Conveying module and substrate conveying method of semiconductor manufacturing apparatus

Abstract

The invention relates to a transport module and a substrate transport method of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. In a transport module used in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that transports a substrate to a processing module by using a moving body, productivity is improved when power is supplied to a power consumption device provided on the moving body. A transport module used in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that transports a substrate to a processing module for processing the substrate by moving a moving body provided with a magnet in a state of floating from the bottom by a magnetic force is configured to include: the moving body; a housing in which a movement space in which the moving body moves is formed; a power consumption device provided on the moving body; a first coil provided above the moving space; and a second coil which is provided on the moving body so as to generate an induced current by means of a magnetic field formed by the first coil to which power is supplied, and which supplies power to the power consumption device.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a transfer module and a method for transferring a substrate of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. Background Art

[0002] For example, in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that processes a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter also referred to as "wafer") as a substrate, the wafer is transferred between a carrier that houses the wafer and a processing module that performs processing. When transferring the wafer, transfer mechanisms of various structures are used.

[0003] The applicant has developed a transfer module for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that uses a transfer mechanism utilizing magnetic levitation to transfer a substrate to a processing module.

[0004] As a transfer mechanism utilizing magnetic levitation, Patent Document 1 describes a structure in which a first magnet is provided on the floor portion of a substrate transfer chamber, a second magnet is provided on a substrate transfer module, and the substrate transfer module is moved by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force of the magnets in the substrate transfer chamber. In addition, it is described that the second magnet is an electromagnet powered by a battery provided on the substrate transfer module and can obtain a control signal related to power supply control through wireless communication. However, no specific structure related to power supply control is described.

[0005] In addition, Patent Document 2 describes a technique related to the arrangement of a magnet array in a displacement device including a stator having a coil and a movable stage having a magnet array and performing relative movement between the stator and the movable stage.

[0006] Prior Art Documents

[0007] Patent Documents

[0008] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-36757

[0009] Patent Document 2: Japanese Translation of PCT International Application No. 2014-531189 Summary of the Invention

[0010] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0011] The present disclosure provides the following technology: in a transfer module for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that transfers a substrate to a processing module using a moving body, when power is supplied to a power consumption device provided on the moving body, productivity is improved.

[0012] Solutions to the Problems

[0013] The present disclosure relates to a transfer module used in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. A moving body having a magnet in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus moves in a state of floating from the bottom by magnetic force and transfers a substrate to a processing module for processing the substrate. Among them,

[0014] The transfer module includes:

[0015] The moving body;

[0016] A housing that forms a moving space inside for the moving body to move;

[0017] A power consumption device provided on the moving body;

[0018] A first coil provided above the moving space; and

[0019] A second coil is provided on the moving body in such a way that an induced current is generated by the magnetic field formed by the powered first coil to supply power to the power consumption device.

[0020] Effects of the Invention

[0021] According to the present disclosure, in a transfer module for a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that transfers a substrate to a processing module using a moving body, when power is supplied to a power consumption device provided on the moving body, an improvement in productivity can be achieved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1 is a top view showing a first embodiment of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a transfer module.

[0023] Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing the transfer module of the first embodiment.

[0024] Figure 3 is a top view showing the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus of the first embodiment.

[0025] Figure 4 is a top view showing a structural example of a moving body provided in the transfer module.

[0026] Figure 5 is a side view showing a structural example of the moving body.

[0027] Figure 6 is a perspective three-dimensional view showing a driving coil of the moving body.

[0028] Figure 7 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing a structural example of the driving coil and a magnet provided on the moving body.

[0029] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of a power supply system.

[0030] Figure 9 It is a longitudinal sectional side view showing the function of the transfer module of the first embodiment.

[0031] Figure 10 It is a top view showing the second embodiment of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including the transfer module.

[0032] Figure 11 It is a longitudinal sectional side view showing the transfer module of the second embodiment.

[0033] Figure 12 It is a top view showing the function of the transfer module of the second embodiment.

[0034] Figure 13 It is a top view showing the function of the transfer module of the second embodiment.

[0035] Description of reference numerals

[0036] W, wafer; S, moving space; 1, semiconductor manufacturing apparatus; 11, processing module; 14, transfer module; 15, housing; 2, moving body; 4, magnet; 5, first coil; 6, second coil; 71, sensor. Detailed description of the embodiments

[0037] <Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus>

[0038] Hereinafter, the transfer module of the first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 1 It is a top view showing the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 including the transfer module.

[0039] In Figure 1 a multi-chamber type semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 having a processing module 11 with a plurality of processing wafers W is illustrated. As shown in this Figure 1 , in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, an atmospheric transfer chamber 12, a load lock module 13, and a transfer module 14 are arranged in the front-rear direction. In addition, a plurality of processing modules 11 are provided on the left and right sides of the transfer module 14, respectively. Hereinafter, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, the front-rear direction will be set as the "X direction", the left-right direction horizontally intersecting the front-rear direction will be set as the "Y direction", and in the front-rear direction, the atmospheric transfer chamber 12 side will be set as the near front side, and the transfer module 14 side will be set as the depth side for explanation.

[0040] A loading port 121 for placing a carrier C accommodating a wafer W to be processed is provided on the near front side of the atmospheric transfer chamber 12. As the carrier C, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) or the like can be used.

[0041] In addition, a loading interlock module 13 is connected to the depth side of the atmospheric transport chamber 12. In this example, a plurality of loading interlock modules 13 are arranged in the left-right direction, for example, two.

[0042] The atmospheric transport chamber 12 is in an atmospheric pressure (normal pressure) atmosphere, and a transport mechanism 122 is provided inside thereof, configured to transport the wafer W between the carrier C and the loading interlock module 13.

[0043] The loading interlock module 13 is configured to be able to switch between an atmospheric pressure atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere, and includes a transfer stage 130 for placing the wafer W and a lift pin 131. The lift pin 131 is provided so as to project and retract relative to the stage 130 freely.

[0044] The processing module 11 is a module for processing the wafer W. In this example, it is depressurized to a vacuum atmosphere by a vacuum exhaust mechanism (not shown), and is configured to process the wafer W in a vacuum atmosphere. A stage 111 and a lift pin 112 are provided inside each processing module 11, and the lift pin 112 is provided so as to project and retract relative to the stage 111 freely. The wafer W is subjected to a predetermined process in a state of being placed on the stage 111. Examples of the process performed on the wafer W include an etching process, a film forming process, an annealing process, an ashing process, etc.

