectively perform queuing and conveying of the first substrate and the second substrate, and then perform queuing and conveying of the third substrate after the first conveying module or the second conveying module completes queuing and conveying of the first substrate or the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that whichever of the first conveying module and the second conveying module completes the conveying first can preferentially perform queuing and conveying of the third substrate.

17. A substrate processing device comprising: A first process module configured to perform a first treatment process having a first process condition; A second process module configured to perform a second treatment process having second process conditions; a transfer module unit, comprising a first transfer module and a second transfer module, wherein the first transfer module is configured to queue and transfer a first substrate that can only be loaded into the first process module, and the second transfer module is configured to queue and transfer a second substrate that can only be loaded into the second process module, wherein either the first transfer module or the second transfer module can be used to queue and transfer a third substrate that can be loaded into both the first process module and the second process module; and A sequence adjustment unit is configured to adjust the process sequence according to the process recipe, Wherein, when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe causes the first substrate to be queued and conveyed first, and then the first conveying module to queue and convey the second substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so as to prioritize the queuing and conveying of the second substrate using the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state; or when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe causes the second substrate to be queued and conveyed first, and then the second conveying module to queue and convey the first substrate, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so as to prioritize the queuing and conveying of the first substrate using the first conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state; or Wherein, when the process sequence according to the process flow recipe makes the first conveying module queue and convey the first substrate first, or the second conveying module queue and convey the second substrate first, or the first conveying module and the second conveying module queue and convey the first substrate and the second substrate respectively, after completing the queuing and conveying of the first substrate, the second substrate, or the first substrate and the second substrate, scheduling is performed to execute the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, and the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that the first conveying module or the second conveying module that is in an idle state or is about to become an idle state can be used to preferentially execute the queuing and conveying of the third substrate.

18. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein: The first process module is configured to perform a first baking process on the first substrate or the third substrate under a first temperature condition, and the second process module is configured to perform a second baking process on the second substrate or the third substrate under a second temperature condition.

19. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein: The sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that when the first conveying module subsequently queues and conveys the third substrate, the second conveying module can preferentially perform the queuing and conveying of the third substrate, and when the second conveying module subsequently queues and conveys the third substrate, the first conveying module can preferentially perform the queuing and conveying of the third substrate.

20. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 17, wherein: When the first conveying module performs queuing and transferring of the first substrate, and the second conveying module performs queuing and transferring of the second substrate, and the third substrate is subsequently queued in the first conveying module or the second conveying module, the sequence adjustment unit adjusts the process sequence so that the first conveying module or the second conveying module that completes the queuing and transferring first can perform queuing and transferring of the third substrate.

Citation Information

Patent Citations

  • Processing apparatus

    KR1020230089544A