Substrate processing system

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing system capable of producing a high-quality substrate.SOLUTION: A control unit controls a center robot CR and an indexer robot IR to store a substrate W for which first batch processing has been completed in a second carrier. Then, the controller controls a first substrate transport mechanism HTR to take out the substrate from a second carrier and perform second batch processing. At this time, the controller controls a single wafer processing chamber 48 to turn the substrate W upside down before the second batch processing. Accordingly, it is possible to provide a substrate processing system capable of producing high-quality substrates.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing system for processing various substrates such as semiconductor substrates, substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs) such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL (Electroluminescence) display devices, glass substrates for photomasks, and substrates for optical discs.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as this type of apparatus, there is one equipped with a batch type module and a single wafer type module (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The batch type module performs predetermined processing on a plurality of substrates at once. The single wafer type module performs predetermined processing on each substrate one by one. The batch type module and the single wafer type module each have their own advantages. A substrate processing apparatus equipped with a batch type module and a single wafer type module realizes a configuration having advantages over a batch type substrate processing apparatus or a single wafer type substrate processing apparatus by having both advantages.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the above configuration has a problem in the batch type module. The batch type module has a configuration in which a substrate in a vertical posture is immersed in a batch processing tank. In this case, a difference occurs in the batch processing between the lower part of the substrate located at the bottom of the batch processing tank and the upper part of the substrate located at the water surface part of the batch processing tank, resulting in non-uniformity of the substrate.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a substrate processing system capable of producing high-quality substrates.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The present invention adopts the following configuration in order to solve the above problems. That is, the present invention is a substrate processing system, which is a substrate processing system for processing substrates, a batch processing apparatus that performs batch processing for processing a plurality of substrates at once, a single-wafer processing apparatus that performs single-wafer processing for processing substrates one by one, a relay apparatus that conveys the substrates processed by the batch processing apparatus to the single-wafer processing apparatus, and a control unit that controls the batch processing apparatus, the single-wafer processing apparatus, and the relay apparatus. The batch processing apparatus includes at least one batch processing tank, a first mounting portion on which a carrier capable of vertically storing a plurality of substrates at a predetermined interval in a horizontal posture can be mounted, a substrate acquisition and conveyance mechanism that takes out substrates from the carrier mounted on the first mounting portion, a first posture conversion mechanism that converts the substrates taken out from the carrier by the substrate acquisition and conveyance mechanism from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture, and a lifter capable of collectively immersing the plurality of substrates in the vertical posture converted by the first posture conversion mechanism into the batch processing tank. The single-wafer processing apparatus includes a single-wafer drying portion capable of drying the substrates in the horizontal posture that have been batch processed one by one, a second mounting portion on which the carrier can be mounted, and a storage and conveyance mechanism that conveys the substrates in the horizontal posture into the carrier mounted on the second mounting portion. The relay apparatus includes a second posture conversion mechanism that converts the substrates received from the batch processing apparatus from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture, and a relay conveyance mechanism capable of conveying the substrates in the horizontal posture converted by the second posture conversion mechanism to the single-wafer processing apparatus one by one. The control unit (1) Control the substrate acquisition and transfer mechanism to take out the substrate from the first carrier placed on the first placement unit. (2) Control the first posture conversion mechanism to convert the substrate taken out from the first carrier from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture. (3) Control the lifter to immerse the plurality of substrates converted to the vertical posture in the batch processing tank together to perform the first batch processing. (4) Control the second posture conversion mechanism to convert the substrate on which the first batch processing has been performed from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture. (5) Control the relay transfer mechanism to transfer the substrate converted to the horizontal posture from the batch processing apparatus to the single-wafer processing apparatus. (6) Control the storage transfer mechanism to carry the substrate in the horizontal posture transferred to the single-wafer processing apparatus into the second carrier placed on the second placement unit. (7) When the second carrier storing the substrate on which the first batch processing has been performed is placed on the first placement unit of the batch processing apparatus, control the substrate acquisition and transfer mechanism to take out the substrate from the second carrier placed on the first placement unit. (8) Control the first posture conversion mechanism to convert the substrate taken out from the second carrier from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture. (9) Control the lifter to immerse the plurality of substrates converted to the vertical posture in the batch processing tank together to perform the second batch processing. (10) Control the second posture conversion mechanism to convert the substrate on which the second batch processing has been performed from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture. (11) Control the relay transfer mechanism to transfer the substrate converted to the horizontal posture from the batch processing apparatus to the single-wafer processing apparatus. (12) Control the single-wafer drying unit to dry the substrates in the horizontal posture transferred to the single-wafer processing apparatus one by one. (13) Control the storage transfer mechanism to sequentially perform a series of operations of carrying the dried substrates in the horizontal posture into the third carrier placed on the second placement unit. Furthermore, the substrate processing system It is provided with a rotation mechanism for rotating the substrate around the normal line of the substrate. The control unit After the first batch process and before the second batch process, the rotation mechanism is controlled so that the second batch process is performed in a posture with the top and bottom reversed with respect to the posture of the substrate in the first batch process. It is characterized by this.

[0007] [Operation and Effect] According to the above configuration, the control unit controls the storage and transfer mechanism to store the substrate that has completed the first batch process in the second carrier. Then, the control unit controls the substrate acquisition and transfer mechanism to take out the substrate from the second carrier and cause the second batch process to be performed. At this time, the control unit controls the rotation mechanism to invert the substrate vertically before the second batch process. If configured in this way, the differences in the batch process that occur between the lower part of the substrate located at the bottom of the batch process tank and the upper part of the substrate located at the water surface part of the batch process tank are homogenized, so a substrate processing system capable of manufacturing a high-quality device can be provided.

[0008] Also, in the above substrate processing system, The batch process tank is provided with a jet outlet for jetting a fluid at the bottom. The control unit, in the first batch process and the second batch process, It is preferable to control the batch process tank to jet a fluid from the bottom and stir the processing liquid held up and down.

[0009] [Operation and Effect] According to the above configuration, since the batch process is performed while stirring the processing liquid up and down, an efficient batch process can be performed. In addition, according to the substrate processing system according to the present invention, even if a configuration in which the batch process is performed while stirring the processing liquid up and down is adopted, the unevenness of the substrate processing that occurs during the batch process is homogenized, so a high-quality device can be manufactured.

[0010] Also, in the above substrate processing system, It is preferable to provide a carrier transfer mechanism for transferring the second carrier from the second placement unit to the first placement unit.

[0011] [Operation and Effect] According to the above configuration, a transfer mechanism for transferring the second carrier from the second placement unit to the first placement unit is provided. With this configuration, the substrate processing system can transfer the second carrier on the second placement unit to the first placement unit. With this configuration, the second carrier can be transferred without relying on manual transfer or transfer by a carrier transfer crane installed in the plant.

[0012] Also, in the above substrate processing system, the control unit controls the single-wafer drying unit to dry the substrates that have been posture-converted to a horizontal posture and transferred to the single-wafer processing apparatus one by one after the first batch process.

[0013] [Operation and Effect] According to the above configuration, after the first batch process, the single-wafer drying unit is posture-converted to a horizontal posture and dries the substrates transferred to the single-wafer processing apparatus one by one. With this configuration, the substrates can be sufficiently dried after the first batch process as well as after the second batch process, so that high-quality devices can be manufactured.

[0014] Also, in the above substrate processing system, the batch processing apparatus is provided with a batch drying unit for collectively drying the substrates that have undergone the first batch process, the control unit controls the batch drying unit to collectively dry the substrates after the first batch process, and it is preferable to control the second posture conversion mechanism to convert the substrates that have been collectively dried from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture.

[0015] [Operation and Effect] According to the above configuration, it is provided with a batch drying unit that collectively dries the substrates that have undergone the first batch process. With such a configuration, the substrates that have undergone the first batch process can be collectively dried, so a substrate processing system with improved throughput can be provided.

[0016] Also, in the above-described substrate processing system, It is preferable that the relay transfer mechanism includes a first hand for acquiring the dried substrate and a second hand for acquiring the substrate before drying.

[0017] [Operation and Effect] According to the above configuration, the relay transfer mechanism includes a first hand for acquiring the dried substrate and a second hand for acquiring the substrate before drying. With such a configuration, a configuration in which both the dried substrate and the substrate before drying pass through the relay device can be realized. Since the first hand is always in a dry state, the substrate will not get wet by the first hand. If the substrate before drying is conveyed by the second hand different from the first hand, the substrate before drying can also be reliably conveyed within the relay device.

[0018] Also, in the above-described substrate processing system, The rotation mechanism is composed of a spin chuck in a single-wafer processing chamber provided in the single-wafer processing apparatus, It is preferable that the spin chuck rotates the received substrate in a horizontal posture by half a turn around the vertical axis and transfers it to the storage transfer mechanism.

[0019] [Operation and Effect] According to the above configuration, the rotation mechanism is composed of a spin chuck in a single-wafer processing chamber, and the spin chuck rotates the received substrate in a horizontal posture by half a turn around the vertical axis and transfers it to the storage transfer mechanism. With such a configuration, the rotation mechanism can be realized using the existing configuration. That is, the present invention can be realized by changing the control of the existing device configuration.

[0020] Also, in the above-described substrate processing system, The single-wafer drying unit is composed of a single-wafer processing chamber provided in the single-wafer processing apparatus, It is preferable that the wafer processing chamber dries the substrate by spin drying.

[0021] [Function and Effect] According to the above configuration, the wafer drying unit is composed of a wafer processing chamber, and the substrate is dried by spin drying. In this way, the wafer drying unit can be configured using a device that has been in long-term operation and has a proven track record.

[0022] Also, in the above-described substrate processing system, the rotation mechanism is provided at the unloading position of the relay device, and it is preferable that the rotation mechanism rotates the substrate in a horizontal posture that has been transported to the unloading position by half a turn around the vertical axis.

[0023] [Function and Effect] According to the above configuration, the rotation mechanism is provided at the unloading position of the relay device, and the rotation mechanism rotates the substrate in a horizontal posture that has been transported to the unloading position by half a turn around the vertical axis. With this configuration, the present invention can be implemented without changing the control method of the wafer drying unit. Also, such a configuration is suitable for a substrate processing system equipped with a wafer drying unit that does not have a spin chuck.

[0024] Also, in the above-described substrate processing system, it is preferable that the wafer drying unit dries the substrate using a supercritical fluid.

[0025] [Function and Effect] According to the above configuration, the wafer drying unit dries the substrate using a supercritical fluid. With this configuration, the substrate can be dried without damaging the circuit formed on the device surface, so a substrate processing system capable of producing high-quality devices can be provided.

[0026] Also, in the above-described substrate processing system, the rotation mechanism is provided in the batch processing device, and it is preferable that the rotation mechanism rotates a plurality of substrates in a vertical posture by half a turn around the horizontal axis to turn them upside down.

[0027] [Operation and Effect] According to the above configuration, the rotation mechanism is provided in the batch processing apparatus, and the rotation mechanism rotates the plurality of substrates in the vertical posture by half a turn around the horizontal axis to turn them upside down. With this configuration, the time required to rotate the substrate by half a turn can be shortened, so a substrate processing system with improved throughput can be provided.

[0028] Also, in the above substrate processing system, the single-wafer processing apparatus includes a path capable of placing a substrate in a horizontal posture, the storage and transfer mechanism, a first robot accessible to the unloading position of the relay device, the single-wafer drying unit, and the path, and a second robot accessible to the path and the second placement unit, the first robot is preferably provided at a position surrounded by the substrate drying unit.

[0029] [Operation and Effect] According to the above configuration, the single-wafer processing apparatus includes a path capable of placing a substrate in a horizontal posture. Also, the above configuration includes a first robot accessible to the path, the unloading position of the relay device, and the single-wafer drying unit. This first robot is provided at a position surrounded by the substrate drying unit. According to the above configuration, since the layout of the substrate processing system is optimized, a substrate processing system capable of quickly executing substrate processing based on efficient substrate transfer can be provided.

[0030] Also, in the above substrate processing system, the first placement unit and the batch processing tank in the batch processing apparatus are arranged in the front-rear direction, the loading position and the unloading position in the relay device are arranged in the left-right direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction, the second placement unit and the single-wafer drying unit in the single-wafer processing apparatus are preferably arranged in the front-rear direction.

[0031] [Operation and Effect] According to the above configuration, the first placement unit in the batch processing apparatus and the batch processing tank are arranged in the front-rear direction, the loading position and the unloading position in the relay apparatus are arranged in the left-right direction, and the second placement unit and the single-sheet drying unit in the single-sheet processing apparatus are arranged in the front-rear direction. According to the above configuration, since the layout of the substrate processing system is optimized, a substrate processing system capable of quickly executing substrate processing based on efficient substrate transfer can be provided.

[0032] Also, in the above substrate processing system, the first placement unit in the batch processing apparatus, the batch drying unit, and the batch processing tank are arranged in the front-rear direction, the loading position in the relay apparatus and the unloading position in the relay apparatus are arranged in the left-right direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction, it is preferable that the second placement unit and the single-sheet drying unit in the single-sheet processing apparatus are arranged in the front-rear direction.

[0033] [Operation and Effect] According to the above configuration, the first placement unit in the batch processing apparatus, the batch drying unit, and the batch processing tank are arranged in the front-rear direction, the loading position in the relay apparatus and the unloading position in the relay apparatus are arranged in the left-right direction, and the second placement unit and the single-sheet drying unit in the single-sheet processing apparatus are arranged in the front-rear direction. According to the above configuration, since the layout of the substrate processing system is optimized, a substrate processing system capable of quickly executing substrate processing based on efficient substrate transfer can be provided.

[0034] Also, in the above substrate processing system, the first placement unit in the batch processing apparatus, the rotation mechanism, and the batch processing tank are arranged in the front-rear direction, the loading position in the relay apparatus and the unloading position in the relay apparatus are arranged in the left-right direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction, it is preferable that the second placement unit and the single-sheet drying unit in the single-sheet processing apparatus are arranged in the front-rear direction.

[0035] [Function and Effect] According to the above configuration, the first placement unit, the rotation mechanism, and the batch processing tank in the batch processing apparatus are arranged in the front-rear direction, the loading position in the relay apparatus and the unloading position in the relay apparatus are arranged in the left-right direction, and the second placement unit and the single-sheet drying unit in the single-sheet processing apparatus are arranged in the front-rear direction. According to the above configuration, since the layout of the substrate processing system is optimized, a substrate processing system capable of quickly executing substrate processing based on efficient substrate transfer can be provided.

Effect of the Invention

[0036] According to the present invention, a substrate processing system capable of producing high-quality substrates can be provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0037]

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Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0038] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The substrate processing system of the present invention continuously performs batch processing for processing a plurality of substrates W collectively and single-wafer processing for processing each substrate W one by one, and has a configuration in which a batch processing apparatus related to batch processing and a single-wafer processing apparatus related to single-wafer processing are connected by a relay apparatus.

[0039] The substrate processing system according to the present invention performs various processes such as chemical liquid treatment, cleaning treatment, and drying treatment on a substrate W, for example. The substrate processing system employs a processing method (so-called hybrid method) that combines both a batch processing method for collectively processing a plurality of substrates W and a single-wafer processing method for processing the substrates W one by one. The batch processing method is a processing method for collectively processing a plurality of substrates W arranged in a vertical posture. The single-wafer processing method is a processing method for processing the substrates W in a horizontal posture one by one. The substrate processing system of the present invention continuously performs batch processing for collectively processing a plurality of substrates and single-wafer processing for processing the substrates one by one. The substrate processing system of the present invention includes a batch processing apparatus and a single-wafer processing apparatus. The batch processing apparatus performs batch processing for collectively processing substrates. The single-wafer processing apparatus performs single-wafer processing for processing substrates one by one.

Embodiment

[0040] <1. Overall Configuration> As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system includes an individually configured batch processing apparatus 1 and single-wafer processing apparatus 2, and a relay apparatus 6 that connects both apparatuses 1 and 2. The batch processing apparatus 1 is related to batch processing for collectively processing a plurality of substrates, and the single-wafer processing apparatus 2 is related to single-wafer processing for processing substrates one by one. The relay apparatus 6 is configured to transfer the batch-processed substrates from the batch processing apparatus 1 to the single-wafer processing apparatus 2, and is a bridging structure provided at a position intervening between the batch processing apparatus 1 and the single-wafer processing apparatus 2.

[0041] As shown in FIG. 1, the batch processing apparatus 1 and the single-wafer processing apparatus 2 each have respective blocks partitioned by partition walls. That is, the batch processing apparatus 1 includes a stocker block 3, a transfer block 5 adjacent to the stocker block 3, and a batch processing block 7 adjacent to the transfer block 5. FIG. 2 shows the specific configuration of the batch processing block 7 in the batch processing apparatus 1. On the other hand, the single-wafer processing apparatus 2 includes an index block 4 and a single-wafer processing block 8 adjacent to the index block 4.

[0042] The batch processing device 1 is configured to perform batch processing and includes a first housing 1A that houses each block constituting the batch processing device 1. The single-wafer processing device 2 is configured to perform single-wafer processing on the substrate W that has undergone batch processing and includes a second housing 2A that houses each block constituting the single-wafer processing device 2. The first housing 1A has a first load port 9 that protrudes from a first wall surface that is orthogonal to the Y direction from the batch processing block 7 toward the transfer block 5 among the wall surfaces constituting the first housing. The second housing 2A includes a second load port 10 that protrudes from a second wall surface that is orthogonal to the Y direction among the wall surfaces constituting the second housing 2A, and the second load port 10 is located at the same position as the first load port 9 in the Y direction. The second load port 10 can mount the carrier C.

[0043] In this specification, for convenience, the direction in which the stocker block 3, the transfer block 5, and the batch processing block 7 are arranged in the batch processing device 1 is referred to as the "front-rear direction X". The front-rear direction X is also the direction in which the index block 4 and the single-wafer processing block 8 are arranged in the single-wafer processing device 2. The front-rear direction X extends horizontally. Among the front-rear direction X, the direction from the transfer block 5 to the stocker block 3 in the batch processing device 1 is referred to as "front". The front is also the direction from the single-wafer processing block 8 to the index block 4 in the single-wafer processing device 2. The direction opposite to the front is referred to as "rear". The horizontally extending direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction X is referred to as the "width direction Y". For convenience, one direction of the "width direction Y" is referred to as "right", and the other direction is referred to as "left". The direction (height direction) orthogonal to the front-rear direction X and the width direction Y is referred to as the "vertical direction Z" for convenience. In each figure, for reference, front, rear, right, left, up, and down are appropriately shown.