[0045] <First Embodiment of the Transfer Module>

[0046] As Figure 1 shown, the transfer module 14 is composed of a housing 15 having a rectangular shape in plan view that is long in the front-rear direction. As Figure 1 and Figure 2 shown, the housing 15 includes a bottom 151, a top wall 152, and side walls 153, and is formed of a metal such as aluminum (Al).

[0047] At the front side of the housing 15, a loading interlock module 13 is connected from the side, and on the left and right sides of the housing 15, a plurality of processing modules 11 are respectively connected from the side, for example, 4 units on each of the left and right sides. In addition, a moving body 2 for transporting the wafer W between the loading interlock module 13 and each processing module 11 is provided inside the housing 15.

[0048] The moving body 2 is configured to move in a state where the main body portion 21 having a magnet 4 floats from the bottom 151 by magnetic force, and a moving space S for the moving body 2 to move is formed inside the transfer module 14.

[0049] For example, an exhaust port 16 is formed at the bottom 151 of the housing 15. The exhaust port 16 is connected to an exhaust mechanism 161 including a valve, a vacuum pump, etc. via an exhaust path 162. Then, the exhaust mechanism 161 performs exhaust to reduce the pressure in the moving space S within the housing 15 to a vacuum atmosphere. In addition, the exhaust port 16 for exhausting the moving space S is not limited to being formed at the bottom 151 of the housing 15, and may also be formed on the side wall 153 of the housing 15.

[0050] On the side wall 153 of the housing 15, a first transfer port 110 that opens for transferring the wafer W between the processing module 11 and a second transfer port 120 that opens for transferring the wafer W between the load lock module 13 are respectively formed. In Figure 1 wherein, reference numerals G1, G2, and G3 are gate valves for opening and closing transfer ports of the wafer W such as the first transfer port 110 and the second transfer port 120. Reference numeral G3 corresponds to the first valve for opening and closing the first transfer port 110, and reference numeral G2 corresponds to the second valve for opening and closing the second transfer port 120. The gate valves G1 to G3 are closed except when required for the transfer of the wafer W between modules, separating the atmosphere of the transfer module 14 and the atmosphere of the module connected to the transfer module 14.

[0051] Within the transfer module 14, multiple movers 2 are used to transfer the wafer W. For example, the length of the transfer module 14 in the short side direction of the housing 15 is sized such that multiple, for example, two movers 2 that respectively hold the wafer W can pass by in a staggered state side by side.

[0052] Moreover, the transfer module 14 is configured to be able to wirelessly supply power to the power-consuming devices provided on the mover 2. The power supply is performed by electromagnetic induction. A first coil 5 serving as a power supply coil is provided on the housing 15 side, and a second coil 6 serving as a power receiving coil is provided on the mover 2 side. The second coil 6 is configured to generate an induced current using the magnetic field formed by the first coil 5.

[0053] The first coil 5 is provided above the region in the moving space S where the residence time of the mover 2 per unit time is longer. Here, in the moving space S, regions where the positions in the lateral (horizontal) direction are different and the residence time of the mover 2 per unit time is different are set as a first region R1 and a second region R2. The first region R1 is the region where the residence time is longer than that of the second region R2. The first coil 5 is provided above this first region R1.

[0054] In this example, the first region R1 is set as the region including the handover position where the mover 2 hands over the wafer W between the load lock module 13, and the second region R2 is the region other than this region. In Figure 1 andFigure 2 In this case, the moving body 2 located at the transfer position is represented by a solid line, and Figure 3 the moving body 2 is represented by a dashed line. When the wafer W is conveyed between the carrier C and any one of the one or more processing modules 11, the moving body 2 accesses the load interlock module 13 at the time of feeding and discharging with respect to the conveying module 14, respectively. Therefore, the residence time at the transfer position of the load interlock module 13 is longer than the residence time at other positions in the moving space S. Therefore, this transfer position is set as the first region R1, and the first coil 5 is arranged to supply power during the residence at this transfer position.

[0055] For example, the first coil 5 is arranged above the first region R1, for example, outside the top wall 152 of the housing 15 and above the position close to the load interlock module 13 side. Specifically, a recess 154 with an upper opening is formed in a portion of the top wall 152 of the housing 15 corresponding to the first region R1, and the first coil 5 is housed in the recess 154.

[0056] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the first coil 5 is arranged, for example, to face the second coil 6 of the moving body 2 described later across the housing 15 (the bottom wall of the recess 154) when the moving body 2 is at the transfer position, and their winding axes are aligned in a plan view. With such an arrangement, the second coil 6 is in a region where the magnetic field formed by the first coil 5 is relatively strong, and an induced current is generated in the second coil 6 as described later. The first coil 5 is prepared for each load interlock module 13, and two first coils 5 are arranged side by side in the left - right direction in the recess 154.

[0057] The first coil 5 is formed by spirally winding the coil wire 52 on the upper surface of a substrate 51 made of an insulator. For example, in Figure 3 the example shown, the substrate 51 is configured to be rectangular in a plan view, and for the convenience of illustration, the coil wire 52 is depicted as concentric circles. The first coil 5 thus formed opens in the up - down direction (Z direction), and the coil wire 52 is connected to a power supply unit 54 that supplies DC power via a DC / AC conversion circuit 53.

[0058] The first coil 5 faces the second coil 6 of the moving body 2 located at the transfer position across the bottom wall 155 of the recess 154 where the first coil 5 is arranged. The thickness of the bottom wall 155 is set to a size that does not hinder the power supply by electromagnetic induction using the first coil 5 and the second coil 6 and is a size that prevents the deformation of the housing caused by the pressure difference inside and outside the conveying module 14.

[0059] <Moving body>

[0060] Next, the mobile body 2 will be described. The mobile body 2 is configured to be movable within the transfer module 14 by using magnetic levitation. In addition, the mobile body 2 not only performs the transfer of the wafer W, but also has a function of wirelessly powering the power-consuming devices provided on the mobile body 2. Hereinafter, the structure of the devices related to the transfer of the wafer W and wireless power supply using the mobile body 2 will be described.

[0061] Figure 4 Fig. shows a top view of the mobile body 2, Figure 5 Fig. shows a side view of the mobile body 2.

[0062] As shown in these figures, the mobile body 2 includes: a main body portion 21; and a fork 22 which is provided so as to extend in the lateral direction (horizontal direction) with the main body portion 21 as the base end. In addition, a substrate holding portion 23 for horizontally holding the wafer W to be transferred is formed at the tip of the fork 22. The substrate holding portion 23 is configured to be able to surround, for example, the three lifting pins 131 and 112 provided in the load lock module 13 and the processing module 11 from the side. In Figure 4 and Figure 5 a structure in which the base end side of the fork 22 is connected to the upper surface of the main body portion 21 is shown, but the connection between the fork 22 and the main body portion 21 is not limited to this structure.

