Substrate transfer apparatus and substrate transfer method

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of temporarily storing a plurality of substrates conveyed from an upstream side, then conveying the plurality of substrates to a downstream side without changing the order of conveyance, and reducing a space required for storing the substrates.SOLUTION: First, the preceding substrate 9 is transported to the upstream stop position P1. Next, the preceding substrate 9 is moved from the upstream stop position P1 to the upstream retracted position P2. Subsequently, while the preceding substrate 9 is located at the upstream retraction position P2, the succeeding substrate 9 is transported through the upstream stop position P1 to the downstream stop position P1. Subsequently, the subsequent substrate 9 is moved from the stopping position P1 on the downstream side to the retracted position P2 on the downstream side. Thereafter, while the succeeding substrate 9 is located at the downstream retraction position P2, the preceding substrate 9 is moved from the upstream retraction position P2 to the upstream stop position P1 and also transported from the upstream stop position P1 to the downstream stop position P1.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate transport apparatus and a substrate transport method for transporting a plurality of substrates in succession. [Background technology]

[0002] In a conventional manufacturing process for flat panel displays, a plurality of substrates are sequentially transported while undergoing processes such as coating with resist liquid, exposure, and development. The substrates are transported, for example, by a substrate transport device having a plurality of transport rollers. The substrate transport device transports the substrates along a transport path between a plurality of units. However, if a processing delay or adjustment work occurs in some units, the transport of the substrates 9 will be delayed. To prepare for such a situation, the substrate transport device may have a buffer for temporarily storing the substrates.

[0003] A conventional substrate transfer device having a buffer is described in, for example, Patent Document 1. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-255338 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The device in Patent Document 1 has two lifting tables between a first transfer line and a second transfer line for temporarily storing substrates. The lifting tables are equipped with multiple vertically arranged supports for supporting substrates. Substrates sent out from the first transfer line are transported sequentially to the two lifting tables. This makes it possible to transport multiple substrates sent out from the first transfer line to the second transfer line in the same order.

[0006] However, the device of Patent Document 1 requires as many stages of the lifting platform as there are substrates to be stored, which poses the problem of increasing the space required to store the substrates.

[0007] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can temporarily store multiple substrates transported from the upstream side, and then transport the multiple substrates downstream without changing the order of transport, and that can reduce the space required to store the substrates. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A first invention of the present application is a substrate transport device that transports a plurality of substrates sequentially, the substrate transport device comprising: an upstream conveyor that transports the substrates along an upstream transport path; a downstream conveyor that transports the substrates transported by the upstream conveyor along a downstream transport path that is downstream of the upstream transport path; an upstream advancing / retreating mechanism that advances and retracts the substrate between an upstream stop position on the upstream transport path and an upstream retraction position that is a position where the substrate does not come into contact with the substrates transported along the upstream transport path; a downstream advancing / retreating mechanism that advances and retracts the substrate between a downstream stop position on the downstream transport path and a downstream retraction position that is a position where the substrate does not come into contact with the substrates transported along the downstream transport path; and a control unit that controls the upstream conveyor, the downstream conveyor, the upstream advancing / retreating mechanism, and the downstream advancing / retreating mechanism, and the control unit controls the upstream conveyor to advance a preceding substrate to the upstream stop position. a first retraction step of moving the preceding substrate from the upstream stop position to the upstream retraction position by the upstream advancement / retraction mechanism; an overtaking step of transporting the subsequent substrate through the upstream stop position to the downstream stop position by the upstream conveyor and the downstream conveyor while the preceding substrate is at the upstream retraction position; a second retraction step of moving the subsequent substrate from the downstream stop position to the downstream retraction position by the downstream advancement / retraction mechanism; and a catching-up step of moving the preceding substrate from the upstream retraction position to the upstream stop position by the upstream advancement / retraction mechanism while the subsequent substrate is at the downstream retraction position, and transporting the preceding substrate from the upstream stop position to the downstream stop position by the upstream conveyor and the downstream conveyor.

[0009] The second invention of the present application is a substrate transport device of the first invention, wherein the upstream conveyor and the downstream conveyor transport a substrate in a horizontal position in a horizontal direction, and the upstream advancing / retreating mechanism and the downstream advancing / retreating mechanism advance and retreat the substrate in a horizontal position in an up-and-down direction.

[0010] The third invention of the present application is a substrate transport device of the second invention, wherein the upstream conveyor and the downstream conveyor have a plurality of transport rollers arranged at intervals in the transport direction, and the upstream advancing / retreating mechanism and the downstream advancing / retreating mechanism have a plurality of support members that move up and down between the plurality of transport rollers and support the substrate by moving above the transport rollers.

[0011] A fourth invention of the present application is a substrate transport device according to any one of the first to third inventions, wherein the control unit further executes a discharge process after the catch-up process to transport the substrate downstream of the downstream stop position, and moves two or more substrates simultaneously in at least one process from the loading process to the discharge process.