[0044] The substrate processing system of the present invention first performs the first batch processing on the substrate W in the batch processing apparatus 1, and conveys the substrate W after the batch processing to the single wafer processing apparatus 2 by the relay apparatus 6. Thereafter, the substrate W is subjected to a drying process by the single wafer processing apparatus 2. Thereafter, the substrate W is again subjected to the second batch processing in the batch processing apparatus 1. The substrate W after the batch processing is again conveyed to the single wafer processing apparatus 2 by the relay apparatus 6. Then, the substrate W is subjected to a drying process by the single wafer processing apparatus 2. Thereafter, the substrate W is stored in the carrier C placed on the carrier placement shelf 14a. The carrier C storing the substrate W is conveyed to the second load port 10. In this way, the substrate processing system completes the entire process of substrate processing. Hereinafter, the specific configurations of the respective apparatuses will be described in the order of the batch processing apparatus 1, the relay apparatus 6, and the single wafer processing apparatus 2 in the substrate processing system of the present invention.

[0045] <2. Batch Processing Apparatus: Stocker Block> The stocker block 3 includes a first load port 9 which is an entrance when a carrier C for storing a plurality of substrates W in a vertical direction at a predetermined interval in a horizontal posture is inserted into the block. The first load port 9 is configured to protrude from the outer wall of the stocker block 3 extending in the width direction (Y direction).

[0046] A plurality of (for example, 25) substrates W are stacked and stored in one carrier C at a constant interval in a horizontal posture. The carrier C storing the unprocessed substrate W carried into the batch processing apparatus 1 is first placed on the first load port 9. The carrier C is formed with a plurality of grooves (not shown) extending in the horizontal direction for accommodating the substrates W in a state where the surfaces of the substrates W are separated from each other. One substrate W is inserted into each of the grooves. As the carrier C, for example, there is a sealed type FOUP (Front Opening Unify Pod). In the present invention, an open type container may be adopted as the carrier C.

[0047] Describe the internal structure of the stocker block 3. The stocker block 3 is provided with a transport storage unit ACB for stocking and managing the carrier C. The transport storage unit ACB includes a carrier transport mechanism 11 for transporting the carrier C and a shelf 13 for placing the carrier C. The number of carriers C that the stocker block 3 can stock is 1 or more.

[0048] The stocker block 3 has a plurality of shelves 13 for placing the carrier C. The shelf 13 is provided on a partition wall separating the stocker block 3 and the transfer block 5. The shelf 13 includes a stock shelf 13b for temporarily placing the carrier C and a carrier placement shelf 13a for substrate extraction to which the first substrate transport mechanism HTR of the transfer block 5 has access.

[0049] The carrier placement shelf 13a corresponds to the first placement portion. The carrier placement shelf 13a is configured to be able to place a carrier C that stores a plurality of substrates in a horizontal posture at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction. The carrier placement shelf 13a is configured to place the carrier C that is the target for extracting the substrate W. In this embodiment, one carrier placement shelf 13a is provided, but a plurality of carrier placement shelves 13a may be provided. The carrier transport mechanism 11 takes in a carrier C storing an untreated substrate W from the first load port 9 and places it on the carrier placement shelf 13a for substrate extraction. At this time, the carrier transport mechanism 11 can also temporarily place the carrier C on the stock shelf 13b before placing it on the carrier placement shelf 13a. The number of carrier placement shelves 13a that the stocker block 3 has is 1 or more.

[0050] The carrier transport mechanism 11 can also move inside the single-sheet processing apparatus 2. The substrate processing unit is provided with a bridging section 17 that enables the carrier transport mechanism 11 to move back and forth horizontally. The bridging section 17 is configured to bridge the batch processing apparatus 1 and the single-sheet processing apparatus 2. Inside the bridging section 17, a passage CP for moving the carrier C back and forth is provided. To the right of the passage CP, a carrier block 12 where a plurality of carriers C can stay is provided. The carrier block 12 belongs to the single-sheet processing apparatus 2. The carrier block 12 is provided with a carrier placement shelf 14a on which the carrier C can be placed. The carrier placement shelf 14a corresponds to the second placement section of the present invention. The carrier placement shelf 14a is the conveyance destination of the substrate W processed by the single-sheet processing apparatus 2. The substrate W that has completed the drying process inside the single-sheet processing apparatus 2 is loaded into the empty carrier C set on the carrier placement shelf 14a. Details of the carrier block 12 will be described later.

[0051] The carrier transport mechanism 11 can transport the carrier C from the carrier placement shelf 14a of the single-sheet processing apparatus 2 to the carrier placement shelf 13a of the batch processing apparatus 1. That is, the substrate processing unit of this embodiment can cause the batch processing apparatus 1 to take in the substrate W that has been dried in the single-sheet processing apparatus 2. The substrate W that has been dried on the carrier placement shelf 14a has undergone batch processing. The substrate W on the carrier placement shelf 14a is transported to the carrier placement shelf 13a and then taken in by the batch processing apparatus 1 again. After that, the substrate W undergoes batch processing again. Thus, the substrate processing unit of this embodiment is configured to perform the batch processing of the substrate W in two stages.

[0052] <3. Batch Processing Apparatus: Transfer Block> The transfer block 5 is adjacent to the carrier placement shelf 13a. The transfer block 5 is arranged adjacent to the rear of the stocker block 3. The transfer block 5 includes a first substrate transfer mechanism HTR that can access the carrier C placed on the carrier placement shelf 13a for substrate removal, an HVC posture conversion unit 23 that collectively converts a plurality of substrates W from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture, and a pusher mechanism 25. The HVC posture conversion unit 23 constitutes the first posture conversion mechanism 15. The first posture conversion mechanism 15 collectively converts a plurality of substrates W taken out from the carrier C from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture. Further, a substrate delivery position PP is set in the transfer block 5 for delivering a plurality of substrates W to a second substrate transfer mechanism WTR provided in the collective transfer area R2. The first substrate transfer mechanism HTR, the HVC posture conversion unit 23, and the pusher mechanism 25 are arranged in this order in the Y direction.

[0053] The first substrate transfer mechanism HTR corresponds to the substrate acquisition and transfer mechanism of the present invention. The first substrate transfer mechanism HTR is configured to collectively take out a plurality of substrates W from the carrier C placed on the carrier placement shelf 13a. The first substrate transfer mechanism HTR is provided on the right side of the rear of the transfer and storage unit ACB of the stocker block 3. The first substrate transfer mechanism HTR is a mechanism for collectively taking out a plurality of substrates W from the carrier C placed on the carrier placement shelf 13a for substrate removal and storage. The first substrate transfer mechanism HTR includes a plurality (for example, 25) of hands 51 that collectively transfer a plurality of substrates W. One hand 51 supports one substrate W. The first substrate transfer mechanism HTR collectively takes out a plurality of (for example, 25) substrates W from the carrier C placed on the carrier placement shelf 13a of the stocker block 3. Then, the first substrate transfer mechanism HTR can transfer the plurality of gripped substrates W to the support base 23A of the HVC posture conversion unit 23. The HVC posture conversion unit 23 converts the received plurality of substrates W in the horizontal posture to the vertical posture. The pusher mechanism 25 is configured to hold the plurality of substrates W in the vertical posture and move them up, down, left, and right.

[0054] The HVC posture conversion unit 23 corresponds to the first posture conversion mechanism of the present invention. The HVC posture conversion unit 23 is configured to convert the substrate W taken out from the carrier C by the first substrate transfer mechanism HTR from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture. FIG. 3 illustrates the HVC posture conversion unit 23 of the first embodiment. The HVC posture conversion unit 23 includes a pair of horizontal holding portions 23B and a pair of vertical holding portions 23C extending in the vertical direction (Z direction). The support base 23A has a support surface extending in the XY plane that supports the horizontal holding portion 23B and the vertical holding portion 23C. The rotation drive mechanism 23D is configured to rotate the horizontal holding portion 23B and the vertical holding portion 23C together with the support base 23A by 90°. By this rotation, the horizontal holding portion 23B and the vertical holding portion 23C are configured to extend in the left-right direction (Y direction). Note that FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the HVC posture conversion unit 23. Hereinafter, the configuration of each part will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4.

[0055] The horizontal holding portion 23B supports a plurality of substrates W in a horizontal posture from below. That is, the horizontal holding portion 23B has a comb-shaped structure having a plurality of protrusions corresponding to the substrates W to be supported. There are elongated recesses where the peripheral portions of the substrate W are located between adjacent protrusions. When the peripheral portion of the substrate W is inserted into this recess, the lower surface of the substrate W in the horizontal posture comes into contact with the upper surface of the protrusion, and the substrate W is supported in the horizontal posture.

[0056] The vertical holding portion 23C supports a plurality of substrates W in a vertical posture from below. That is, the vertical holding portion 23C has a comb-shaped structure having a plurality of protrusions corresponding to the substrates W to be supported. There are elongated V-grooves where the peripheral portions of the substrate W are located between adjacent protrusions. When the peripheral portion of the substrate W is inserted into this V-groove, the substrate W is clamped by the V-groove and supported in the vertical posture. Since two vertical holding portions 23C are provided on the support base 23A, the substrate W is clamped by different V-grooves at two locations on the peripheral portion.

[0057] A pair of horizontal holding portions 23B extending in the vertical direction (Z direction) and a pair of vertical holding portions 23C are provided along a virtual circle corresponding to the substrate W in a horizontal posture so as to surround the substrate W to be held. The pair of horizontal holding portions 23B are separated by the diameter of the substrate W and hold one end of the substrate W and the other end corresponding to the position farthest from the one end. In this way, the pair of horizontal holding portions 23B support the substrate W in a horizontal posture. On the other hand, the pair of vertical holding portions 23C are separated by a distance shorter than the diameter of the substrate W and support a predetermined portion of the substrate W and a specific portion located in the vicinity of the predetermined portion. In this way, the pair of vertical holding portions 23C support the substrate W in a vertical posture. The pair of horizontal holding portions 23B are at the same position in the left-right direction (Y direction), and the pair of vertical holding portions 23C are at the same position in the left-right direction (Y direction). The pair of vertical holding portions 23C are provided on the side in the direction (left direction) in which the support base 23A rotates and falls over, rather than the pair of horizontal holding portions 23B.

[0058] The rotation drive mechanism 23D supports the support base 23A so as to be rotatable by at least 90° around a horizontal axis AX2 extending in the front-rear direction (X direction). When the support base 23A in the horizontal state rotates by 90°, the support base 23A becomes in a vertical state, and the postures of the plurality of substrates W held by the horizontal holding portions 23B and the vertical holding portions 23C are converted from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture.

[0059] As shown in FIG. 4(f), the pusher mechanism 25 includes a pusher 25A capable of mounting a substrate W in a vertical posture, a lifting and rotating unit 25B for rotating and lifting and lowering the pusher 25A, a horizontal moving unit 25C for moving the lifting and rotating unit 25B in the left-right direction (Y direction), and a rail 25D extending in the left-right direction (Y direction) for guiding the horizontal moving unit 25C. The pusher 25A is configured to support the lower portions of a plurality (for example, 50 sheets) of substrates W in a vertical posture. The lifting and rotating unit 25B is provided below the pusher 25A and includes a telescopic mechanism for lifting and lowering the pusher 25A in the vertical direction. In addition, the lifting and rotating unit 25B can rotate the pusher 25A by at least 180° around a vertical axis. The horizontal moving unit 25C is configured to support the lifting and rotating unit 25B and horizontally move the pusher 25A and the lifting and rotating unit 25B. The horizontal moving unit 25C is guided by the rail 25D and can move the pusher 25A from a pick-up position close to the HVC posture conversion unit 23 to a substrate transfer position PP. Further, the horizontal moving unit 25C can also shift the substrate W in a vertical posture by a distance corresponding to a half pitch in the substrate arrangement in the arrangement direction of the substrates W.

[0060] Here, the operations of the HVC posture conversion unit 23 and the pusher mechanism 25 will be described. The HVC posture conversion unit 23 and the pusher mechanism 25 arrange, in a face-to-face manner, for example, a total of 50 substrates W accommodated in two carriers C at a predetermined interval (for example, 5 mm). The 25 substrates W in the first carrier C are described as the first substrate W1 belonging to the first substrate group. Similarly, the 25 substrates W in the second carrier C are described as the second substrate W2 belonging to the second substrate group. In FIGS. 4(a) to 4(f), for the convenience of drawing, the number of the first substrates W1 is 3, and the number of the second substrates W2 is 3.

[0061] Figure 4(a) shows a state in which the first substrate W1 in a horizontal posture is collectively transferred to the HVC posture conversion unit 23 by the first substrate transfer mechanism HTR. At this time, the device surface (the surface on which the circuit pattern is formed) of the first substrate W1 faces upward. The 25 first substrates W1 are arranged at a predetermined interval (for example, 10 mm). This 10-mm interval is called the full pitch (normal pitch). The first substrate W1 in this state is held by the horizontal holding unit 23B. At this time, the pusher 25A is at the lifting position below the support base 23A.

[0062] Figure 4(b) shows a state when the support base 23A of the HVC posture conversion unit 23 is rotated 90° by the rotation drive mechanism 23D. In this way, in the HVC posture conversion unit 23, the postures of the 25 first substrates W1 are converted from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture. The first substrate W1 in this state is held by the vertical holding unit 23C.

[0063] The pusher mechanism 25 supports a group of substrates in a vertical posture formed by the first posture conversion mechanism 15 converting the posture of the first substrate W1 stored in the first carrier C. Figure 4(c) shows a state in which the pusher 25A has moved upward from the lifting position to a directly above position set above the lifting position. This upward movement is performed by the lifting and rotating unit 25B. In this way, when the pusher 25A moves from the lower side to the upper side of the first substrate W1, the first substrate W1 supported by the vertical holding unit 23C of the HVC posture conversion unit 23 is pulled out from the vertical holding unit 23C and moves onto the pusher 25A. Grooves for sandwiching the substrate W are provided on the upper surface of the pusher 25A. The first substrate W1 is supported by these grooves arranged at equal intervals. These grooves are arranged at a half pitch, and since the first substrates W1 are arranged at a full pitch in the HVC posture conversion unit 23, on the upper surface of the pusher 25A in the directly above position, the grooves sandwiching the first substrate W1 and the empty grooves that do not support the substrate W are arranged alternately.

[0064] Figure 4(d) shows the operation in which the pusher 25A is rotated 180° by the lifting and rotating unit 25B, and the operation when the support base 23A of the HVC posture conversion unit 23 is rotated 90° counterclockwise by the rotation drive mechanism 23D. In this state, the HVC posture conversion unit 23 can support the second substrate W2. When the pusher 25A rotates 180°, the substrate W supported at the right end of the pusher 25A moves to the left end of the pusher 25A, and the empty groove located at the left end of the pusher 25A moves to the right end of the pusher 25A. The positional relationship between the HVC posture conversion unit 23 and the pusher 25A is set such that the substrate W located at the right end of the HVC posture conversion unit 23 is transferred to the right end of the pusher 25A. Therefore, the HVC posture conversion unit 23 can transfer the second substrate W2 at the right end to the groove at the right end of the pusher 25A regardless of the presence of the first substrate W1 supported by the pusher 25A. The same applies to other second substrates W2 supported by the HVC posture conversion unit 23. That is, the second substrates W2 arranged at intervals of a full pitch on the HVC posture conversion unit 23 can be arranged at intervals of a full pitch in order from the right end of the pusher 25A. This is because empty grooves are arranged at intervals of a full pitch starting from the right end on the rotated pusher 25A. At this time, the first substrate W1 on the pusher 25A fits into the gap between the second substrates W2 arranged on the pusher 25A. Figure 4(d) shows the state when the second substrate W2 has already been conveyed to the HVC posture conversion unit 23. In Figure 4(d), the second substrate W2 is supported by the horizontal holding unit 23B.

[0065] When the pusher 25A directly above in the state of Figure 4(d) returns to its original picking position, the HVC posture conversion unit 23 can rotate the support base 23A 90° again.

[0066] FIG. 4(e) shows the state when the support base 23A is actually rotated again. At this time, since the pusher 25A has been rotated by 180°, when the pusher 25A is moved again to the directly above position as shown in FIG. 4(f), the second substrate W2 fits into the empty groove sandwiched between the first substrates W1 on the upper surface of the pusher 25A without interfering with the first substrate W1. In this way, a lot in which the first substrates W1 and the second substrates W2 are alternately arranged is formed. In FIG. 4(e), the second substrate W2 is supported by the vertical holding portion 23C. Since the substrates W in the lot are arranged in a face-to-face manner, all the device surfaces of the first substrates W1 constituting the lot face rightward in FIG. 4(f), and all the device surfaces of the second substrates W2 face leftward in FIG. 4(f). In this way, the pusher mechanism 25 also supports the substrate group in the vertical posture formed by the first posture conversion mechanism 15 converting the posture of the second substrate W2 stored in the second carrier C.

[0067] FIG. 4(f) shows the state when the pusher 25A has moved again to the directly above position. Then, the lot generated in the pusher 25A is conveyed leftward (Y direction) by the horizontal movement portion 25C and moved to the substrate transfer position PP.

[0068] In this way, the pusher mechanism 25 combines two substrate groups stored in the carrier C at a full pitch to form a lot in which the substrates W are arranged at a half pitch. The device surfaces of the first substrates W1 and the second substrates W2 constituting the lot face each other, and each substrate is arranged in a face-to-face manner.

[0069] The dry lot support portion 33 is provided mainly for the purpose of temporarily waiting for the lot batch-assembled by the HVC posture conversion portion 23 and the pusher mechanism 25, and is located at a position sandwiched between the substrate transfer position PP and a relay device 6 described later. When conveying the lot from the dry lot support portion 33 to the batch processing block 7, the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR of the batch processing apparatus 1 is used.