[0063] The fork 22 is configured to have a length such that, in a state where the main body portion 21 is located within the transfer module 14, the wafer W can be exchanged between the placement tables 111 and 131 in the processing module 11 and the load lock module 13 via the first transfer port 110 and the second transfer port 120. As Figures 4 to 7 etc. show, for the mobile body 2, a coordinate system (X′, Y′, Z′) set for the mobile body 2 is used for description. In this coordinate system, the protruding direction of the fork 22 is set as the front-rear direction (X′ direction), and the tip side of the fork 22 is set as the front in the front-rear direction. In addition, the direction horizontally intersecting the front-rear direction is set as the left-right direction (Y′ direction). In addition, in the figures other than Figure 4 and Figure 5 for the sake of convenient illustration, a structure in which the base end of the fork 22 is connected to the front side side wall of the main body portion 21 is shown.

[0064] The main body portion 21 is configured to have a square shape in plan view. As Figure 6 shows, a plurality of, in this example, four magnets 4 (41, 42, 43, 44) are provided inside it. The magnets 4 are configured such that a repulsive force acts between them and the magnetic field formed by the drive coil 3 provided at the bottom 151 of the housing 15 described later. These four magnets 4 are formed, for example, in the same rectangular shape in plan view, are embedded in the square-shaped main body portion 21, and are arranged along the four sides of the outer edge of the main body portion 21.

[0065] Each magnet 4 is composed of, for example, a plurality of, for example, nine permanent magnets 45 arranged in a Halbach array configuration. In addition, in Figure 7 , nine permanent magnets 45 and their magnetization directions are schematically shown for the magnet 44 representatively. When the moving body 2 is arranged such that the fork 22 faces the front side in the X' direction as shown in Figure 6 , the magnets 43 and 44 are in the following state: nine permanent magnets 45 are arranged along the Y' direction, and the magnetization directions of these permanent magnets 45 face the direction orthogonal to the X' direction. Similarly, the magnets 41 and 42 are in the following state: nine permanent magnets 45 are arranged along the X' direction, and the magnetization directions of these permanent magnets 45 face the direction orthogonal to the Y' direction.

[0066] In addition, in the moving body 2, for example, a power consumption device is provided on the lower surface of the top end side of the substrate holding portion 23. As the power consumption device, for example, a sensor 71 can be used. When the wafer W is transferred between the processing module 11 and the moving body 2, the sensor 71 is located in the processing module 11 and is used to detect the state inside the processing module 11. As such a sensor 71, a distance sensor for detecting the distance from a structural member provided in the processing module 11, a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the processing module 11, etc. can be exemplified. And, in the main body portion 21 of the moving body 2, for example, a transmitter (not shown) that wirelessly transmits the detection data of the sensor 71 to a control unit 100 described later is provided. The battery 72 described later supplies power to the sensor 71 and also supplies power to this transmitter. This transmitter also functions as a power consumption device.

[0067] When a distance sensor is provided as the sensor 71, for example, in a state where the substrate holding portion 23 enters the processing module 11, the moving body 2 is made to perform a predetermined motion to detect a plurality of positions on the periphery of the stage 111. Then, the control unit 100 calculates the center position of the stage 111 from each detected position, and controls the position of the moving body 2 such that the fork 22 is arranged at a predetermined position with respect to this center position in a top view. Thereby, the center of the wafer W supported by the substrate holding portion 23 is aligned with the center position of the stage 111, and the wafer W is transferred to the stage 111. When a temperature sensor is provided as the sensor 71, for example, the temperature when the fork 22 enters the processing module 11 is detected, and the control unit 100 determines whether this temperature is normal, thereby determining the presence or absence of an operation abnormality in the processing module 11.

[0068] In addition, as power-consuming devices, there may also be a camera for photographing the state inside the processing module 11 and a lighting device that projects light onto the photographing range of the camera. By taking photographs, the control unit 100 can grasp the center position of the stage 111 described above to perform position control of the moving body 2, or can perform abnormality determination such as the presence or absence of contamination inside the module. Moreover, as power-consuming devices, they are not limited to sensors located inside the processing module 11 for detecting the state inside the processing module 11, and acceleration sensors for detecting the speed of the moving body 2 may also be provided. As power-consuming devices, a plurality of the exemplified devices may also be provided in combination.

[0069] Moreover, the moving body 2 includes a second coil 6 and a storage battery 72 for supplying power to the sensor 71. For example, as Figure 4 and Figure 5 shown, these second coil 6 and storage battery 72 are arranged and disposed in the front-rear direction on the upper surface of the main body portion 21 with the second coil 6 closer to the substrate holding portion 23 side. However, the second coil 6 and the storage battery 72 can also be provided on the upper surface of the fork 22 or the side wall of the main body portion 21 instead of the upper surface of the main body portion 21. The second coil 6 is electrically connected to the storage battery 72, and the storage battery 72 is electrically connected to the sensor 71.

[0070] As described above, the second coil 6 generates an induced current using the magnetic field formed by the first coil 5. Similar to the first coil 5, the second coil 6 is formed by spirally winding the coil wire 62 around the upper surface of a base 61 made of an insulator. The second coil 6 formed in this way opens in the vertical direction (Z' direction). In Figure 4 the example shown, the base 61 is configured to be rectangular in plan view, and for the convenience of illustration, the coil wire 62 is depicted as concentric circles. The storage battery 72 is charged using the induced current generated by the second coil 6.

[0071] The base 51 and the coil wire 52 constituting the first coil 5 are set to sizes that do not interfere with the transfer of the wafer W. On the other hand, the base 61 and the coil wire 62 constituting the second coil 6 can be, for example, of the same size as the first coil 5 in a planar view, or can be formed larger than the first coil 5.

[0072] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing the electrical structure of a power supply system. The configurations of the power supply mechanism 73 on the first coil 5 side and the power receiving mechanism 74 on the second coil 6 side are shown in this figure.

[0073] The power supply mechanism 73 on the side of the first coil 5 includes the first coil 5, the DC / AC conversion circuit 53, and the power supply unit 54. In this way, the DC power supplied from the power supply unit 54 is converted into AC power by the DC / AC conversion circuit 53, and power is always supplied to each first coil 5 during the operation of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, for example. However, it is also possible that the control unit 100 can switch the presence or absence of power supply to each first coil 5 by means of a switch (not shown), and power is supplied only to the first coil 5 above the transfer position with respect to the load interlock module 13 when the moving body 2 is located at the transfer position.