[0012] A fifth invention of the present application is a substrate transport method for sequentially transporting a plurality of substrates, the method including: a loading step of transporting a leading substrate to an upstream stop position on a transport path; a first evacuation step of moving the leading substrate from the upstream stop position to an upstream retraction position where it does not come into contact with substrates being transported along the transport path; an overtaking step of transporting a trailing substrate through the upstream stop position to a downstream stop position downstream of the upstream stop position, while the leading substrate is in the upstream retraction position; a second evacuation step of moving the trailing substrate from the downstream stop position to a downstream retraction position where it does not come into contact with substrates being transported along the transport path; and a catching up step of moving the leading substrate from the upstream retraction position to the upstream stop position and transporting it from the upstream stop position to the downstream stop position, while the trailing substrate is in the downstream retraction position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the first to fifth aspects of the present invention, a plurality of substrates transported from the upstream side can be temporarily stored, and then the plurality of substrates can be transported downstream without changing the transport order. Furthermore, the first stop position on the first transport path and the second stop position on the second transport path can also be used as part of the storage area. This reduces the space required for storing the substrates.

[0014] In particular, according to the second aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a buffer while suppressing an increase in the footprint of the transport device.

[0015] In particular, according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the time required to transport a plurality of substrates can be reduced. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a control block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an operation of storing a substrate in a buffer unit. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an operation of storing a substrate in a buffer unit. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an operation of storing a substrate in a buffer unit. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an operation of discharging a substrate from the buffer unit. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an operation of discharging a substrate from the buffer unit. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an operation of discharging a substrate from the buffer unit. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a partial cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a third embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 16]FIG. 10 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] 1. First Embodiment <1-1. Configuration of substrate processing equipment> 1 is a partial cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus 1 including a substrate transport device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. This substrate processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that forms a pattern by photolithography on the upper surface of a rectangular glass substrate 9 for a liquid crystal display (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrate 9"). The substrate processing apparatus 1 sequentially transports a plurality of substrates 9, and performs processes such as coating each substrate 9 with a resist solution, exposing it to light, and developing it. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a transport mechanism 10, a pre-processing unit 20, a post-processing unit 30, a buffer unit 40, and a control unit 50.

[0019] The transport mechanism 10 transports the substrate 9 from the pre-processing unit 20 to the post-processing unit 30 through the buffer unit 40. The transport mechanism 10 has a plurality of transport rollers 11. The plurality of transport rollers 11 are arranged at intervals in the transport direction. Each transport roller 11 is supported rotatably around a rotation axis extending in the width direction (a direction perpendicular to the transport direction and horizontal). The width direction ends of the transport rollers 11 are connected to a roller drive mechanism 12. When the roller drive mechanism 12 is operated, each of the plurality of transport rollers 11 rotates. The substrate 9 is placed on the plurality of transport rollers 11 in a horizontal position. Then, the rotation of the transport rollers 11 transports the substrate 9 downstream.

[0020] The pre-treatment unit 20 is a unit that processes the substrate 9, located upstream of the buffer unit 40 on the transfer path. The pre-treatment unit 20 performs, for example, a cleaning process using a cleaning liquid or a coating process with a resist liquid on the substrate 9. The pre-treatment unit 20 has a processing space 21 for performing the processing on the substrate 9. The processing space 21 is filled with volatile components such as the cleaning liquid and the resist liquid. For this reason, a shutter may be provided between the pre-treatment unit 20 and the buffer unit 40 to block the atmosphere.

[0021] The post-processing unit 30 is a unit that processes the substrate 9 downstream of the buffer unit 40 on the transport path. The post-processing unit 30 performs, for example, a heat treatment to remove moisture from the substrate 9. The post-processing unit 30 has a processing space 31 for performing the processing on the substrate 9. A shutter for blocking heat may be provided between the buffer unit 40 and the post-processing unit 30.

[0022] The buffer section 40 is a section for temporarily storing the substrate 9 between the pre-processing section 20 and the post-processing section 30. When a preceding substrate 9 is stagnating in the post-processing section 30 and a subsequent substrate 9 is carried out from the pre-processing section 20, the subsequent substrate 9 is temporarily stored in the buffer section 40.

[0023] 1, the buffer unit 40 of this embodiment has an upstream buffer 41 and a downstream buffer 42. The downstream buffer 42 is located downstream of the upstream buffer 41 on the transport path. The upstream buffer 41 and the downstream buffer 42 each have a lifting shelf 60. The lifting shelf 60 is a mechanism that lifts and lowers the substrate 9 between a stop position P1 on the transport path of the transport mechanism 10 and a retracted position P2 above the stop path.