[0070] <5. Batch Processing Device: Batch Processing Block> The batch processing block 7 is adjacent to the transfer block 5. The batch processing block 7 performs batch processing on the above-mentioned lot. The batch processing block 7 is divided into a batch processing area R1 arranged in the width direction (Y direction) and a batch transfer area R2. Each area extends in the front-rear direction (X direction). Specifically, the batch processing area R1 is arranged inside the batch processing block 7. The batch transfer area R2 is adjacent to the batch processing area R1 and is arranged on the leftmost side of the batch processing block 7.

[0071] <5.1. Batch Processing Area> The batch processing area R1 in the batch processing block 7 is a rectangular area extending in the front-rear direction (X direction). One end side (front side) of the batch processing area R1 is adjacent to the relay device 6. The other end side of the batch processing area R1 extends in the direction away from the transfer block 5 and the relay device 6 (rear side). Therefore, the relay device 6 is a device inserted at a position that divides the batch processing device 1 halfway. When transporting the lot from the batch processing device 1 to the relay device 6, the second substrate transport mechanism WTR of the batch processing device 1 is used.

[0072] The second substrate transport mechanism WTR transports a plurality of substrates W in a vertical posture together between the transfer block 5, the batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6, and the loading position IP of the relay device 6. Therefore, the batch transfer area R2, which is the area where the second substrate transport mechanism WTR can move, is not divided by the relay device 6 and extends in the Y direction along the left end of the relay device 6. The relay device 6 is configured to be inserted inside the batch processing device 1 but does not reach the left end of the batch processing device 1. This is because the batch transfer area R2 is provided at the left end of the batch processing device 1.

[0073] The batch processing area R1 mainly includes a batch processing unit that performs batch processing. Specifically, the batch processing area R1 includes a batch drying chamber DC that dries a plurality of substrates W collectively, and a plurality of batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6 that perform immersion processing on a plurality of substrates W collectively in the direction in which the batch processing area R1 extends. The batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6 perform immersion processing on a plurality of substrates in a vertical posture collectively. The arrangement of the batch drying chamber DC and the batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6 will be specifically described. The batch drying chamber DC is adjacent to the relay device 6 from the rear. The first batch processing unit BPU1 is adjacent to the batch drying chamber DC from the rear. The second batch processing unit BPU2 is adjacent to the first batch processing unit BPU1 from the rear. The third batch processing unit BPU3 is adjacent to the second batch processing unit BPU2 from the rear. The fourth batch processing unit BPU4 is adjacent to the third batch processing unit BPU3 from the rear. The fifth batch processing unit BPU5 is adjacent to the fourth batch processing unit BPU4 from the rear. The sixth batch processing unit BPU6 is adjacent to the fifth batch processing unit BPU5 from the rear. Therefore, the batch drying chamber DC, the first batch processing unit BPU1, the second batch processing unit BPU2, the third batch processing unit BPU3, the fourth batch processing unit BPU4, the fifth batch processing unit BPU5, and the sixth batch processing unit BPU6 are arranged in this order so as to be separated from the relay device 6. In FIG. 1, for the convenience of drawing, the second batch processing unit BPU2 to the fifth batch processing unit BPU5 are omitted. This configuration can be understood by referring to FIG. 2.

[0074] The batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6 have the batch processing tanks of the present invention. The batch processing tank is a liquid tank that holds a chemical solution or pure water. The chemical solution may be an acidic aqueous solution, for example, a phosphoric acid aqueous solution. In this specification, the chemical solution and pure water are collectively referred to as a processing solution. The batch processing tank that holds the chemical solution is referred to as batch chemical processing tanks CHB2 to CHB6, and the batch processing tank that holds pure water is referred to as a batch rinse processing tank ONB.

[0075] The second batch processing unit BPU2 specifically includes a batch chemical solution processing tank CHB2 that collectively processes a lot with a chemical solution, and a lifter LF2 that raises and lowers the lot between the substrate transfer position and the chemical solution processing position (see FIG. 2). The substrate transfer position is a position set above the batch chemical solution processing tank CHB2 accessible by the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR, and the chemical solution processing position is a position set inside the batch chemical solution processing tank CHB2 where the lot can be immersed in the chemical solution. The batch chemical solution processing tank CHB2 performs an acid treatment on the lot. As the acid treatment, a phosphoric acid treatment may be used, but other acid treatments may also be used. The phosphoric acid treatment performs an etching treatment on a plurality of substrates W constituting the lot. The etching treatment chemically etches, for example, a nitride film on the surface of the substrate W.

[0076] The batch chemical solution processing tank CHB2 stores an acid solution such as a phosphoric acid solution. A lifter LF2 for moving the lot up and down is attached to the batch chemical solution processing tank CHB2. The lifter LF2 moves up and down in the vertical direction (Z direction). Specifically, the lifter LF2 moves up and down between a processing position that hits the inside of the batch chemical solution processing tank CHB2 and a transfer position that hits above the batch chemical solution processing tank CHB2. The lifter LF2 holds a lot composed of substrates W in a vertical posture. The lifter LF2 transfers the lot to and from the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR at the transfer position. When the lifter LF2 holding the lot descends from the transfer position to the processing position, the entire area of the substrate W is located below the liquid surface of the chemical solution. When the lifter LF2 holding the lot ascends from the processing position to the transfer position, the entire area of the substrate W is located above the liquid surface of the chemical solution. The lifter LF2 can collectively immerse a plurality of substrates in a vertical posture whose postures have been converted by the HVC posture conversion unit 23 into a batch processing tank. At this time, the lifter LF2 will descend from the transfer position to the processing position.

[0077] The batch chemical solution treatment tank CHB2 supplies the chemical solution from below upward, for example, to cause convection of the chemical solution. In the first batch treatment and the second batch treatment in this embodiment, the chemical solution is ejected from the bottom of the batch chemical solution treatment tank CHB2 to stir the chemical solution held therein up and down. The fluid to be ejected may be an inert gas, or the chemical solution may be stirred up and down by bubbling. FIG. 5(a) illustrates the batch chemical solution treatment tank CHB2 of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 5(a), the batch chemical solution treatment tank CHB2 is provided with a jet outlet 27 for ejecting fluid at the bottom. When the chemical solution or the like is ejected from the jet outlet 27, the chemical solution staying at the bottom moves toward the water surface of the batch chemical solution treatment tank CHB2, and the chemical solution in the tank is stirred. Note that the batch chemical solution treatment tanks CHB3, CHB4, CHB5, and CHB6 of the third batch treatment unit BPU3, the fourth batch treatment unit BPU4, the fifth batch treatment unit BPU5, and the sixth batch treatment unit BPU6 are also configured to stir the chemical solution held therein up and down by ejecting the chemical solution or the like from the bottom. The batch rinse treatment tank ONB in the first batch treatment unit BPU1 holds pure water. Therefore, the batch rinse treatment tank ONB is configured to stir the pure water held therein up and down by ejecting pure water from the bottom.

[0078] Specifically, the third batch treatment unit BPU3 includes a batch chemical solution treatment tank CHB3 and a lifter LF3 that raises and lowers a lot between a substrate transfer position and a chemical solution treatment position. The batch chemical solution treatment tank CHB3 has the same configuration as the above-described batch chemical solution treatment tank CHB2. That is, the above-described chemical solution is stored in the batch chemical solution treatment tank CHB3, and the lifter LF3 is attached thereto. The batch chemical solution treatment tank CHB3 performs the same treatment on the lot as the batch chemical solution treatment tank CHB2. The batch treatment apparatus 1 of this example includes a plurality of treatment tanks capable of performing the same chemical solution treatment. This is because the phosphoric acid treatment takes more time than other treatments. The phosphoric acid treatment takes a long time (for example, 60 minutes). Therefore, the apparatus of this example is configured to perform the acid treatment in parallel using a plurality of batch chemical solution treatment tanks.

[0079] The fourth batch processing unit BPU4 to the sixth batch processing unit BPU6 have the same configuration as the second batch processing unit BPU2 and the third batch processing unit BPU3. That is, the fourth batch processing unit BPU4 includes a batch chemical solution processing tank CHB4 and a lifter LF4 that raises and lowers a lot between a substrate transfer position and a chemical solution processing position. Similarly, the fifth batch processing unit BPU5 includes a batch chemical solution processing tank CHB5 and a lifter LF5 that raises and lowers a lot between a substrate transfer position and a chemical solution processing position. And the sixth batch processing unit BPU6 includes a batch chemical solution processing tank CHB6 and a lifter LF6 that raises and lowers a lot between a substrate transfer position and a chemical solution processing position. Therefore, the lot is acid-treated in any one of the batch chemical solution processing tanks CHB2 to CHB6. By performing chemical solution processing in parallel with five processing units in this way, the throughput of the apparatus is increased.

[0080] Specifically, the first batch processing unit BPU1 includes a batch rinsing processing tank ONB that stores a rinsing solution and a lifter LF1 that raises and lowers a lot between a substrate transfer position and a rinsing position. The substrate transfer position is a position set above the batch rinsing processing tank ONB accessible by the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR, and the rinsing position is a position set inside the batch rinsing processing tank ONB where the lot can be immersed in the rinsing solution. The batch rinsing processing tank ONB has the same configuration as the above-described batch chemical solution processing tank CHB2. That is, the batch rinsing processing tank ONB stores a rinsing solution and is provided with a lifter LF1. Different from other processing tanks, the batch rinsing processing tank ONB stores pure water and is provided for the purpose of washing the chemical solution adhering to a plurality of substrates W. In the batch rinsing processing tank ONB, when the specific resistance of the pure water in the tank rises to a predetermined value, the washing process ends.

[0081] Thus, the batch rinsing treatment tank ONB in this embodiment is located closer to the relay device 6 than the batch chemical liquid treatment tanks CHB2 to CHB6. By configuring it in this way, each mechanism constituting the relay device 6 and the batch chemical liquid treatment tanks CHB2 to CHB6 are separated as much as possible, and the relay device 6 is not adversely affected by acids such as phosphoric acid. Also, by arranging the relay device 6 and the batch rinsing treatment tank ONB close to each other, the lot that has completed the rinsing treatment is conveyed a short distance and immediately carried into the relay device 6. Therefore, according to the configuration of this embodiment, the conveyance of the substrate W can be quickly completed while maintaining the wet state of the substrate W.

[0082] <5.2. Batch Conveyance Area> The batch conveyance area R2 in the batch processing block 7 is a rectangular area extending in the front-rear direction (X direction). The batch conveyance area R2 is provided along the outer edge of the batch processing area R1, with one end extending to the transfer block 5 and the other end extending in a direction away from the transfer block 5. Therefore, the batch conveyance area R2 is also configured along the relay device 6 located at a position sandwiched between the transfer block 5 and the batch processing block 7.

[0083] In the batch conveyance area R2, a second substrate conveyance mechanism WTR for conveying a plurality of substrates W in a batch is provided. The second substrate conveyance mechanism WTR conveys a plurality of substrates W (specifically, a lot) in a batch between the substrate transfer position PP defined within the transfer block 5, the dry lot support portion 33, the batch drying chamber DC, each batch processing unit BPU1 to BPU6, and the loading position IP in the relay device 6 described later. The second substrate conveyance mechanism WTR is configured to be reciprocable in the front-rear direction (X direction) across the transfer block 5, the relay device 6, and the batch processing block 7. The second substrate conveyance mechanism WTR is movable not only to the batch conveyance area R2 in the batch processing block 7 but also to the substrate transfer position PP, the dry lot support portion 33 within the transfer block 5, and the loading position IP within the relay device 6.

[0084] The second substrate transfer mechanism WTR includes a pair of chucks 29 for transferring a lot. The pair of chucks 29 can change between a closed state in which they approach each other and an open state in which they separate from each other. The chuck 29 is a member extending in the Y direction with grooves for gripping the substrate W arranged at a half pitch. The pair of chucks 29 are in the closed state and receive a plurality of substrates W constituting the lot. Then, the pair of chucks 29 are in the open state and transfer the plurality of substrates W constituting the lot to another member (such as the lifter LF1, etc.). The second substrate transfer mechanism WTR transfers the lot between the substrate transfer position PP in the transfer block 5 and the lifter LF65 belonging to the lot standby tank 65 provided at the drying lot support portion 33 and the carry-in position IP in the relay device 6. In addition to these, the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR transfers the lot between each lifter LF1 to LF6 belonging to the batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6 in the batch processing block 7 and the batch drying chamber DC.

[0085] In the batch transfer area R2, a guide rail 31X extending in the X direction for guiding the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR is provided. The second substrate transfer mechanism WTR can move forward and backward in the X direction along the guide rail 31X. Therefore, the guide rail 31X extends from the batch processing block 7 to the transfer block 5 via the relay device 6. More specifically, the guide rail 31X faces the substrate transfer position PP in the transfer block 5 from the Y direction and faces the sixth batch processing unit BPU6 in the batch processing block 7 from the Y direction. In addition to these, the guide rail 31X faces the drying lot support portion 33 in the transfer block 5, the lot standby tank 65 in the relay device 6, the batch drying chamber DC in the batch processing block 7, and the first batch processing unit BPU1 to the sixth batch processing unit BPU6 from the Y direction.

[0086] <5.3. Other configurations> The batch drying chamber DC is disposed at a position sandwiched between the first batch processing unit BPU1 and the relay device 6. The batch drying chamber DC has a drying chamber that accommodates a lot formed by arranging substrates W in a vertical posture. The drying chamber is provided with an inert gas supply nozzle for supplying an inert gas into the chamber and a vapor supply nozzle for supplying vapor of an organic solvent into the tank. The batch drying chamber DC first supplies an inert gas to the lot supported in the chamber to replace the atmosphere in the chamber with the inert gas. Then, the decompression in the chamber is started. While the chamber is being decompressed, the vapor of the organic solvent is supplied into the chamber. The organic solvent is discharged out of the chamber together with the moisture adhering to the substrate W. In this way, the batch drying chamber DC performs drying of the lot. The inert gas at this time may be, for example, nitrogen, and the organic solvent may be, for example, IPA (isopropyl alcohol).

[0087] The carrier placement shelf 13a in the batch processing apparatus 1, the batch drying chamber DC, and the batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6 are arranged in the front-rear direction. That is, the carrier placement shelf 13a is arranged in the front, and the batch drying chamber DC is arranged behind it. The batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6 are further arranged behind it. The layout inside the batch processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is optimized so that the moving distance of the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR is reduced.

[0088] <6. Relay Device> The relay device 6 has a structure that bridges the batch processing apparatus 1 and the single-wafer processing apparatus 2. The left end portion is inserted into the inside of the batch processing apparatus 1, and the right end portion is inserted into the inside of the single-wafer processing apparatus 2. The relay device 6 includes a conveyance path for the substrate W extending in the Y direction connecting from the batch conveyance area R2 of the batch processing apparatus 1 to the single-wafer conveyance area R3 of the single-wafer processing apparatus 2. The conveyance path is configured to convey the substrate W in the Y direction (horizontal) without changing the position of the substrate W in the Z direction. Therefore, the insertion position of the relay device 6 in the batch processing apparatus 1 and the insertion position of the relay device 6 in the single-wafer processing apparatus 2 are the same position in the Z direction.

[0089] The relay device 6 is configured to convey the substrate W that has undergone batch processing from the batch processing device 1 to the single wafer processing device 2. The relay device 6 is located in the middle layer between the batch processing device 1 and the single wafer processing device 2 (see FIG. 17). Therefore, the relay device 6 bridges the batch processing device 1 and the single wafer processing device 2 at a position in the air away from the floor surface on which the batch processing device 1 and the single wafer processing device 2 are installed. The specific position of the relay device 6 is related to the structure of the single wafer processing device 2, and will be described in detail in accordance with the description of the single wafer processing device 2.

[0090] The relay device 6 includes a relay housing 6A that connects the first housing 1A related to the batch processing device 1 and the second housing 2A related to the single wafer processing device 2, which are spaced apart from each other in the Y direction. The relay housing 6A is provided between the third wall surface 1B of the wall surfaces constituting the first housing 1A that faces the second housing 2A and the fourth wall surface 2B of the wall surfaces constituting the second housing 2A that faces the third wall surface 1B.

[0091] The relay housing 6A has side walls 62a, a bottom plate 62b, and a top plate 62c that connect the batch processing device 1 and the single wafer processing device 2. The configurations of the side walls 62a, the bottom plate 62b, and the top plate 62c are detailed in FIGS. 2 and 17. The relay housing 6A connects the housings of the batch processing device 1 and the single wafer processing device 2 to constitute a single substrate processing system. As a result, the substrate processing system is configured such that the outside air and the atmosphere inside the device are isolated.

[0092] The relay device 6 includes a lot waiting tank 65 that makes the lots after batch processing wait in pure water, an underwater attitude conversion unit 55 that receives a plurality of substrates W arranged in the Y direction, and collectively rotates the received substrates W by 90° in water to convert the attitude of the plurality of substrates W from a vertical attitude to a horizontal attitude, a relay transfer mechanism OTR that transfers the substrates W in the horizontal attitude one by one to the unloading position OP, and an unloading path 26 capable of holding the substrates W in the horizontal attitude. These lot waiting tank 65, underwater attitude conversion unit 55, relay transfer mechanism OTR, and unloading path 26 are arranged in this order in the right direction starting from the left part of the batch processing device 1. An unloading position IP where a lot is carried in from the batch processing device 1 is set in the lot waiting tank 65. Therefore, in the relay device 6, the unloading position IP and the unloading position OP are arranged in the left-right direction orthogonal to the front-back direction. Hereinafter, each part will be specifically described.

[0093] <6.1. Relay device: Lot waiting tank> The lot waiting tank 65 immerses the lots after batch processing in pure water. The lot waiting tank 65 has the same configuration as the first batch processing unit BPU1 of the batch processing device 1. That is, the lot waiting tank 65 has a lifter LF65 that holds pure water and raises and lowers the lot. The lifter LF65 can reciprocate between an unloading position IP for loading the lot into the relay device 6 and an immersion position for immersing the loaded lot in pure water. The unloading position IP is a position determined for receiving the substrates after batch processing from the batch processing device 1. The unloading position IP is above the immersion position and is a position where the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR can transfer the substrates. The unloading position IP is set such that the entire area of the substrate W constituting the lot is in the air, and the immersion position is set such that the entire area of the substrate W constituting the lot is immersed in pure water.