[0074] On the other hand, the power receiving mechanism 74 on the side of the moving body 2 includes the second coil 6, the AC / DC conversion circuit 741, the voltage regulator 742, and the storage battery 72. The alternating current generated in the second coil 6 is converted into direct current power by the AC / DC conversion circuit 741, and the direct current power is voltage-regulated by the voltage regulator 742 and supplied to the storage battery 72. In addition, Figure 8 The magnetic flux B passing through the opening of the second coil 6 when the first coil 5 and the second coil 6 are opposed to each other and AC power is supplied to the first coil 5 is shown. Due to the supply of AC power, the direction of the current is different, and accordingly, the direction of the magnetic flux B changes. Then, in the second coil 6, an electromotive force is generated as the magnetic flux B passing through its opening changes, and an induced current is generated in the second coil 6.

[0075] <Drive Coil>

[0076] Next, with reference to Figure 1 , Figure 2 , Figure 6 and Figure 7 the drive coil 3 for driving the moving body 2 will be described. As schematically shown in the partial view of Figure 1 and Figure 2 , a plurality of brick units T having a rectangular shape in plan view are arranged vertically and horizontally at the bottom 151 of the housing 15, and a plurality of drive coils 3 are respectively provided inside each brick unit T. The area where the drive coils 3 are provided is the entire moving area of the moving body 2 from the transfer position of the wafer W with respect to the load interlock module 13 to in front of the processing module 11.

[0077] With reference to Figure 6 and Figure 7 the drive coil 3 will be described. Figure 7 is in Figure 6A longitudinal sectional side view observed at the position cut along line D-D. The drive coil 3 in this example includes a linear A coil 31 represented by a dashed line in the figure and a linear Y coil 32 represented by a solid line. A plurality of A coils 31 are arranged at intervals in the X direction and extend along the Y direction. In addition, a plurality of B coils 32 are arranged at intervals in the Y direction and extend along the X direction.

[0078] These A coils 31 and B coils 32 are respectively composed of coil wires a and b. As schematically shown in Figure 7 , these coil wires a and b are, for example, laminated alternately with each other, and the laminated coil wires a and b are insulated from each other by an insulating layer 33. Such a laminated structure of the coil wire a, the coil wire b, and the insulating layer 33 is composed of, for example, a printed circuit board. In addition, Figure 7 The number of laminations of the coil wires a and b shown is an example and can be appropriately changed as needed.

[0079] As Figure 7 shown, the coil wire a is electrically connected to the coil wire a arranged on its upper layer side or lower layer side in a spiral shape when observing the Y-Z longitudinal section. And its both ends are respectively connected to the power supply unit 34, thereby constituting the A coil 31.

[0080] Similarly, the coil wire b is electrically connected to the coil wire b arranged on its upper layer side or lower layer side in a spiral shape when observing the X-Z longitudinal section. And its both ends are respectively connected to the power supply unit 34, thereby constituting the Y coil 32. In addition, in Figure 6 , the uppermost coil wires a and b are shown in the A coil 31 and the B coil 32.

[0081] The power supply unit 34 is configured to supply DC power to the selected A coil 31 and B coil 32 based on an instruction from a control unit 100 described later, and form a magnetic field on the upper surface of the region where the A coil 31 and B coil 32 to which power is supplied are arranged. For the convenience of illustration, only one power supply unit 34 corresponding to the A coil 31 is shown in Figure 7 , but a plurality of power supply units 34 are provided in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, and are configured to be able to supply power to the drive coil 3 in units of one coil wire a or b, for example.

[0082] The brick unit T is constituted by including the laminate of the aforementioned A coil 31 and B coil 32 inside the container. And by arranging each brick unit T on the bottom 151 of the housing 15, the A coils 31 and B coils 32 provided in the adjacent brick units T are respectively connected, and a state is formed in which the A coils 31 and B coils 32 are arranged in the entire bottom 151 of the housing 15.

[0083] In this way, in the transfer module 14, the A coil 31 and the B coil 32 located on the lower side of the region where the magnet 4 of the moving body 2 is disposed are selected, and DC power flowing in a predetermined direction is supplied. As a result, a repulsive force is generated between the magnetic field formed by the drive coil 3 and the magnetic field of the magnet 4, and the main body portion 21 is moved by using this repulsive force.

[0084] In this way, in the A coil 31 and the B coil 32, the position where the magnetic field is generated, the magnitude of the magnetic force, and the direction of the magnetic field are adjusted. And, by controlling this magnetic field, the floating amount (floating distance) of the main body portion 21 from the bottom 151, the orientation of the main body portion 21, and the moving direction are adjusted. As a result, the main body portion 21 can take a desired posture on the bottom 151 of the transfer module 14, and in addition, the main body portion 21 can be moved in a desired direction.

[0085] At this time, the height position of the moving body 2 is set, for example, such that the transfer position where the wafer W is transferred between the loading interlock module 13 and the processing module 11 is higher than the transfer position where the wafer W moves in the transfer module 14. In this way, when the wafer W is transferred between these modules 11 and 13, the moving body 2 is lifted and lowered.

[0086] Moreover, in the brick unit T provided at the bottom 151 of the housing 15, as Figure 2 shown, a plurality of Hall sensors (position detection sensors) 75 are provided, for example, on the lower side of the stack of the drive coils 3. The Hall sensor 75 is an example of a magnetic sensor and is a sensor for detecting the position of the magnet 4 of the moving body 2, and is arranged in a matrix pattern in the entire surface of the bottom 151. The control unit 100 can detect the position and orientation of the main body portion 21 by using the detection results of the Hall sensor 75.

[0087] <Control Unit>

[0088] The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 100. The control unit 100 is composed of a computer having a CPU and a storage unit, and is used to control each part of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1. A program incorporating a set of steps (commands) for controlling the operation of the processing module 11 and the like is recorded in the storage unit. This program is stored, for example, in a storage medium such as a hard disk, an optical disk, a magneto-optical disk, a memory card, or a non-volatile memory, and is loaded from the storage medium into the computer. In addition, a program for moving the moving body 2 and supplying power is also stored in the storage unit.

[0089] An example of conveying a wafer W in such a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 is briefly described. The wafer W placed in the carrier C of the loading port 121 is conveyed to the load lock module 13 of the atmospheric pressure atmosphere by the conveying mechanism 122. Then, after the atmospheric pressure atmosphere in the load lock module 13 is switched to the vacuum atmosphere, the wafer W in the load lock module 13 is conveyed to the processing module 11 for performing processing of the wafer W by the moving body 2.

