Substrate processing method

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing method that performs substrate processing efficiently by narrowing an array pitch of substrates.SOLUTION: According to the present invention, a temporary batch lot where substrates W are oriented in the same direction is formed. The substrates W are divided into first group substrates W1 and second group substrates W2 so that a combination of the two substrates facing each other among the substrates W constituting the temporal batch lot is different, and the second group substrates W2 are half-rotated. By combining the first group substrates W1 and the second group substrates W2, the first group substrates W1 oriented in one direction and the second group substrates W2 oriented in a reverse direction are arranged alternately and a batch lot BL is generated.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 14

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing method for semiconductor substrates, substrates for FPDs (Flat Panel Displays) such as liquid crystal displays and organic EL (Electroluminescence) display devices, glass substrates for photomasks, substrates for optical disks, and the like. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 describes a substrate processing apparatus that takes out the same number of substrates from each of two carriers, forms a first group of substrates and a second group of substrates, and inserts the second group of substrates into the gaps between the substrates in the first group of substrates, thereby converting the pitch to 1 / 2 and forming a group of substrates with twice the number of substrates, which are then processed all at once. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 5-175179 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, there has been a demand for greater efficiency in substrate processing equipment. To increase the number of substrates processed at one time in batch processing, the substrate arrangement pitch must be narrower. This poses a problem: substrate orientation. In other words, for batch processing, arranging substrates face-to-face to generate a batch lot is more suitable from the perspective of preventing contamination of the device surfaces. To arrange substrates face-to-face with their device surfaces facing each other, the only way to achieve this is to combine a substrate arrangement obtained from a first carrier with a substrate arrangement obtained from a second carrier that is half-rotated. Therefore, with conventional configurations, the substrate arrangement pitch can be halved, but cannot be further narrowed. When a batch lot is generated by inserting substrates obtained from a second carrier into the gaps between the substrates obtained from the first carrier, the substrate arrangement pitch in the batch lot is automatically half of the original pitch.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to provide a substrate processing method that narrows the substrate arrangement pitch and performs substrate processing efficiently. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration.

[0007] In order to solve the above problems, the present invention has the following configuration. That is, the present invention provides a substrate processing method for collectively processing a plurality of substrates each having a direction defined by a front surface and a back surface, comprising: a substrate group obtaining step of obtaining a substrate group formed by arranging substrates facing in one direction at predetermined intervals; a first assembly process in which a first array in which the first substrates facing one direction are arranged at the predetermined intervals is combined with the substrate group to position the first substrate at the first position among first and second positions that divide the predetermined intervals in the substrate group into thirds; a second assembly process for combining a second array in which the second substrates oriented in one direction are arranged at the predetermined intervals with the group of substrates to position the second substrates at the second positions and form a temporary batch lot; a disassembly process of dividing the substrates constituting the temporary batch lot into a first group and a second group so that two opposing substrates among the substrates constituting the temporary batch lot are in different groups, and disassembling the temporary batch lot by relatively moving the first group and the second group in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the substrates; a half-rotation process of rotating the second set by half to orient the substrates constituting the second set in a direction opposite to the one direction; a rearrangement step of combining the first set and the second set to alternately arrange the substrates facing in one direction and the substrates facing in the opposite direction to generate a batch lot; a processing step of immersing the batch lot in a processing solution. It is characterized by the following.

[0008] [Actions and Effects] According to the above-described configuration, a temporary batch lot is formed in which the substrates are oriented in the same direction. Then, the substrates are divided into a first group and a second group so that two opposing substrates among the substrates that make up the temporary batch lot are in different pairs, and the second group is rotated half a turn. Then, by combining the first group and the second group, a batch lot is generated in which substrates oriented in one direction and substrates oriented in the opposite direction are alternately arranged. With this configuration, it is possible to arrange the substrates face-to-face while making the substrate arrangement pitch narrower than conventional methods.

[0009] In the above-described configuration, the disassembly step preferably disassembles the temporary batch lot so that substrates located at one end of the temporary batch lot and substrates located at the other end of the temporary batch lot are separated into different sets.

[0010] [Actions and Effects] According to the above-described configuration, in the disassembly process, the lot is disassembled so that the substrates located at one end of the provisional batch lot and the substrates located at the other end of the provisional batch lot are separated into different sets. This configuration allows the orientation of the substrates that make up the batch lot to be as desired. In other words, according to the above-described configuration, the orientation of the substrates at one end of the batch lot can be made different from the orientation of the substrates at the other end, thereby more reliably arranging the substrates face-to-face.

[0011] In the above-described configuration, the number of substrates constituting the batch lot is preferably three times the number of substrates in the group of substrates obtained in the group of substrates obtaining process.

[0012] [Actions and Effects] According to the above-described configuration, the number of substrates that make up a batch lot is three times the number of substrates in the substrate group in the substrate group acquisition process. With this configuration, there are no excess substrates in the substrate group when the batch lot is constructed. Since the substrate group is not split into two batch lots, the substrate processing histories of the substrates that make up the substrate group can be reliably matched.

[0013] In the above-mentioned configuration, the method includes a first step of simultaneously acquiring each of the substrates from a carrier that stores the substrates in a horizontal position and arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction; a second step of simultaneously changing the orientation of each of the substrates from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation; It is preferable that the first and second steps are carried out before each assembly step.

[0014] [Operations and Effects] The above-described configuration includes a first process of collectively acquiring each of the horizontally oriented substrates from a carrier that stores the substrates, the substrates being arranged vertically at predetermined intervals, and a second process of collectively converting the orientation of the substrates from the horizontal orientation to the vertical orientation, the first and second processes being performed before each assembly process. This configuration provides a substrate processing method that receives and executes a first set of substrates or a second set of substrates arranged in one direction from the carrier.

[0015] In the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the predetermined interval is equal to the arrangement pitch of the substrates housed in the carrier.

[0016] [Operation and Effect] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the predetermined interval is equal to the arrangement pitch of the substrates stored in the carrier. With this configuration, it is easy to change the pitch of the substrates.

[0017] In the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the distance from the first position to the second position is 1 / 3 times the arrangement pitch of the substrates housed in the carrier.

[0018] [Operations and Effects] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the distance from the first position to the second position is 1 / 3 of the arrangement pitch of the substrates stored in the carrier. With this configuration, the pitch of the generated substrate arrangement can be set to 1 / 2 or less of the arrangement pitch of the substrates stored in the carrier.

[0019] In the above-described configuration, it is preferable that the first position and the second position divide the predetermined interval into three equal parts.

[0020] [Operation and Effect] According to the above-mentioned configuration, the first position and the second position divide the predetermined interval into thirds. With this configuration, the substrates can be arranged in a more orderly manner. [Effects of the Invention]

[0021] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a substrate processing method for efficiently processing substrates by narrowing the arrangement pitch of the substrates. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view illustrating an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating the configuration of a carrier according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating each part constituting the transfer block according to the embodiment. [Figure 4]1 is a diagram comparing the configuration of a carrier according to an embodiment with the configuration of a handling robot. FIG. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the configuration of an HVC attitude conversion unit according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] 3A and 3B are schematic diagrams illustrating the configuration of a mounting rod and a clamping rod according to the embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating the configuration of each rod according to the embodiment. [Figure 8] 10 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a groove of a clamping rod according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a pusher according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating a pusher according to an embodiment. [Figure 11A] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 11B] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 11C] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 11D] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 11E] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 11F] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 11G] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 11H] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 11I] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 11J] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 14]FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 17A] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 17B] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 17C] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 17D] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 17E] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 17F] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a batch set according to an embodiment. [Figure 19] 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a substrate according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment takes in substrates arranged at a 10 mm pitch and converts the substrate arrangement pitch to 10 / 3 mm to form a batch lot. The formed batch lot is subjected to various substrate treatments, such as chemical treatment. By performing substrate treatment with a narrower substrate arrangement pitch in this way, less chemical solution is required, thereby reducing running costs and enabling environmentally friendly substrate processing.

[0024] The present invention relates to a substrate processing method for collectively processing a plurality of substrates each having a direction defined by a front surface and a back surface. The front surface of the substrate is a device surface on which a film formation process and an exposure process are performed. The back surface is the surface opposite to the device surface. When the substrate is held in a horizontal position, the front surface of the substrate faces upward. [Example]

[0025] 1. Overall structure The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention is configured to perform batch processing and has a housing 1A that houses each block that constitutes the substrate processing apparatus 1. The housing 1A has a load port 9 that protrudes from a first wall surface that is perpendicular to the Y direction from the processing block 6 toward the transfer block 5. A carrier C that houses a substrate array in which horizontally oriented substrates W are arranged vertically at a specific pitch can be placed on the load port 9.