[0094] <6.2. Relay device: Full pitch array substrate transfer mechanism> The half-lot transfer mechanism STR sorts the lot immersed in the lot waiting tank 65 into the first substrate W1 and the second substrate W2. The half-lot transfer mechanism STR can transfer 25 substrates W arranged at full pitch between the lot waiting tank 65 and the underwater attitude conversion unit 55. The lot waiting tank 65 waits for 50 substrates W arranged at half pitch, but the half-lot transfer mechanism STR picks up 25 of them and transfers them to the underwater attitude conversion unit 55. The half-lot transfer mechanism STR has a pair of chucks 30 similar to the pair of chucks 29 in the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR. The chuck 30 has grooves formed at half-pitch intervals, similar to the chuck 29, but is different from the chuck 29 in that two types of grooves are arranged alternately. That is, in the chuck 30, deep grooves that cannot grip the substrate W and shallow grooves that grip the substrate W are arranged alternately at half-pitch intervals. Therefore, when trying to grip the lot on the lifter LF65 by the half-lot transfer mechanism STR, 25 substrates W are picked up by the shallow grooves that can grip the substrate W, and the remaining 25 substrates W cannot abut against the deep grooves and are left on the lifter LF65. Since the shallow grooves in the chuck 30 are arranged at a pitch twice that of the half-pitch (full pitch), the half-lot transfer mechanism STR picks up 25 substrates W arranged at full pitch from the lot on the lifter LF65. Considering that the lot is configured with the substrates W arranged face-to-face, the picked-up substrates W are arranged such that the surface (device surface) is on the right side and the back surface is on the left side so that the device surfaces of adjacent substrates W do not face each other. On the other hand, the 25 substrates W that are not picked up and remain on the lifter LF65 are arranged such that the surface (device surface) is on the left side and the back surface is on the right side so that the device surfaces of adjacent substrates W do not face each other.

[0095] A pair of chucks 30 of the half-lot transfer mechanism STR can take two states, similar to the chuck 29 of the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR, namely a closed state in which the chucks 30 approach each other in the X direction and an open state in which the chucks 30 separate from each other in the X direction. When the pair of chucks 30 is in the closed state, since the chucks 30 are sufficiently close to the diameter of the substrate W, two locations at the lower part of the substrate W abut against each of the chucks 30. Thus, the substrate W is gripped by the pair of chucks 30. When the pair of chucks 30 in the closed state is changed to the open state, since the chucks 30 are sufficiently separated from the diameter of the substrate W, the substrate W detaches from the chucks 30. Specifically, the case where the pair of chucks 30 is in the open state is before receiving a plurality of substrates W from the lifter LF65 at the loading position IP and after delivering a plurality of substrates W to the pusher 55A (to be described later) at the position above the immersion tank (to be described later).

[0096] The relay device 6 is provided with a guide rail 31Y extending in the Y direction for guiding the half-lot transfer mechanism STR. The half-lot transfer mechanism STR can move forward and backward in the Y direction along the guide rail 31Y. Therefore, the guide rail 31Y extends from the lot waiting tank 65 to the underwater attitude conversion unit 55.

[0097] The half-lot transfer mechanism STR can move forward and backward in the Y direction from the loading position IP, which is the position for receiving and delivering the lot of the lifter LF65 guided by the guide rail 31Y, to the position above the immersion tank where the pusher 55A (to be described later) of the underwater attitude conversion unit 55 receives a plurality of substrates W. Thereby, the half-lot transfer mechanism STR can transfer a plurality of substrates W in the Y direction from the loading position IP to the position above the immersion tank. Also, when the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR moves from the transfer block 5 to the batch processing block 7, the half-lot transfer mechanism STR can move to the position above the immersion tank so as not to interfere with the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR (see Figure 2).

[0098] <6.3. Relay Device: Underwater Conversion Unit> The underwater posture conversion unit 55 corresponds to the second posture conversion mechanism of the present invention. The underwater posture conversion unit 55 converts a plurality of substrates W received from the batch processing device 1 from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture. The underwater posture conversion unit 55 collectively converts the sorted first substrate W1 and second substrate W2 from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture. The underwater posture conversion unit 55 includes an immersion tank 73 that holds pure water, an inversion chuck 71 located above the immersion tank 73, and a pair of inversion chuck support mechanisms 72 that hold each of the inversion chucks 71 and move the inversion chuck 71 up and down and rotate it. The inversion chuck 71 is movable up and down from the substrate transfer position with the half-robot transfer mechanism STR set on the liquid surface of the immersion tank 73 to the liquid in the immersion tank 73. The inversion chuck 71 can immerse a plurality of substrates W received from the half-robot transfer mechanism STR in the immersion tank 73 and rotate them 90° in one direction or the reverse direction in that state. The postures of the plurality of substrates W in the vertical posture are converted to the horizontal posture by the rotation of the pair of inversion chucks 71.

[0099] The inversion chuck 71 can change its state between a closed state in which it can hold a plurality of substrates W by the operation of the pair of inversion chuck support mechanisms 72 and an open state in which it releases the held plurality of substrates W. Further, the inversion chuck 71 can rotate 90° in one direction and the reverse direction while maintaining the relative position relationship with each other by the operation of the pair of inversion chuck support mechanisms 72. And the inversion chuck 71 can move up and down from above the immersion tank 73 to the liquid in the immersion tank 73 while maintaining the relative position relationship with each other by the operation of the pair of inversion chuck support mechanisms 72.

[0100] The reversing chuck 71 has a comb shape in which a plurality of V-grooves 71a are provided at full pitch intervals. A pair of reversing chucks 71 hold a plurality of substrates W from both sides by fitting the plurality of substrates W into the V-grooves. When the reversing chuck 71 is in the closed state, each of the substrate ends abuts against the deepest part of the V-groove, and even if the reversing chuck 71 is rotated in this state, the substrate W does not slip off the reversing chuck 71. When the reversing chuck 71 is in the open state, the substrate W can be received from the half-robot transfer mechanism STR that holds and waits for the plurality of substrates W above the immersion tank 73. Further, the reversing chuck 71 can take a state (semi-open state) between the closed state and the open state, which will be described later.

[0101] <6.4. Relay device: Relay transfer mechanism> The relay transfer mechanism OTR is a mechanism provided between the loading position IP and the unloading position OP, and can transfer the substrates W in the horizontal posture, whose postures have been converted by the underwater posture conversion unit 55, one by one to the single-sheet processing device 2. As shown in FIG. 1, the relay transfer mechanism OTR is guided by a relay rail 32Y extending in the Y direction from the underwater posture conversion unit 55 to the unloading position OP described later and can move in the Y direction. The relay transfer mechanism OTR has a second hand 103b. The relay transfer mechanism OTR can receive the substrates W in the horizontal posture one by one from the reversing chuck 71 with the second hand 103b facing the underwater posture conversion unit 55 side. Further, the relay transfer mechanism OTR can transfer the substrate to the unloading position OP where the unloading path 26 is provided.

[0102] As shown in Fig. 5(b), the relay transfer mechanism OTR has a first hand 103a for acquiring the dried substrate W and a second hand 103b for acquiring the substrate W before drying. The first hand 103a can support one substrate W in a horizontal posture. Similarly, the second hand 103b can support one substrate W in a horizontal posture. The first hand 103a and the second hand 103b are arranged in the vertical direction and are connected to a common base 103c. The first hand 103a and the second hand 103b can move forward and backward independently in the horizontal direction with respect to the base 103c. If the first hand 103a is advanced with respect to the second hand 103b, the second hand 103b will not interfere when the first hand 103a acquires the substrate. Also, if the second hand 103b is advanced with respect to the first hand 103a, the first hand 103a will not interfere when the second hand 103b acquires the substrate.

[0103] The first hand 103a is located above the second hand 103b. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the moisture adhering to the second hand 103b from dripping onto the first hand 103a. That is, since the first hand 103a is always in a dry state, the substrate W acquired by the first hand 103a will not be wetted by the first hand 103a.

[0104] In the relay transfer of the substrate W in this embodiment, the first hand 103a is not used. In this embodiment, the state of transporting the wet substrate W using the second hand 103b will be described. The substrate transfer using the first hand 103a will be described later.

[0105] <6.5. Relay device: Operation of the relay transfer mechanism> A description will be given of the state in which the relay device 6 conveys the substrate W located at the loading position IP to the unloading position OP. The unloading position OP is a position determined for passing the substrate W received at the loading position IP to the single-wafer processing apparatus 2. FIG. 6(a) shows a state in which the lifter LF65 holds a plurality of substrates W at the loading position IP set above the lot standby tank 65. The conveyance of the substrate to the loading position IP is executed by the second substrate conveyance mechanism WTR. The plurality of substrates W placed on the lifter LF65 are arranged in a face-to-face manner in which the substrates W with the device surface facing right and the substrates W with the device surface facing left are alternately arranged.

[0106] At this time, if the lifter LF65 descends from the loading position IP to the immersion position, it is possible to prevent the substrate W waiting for conveyance from drying while the relay device 6 conveys the substrates W one by one.

[0107] FIG. 6(a) shows a state in which a plurality of substrates W are collectively transferred from the lifter LF65 to the half-lot conveyance mechanism STR in order to convey the plurality of substrates W to the underwater attitude conversion unit 55. At this time, the lifter LF65 supports the plurality of substrates W at the loading position IP, and the half-lot conveyance mechanism STR moves the pair of chucks 30 to a position where the lot can be held and closes the chucks 30. At this time, as described above, the chuck 30 can grip only half of the plurality of substrates W arranged at the half-pitch constituting the lot. Eventually, the lot is in a state in which the substrates W gripped by the chuck 30 and the substrates W not gripped by the chuck 30 are alternately arranged.

[0108] FIG. 6(b) shows a state where the lifter LF65 has descended from the loading position IP to the immersion position. When the lifter LF65 is lowered from the state of FIG. 6(a), a plurality of substrates W arranged at a full pitch corresponding to half of the substrates W constituting the lot remain in the half-lot transfer mechanism STR, and the remaining half of the substrates W are returned to the lot waiting tank 65 in a state of being arranged at a full pitch in the lifter LF65. The plurality of substrates W remaining in the half-lot transfer mechanism STR have their device surfaces facing rightward, and the plurality of substrates W held at the immersion position by the lifter LF65 have their device surfaces facing leftward.

[0109] FIG. 7(a) shows a state where the half-lot transfer mechanism STR has transported a plurality of substrates W above the immersion tank 73. At this time, the pair of inversion chucks 71 are located above the half-lot transfer mechanism STR, and the rotation angle is 0° in the initial state. The inversion chuck 71 in the initial state extends in the horizontal direction and can receive a plurality of substrates W in a vertical posture.

[0110] Figure 7(b) shows the state where the inversion chuck 71 has descended to the half-rot conveyor mechanism STR thereafter. The operation of this inversion chuck 71 is realized by the inversion chuck support mechanism 72. Figure 7(b) shows the state where 25 substrates W are transferred from the chuck 30 of the half-rot conveyor mechanism STR to the inversion chuck 71. That is, the pair of inversion chucks 71 maintains the open state and descends to the half-rot conveyor mechanism STR, and then becomes the closed state. Since the pair of inversion chucks 71 in the open state are separated only to allow the substrate W to pass through, they can approach the chuck 30 without contacting the substrate W. Thereafter, the inversion chuck 71 becomes the closed state by the operation of the inversion chuck support mechanism 72 and grips 25 substrates W. The 25 substrates W at this time are gripped by both the chuck 30 and the inversion chuck 71. Thereafter, the chuck 30 becomes the open state and retracts in the Y direction (left direction). In this way, the transfer of the substrate W from the chuck 30 to the inversion chuck 71 is executed. Figure 7(c) shows the state where 25 substrates W have been transferred to the inversion chuck 71. The inversion chuck 71 descends below the liquid level of the immersion tank 73 as shown by the arrow in Figure 7(c), and immerses 25 substrates W in the pure water held by the immersion tank 73.

[0111] Figure 8(a) shows the state where the inversion chuck 71 is rotating 90° while immersing 25 substrates W in pure water thereafter. The operation of this inversion chuck 71 is realized by the inversion chuck support mechanism 72. Figure 8(b) shows the state where the inversion chuck 71 has completed the 90° rotation. In this way, the device surface of the 25 substrates W immersed in the immersion tank 73 and facing the Y direction (left direction) is rotated 90° to face upward. If the substrate W is tilted in this way, the posture of the substrate W can be made horizontal with the device surface facing upward. The substrate W in the horizontal posture will be conveyed with the device surface facing up hereafter.

[0112] Figure 8(c) shows the state when the inversion chuck 71 then moves one of the 25 substrates W onto the liquid surface of the immersion tank 73. The operation of this inversion chuck 71 is realized by the inversion chuck support mechanism 72. According to Figure 8(c), there is only one substrate W on the liquid surface, and the remaining 24 substrates W are below the liquid surface in the immersion tank 73. By configuring it in this way, the 24 substrates W will not dry out during the waiting period of transportation. The single substrate W on the liquid surface is transported to the unloading position OP by the relay transfer mechanism OTR while maintaining a horizontal posture. Thereafter, each time the relay transfer mechanism OTR transports the substrate W, the inversion chuck support mechanism 72 raises the pair of inversion chucks 71 by a height corresponding to the full pitch. By repeating this operation, all 25 substrates W are transported to the unloading position OP by the relay transfer mechanism OTR.

[0113] The opening and closing operations of the inversion chuck 71 in each state of Figures 6(a) to 8(c) will be described. As described above, the pair of inversion chucks 71 in the states of Figures 6(a) to 7(a) are in an open state and are not in a state where they can grip the substrate W. Since the open inversion chuck 71 can pass through the substrate W, the inversion chuck 71 can move to the position shown in Figure 7(b) without colliding with the substrate W. In Figure 7(b), the pair of inversion chucks 71 switch from the open state to the closed state. At this time, each of the V-grooves of the pair of inversion chucks 71 enters and abuts against each of the ends of the 25 substrates W arranged in the full pitch. Since the V-grooves are arranged in the full pitch, the 25 substrates W arranged in the full pitch can easily fit into each V-groove. The state where the substrate W fits into each V-groove is described in detail in Figure 13(a). The pair of inversion chucks 71 in Figures 7(c) to 8(b) are in a closed state and are in a state of gripping the substrate W. In this state, even if the inversion chuck 71 is rotated, the gripped substrate W will not fall off.

[0114] In order to realize the state of Fig. 8(c), it is necessary to devise a way to allow the transfer of the substrate W by the relay transfer mechanism OTR while preventing the substrate W waiting in the immersion tank 73 from falling. Therefore, according to this embodiment, in the state of Fig. 8(c), the pair of inversion chucks 71 is set to the half-open state. Thereby, a state in which the substrate W is supported so as to be removable is realized. The half-open state will be described in detail with reference to Figs. 13(c) and 13(d).

[0115] Fig. 9(a) shows a state in which the lifter LF65 holds a plurality of substrates W at the loading position IP set above the lot waiting tank 65. The transfer of the substrate to the loading position IP is executed by the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR. The 25 substrates W placed on the lifter LF65 are arranged with the substrates W having the device surface facing rightward at full pitch. These substrates W are the substrates W left in the lot waiting tank 65 in Fig. 6(b). From Fig. 9(a) onward, the state when these 25 substrates W are transferred will be described. In Fig. 9(a), it shows a state when the horizontal posture substrate transfer described in Fig. 8(c) is completed and the pair of inversion chucks 71 returns to the initial state shown in Fig. 6(a). The pair of inversion chucks 71 in the initial state extends in the Y direction and can introduce the substrate W in the vertical posture, and is located above the immersion tank 73.

[0116] Fig. 9(b) is a figure corresponding to Fig. 6(b) described above, showing a state in which 25 substrates W are transferred to the chuck 30 of the half-lot transfer mechanism STR. Fig. 10(a) is a figure corresponding to Fig. 7(a) described above, showing a state when the half-lot transfer mechanism STR moves 25 substrates W to a position sandwiched between the immersion tank 73 and the pair of inversion chucks 71. Fig. 10(b) is a figure corresponding to Fig. 7(b) described above, showing a state when 25 substrates W are transferred from the half-lot transfer mechanism STR to the pair of inversion chucks 71. Fig. 10(c) is a figure corresponding to Fig. 7(c) described above, showing a state when 25 substrates W supported by the pair of inversion chucks 71 are above the immersion tank 73.

[0117] FIG. 11(a) shows a state where the inversion chuck 71 is rotating -90° while immersing 25 substrates W in pure water. The operation of the inversion chuck 71 is realized by the inversion chuck support mechanism 72. FIG. 11(b) shows a state where the inversion chuck 71 has completed a -90° rotation. In this way, the device surfaces of the 25 substrates W immersed in the immersion tank 73 and facing in the Y direction (right direction) are rotated 90° to face upward. If the substrate W is tilted in this manner, the posture of the substrate W can be set to a horizontal posture with the device surface facing upward. The substrate W in the horizontal posture will be conveyed in the future with the device surface facing upward.

[0118] FIG. 11(c) is a diagram corresponding to FIG. 8(c) described above, showing a state where only the substrate W at the uppermost position is exposed on the liquid surface of the immersion tank 73 while the pair of inversion chucks 71 are in a semi-open state. Thereafter, each time the relay transfer mechanism OTR transfers the substrate W, the inversion chuck support mechanism 72 raises the pair of inversion chucks 71 by a height corresponding to the full pitch. By repeating this operation, all 25 substrates W are conveyed to the unloading position OP by the relay transfer mechanism OTR.

[0119] Thereafter, the state of the relay transfer mechanism OTR transferring the substrate W in the horizontal posture from the inversion chuck 71 in the states shown in FIGS. 8(c) and 11(c) will be described. FIG. 12(a) shows a state where the relay transfer mechanism OTR has moved close to the immersion tank 73 to transfer the substrate W. As shown in FIG. 12(a), the second hand 103b of the relay transfer mechanism OTR includes a slide mechanism 102 that moves the second hand 103b forward and backward, and a support mechanism 101 that supports the slide mechanism 102. The slide mechanism 102 supports the base of the second hand 103b and can move the second hand 103b forward as shown in FIG. 12(b) or move the second hand 103b backward as shown in FIG. 12(d). The support mechanism 101 can reciprocate the slide mechanism 102 and the second hand 103b in the Y direction. Further, the support mechanism 101 can turn the second hand 103b 180° to face the second hand 103b toward the immersion tank 73 side or toward the unloading position OP side.

