Transfer module, and substrate transfer method in semiconductor manufacturing device

Abstract

To improve throughput in supplying power to power consuming apparatuses provided in a moving body in a transfer module used in a semiconductor manufacturing device that transfers a substrate to a processing module by the moving body.SOLUTION: A transfer module used in a semiconductor manufacturing device in which a moving body equipped with magnets moves while being raised from a floor by magnetic force to transfer a substrate to a processing module for processing the substrate is constituted to include: the moving body; a housing in which a moving space where the moving body moves is formed; power consuming apparatuses provided in the moving body; a first coil provided above the moving space; and a second coil provided on the moving body so that an induced current is generated by a magnetic field formed by the first coil to which power is supplied, in order to supply power to the power consuming apparatuses.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a transfer module and a substrate transfer method in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in a semiconductor manufacturing device that processes semiconductor wafers (hereinafter also referred to as "wafers"), which are substrates, the wafers are transported between a carrier that contains the wafers and a processing module in which the processing is carried out. Transport mechanisms of various configurations are used to transport the wafers. The applicant is currently developing a transfer module for use in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, which uses a transfer mechanism that utilizes magnetic levitation to transfer substrates to a processing module.

[0003] As a transport mechanism using magnetic levitation, Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which a first magnet is provided on the floor of a substrate transport chamber, and a second magnet is provided in a substrate transport module, and the substrate transport module is moved within the substrate transport chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force of the magnets. It also describes that the second magnet is an electromagnet that receives power from a battery provided in the substrate transport module, and that a control signal related to power supply control can be obtained by wireless communication. However, the specific configuration related to power supply control is not described. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 describes technology relating to the arrangement of a magnet array in a displacement device that includes a stator having a coil and a movable stage having a magnet array, and that provides relative movement between the stator and the movable stage. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2022-36757 [Patent Document 2] Special Publication No. 2014-531189 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique for improving throughput when supplying power to power consuming devices provided on a movable body in a transfer module used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, in which a substrate is transported to a processing module by the movable body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present disclosure relates to 1. A transfer module used in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the transfer module comprising: a movable body having a magnet; the movable body being levitated above a floor by magnetic force and moving to transfer a substrate to a processing module for processing the substrate, The moving body; A housing that defines a movement space in which the moving body moves; A power consuming device provided in the moving object; A first coil provided above the movement space; a second coil provided in the moving body so that an induced current is generated by a magnetic field formed by the first coil when the first coil is powered, in order to supply power to the power consuming device; A transfer module comprising: Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, in a transport module used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment, in which a substrate is transported to a processing module by a movable body, it is possible to improve throughput when supplying power to power consuming devices provided on the movable body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a first embodiment of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a transfer module. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view showing the transfer module of the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 1 is a plan view showing a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 4] 11 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a moving body provided in the transfer module. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a configuration example of a moving body. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a driving coil for a moving body. [Figure 7] 4 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a configuration example of a drive coil and a magnet provided on a moving body. FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a system that supplies power. [Figure 9] 5 is a vertical sectional side view showing the operation of the transfer module of the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a plan view showing a second embodiment of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus including a transfer module. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional side view showing a transfer module according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] 13 is a plan view showing the operation of the transfer module of the second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a plan view showing the operation of the transfer module of the second embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] <Semiconductor manufacturing equipment> A transfer module according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. Fig. 1 is a plan view showing a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 including a transfer module. 1 illustrates a multi-chamber type semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 having a plurality of processing modules 11 for processing wafers W. As shown in the figure, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, an atmospheric transfer chamber 12, a load lock module 13, and a transfer module 14 are arranged in a front-to-rear direction. In addition, a plurality of processing modules 11 are provided on each of the left and right sides of the transfer module 14. In the following description of the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1, the front-to-rear direction is referred to as the "X direction," the left-to-right direction that horizontally intersects with the front-to-rear direction is referred to as the "Y direction," and in the front-to-rear direction, the atmospheric transfer chamber 12 side is referred to as the front side and the transfer module 14 side is referred to as the back side.

[0010] A load port 121 on which a carrier C accommodating a wafer W to be processed is placed is provided at the 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. A load lock module 13 is connected to the rear side of the atmospheric transfer chamber 12. In this example, a plurality of load lock modules 13, for example, two load lock modules 13, are provided side by side in the left-right direction.

[0011] The atmospheric transfer chamber 12 has an atmospheric (normal pressure) atmosphere, and a transfer mechanism 122 is provided therein, configured to transfer the wafer W between the carrier C and the load lock module 13. The load lock module 13 is configured to be able to switch between an atmospheric pressure atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere, and includes a delivery stage 130 on which a wafer W is placed, and lift pins 131. The lift pins 131 are provided so as to be able to freely protrude and retract with respect to the stage 130.

[0012] The processing module 11 is a module for processing the wafer W, and in this example, is configured to be depressurized to a vacuum atmosphere by a vacuum exhaust mechanism (not shown) and to process the wafer W in the vacuum atmosphere. A mounting table 111 and lift pins 112 are provided inside each processing module 11, and the lift pins 112 are provided so as to be able to freely protrude and retract into the mounting table 111. The wafer W is subjected to a predetermined process while placed on the mounting table 111, and examples of the process performed on the wafer W include an etching process, a film forming process, an annealing process, and an ashing process.

[0013] <First embodiment of the transfer module> The transfer module 14 is configured with a housing 15 that is long in the front-rear direction and has a rectangular shape in a plan view, as shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the housing 15 includes a floor 151, a ceiling wall 152, and side walls 153, and is made of a metal, such as aluminum (Al). A load lock module 13 is connected to the front side of the housing 15 from the side, and a plurality of, for example, four processing modules 11 are connected to each of the left and right sides of the housing 15 from the sides. In addition, a movable body 2 is provided inside the housing 15 for transporting wafers W between the load lock module 13 and each processing module 11.