[0026] For convenience, in this specification, the direction in which the stocker block 3, transfer block 5, and processing block 6 in the substrate processing apparatus 1 are arranged is referred to as the "front-rear direction X." The front-rear direction X extends horizontally. Within the front-rear direction X, the direction from the transfer block 5 toward the stocker block 3 in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is referred to as the "front." The direction opposite the front is referred to as the "rear." The horizontal direction perpendicular 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 the "right" and the other direction is referred to as the "left." For convenience, the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction X and the width direction Y (height direction) is referred to as the "vertical direction Z." In each figure, for reference, the terms front, back, right, left, top, and bottom are indicated as appropriate.

[0027] 2. Stocker Block 1, the stocker block 3 is provided with a load port 9, which is an entrance through which a carrier C, which stores multiple substrates W in a horizontal position and at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction, is introduced into the block. The load port 9 protrudes from the outer wall of the stocker block 3, which extends in the width direction (Y direction).

[0028] A plurality of substrates W (for example, 25 substrates) are stacked and stored horizontally at regular intervals in one carrier C. The carrier C storing unprocessed substrates W to be carried into the substrate processing apparatus 1 is first placed on the load port 9.

[0029] FIG. 2 illustrates the configuration of a carrier C of the present invention. The carrier C has a plurality of horizontally extending slots S formed therein, which hold substrates W with their surfaces spaced apart. The slots S are arranged vertically at a specific pitch (e.g., 10 mm), and each slot S accommodates a substrate W. Twenty-five slots S are provided in one carrier C. Therefore, 25 substrates W are arranged vertically at the specific pitch in the carrier C. A mounting plate 7 is located at a position that separates each slot S, and supports both ends of the substrate W together with its paired mounting plate 7. Therefore, one mounting plate 7 is provided on each side of the carrier C and on a surface parallel to that side. An example of a carrier C is a sealed FOUP (Front Opening Unify Pod). In the present invention, an open container may be used as the carrier C.

[0030] The internal structure of the stocker block 3 will now be described. The stocker block 3 is equipped with a transport storage unit ACB that stocks and manages carriers C. The transport storage unit ACB is equipped with a carrier transport mechanism 11 that transports the carriers C and shelves 13 on which the carriers C are placed. The stocker block 3 can stock one or more carriers C.

[0031] The stocker block 3 has a plurality of shelves 13 on which carriers C are placed. The shelves 13 are provided on a partition wall separating the stocker block 3 and the transfer block 5. The shelves 13 include a stock shelf 13b on which carriers C are simply placed temporarily, and a carrier placement shelf 13a which is accessed by the first handling robot HTR of the transfer block 5 and is used to remove substrates.

[0032] The carrier mounting shelf 13a is configured to be able to mount a carrier C. The carrier mounting shelf 13a is configured to mount a carrier C from which a substrate W is to be removed. In this embodiment, one carrier mounting shelf 13a is provided, but multiple carrier mounting shelves 13a may be provided. The carrier transport mechanism 11 takes in a carrier C storing an unprocessed substrate W from the load port 9 and places it on the carrier mounting shelf 13a for substrate removal. At this time, the carrier transport mechanism 11 can also temporarily place the carrier C on a stock shelf 13b before placing it on the carrier mounting shelf 13a. The stocker block 3 has one or more carrier mounting shelves 13a.

[0033] The carrier mounting shelf 13a is also configured to mount empty carriers C for storing processed substrates W. The processed substrates W are stored in carriers C waiting on the carrier mounting shelf 13a. The carrier transport mechanism 11 retrieves the carriers C storing the processed substrates W from the carrier mounting shelf 13a and transports them to the load port 9. When transporting the carriers C to the load port 9, the carrier transport mechanism 11 may temporarily store the carriers C on the stock shelf 13b.

[0034] 3. Transfer block The transfer block 5 is adjacent to the carrier mounting shelf 13a. The transfer block 5 is disposed adjacent to and rearward of the stocker block 3. The transfer block 5 is equipped with a handling robot HTR capable of accessing carriers C placed on the carrier mounting shelf 13a for removing substrates, an HVC position conversion unit 23 that converts the position of multiple substrates W collectively from a horizontal position to a vertical position, and a pusher mechanism 25. The HVC position conversion unit 23 converts multiple substrates W collectively from a horizontal position to a vertical position. Furthermore, the transfer block 5 is provided with a substrate transfer position PP for transferring multiple substrates W to the forward / backward transport mechanism WTR provided in the batch transport region R2.

[0035] As shown in FIG. 3, the handling robot HTR, HVC posture conversion unit 23, and pusher mechanism 25 are arranged in this order in the Y direction. The handling robot HTR has a hand 211 that can hold a substrate W in a horizontal posture. Each hand 211 can hold a single substrate W. The handling robot HTR has hands 211 arranged in the vertical direction. The handling robot HTR can transport multiple substrates W at once by holding a substrate with each hand 211. The movement support mechanism 213 is a mechanism that constitutes the handling robot HTR, and is configured to rotate the hand 211 around a vertical axis, raise and lower the hand 211, move the hand 211 forward and backward in the forward and backward direction X, and move the hand 211 laterally in the left and right direction Y.

[0036] FIG. 4 shows how the handling robot HTR receives a substrate W from a carrier C using a hand 211. As shown in FIG. 4, the hands 211 are arranged vertically at the same pitch as the arrangement of slots S in the carrier C. That is, the hands 211 are arranged at a 10 mm pitch. 10 mm corresponds to the predetermined interval in the present invention and is represented by the arrangement pitch Da in each drawing. The handling robot HTR transports all of the substrates W arranged at 10 mm intervals in the carrier C at once. Since the surfaces of the substrates W stored in the carrier C all face upward, the substrates W removed by the handling robot HTR all face upward. Each hand 211 is provided with a guide 214 that abuts the peripheral edge of the substrate. The guides are provided at the tip and base ends of a pair of blades that make up the hand 211. Therefore, the hand 211 is provided with four guides 214.

[0037] The handling robot HTR has 25 hands 211. The handling robot HTR uses these hands to transport 25 substrates stored in the carrier C all at once.

[0038] 3 is configured to convert a substrate W taken out of a carrier C by a handling robot HTR from a horizontal position to a vertical position. The HVC position conversion unit 23 includes a pair of mounting rods 231 and a pair of clamping rods 232 extending in the vertical direction (Z direction). A support base 237 has a support surface extending in the XY plane that supports the mounting rods 231 and clamping rods 232. A rotation drive mechanism 238 is configured to rotate the mounting rods 231 and clamping rods 232 together with the support base 237 by 90°. This rotation causes the mounting rods 231 and clamping rods 232 to extend in the left-right direction (Y direction).

[0039] The mounting rod 231 is provided with a rod driving mechanism 235 that rotates around a rotation axis along the extension direction of the mounting rod 231. The pair of rod driving mechanisms 235 allows the pair of mounting rods 231 to rotate synchronously. The rod driving mechanism 235 also allows the mounting rod 231 to extend and retract. A specific example of when the mounting rod 231 is driven by the rod driving mechanism 235 will be described later.

[0040] The clamping rods 232 are provided with rod rotation mechanisms 236 that rotate around a rotation axis along the direction in which the clamping rods 232 extend. The pair of rod rotation mechanisms 236 allows the pair of clamping rods 232 to rotate synchronously.

[0041] FIG. 5 illustrates the flat plates 233 and 239 of the mounting rod 231. The flat plates 233 are arranged on the mounting rod 231 at 10 mm intervals in the extension direction of the mounting rod 231. Each flat plate 233 is a plate extending in a plane perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the flat plates 233, and the substrate W is supported by the mounting rod 231 when an end of the substrate W rests on the upper surface of the flat plate 233. Note that since the entire substrate W cannot be held by holding only one end of the substrate W, two mounting rods 231 are provided in the HVC attitude conversion unit 23. One end of the substrate W is held by the flat plate 233 of one mounting rod 231, and the other end of the substrate W is held by the flat plate 233 of the other mounting rod 231. The one end and the other end are spaced apart by the diameter of the substrate W. Therefore, the pair of mounting rods 231 are spaced apart by the diameter of the substrate W, as shown in FIG. 7(a). In this way, the substrate W held by the flat plate 233 does not rise up from the flat plate 233. This is because the weight of the substrate W is applied symmetrically to the left and right of the flat plate 233, so that the weight of the substrate W on the flat plate 233 is kept balanced on the left and right. In addition, the pair of mounting rods 231 are parallel to each other.

[0042] The flat plates 239 are arranged on the mounting rod 231 at a pitch of 20 / 3 mm in the extension direction of the mounting rod 231. The 20 / 3 mm pitch is called the arrangement pitch Db. The flat plates 239 are plates that extend in a plane perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the flat plates 233. Like the flat plates 233, the flat plates 239 support the substrate W on the mounting rod 231 by placing an end of the substrate W on the upper surface of the flat plates 233. The HVC attitude conversion unit 23 is provided with two mounting rods 231. The flat plate 239 of one mounting rod 231 holds one end of the substrate W, and the flat plate 239 of the other mounting rod 231 holds the other end of the substrate W.