[0120] FIG. 12(b) shows a state in which the second hand 103b is inserted between the substrate W above the liquid surface and the substrate W below the liquid surface by the slide mechanism 102. When the second hand 103b is in the state of FIG. 12(b), preparations are made to acquire the substrate W in a horizontal posture. At this time, the slide mechanism 102 will move from the initial position to the forward position.

[0121] FIG. 12(c) shows a state in which the pair of inversion chucks 71 descend while maintaining their relative positions and the substrate W above the liquid surface is brought into contact with the upper surface of the second hand 103b. In this way, by lowering the inversion chuck 71 to cause the second hand 103b to acquire the substrate W, a configuration for moving the second hand 103b up and down can be omitted, and the relay transfer mechanism OTR can be configured. Therefore, a substrate processing system with a simple device configuration and few failures can be provided.

[0122] FIG. 12(d) shows a state in which the second hand 103b that has acquired the substrate W retreats to the support mechanism 101 of the relay transfer mechanism OTR by the slide mechanism 102. Since the pair of inversion chucks 71 are in a semi-open state, they support the substrate W held in the liquid while allowing the second hand 103b to pull out the substrate W. At this time, the slide mechanism 102 will move from the forward position to the initial position.

[0123] The semi-open state of the pair of inversion chucks 71 will be described. FIG. 13(a) is a cross-sectional view for explaining a state immediately after the 25 substrates W are rotated by 90° or -90° as shown in FIGS. 8(b) and 11(b). At this time, the pair of inversion chucks 71 are in a closed state, and both ends of the substrate W have reached the deepest part of the V-groove 71a. If the pair of inversion chucks 71 hold both ends of the substrate W to fix the substrate W in this way, the 25 substrates W will not slip off the pair of inversion chucks 71.

[0124] Figure 13(b) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 12(b) described above. With a pair of inversion chucks 71 in a closed state, the second hand 103b is inserted between the substrates W. Note that in FIG. 13(b) and subsequent FIGS. 13(c) and 13(d), the liquid level in the immersion tank 73 is omitted.

[0125] Figure 13(c) shows a state where a pair of inversion chucks 71 that were in a closed state have slightly separated and are in a semi-open state. When the pair of inversion chucks 71 are in the semi-open state, both ends of the substrate W move from the deepest part of the V-groove and come into contact with the wall portions constituting the V-groove. This state is such that if the inversion chucks 71 are not rotated, the substrate W will not slide off the inversion chucks 71, and also the substrate W itself is not fixed to the inversion chucks 71. Therefore, when the pair of inversion chucks 71 are in the semi-open state, it becomes possible to transfer one substrate W on the liquid surface to the second hand 103b while holding the substrate W waiting in the liquid. However, in the state of FIG. 13(c), since the second hand 103b has not yet contacted the substrate W, it is necessary to lower the substrate W with respect to the second hand 103b in order to transfer the substrate W to the second hand 103b.

[0126] Figure 13(d) is a cross-sectional view corresponding to FIG. 12(c) described above. In FIG. 13(d), a pair of inversion chucks 71 have slightly descended from the state of FIG. 13(c) and brought the substrate W into contact with the second hand 103b. In the state of FIG. 13(d), the substrate W is placed on the second hand 103b and is at a position separated from the wall surface of the V-groove 71a of the inversion chuck 71. That is, in the state of FIG. 13(d), the substrate W is not in contact with the inversion chuck 71. Therefore, if the slide mechanism 102 is operated to move the second hand 103b in this state, the substrate W can be pulled out without contacting the inversion chuck 71.

[0127] FIG. 14(a) shows the state of the substrate W in a horizontal posture obtained from a pair of inversion chucks 71. The substrate processing system of this embodiment has a configuration related to water retention of the substrate W in the middle of the substrate transfer path in the relay device 6. The shower head 69 supplies a mist of pure water to the substrate W. Since the shower head 69 is also depicted in FIG. 1, it can also be understood with reference thereto. The tray 105 is a square dish-shaped member inserted into the gap between the second hand 103b and the support mechanism 101, and holds the pure water supplied from the shower head 69 and dripping from the substrate W. Since this tray 105 hinders the operation of the slide mechanism 102, when the slide mechanism 102 operates as shown in FIGS. 12(b) and 12(c), the tray 105 retracts in the X direction with respect to the slide mechanism 102. The tray transfer mechanism 108 is a configuration for realizing the operation of this tray 105.

[0128] FIG. 14(b) shows the state when the relay transfer mechanism OTR transfers the substrate W in the Y direction and moves it near the carry-out position OP. At this time, the second hand 103b is facing the side of the immersion tank 73 and the inversion chuck 71 while holding the substrate W.

[0129] FIG. 14(c) shows the state when the support mechanism 101 of the relay transfer mechanism OTR then rotates 180° about the rotating shaft 104 that extends in the Z direction. By such an operation of the support mechanism 101, the second hand 103b that was facing the immersion tank 73 side will face the carry-out position OP side.

[0130] FIG. 15(a) shows the state when the slide mechanism 102 then performs a slide operation and the second hand 103b holding the substrate W moves to the carry-out position OP. At this time, the substrate W will be located at the carry-out position OP defined within the substrate processing system. Also, at this time, the slide mechanism 102 will move from the initial position to the forward position.

[0131] The unloading path 26 is provided at the unloading position OP. Both the relay transfer mechanism OTR and the center robot CR described later can access the unloading path 26. The relay transfer mechanism OTR passes the substrate W to the center robot CR of the single-sheet processing apparatus 2 through the unloading path 26. The unloading path 26 has a plurality of (for example, three) support pins 111 extending in the Z direction. The support pins 111 can protrude and retract in the Z direction. Each of the support pins 111 expands and contracts synchronously so that the tips are at the same height. The bottom plate 110 is configured to support the base ends of the support pins 111. In FIG. 15(a), the tips of the support pins 111 are located below the unloading position OP.

[0132] FIG. 15(b) shows a state where the support pins 111 are extended and the substrate W supported by the second hand 103b has been moved above the unloading position OP. In this way, the substrate W is transferred from the second hand 103b to the support pins 111.

[0133] FIG. 15(c) shows a state where the slide mechanism 102 then returns from the forward position to the initial position and the second hand 103b exits from the unloading position OP. The substrate W is supported at the unloading position OP by the support pins 111. Thus, preparations are made for the substrate W to be received by the center robot CR of the single-sheet processing apparatus 2.

[0134] <7. Single-sheet processing apparatus: Carrier block> The carrier block 12 includes a second load port 10 which is an entrance when a carrier C for storing a plurality of substrates W in a vertical direction at a predetermined interval in a horizontal posture is loaded into the block. The second load port 10 protrudes from the outer wall of the carrier block 12 extending in the width direction (Y direction).

[0135] The internal structure of the carrier block 12 will be described. The carrier block 12 stocks and manages the carrier C. The carrier block 12 includes a shelf 14 on which the carrier C can be placed. The number of carriers C that the carrier block 12 can stock is one or more.

[0136] Carrier block 12 has a plurality of shelves 14 for placing carriers C. The shelves 14 are provided on a partition wall separating the carrier block 12 and the index block 4. The shelf 14 includes a stock shelf 14b for temporarily placing the carrier C and a carrier placement shelf 14a for storing substrates, accessible by an index robot IR of the index block 4.

[0137] The carrier placement shelf 14a is configured to be able to place a carrier C for storing a plurality of substrates in a horizontal posture at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction. The carrier placement shelf 14a is configured to place a carrier C for storing the substrate W. In this embodiment, one carrier placement shelf 14a is provided, but a plurality of carrier placement shelves 14a may be provided. The carrier transport mechanism 11 takes in a carrier C storing the sheet-processed substrate W from the carrier placement shelf 14a and places it on the carrier placement shelf 13a in the batch processing apparatus 1. At this time, the carrier transport mechanism 11 can also temporarily place the carrier C on the stock shelves 13b and 14b before placing it on the carrier placement shelf 13a. The number of carrier placement shelves 14a in the carrier block 12 is 1 or more.

[0138] <7. Sheet processing apparatus: Index block> The index block 4 is adjacent to the carrier block 12. The index block 4 includes an index robot IR for transporting the substrates W in a horizontal posture one by one between the carrier C and a storage path 24 provided on the index block 4 side in the sheet processing block 8 described later. The storage path 24 corresponds to the path of the present invention. The storage path 24 is configured to be able to place the substrates W in a horizontal posture. The index robot IR corresponds to the second robot of the present invention. The index robot IR is accessible to the storage path 24 and the carrier placement shelf 14a.

[0139] The indexer robot IR stores the single-sheet processed substrate W in an empty carrier C placed on the carrier placement shelf 14a. The indexer robot IR includes a hand composed of a pair of grippers that grip the substrate W in a horizontal posture at the tip, and an arm that supports the hand. The arm has a plurality of joints, with the tip connected to the hand and the base end connected to the base of the arm provided on the indexable block 4. The indexer robot IR of this embodiment is configured to receive the single-sheet processed substrate W from the storage path 24 and store it in the carrier placement shelf 14a outside the indexable block 4.

[0140] <8. Single-sheet processing apparatus: Single-sheet processing block> The single-sheet processing block 8 is adjacent to the indexable block 4. That is, the single-sheet processing block 8 is provided on the back side of the indexable block 4 as viewed from the carrier block 12. At the central part of the single-sheet processing block 8 in the Y direction, there are a storage path 24 accessible by the indexer robot IR and a center robot CR capable of placing the single-sheet processed substrate W on the storage path 24. The center robot CR corresponds to the first robot of the present invention. The center robot CR is configured to be able to access the unloading position OP of the relay device 6, the single-sheet processing chamber 48, and the storage path 24. The center robot CR receives the batch-processed substrates W in a horizontal posture one by one from the unloading position OP of the relay device 6 and transports them to the single-sheet processing chamber 48. The center robot CR is a substrate transfer robot that transports the substrates W in a horizontal posture one by one and can reciprocate in the Z direction. Therefore, as will be described later, the center robot CR can access both the single-sheet processing chamber 48 and the unloading path 26 that constitute the laminate.

[0141] The center robot CR can also move in the front - rear direction. When the center robot CR is at the rear, the center robot CR is in a position surrounded by the single - sheet processing chamber 48 as shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 16 is a plan view for explaining the overall configuration of the single - sheet processing apparatus 2 of the embodiment. As shown in FIG. 16, the center robot CR located at the reference position SP is in a position surrounded by the carry - out path 26 and the three single - sheet processing chambers 48.

[0142] Similar to the relay transfer mechanism OTR, the center robot CR has a hand for acquiring the substrate W before the drying process and a hand for acquiring the substrate W after the drying process. The center robot CR selectively uses these hands to transfer the substrate W before the drying process or the substrate W after the drying process. Since the positional relationship and the like of each hand are the same as those of the first hand 103a and the second hand 103b of the relay transfer mechanism OTR, the description thereof is omitted.

[0143] The index robot IR and the center robot CR correspond to the storage and transfer mechanism of the present invention. The index robot IR and the center robot CR are configured to cooperate to receive the substrate W in the horizontal posture from the single - sheet processing chamber 48 and carry it into the empty carrier C placed on the carrier placement shelf 14a.

[0144] FIG. 17 is a side view when the single - sheet processing apparatus 2 is viewed from the batch processing apparatus 1. As shown in the figure, the single - sheet processing chamber 47, the single - sheet processing chamber 48, and the single - sheet processing chamber 49 are stacked in the Z - direction to form a stacked body. That is, the single - sheet processing block 8 is provided with a lower - stage region, a middle - stage region, and an upper - stage region. The single - sheet processing chamber 47 is provided in the lower - stage region. The single - sheet processing chamber 48 is provided in the middle - stage region. The single - sheet processing chamber 49 is provided in the upper - stage region.

[0145] The carry-out path 26 is located in the middle region of the single-sheet processing block 8. Below the carry-out path 26, a single-sheet processing chamber 47 in the lower region is provided. Above the carry-out path 26, a single-sheet processing chamber 49 in the upper region is provided. Therefore, the carry-out path 26 is provided in place of the single-sheet processing chamber 48 in the middle region in a stacked body formed by arranging the single-sheet processing chambers 47, 48, and 49 in the Z direction.

[0146] FIG. 16 illustrates the middle region of the single-sheet processing block 8. Three single-sheet processing chambers 48 are provided in the middle region. Therefore, the single-sheet processing block 8 includes a first stacked body to which the first single-sheet processing chamber 48 belongs, a second stacked body to which the second single-sheet processing chamber 48 belongs, and a third stacked body to which the third single-sheet processing chamber 48 belongs. Also, single-sheet processing chambers 49 and 47 are provided above and below the carry-out path 26. Therefore, a total of 11 single-sheet processing chambers are provided in the single-sheet processing block 8.

[0147] As shown in FIG. 17, the shielding plate 16 is a part of the second wall surface 2B of the single-sheet processing apparatus 2. The shielding plate 16 is provided in the middle region of the single-sheet processing block 8 and closes an opening formed between the carry-out path 26 and the index block 4. If the shielding plate 16 is provided adjacent to the index block 4, the relay device 6 can be provided closer to the center robot CR. In this way, when the center robot CR acquires the substrate W on the carry-out path 26, it is not necessary to move significantly in the front-rear direction.

[0148] Note that the hand of the center robot CR having a front-back direction can move in the Z direction while maintaining the posture of the substrate W. By configuring in this way, the center robot CR can transport the substrate W on the carry-out path 26 to the single-wafer processing chamber 49 in the upper region and the single-wafer processing chamber 47 in the lower region. By providing the carry-out path 26 in the middle region of the single-wafer processing block 8, the carry-out path 26 can be arranged in the vicinity of the upper region. Similarly, the carry-out path 26 is arranged in the vicinity of the lower region. Therefore, the moving distance of the substrate W in the Z direction in the carry-out path 26 becomes short both for the upper region and the lower region.

[0149] The carrier placement shelf 14a and the single-wafer processing chamber 48 in the single-wafer processing apparatus 2 are arranged in the front-back direction. Therefore, the carrier placement shelf 14a is arranged in front of the single-wafer processing chamber 48.

[0150] <9. Single-wafer processing apparatus: Single-wafer processing chamber> FIG. 18 illustrates the configuration of the single-wafer processing chamber 48 provided in the single-wafer processing block 8. The single-wafer processing chamber 48 can receive the substrates W in a horizontal posture one by one and perform chemical solution treatment and drying treatment. Therefore, the single-wafer processing chamber 48 corresponds to the substrate drying unit of the present invention. The single-wafer processing chamber 48 can dry the batch-processed substrates W in a horizontal posture one by one.

[0151] The single-wafer processing chamber 48 has a vacuum chuck 213 that adsorbs and supports the substrate W. The vacuum chuck 213 is in a disk shape with a diameter smaller than that of the substrate W and can rotate around a vertical axis while adsorbing and supporting the substrate in a horizontal posture. The rotation axis of the substrate W coincides with the central axis of the substrate W. When the single-wafer processing chamber 48 dries the substrate W, the liquid adhering to the substrate W is shaken off by rotating the supported substrate W. The single-wafer drying unit is composed of the single-wafer processing chamber 48 provided in the single-wafer processing apparatus 2. The single-wafer processing chamber 48 is configured to dry the substrate W by spin drying.

[0152] In addition, the single wafer processing chamber 48 includes a guide 219 for receiving the splashed liquid and a nozzle 217 for supplying a liquid such as IPA (Isopropyl alcohol) to the substrate W. The nozzle 217 located above the vacuum chuck is retractable with respect to the vacuum chuck 213 and is configured not to interfere when the center robot CR places the substrate W on the vacuum chuck 213.

[0153] The single wafer processing chamber 48 also includes support pins 211 for raising and lowering the substrate W. By expanding and contracting the support pins 211, the substrate W can be received from the center robot CR or set on the vacuum chuck 213.

[0154] The single wafer processing chambers 47 and 49 have the same configuration as the single wafer processing chamber 48.

[0155] The vacuum chuck 213 corresponds to the rotation mechanism of the present invention. The vacuum chuck 213 is configured to rotate the substrate W around the normal line. The rotation mechanism of the present invention is composed of the spin chucks (vacuum chucks 213) of the single wafer processing chambers 47, 48, and 49 provided in the single wafer processing apparatus 2. The vacuum chuck 213 can rotate the received substrate W in a horizontal posture at least half a turn around the vertical axis and transfer it to the center robot CR.

[0156] <10. Control Unit> The substrate processing system includes a first control unit 131 for controlling the batch processing apparatus 1, a second control unit 132 for controlling the single wafer processing apparatus 2, and a third control unit 136 for controlling the relay apparatus 6. For each control unit, reference can be made to FIG. 1. Although not shown in FIG. 1, a corresponding storage unit is provided in the substrate processing system for each control unit. The control unit 131, the control unit 132, and the control unit 136 are each composed of, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The specific configuration of each control unit is not limited. For example, each control unit may be composed of a single processor, or each control unit may be composed of individual processors. Also, the control related to the batch processing apparatus 1 may be composed of a plurality of processors, and the same applies to the single wafer processing apparatus 2 and the relay apparatus 6.

[0157] Examples of the control related to the control unit 131 include control over the carrier transfer mechanism 11, the first substrate transfer mechanism HTR, the first attitude conversion mechanism 15, the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR, the batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6, and the batch drying chamber DC. Examples of the control related to the control unit 132 include control over the center robot CR, the single wafer processing chambers 47, 48, 49, and the indexer robot IR. And examples of the control related to the third control unit 136 include control over the half-robot transfer mechanism STR, the lot standby tank 65, the lifter LF65, the underwater attitude conversion unit 55 (the second attitude conversion mechanism), the carry-out path 26, the relay transfer mechanism OTR, and the pure water supply device connected to the shower head 69.

[0158] The first control unit 131, the second control unit 132, and the third control unit 136 correspond to the control units of the present invention. The first control unit 131, the second control unit 132, and the third control unit 136 are configured to control the batch processing apparatus 1, the single wafer processing apparatus 2, and the relay apparatus 6.