[0024] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the liftable shelf 60. As shown in FIG. 2, the liftable shelf 60 has a plurality of support members 61 and a lifting mechanism 62 that raises and lowers the support members 61. The support members 61 are linear members that extend in the width direction. The support members 61 are formed, for example, of metal wires. The plurality of support members 61 are arranged at intervals in the conveyance direction. To prevent damage to the substrate 9, the surface of the wire may be covered with a resin tube.

[0025] Both ends of the plurality of support members 61 are connected to a lifting frame 63. The lifting frame 63 has a shape that allows it to move up and down without coming into contact with the transport rollers 11 and the substrate 9. The lifting frame 63 also has a spring (not shown) that applies tension to the support members 61 in the width direction.

[0026] The lifting mechanism 62 uses the power of a motor to move the lifting frame 63 up and down. As a result, the multiple support members 61 move up and down as a unit between a lowered position (position shown by a solid line in FIG. 1) lower than the transport rollers 11 and an elevated position (position shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 1) higher than the transport rollers 11. Each support member 61 moves up and down between adjacent transport rollers 11.

[0027] When the plurality of support members 61 are arranged in the lowered position, the support members 61 do not come into contact with the substrate 9. Therefore, the substrate 9 is supported by the transport rollers 11. However, when the plurality of support members 61 move from the lowered position to the raised position while the substrate 9 is arranged in the stop position P1, the substrate 9 is supported by the plurality of support members 61 and rises to the retracted position P2.

[0028] The control unit 50 is a unit for controlling the operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Fig. 3 is a control block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control unit 50 is configured by a computer having a processor 51 such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a memory 52 such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a storage 53 such as a hard disk drive. A computer program CP for operating the substrate processing apparatus 1 is stored in the storage 53.

[0029] 3, the control unit 50 is electrically connected to the roller drive mechanism 12, the lifting mechanism 62 for the lifting shelf 60 of the upstream buffer 41, and the lifting mechanism 62 for the lifting shelf 60 of the downstream buffer 42. The control unit 50 temporarily reads a computer program CP stored in a storage 53 into a memory 52, and the processor 51 processes information in accordance with the computer program CP, thereby controlling the operation of the roller drive mechanism 12 and each lifting mechanism 62. This allows the transport operation of the substrate 9, which will be described later, to proceed.

[0030] The roller drive mechanism 12 can individually operate and stop the plurality of conveying rollers 11 provided in each of the pre-processing section 20, the upstream buffer 41, the downstream buffer 42, and the post-processing section 30.

[0031] In this embodiment, an "upstream transport path" is formed by the plurality of transport rollers 11 provided in the pre-processing unit 20 and the upstream buffer 41. An "upstream conveyor" that transports the substrate 9 along the upstream transport path is formed by the plurality of transport rollers 11 provided in the pre-processing unit 20 and the upstream buffer 41 and the roller drive mechanism 12 that operates the transport rollers 11.

[0032] In this embodiment, a "downstream transport path" is formed by the downstream buffer 42 and the plurality of transport rollers 11 provided in the post-processing unit 30. A "downstream conveyor" that transports the substrate 9 along the downstream transport path is formed by the plurality of transport rollers 11 provided in the downstream buffer 42 and the post-processing unit 30 and the roller drive mechanism 12 that operates the transport rollers 11.

[0033] In this embodiment, the stop position P1 in the upstream buffer 41 corresponds to the "upstream stop position." In this embodiment, the retraction position P2 in the upstream buffer 41 corresponds to the "upstream retraction position." The lifting shelf 60 of the upstream buffer 41 corresponds to the "upstream advancing / retreating mechanism" that moves the substrate 9 forward and backward between the upstream stop position and the upstream retraction position.

[0034] In this embodiment, the stop position P1 in the downstream buffer 42 corresponds to the "downstream stop position." In this embodiment, the retraction position P2 in the downstream buffer 42 corresponds to the "downstream retraction position." The lifting shelf 60 of the downstream buffer 42 corresponds to the "downstream advancing / retracting mechanism" that moves the substrate 9 forward and backward between the downstream stop position and the downstream retraction position.

[0035] <1-2. Storage and removal of substrates in the buffer section> Next, the storage operation of substrates 9 in buffer section 40 will be described. In this substrate processing apparatus 1, when the transport of substrates 9 is stagnant in post-processing section 30, substrates 9 unloaded from pre-processing section 20 are temporarily stored in buffer section 40. In this embodiment, buffer section 40 can store a maximum of four substrates 9. Hereinafter, the four substrates 9 will be referred to as substrate 9a, substrate 9b, substrate 9c, and substrate 9d, in that order from the front.

[0036] 4 to 6 are diagrams showing the operation of storing four substrates 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d in the buffer section 40. When no substrates 9 are stored in the buffer section 40, the support members 61 of the liftable shelves 60 are positioned in the lowered positions in both the upstream buffer 41 and the downstream buffer 42 (state S0).