[0014] The moving body 2 is configured so that the main body 21 equipped with the magnets 4 moves while being lifted above the floor 151 by magnetic force, and the inside of the transport module 14 is formed as a movement space S in which the moving body 2 moves. For example, an exhaust port 16 is formed in the floor 151 of the housing 15, and the exhaust port 16 is connected to an exhaust mechanism 161 including a valve, a vacuum pump, etc. via an exhaust path 162. The movement space S in the housing 15 is depressurized to a vacuum atmosphere by exhausting air through the exhaust mechanism 161. Note that the exhaust port 16 for exhausting the movement space S is not limited to being formed in the floor 151 of the housing 15, and may be formed in a side wall 153 of the housing 15.

[0015] A first transfer port 110 that opens for transferring a wafer W between the processing module 11 and the housing 15, and a second transfer port 120 that opens for transferring a wafer W between the load lock module 13 are formed in a side wall 153 of the housing 15. In Fig. 1, symbols G1, G2, and G3 are gate valves for opening and closing transfer ports for the wafer W, such as the first transfer port 110 and the second transfer port 120, and G3 corresponds to a first valve that opens and closes the first transfer port 110, and G2 corresponds to a second valve that opens and closes the second transfer port 120. The gate valves G1 to G3 are closed except when necessary for transferring a wafer W between modules, and separate the atmosphere of the transfer module 14 from the atmosphere of a module connected to the transfer module 14.

[0016] In the transfer module 14, the wafers W are transferred using a plurality of movable bodies 2. For example, the length of the short side of the housing 15 of the transfer module 14 is set to a dimension such that a plurality of, for example, two movable bodies 2 each holding a wafer W can pass each other while lined up side by side. Furthermore, the transport module 14 is configured to be able to wirelessly supply power to power consuming devices provided in the moving body 2. Power is supplied by electromagnetic induction, and a first coil 5, which is a coil for supplying power, is provided on the housing 15 side, and a second coil 6, which is a coil for receiving power, is provided on the moving body 2 side. The second coil 6 is configured so that an induced current is generated by the magnetic field formed by the first coil 5.

[0017] The first coil 5 is provided above an area in the movement space S where the moving body 2 stays for a long time per unit time. Here, in the movement space S, areas that are different in lateral (horizontal) positions and where the moving body 2 stays for a long time per unit time are defined as a first area R1 and a second area R2. The first area R1 is an area where the staying time is longer than that of the second area R2. The first coil 5 is provided above this first area R1.

[0018] In this example, the first region R1 is set to an area including a transfer position where the movable body 2 transfers the wafer W between the load lock module 13 and the movable body 2, and the second region R2 is an area other than the area. In Figs. 1 and 2, the movable body 2 at the transfer position is shown by a solid line, and in Fig. 3, the movable body 2 is shown by a dashed line. When transferring the wafer W between the carrier C and one or more processing modules 11, the movable body 2 accesses the load lock module 13 when loading and unloading the carrier C from the transfer module 14. Therefore, the residence time at the transfer position of the load lock module 13 is longer than the residence time at other positions in the moving space S. Therefore, the transfer position is set as the first region R1, and the first coil 5 is arranged so that power is supplied during the stay at this transfer position.

[0019] For example, the first coil 5 is provided above the first region R1, for example, outside the ceiling wall 151 of the housing 15, at a position above and closer to the load lock module 13. Specifically, a recess 154 that is open at the top is formed in the ceiling wall 151 of the housing 15 corresponding to the first region R1, and the first coil 5 is housed in this recess 154. 2 and 3, for example, when the movable body 2 is in the transfer position, the first coil 5 is disposed so as to face a second coil 6 of the movable body 2, which will be described later, via the housing 15 (the bottom wall of the recess 154) and so as to align their winding axes in a plan view. With such an arrangement, the second coil 6 is contained in an area where the magnetic field formed by the first coil 6 is relatively strong, and an induced current is generated in the second coil 6, as will be described later. A first coil 5 is provided for each load lock module 13, and two first coils 5 are provided side by side in the left-right direction within the recess 154.

[0020] The first coil 5 is formed by winding a coil wire 52 in a spiral shape on the upper surface of a base 51 made of an insulator. For example, in the example shown in Fig. 3, the base 51 is configured to have a rectangular shape in a plan view, and the coil wire 52 is drawn as concentric circles for convenience of illustration. The first coil 5 thus formed is open in the vertical 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.

[0021] The first coil 5 and the second coil 6 of the movable body 2 at the transfer position face each other via a bottom wall 155 of a recess 154 in which the first coil 5 is provided. The thickness of this bottom wall 155 is set to a size that does not interfere with power supply by electromagnetic induction using the first coil 5 and the second coil 6, and that prevents deformation of the housing due to the pressure difference between the inside and outside of the conveying module 14.

[0022] <Mobile object> Next, the moving body 2 will be described. The moving body 2 is configured to be movable within the transfer module 14 by magnetic levitation. The moving body 2 not only transfers the wafer W, but also has a function of wirelessly feeding power to power consuming devices provided on the moving body 2. The transfer of the wafer W using the moving body 2 and the configuration of devices related to wireless power feeding will be described below.

[0023] FIG. 4 shows a plan view of the moving body 2, and FIG. 5 shows a side view thereof. As shown in these figures, the movable body 2 includes a main body 21 and a fork 22 that is provided so as to extend laterally (horizontally) from the main body 21 as a base end. A substrate holder 23 that horizontally holds a wafer W to be transported is formed at the tip of the fork 22. The substrate holder 23 is configured so as to be able to surround, from the sides, three lift pins 131, 112 provided in the load lock module 13 or the processing module 11, for example. Although Figs. 4 and 5 show a configuration in which the base end side of the fork 22 is connected to the upper surface of the main body 21, the connection between the fork 22 and the main body 21 is not limited to this configuration.

[0024] The forks 22 are configured to have a length such that, for example, while the main body 21 is positioned in the transfer module 14, the wafer W can be transferred between the processing module 11, the mounting table 111 in the load lock module 13, and the stage 131 via the first transfer port 110 and the second transfer port 120. As shown in Figs. 4 to 7 and other figures, the moving body 2 will be described using a coordinate system (X', Y', Z') set for the module 2. In this coordinate system, the protruding direction of the forks 22 is the front-rear direction (X' direction), and the tip side of the forks 22 in the front-rear direction is the front. Also, the direction horizontally intersecting the front-rear direction is the left-right direction (Y' direction). Note that, in the figures other than Figs. 4 and 5, for convenience of illustration, the base ends of the forks 22 are connected to the side wall on the front side of the main body 21.