[0159] The storage unit stores programs, parameters, etc. related to control. The storage unit may be composed of a single device, or may be composed of individual devices corresponding to each control unit. In addition, the substrate processing system of this embodiment has no particular limitation on the configuration of the device that realizes the storage unit.

[0160] <11. Flow of Substrate Processing> Hereinafter, the flow of substrate processing in the embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 19. Each operation described hereinafter is executed under the control of any one of the above-described first control unit 131, second control unit 132, and third control unit 136.

[0161] Step S10: The substrates W in a horizontal posture are collectively taken out from the carrier C placed on the carrier placement shelf 13a. The substrate W in this step is an unprocessed substrate. The carrier C placed on the carrier placement shelf 13a is obtained and transported by the carrier transport mechanism 11 from the first load port 9. The carrier C in this step is referred to as the first carrier C1 for distinction. The first substrate transport mechanism HTR takes out the substrate W from the first carrier C1 placed on the carrier placement shelf 13a and takes it into the transfer block 5.

[0162] Step S15: The first substrate transport mechanism HTR collectively delivers a plurality of substrates W in a horizontal posture to the HVC posture conversion unit 23. The HVC posture conversion unit 23 converts the substrate W taken out from the first carrier C1 from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture. The posture-converted substrates W are collectively supported by the pusher mechanism 25. The second substrate transport mechanism WTR collectively obtains a plurality of substrates W from the pusher mechanism 25 at the substrate transfer position PP. At this time, the substrates may be batch-assembled in the pusher mechanism 25. Then, the second substrate transport mechanism WTR delivers the obtained plurality of substrates (lots) to the lifter LF2 waiting at the substrate transfer position. The second substrate transport mechanism WTR may transport a plurality of substrates (lots) from the substrate transfer position PP of the pusher mechanism 25 to the substrate transfer position of the lifter LF2 via the dry lot support unit 33.

[0163] Step S20: The lifter LF2 that has acquired a plurality of substrates (lot) descends to the processing position. The plurality of substrates (lot) are immersed in the batch chemical processing tank CHB2. In this way, the lifter LF2 immerses the plurality of substrates (lot) that have been converted to the vertical posture in the batch chemical processing tank CHB2 all at once to execute the first chemical processing. The chemical processing at this time etches the surface of the substrate by a thickness that is half of the target thickness. When the first chemical processing is completed, the lifter LF2 raises the plurality of substrates (lot) to the substrate transfer position. The second substrate transfer mechanism WTR acquires the plurality of substrates (lot) from the lifter LF2 and transfers the plurality of substrates (lot) to the lifter LF1 waiting at the substrate transfer position. The lifter LF1 immerses the plurality of substrates (lot) for which the first chemical processing has been completed in the batch rinse processing tank CHB1 all at once to execute the first batch rinse processing. In this way, the lifters LF1 and LF2 immerse the plurality of substrates (lot) that have been converted to the vertical posture in the batch rinse processing tank CHB1 and the batch processing tank CHB2 all at once to execute the first batch processing.

[0164] Step S25: The underwater posture conversion unit 55 acquires the plurality of substrates W conveyed by the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR via the half-lot transfer mechanism STR. The position where the substrate is transferred from the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR to the half-lot transfer mechanism STR with a plurality of substrates W is the loading position IP. The underwater posture conversion unit 55 converts the plurality of substrates for which the first batch processing has been performed from the vertical posture to the horizontal posture all at once.

[0165] Figure 20 shows the flow of the substrate W from step S10 to step S25 described above.

[0166] Step S30: The relay transfer mechanism OTR acquires the substrate W converted to the horizontal posture one by one from the underwater posture conversion unit 55 and conveys it to the unloading position OP in the unloading path 26. That is, the relay transfer mechanism OTR transfers the substrate converted to the horizontal posture from the batch processing apparatus 1 to the single-wafer processing apparatus 2. When the substrate W in the horizontal posture is conveyed to the unloading path 26, the support pin 111 extends. In this way, preparations are made to transfer the substrate W to the center robot CR.

[0167] Step S35: The substrate W is transported to the single-wafer processing chamber 48 by the center robot CR. Assume that the notch of the substrate W at this time faces forward. The single-wafer processing chamber 48 performs a spin-dry process on the substrate W while holding the substrate W by the vacuum chuck 213. In this way, after the first batch process, the single-wafer processing chamber 48 is reoriented and dries the substrates W transported to the single-wafer processing apparatus one by one.

[0168] Step S40: The single-wafer processing chamber 48 finally rotates the substrate W acquired from the center robot CR by half a turn. That is, the notch in the dried substrate W faces backward. In this way, the single-wafer processing chamber 48 acquires the substrate W before the drying process and transfers it to the center robot CR in a state where the front and back of the substrate W after the drying process are reversed.

[0169] Step S45: The center robot CR that has acquired the substrate W transports the substrate W to the storage path 24. The substrate W held in the storage path 24 is acquired by the index robot IR and stored in an empty carrier C placed on the carrier placement shelf 14a. The carrier C at this time is referred to as the second carrier C2 for distinction. In this way, the center robot CR and the index robot IR carry the substrate W in a horizontal posture transported to the single-wafer processing apparatus 2 into the second carrier C2 placed on the carrier placement shelf 14a.

[0170] Step S50: The carrier transfer mechanism 11 transfers the second carrier C2 placed on the carrier placement shelf 14a to the carrier placement shelf 13a. As a result, the second carrier C2 will be transferred from the single-wafer processing apparatus 2 to the batch processing apparatus 1. The substrate W stored in the second carrier C2 will be set again in the batch processing apparatus 1 after the first batch process.

[0171] FIG. 21 shows the flow of the substrate W from step S30 to step S50 described above.

[0172] Step S55: The substrates W in a horizontal posture are collectively taken out from the second carrier C2 placed on the carrier placement shelf 13a. The substrates W in this step are the substrates for which the first batch process has been completed. Also, the first substrate transfer mechanism HTR takes out the substrates W from the second carrier C2 placed on the carrier placement shelf 13a and takes them into the transfer block 5. In this way, when the second carrier C2 storing the substrates W for which the first batch process has been performed is placed on the carrier placement shelf 13a of the batch processing apparatus 1, the first substrate transfer mechanism HTR takes out the substrates W from the second carrier C2 placed on the carrier placement shelf 13a.

[0173] Step S60: The first substrate transfer mechanism HTR collectively delivers a plurality of substrates W in a horizontal posture to the HVC posture conversion unit 23. The HVC posture conversion unit 23 converts the substrates W taken out from the second carrier C2 from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture. The substrates W whose postures have been converted are collectively supported by the pusher mechanism 25. The second substrate transfer mechanism WTR collectively acquires a plurality of substrates W from the pusher mechanism 25 at the substrate delivery position PP. At this time, batch grouping of the substrates may be performed in the pusher mechanism 25. Then, the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR delivers the acquired plurality of substrates (lots) to the lifter LF2 waiting at the substrate delivery position. The second substrate transfer mechanism WTR may transfer a plurality of substrates (lots) from the substrate delivery position PP of the pusher mechanism 25 to the substrate delivery position of the lifter LF2 via the drying lot support unit 33.

[0174] Step S65: The lifter LF2 that has acquired a plurality of substrates (lot) descends to the processing position. The plurality of substrates (lot) are immersed in the batch chemical treatment tank CHB2. In this way, the lifter LF2 immerses the plurality of substrates (lot) that have been converted to the vertical posture in the batch chemical treatment tank CHB2 all at once to perform the second chemical treatment. The chemical treatment at this time etches the substrate surface by a thickness that is half of the target thickness. That is, the chemical treatment is performed in two steps, and as a result, the substrate surface is etched by the target thickness. When the second chemical treatment is completed, the lifter LF2 raises the plurality of substrates (lot) to the substrate transfer position. The second substrate transfer mechanism WTR acquires the plurality of substrates (lot) from the lifter LF2 and transfers the plurality of substrates (lot) to the lifter LF1 waiting at the substrate transfer position. The lifter LF immerses the plurality of substrates (lot) for which the second chemical treatment has been completed in the batch rinse treatment tank CHB1 all at once to perform the second batch rinse treatment. In this way, the lifters LF1 and LF2 immerse the plurality of substrates (lot) that have been converted to the vertical posture in the batch rinse treatment tank CHB1 and the batch treatment tank CHB2 all at once to perform the second batch treatment.

[0175] In the second batch treatment, the substrate W is rotated 180° around the normal line of the substrate W in the first batch treatment. The single-wafer processing chamber 48 rotates the substrate W received from the center robot CR in step S40 by 180° around the central axis and returns it to the center robot CR. Therefore, the second batch treatment is performed in a posture in which the top and bottom are inverted with respect to the posture of the substrate in the first batch treatment. Step S40 is a step after the first batch treatment and before the second batch treatment.

[0176] Step S70: The underwater posture conversion unit 55 acquires the plurality of substrates W conveyed by the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR via the half-lot transfer mechanism STR. The position where the substrates are transferred from the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR to the half-lot transfer mechanism STR with a plurality of substrates W is the loading position IP. The underwater posture conversion unit 55 converts the plurality of substrates for which the second batch treatment has been performed from the vertical posture to the horizontal posture all at once.

[0177] FIG. 22 shows the flow of the substrate W from step S55 to step S70.

[0178] Step S75: The relay transfer mechanism OTR acquires the substrate W converted to the horizontal posture one by one from the underwater posture conversion unit 55, and conveys it to the unloading position OP in the unloading path 26. That is, the relay transfer mechanism OTR conveys the substrate converted to the horizontal posture from the batch processing apparatus 1 to the single wafer processing apparatus 2. When the substrate W in the horizontal posture is conveyed to the unloading path 26, the support pin 111 extends. In this way, the preparation for passing the substrate W to the center robot CR is completed.

[0179] Step S80: The substrate W is conveyed to the single wafer processing chamber 48 by the center robot CR. Assume that the notch of the substrate W at this time faces forward. The single wafer processing chamber 48 performs a spin dry process on the substrate W while holding the substrate W by the vacuum chuck 213. In this way, after the first batch process, the single wafer processing chamber 48 is posture-converted and dries the substrate W conveyed to the single wafer processing apparatus one by one. The single wafer processing chamber 48 does not finally rotate the substrate W acquired from the center robot CR. That is, the notch in the dried substrate W faces forward. In this way, the single wafer processing chamber 48 acquires the substrate W before the drying process and passes it to the center robot CR after the drying process without rotating the substrate W.

[0180] Step S85: The center robot CR that has acquired the substrate W conveys the substrate W to the storage path 24. The substrate W held in the storage path 24 is acquired by the index robot IR and stored in the empty carrier C placed on the carrier mounting shelf 14a. The carrier C at this time is referred to as the third carrier C3 for distinction. In this way, the center robot CR and the index robot IR carry the substrate W in the horizontal posture conveyed to the single wafer processing apparatus 2 into the third carrier C3 placed on the carrier mounting shelf 14a. The third carrier C3 is conveyed to the second load port 10 by the carrier transfer mechanism 11. In this way, the substrate processing of the embodiment is completed.

[0181] Therefore, in the carrier placement shelves 14a and 14b of the single-wafer processing apparatus 2, the second carrier C2 for storing the substrate W before the second batch process and the third carrier C3 for storing the substrate W after the second batch process are mixed. According to the configuration of the embodiment, the carriers C are managed so that the third carrier C3 is not erroneously transferred to the batch processing apparatus 1. The management of the carrier C is realized by the host computer of the plant controlling tags such as barcodes attached to each of the carriers C. As data held when the host computer controls the carrier C, there is the position of the notch of the substrate W stored in the carrier C.

[0182] FIG. 23 shows the flow of the substrate W from step S75 to step S85.

[0183] <12. Effects of the Configuration According to the Embodiment> As described above, according to the above configuration, the control unit of the substrate processing system controls the center robot CR and the indexer robot IR to store the substrate W that has completed the first batch process in the second carrier C2. Then, the control unit controls the first substrate transfer mechanism HTR to take out the substrate W from the second carrier C2 and cause the second batch process to be performed. At this time, the control unit controls the single-wafer processing chamber 48 to turn the substrate W upside down before the second batch process. With such a configuration, the differences in the batch process occurring between the lower part of the substrate located at the bottom of the batch chemical processing tank CHB2 and the upper part of the substrate located at the water surface part of the batch chemical processing tank CHB2 are homogenized, so that a substrate processing system capable of manufacturing a high-quality device can be provided.

[0184] FIG. 24 is a schematic diagram showing the effects of the present invention. Immediately after the first batch process is started, as shown in FIG. 24(a), the entire area of the substrate W is in an untreated state. In this case, there is no difference in the processing state above and below the substrate W. However, as the batch process of the substrate W progresses, as shown in FIG. 24(b), a difference occurs in the etched state of the substrate W. This is because, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. 24, the batch chemical treatment tank CHB2 causes agitation of the treatment liquid from the bottom to the water surface portion. The flow rate of the treatment liquid becomes faster at the lower part of the substrate W near the fluid ejection port 27, so etching of the substrate W progresses faster in this part. On the other hand, the flow rate of the treatment liquid becomes slower at the upper part of the substrate away from the fluid ejection port 27, so etching of the substrate W progresses slowly in this part.

[0185] In the substrate processing system of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 24(c), the second batch process is executed by inverting the substrate up and down. In the second batch process, the lower part of the substrate W where etching has progressed is located at the water surface portion of the batch chemical treatment tank CHB2, and the upper part of the substrate W where etching has lagged is located at the bottom of the batch chemical treatment tank CHB2. If the batch process is performed again in this state, the part where etching has progressed on the substrate W will undergo acid treatment slowly, and the part where etching has lagged on the substrate W will undergo acid treatment quickly. Finally, as shown in FIG. 24(d), the degree of acid treatment of the substrate W becomes uniform throughout the substrate, and the second batch process ends. Thus, according to the present invention, a substrate processing system can be provided that makes the substrate processing uniform throughout the substrate and can manufacture high-quality devices.

[0186] According to the above configuration, since the batch process is performed while agitating the treatment liquid up and down, an efficient batch process can be performed. In addition, according to the substrate processing system according to the present invention, even if a configuration in which the batch process is performed while agitating the treatment liquid up and down is adopted, the unevenness of the substrate processing that occurs during the batch process is homogenized, so high-quality devices can be manufactured.

[0187] According to the above configuration, a transport mechanism is provided for transporting the second carrier C2 from the carrier placement shelf 14a to the carrier placement shelf 13a. With this configuration, the substrate processing system can transport the second carrier C2 on the carrier placement shelf 14a to the carrier placement shelf 13a. With this configuration, the second carrier C2 can be transported without relying on manual transportation or transportation by a carrier transport crane installed in the plant.

[0188] According to the above configuration, after the single-wafer processing chamber 48 undergoes the first batch processing, its posture is converted, and the substrates W transported to the single-wafer processing apparatus 2 are dried one by one. With this configuration, similar to after the second batch processing, the substrates W can also be dried mildly after the first batch processing, so that high-quality devices can be manufactured.

[0189] According to the above configuration, the relay transport mechanism OTR includes a first hand 103a for acquiring the dried substrate W and a second hand 103b for acquiring the substrate W before drying. With such a configuration, a configuration can be realized in which both the dried substrate W and the substrate W before drying pass through the relay device 6. Since the first hand 103a is always in a dry state, the substrate W will not get wet by the first hand 103a. If the substrate W before drying is transported by the second hand 103b different from the first hand 103a, the substrate W before drying can also be reliably transported inside the relay device 6.

[0190] According to the above configuration, the vacuum chuck 213 rotates the substrate W in a horizontal posture it has received by half a turn around the vertical axis and passes it to the center robot CR and the indexer robot IR. With this configuration, substrate rotation can be realized using the existing configuration. That is, the present invention can be realized by changing the control of the existing device configuration.

[0191] According to the above configuration, the substrate W is dried by a spin dryer. In this way, the single-wafer processing chamber 48 can be configured using a device that has been operated for a long time and has proven performance.

[0192] According to the above configuration, the single-sheet processing apparatus 2 includes an unloading path 26 on which a substrate W in a horizontal posture can be placed. Further, the above configuration includes a center robot CR that can access the unloading path 26, the unloading position OP of the relay device 6, and the single-sheet processing chamber 48. This center robot CR is provided at a position surrounded by the single-sheet processing chamber 48. According to the above configuration, since the layout of the substrate processing system is optimized, a substrate processing system that can execute substrate processing quickly based on efficient substrate transfer can be provided.

[0193] According to the above configuration, the carrier placement shelf 13a in the batch processing apparatus and the batch chemical solution processing tank CHB2 are arranged in the front-rear direction, the loading position IP and the unloading position OP in the relay device 6 are arranged in the left-right direction, and the carrier placement shelf 14a and the single-sheet processing chamber 48 in the single-sheet processing apparatus 2 are arranged in the front-rear direction. According to the above configuration, since the layout of the substrate processing system is optimized, a substrate processing system that can execute substrate processing quickly based on efficient substrate transfer can be provided.

[0194] <13. Modifications of the Embodiment> The present invention is not limited to the above-described configuration and can be implemented with modifications as follows.

[0195] <Modification Example 1> According to the configuration of the embodiment, after the first batch process, the substrate W was conveyed to the single-sheet processing apparatus 2 in a state before the drying process, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which a plurality of substrates W that have undergone the first batch process are dried in the batch drying chamber DC, and the substrate W after the drying process is conveyed to the single-sheet processing apparatus 2. The batch drying chamber DC corresponds to the batch drying unit of the present invention. The batch drying chamber DC dries the substrates W that have undergone the first batch process all at once.

[0196] After the first batch process, the relay device 6 of Modification 1 conveys the substrate W dried using the first hand 103a. On the other hand, since the relay device 6 handles the substrate W before the drying process after the second batch process, the substrate W is conveyed using the second hand 103b. Further, when conveying the substrate W after the first batch process is completed, the lot waiting tank 65 and the immersion tank 73 are empty and do not hold pure water. This is to prevent the substrate W after the drying process from being immersed in pure water by the lot waiting tank 65 and the immersion tank 73. On the other hand, when conveying the substrate W after the second batch process is completed, the lot waiting tank 65 and the immersion tank 73 hold pure water as in the embodiment. The shower head 69 ejects pure water or does not eject pure water according to the dry state of the substrate W.