[0037] When the processing of the first substrate 9a is completed in the pre-processing unit 20, the transport mechanism 10 transports the first substrate 9a from the pre-processing unit 20 to the upstream buffer 41. Then, the transport mechanism 10 stops the first substrate 9a at a stop position P1 in the upstream buffer 41 (state S1: loading process).

[0038] Next, the lifting shelf 60 of the upstream buffer 41 moves the support member 61 from the lowered position to the raised position. Then, the first substrate 9a is transferred from the transport rollers 11 to the support member 61 and rises from the stop position P1 in the upstream buffer 41 to the retracted position P2 (state S2: first retraction step).

[0039] Next, the transport mechanism 10 transports the second substrate 9b from the pre-processing unit 20 through the upstream buffer 41 to the downstream buffer 42. Then, the transport mechanism 10 stops the second substrate 9b at stop position P1 in the downstream buffer 42 (state S3: passing step). At this time, the first substrate 9a is disposed at retracted position P2 in the upstream buffer 41. The second substrate 9b passes below the first substrate 9a without coming into contact with the first substrate 9a. That is, the second substrate 9b passes the first substrate 9a in the transport direction.

[0040] Next, the lifting shelf 60 of the downstream buffer 42 moves the support member 61 from the lowered position to the raised position. Then, the second substrate 9b is transferred from the transport rollers 11 to the support member 61 and rises from the stop position P1 to the retracted position P2 in the downstream buffer 42 (state S4: second retraction step).

[0041] Additionally, the lifting shelf 60 of the upstream buffer 41 moves the support member 61 from the raised position to the lowered position. As a result, the first substrate 9a descends from the retracted position P2 to the stop position P1 within the upstream buffer 41. Then, the first substrate 9a is transferred from the support member 61 to the transport rollers 11 (state S4).

[0042] In this embodiment, the operation of moving the second substrate 9b from the stop position P1 to the retracted position P2 in the downstream buffer 42 and the operation of moving the first substrate 9a from the retracted position P2 to the stop position P1 in the upstream buffer 41 are performed simultaneously. This makes it possible to reduce the time required to transport the substrates 9a and 9b compared to when these operations are performed at different times.

[0043] Next, the transport mechanism 10 transports the first substrate 9a from the upstream buffer 41 to the downstream buffer 42. Then, the transport mechanism 10 stops the first substrate 9a at stop position P1 of the downstream buffer 42 (state S5: catch-up step). At this time, the second substrate 9b is disposed at retracted position P2 of the downstream buffer 42. The first substrate 9a reaches below the second substrate 9b without coming into contact with the second substrate 9b. That is, the first substrate 9a catches up with the second substrate 9b in the transport direction.

[0044] Furthermore, the transport mechanism 10 transports the third substrate 9c from the pre-processing unit 20 to the upstream buffer 41. Then, the transport mechanism 10 stops the third substrate 9c at the stop position P1 of the upstream buffer 41 (state S5).

[0045] In this embodiment, the operation of transporting the first substrate 9a from the upstream buffer 41 to the downstream buffer 42 and the operation of transporting the third substrate 9c from the pre-processing unit 20 to the upstream buffer 41 are performed simultaneously. This makes it possible to reduce the time required to transport the substrates 9a and 9c compared to when these operations are performed at different times.

[0046] Next, the lifting shelf 60 of the upstream buffer 41 moves the support member 61 from the lowered position to the raised position. Then, the third substrate 9c is transferred from the conveyance rollers 11 to the support member 61 and rises from the stop position P1 to the retracted position P2 in the upstream buffer 41 (state S6).

[0047] Thereafter, the transport mechanism 10 transports the fourth substrate 9d from the pre-processing unit 20 to the upstream buffer 41. Then, the transport mechanism 10 stops the fourth substrate 9d at the stop position P1 of the upstream buffer 41 (state S7). As a result, the four substrates 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d are stored in the buffer unit 40.

[0048] 7 to 9 are diagrams showing the operation of the discharge step in which four substrates 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d are discharged from the buffer section 40. When the substrates 9 are no longer stuck in the post-processing section 30, the transport mechanism 10 first transports the first substrate 9a from the stop position P1 of the downstream buffer 42 to the post-processing section 30 (state S8).

[0049] Next, the lifting shelf 60 of the downstream buffer 42 moves the support member 61 from the raised position to the lowered position. As a result, the second substrate 9b descends from the retracted position P2 to the stop position P1 within the downstream buffer 42. Then, the second substrate 9b is transferred from the support member 61 to the transport rollers 11 (state S9).

[0050] Subsequently, the transport mechanism 10 transports the second substrate 9b from the stop position P1 of the downstream buffer 42 to the post-processing section 30 (state S10).