[0025] The main body 21 is configured, for example, in a square shape when viewed from above, and is provided therein with a plurality of magnets 4 (41, 42, 43, 44) in this example, as shown in Fig. 6. The magnets 4 are configured so that a repulsive force acts between them and a magnetic field generated by a driving coil 3 provided on a floor 151 of a housing 15, which will be described later. These four magnets 4 are formed, for example, in the same rectangular shape when viewed from above, and are fitted into the square-shaped main body 21 and arranged along the four sides of the outer edge of the main body 21.

[0026] Each magnet 4 is composed of a plurality of, for example, nine permanent magnets 45 arranged in a Halbach array. FIG. 7 shows the nine permanent magnets 45 and their magnetization directions for the magnet 44 as a representative example. As shown in FIG. 6, when the moving body 2 is arranged so that the fork 22 faces forward in the X' direction, the magnets 43 and 44 are arranged with nine permanent magnets 45 aligned along the Y' direction, and the magnetization directions of these permanent magnets 45 are oriented in a direction perpendicular to the X' direction. Similarly, the magnets 41 and 42 are arranged with nine permanent magnets 45 aligned along the X' direction, and the magnetization directions of these permanent magnets 45 are oriented in a direction perpendicular to the Y' direction.

[0027] Further, the movable body 2 is provided with a power consuming device, for example, on the lower surface of the tip side of the substrate holding part 23. For example, a sensor 71 located in the processing module 11 for detecting the state inside the processing module 11 when the wafer W is transferred between the processing module 11 and the movable body 2 can be used as the power consuming device. Examples of such a sensor 71 include a distance sensor for detecting the distance to a component member provided in the processing module 11 and a temperature sensor for detecting the temperature inside the processing module 11. Further, for example, the main body part 21 of the movable body 2 is provided with a transmitter (not shown) for wirelessly transmitting detection data by the sensor 71 to the control part 100 described later. A storage battery 72 described later supplies power to the transmitter as well as the sensor 71. This transmitter also corresponds to the power consuming device.

[0028] In the case where a distance sensor is provided as the sensor 71, for example, the movable body 2 moves in a predetermined manner with the substrate holder 23 entering the processing module 11, so that multiple positions on the periphery of the stage 111 are detected. Then, the control unit 100 calculates the center position of the stage 111 from each detection position, and controls the position of the movable body 2 so that the fork 22 is disposed at a predetermined position relative to this center position in a plan view. As a result, the center of the wafer W supported by the substrate holder 23 is aligned with the center position of the stage 111, and the wafer W is delivered to the stage 111. In the case where 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 or not, so that the presence or absence of an operational abnormality of the processing module 11 is determined.

[0029] The power consuming devices may also be a camera for photographing the state inside the processing module 11 and a lighting device for projecting light into the photographing range of the camera. By photographing, the control unit 100 can control the position of the moving body 2 by grasping the center position of the stage 111 described above, and can determine abnormalities such as the presence or absence of dirt inside the module. Furthermore, the power consuming devices are not limited to sensors located inside the processing module 11 for detecting the state inside the processing module 11, and an acceleration sensor for detecting the speed of the moving body 2 may be provided. A combination of the exemplified power consuming devices may also be provided.

[0030] Furthermore, the movable body 2 includes a second coil 6 and a storage battery 72 for supplying power to the sensor 71. The second coil 6 and the storage battery 72 are arranged side by side in the front-rear direction on the upper surface of the main body 21, with the second coil 6 facing the board holding part 23, as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, for example. However, the second coil 6 and the storage battery 72 can also be provided on the upper surface of the fork 22 or on a side wall of the main body 21, instead of on the upper surface of the main body 21. The second coil 6 and the storage battery 72, and the storage battery 72 and the sensor 71 are electrically connected to each other.

[0031] As described above, the second coil 6 generates an induced current by the magnetic field generated by the first coil 5, and is configured by winding a coil wire 62 in a spiral shape on the upper surface of a base 61 made of an insulator, similar to the first coil 5. The second coil 6 thus formed is open in the vertical direction (Z' direction). In the example shown in FIG. 4, the base 61 is configured to be rectangular in a plan view, and for convenience of illustration, the coil wire 62 is drawn in a concentric circle shape. The induced current generated by this second coil 6 is used to charge the storage battery 72. The base 51 and the coil wire 52 constituting the first coil 5 are set to a size that does 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 may be, for example, approximately the same size as the first coil 5 in a plan view, or may be formed to be larger than the first coil 5.

[0032] 8 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the system for supplying power. This diagram shows the configurations of a power supply mechanism 73 on the first coil 5 side and a power receiving mechanism 74 on the second coil 6 side. The power supply mechanism 73 on the first coil 5 side includes the first coil 5, a DC / AC conversion circuit 53, and a power supply unit 54. In this way, the DC power supplied from the power supply unit 54 is converted to AC power by the DC / AC conversion circuit 53, and power is constantly supplied to each first coil 5, for example, while the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 is in operation. However, the control unit 100 may be configured to be able to switch between supplying power to each first coil 5 and not supplying power via a switch (not shown), so that power is supplied to the first coil 5 above the transfer position only when the mobile body 2 is located at the transfer position for the load lock module 13.

[0033] On the other hand, the power receiving mechanism 74 on the moving object 2 side includes the second coil 6, an AC / DC conversion circuit 741, a voltage regulator 742, and a storage battery 72. The AC power generated in the second coil 6 is converted to DC power by the AC / DC conversion circuit 741, and the voltage of this DC power is adjusted by the voltage regulator 742 and supplied to the storage battery 72. Also, FIG. 8 shows the magnetic flux B penetrating 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. The supply of AC power changes the direction of the current, and the direction of the magnetic flux B changes accordingly. Then, in the second coil 6, an electromotive force is generated in accordance with the change in the magnetic flux B penetrating the opening, and an induced current is generated in the second coil 6.