[0043] As such, the mounting rod 231 has one surface on which the flat plates 233 are arranged and the other surface on which the flat plates 239 are arranged. The mounting rod 231 can rotate about a rotation axis along the extending direction, and can switch the surface facing the substrate W between the one surface corresponding to the flat plates 233 and the other surface corresponding to the flat plates 239. In the initial state of the mounting rod 231, as shown in FIG. 5, the one surface corresponding to the flat plates 233 faces the substrate W. Therefore, the HVC attitude conversion unit 23 in the initial state holds the substrate W with the flat plates 233.

[0044] 5 illustrates the clamping plates 234 and 230 of the clamping rod 232. The clamping plate 234 has an arcuate side 234a that follows the curve of the substrate W, and the arcuate side 234a is provided with a V-groove 234b for clamping the substrate W. Because the substrate W has a shape that follows the curve of the arcuate side 234a, the substrate W is clamped in the V-groove 234b of the arcuate side 234a. The clamping plates 234 are arranged on the clamping rod 232 at 10 mm intervals in the direction in which the clamping rod 232 extends. Each clamping plate 234 is a plate that extends in a plane perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the clamping plates 234, and the substrate W is clamped by the clamping rod 232 when a portion of the substrate W is clamped in the V-groove 234b of the arcuate side 234a.

[0045] Note that, because clamping only a portion of the substrate W does not achieve clamping of the entire substrate W, the HVC posture conversion unit 23 is provided with two clamping rods 232. One clamping rod 232 clamps a portion of the substrate W with its clamping plate 234, and the other clamping rod 232 clamps a portion of the substrate W with its clamping plate 234. The pair of clamping rods 232 are spaced apart by a distance shorter than the diameter of the substrate W. Because the pair of clamping rods 232 are configured to clamp the substrate W in a vertical posture, they only need to be configured to clamp the lower edge of the substrate W, and do not need to be spaced apart by the diameter of the substrate W as with the placement rod 231. However, as shown in FIG. 10 , the clamping rods 232 are positioned offset from the bottom of the substrate W in a vertical posture, and therefore two rods are required: one that clamps a portion of the substrate W on the right side as viewed from the bottom, and the other that clamps a portion of the substrate W on the left side as viewed from the bottom. The two clamping rods 232 clamp the substrate W from both sides by the V-grooves 234b of the clamping plates 234, as shown in Fig. 5(c). The pair of clamping rods 232 are parallel to each other. The two clamping rods 232 clamp the substrate W from both sides by the V-grooves 234b of the clamping plates 234, as shown in Fig. 8. The pair of clamping rods 232 are parallel to each other.

[0046] The clamping plates 230 are arranged on the clamping rods 232 at a pitch of 20 / 3 mm in the direction in which the clamping rods 232 extend. The clamping plates 230 are plates that extend in a plane perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the clamping plates 230. Like the clamping plates 234, the clamping plates 230 have arc-shaped sides 230a that follow the curve of the substrate W, and the arc-shaped sides 230a are provided with V-shaped grooves 230b for clamping the substrate W.

[0047] As such, the clamping rod 232 has one surface on which the clamping plates 234 are arranged and the other surface on which the clamping plates 230 are arranged. The clamping plates 234 can rotate about a rotation axis along the extension direction, and the surface facing the substrate W can be switched between the one surface corresponding to the clamping plates 234 and the other surface corresponding to the clamping plates 230. In the initial state of the clamping rod 232, as shown in FIG. 5, the one surface corresponding to the clamping plates 234 faces the substrate W. Therefore, in the initial state, the HVC attitude conversion unit 23 holds the substrate W with the clamping plates 234.

[0048] 6 illustrates the arrangement pitch of the flat plates 233 and flat plates 239 of the mounting rod 231. The arrangement pitch Da of the flat plates 233 is 10 mm, and the arrangement pitch Db of the flat plates 239 is 20 / 3 mm. Therefore, one flat plate 233 is located between a pair of flat plates 233 that are spaced apart by a width of 20 mm in the extension direction of the mounting rod 231. On the other hand, two flat plates 239 are located between a pair of flat plates 239 that are spaced apart by a width of 20 mm in the extension direction of the mounting rod 231.

[0049] 6 also illustrates the arrangement pitch of the clamping plates 234 and clamping plates 230 of the clamping rod 232. The arrangement pitch Da of the clamping plates 234 is 10 mm, and the arrangement pitch Db of the clamping plates 230 is 20 / 3 mm. Therefore, one clamping plate 234 is located between a pair of clamping plates 234 that are spaced apart by a width of 20 mm in the extension direction of the clamping rod 232. On the other hand, two clamping plates 230 are located between a pair of clamping plates 230 that are spaced apart by a width of 20 mm in the extension direction of the clamping rod 232.

[0050] 3 includes a pusher 251 that can arrange a vertically oriented substrate W in the horizontal direction. The pusher 251 is a half-pipe type that follows the curve of the bottom of the substrate W. In the initial state, the pusher 251 has a U-shaped groove 251a that forms the half-pipe extending in the left-right direction Y. In this state, the pusher 251 can receive the substrate W from the HVC attitude conversion unit 23.

[0051] Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the configuration of the pusher 251. The pusher 251 has a plurality of V-shaped clamping grooves 252. The clamping grooves 252 are arranged in the extension direction of the U-grooves described in Fig. 3. The arrangement pitch of the clamping grooves 252 is 10 / 3 mm. Each of the clamping grooves 252 clamps one substrate W as shown in Fig. 9.

[0052] Figure 10 explains the relationship between the pair of clamping rods 232 and the pusher 251. Unlike the state in Figure 3, the pair of clamping rods 232 in Figure 10 are tilted 90 degrees together with the support base 237 by the rotation drive mechanism 238. Therefore, the clamping rods 232 in Figure 10 extend in the horizontal direction. As can be seen from Figure 10, the pusher 251 is located at a position where it is sandwiched between the pair of clamping rods 232 in the front-rear direction X. Therefore, the pair of clamping rods 232 and the pusher 251 do not interfere with each other and can cooperate to clamp the substrate W in a vertical position.

[0053] 3 can rotate the pusher 251 by at least 180°. The pusher rotation mechanism 253 can rotate the pusher 251 in the initial state to face the pusher 251 in the opposite direction, and can also rotate the pusher 251 facing the opposite direction to return the pusher 251 to the initial state.

[0054] The pusher shift mechanism 254 can move the pusher 251 in the initial state back and forth in the left-right direction Y. The pusher shift mechanism 254 can move the pusher 251 closer to the HVC attitude changing unit 23, and can also move the pusher 251 closer to the advancing and retreating transport mechanism WTR.

[0055] The pusher lifting mechanism 255 can lift the pusher 251 from the initial position to the sky position. The pusher lifting mechanism 255 can also return the pusher 251 from the sky position to the initial position.

[0056] 4. Pitch change in transfer block In the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment, the arrangement pitch of substrates W can be changed in the transfer block 5, and this point will be explained below. The substrates W arranged at a 10 mm pitch in the carrier C are temporarily rearranged to a 10 / 3 mm pitch in the transfer block 5. The temporary lot formed in this way becomes a batch lot in which the substrates are arranged face-to-face by the operation of the pusher mechanism 25. This configuration will be explained in detail below.

[0057] 11A compares the arrangement pitch of the substrates in each configuration. In the carrier C, the mounting plates 7 that form each slot S are arranged at a pitch of 10 mm. These mounting plates 7 have the same configuration as the flat plates 233 of the mounting rod 231. Therefore, the mounting plates 7 are not only arranged vertically on one surface of the carrier C, but also arranged vertically on the other surface of the carrier C. The carrier C holds the substrates W by placing both ends of the substrates W on a pair of mounting plates 7 facing each other.

[0058] Flat plates 233 are arranged at 10 mm pitches on the mounting rod 231 in the HVC posture conversion part 23. Therefore, the 25 substrates W held by the carrier C are transported all at once to the HVC posture conversion part 23. This transport is achieved by the handling robot HTR.

[0059] Figure 11B shows a simplified view of 25 substrates W arranged on a carrier C. Since three separate carriers C will appear in the following description, the carrier C in Figure 11B will be referred to as the first carrier C1. The first carrier C1 has 25 substrates W arranged at a pitch of 10 mm.

[0060] Fig. 11C shows the state when the substrate W stored in the first carrier C1 is handed over by the handling robot HTR to the HVC attitude conversion part 23. Fig. 7(a) shows the state when both ends of the substrate W are supported by a pair of mounting rods 231 at this time.