[0051] Furthermore, the transport mechanism 10 transports the fourth substrate 9d from the upstream buffer 41 to the downstream buffer 42. Then, the transport mechanism 10 stops the fourth substrate 9d at the stop position P1 of the downstream buffer 42 (state S10).

[0052] In this embodiment, the operation of transporting the second substrate 9b from the downstream buffer 42 to the post-processing unit 30 and the operation of transporting the fourth substrate 9d from the upstream buffer 41 to the downstream buffer 42 are performed simultaneously. This makes it possible to reduce the time required to transport the substrates 9b and 9d compared to when these operations are performed at different times.

[0053] Next, the lifting shelf 60 of the downstream buffer 42 moves the support member 61 from the lowered position to the raised position. Then, the fourth substrate 9d is transferred from the transport rollers 11 to the support member 61 and rises from the stop position P1 to the retracted position P2 in the downstream buffer 42 (state S11).

[0054] Additionally, the lifting shelf 60 of the upstream buffer 41 moves the support member 61 from the raised position to the lowered position. As a result, the third substrate 9c descends from the retracted position P2 to the stop position P1 within the upstream buffer 41. Then, the third substrate 9c is transferred from the support member 61 to the transport rollers 11 (state S11).

[0055] In this embodiment, the operation of moving the fourth substrate 9d from the stop position P1 to the retracted position P2 is performed simultaneously in the downstream buffer 42, and the operation of moving the third substrate 9c from the retracted position P2 to the stop position P1 is performed simultaneously in the upstream buffer 41. This makes it possible to reduce the time required to transport the substrates 9c and 9d compared to when these operations are performed at different times.

[0056] Next, the transport mechanism 10 transports the third substrate 9c from the upstream buffer 41 through the downstream buffer 42 to the post-processing unit 30 (state S12). At this time, the fourth substrate 9d is disposed at the retracted position P2 of the downstream buffer 42. The third substrate 9c passes below the fourth substrate 9d without coming into contact with the fourth substrate 9d. That is, the third substrate 9c overtakes the fourth substrate 9d in the transport direction.

[0057] Next, the lifting shelf 60 of the downstream buffer 42 moves the support member 61 from the raised position to the lowered position. As a result, the fourth substrate 9d descends from the retracted position P2 to the stop position P1 in the downstream buffer 42. Then, the fourth substrate 9d is transferred from the support member 61 to the transport rollers 11 (state S13).

[0058] Thereafter, the transport mechanism 10 transports the fourth substrate 9d from the stop position P1 of the downstream buffer 42 to the post-processing section 30 (state S14). As a result, the four substrates 9a, 9b, 9c, and 9d are discharged from the buffer section 40.

[0059] As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, a plurality of substrates 9 transferred from the pre-processing unit 20 can be temporarily stored in the buffer unit 40, and then transferred to the post-processing unit 30 without changing the transfer order. In addition, the stop position P1 in the upstream buffer 41 and the stop position P1 in the downstream buffer 42 can also be used as storage locations for the substrates 9. This reduces the space required for storing the substrates 9 in the buffer unit 40.

[0060] In particular, in this embodiment, the transport mechanism 10 transports the substrates 9 in a horizontal position in the horizontal direction. The lifting shelves 60 of the upstream buffer 41 and the downstream buffer 42 move the substrates 9 in a horizontal position up and down. In this way, the horizontal expansion of the buffer section 40 can be reduced compared to when the substrates 9 are retracted horizontally. Therefore, the footprint of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be particularly reduced.

[0061] 2. Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figures 10 to 13 are partial cross-sectional views of a substrate processing apparatus 1 including a substrate transfer apparatus according to the second embodiment. The following description will focus on differences from the first embodiment, and redundant description of similar aspects to the first embodiment will be omitted.

[0062] The substrate processing apparatus 1 of the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the lifting shelf 60 has multiple stages of support members 61. Specifically, as shown in Figures 10 to 13, the lifting shelf 60 has four sets of multiple support members 61 arranged at the same height, spaced apart in the vertical direction. The lifting mechanism 62 of the lifting shelf 60 moves these four sets of support members 61 together in the vertical direction.

[0063] In this way, one liftable shelf 60 can hold four substrates 9 at a time. Therefore, in the upstream buffer 41, a total of five substrates 9 can be stored at the same time, four on the liftable shelf 60 and one on the transport rollers 11. Similarly, in the downstream buffer 42, a total of five substrates 9 can be stored at the same time, four on the liftable shelf 60 and one on the transport rollers 11. This allows the number of substrates 9 that can be stored in the buffer unit 40 to be increased compared to the first embodiment described above.

[0064] An operation of storing ten substrates 9 in the buffer unit 40 in the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the second embodiment will be described below. The ten substrates 9 will be referred to as substrate 9a, substrate 9b, ..., substrate 9j, in order from the top.