[0034] <Drive coil> Next, the driving coil 3 for driving the movable body 2 will be described with reference to Figures 1, 2, 6 and 7. As shown in part of Figure 1 and diagrammatically in Figure 2, a plurality of tile units T having a rectangular shape in a plan view are arranged vertically and horizontally on the floor 151 of the housing 15, and a plurality of driving coils 3 are provided inside each tile unit T. The driving coils 3 are installed in an area covering the entire movement area of ​​the movable body 2, from the transfer position of the wafer W between the load lock module 13 and the movable body 2 to just before the processing module 11.

[0035] The drive coil 3 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 and 7. Fig. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional side view taken along line D-D in Fig. 6. The drive coil 3 in this example includes a linear A coil 31 shown by a dashed line in the figure, and a linear Y coil 32 shown by a solid line. The A coils 31 are arranged at intervals in the X direction, and a large number of them are provided so as to extend along the Y direction. The B coils 32 are arranged at intervals in the Y direction, and a large number of them are provided so as to extend along the X direction.

[0036] Each of the A coil 31 and B coil 32 is composed of coil wires a and b, and as shown in Fig. 7, the coil wires a and b are, for example, alternately stacked with each other, and the coil wires a and b stacked above and below are insulated from each other by an insulating layer 33. Such a stacked structure of the coil wires a, b and insulating layer 33 is, for example, composed of a printed circuit board. Note that the number of layers of the coil wires a and b shown in Fig. 7 is an example, and can be appropriately changed as necessary.

[0037] 7, the coil wire a is electrically connected to the coil wire a arranged above or below it so as to form a spiral shape when viewed in the YZ longitudinal section. Then, both ends of the coil wire a are connected to the power supply 34, respectively, to form the A coil 31. Similarly, the coil wire b is electrically connected to the coil wire b arranged above or below it so as to form a spiral shape when viewed in the XZ vertical cross section. Both ends of the coil wire b are connected to the power supply unit 34, respectively, to form the Y coil 32. Note that in Fig. 6, the coil wires a and b of the top layers are shown for the A coil 31 and the B coil 32.

[0038] Power supply unit 34 is configured to supply DC power to selected A coil 31 and B coil 32 based on a command from control unit 100 described later, and form a magnetic field above an area where power-supplied A coil 31 and B coil 32 are located. For convenience of illustration, only power supply unit 34 corresponding to one A coil 31 is shown in Fig. 7, but semiconductor manufacturing equipment 1 is provided with a plurality of power supply units 34 and is configured to be able to supply power to drive coil 3 in units of coil wires a and b, for example.

[0039] The tile unit T is configured to include a stack of the A coil 31 and B coil 32 described above inside a container. By arranging each tile unit T on the floor 151 of the housing 15, the A coil 31 and the B coil 32 provided on the adjacent tile unit T are respectively connected, and the A coil 31 and the B coil 32 are arranged over the entire floor 151 of the housing 15. In this way, the transport module 14 selects the A coil 31 and B coil 32 located below the area where the magnet 4 of the movable body 2 is placed, and supplies DC power flowing in a predetermined direction. 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 this repulsive force is used to move the main body 21.

[0040] In this way, the position where the magnetic field is generated, the magnitude of the magnetic force, and the direction of the magnetic field are adjusted in the A coil 31 and the B coil 32. Then, by controlling this magnetic field, the levitation amount (levitation distance) of the main body part 21 from the floor 151, and the orientation and movement direction of the main body part 21 are adjusted. As a result, the main body part 21 can be made to take a desired posture on the floor 151 of the transfer module 14, and can be moved in a desired direction. At this time, the height position of the movable body 2 is set so that the transfer position at which the wafer W is transferred between the load lock module 13 and the processing module 11 is higher than the transfer position at which the movable body 2 moves within the transfer module 14. In this way, when the wafer W is transferred to or from these modules 11 and 13, the movable body 2 moves up and down.

[0041] 3, a plurality of Hall sensors (position detection sensors) 75 are provided on the tile unit T provided on the floor 151 of the housing 15, for example, below the laminate of the drive coils 3. The Hall sensors 75 are an example of a magnetic sensor, and are sensors for detecting the position of the magnets 4 of the moving body 2, and are arranged vertically and horizontally in a matrix over the entire surface of the floor 151. Using the detection results of the Hall sensors 75, the control unit 100 can detect the position and orientation of the main body unit 21.

[0042] <Control Unit> The semiconductor manufacturing equipment 1 includes a control unit 100. The control unit 100 is configured by a computer having a CPU and a storage unit, and controls each unit of the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 1. The storage unit stores a program in which steps (commands) for controlling the operation of the processing module 11 are organized. This program is stored in a storage medium such as a hard disk, a compact disk, a magnet optical disk, a memory card, or a non-volatile memory, and is installed from there into the computer. The storage unit also stores a program for moving and powering the mobile object 2.

[0043] A brief description will now be given of an example of the transportation of the wafer W in such a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1. The wafer W in the carrier C placed on the load port 121 is transported by the transport mechanism 122 to the load lock module 13 under atmospheric pressure. Then, after the atmosphere in the load lock module 13 is switched from atmospheric pressure to a vacuum atmosphere, the wafer W in the load lock module 13 is transported by the movable body 2 to the processing module 11 that processes the wafer W.

[0044] In the processing module 11, the wafer W placed on the mounting table 111 is heated as necessary to a preset temperature, and if a processing gas supply unit is provided, a processing gas is supplied into the processing module 11. In this manner, a desired processing is performed on the wafer W. After the processing of the wafer W has been performed, the wafer W is transferred in the reverse order to the procedure of loading, and is returned from the processing module 11 to the load lock module 13. Furthermore, after the atmosphere in the load lock module 13 is switched to an atmospheric pressure atmosphere, the wafer W is returned to a predetermined carrier C by the transfer mechanism 122. The wafer W may be transferred to only one processing module 11 and processed therein, or may be transferred between multiple processing modules 11 and processed in each processing module 11.