[0090] In the process module 11 , the wafer W placed on the mounting table 111 is heated to a preset temperature as required, and if a process gas supply unit is provided, a process gas is supplied into the process module 11 . In this way, the wafer W is subjected to a desired process.

[0091] After the wafer W is processed, the wafer W is transported in the reverse order of the wafer W being brought in, and the wafer W is returned from the processing module 11 to the load lock module 13. Furthermore, after the atmosphere of the load lock module 13 is switched to the atmospheric pressure atmosphere, the wafer W is returned to the predetermined carrier C by the transport mechanism 122. In addition, the wafer W may be transported to only one processing module 11 and processed, or may be transported between a plurality of processing modules 11 and processed in each processing module 11.

[0092] As described above, the moving body 2 moves with a high degree of freedom in the transport module 14 while being lifted from the bottom 151 by magnetic force. Therefore, in the transport module 14, in order to supply power to the power consuming equipment mounted on the moving body 2 without affecting the transport operation of the moving body 2, electromagnetic induction power supply using the first coil 5 and the second coil 6 is performed.

[0093] In this power supply, as described above, for example, AC power is always supplied from the power supply unit 54 to the first coil 5 via the DC / AC conversion circuit 53 .

[0094] When the wafer W is delivered between the load lock module 13 and the movable body 2 , the movable body 2 moves to a delivery position facing the load lock module 13 . Figure 9 The diagram shows a state in which the wafer W is transferred between the movable body 2 and the load lock module 13 at the transfer position.

[0095] When the movable body 2 receives the wafer W from the load lock module 13, the fork 22 of the movable body 2 moved to the delivery position dives under the wafer W which is supported by the lifting pins 131 and floats from the stage 130. Figure 9 In the state shown, the wafer W is transferred to the fork 22 by the descent of the lift pins 131 .

[0096] On the other hand, when the wafer W is sent from the moving body 2 to the load interlock module 13, with respect to the moving body 2 in the state of moving to the handover position and being stationary, the lifting pin 131 lifts the wafer W to become Figure 9 the state shown. After that, by the retraction of the moving body 2 from the handover position and the lowering of the lifting pin 131, the wafer W is placed on the stage 130.

[0097] As described above, the moving body 2 is located at the handover position in order to perform the handover of the wafer W with the load interlock module 13 and stops moving laterally. At this time, the first coil 5 provided on the housing 15 and the second coil 6 provided on the moving body 2 are in a relative state. Therefore, as described in Figure 8 , an induced current is generated in the second coil 6 to charge the storage battery 72. Figure 9 The arrow shown by the dotted line in Figure 8 also shows the magnetic flux passing through the opening of the second coil 6 shown in

[0098] According to this embodiment, the drive coil 3 of the moving body 2 for moving the moving body 2 in a floating state by magnetic force is provided at the bottom 151 of the moving space S of the housing 15. The drive coil 3 is configured in this way, and the first coil 5 for power supply corresponding to the second coil 6 for power reception of the moving body 2 is provided above the moving space S of the moving body 2. Therefore, the processing module 11 can be arranged without providing the power supply coil on the side of the moving space S, so that a plurality of processing modules 11 can be arranged closely. That is, it is possible to prevent the arrangement of the first power supply coil 5 from becoming an obstacle to the arrangement of the processing module 11, and the wafer W can be processed in parallel in each of the plurality of processing modules 11 provided, so that the productivity of the device can be improved. In addition, since the first coil 5 is arranged in the upper region of the housing 15 in this way, there is also an advantage that the occupied area of the device does not need to be increased.

[0099] Moreover, when the wafer W is transported for processing in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, the first coil 5 is provided above the first region R1 where the residence time of the moving body 2 is relatively long (in this embodiment, above the handover position for handover with the load interlock module 13). Therefore, the induced current can be generated in the second coil 6 by using the residence time of the moving body 2 in the first region R1 to charge the storage battery 72 and ensure the power supplied to the power-consuming equipment. Thus, there is no need to separately ensure the power supply time to the power-consuming equipment with respect to the residence time. That is, the charging can be performed by using the time during the operation process required for the transportation of the wafer W, so that the power supplied to the power-consuming equipment can be ensured without reducing the transportation productivity.

[0100] In addition, for the moving body 2, there are structures in which a large-capacity battery with pre-stored electricity is mounted and wireless charging like in the present embodiment is not performed, and structures in which power is supplied to the power-consuming device in a wired manner using a cable. However, in these methods, it is possible that the floating of the moving body 2 may be hindered due to the weight of the battery, and the movement of the moving body 2 may be restricted to prevent the cable from being entangled. Therefore, this technology is useful compared to these structures.

[0101] As described above, in this embodiment, it is also possible to dispose the first coil 5 above a position near the processing module 11 to supply power to the moving body 2 when transferring the wafer W with respect to the processing module 11 and charge the storage battery 72. However, as described above, the moving body 2 of the wafer W frequently accesses the load lock module 13 for the transfer of the wafer W between the carrier C and the processing module 11. Therefore, when comparing the position near the load lock module 13 and the position near the processing module 11, as the residence time per unit time, the residence time per unit time at the position near the load lock module 13 is longer.

[0102] The position near here mentioned herein is the position where the moving body 2 stops moving to transfer the wafer W with respect to the load lock module 13 and the processing module 11, and for the load lock module 13, it is the position shown in Figure 9 And the above-mentioned unit time is a relatively long period from when the transfer module 14 starts operating to process the wafer W in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 until the operation of the transfer module 14 ends with the stop of the processing of the wafer W, and is, for example, 10 hours or more based on any time point in this period.

[0103] Since there is a difference in the residence time per unit time as described above, in the above embodiment, the first coil 5 is provided above the position near the load lock module 13 among the positions above the position near the load lock module 13 and the position above the position near the processing module 11, ensuring sufficient charging time. By thus limiting the position where the first coil 5 is provided to above the vicinity of the specified module, an increase in structural components is suppressed and an increase in the manufacturing cost of the transfer module 14 is prevented.

[0104] However, the processing time of each wafer W by the processing module 11 can be arbitrarily set. For some settings of this processing time, the time from when the moving body 2 conveys the wafer W to the processing module 11 until it receives the wafer W is relatively long. In such a case, the first coil 5 can also be provided above the vicinity of the processing module 11. Moreover, during the processing of the wafer W in the processing module 11, the second coil 6 of the moving body 2 can be arranged below the first coil 5 to charge the storage battery 72. A plurality of processing modules 11 are provided, but as long as the power supply coil is provided above the vicinity of the processing module 11 where the processing is long-term as described above within the vicinity area of each processing module 11. That is to say, in this case, the vicinity of the processing module 11 where the processing is long-term becomes the area R1 with a longer residence time per unit time, and the other areas become the area R2 with a shorter residence time per unit time, and the first coil 5 is provided above the area R1.