[0065] First, the first five substrates 9a, 9b, . . . , 9e are moved sequentially from pre-processing unit 20 to upstream buffer 41 (state S102: carry-in process, first evacuation process). At this time, in accordance with the carry-in of substrates 9a, 9b, . . . , 9e, lifting shelf 60 of upstream buffer 41 is intermittently raised from the lowered position. As a result, first substrate 9a is stored on support member 61 in the first tier from the top of lifting shelf 60 of upstream buffer 41, second substrate 9b is stored on support member 61 in the second tier from the top, third substrate 9c is stored on support member 61 in the third tier from the top, and fourth substrate 9d is stored on support member 61 in the fourth tier from the top. Then, fifth substrate 9e is stored on transport rollers 11 in upstream buffer 41.

[0066] Next, the five substrates 9a, 9b, . . . , 9e stored in the upstream buffer 41 are sequentially moved to the downstream buffer 42 (state S103: passing step, second evacuation step, catching up step). At this time, in accordance with the movement of the substrates 9a, 9b, . . . , 9e, the lifting shelf 60 of the upstream buffer 41 is intermittently lowered from the raised position, and the lifting shelf 60 of the downstream buffer 41 is intermittently raised from the lowered position. As a result, the fifth substrate 9e is stored on the first support member 61 from the top of the lifting shelf 60 of the downstream buffer 42, the fourth substrate 9d is stored on the second support member 61 from the top, the third substrate 9c is stored on the third support member 61 from the top, and the second substrate 9b is stored on the fourth support member 61 from the top. Then, the first substrate 9a is stored on the transport rollers 11 in the downstream buffer 42.

[0067] When moving to state S103, while the first substrate 9a is in the retracted position P2 of the upstream buffer 41, the second to fifth substrates 9b, 9c, 9d, and 9e move to the downstream buffer 42 (overtaking step) and to the retracted position P2 of the downstream buffer 42 (second retraction step). Thereafter, while the second to fifth substrates 9b, 9c, 9d, and 9e are in the retracted position P2 of the downstream buffer 42, the first substrate 9a moves to the stop position P1 of the downstream buffer 42 (catching up step).

[0068] Next, the latter five substrates 9f, 9g, . . . , 9j are moved sequentially from pre-processing unit 20 to upstream buffer 41 (state S104: first evacuation step). At this time, in accordance with the transfer of substrates 9f, 9g, . . . , 9j, lifting shelf 60 of upstream buffer 41 is intermittently raised from the lowered position. As a result, sixth substrate 9f is stored on the first support member 61 from the top of lifting shelf 60 of upstream buffer 41, seventh substrate 9g is stored on the second support member 61 from the top, eighth substrate 9h is stored on the third support member 61 from the top, and ninth substrate 9i is stored on the fourth support member 61 from the top. Then, tenth substrate 9j is stored on transport rollers 11 in upstream buffer 41.

[0069] Next, the first five substrates 9a, 9b, ..., 9e are moved sequentially from the downstream buffer 42 to the post-processing unit 30 (state S105: ejection step). At this time, the lifting shelf 60 of the downstream buffer 41 is intermittently lowered from the raised position in accordance with the movement of the substrates 9a, 9b, ..., 9e. This allows the first five substrates 9a, 9b, ..., 9e to be carried out to the post-processing unit 30 without changing the transport order.

[0070] Next, the five substrates 9f, 9g, ..., 9j stored in the upstream buffer 41 are sequentially moved to the downstream buffer 42. At this time, in accordance with the movement of substrates 9f, 9g, ..., 9j, the lifting shelf 60 of the upstream buffer 41 is intermittently lowered from the raised position, and the lifting shelf 60 of the downstream buffer 41 is intermittently raised from the lowered position. As a result, the tenth substrate 9j is stored on the first support member 61 from the top of the lifting shelf 60 of the downstream buffer 42, the ninth substrate 9i is stored on the second support member 61 from the top, the eighth substrate 9h is stored on the third support member 61 from the top, and the seventh substrate 9g is stored on the fourth support member 61 from the top. Then, the sixth substrate 9f is stored on the transport rollers 11 in the downstream buffer 42.

[0071] Next, five substrates 9f, 9g, ..., 9j are moved sequentially from the downstream buffer 42 to the post-processing unit 30 (state S106). At this time, the lifting shelf 60 of the downstream buffer 41 is intermittently lowered from the raised position in accordance with the movement of the substrates 9f, 9g, ..., 9j. This allows the latter five substrates 9f, 9g, ..., 9j to be carried out to the post-processing unit 30 without changing the transport order.

[0072] As described above, in the second embodiment as well, a plurality of substrates 9 transported from pre-processing unit 20 can be temporarily stored in buffer unit 40, and then transported to post-processing unit 30 without changing the transport order. Furthermore, stopping position P1 in upstream buffer 41 and stopping position P1 in downstream buffer 42 can also be used as storage locations for substrates 9. This reduces the space required for storing substrates 9 in buffer unit 40.