[0045] As described above, the moving body 2 moves with a high degree of freedom in the transport module 14 while being levitated above the floor 151 by the magnetic force. For this reason, the transport module 14 is required to supply power to the power consuming devices mounted on the moving body 2 without affecting the transport operation of the moving body 2, and power is supplied by electromagnetic induction using the first coil 5 and the second coil 6. In this power supply, for example, AC power is constantly supplied to the first coil 5 from the power supply unit 54 via the DC / AC conversion circuit 53, as described above.

[0046] When the wafer W is transferred between the load lock module 13 and the movable body 2, the movable body 2 moves to a transfer position facing the load lock module 13. Fig. 9 shows how the wafer W is transferred between the movable body 2 at the transfer position and the load lock module 13. When the movable body 2 receives the wafer W from the load lock module 13, the forks 22 of the movable body 2 moving to the delivery position go under the wafer W, which is supported by the lift pins 131 and thus suspended above the stage 130. The movable body 2 then stops at the delivery position and enters the state shown in FIG 9, and the wafer W is transferred to the forks 22 by the lowering of the lift pins 131.

[0047] On the other hand, when the wafer W is sent from the movable body 2 to the load lock module 13, the lift pins 131 push up the wafer W against the movable body 2 which has moved to the transfer position and is stationary, resulting in the state shown in Fig. 9. Thereafter, the movable body 2 is retracted from the transfer position, and the lift pins 131 are lowered, whereby the wafer W is placed on the stage 130.

[0048] As described above, the movable body 2 is positioned at the transfer position to transfer the wafer W between the load lock module 13 and the movable body 2, and the lateral movement stops. At that time, the first coil 5 provided in the housing 15 and the second coil 6 provided in the movable body 2 face each other. Therefore, as described in FIG. 8, an induced current is generated in the second coil 6, and the storage battery 72 is charged. The arrows shown by dashed lines in FIG. 9 indicate the magnetic flux passing through the opening of the second coil 6 also shown in FIG. 8. The movable body 2 may move up and down at the transfer position.

[0049] According to this embodiment, the driving coil 3 of the moving body 2 for moving the moving body 2 in a levitated state by magnetic force is installed on the floor 151 of the moving space S of the housing 15. While the driving coil 3 is arranged in this manner, the first coil 5 for power supply corresponding to the second coil 6 for power reception is provided on the upper side of the moving space S of the moving body 2. Therefore, the processing modules 11 can be arranged on the sides of the moving space S without providing a coil for power supply, so that a large number of processing modules 11 can be arranged densely. In other words, the installation of the first coil 5 for power supply is prevented from interfering with the installation of the processing modules 11, and the wafers W can be processed in parallel in each of the many processing modules 11 installed, so that the throughput of the apparatus can be increased. In addition, since the first coil 5 is arranged by utilizing the upper area of ​​the housing 15 in this manner, there is also an advantage that it is not necessary to increase the occupation area of ​​the apparatus.

[0050] Furthermore, when the wafer W is transported for processing in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 1, the first coil 5 is provided above the first region R1 where the mobile body 2 stays for a long time (above the transfer position for the load lock module 13 in this embodiment). Therefore, the time that the mobile body 2 stays in the first region R1 is utilized to generate an induced current in the second coil 6, thereby charging the storage battery 72 and ensuring power to be supplied to the power consuming devices. This eliminates the need to ensure time for supplying power to the power consuming devices separately from the stay time. In other words, since charging can be performed using the operating time required for transporting the wafer W, it is possible to ensure power to be supplied to the power consuming devices without reducing the transport throughput.

[0051] It is possible to consider a configuration in which the moving object 2 is equipped with a large-capacity battery that has been charged in advance, so that wireless charging is not performed as in this embodiment, or a configuration in which power is supplied to the power consuming device via a wire using a cable. However, with these methods, there is a risk that the weight of the battery will prevent the moving object 2 from floating, or that the operation of the moving object 2 will be restricted to prevent the cables from getting tangled, so the present technology is useful for these configurations.

[0052] In the above, in this embodiment, the first coil 5 may be disposed above a position in front of the processing module 11, and power may be supplied to the moving body 2 when the wafer W is delivered to and from the processing module 11, thereby charging the storage battery 72. However, as described above, the moving body 2 for the wafer W frequently accesses the load lock module 13 to transport the wafer W between the carrier C and the processing module 11. Therefore, when comparing a position in front of the load lock module 13 with a position in front of the processing module 11, the residence time per unit time at the position in front of the load lock module 13 is longer.

[0053] The near position here refers to a position where the movable body 2 stops moving to deliver the wafer W to the load lock module 13 or the processing module 11, and for the load lock module 13, it is the position shown in Fig. 9. The above unit time is a relatively long time during the period from when the transfer module 14 starts operating to process the wafer W in the semiconductor manufacturing equipment 1 to when the operation of the transfer module 14 ends with the processing of the wafer W being stopped, and is, for example, 10 hours or more starting from any point in time during that period.

[0054] Since there is such a difference in residence time per unit time, in the above embodiment, the first coil 5 is provided only above the position in front of the load lock module 13, among the positions above the position in front of the load lock module 13 and the positions above the position in front of the processing module 11, to ensure a sufficient charging time. By limiting the position where the first coil 5 is provided to above the position in front of a specific module in this way, an increase in the number of components is suppressed, and an increase in the manufacturing cost of the transfer module 14 is prevented.

[0055] Incidentally, the processing time of the wafer W in each of the processing modules 11 can be set arbitrarily. Depending on the setting of the processing time, the time from when the movable body 2 transports the wafer W to the processing module 11 until when the wafer W is received may be relatively long. In such a case, the first coil 5 may be provided above the processing module 11. Then, during the processing of the wafer W in the processing module 11, the second coil 6 of the movable body 2 may be disposed below the first coil 5 to charge the storage battery 72. Although a plurality of processing modules 11 are provided, it is sufficient to provide a power supply coil only above the processing module 11 in which the processing takes a long time as described above among the areas in the vicinity of each processing module 11. That is, in this case, the area near the processing module 11 in which the processing takes a long time is the area R1 in which the residence time per unit time is long, and the other areas are the area R2 in which the residence time per unit time is short, and the first coil 5 is provided above the area R1.