[0061] At this time, the peripheral edge of the substrate W is in contact with each of the clamping plates 234 of the pair of clamping rods 232. More specifically, the peripheral edge of the substrate W is sandwiched between the V-grooves of the clamping plates 234. Therefore, even if the support base 237 is rotated 90° in this state, the substrate W is sandwiched between the V-grooves 234b of the clamping plates 234, and therefore the substrate W will not slip off the HVC attitude conversion unit 23.

[0062] 11C also shows how the placement rod 231 supports the substrate W with the flat plate 233. Similarly, FIG. 11C shows how the clamping rod 232 clamps the substrate W with the clamping plate 234.

[0063] FIG. 11D shows a state when the rotation drive mechanism 238 in the HVC attitude conversion unit 23 is operated. This operation rotates the support base 237 by 90°, and the mounting rod 231 and the clamping rod 232 extend horizontally. The load of the substrate W is then transferred from the mounting rod 231 to the clamping rod 232, and the flat plate 233 of the mounting rod 231 is now only in contact with the substrate W. FIG. 11D shows a state when the mounting rod 231 is contracted by the rod drive mechanism 235. When the mounting rod 231 contracts, the flat plate 233 moves away from the substrate W. Even with this operation, the substrate W is supported by the clamping rod 232, and therefore the substrate W does not move in conjunction with the movement of the flat plate 233.

[0064] By moving the flat plate 233 away from the substrate W, even if the substrate W held by the holding rods 232 is lifted by the pusher 251, the flat plate 233 will not damage the rear surface of the substrate W.

[0065] 11E shows a state where the mounting rod 231 is subsequently rotated 90° by the rod driving mechanism 235. The flat plate 233 of the mounting rod 231 faces upward due to the rotation of the mounting rod 231. The movement of the flat plate 233 is performed above the pusher 251. The mounting rod 231 approaches the pusher 251 together with the substrate W clamped by the clamping rods 232, but at that time, the flat plate 233 does not collide with the substrate W held by the pusher 251. Note that since the pusher 251 in FIG. 11E does not clamp the substrate W, the rotation of the flat plate 233 can be omitted.

[0066] 11F shows the state when the pusher 251 is subsequently raised. Then, the bottom of the substrate W held by the clamping rod 232 fits into the clamping groove 252 of the pusher 251. If the pusher 251 is raised further in this state, the substrate W will be removed from the clamping plates 234 of the clamping rod 232. In this way, the substrate W is transferred from the HVC attitude conversion unit 23 to the pusher mechanism 25.

[0067] Thereafter, the pusher 251 rises to an upper position UR set above the mounting rod 231. The pusher 251, which is positioned at the upper position UR, does not collide with the mounting rod 231, which is returned to the upright state. FIG. 11F also illustrates how the rotation drive mechanism 238 moves the mounting rod 231 and the clamping rod 232 to the virtual position IR indicated by the dashed lines. At this time, the contracted mounting rod 231 returns to its original extended state. Furthermore, the mounting rod 231 rotates in the reverse direction to return to the original state described in FIG. 11C.

[0068] In this way, the substrates W arranged at 10 mm pitches are transferred from the HVC attitude conversion unit 23 to the pusher mechanism 25. At this time, the clamping grooves 252 in the pusher 251 include grooves that clamp the substrates W and empty grooves that do not clamp the substrates W. The grooves that clamp the substrates W are spaced apart by three times the arrangement pitch of the clamping grooves 252. This is because the arrangement pitch of the clamping grooves 252 is 10 / 3 mm. The arrangement pitch of the substrates W, 10 mm, is exactly three times the arrangement pitch of the clamping grooves 252. For convenience of explanation, the substrates W arranged on the pusher 251 at this time will be referred to as an initial substrate group. The initial substrate group corresponds to the substrate group of the present invention. The initial substrate group is composed of substrates facing in one direction arranged at intervals of 10 mm. 10 mm corresponds to the predetermined interval of the present invention.

[0069] FIG. 11G illustrates, by means of dashed lines, how the substrate W (first substrate) is transported from the second carrier C2 to the HVC attitude conversion unit 23. The second carrier C2 is a new carrier that has been transported to the carrier mounting shelf 13a by the carrier transport mechanism 11 in place of the empty first carrier C1. This substrate transport process corresponds to the first process of the present invention. In the first process, the horizontally oriented substrates W are retrieved all at once from the second carrier C2 that stores the first substrates, which are arranged at intervals of 10 mm in the vertical direction Z.

[0070] 11H shows the state when the substrate W held by the HVC attitude conversion unit 23 is subsequently handed over to the pusher 251. Of the clamping grooves 252 in the pusher 251, the clamping groove 252 into which the substrate W associated with the first carrier C1 is already fitted cannot clamp any more substrate W. Therefore, the substrate W held by the HVC attitude conversion unit 23 is transported to a position shifted by one pitch in the arrangement of the clamping grooves 252 from the substrate W associated with the first carrier C1, and is fitted into the clamping groove 252 at that position. Such alignment of the substrate W and the pusher 251 is achieved by the pusher shift mechanism 254.

[0071] At this time, the tilting of the mounting rod 231 and the clamping rod 232 and the contraction of the mounting rod 231 are performed as described in FIG. 11D, but the specifics have already been described. The tilting operation of the clamping rod 232 converts the posture of each substrate W from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture all at once. This operation corresponds to the second step of the present invention. Similarly, FIG. 11H also omits the rotation of the mounting rod 231 described in FIG. 11E, the insertion of the substrate W into the pusher 251, the lifting and lowering of the pusher 251, the raising operation of the mounting rod 231 and the clamping rod 232, the extension operation of the mounting rod 231, and the reverse rotation operation of the mounting rod 231, all of which are described in FIG. 11F.

[0072] In this way, the substrate W on the second carrier C2 is transferred from the HVC attitude conversion unit 23 to the pusher mechanism 25. At this time, the pusher 251 has alternating regions where two consecutive clamping grooves 252 for clamping the substrate W are located and regions where empty grooves that do not clamp the substrate W are located. In other words, the first substrates are positioned at a predetermined position (first position P1) on the pusher 251 by combining a first array formed by first substrates oriented in one direction and arranged at intervals of 10 mm with the initial substrate group. For the first position P1, see FIG. 12.

[0073] FIG. 11I illustrates, by means of dashed lines, how the substrate W (second substrate) is transported from the third carrier C3 to the HVC attitude conversion unit 23. The third carrier C3 is a new carrier that has been transported by the carrier transport mechanism 11 to the carrier mounting shelf 13a in place of the empty second carrier C2. This substrate transport process corresponds to the first process of the present invention. In the first process, the horizontally oriented substrates W are retrieved all at once from the third carrier C3, which stores second substrates arranged at intervals of 10 mm in the vertical direction Z.

[0074] 11J shows the state when the substrate W held by the HVC attitude conversion unit 23 is subsequently handed over to the pusher 251. Of the clamping grooves 252 in the pusher 251, those in which the substrate W associated with the first carrier C1 and the second carrier C2 are already fitted cannot clamp any more substrates W. Therefore, the substrate W held by the HVC attitude conversion unit 23 is transported to a position shifted by one pitch in the arrangement of the clamping grooves 252 from the substrate W associated with the second carrier C2, and is fitted into the clamping groove 252 at that position. Such alignment of the substrate W and the pusher 251 is achieved by the pusher shift mechanism 254.

[0075] At this time, the tilting of the mounting rod 231 and the clamping rod 232 and the contraction of the mounting rod 231 are performed as described in FIG. 11D, but the specifics have already been described. The tilting operation of the clamping rod 232 converts the posture of each substrate W from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture all at once. This operation corresponds to the second step of the present invention. Similarly, FIG. 11H also omits the rotation of the mounting rod 231 described in FIG. 11E, the insertion of the substrate W into the pusher 251, the lifting and lowering of the pusher 251, the raising operation of the mounting rod 231 and the clamping rod 232, the extension operation of the mounting rod 231, and the reverse rotation operation of the mounting rod 231, all of which are described in FIG. 11F.

[0076] In this way, the substrates W on the third carrier C3 are transferred from the HVC attitude conversion unit 23 to the pusher mechanism 25. At this time, the clamping grooves 252 of the pusher 251 are all clamping the substrates W. In this way, 75 substrates W are arranged on the pusher 251 at a pitch of 10 / 3 mm.

[0077] The array of substrates generated in this manner is called a temporary batch lot TL. Given that the substrates W held on the carrier C were arranged at a pitch of 10 mm, the arrangement pitch of the substrates W on the carrier C is converted from 10 mm to 10 / 3 mm in the transfer block 5. In other words, by combining the second array, in which second substrates oriented in one direction are arranged at intervals of 10 mm, with the initial group of substrates, the second substrates are positioned at a predetermined position (second position P2) on the pusher 251. For the second position P2, see Figure 12.