[0197] FIG. 25 is a flowchart for explaining the flow of substrate processing according to Modification 1. The flowchart substantially follows the flow of substrate processing described in FIG. 19. However, it is different from the flow of substrate processing in the embodiment in that a step S22 related to batch drying is located between step S20 and step S25, and step S35 in FIG. 19 is omitted. Modification 1 has a configuration in which substrate drying processing is performed before the substrate W is conveyed to the single wafer processing apparatus 2. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform substrate drying processing using the single wafer processing chamber 48 after being conveyed to the single wafer processing apparatus 2. Hereinafter, step S22 will be described.

[0198] Step S22: A plurality of substrates W (lots) after the batch rinse process is completed are conveyed to the batch drying chamber DC. This conveyance is realized by the second substrate conveyance mechanism WTR acquiring from the lifter LF1. The batch drying chamber DC dries the substrates W after the first batch process all at once.

[0199] The subsequent processing is slightly different from that of the embodiment, so this point will be explained. First, the second substrate conveyance mechanism WTR converts the substrates dried all at once from the vertical posture to the horizontal posture. The substrates W in the horizontal posture are conveyed one by one to the carry-out position OP by the relay conveyance mechanism OTR. Then, the center robot CR conveys the substrate W at the carry-out position OP to the single wafer processing chamber 48.

[0200] The single-wafer processing chamber 48 rotates the vacuum chuck 213 by half a turn to transfer the substrate W to the center robot CR. The subsequent processing is the same as the flow of substrate processing in the embodiment. FIG. 26 shows how the substrate W is transported via the batch drying chamber DC in the first modification.

[0201] According to the above configuration, a batch drying chamber DC for collectively drying the substrates W that have undergone the first batch processing is provided. With this configuration, the substrates that have completed the first batch processing, which do not advance the etching of the substrate W much and have little adverse effect due to substrate drying, can be dried collectively, so a substrate processing system with improved throughput can be provided.

[0202] <First Modification> When the configuration of the first modification is not adopted, the batch drying chamber DC can be omitted to configure the batch processing apparatus 1. In such a substrate processing system, the carrier placement shelf 13a and the batch rinse processing tanks CHB1 to CHB6 are arranged in the front-rear direction. That is, the carrier placement shelf 13a is located in front of the batch rinse processing tank CHB1.

[0203] <Second Modification> In the embodiment, the half-rotation of the substrate W was realized in the single-wafer processing chamber 48, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. As shown in FIG. 27, a half-rotation mechanism SRM for rotating the substrate W at the unloading position OP of the relay device 6 may be provided to realize the half-rotation of the substrate W. The half-rotation mechanism SRM corresponds to the rotation mechanism of the present invention. The half-rotation mechanism SRM is provided at the unloading position OP of the relay device 6 and rotates the substrate W in a horizontal posture that has been transported to the unloading position OP by half a turn around the vertical axis.

[0204] Figure 28 specifically describes the semi-rotating mechanism SRM. The semi-rotating mechanism SRM includes a plurality of support pins 111 that can move up and down between a first position P1 with the tip facing upward and a second position P2 with the tip facing downward. The plurality of support pins 111 protrude and retract synchronously, moving the tip between the first position P1 and the second position P2. The plurality of support pins 111 receive the substrate W from the relay transfer mechanism OTR by raising the substrate W held by the relay transfer mechanism OTR to the first position P1, and lower the received substrate W to the turntable 113. Hereinafter, this configuration will be described in detail.

[0205] As shown in FIG. 28(a), the semi-rotating mechanism SRM has a turntable 113 on which a substrate W in a horizontal posture can be placed. The turntable 113 has a disk-shaped central portion 113a and three extending portions 113b extending radially from the central portion 113a. The turntable 113 is rotatable about the central portion 113a, and the turntable 113 rotates about the Z axis. The three extending portions 113b rotate as the central portion 113a rotates.

[0206] The central portion 113a of the turntable 113 is provided avoiding the support pins 111, so this point will be explained. The support pins 111 are provided at positions away from the periphery of the central portion 113a of the turntable 113. The three support pins 111 are provided at positions corresponding to the vertices of an equilateral triangle having the same center of gravity as the rotation center of the turntable 113, and the central portion 113a of the turntable 113 does not interfere with the support pins 111 even when it rotates.

[0207] The extending portion 113b of the turntable 113 is configured to reliably place the substrate W in a horizontal posture. It is provided at a position avoiding a plurality of extending portions extending from the rotation center of the turntable 113 in the initial position. The tip of the extending portion 113b is configured to protrude from the substrate W when the substrate W in a horizontal posture is placed on the turntable 113, and is configured to reliably support three locations on the periphery of the substrate W. The extending portion 113b is made sufficiently slender so as to prevent interference with the support pins 111 as much as possible. When the turntable 113 is rotated, a state occurs in which the position of the extending portion 113b coincides with the position of the support pin 111. Since the support pins 111 are contracted in the initial state, the extending portion 113b does not immediately collide with the support pins 111 just because the turntable 113 is rotated. However, if the support pins 111 extend while the extending portion 113b is stopped at a position overlapping the support pins 111, the support pins 111 will collide with the extending portion 113b. Therefore, there is a range of angles at which the turntable 113 cannot stop. Since the extending portion 113b in this embodiment is sufficiently slender, this range of angles is made as small as possible.

[0208] Note that the support pins 111 are provided at positions that do not interfere with the relay transfer mechanism OTR that enters above the half-rotation mechanism SRM. That is, the three support pins 111 in the initial state are located in the space sandwiched by a pair of blades of the second hand 103b located at the carry-out position OP. By doing so, when the support pins 111 receive the substrate W at the carry-out position OP, the support pins 111 and the second hand 103b do not collide. The support pins 111 in the initial state are located below the second position P2 set below the carry-out position OP. Details of the second position P2 are shown in FIG. 28(b).

[0209] The semi-rotation mechanism SRM includes a turntable 113 capable of adjusting the position of the notch on the substrate W by rotating the substrates in a horizontal posture one by one at the unloading position OP. FIG. 28(b) shows a more detailed configuration of the semi-rotation mechanism SRM. As shown in FIG. 28(b), the semi-rotation mechanism SRM includes a turntable 113 on which the substrate W is placed, a rotary shaft 114 extending in the Z direction that rotatably supports the turntable 113, and a rotary shaft drive motor 114m that drives the rotary shaft 114. In FIG. 28(b), the extension portion 113b of the turntable 113 is omitted. The rotation drive motor 114m is attached to the bottom plate 110 of the semi-rotation mechanism SRM.

[0210] A support pin expansion and contraction mechanism 112 for expanding and contracting the support pins 111 is provided at the base of each of the support pins 111. The support pin expansion and contraction mechanism 112 is attached to the bottom plate 110. The three support pin expansion and contraction mechanisms 112 operate synchronously to operate each of the support pins 111 while maintaining the state where the tips of the support pins 111 are at the same height. Therefore, the three support pins 111 can expand and contract while supporting the substrate W in a horizontal posture. In FIG. 29(a), each of the support pins 111 is in a contracted state, and the tip of each of the support pins 111 is located below the turntable 113. In FIG. 29(a), the description of one of the three support pins 111 is omitted.

[0211] FIG. 28(a) shows the state when the support pin 111 is in the extended state. Then, the tip of the support pin 111 is moved to the first position P1. Since the first position P1 is located at the unloading position OP of the relay device 6, as the support pin 111 extends, the semi-rotation mechanism SRM is ready to receive the substrate W in a horizontal posture from the relay transfer mechanism OTR.

[0212] FIG. 29(a) shows the state when the support pin 111 returns to the contracted state thereafter. When the support pin 111 is in the contracted state, the tip of the support pin 111 will reach the second position P2 below the upper surface of the turntable 113. At this time, the substrate W comes into contact with the turntable 113 as the support pin 111 contracts and is no longer supported by the support pin 111. In this way, the substrate W is transferred from the support pin 111 to the turntable 113.

[0213] FIG. 29(b) shows the state when the turntable 113 rotates 180° thereafter and the notch N located at the right end of the substrate W is moved to the left end of the substrate W. In this way, the position of the notch N of the second substrate W2 is changed by the half-rotation mechanism SRM. FIGS. 30(a) and 30(b) are plan views for explaining step S20. FIG. 30(a) shows the state of the turntable 113 before rotation, and FIG. 30(b) shows the state of the turntable 113 after rotation. As shown in FIG. 30(a), the extension portion 113b of the turntable 113 is at a position avoiding the support pin 111. This position is the initial position of the extension portion 113b, and the initial position is set so that the extension portion 113b does not collide with the support pin 111 when the support pin 111 is in the extended state. The turntable 113 rotates 180° about the Z axis from the state of FIG. 30(a) to the state of FIG. 30(b). At this time, since the support pin 111 is in the contracted state, the tip of the support pin 111 does not collide with the extension portion 113b of the turntable 113.

[0214] As shown in FIG. 30(b), the extension portion 113b of the turntable 113 after rotation is at a position avoiding the support pin 111. This position is the position of the extension portion 113b after the rotation operation, and the position after the rotation operation is set so that the extension portion 113b does not collide with the support pin 111 when the support pin 111 is in the extended state.

[0215] Thereafter, the support pin 111 becomes extended. Along with this, the substrate W rises to the carry-out position OP, so that preparations for the acquisition of the substrate W by the center robot CR are completed.

[0216] FIG. 31 is a flowchart showing the flow of substrate processing according to Modification 3. This flowchart generally follows the flow of substrate processing described in FIG. 19. However, it differs from the flow of substrate processing in the embodiment in that a step S32 regarding a half-rotation of the substrate W is located between step S30 and step S35, and step S40 in FIG. 19 is omitted. Modification 3 is configured to perform a half-rotation of the substrate W before transporting the substrate W to the single-wafer processing apparatus 2. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform a half-rotation of the substrate W using the single-wafer processing chamber 48 after it is transported to the single-wafer processing apparatus 2. Hereinafter, step S32 will be described.

[0217] Step S32: The substrates W in the horizontal posture are transported one by one to the unloading position OP. This transportation is realized by the relay transportation mechanism OTR. At this time, the tip of the support pin 111 is located at the first position P1. Eventually, the support pin 111 contracts and moves to the second position P2. The substrate W passed to the turntable 113 is rotated 180° by the turntable 113. Then, the support pin 111 extends, and the tip of the support pin 111 is located at the first position P1. In this way, the substrate W is raised to the unloading position OP again, and preparations are made for transporting it to the single-wafer processing chamber 48 by the center robot CR.

[0218] The subsequent processing is slightly different from that in the embodiment, so this point will be explained. The substrate W received from the unloading position OP by the center robot CR is transported to the single-wafer processing chamber 48. The single-wafer processing chamber 48 dries the substrate W by spin drying. Then, the single-wafer processing chamber 48 allows the center robot CR to receive the substrate W after the drying process without changing the direction of the notch of the received substrate W. The center robot CR transports the received substrate W to the storage path 24. The subsequent processing is the same as the flow of substrate processing described in FIG. 19.

[0219] FIG. 32 illustrates the flow of the substrate W when the substrate processing system according to Modification 3 operates.

[0220] As described above, according to the configuration of Modification 3, the rotation mechanism of the present invention is a semi-rotation mechanism SRM provided at the carry-out position OP of the relay device, and the semi-rotation mechanism SRM rotates the substrate W in a horizontal posture conveyed to the carry-out position OP by half a turn around the vertical axis. With this configuration, the present invention can be implemented without changing the control method of the single-wafer processing chamber 48. Further, such a configuration is suitable for a substrate processing system equipped with a single-wafer processing chamber without a spin chuck.

[0221] <Modification 4> In the above-described embodiment, the single-wafer processing chamber 48 having a spin chuck was provided, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. For example, if a configuration is adopted in which the substrate W is rotated by half a turn outside the single-wafer processing chamber 48 as in Modification 3, a single-wafer processing chamber without a spin chuck can be mounted on the substrate processing system of the present invention. Examples of the single-wafer processing chamber without a spin chuck include those configured to dry the substrate using a supercritical fluid. Such a single-wafer processing chamber is called a supercritical fluid chamber.

[0222] The supercritical fluid chamber performs a drying process on the substrate W using, for example, carbon dioxide in a supercritical state. A fluid other than carbon dioxide may be used for drying as the supercritical fluid. The supercritical state can be obtained by placing carbon dioxide under its specific critical pressure and critical temperature. The specific pressure is 7.38 MPa, and the temperature is 31°C. In the supercritical state, the surface tension of the fluid becomes zero, so the gas-liquid interface does not affect the circuit pattern on the surface of the substrate W. Therefore, if the drying process of the substrate W is performed using a supercritical fluid, the occurrence of so-called pattern collapse, in which the circuit pattern collapses on the substrate W, can be prevented.

[0223] According to the configuration of Modification 4, the single-wafer drying unit of the present invention dries the substrate using a supercritical fluid. With this configuration, the substrate W can be dried without damaging the circuit formed on the device surface, so a substrate processing system capable of generating high-quality devices can be provided.

[0224] <Modification 5> In the above-described embodiment, the substrate W in the horizontal posture is rotated by half a turn to invert the top and bottom of the substrate W during batch processing. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. The same operation may be performed by rotating the substrate W in the vertical posture by half a turn.

[0225] FIG. 33 is a plan view of a substrate processing system according to Modification 5. As shown in this figure, a notch alignment mechanism WNA is provided in the batch processing apparatus 1 of Modification 5. The notch alignment mechanism WNA also functions to support a plurality of substrates W in the vertical posture. Therefore, the drying lot support portion 33 in the embodiment is replaced by the notch alignment mechanism WNA in Modification 5. The notch alignment mechanism WNA is configured to rotate a plurality of substrates W in the vertical posture around a horizontal axis to align the positions of the notches of each substrate W. In addition to this, the notch alignment mechanism WNA in Modification 5 also has a function of rotating each substrate W collectively by 180°. The rotation mechanism in the present invention corresponds to the notch alignment mechanism WNA provided in the batch processing apparatus 1 of Modification 5. The notch alignment mechanism WNA rotates a plurality of substrates W in the vertical posture by half a turn around the normal line to invert the top and bottom. In the batch processing apparatus 1 of Modification 5, the carrier placement shelf 13a, the notch alignment mechanism WNA, and the batch chemical treatment tank CHB2 are arranged in the front-rear direction.

[0226] FIG. 34(a) is a perspective view for explaining the notch alignment mechanism WNA according to Modification 5. The notch alignment mechanism WNA has a flat plate 300 forming the bottom surface, a first side plate 301 provided at one end of the flat plate, and a second side plate 302 provided at the other end. Between the first side plate 301 and the second side plate 302, a drive roller 311 that can contact the end portion (bevel portion) of the substrate W in the vertical posture is provided. The drive roller 311 is elongated in the direction from the first side plate 301 toward the second side plate 302 and can rotate around an axis parallel to the extending direction. As will be described later, the first side plate 301 and the second side plate 302 can rotate and move synchronously with respect to the flat plate 300. The first side plate 301 and the second side plate 302 are configured to rotatably hold the drive roller 311, the driven roller 312, and an auxiliary roller 313 described later.

[0227] At both ends of the flat plate 300, there are provided protruding plates 300a and 300b extending in the vertical direction. The protruding plates 300a, 300b, the first side plate 301, and the second side plate 302 are parallel to each other. Between the protruding plates 300a and 300b, there is provided a driven roller 312 that can contact the end portion (bevel portion) of the substrate W in a vertical posture. The driving roller 311 is elongated in the direction from the protruding plate 300a toward the protruding plate 300b and can rotate around an axis parallel to the extending direction. The driving roller 311 and the driven roller 312 are parallel to each other, and the substrate W in a vertical posture is sandwiched and held between these two rollers.

[0228] As shown in FIG. 34(b), the first side plate 301 has a front surface and a back surface, and the side surface of the first side plate 301 facing the second side plate 302 is the back surface. On the front surface, each member related to the driving roller 311 is attached. The first pulley 321 has a central axis connected to the central axis of the driving roller 311, and the driving roller 311 rotates according to the driving of the first pulley 321. The second pulley 322 is connected to the first pulley 321 by the first belt 325. The second pulley 322 can be rotated by a driving motor provided on the back surface of the first side plate 301.

[0229] On the front surface of the first side plate 301, a third pulley 323 is provided. The third pulley 323 rotates in conjunction with the second pulley 322. That is, the third pulley 323 is configured to rotate together with the second gear 328 having a common rotation axis. Also, the second pulley 322 is configured to rotate together with the first gear 327 having a common rotation axis. Since the first gear 327 and the second gear 328 are engaged with each other, when the driving motor provided on the first side plate 301 is operated, the rotational force is transmitted through the first gear 327 and the second gear 328 and reaches the third pulley 323.

[0230] On the surface of the first side plate 301, a fourth pulley 324 is provided. The fourth pulley 324 is connected to the third pulley 323 by a second belt 326. The auxiliary roller 313 is a friction wheel whose tip contacts the fourth pulley 324. The auxiliary roller 313 is a member parallel to the driving roller 311 and the driven roller 312 extending in the left - right direction.

[0231] Therefore, when the driving motor provided on the first side plate 301 is activated, the first pulley 321, the second pulley 322, the third pulley 323, and the fourth pulley 324 start rotating simultaneously. Along with this, the driving roller 311 and the auxiliary roller 313 start rotating simultaneously.

[0232] The joint 331 is provided at the part connecting the protruding plate 300a and the first side plate 301. The joint 331 holds the first side plate 301 so that the first side plate 301 can rotate freely around the left - right axis (an axis parallel to the direction from the first side plate 301 to the second side plate 302) with respect to the protruding plate 300a.

[0233] The joint 332 is provided at the part connecting the protruding plate 300b and the second side plate 302. The joint 332 holds the second side plate 302 so that the second side plate 302 can rotate freely around the left - right axis (an axis parallel to the direction from the first side plate 301 to the second side plate 302) with respect to the protruding plate 300b.

[0234] The first side plate 301 and the second side plate 302 are integrated by a connecting plate 303 parallel to the flat plate 300. Therefore, the first side plate 301 and the second side plate 302 can rotate synchronously around the left - right axis with the joints 331 and 332 as the centers.