[0056] Furthermore, if the processing in the processing module 11 is long and the waiting time of the mobile body 2 near the processing module 11 can be made relatively long, there is no need to provide the first coil 5 above and in front of the load lock module 13 as described above. In other words, the first coil 5 is not limited to being provided at a position corresponding to the load lock module 13. In this way, the first coil 5 may be located above the position of the first region R1 where the residence time is long depending on the movement state of the mobile body 2 in the long term.

[0057] Moreover, in this embodiment, the number of first coils 5 does not need to be equal to the number of load lock modules 13. The number of first coils 5 may be less than the number of load lock modules 13, for example, one, or may be greater than the number of load lock modules 13. In the case where there are more first coils 5, they are provided above the transfer position for the load lock modules 13 and above the transfer position for the processing modules 11. Furthermore, the first coil 5 may be provided at a position above and away from the ceiling wall 152 of the housing 15 , or may be embedded inside the ceiling wall 152 .

[0058] Furthermore, when the first coil 5 is provided above the transfer position for the processing module 11, if the power consuming device is a camera or a sensor for detecting the internal state of the processing module 11, it is not necessarily required to provide the storage battery 72. The induced current obtained in the second coil 6 may be converted into DC power by, for example, an AC / DC conversion circuit 741, and then directly supplied to the power consuming device to detect the internal state of the processing module 11.

[0059] Note that a camera or a sensor may be used as the power consuming device to detect the state inside the load lock module 13. If it is necessary to detect only the state inside the load lock module 13 without detecting the state inside the processing module 11, then DC power obtained from the induced current in the second coil 6 due to the action of the first coil 5 at the position described in Fig. 2 etc. may be supplied to the power consuming device without going through the storage battery 72 to detect the state inside the module. That is, even in this case, the storage battery 72 does not need to be provided.

[0060] In addition, although the above description has been given with respect to the transportation of the wafer W by the movable body 2, the same movable body 2 transports the same wafer W, the movable body 2 to be used may be switched as appropriate. In other words, the transportation of the wafer W from one module to another module may be performed by one movable body 2, and the transportation of the wafer W from another module to yet another module may be performed by another movable body 2.

[0061] <Second embodiment> Next, a second embodiment of the transport module 14A of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 10 to Fig. 13. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that a moving mechanism 8 is provided that moves the first coil 5 in response to the lateral (horizontal) movement of the movable body 2. As shown in Figures 10 and 11, a power supply space 80 equipped with a first coil 5 and a moving mechanism 8 for the first coil 5 is formed, for example, inside the ceiling wall 152 in a portion of the ceiling wall 152 of the housing 15 of the conveying module 14A.

[0062] In this example, a recess 156 having a rectangular shape in plan view is formed on the lower surface side of the ceiling wall 152, and the opening of this recess 156 is closed by a partition wall 157. The lower surface of the partition wall 157 is integrated with the lower surface of the ceiling wall 152 in an area where the recess 156 is not formed, and forms the ceiling surface of the movement space S. For example, in this example, the region where the power supply space 80 is formed is a region closer to the load lock module 13 when the transfer module 14A is viewed in a plan view. In the movement space S, the region below the power supply space 80 is configured as a power supply area R3 that wirelessly supplies power to the moving body 2.

[0063] As described above, when the wafer W is transferred within the transfer module 14, an operation of transferring the wafer W between the load lock module 13 and the movable body 2 is always performed. Therefore, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the power supply area R3 includes a transfer position where the wafer W is transferred to and from the load lock module 13, and is formed, for example, on the front side in the front-rear direction of the transfer module 14. In addition, the power supply area R3 also includes a transfer position where the wafer W is transferred to and from the processing module 11 located close to the load lock module 13, as shown in Figure 12.

[0064] The movement mechanism 8 provided inside the power supply space 80 includes a stage 81 configured, for example, in a rectangular shape in a plan view, and a support part 81A that is a member elongated in the Y direction and located above the stage 81. Note that, although the support part 81A is shown by a dashed line in FIG. 10, the shape of the support part 81A is not limited to this. The support part 81A is connected to a guide rail 82 that extends in the X direction, and a ball screw 82A that extends in the X direction parallel to the guide rail 82. The ball screw 82A is rotated by a motor 83 for X-direction movement, whereby the support part 81A moves in the X direction.

[0065] In this example, the upper surface of stage 81 is connected to the lower surface of support portion 81A, and stage 81 is connected to guide rail 84 extending in the Y direction and ball screw 84A extending in the Y direction parallel to guide rail 84. Ball screw 84A is rotated by motor 85 for movement in the Y direction, causing stage 81 to move in the Y direction. In addition, with the movement of support portion 81A, stage 81, guide rail 84, ball screw 84A, and motor 85 provided on stage 81 also move. Therefore, stage 81 is configured to be freely movable in both the X direction and the Y direction by motors 83 and 85. These motors 83, 85 are also provided inside the power supply space 80, and are configured to move the stage 81 to a predetermined position based on position information of the moving body 2 from a Hall sensor 75 provided on the floor 151 of the housing 15.

[0066] A first coil 5 is provided on the lower surface of the stage 81. The first coil 5 is configured by winding a coil wire 52 in a spiral shape in plan view on a base 51 made of an insulator, as in the first embodiment. However, unlike the first embodiment, the coil wire 52 is provided on the stage 81 so as to face downward. The thickness of a partition wall 157 between the power supply space 80 and the movement space S is set to a size that does not interfere with electromagnetic induction by the movement mechanism 8 described later. In addition, an exhaust port 86 is formed in the power supply space 80, and the exhaust port 86 is connected to an exhaust mechanism 861 equipped with a valve and a pump by an exhaust path 862. In this way, the pressure inside the power supply space 80 is reduced by the exhaust mechanism 861 so as to be equal to the pressure inside the movement space S.