[0078] 12 illustrates a temporary batch lot TL. In the temporary batch lot TL, substrates W originating from the third carrier C3, substrates W originating from the second carrier C2, and substrates originating from the first carrier C1 are repeatedly arranged in this order at a pitch of 10 / 3 mm. All of these substrates W face in one direction. Therefore, the temporary batch lot TL is composed of substrates W arranged face-to-back.

[0079] Next, the relationship between the clamping groove 252 of the pusher 251 and the substrate W will be described. There are three positions at which the clamping groove 252 is provided: a reference position P at which the substrate W associated with the first carrier C1 is positioned; a first position P1 at which the substrate W associated with the second carrier C2 is positioned; and a second position P2 at which the substrate W associated with the third carrier C3 is positioned. The reference positions P are arranged at a pitch of 10 mm on the pusher 251, and the first position P1 and the second position P2 divide the 10 mm between the reference positions P into thirds. Specifically, the 10 mm between the reference positions P is divided into thirds by the first position P1 and the second position P2. Therefore, the distance from the first position P1 to the second position P2 is 1 / 3 of the arrangement pitch of the substrates W stored in the carrier C.

[0080] 5. Rearrangement of temporary batch lots In the temporary batch lot TL configured in this manner, the orientation of the arranged substrates W is constant. This arrangement is not optimal for batch chemical processing. The transfer block 5 of this embodiment can convert the arrangement of the substrates W from face-to-back to face-to-face by performing disassembly and rearrangement operations on the temporary batch lot TL.

[0081] 13 shows the state when the pusher 251 in the state of FIG. 11J has risen to the upper position UR set above the mounting rod 231. In this way, when changing the arrangement mode of the substrates W held by the pusher 251, the pusher 251 is accompanied by an upward movement. This is because changing the arrangement mode requires that some of the substrates W held by the pusher 251 be handed over to the HVC attitude conversion unit 23.

[0082] Figure 13 also shows how the clamping rods 232 in an upright state make a half rotation around a rotation axis parallel to their extension direction. Before the half rotation, the clamping rods 232 were configured to clamp the substrate W between the clamping plates 234, but after the half rotation, the clamping rods 232 clamp the substrate W between the clamping plates 230. Figure 14 explains how the arrangement pitch of the clamping plates is changed by the rotation of the clamping rods 232. Before the half rotation, the clamping rods 232 can collectively clamp the substrates W arranged at a 10 mm pitch. After the half rotation, the clamping rods 232 can collectively clamp the substrates W arranged at a 20 / 3 mm pitch.

[0083] However, since the clamping rod 232 cooperates with the pair of clamping rods 232 to clamp the substrate W, the half-rotation operation is performed by the pair of clamping rods 232. Before the half-rotation, the pair of clamping rods 232 had their clamping plates 234 facing each other, but after the half-rotation, the pair of clamping rods 232 have their clamping plates 230 facing each other.

[0084] 15 illustrates how the HVC attitude conversion unit 23 then operates to rotate the upright placement rod 231 and clamp rod 232 by 90°. This operation makes the HVC attitude conversion unit 23 ready to receive the substrate W from the pusher 251.

[0085] 16(a) shows the state in which the pusher 251 in the upper position has begun to descend to transfer the substrates W to the HVC attitude conversion unit 23. As can be seen from this figure, the arrangement pitch of the clamping plates 230 is longer than the arrangement pitch of the substrates W in the temporary batch lot TL. Therefore, the number of clamping plates 230 is fewer than the number of substrates W in the temporary batch lot TL.

[0086] 16(b) shows a state when the temporary batch lot TL held by the pusher 251 is handed over to the clamping rod 232. The clamping rod 232 cannot clamp all of the substrates W of the temporary batch lot TL. This is because the number of clamping plates 230 is fewer than the number of substrates W in the temporary batch lot TL. As a result, half of the substrates W making up the temporary batch lot TL are clamped by the corresponding clamping plates 230, and the remaining half are not clamped by any clamping plates 230 and remain held by the pusher 251. FIG. 16(b) illustrates a state in which the substrates W clamped by the clamping plates 230 and the substrates W still held by the pusher 251 are arranged alternately.

[0087] The pusher 251 continues to descend even after the substrate W is transferred to the clamping rod 232 .

[0088] 17A shows the state after the pusher 251 has passed through the clamping rod 232. In this way, the temporary batch lot TL is separated into a first set of substrates W1 arranged at a pitch of 20 / 3 mm and a second set of substrates W2 also arranged at a pitch of 20 / 3 mm. If the first set of substrates W1 is referred to as the first set and the second set of substrates W2 is referred to as the second set, the temporary batch lot TL is divided into the first and second sets. The first set of substrates is clamped by the clamping rod 232, and the second set of substrates is held by the pusher 251.

[0089] 17A explains the rotation of the mounting rod 231 around the left-right axis. When inserting a flat plate into a gap in the first group of substrates W1, the arrangement pitch of the first group of substrates W1 and the arrangement pitch of the flat plate must match. The arrangement pitch of the first group of substrates W1 is 20 / 3 mm, and the arrangement pitch of the flat plate 233 described in FIG. 5 is 10 mm. Therefore, when attempting to position the flat plate 233 in a gap in the first group of substrates W1, the arrangement pitches do not match, and the first group of substrates W1 and the flat plate 233 will collide.

[0090] In anticipation of such a situation, the mounting rod 231 of this example has an arrangement in which the flat plates 239 are arranged at a pitch of 20 / 3 mm. When the mounting rod 231 is rotated to position the flat plates 239 in the gaps of the first set of substrates W1, the first set of substrates W1 and the flat plates 239 will not collide with each other because the arrangement pitches are the same.

[0091] This rotation operation is performed with the mounting rod 231 in a contracted state. If the same operation were performed on the extended mounting rod 231, the flat plate 239 would collide with the first set of substrates W1. This is because the position in the left-right direction Y of the flat plate 239 placed on the extended mounting rod 231 coincides with the position in the left-right direction Y of the first set of substrates W1 clamped by the clamping rods 232. Therefore, when inserting the flat plate 239 into the gaps in the first set of substrates W1, it is necessary to shift the flat plate 239 in the left-right direction Y relative to the first set of substrates W1.

[0092] When the mounting rod 231 rotates and the flat plate 239 is inserted into the gap between the first set of substrates W1, the mounting rod 231 is now extended. In this way, the flat plate 239 comes into contact with the rear surface of the first set of substrates W1, and the substrates W are securely held by the mounting rod 231 even when the mounting rod 231 is in the upright position.

[0093] 17B shows the state when the HVC attitude conversion unit 23 is activated and the mounting rods 231 are in an upright position. At this time, the clamping rods 232 only clamp the ends of the first set of substrates W1, and therefore cannot hold the first set of substrates W1 in a horizontal position by themselves. In this regard, the flat plates 239 of the mounting rods 231 can hold the center of the first set of substrates W1, so even if the clamping rods 232 are in an upright position, the first set of substrates W1 in a horizontal position is reliably held by the pair of mounting rods 231.

[0094] 17B shows the state in which the pusher 251 rises. The mounting rod 231 and the clamping rod 232 in the HVC attitude conversion unit 23 have already rotated 90° and are retracted from the pusher 251. Therefore, even if the pusher 251 rises, it will not collide with the clamping rod 232 or the mounting rod 231.

[0095] 17C shows the pusher 251 making a half rotation in a position above the HVC attitude conversion unit 23. The pusher 251 rotates around a vertical axis due to the operation of the pusher rotation mechanism 253. By performing this operation, the second group of substrates W2, which had been facing in one direction, all now face in the opposite direction.

[0096] 17D shows the state in which the pusher 251 is lowered after the half-rotation operation. The pusher 251 passes through the arrangement of the first set of substrates W1 and stops at a position below the first set of substrates W1.

[0097] Figure 17E illustrates how the HVC position conversion unit 23 then operates, causing the placement rod 231 and clamping rod 232, which were in an upright position, to rotate 90 degrees. This action prepares the HVC position conversion unit 23 to deliver the first set of substrates W1 to the pusher 251. Note that before the state shown in Figure 17E is reached, the placement rod 231 contracts and rotates as described in Figures 11D and 11E, causing the clamping plate 230 to retract from the gap in the first set of substrates W1. By performing this action in advance, the clamping plate 230 will not collide with the pusher 251 emerging from below or with the second set of substrates W2 it supports.

[0098] FIG. 17E also shows the state when the pusher 251 starts to rise after the placing rod 231 and the clamping rod 232 have tilted.

[0099] 17F(a) shows the state when the pusher 251 receives the first set of substrates W1 from the clamping rod 232. At this time, the pusher 251 generates a batch lot BL in which the first set of substrates W1 facing in one direction and the second set of substrates W2 facing in the opposite direction are alternately arranged.

[0100] The pusher 251 continues to rise even after it has acquired the first set of substrates W1 from the clamping rods 232.