[0073] 10 to 13, the liftable shelf 60 has four stages of support members 61. However, the number of stages of support members 61 that the liftable shelf 60 has may be two or three, or may be five or more.

[0074] 3. Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 14 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus 1 including a substrate transfer apparatus according to the third embodiment. In the first embodiment described above, a retreat position P2 for the substrate 9 was provided above the stop position P1 on the transfer path in the buffer unit 40. In contrast, in the example of Fig. 14, a retreat position P2 for the substrate 9 is provided to the side of the stop position P1 on the transfer path in the buffer unit 40. Therefore, this substrate processing apparatus 1 has an advancing / retreating mechanism (not shown) that moves the substrate 9 horizontally between the stop position P1 and the retreat position P2. The advancing / retreating mechanism may be, for example, a mechanism that moves the substrate 9 laterally while holding it with a chuck pin or a suction pad.

[0075] The operation of storing and discharging the substrates 9 in the buffer unit 40 is the same as that of the first embodiment, except that the movement direction of the substrates 9 between the stop position P1 and the retracted position P2 is horizontal. By providing the retracted position P2 to the side of the stop position P1 as in this embodiment, the height of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be reduced compared to the first embodiment.

[0076] In this third embodiment as well, a plurality of substrates 9 transported from pre-processing unit 20 can be temporarily stored in buffer unit 40, and then transported to post-processing unit 30 without changing the transport order. Furthermore, stopping position P1 in upstream buffer 41 and stopping position P1 in downstream buffer 42 can also be used as storage locations for substrates 9. This allows the space required for storing substrates 9 in buffer unit 40 to be reduced.

[0077] 4. Fourth Embodiment Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 15 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus 1 including a substrate transfer apparatus according to the fourth embodiment. In the example of Fig. 15, similar to the third embodiment described above, a retreat position P2 is disposed to the side of the stop position P1. Also, in the example of Fig. 15, similar to the second embodiment described above, ten substrates 9 can be stored in the buffer unit 40.

[0078] The operation of storing and discharging the substrates 9 in the buffer unit 40 is the same as that of the second embodiment, except that the movement direction of the substrates 9 between the stop position P1 and the retracted position P2 is horizontal. By providing the retracted position P2 to the side of the stop position P1 as in this embodiment, the height of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be reduced compared to the second embodiment.

[0079] In this fourth embodiment as well, a plurality of substrates 9 transported from pre-processing unit 20 can be temporarily stored in buffer unit 40, and then transported to post-processing unit 30 without changing the transport order. Furthermore, stopping position P1 in upstream buffer 41 and stopping position P1 in downstream buffer 42 can also be used as storage locations for substrates 9. This reduces the space required for storing substrates 9 in buffer unit 40.

[0080] 5. Fifth Embodiment Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 16 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus 1 including a substrate transfer apparatus according to the fifth embodiment. In the first to fourth embodiments described above, the buffer unit 40 has two buffers, an upstream buffer 41 and a downstream buffer 42. In contrast, in the example of Fig. 16, the buffer unit 40 has three buffers, a first buffer 43, a second buffer 44, and a third buffer 45. The first buffer 43, the second buffer 44, and the third buffer 45 are aligned in the transfer direction.

[0081] 16 shows a state in which six substrates 9a, 9b, ..., 9f are stored in the buffer unit 40. In this fifth embodiment, too, a plurality of substrates 9 transported from the pre-processing unit 20 can be temporarily stored in the buffer unit 40, and then the plurality of substrates 9 can be transported to the post-processing unit 30 without changing the transport order. Furthermore, stopping position P1 in the first buffer 43, stopping position P1 in the second buffer 44, and stopping position P1 in the third buffer 45 can also be used as storage locations for substrates 9. This allows the space required for storing substrates 9 in the buffer unit 40 to be reduced.

[0082] In this embodiment, first, while substrates 9a and 9b, which are "leading substrates," are kept waiting at the "upstream retraction positions," i.e., retraction positions P2 of the first buffer 43 and the second buffer 44, substrate 9c, which is the "following substrate," is transported to the "downstream retraction position," i.e., retraction position P2 of the third buffer 45. Then, substrates 9a and 9b, which are "leading substrates," are transported to stop position P1 of the third buffer 45 and stop position P1 of the second buffer 44, respectively.

[0083] In the configuration of this embodiment, when the substrates 9 are discharged from the buffer 40, the first substrate 9a and the second substrate 9b can be moved simultaneously and continuously discharged. This reduces the time required to discharge the substrates 9a and 9b compared to when the first substrate 9a and the second substrate 9b are discharged separately.

[0084] The number of substrates 9 that can be stored in each of buffers 43, 44, and 45 may be three or more. Also, four or more buffers may be arranged in the transport direction.