[0235] The telescopic rod 333 is a member that connects the first side plate 301 and the flat plate 300. The telescopic rod 333 has a hydraulic cylinder and can be extended and retracted under the control of the control unit. The initial state of the telescopic rod 333 is a contracted state, and the connecting plate 303 and the flat plate 300 are in a parallel positional relationship. When the telescopic rod 333 changes from this state to an extended state, the connecting plate 303 and the flat plate 300 are in an inclined positional relationship. The notch alignment mechanism WNA transfers the substrate to and from the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR when the connecting plate 303 is in the initial state parallel to the flat plate 300.

[0236] The operation of the notch alignment mechanism WNA will be described. FIG. 34(b) shows the notch alignment mechanism WNA in the initial state where the telescopic rod 333 is in the contracted state. When the second substrate transfer mechanism WTR delivers a lot to the notch alignment mechanism WNA, the substrate W is clamped by the driving roller 311 and the driven roller 312 as shown in FIG. 34(b). In this state, the auxiliary roller 313 does not contact the end portion (bevel portion) of the substrate W.

[0237] FIG. 35 shows the state when the driving roller 311 rotates in the initial state. Assume that the driving roller 311 rotates after the substrate W is delivered to the notch alignment mechanism WNA. Then, the end portion (bevel portion) of the substrate W in contact with the driving roller 311 is guided by the driving roller 311, and the substrate W rotates around the central axis (around the normal line: around the horizontal axis). Then, as the substrate W rotates, the driven roller 312 in contact with the end portion (bevel portion) of the substrate W also starts to rotate. In this way, the driven roller 312 can hold one end of the rotating substrate W.

[0238] At this time, the notch N provided on the substrate W can freely move back and forth near the auxiliary roller 313. This is because the auxiliary roller 313 does not contact the end portion (bevel portion) of the substrate W.

[0239] FIG. 36 shows a notch array mechanism WNA when a notch array process for aligning the positions of notches N on a substrate W is being executed. To align the positions of the notches N, first, the telescopic rod 333 is extended, and the first side plate 301 is tilted with respect to the flat plate 300. Then, the substrate W moves away from the driven roller 312 and comes into contact with the auxiliary roller 313. When the drive motor is operated in this state, the substrate W rotates around the central axis in the same manner as described with reference to FIG. 35.

[0240] However, as shown in FIG. 37(a), since the auxiliary roller 313 is designed to be sufficiently small, the notch N attempting to pass through the auxiliary roller 313 cannot exceed the auxiliary roller 313, prohibiting further rotation of the substrate W. That is, the auxiliary roller 313 is pinched by the notch N, and the substrate W cannot rotate. Even while this is happening, the drive roller 311 attempts to rotate the substrate W, but the substrate W slips with respect to the drive roller 311 and ultimately does not rotate.

[0241] Under such circumstances, when the drive roller 311 is rotated, all of the substrates W constituting the lot stop rotating. This is because the notch N of each substrate W is captured by the auxiliary roller 313 and cannot move freely. In this way, the orientation of the notches of each substrate W becomes constant. That is, the position of the notch N of each substrate W coincides with the position of the auxiliary roller 313.

[0242] FIG. 37(b) illustrates the operation of rotating the substrate W constituting the lot by half a turn. To rotate the substrate W by half a turn, a lot is placed on the notch array mechanism WNA in the initial state, and the drive roller 311 is rotated a predetermined number of times. In this way, the substrate W is guided by the drive roller 311 and rotates by half a turn. Note that it is preferable to perform the operations according to FIGS. 35, 36, and 37(a) in advance when rotating the substrate W by half a turn, but this preliminary operation is not necessarily required.

[0243] FIG. 38 is a flowchart showing the flow of substrate processing according to Modification 5. This flowchart substantially follows the flow of substrate processing described in FIG. 19. However, it differs from the flow of substrate processing in the embodiment in that step S62 regarding the half rotation of the substrate W is located between step S60 and step S65, and step S40 in FIG. 19 is omitted. Modification 3 is configured to perform a half rotation on the substrate W obtained from the second carrier C2. Therefore, it is not necessary to perform a half rotation of the substrate W using the single wafer processing chamber 48 before it is transferred to the second carrier C2. Hereinafter, step S62 will be described.

[0244] Step S62: The second substrate transfer mechanism WTR passes a plurality of substrates W (lot) in a vertical posture to the notch alignment mechanism WNA. The notch alignment mechanism WNA rotates the substrate W by half a turn to adjust the position of the notch. The second substrate transfer mechanism WTR receives the plurality of substrates W (lot) for which the half rotation process has been completed from the notch alignment mechanism WNA and transfers them to the lifter LF2.

[0245] The subsequent processing is slightly different from that of the embodiment, so this point will be described. In step S80, the single wafer processing chamber 48 dries the substrate W by spin drying. Then, the single wafer processing chamber 48 allows the substrate W after the drying process to be received by the center robot CR without changing the direction of the notch of the received substrate W. The center robot CR transfers the received substrate W to the storage path 24. The subsequent processing is the same as the flow of substrate processing described in FIG. 19.

[0246] FIG. 39 illustrates the flow of the substrate W when the substrate processing system according to Modification 3 operates.

[0247] As described above, according to the configuration of Modification 5, the notch alignment mechanism WNA is provided in the batch processing apparatus 1, and the notch alignment mechanism WNA rotates a plurality of substrates W in a vertical posture by half a turn around a horizontal axis to turn them upside down. With this configuration, the time required to rotate the substrate W by half a turn can be shortened, so a substrate processing system with improved throughput can be provided.

[0248] <Modification Example 6> In the above-described embodiment, the carrier C was transferred between the carrier mounting shelves 13a and 14a built in the substrate processing system. However, the present invention is not limited to this configuration. As shown in FIG. 40, the sheet processing apparatus 2 may be configured not to have the carrier block 12. According to this configuration, the indexer robot IR can move forward and backward in the front-rear direction. The substrate W for which the sheet processing has been completed is stored in an empty carrier C placed on the second load port 10 by the indexer robot IR. The transfer of the second carrier C2 described in step S50 of FIG. 19 is realized by receiving the second carrier C2 from the second load port 10 and placing it on the second carrier C2 at the first load port 9. Therefore, the second load port 10 in Modification Example 6 corresponds to the second placement unit of the present invention.

[0249] The transfer of the second carrier C2 is configured by the carrier transfer mechanism 400 shown in FIG. 40. The carrier transfer mechanism 400 is a crane mechanism capable of moving the carrier C in the left-right direction and is controlled by the control unit described in the embodiment. Further, instead of the carrier transfer mechanism 400, the transfer of the second carrier C2 may be performed by a carrier transfer robot installed in the plant, or the transfer of the second carrier C2 may be performed manually.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0250] 1 Batch processing apparatus 1A First housing 1B Third wall surface 2 Sheet processing apparatus 2A Second housing 2B Fourth wall surface 3 Stocking block 4 Indexer block 5 Transfer block 6 Relay device 6A Relay housing 7 Batch processing block 8 Sheet processing block 9 First load port 10 Second Load Port 11 Carrier Transfer Mechanism 12 Carrier Block 13a Carrier Placement Shelf (First Placement Section) 13b Shelf 14a Carrier Placement Shelf (Second Placement Section) 14b Shelf 15 First Posture Conversion Mechanism 16 Shielding Plate 17 Bridging Section 23 HVC Posture Conversion Section (First Posture Conversion Mechanism) 23A Support Stand 23B Horizontal Holding Section 23C Vertical Holding Section 23D Rotation Drive Mechanism 24 Storage Path (Path) 25 Pusher Mechanism 25A Pusher 25B Lifting and Rotating Section 25C Horizontal Movement Section 25D Rail 26 Unloading Path 27 Jet Outlet 29 Chuck 30 Chuck 31Y Guide Rail 32Y Relay Rail 33 Dry Lot Support Section 47 Sheet Processing Chamber (Substrate Drying Section) 48 Sheet Processing Chamber (Substrate Drying Section) 49 Sheet Processing Chamber (Substrate Drying Section) 51 Hand 55 Underwater Posture Conversion Section (Second Posture Conversion Mechanism) 55A Pusher 65 Lot Waiting Tank 69 Shower Head 71 Inverting Chuck 71a V-Groove 72 Inverting Chuck Support Mechanism 73 Immersion Tank 101 Support Mechanism 102 Slide Mechanism 103a First Hand 103b Second Hand 103c Base 104 Rotation Axis 105 Tray 108 Tray Movement Mechanism 110 Bottom Plate 111 Support Pin 112 Support Pin Telescoping Mechanism 113 Turntable 113a Central Portion 113b Extension Portion 114 Rotation Axis 114m Rotation Axis Drive Motor 131 Control Unit 132 Control Unit 136 Control Unit 211 Support Pin 213 Vacuum Chuck (Rotation Mechanism) 217 Nozzle 219 Guide 300 Flat Plate 300a Protruding Plate 300b Protruding Plate 301 First Side Plate 302 Second Side Plate 303 Connecting Plate 311 Driving Roller 312 Driven Roller 313 Auxiliary Roller 321 First Pulley 322 Second Pulley 323 Third Pulley 324 Fourth Pulley 325 First Belt 326 Second Belt 327 First Gear 328 Second Gear 331 Joint 332 Joint 333 Telescopic Rod 400 Carrier Transfer Mechanism BPU1 First Batch Processing Unit (Batch Processing Tank) BPU2 Second Batch Processing Unit (Batch Processing Tank) BPU3 Third Batch Processing Unit (Batch Processing Tank) BPU4 4th Batch Processing Unit (Batch Processing Tank) BPU5 5th Batch Processing Unit (Batch Processing Tank) BPU6 6th Batch Processing Unit (Batch Processing Tank) C Carrier C1 1st Carrier C2 2nd Carrier C3 3rd Carrier CHB1 Batch Rinse Processing Tank CHB2 Batch Chemical Solution Processing Tank CHB3 Batch Chemical Solution Processing Tank CHB4 Batch Chemical Solution Processing Tank CHB5 Batch Chemical Solution Processing Tank CHB6 Batch Chemical Solution Processing Tank CP Passage CR Center Robot (1st Robot) DC Batch Drying Chamber (Batch Drying Section) HTR 1st Substrate Transfer Mechanism (Substrate Acquisition Transfer Mechanism) IP Loading Position IR Indexer Robot (2nd Robot) LF1 Lifter LF2 Lifter LF3 Lifter LF4 Lifter LF5 Lifter LF6 Lifter LF65 Lifter N Notch OP Unloading Position OTR Relay Transfer Mechanism ONB Batch Rinse Tank P1 1st Position P2 2nd Position P3 Intermediate Position PP Substrate Handover Position R1 Batch Processing Area R2 Bulk Transfer Area R3 Single-Sheet Transfer Area SP Reference Position SRM Half-Rotation Mechanism (Rotation Mechanism) STR Half-Flot Transfer Mechanism W Substrate W1 1st Substrate W2 Second substrate WNA Notch array mechanism WTR Second substrate transfer mechanism

Claims

1. A substrate processing system for processing substrates, comprising: A batch processing apparatus that performs batch processing for processing a plurality of substrates at once; A single-wafer processing apparatus that performs single-wafer processing for processing substrates one by one; A relay apparatus that conveys substrates that have been batch processed by the batch processing apparatus to the single-wafer processing apparatus; A control unit that controls the batch processing apparatus, the single-wafer processing apparatus, and the relay apparatus, wherein the batch processing apparatus includes: At least one batch processing tank; A first placement unit on which a carrier capable of vertically storing a plurality of substrates at a predetermined interval in a horizontal posture can be placed; A substrate acquisition and conveyance mechanism that takes out substrates from the carrier placed on the first placement unit; A first posture conversion mechanism that converts the substrates taken out from the carrier by the substrate acquisition and conveyance mechanism from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture; A lifter capable of immersing a plurality of substrates in the vertical posture, which have been posture-converted by the first posture conversion mechanism, into the batch processing tank all at once; wherein the single-wafer processing apparatus includes: A single-wafer drying unit capable of drying batch-processed substrates in a horizontal posture one by one; A second placement unit on which the carrier can be placed; A storage and conveyance mechanism that conveys substrates in a horizontal posture into the carrier placed on the second placement unit; wherein the relay apparatus includes: A second posture conversion mechanism that converts the substrates received from the batch processing apparatus from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture; A relay conveyance mechanism capable of conveying the substrates in the horizontal posture, which have been posture-converted by the second posture conversion mechanism, to the single-wafer processing apparatus one by one; wherein the control unit: Controls the substrate acquisition and conveyance mechanism to take out substrates from a first carrier placed on the first placement unit; Controls the first posture conversion mechanism to convert the substrates taken out from the first carrier from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture; Controls the lifter to immerse a plurality of substrates in the vertical posture into the batch processing tank all at once to perform a first batch process; Controls the second posture conversion mechanism to convert the substrates on which the first batch process has been performed from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture; Controls the relay conveyance mechanism to convey the substrates in the horizontal posture to the single-wafer processing apparatus from the batch processing apparatus; Controls the storage and conveyance mechanism to convey the substrates in the horizontal posture, which have been conveyed to the single-wafer processing apparatus, into a second carrier placed on the second placement unit; When the second carrier storing the substrate on which the first batch process has been performed is placed on the first placement unit of the batch processing apparatus, the substrate acquisition and transfer mechanism is controlled to take out the substrate from the second carrier placed on the first placement unit. The first posture conversion mechanism is controlled to convert the substrate taken out from the second carrier from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture. The lifter is controlled to immerse the plurality of substrates converted to the vertical posture in the batch processing tank all at once to perform the second batch process. The second posture conversion mechanism is controlled to convert the substrate on which the second batch process has been performed from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture. The relay transfer mechanism is controlled to transfer the substrate converted to the horizontal posture from the batch processing apparatus to the single-wafer processing apparatus. The single-wafer drying unit is controlled to dry the substrates in the horizontal posture transferred to the single-wafer processing apparatus one by one. The storage and transfer mechanism is controlled to sequentially perform a series of operations of loading the dried substrates in the horizontal posture into the third carrier placed on the second placement unit. Furthermore, the substrate processing system includes a rotation mechanism for rotating the substrate around the normal line of the substrate. The control unit controls the rotation mechanism after the first batch process and before the second batch process so that the second batch process is performed in a posture with the top and bottom reversed with respect to the posture of the substrate in the first batch process. A substrate processing system characterized by the above.

2. In the substrate processing system according to claim 1, the batch processing tank is provided with a jet outlet for jetting fluid at the bottom. The control unit, in the first batch process and the second batch process, controls the batch processing tank to jet fluid from the bottom and stir the processing liquid held up and down. A substrate processing system characterized by the above.

3. In the substrate processing system according to claim 1, it includes a carrier transfer mechanism for transferring the second carrier from the second placement unit to the first placement unit. A substrate processing system characterized by the above.

4. In the substrate processing system according to claim 1, the control unit controls the single-wafer drying unit to dry the substrates that have been posture-converted to the horizontal posture after the first batch process and transferred to the single-wafer processing apparatus one by one. A substrate processing system characterized by the above.

5. In the substrate processing system according to claim 1, the batch processing apparatus A batch drying unit for collectively drying the substrates that have undergone the first batch process is provided. The control unit controls the batch drying unit to collectively dry the substrates after the first batch process. controls the second posture conversion mechanism to convert the substrates that have been collectively dried from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture. A substrate processing system characterized by the above.

6. In the substrate processing system according to claim 5, the relay transfer mechanism includes a first hand for acquiring the dried substrates and a second hand for acquiring the substrates before drying. A substrate processing system characterized by the above.

7. In the substrate processing system according to claim 1, the rotation mechanism is composed of a spin chuck in a single-wafer processing chamber provided in the single-wafer processing apparatus. the spin chuck rotates the received substrates in a horizontal posture by half a turn around the vertical axis and transfers them to the storage transfer mechanism. A substrate processing system characterized by the above.

8. In the substrate processing system according to claim 1, the single-wafer drying unit is composed of a single-wafer processing chamber provided in the single-wafer processing apparatus. the single-wafer processing chamber dries the substrates by spin drying. A substrate processing system characterized by the above.

9. In the substrate processing system according to claim 1, the rotation mechanism is provided at the unloading position of the relay device. the rotation mechanism rotates the substrates in a horizontal posture that have been transferred to the unloading position by half a turn around the vertical axis. A substrate processing system characterized by the above.

10. In the substrate processing system according to claim 9, the single-wafer drying unit dries the substrates using a supercritical fluid. A substrate processing system characterized by the above.

11. In the substrate processing system according to claim 1, the rotation mechanism is provided in the batch processing apparatus. the rotation mechanism rotates a plurality of substrates in a vertical posture by half a turn around the horizontal axis to turn them upside down. A substrate processing system characterized by the above.

12. In the substrate processing system according to claim 1, the single-wafer processing apparatus includes a path on which substrates in a horizontal posture can be placed. the storage transfer mechanism includes a first robot that can access the unloading position of the relay device, the single-wafer drying unit, and the path, and a second robot that can access the path and the second placement unit. the first robot is provided at a position surrounded by the substrate drying unit. A substrate processing system characterized by the above.

13. In the substrate processing system according to claim 1, The first placement unit in the batch processing apparatus and the batch processing tank are arranged in the front-rear direction. The loading position in the relay device and the unloading position in the relay device are arranged in the left-right direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction. The second placement unit in the single-sheet processing apparatus and the single-sheet drying unit are arranged in the front-rear direction. A substrate processing system characterized by the above.

14. In the substrate processing system according to Claim 5, The first placement unit in the batch processing apparatus, the batch drying unit, and the batch processing tank are arranged in the front-rear direction. The loading position in the relay device and the unloading position in the relay device are arranged in the left-right direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction. The second placement unit in the single-sheet processing apparatus and the single-sheet drying unit are arranged in the front-rear direction. A substrate processing system characterized by the above.

15. In the substrate processing system according to Claim 11, The first placement unit in the batch processing apparatus, the rotation mechanism, and the batch processing tank are arranged in the front-rear direction. The loading position in the relay device and the unloading position in the relay device are arranged in the left-right direction orthogonal to the front-rear direction. The second placement unit in the single-sheet processing apparatus and the single-sheet drying unit are arranged in the front-rear direction. A substrate processing system characterized by the above.

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