[0101] 17F(b) shows the state after the pusher 251 has removed the first set of substrates W1 from the clamping rods 232. In this way, the batch lot BL of this example is produced.

[0102] The batch lot BL is generated according to the following procedure. First, the substrates W constituting the temporary batch lot TL are divided into a first group and a second group so that two opposing substrates W are in different pairs. The first group and the second group are then moved relatively in a direction (vertical direction Z) perpendicular to the substrate arrangement direction (left-right direction Y), thereby dismantling the temporary batch lot TL. The second group of substrates W2 is then rotated half a turn. As a result, the second group of substrates W2 faces in the opposite direction from its original direction. Finally, the first group of substrates W1 and the second group of substrates W2 are combined, and the first group of substrates W1 facing in one direction and the second group of substrates W2 facing in the opposite direction are alternately arranged. This face-to-face arrangement of substrates W constitutes the batch lot BL.

[0103] The number of substrates W constituting the batch lot BL is 75, which is the same as the number of substrates W related to the temporary batch lot TL. Therefore, the number of substrates constituting the batch lot BL is three times that of the initial group of substrates.

[0104] 18 illustrates a batch lot BL. In the batch lot BL, a first set of substrates W1 facing in one direction and a second set of substrates W2 facing in the opposite direction are repeatedly arranged at a pitch of 10 / 3 mm. Therefore, the batch lot BL is composed of substrates W arranged face-to-face.

[0105] 6. Batch lot retention in transfer block The transfer block 5 has two portions capable of holding a batch lot BL. One of these portions is a pusher 251. The pusher 251 can move back and forth between an initial position where the substrate W can be transferred to and from the HVC attitude conversion unit 23, and a transfer position PP where the batch lot BL can be transferred to the forward / backward transfer mechanism WTR. This reciprocating movement is achieved by a pusher shift mechanism 254.

[0106] The transfer block 5 has a lot support section 33 as a section capable of holding batch lots BL, separate from the pusher 251. This lot support section 33 serves as a batch lot holding section for temporarily evacuating batch lots BL when a congestion of batch lots BL occurs between the transfer block 5 and the processing block 6.

[0107] 7. Processing Block The following describes the configuration of the processing block 6 described in Figure 1. The processing block 6 is adjacent to the transfer block 5. The processing block 6 performs batch processing on the above-mentioned batch lots BL. The processing block 6 is divided into a batch processing area R1, which is arranged in the width direction (Y direction), and a batch transport area R2. Each area extends in the front-to-rear direction (X direction). In detail, the batch processing area R1 is located inside the processing block 6. The batch transport area R2 is adjacent to the batch processing area R1 and is located at the leftmost side of the processing block 6.

[0108] The batch processing area R1 in the processing block 6 is a rectangular area extending in the front-to-rear direction (X direction). One end (front side) of the batch processing area R1 is adjacent to the transfer block 5. The other end (rear side) of the batch processing area R1 extends in a direction away from the transfer block 5. When transporting a batch lot BL from the transfer block 5 to the processing block 6, the forward / backward transport mechanism WTR provided in the processing block 6 is used.

[0109] The advancing / retreating transport mechanism WTR transports multiple substrates W in a vertical position all at once between the transfer block 5, the batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6, and the batch drying chamber DC. The advancing / retreating transport mechanism WTR can hold a batch lot BL made up of substrates W arranged at a pitch of 10 / 3 mm.

[0110] The batch processing region R1 is equipped with a batch processing section that performs batch processing. Specifically, the batch processing region R1 includes a batch drying chamber DC that dries multiple substrates W in a batch, and multiple batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6 that immerse multiple substrates W in a batch, arranged in the direction in which the batch processing region R1 extends. The batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6 immerse multiple substrates W in a batch. The arrangement of the batch drying chamber DC and the batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6 will be described in detail below. The batch drying chamber DC is adjacent to the transfer block 5 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 rear of the fourth batch processing unit BPU4. The sixth batch processing unit BPU6 is adjacent to the rear of the fifth batch processing unit BPU5. Therefore, the batch drying chamber DC, first batch processing unit BPU1, second batch processing unit BPU2, third batch processing unit BPU3, fourth batch processing unit BPU4, fifth batch processing unit BPU5, and sixth batch processing unit BPU6 are arranged in this order so as to be farther away from the transfer block 5.

[0111] The batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6 each have a batch processing tank capable of holding a liquid. The batch processing tank is a liquid tank that holds a chemical liquid or pure water. The chemical liquid may be an acidic aqueous solution, such as a phosphoric acid aqueous solution. In this specification, the chemical liquid and pure water are collectively referred to as the processing liquid. The batch processing tanks that hold the chemical liquid are referred to as batch chemical processing tanks CHB2 to CHB6, and the batch processing tank that holds pure water is referred to as the batch rinse processing tank ONB.

[0112] Specifically, the second batch processing unit BPU2 includes a batch chemical processing bath CHB2 that performs chemical processing on the batch lots BL collectively, and a lifter LF2 that raises and lowers the batch lots BL between a substrate transfer position and a chemical processing position (see FIG. 2). The substrate transfer position is a position set above the batch chemical processing bath CHB2 that is accessible by the forward / backward transfer mechanism WTR, and the chemical processing position is a position set within the batch chemical processing bath CHB2 where the batch lots BL can be immersed in the chemical. The batch chemical processing bath CHB2 performs acid processing on the batch lots BL. The acid processing may be phosphoric acid processing, but other acids may also be used. The phosphoric acid processing is performed by etching the multiple substrates W that make up the batch lot BL. The etching processing, for example, chemically etches the nitride film on the surfaces of the substrates W.

[0113] The lifter LF2 can hold a batch lot BL consisting of substrates W arranged at a pitch of 10 / 3 mm. Like the lifter LF2, the lifters provided in the other processing tanks can also hold this batch lot BL. The batch drying chamber DC can store this batch lot BL.

[0114] The batch chemical processing bath CHB2 contains an acid solution such as a phosphoric acid solution. A lifter LF2 is attached to the batch chemical processing bath CHB2 to move the batch lots BL up and down. 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 inside the batch chemical processing bath CHB2 and a transfer position above the batch chemical processing bath CHB2. The lifter LF2 holds the batch lots BL, each of which is made up of substrates W in a vertical position. At the transfer position, the lifter LF2 transfers the batch lots BL to and from the forward / backward transport mechanism WTR. When the lifter LF2 moves down from the transfer position to the processing position while holding the batch lots BL, the entire substrates W are below the surface of the chemical solution. When the lifter LF2 moves up from the processing position to the transfer position while holding the batch lots BL, the entire substrates W are above the surface of the chemical solution. The lifter LF2 can immerse the batch lots BL en masse in the batch processing bath. At this time, the lifter LF2 descends from the delivery position to the processing position.

[0115] Specifically, the third batch processing unit BPU3 includes a batch chemical processing tank CHB3 and a lifter LF3 that raises and lowers the batch lot BL between the substrate transfer position and the chemical processing position. The batch chemical processing tank CHB3 has the same configuration as the batch chemical processing tank CHB2 described above. That is, the batch chemical processing tank CHB3 contains the above-described chemical liquid and is equipped with a lifter LF3. The batch chemical processing tank CHB3 performs the same processing on the batch lot BL as the batch chemical processing tank CHB2. The substrate processing apparatus 1 of this example includes multiple processing tanks capable of performing the same chemical processing. This is because phosphoric acid processing takes longer than other processes. Phosphoric acid processing takes a longer time (e.g., 60 minutes). Therefore, the apparatus of this example is designed to perform acid processing in parallel using multiple batch chemical processing tanks.

[0116] 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. Specifically, the fourth batch processing unit BPU4 includes a batch chemical processing bath CHB4 and a lifter LF4 that raises and lowers the batch lot BL between the substrate transfer position and the chemical processing position. Similarly, the fifth batch processing unit BPU5 includes a batch chemical processing bath CHB5 and a lifter LF5 that raises and lowers the batch lot BL between the substrate transfer position and the chemical processing position. The sixth batch processing unit BPU6 includes a batch chemical processing bath CHB6 and a lifter LF6 that raises and lowers the batch lot BL between the substrate transfer position and the chemical processing position. Therefore, the batch lot BL is acid-treated in one of the batch chemical processing baths CHB2 to CHB6. Performing chemical processing in parallel using five processing units in this manner increases the throughput of the apparatus.

[0117] Specifically, the first batch processing unit BPU1 includes a batch rinse processing bath ONB containing a rinse liquid and a lifter LF1 for raising and lowering the batch lot BL between a substrate transfer position and a rinse position. The substrate transfer position is a position above the batch rinse processing bath ONB accessible by the forward / backward transport mechanism WTR, and the rinse position is a position within the batch rinse processing bath ONB where the batch lot BL can be immersed in the rinse liquid. The batch rinse processing bath ONB has a configuration similar to the batch chemical processing bath CHB2 described above. That is, the batch rinse processing bath ONB contains a rinse liquid and is equipped with a lifter LF1. Unlike the other processing baths, the batch rinse processing bath ONB contains pure water and is provided for the purpose of cleaning the chemical liquid adhering to multiple substrates W. In the batch rinse processing bath ONB, the cleaning process is completed when the resistivity of the pure water in the bath increases to a predetermined value.