[0105] In addition, when the processing in the processing module 11 is long and the standby time of the moving body 2 near the processing module 11 can be made relatively long, it is not necessary to provide the first coil 5 immediately above the loading interlock module 13 as described above. That is to say, the first coil 5 is not limited to being provided at a position corresponding to the loading interlock module 13. Thus, according to the moving state of the moving body 2 in the long term, the first coil 5 can be arranged above the position of the first area R1 where the residence time is long.

[0106] In addition, in this embodiment, the first coil 5 does not need to be provided corresponding to the number of loading interlock modules 13. The first coil 5 can be less than the number of loading interlock modules 13, for example, one, or can be more than the number of loading interlock modules 13. In the case of being more, it is provided above the handover position for handover with respect to the loading interlock module 13 and above the handover position for handover with respect to the processing module 11.

[0107] Moreover, the first coil 5 can also be provided at a position separated upward from the top wall 152 of the housing 15, or can be buried inside the top wall 152.

[0108] In addition, when the first coil 5 is provided above the handover position for handover with respect to the processing module 11, if the power consumption device is a camera or a sensor for detecting the state inside the processing module 11, it is not necessary to provide the storage battery 72. It can also be that after the induced current obtained by the second coil 6 is converted into DC power by, for example, an AC / DC conversion circuit 741, it is directly supplied to the power consumption device to detect the state inside the processing module 11.

[0109] In addition, a camera or a sensor can also be used as a power consumption device to detect the state inside the loading interlock module 13. And, if the state inside the processing module 11 is not detected but only the state inside the loading interlock module 13 is detected, then as long as the DC power obtained by the induced current generated by the first coil 5 at the position described in etc. of the second coil 6 is supplied to the power consumption device without using the storage battery 72, and the state inside this module is detected. That is to say, in this case, the storage battery 72 may not be provided. Figure 2 That is, in this case, the storage battery 72 may not be provided.

[0110] In addition, regarding the conveyance of the wafer W by the moving body 2, it has been described that the same moving body 2 conveys the same wafer W, but the moving body 2 used can be switched appropriately. That is to say, it can be that the conveyance of the wafer W from one module to another module is performed by one moving body 2, and the conveyance of the wafer W from another module to yet another module is performed by another moving body 2.

[0111] <Second Embodiment>

[0112] Next, refer to Figures 10 to 13 A second embodiment of the conveyance module 14A of the present disclosure will be described. The difference between this embodiment and the first embodiment is that a moving mechanism 8 is provided that moves the first coil 5 according to the movement of the moving body 2 in the lateral direction (horizontal direction).

[0113] As Figure 10 , Figure 11 shown, in a part of the top wall 152 of the housing 15 of the conveyance module 14A, for example, a power supply space 80 having the first coil 5 and the moving mechanism 8 of the first coil 5 is formed inside the top wall 152.

[0114] In this example, a recess 156 having a rectangular shape in plan view is formed from the lower surface side of the top wall 152, and the opening of the recess 156 is blocked by a partition wall 157. The lower surface of the partition wall 157 is integrated with the lower surface of the region of the top wall 152 where the recess 156 is not formed, and constitutes the top surface of the moving space S.

[0115] For example, the region where the power supply space 80 is formed is a region closer to the loading interlock module 13 side when the conveyance module 14A is viewed from above. In the moving space S, the region below the power supply space 80 is configured as a power supply region R3 for wirelessly powering the moving body 2.

[0116] As described above, for the conveyance of the wafer W in the conveyance module 14, the operation of handing over the wafer W between the loading interlock module 13 and the moving body 2 must be performed. Thus, as Figure 10 , Figure 11As shown, the power supply area R3 includes a transfer position for transferring the wafer W with respect to the load interlock module 13, for example, formed on the front side in the front-rear direction of the transfer module 14. In addition, as Figure 12 shown, the power supply area R3 also includes a transfer position for transferring the wafer W between the processing module 11 located near the load interlock module 13.

[0117] The moving mechanism 8 provided inside the power supply space 80, for example, includes: a stage 81 configured to have a rectangular shape in plan view; and a support portion 81A, which is a member that is vertically long in the Y direction and located above the stage 81. In addition, in Figure 10 , the support portion 81A is shown by a dashed line, but the support portion 81A is not limited to this shape. The support portion 81A is connected to a guide rail 82 extending in the X direction and a ball screw 82A extending in the X direction in parallel with the guide rail 82. The ball screw 82A is rotated by a motor 83 for X-direction movement, so that the support portion 81A moves in the X direction.

[0118] In this example, the upper surface of the stage 81 is connected to the lower surface of the support portion 81A, and the stage 81 is connected to a guide rail 84 extending in the Y direction and a ball screw 84A extending in the Y direction in parallel with the guide rail 84. The ball screw 84A is rotated by a motor 85 for Y-direction movement, so that the stage 81 moves in the Y direction. In addition, as the support portion 81A moves, the stage 81 and the guide rail 84, ball screw 84A, and motor 85 provided on the stage 81 also move. Therefore, the stage 81 is configured to be movable in the X direction and Y direction by motors 83 and 85, respectively.

[0119] These motors 83 and 85 are also provided inside the power supply space 80, and are configured to move the stage 81 to a predetermined position based on the position information of the moving body 2 from the Hall sensor 75 provided on the bottom 151 of the housing 15.

[0120] A first coil 5 is provided on the lower surface of the stage 81. The first coil 5 is configured in the same manner as in the first embodiment by winding the coil wire 52 in a spiral shape in a plane view around a substrate 51 made of an insulator. However, different from the first embodiment, it is provided on the stage 81 with the coil wire 52 facing downward. The thickness of the partition wall 157 between the power supply space 80 and the moving space S is set so as not to interfere with the magnitude of the electromagnetic induction of the moving mechanism 8 described later. In addition, an exhaust port 86 is formed in the power supply space 80, and is connected to an exhaust mechanism 861 having a valve and a pump via the exhaust path 862. In this way, the pressure inside the power supply space 80 is reduced by the exhaust mechanism 861 to be the same as the pressure inside the moving space S.