[0067] In the second embodiment, the first coil 5 moves with the lateral movement of the moving body 2. The first coil 5 moves in response to the movement of the moving body 2 in this way, but it is considered that the winding axis of the first coil 5 and the winding axis of the second coil 6 of the moving body 2 are slightly misaligned in plan view due to a response delay in the movement control of the first coil 5. That is, it is considered that the second coil 6 is misaligned from the region of the magnetic field formed by the first coil 5 that has the highest strength. Therefore, the thickness of the partition 157 is made relatively small so that the magnetic field strength around the second coil 6 is sufficiently secured. Although the partition 157 becomes thin in this way, the pressure in the power supply space 80 and the movement space S is made uniform by reducing the pressure in the power supply space 80 as described above, so that deformation of the partition 157 due to the pressure difference between these spaces is prevented.

[0068] The reason why the power supply space 80 and the movement space S are separated by the partition wall 157 in this manner is to suppress the diffusion of particles that may be generated by the movement of the first coil 5, which moves above the moving body 2 in the power supply space 80, into the movement space S. Furthermore, these particles are removed by evacuating the power supply space 80, and the configuration in which the power supply space 80 is evacuated can be said to contribute to increasing the efficiency of power supply to the moving body 2 by suppressing the thickness of the partition wall 157 as described above, in addition to obtaining the effect of removing the particles. The power supply space 80 may be formed in an atmospheric environment. In this case, similarly to the first embodiment, a recess may be formed in the ceiling wall 152 from above, the first coil 5 and the moving mechanism 8 may be provided in the recess, and the first coil 5 may be configured to be movable horizontally by the moving mechanism 8.

[0069] Furthermore, 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 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 moves in accordance with the second coil 6 of the moving body 2. For example, the position of magnet 4 of main body 21 is detected by hall sensor 75, and the central position P of main body 21 when viewed in a plan view is obtained. Then, the positional relationship between central position P of main body 21 and central position (position of winding axis) P2 of second coil 6 when viewed in a plan view is grasped in advance, and central position P2 of second coil 6 is calculated based on central position P. Control unit 100 outputs drive commands to motors 83, 85 so as to align central position P1 of first coil 5 when viewed in a plan view with central position P2 of second coil 6.

[0070] Furthermore, the moving body 2 in this example is equipped with a remaining amount sensor (not shown) that detects the remaining amount of the storage battery 72, and the detection value of the remaining amount sensor is configured to be output to the control unit 100 wirelessly via a transmitter of the moving body 2. The control unit 100 is configured to grasp the remaining amount of the storage battery 72 for each moving body 2 for a plurality of moving bodies 2, and select a moving body 2 to which power should be supplied preferentially based on this remaining amount. The other configuration of the transfer module 14A in the second embodiment is similar to that in the first embodiment, and the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and are not illustrated.

[0071] In this embodiment, AC power is constantly supplied to the first coil 5 via the power supply unit 54 and the DC / AC conversion circuit 53. Then, in the transfer module 14A, similarly to the first embodiment, the movable body 2 receives the wafer W in the load lock module 13, transfers it to a preset processing module 11, and hands it over to the mounting table 111 of the processing module 11. Thereafter, the movable 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 transfer it to the load lock module 13.

[0072] 12, for a mobile object 2 moving through a power supply area R3, position information of the second coil 6 is obtained from the detection result of the Hall sensor 75, and the first coil 5 is moved by the moving mechanism 8 according to the position of the second coil 6. In this way, the first coil 5 is moved to face the second coil 6 in accordance with the movement of the mobile object 2, and an induced current is generated in the second coil 6 by electromagnetic induction. Note that in this figure, components other than the first coil 5 and the second coil 6 are depicted in a simplified manner in order to show the positional relationship between the first coil 5 and the second coil 6.

[0073] Since power is supplied by electromagnetic induction, high positional precision is not required in the positional relationship between the first coil 5 and the second coil 6. As long as the second coil 6 is contained in the magnetic field formed by the first coil 5 and an induced current is generated, the winding axes of the coils may be misaligned in plan view as shown in Fig. 12, or only parts of the coils may face each other.

[0074] The movement of the first coil 5 starts, for example, when the mobile body 2 receives the wafer W from the load lock module 13. The first coil 5 follows the second coil 6 of the mobile body 2 moving within the power supply area R3 to supply power, and when the mobile body 2 moves outside the power supply area R3, the first coil 5 follows the second coil 6 of the mobile body 2 that next enters the power supply area R3 to supply power. In this way, the storage battery 72 is charged by the induced current generated in the second coil 6, and the power charged in the storage battery 72 is supplied to the sensor 71.

[0075] Furthermore, when multiple mobile objects 2 are within the power supply area R3, the priority order of the mobile objects 2 to be followed by the first coil 5 to wirelessly supply power may be determined based on the remaining charge of the storage battery 72, as shown in FIG. 13, for example. In FIG. 13, the mobile objects 2 are given priority orders (1) and (2) as the priority order. For example, the remaining charge of the storage battery 72 is constantly detected by a remaining charge detection sensor and output to the control unit 100. The control unit 100 then compares the remaining charge of the storage battery 72 of each mobile object 2 in the power supply area R3 and selects the mobile object 2(1) with the least remaining charge. Then, a command is output to the first coil 5 to follow the second coil 6 of the mobile object 2(1).

[0076] The first coil 5 follows the movable body 2(1) on a priority basis to supply power until the movable body 2(1) moves outside the power supply area R3 or until the wafer W is handed over to a processing module 11 accessible from the power supply area R3. Next, the control unit 100 again compares the remaining power of the storage battery 72 of each moving object 2 in the power supply area R3, and selects the moving object 2 with the least remaining power. Then, it outputs a command to the first coil 5 to follow the second coil 6 of the selected moving object 2.

[0077] In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, the drive coil 3 of the moving body 2 is provided on the floor 151 of the housing 15, while the second coil 6 for receiving power is provided on the moving body 2, and the first coil 5 for supplying power is provided above the movement space S of the moving body 2. Therefore, there is no need to install coils on the sides of the movement space S, and a large number of processing modules 11 can be densely arranged on the sides, thereby increasing the throughput of the device.