[0118] As described above, the batch rinse treatment tank ONB in ​​this embodiment is located closer to the transfer block 5 than the batch chemical treatment tanks CHB2 to CHB6. This configuration allows the mechanisms constituting the transfer block 5 to be separated as far as possible from the batch chemical treatment tanks CHB2 to CHB6, preventing the pusher mechanism 25 and other components from being adversely affected by acids such as phosphoric acid. Furthermore, by locating the transfer block 5 and the batch drying chamber DC close to each other, the batch lot BL that has undergone rinsing treatment is transported a short distance and immediately returned to the transfer block 5.

[0119] 8. Bulk transport area in processing block The batch transfer area R2 in the processing block 6 is a rectangular area extending in the front-to-rear direction (X direction). The batch transfer 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.

[0120] The batch transfer region R2 is provided with an advancing / retreating transfer mechanism WTR that transfers multiple substrates W in a batch. The advancing / retreating transfer mechanism WTR transfers multiple substrates W (specifically, batch lots BL) in a batch between a substrate transfer position PP defined in the transfer block 5, the lot support section 33, the batch drying chamber DC, and each of the batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6. The advancing / retreating transfer mechanism WTR is configured to be able to reciprocate in the front-to-rear direction (X direction) across the transfer block 5 and processing block 6. The advancing / retreating transfer mechanism WTR can enter the batch transfer region R2 in the processing block 6 as well as the substrate transfer position PP and the lot support section 33 in the transfer block 5.

[0121] The advancing / retracting transport mechanism WTR is equipped with a pair of chucks 29 that transports the batch lot BL. The pair of chucks 29 can be switched between a closed state in which they are close to each other and an open state in which they are separated from each other. The chucks 29 are members extending in the Y direction and have grooves for gripping substrates W arranged at a pitch of 10 / 3 mm. When the pair of chucks 29 is in the closed state, it receives the multiple substrates W that make up the batch lot BL. When the pair of chucks 29 is in the open state, it transfers the multiple substrates W that make up the batch lot BL to another member (such as the lifter LF1). The advancing / retracting transport mechanism WTR transfers the batch lot BL between the substrate transfer position PP in the transfer block 5 and the lot support part 33. In addition, the advancing / retracting transport mechanism WTR transfers the batch lot BL between the lifters LF1 to LF6 that belong to the batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6 in the processing block 6 and the batch drying chamber DC.

[0122] The batch transfer region R2 is provided with guide rails 31 extending in the X direction to guide the advancing and retreating transfer mechanism WTR. The advancing and retreating transfer mechanism WTR is capable of advancing and retreating in the X direction along the guide rails 31. Therefore, the guide rails 31 extend from the processing block 6 to the transfer block 5. More specifically, the guide rails 31 face the substrate transfer position PP in the transfer block 5 from the Y direction, and face the sixth batch processing unit BPU6 in the processing block 6 from the Y direction. In addition to these, the guide rails 31 face the lot support part 33 in the transfer block 5, and the batch drying chamber DC and the first batch processing unit BPU1 to the sixth batch processing unit BPU6 in the processing block 6 from the Y direction.

[0123] 9. Other configurations in the processing block The batch drying chamber DC is located between the first batch processing unit BPU1 and the transfer block 5. The batch drying chamber DC has a drying chamber that accommodates a batch lot BL, which is an array of vertically oriented substrates W. The drying chamber has an inert gas supply nozzle that supplies an inert gas into the chamber and a vapor supply nozzle that supplies an organic solvent vapor into the tank. The batch drying chamber DC first supplies an inert gas to the batch lot BL supported in the chamber, replacing the atmosphere in the chamber with the inert gas. Then, pressure reduction within the chamber begins. While the chamber is under reduced pressure, organic solvent vapor is supplied into the chamber. The organic solvent is discharged outside the chamber, along with moisture adhering to the substrates W. In this way, the batch drying chamber DC dries the batch lot BL. The inert gas may be, for example, nitrogen, and the organic solvent may be, for example, IPA (isopropyl alcohol).

[0124] In the substrate processing apparatus 1, the carrier mounting shelf 13a, the batch drying chamber DC, and the batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6 are arranged in the front-to-rear direction. That is, the carrier mounting 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 arranged further behind it. In the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, the internal layout of the apparatus is optimized to reduce the travel distance of the advancing and retracting transport mechanism WTR.

[0125] 10. Control Unit For the control unit 131 of the substrate processing apparatus 1, refer to FIG. 1. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the control unit 131 is provided with a corresponding storage unit. The control unit 131 is configured, for example, by a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The specific configuration of the control unit is not limited, and for example, each control unit may be configured by a single processor, or each control unit may be configured by an individual processor.

[0126] The control unit 131 controls, for example, the carrier transport mechanism 11, the handling robot HTR, the HVC attitude conversion unit 23, the pusher mechanism 25, the forward / backward transport mechanism WTR, the batch processing units BPU1 to BPU6, and the batch drying chamber DC.

[0127] 11. Substrate processing flow Hereinafter, the flow of substrate processing in this example will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0128] Step S11: The substrates W arranged at 10 mm pitches and transferred by the handling robot HTR from the first carrier C1 are subjected to posture change and then picked up by the pusher 251. Step S11 corresponds to the substrate group pick-up step of the present invention.

[0129] Step S12: The handling robot HTR acquires the substrate W from the second carrier C2 and transfers it to the HVC attitude conversion unit 23. Step S12 corresponds to the first step of the present invention.

[0130] Step S13: The substrates W arranged at 10 mm pitches retrieved from the second carrier C2 are transferred to the pusher 251 after their orientation is changed. Since the substrates W associated with the first carrier C1 are already arranged on the pusher 251, the substrates W associated with the first carrier C1 and the substrates W associated with the second carrier C2 are batch assembled in the pusher 251. Step S13 corresponds to the first assembly step of the present invention. The second step described above is executed between steps S12 and S13.

[0131] Step S14: The handling robot HTR acquires the substrate W from the third carrier C3 and transfers it to the HVC attitude conversion unit 23. Step S14 corresponds to the first step of the present invention.

[0132] Step S15: The substrates W arranged at 10 mm intervals and obtained from the third carrier C3 are transferred to the pusher 251 after their orientation is changed. Since the pusher 251 already has the substrates W associated with the first carrier C1 and the substrates W associated with the second carrier C2 arranged therein, the substrate rows associated with the first carrier C1 and the second carrier C2 and the substrates W associated with the third carrier C3 are assembled into a batch in the pusher 251. In this way, a provisional batch lot TL is generated. Step S15 corresponds to the second assembly process of the present invention. The second process described above is executed between steps S14 and S15.

[0133] Step S16: The substrates W constituting the temporary batch lot TL are divided into a first group and a second group. The pusher 251 holding the temporary batch lot TL transfers the first group of substrates W1 relating to the first group to the clamping rod 232 and separates it from the second group of substrates W2 relating to the second group. Step S16 corresponds to the disassembly process of the present invention.

[0134] Step S17: The second set of substrates W2 is rotated halfway. As a result, the second set of substrates W2, which had been facing in one direction, now faces in the opposite direction. Step S17 corresponds to the half-rotation step of the present invention.

[0135] Step S18: The pusher 251 moves up and down to retrieve the first set of substrates W1 from the clamping rod 232. The pusher 251 has clamping grooves 252 for clamping the second set of substrates W2 and empty clamping grooves 252 arranged alternately. Once each of the first set of substrates W1 is inserted into the corresponding empty clamping groove 252, the generation of the batch lot BL is completed. Step S18 corresponds to the rearrangement process of the present invention.

[0136] Step S19: The generated batch lot BL is transported from the transfer block 5 to the processing block 6 by the forward / backward transport mechanism WTR.

[0137] Step S20: The batch lot BL is subjected to chemical treatment. Step S20 corresponds to the treatment step of the present invention.

[0138] Step S21: The batch lot BL is subjected to a rinse treatment.

[0139] Step S22: The batch lot BL is subjected to a drying process.

[0140] In this way, substrate processing is realized in batch lot units.

[0141] Step S23: The batch lot BL for which the substrate processing has been performed is transported from the processing block 6 to the transfer block 5 by the forward / backward transport mechanism WTR.

[0142] Step S24: The pusher 251 transfers the first set of substrates W1 to the clamping rod 232 while holding the second set of substrates W2.

[0143] Step S25: The second set of substrates W2 is rotated halfway, so that the second set of substrates W2, which had been facing in the opposite direction, now faces in one direction.