[0121] In the second embodiment, as the moving body 2 moves laterally, the first coil 5 moves. Thus, the first coil 5 moves according to the movement of the moving body 2. However, considering the response delay in the movement control of the first coil 5, the winding axis of the first coil 5 is slightly deviated from the winding axis of the second coil 6 of the moving body 2 when viewed from above. That is, it is considered that the second coil 6 deviates from the region where the magnetic field intensity is maximum in the magnetic field formed by the first coil 5. Therefore, the thickness of the partition wall 157 is made relatively small so as to sufficiently ensure the magnetic field intensity around the second coil 6. Thus, the partition wall 157 is thin, but by decompressing the power supply space 80 as described above, the pressure in the power supply space 80 is made consistent with the pressure in the movement space S, and thus, deformation of the partition wall 157 caused by the pressure difference between these spaces is prevented.

[0122] The reason for partitioning the power supply space 80 and the movement space S by the partition wall 157 in this way is that in the power supply space 80, the first coil 5 moves above the moving body 2, and thus, diffusion of fine particles that may be generated due to this movement to the movement space S side is suppressed. In addition, by exhausting the power supply space 80 to remove the fine particles, it can be said that the structure for exhausting the power supply space 80 not only obtains the effect of removing the fine particles, but also helps to suppress the thickness of the partition wall 157 and improve the power supply efficiency to the moving body 2 as described above.

[0123] In addition, the power supply space 80 can also be formed in an atmospheric atmosphere. In this case, the structure can be the same as that in the first embodiment: a recess is formed in the top wall 152 from the upper side, the first coil 5 and the movement mechanism 8 are provided in the recess, and the first coil 5 is made movable in the horizontal direction by the movement mechanism 8.

[0124] Moreover, the control unit 100 in this example is configured to output drive commands to the motor 83 for movement in the X direction and the motor 85 for movement in the Y direction respectively based on the detection result of the magnet 4 of the moving body 2 detected by the Hall sensor 75, so that the first coil 5 follows the second coil 6 of the moving body 2 and moves.

[0125] For example, the position of the magnet 4 of the main body portion 21 is detected by the Hall sensor 75, and the center position P when the main body portion 21 is viewed from above is obtained. And the positional relationship between the center position P of the main body portion 21 and the center position (position of the winding axis) P2 when the second coil 6 is viewed from above is grasped in advance, and the center position P2 of the second coil 6 is obtained by calculation based on the center position P. In the control unit 100, drive commands are output to the motors 83 and 85 so that the center position P1 when the first coil 5 is viewed from above faces the center position P2 of the second coil 6.

[0126] Moreover, the moving body 2 of this example is provided with a remaining amount sensor (not shown) for detecting the remaining amount of the storage battery 72, and is configured such that the detection value of the remaining amount sensor is output wirelessly to the control unit 100 via the transmitter of the moving body 2. Further, in the control unit 100, for a plurality of moving bodies 2, the remaining amount of the storage battery 72 is grasped for each moving body 2, and is configured to select the moving body 2 to be preferentially powered based on this remaining amount. For other structures of the transfer module 14A of the second embodiment, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same structural members as in the first embodiment, and illustration thereof is omitted.

[0127] In this embodiment, AC power is always supplied to the first coil 5 via the power supply unit 54 and the DC / AC conversion circuit 53. Also, in the transfer module 14A, in the same manner as in the first embodiment, the moving body 2 receives the wafer W loaded in the load lock module 13, transports it to the preset processing module 11, and hands it over to the mounting table 111 of the processing module 11. After that, the moving body 2 moves to the load lock module 13 to receive the next wafer W, or moves to another processing module 11 to receive the processed wafer W and transports it to the load lock module 13.

[0128] And, as shown in Figure 12 indicating the power supply area R3, for the moving body 2 moving in this area, the position information of the second coil 6 is obtained using the detection result of the Hall sensor 75, and the first coil 5 is moved using the moving mechanism 8 according to the position of the second coil 6. In this way, the first coil 5 follows the movement of the moving body 2 and moves to face the second coil 6, and an induced current is generated in the second coil 6 by electromagnetic induction. In addition, in this figure, in order to show the positional relationship between the first coil 5 and the second coil 6, the structural members other than these coils 5 and 6 are depicted simply.

[0129] In addition, since power is supplied by electromagnetic induction, a high positional accuracy is not required for the positional relationship between the first coil 5 and the second coil 6. As long as the second coil 6 is placed in the magnetic field formed by the first coil 5 to generate an induced current, it can be, as shown in Figure 12 , when viewed from above, the winding axes thereof deviate from each other and only partial portions of the coils face each other.

[0130] The movement of the first coil 5 starts, for example, when the moving body 2 receives the wafer W from the load lock module 13. The first coil 5 supplies power following the second coil 6 of the moving body 2 moving in the power supply area R3, but when the followed moving body 2 moves outside the power supply area R3, it supplies power following the second coil 6 of the next moving body 2 entering the power supply area R3. In this way, the storage battery 72 is charged using the induced current generated in the second coil 6, and the power charged in the storage battery 72 is supplied to the sensor 71.

[0131] Alternatively, when multiple mobile bodies 2 are located within the power supply area R3, for example, as Figure 13 shown, the remaining capacity of the storage battery 72 is used to determine the priority order of the mobile bodies 2 that the first coil 5 follows for wireless power supply. In Figure 13 , as the said priority order, the mobile bodies 2 are marked with priority orders (1) and (2). For example, the remaining capacity of the storage battery 72 is always detected by the remaining capacity detection sensor and output to the control unit 100. And in the control unit 100, the remaining capacities of the storage batteries 72 of the respective mobile bodies 2 located in the power supply area R3 are compared, and the mobile body 2(1) with the least remaining capacity is selected. Then, an instruction is output to the first coil 5 so that the first coil 5 follows the second coil 6 of the mobile body 2(1).

[0132] The first coil 5 preferentially follows the mobile body 2(1) and supplies power until the mobile body 2(1) moves outside the power supply area R3 or until the wafer W is transferred to the processing module 11 accessible from the power supply area R3.

[0133] Next, in the control unit 100, the remaining capacities of the storage batteries 72 of the respective mobile bodies 2 located in the power supply area R3 are compared again, and the mobile body 2 with the least remaining capacity is selected. Then, an instruction is output to the first coil 5 so that the first coil 5 follows the second coil 6 of the selected mobile body 2.

[0134] In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the drive coil 3 of the mobile body 2 is provided at the bottom 151 of the housing 15. On the other hand, the second coil 6 for receiving power is provided on the mobile body 2, and the first coil 5 for power supply is provided above the movement space S of the mobile body 2. Therefore, there is no need to provide a coil on the side of the movement space S, and multiple processing modules 11 can be closely arranged on this side, so the productivity of the device can be improved.