[0078] In addition, since the first coil 5 is moved following the moving object 2 and an induced current is generated in the second coil 6, it is possible to supply power to the power consuming devices while the moving object 2 is moving. Therefore, there is no need to secure a separate power supply time in addition to the movement time of the moving object 2, and power can be supplied to the power consuming devices without reducing the transportation throughput.

[0079] In the above, in this embodiment, the region where the power supply space 80 is provided is not limited to the above example, and may be formed corresponding to a region including the transfer positions of the wafer W between all the processing modules 11 and the movable body 2. That is, the power supply space 80 may be formed so as to cover the entire movable space S. In this case, the first coil 5 may always follow the movable body 2, so that the storage battery 72 may not be provided on the movable body 2. In this case, the induced current obtained in the second coil 6 may be converted into DC power by, for example, the AC / DC conversion circuit 741, and then the power may be directly supplied to the power consumption device to detect the state inside the processing module 11.

[0080] Furthermore, the movement of the first coil 5 in response to the movement of the movable body 2 does not necessarily require the detection result by the Hall sensor 75. For example, a program may be set in advance and installed in the control unit 100 to control the operation of the motors 83, 85 so that the movable body 2 moves in the transport module 14A according to a programmed transport path set in advance and the first coil 5 also moves along the transport path.

[0081] As described above, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present disclosure, the shapes of the first coil 5 and the second coil 6 are not limited to the above-mentioned examples as long as they can generate an induced current in the second coil 6 by electromagnetic induction. For example, the coil wires 52, 62 may be wound in the circumferential direction along the side walls of the bases 51, 61 and may be open in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the driving coil 3 may have another configuration as long as it can move the moving body 2 equipped with the magnet 4 in a state of being levitated from the floor by magnetic force. For example, it may be configured so that a coil wound in a spiral shape is arranged around a vertical axis.

[0082] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, if the remaining charge of the storage battery 72 is sufficient, it is not always necessary to perform wireless power supply to the second coil 6. In this case, in the first embodiment, the power supply to the first coil 5 may be stopped, and in the second embodiment, the tracking of the moving object 2 by the first coil 5 may be stopped.

[0083] Furthermore, examples of power consuming devices provided within the moving body 2 include, in addition to the various sensors, cameras, and lighting as described above, if the magnet provided in the main body 21 is an electromagnet, the electromagnet itself may also be mentioned. Furthermore, in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 of the present disclosure, the processing module 11 is not limited to a module that processes the wafer W in a vacuum atmosphere, and may be configured to process the wafer W in an atmospheric pressure atmosphere. In this case, the transfer modules 14, 14A are set to an atmospheric pressure atmosphere.

[0084] Thus far, the transfer module 14 has been described as transferring wafers W as substrates, but the transferred substrates are substrates for semiconductor manufacturing or substrates for flat panel display manufacturing. Substrates for semiconductor manufacturing include substrates used in semiconductor manufacturing processes in addition to wafers W. Substrates for flat panel display (FPD) manufacturing include various FPDs such as liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, organic electroluminescence displays, field emission displays, and electronic paper, and substrates used in the manufacturing processes of the FPDs. Substrates used in semiconductor manufacturing processes and substrates used in FPD manufacturing processes include substrates that are photomasks used in exposure processes during the respective manufacturing processes, and dummy substrates that are processed for the purpose of testing in substrate processing apparatuses and setting processing parameters.

[0085] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0086] W wafer S moving space 1. Semiconductor manufacturing equipment 11 Processing Module 14 Transfer module 15. Cabinet 2. Mobile 4. Magnets 5 First coil 6 Second coil 71 Sensors

Claims

1. 1. A transfer module used in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, the transfer module comprising: a movable body having a magnet, which moves in a state of being levitated above a floor by magnetic force, and transfers a substrate to a processing module for processing the substrate, The moving body; A housing that defines a movement space in which the moving body moves; A power consuming device provided in the moving object; A first coil provided above the movement space; a second coil provided in the moving body so that an induced current is generated by a magnetic field formed by the first coil when the first coil is powered, in order to supply power to the power consuming device; A transfer module comprising:

2. the moving object includes a storage battery that supplies power to the power consuming device; 2. The transport module according to claim 1, wherein the storage battery is charged by the induced current.

3. 3. A transport module as described in claim 2, wherein a first region and a second region have different lateral positions in the movement space and different residence times per unit time of the moving body, and the first coil is provided exclusively above the first region in which the residence time is longer.

4. The housing includes: an exhaust port for exhausting the moving space to create a vacuum atmosphere; a first transfer port that is connected from a side of the housing, opens for transferring the substrate between the processing module that processes the substrate in a vacuum atmosphere, and is opened and closed by a first valve; a second transfer port that is opened and closed by a second valve and is connected from a side of the housing to transfer the substrate between a load lock module that switches between a vacuum atmosphere and an atmospheric pressure atmosphere; 4. The transfer module according to claim 2, wherein the first coil is provided above a position where the lateral movement of the movable body stops in order to deliver the substrate to and from the load lock module.

5. The transport module according to claim 1 , further comprising a moving mechanism for moving the first coil laterally in response to the lateral movement of the moving body.

6. a plurality of hall sensors for detecting the position of the magnet are provided on the floor; 6. The transfer module according to claim 5, wherein the first coil moves based on a detection result by the Hall sensor.

7. a first transfer port that is connected to a side of the housing and opens to transfer the substrate between the housing and the processing module that processes the substrate, and that is opened and closed by a first valve is provided in the housing; 2. The transport module according to claim 1, wherein the power consuming device is a sensor located in the processing module for detecting a condition within the processing module when the substrate is transferred between the processing module and the movable body.

8. a step of moving a movable body having a magnet in a moving space formed inside a housing while being levitated above a floor by a magnetic force; transporting the substrate by the movable body to a processing module for processing the substrate; A step of supplying power to a first coil provided above the moving space in order to supply power to the power consuming device provided in the moving body, and generating an induced current in a second coil provided in the moving body by a magnetic field formed by the first coil; A substrate transport method in a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising:

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