[0144] Step S26: The pusher 251 obtains the first set of substrates W1 from the clamping rod 232. The pusher 251 has clamping grooves 252 for clamping the second set of substrates W2 and empty clamping grooves 252 arranged alternately. By inserting each of the first set of substrates W1 into the corresponding empty clamping groove 252, the generation of the temporary batch lot TL is completed.

[0145] Step S27: The substrates W related to the third carrier C3 are arranged at 10 mm pitches on the pusher 251. The pusher 251 moves up and down to transfer the substrates W related to the third carrier C3 to the clamping rod 232. In this way, the temporary batch lot TL is disassembled.

[0146] Step S28: The substrate W handed over to the clamping rod 232 is returned to the third carrier C3 by the handling robot HTR after its posture is changed.

[0147] Step S29: The substrates W associated with the second carrier C2 are arranged at 10 mm pitches on the pusher 251. The pusher 251 moves up and down to transfer the substrates W associated with the second carrier C2 to the clamping rod 232. In this manner, the disassembly of the temporary batch lot TL proceeds.

[0148] Step S30: The substrate W handed over to the clamping rod 232 is returned to the second carrier C2 by the handling robot HTR after its posture is changed.

[0149] Step S31: The substrates W associated with the first carrier C1 are arranged at 10 mm pitches on the pusher 251. The pusher 251 moves up and down to deliver the substrates W associated with the first carrier C1 to the clamping rod 232. The delivered substrates W are then returned to the first carrier C1 by the handling robot HTR after their orientation is changed.

[0150] 12.Effect of this example According to this example, a temporary batch lot TL is formed in which the substrates W are oriented in the same direction. The substrates W are then divided into a first group and a second group so that two opposing substrates W of the substrates W that make up the temporary batch lot TL are in different pairs, and the second group is rotated half a turn. The first and second groups are then combined to generate a batch lot BL in which substrates W oriented in one direction and substrates W oriented in the opposite direction are alternately arranged. With this configuration, the substrates W can be arranged face-to-face while the arrangement pitch of the substrates W is narrower than in conventional methods.

[0151] According to this example, the number of substrates W that make up the batch lot BL is three times the number of substrates in the group of substrates in step S11. By configuring in this way, there will be no excess substrates W in the group of substrates when the batch lot BL is constructed. Since the group of substrates will not be split into two batch lots BL, it is possible to reliably match the substrate processing histories of the substrates that make up the group of substrates.

[0152] This example includes a first step of collectively acquiring each of the substrates W from a carrier C that stores substrates W in a horizontal orientation arranged at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction, and a second step of collectively converting the orientation of each of the substrates W from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation, and steps S13 and S15 are performed before steps S13 and S15. This configuration provides a substrate processing method that is executed by receiving a first set of first substrates W or a second set of second substrates W2 arranged in one direction from the carrier C.

[0153] In this example, the predetermined interval is equal to the arrangement pitch of the substrates W stored in the carrier C. With this configuration, it becomes easy to change the pitch of the substrates W.

[0154] According to this example, the distance from the first position P1 to the second position P2 is 1 / 3 of the arrangement pitch of the substrates W stored in the carrier C. With this configuration, the pitch of the generated substrate arrangement can be set to 1 / 2 or less of the arrangement pitch of the substrates W stored in the carrier.

[0155] According to this example, the first position P1 and the second position P2 divide the predetermined interval into three equal parts. With this configuration, the substrates W can be arranged in a more orderly manner.

[0156] 13. Variations The present invention is not limited to the configuration of the embodiment, and can be modified as follows.

[0157] <Variation 1> In the substrate processing method of the embodiment, substrates W are obtained from a carrier C storing an odd number of substrates W, but the present invention is not limited to this configuration. Substrates may also be obtained from a carrier C storing an even number of substrates W. With this configuration, the temporary batch lot TL contains an even number of substrates W. This results in the first set of substrates W1 and the second set of substrates W2 being equal in number. With this configuration, the temporary batch lot TL is disassembled so that the substrates W located at one end of the temporary batch lot TL and the substrates W located at the other end of the temporary batch lot TL are separated into different sets. This configuration allows the orientation of the substrates W that make up the batch lot BL to be as desired. In other words, according to this modification, the orientation of the substrates W at one end of the batch lot BL can be made different from the orientation of the substrates W at the other end, thereby more reliably arranging the substrates W face-to-face.

[0158] <Variation 2> In the substrate processing method of the embodiment, the temporary batch lot TL is composed of an odd number of substrates W, but by adding dummy wafers to the temporary batch lot TL, it is possible to make the first set of substrates W1 and the second set of substrates W2 have the same number. With this configuration, the orientation of the substrates W at one end of the batch lot BL can be made different from the orientation of the substrates W at the other end, thereby more reliably arranging the substrates W face-to-face. [Explanation of symbols]

[0159] 1. Substrate processing equipment 1A First enclosure 3 Stocker Block 5 Transfer block 6 Processing Blocks 7. Mounting plate 9 Loading Port 11 Carrier transport mechanism 13 Shelves 13a Carrier placement shelf 13b Shelf 23 HVC attitude change unit 25 Pusher mechanism 29 Zipper 31 Guide rail 33 Rod support 131 Control Unit 211 hands 213 Moving support mechanism 214 Guide 231 Mounting rod 232 Clamping rod 233 Flat plate 234 Holding plate 234a Arc edge 234b V groove 235 Rod drive mechanism 236 Rod rotation mechanism 237 Support stand 239 Rotational Drive Mechanism 251 Pusher 251a U groove 252 Holding groove 253 Pusher rotation mechanism 254 Pusher shift mechanism 255 Pusher lifting mechanism ACB transport storage area BL batch lot BPU1 Batch Processing Unit BPU2 Batch Processing Unit BPU3 Batch Processing Unit BPU4 Batch Processing Unit BPU5 Batch Processing Unit BPU6 Batch Processing Unit C Carrier C1 First Carrier C2 Second Carrier C3 Third Carrier CHB2 batch chemical treatment tank CHB3 batch chemical treatment tank CHB4 batch chemical treatment tank CHB5 batch chemical treatment tank CHB6 batch chemical treatment tank DC Batch Drying Chamber HTR Handling Robot IR Virtual Position LF1 Lifter LF2 Lifter LF3 Lifter LF4 Lifter LF5 Lifter LF6 Lifter ONB batch rinse processing tank P reference position P1 1st position P2 2nd position PP handover position R1 Batch Processing Area R2 Bulk transport area S slot TL temporary batch lot UR sky position W substrate W1 First set of board W2 2nd set board WTR forward / backward transfer mechanism

Claims

1. A substrate processing method for collectively processing a plurality of substrates each having a front surface and a back surface defined by a predetermined orientation, comprising: a substrate group obtaining step of obtaining a substrate group formed by arranging substrates facing in one direction at predetermined intervals; a first assembly process in which a first array in which the first substrates oriented in one direction are arranged at the predetermined intervals is combined with the substrate group to position the first substrate at the first position among first and second positions that divide the predetermined intervals in the substrate group into thirds; a second assembly process for assembling a second array of second substrates oriented in one direction arranged at the predetermined intervals with the group of substrates to position the second substrates at the second positions and form a temporary batch lot; a disassembly process of dividing the substrates constituting the temporary batch lot into a first group and a second group so that two opposing substrates among the substrates constituting the temporary batch lot are in different groups, and disassembling the temporary batch lot by relatively moving the first group and the second group in a direction perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the substrates; a half-rotation step of rotating the second set by half to orient the substrates constituting the second set in a direction opposite to the one direction; a rearrangement step of combining the first set and the second set to alternately arrange the substrates facing in one direction and the substrates facing in the opposite direction to generate a batch lot; a processing step of immersing the batch lot in a processing solution. A substrate processing method comprising:

2. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, The disassembly step disassembles the temporary batch lot so that the substrates located at one end of the temporary batch lot and the substrates located at the other end of the temporary batch lot are separated into different sets. A substrate processing method comprising:

3. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, The number of substrates constituting the batch lot is three times the number of substrates in the substrate group acquisition process. A substrate processing method comprising:

4. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, a first step of simultaneously acquiring the substrates from a carrier that stores the substrates in a horizontal position and arranged at predetermined intervals in the vertical direction; a second step of simultaneously changing the orientation of each of the substrates from a horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation; The first and second steps are carried out before each assembly step. A substrate processing method comprising:

5. 5. The substrate processing method according to claim 4, The predetermined interval is equal to the arrangement pitch of the substrates stored in the carrier. A substrate processing method comprising:

6. 5. The substrate processing method according to claim 4, The distance from the first position to the second position is 1 / 3 of the arrangement pitch of the substrates stored in the carrier. A substrate processing method comprising:

7. 2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1, The first position and the second position divide the predetermined interval into thirds. A substrate processing method comprising:

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