[0085] <6. Variations> Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments.

[0086] In the above embodiment, the substrate 9 is moved in the transport direction by the rotation of the transport rollers 11. However, the "upstream conveyor" and the "downstream conveyor" in the present invention may be conveyors that transport the substrate 9 by means other than the transport rollers 11. For example, the substrate 9 may be moved in the transport direction while being lifted by air.

[0087] Furthermore, in the above-described first and second embodiments, the glass substrate 9 for a liquid crystal display is the object to be processed, but the present invention may also be applied to other substrates to be processed, such as a glass substrate for an organic EL display, a flexible substrate for a film liquid crystal, a semiconductor wafer, a substrate for a photomask, a substrate for a color filter, a substrate for a recording disk, a substrate for a solar cell, or a substrate for electronic paper. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 1: Substrate processing equipment 9: Circuit board 10: Transport mechanism 11: Transport roller 12: Roller drive mechanism 20: Preprocessing section 30: Post-processing section 40: Buffer section 41: Upstream buffer 42: Downstream buffer 43: First buffer 44: Second buffer 45: 3rd buffer 50: Control unit 60: Liftable shelf 61: Support member 62: Lifting mechanism 63: Lifting frame CP: Computer Program P1: Stop position P2: Evacuation position

Claims

1. A substrate transport device that sequentially transports a plurality of substrates, an upstream conveyor that transports the substrate along an upstream transport path; a downstream conveyor that conveys the substrate conveyed by the upstream conveyor along a downstream conveyance path that is downstream of the upstream conveyance path; an upstream advancing / retracting mechanism that advances and retracts a substrate between an upstream stop position on the upstream transport path and an upstream retraction position that is a position where the substrate does not come into contact with the substrate being transported along the upstream transport path; a downstream advancing / retreating mechanism that advances and retracts a substrate between a downstream stop position on the downstream transport path and a downstream retraction position that is a position where the substrate does not come into contact with the substrate being transported along the downstream transport path; a control unit that controls the upstream conveyor, the downstream conveyor, the upstream advancing / retreating mechanism, and the downstream advancing / retreating mechanism; Equipped with The control unit a carry-in step of transporting a preceding substrate to the upstream stop position by the upstream conveyor; a first retraction step of moving the preceding substrate from the upstream stop position to the upstream retraction position by the upstream advance / retract mechanism; an overtaking process in which, while the preceding substrate is in the upstream retraction position, the upstream conveyor and the downstream conveyor transport the succeeding substrate through the upstream stop position to the downstream stop position; a second retraction step of moving the subsequent substrate from the downstream stop position to the downstream retraction position by the downstream advance / retract mechanism; a catch-up process in which, while the subsequent substrate is in the downstream retraction position, the upstream advance / retract mechanism moves the preceding substrate from the upstream retraction position to the upstream stop position, and the upstream conveyor and the downstream conveyor transport the preceding substrate from the upstream stop position to the downstream stop position; A substrate transport device that performs the above.

2. 2. The substrate transport apparatus according to claim 1, the upstream conveyor and the downstream conveyor transport the substrate in a horizontal position in a horizontal direction; The upstream advancing / retreating mechanism and the downstream advancing / retreating mechanism advancing / retreating a substrate in a horizontal position in the vertical direction.

3. 3. The substrate transport device according to claim 2, the upstream conveyor and the downstream conveyor have a plurality of conveying rollers arranged at intervals in the conveying direction; The substrate transport device includes a plurality of support members that move up and down between the plurality of transport rollers and move above the transport rollers to support the substrate, and the upstream advancing / retreating mechanism and the downstream advancing / retreating mechanism each have a plurality of support members that move up and down between the plurality of transport rollers and move above the transport rollers to support the substrate.

4. 4. The substrate transport device according to claim 1, The control unit a discharge step of transporting the substrate downstream of the downstream stop position after the catch-up step; Further execute A substrate transport device that simultaneously moves two or more substrates in at least one of the steps from the loading step to the unloading step.

5. A substrate transport method for sequentially transporting a plurality of substrates, comprising: a carry-in step of transporting the preceding substrate to an upstream stop position on the transport path; a first retraction step of moving the preceding substrate from the upstream stop position to an upstream retraction position where the preceding substrate does not come into contact with a substrate being transported along the transport path; an overtaking step of transporting the subsequent substrate through the upstream stop position to a downstream stop position downstream of the upstream stop position while the preceding substrate is in the upstream retract position; a second retraction step of moving the subsequent substrate from the downstream stop position to a downstream retraction position where the subsequent substrate does not come into contact with substrates being transported along the transport path; a catch-up process of moving the preceding substrate from the upstream retraction position to the upstream stop position and transporting the preceding substrate from the upstream stop position to the downstream stop position while the following substrate is in the downstream retraction position; A substrate transport method comprising:

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