[0135] In addition, the first coil 5 follows the mobile body 2 and moves, causing an induced current to be generated in the second coil 6. Therefore, it is possible to supply power to the power-consuming device during the movement of the mobile body 2. Therefore, there is no need to separately ensure the power supply time outside the movement time of the mobile body 2, and power can be supplied to the power-consuming device without reducing the conveyance productivity.

[0136] As described above, in this embodiment, the region where the power supply space 80 is provided is not limited to the above examples, and may also be formed corresponding to the region including the handover position of the wafer W between all the processing modules 11 and the mobile body 2. That is to say, the power supply space 80 may also be formed so as to cover the entire movement space S. In this case, it may also be that the battery 72 is not provided in the mobile body 2 by always following the mobile body 2 with the first coil 5. In this case, it may also be that after converting the induced current obtained by the second coil 6 into direct current power using, for example, an AC / DC conversion circuit 741, the power is directly supplied to the power-consuming device to detect the state in the processing module 11.

[0137] Moreover, for the movement of the first coil 5 according to the movement of the mobile body 2, it is not necessary to use the detection result of the Hall sensor 75. For example, as long as the following program is preset and loaded into the control unit 100: the mobile body 2 moves in the conveying module 14A along a preset conveying path as programmed, and the operations of the motors 83 and 85 are controlled so that the first coil 5 also moves along this conveying path.

[0138] As described above, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present disclosure, the first coil 5 and the second coil 6 only need to be able to generate an induced current in the second coil 6 by electromagnetic induction, and their shapes are not limited to the above examples. For example, the coil wires 52 and 62 may also be structures wound circumferentially along the side walls of the substrates 51 and 61 and opened in the vertical direction.

[0139] Moreover, as long as the driving coil 3 can move the mobile body 2 having the magnet 4 in a state of floating from the bottom using magnetic force, other structures may also be used. For example, coils wound in a spiral shape around the vertical axis may also be arranged.

[0140] In addition, in the first embodiment and the second embodiment, when the remaining amount of the battery 72 is sufficient, it is not necessary to perform wireless power supply in the second coil 6. In this case, it may also be that in the first embodiment, the power supply to the first coil 5 is stopped, and in the second embodiment, the follow-up of the first coil 5 to the mobile body 2 is stopped.

[0141] Moreover, as the power-consuming device provided in the mobile body 2, in addition to the various sensors, cameras, and lighting units described above, when the magnet provided in the main body portion 21 is an electromagnet, the electromagnet etc. can also be exemplified.

[0142] In addition, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present disclosure, the processing module 11 is not limited to the module that processes the wafer W in a vacuum atmosphere, and may also be configured to process the wafer in an atmospheric pressure atmosphere. In this case, the conveying modules 14 and 14A are set to an atmospheric pressure atmosphere.

[0143] Previously, the conveyance of the wafer W as a substrate in the conveyance module 14 has been described. However, as the substrate to be conveyed, it is a substrate for semiconductor manufacturing or a substrate for flat panel display manufacturing. The substrate for semiconductor manufacturing includes, in addition to the wafer W, substrates used in semiconductor manufacturing processes. As the substrate for flat panel display (FPD) manufacturing, it includes various FPDs such as liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, organic EL displays, field emission displays, or electronic paper, and substrates used in the FPD manufacturing process. Substrates used in semiconductor manufacturing processes and substrates used in FPD manufacturing processes include substrates such as photomasks used in exposure processing in each manufacturing process and dummy substrates processed for the purpose of testing and setting processing parameters in substrate processing apparatuses.

[0144] It should be considered that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The above embodiments can also be omitted, replaced, or changed in various forms without departing from the appended claims and their gist.

Claims

1. A transport module used in a semiconductor manufacturing device, wherein a moving body having a magnet moves in a state of floating from the bottom by using a magnetic force to transport a substrate to a processing module for processing the substrate, wherein: The conveying module has: the mobile body; A housing, which forms a moving space inside for the moving body to move; a power consumption device disposed on the mobile object; A first coil, which is arranged above the moving space; as well as The second coil is provided on the moving object so as to generate an induced current by utilizing a magnetic field formed by the first coil to which power is supplied, so as to supply power to the power consuming device.

2. The conveying module according to claim 1, wherein: The mobile body includes a storage battery for supplying electric power to the electric power consuming device. The storage battery is charged by utilizing the induced current.

3. The conveying module according to claim 2, wherein: The first coil is restrictively provided above the first region having a longer residence time, of a first region and a second region having different positions in the lateral direction in the movement space and different residence times per unit time of the moving body.

4. The conveying module according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The housing is provided with: an exhaust port for exhausting the moving space to set the moving space to a vacuum atmosphere; a first transfer port opened for transferring the substrate between the processing module connected from the side of the housing and processing the substrate in a vacuum atmosphere, and opened and closed by a first valve; and a second transfer port, which is opened and closed by a second valve, and is used to transfer the substrate between a load lock module, the load lock module being connected from the side of the housing and switching between a vacuum atmosphere and an atmospheric pressure atmosphere; The first coil is provided above a position where the movable body stops moving in the lateral direction in order to transfer the substrate to the load-lock module.

5. The conveying module according to claim 1, wherein: The transport module is provided with a moving mechanism that moves the first coil in the lateral direction according to the lateral movement of the movable body.

6. The conveying module according to claim 5, wherein: A plurality of Hall sensors for detecting the position of the magnet are arranged at the bottom. The first coil is moved based on the detection result of the Hall sensor.

7. The conveying module according to claim 1, wherein: The housing is provided with a first conveying port, the first conveying port is opened for conveying the substrate between the processing module and the housing, and is opened and closed by a first valve. The processing module is connected from the side of the housing to process the substrate. The power consuming device is a sensor that is located in the process module and detects a state in the process module when the substrate is transferred between the process module and the movable body.

8. A method for conveying a substrate of a semiconductor manufacturing device, wherein: The substrate conveying method of the semiconductor manufacturing device comprises the following steps: A moving body having a magnet is moved in a moving space formed inside the housing by using a magnetic force in a state of floating from the bottom; transporting the substrate to a processing module for processing the substrate using the moving body; as well as Power is supplied to a first coil disposed above the moving space, and a magnetic field formed by the first coil causes an induced current to be generated in a second coil disposed on the moving body, thereby supplying power to a power consuming device disposed on the moving body.

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