Substrate transport mechanism and substrate transport method

Abstract

The objective is to enable the transport of substrates over a wide area while suppressing particle adhesion to the substrates when transferring substrates to stacked processing modules using a substrate transport mechanism. [Solution] A substrate transport mechanism that processes a substrate and transfers the substrate to each of a plurality of processing modules stacked on top of each other comprises: a base equipped with a first drive device; a lifting unit for raising and lowering the base; a first arm extending laterally from below the base, the tip of which rotates around a vertical axis relative to the base by the first drive device; a second arm extending laterally from above the tip of the first arm, the tip of which rotates around a vertical axis relative to the first arm in conjunction with the rotation of the first arm; and a substrate holding unit provided above the tip of the second arm, which rotates around a vertical axis relative to the second arm.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate transfer mechanism and a substrate transfer method.

Background Art

[0002] A substrate processing apparatus used for manufacturing semiconductor devices is configured to include, for example, a plurality of processing modules that process a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as a wafer) which is a substrate. And this substrate processing apparatus is provided with a substrate transfer mechanism that transfers the wafer to each of the processing modules.

[0003] Patent Document 1 shows a substrate transfer mechanism having multiple joints called a SCARA (Selective Compliance Assembly Robot Arm) type. This substrate transfer mechanism includes a plurality of arm parts (link bodies) 41a to 41c sequentially connected in a direction from the base end part to the tip end part, and these arm parts are configured to be stacked in the order of 41a, 41b, and 41c.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technology that can enable transfer of a substrate over a wide range while suppressing adhesion of particles to the substrate when transferring the substrate to a plurality of stacked processing modules by a substrate transfer mechanism.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] The substrate transfer mechanism of the present disclosure is a substrate transfer mechanism that processes a substrate and transfers the substrate to each of a plurality of processing modules stacked on each other. A base equipped with a first drive device, A lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the base, A first arm extends laterally from the lower side of the base, and its tip rotates around a vertical axis relative to the base by the first drive device, A second arm extends laterally from the upper side of the tip of the first arm, and its tip rotates around a vertical axis relative to the first arm as the first arm rotates; A substrate holding portion provided on the upper side of the tip of the second arm, which rotates around a vertical axis relative to the second arm, It is equipped with. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, when transferring substrates to stacked processing modules using a substrate transfer mechanism, it is possible to suppress particle adhesion to the substrates while enabling substrate transfer over a wide area. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a substrate transport mechanism, which is one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a front view of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 3] This is a side view of a processing block that constitutes the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 4] This is an overall perspective view of the substrate transport mechanism. [Figure 5] This is a front view of the substrate transport mechanism. [Figure 6] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the substrate transport mechanism. [Figure 7] This is a perspective view of the aforementioned substrate transport mechanism. [Figure 8] This is a cross-sectional plan view showing a part of the substrate transport mechanism. [Figure 9] A schematic longitudinal cross-sectional front view showing a part of the substrate transport mechanism. [Figure 10] This is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the arm portion of the substrate transport mechanism. [Figure 11]This is a plan view of the processing block of the substrate processing apparatus according to the second embodiment. [Figure 12] This is a side view of the processing block according to the second embodiment described above. [Figure 13] This is a cross-sectional plan view of a substrate transport mechanism provided in the apparatus of the second embodiment described above. [Figure 14] This is a perspective view of the aforementioned substrate transport mechanism. [Figure 15] This is a cross-sectional plan view showing a modified example of the substrate transport mechanism. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [First Embodiment] A substrate processing apparatus 1, which is an example of a substrate processing apparatus including one embodiment of the substrate transport mechanism of this disclosure, will be described with reference to the cross-sectional plan view in Figure 1 and the longitudinal front cross-sectional view in Figure 2. In the substrate processing apparatus 1, a carrier block D1, a first processing block D2, and a second processing block D3 are arranged in a straight line in the lateral direction in this order. In the following description, the direction in which these blocks D1 to D3 are arranged will be referred to as the Y direction, with the carrier block D1 side being the +Y side and the second processing block D3 side being the -Y side. Furthermore, the lateral direction perpendicular to this Y direction will be referred to as the X direction, with the front side being the +X side and the back side being the -X side when the carrier block D1 is viewed to the left and the second processing block D3 is viewed to the right in the X direction.

[0010] The first processing block D2 and the second processing block D3 are each partitioned so as to be divided into two in the vertical direction. The lower side and the upper side of the first processing block D2 partitioned in this way are defined as the first lower processing block D21 and the first upper processing block D22, respectively. Also, the lower side and the upper side of the partitioned second processing block D3 are defined as the second lower processing block D31 and the second upper processing block D32, respectively. The wafer W is conveyed in the order of carrier block D1 → first lower processing block D21 → second lower processing block D31 → second upper processing block D32 → first upper processing block D22 → carrier block D1. By being conveyed in this way, a lower layer film, an intermediate film, and a resist film are sequentially formed and laminated on the wafer W. After the formation of each film, the wafer W is heat-treated.

[0011] Hereinafter, each block will be described. The carrier block D1 is a block that carries in and out the wafer W with respect to the carrier C that stores the wafer W. The +Y side surface of the housing 11 that constitutes the carrier block D1 protrudes toward the +Y side and has three steps, and each step is configured as support bases 12, 13, and 14 from the lower side. Each of the support bases 12 to 14 has four stages of the carrier C, and the four stages are arranged in the X direction. The two stages on the +X side of each of the support bases 12 and 13 are configured as stages 15 on which the carrier C is placed in order to carry in and out the wafer W with respect to the apparatus. Regarding the other stages, they are configured as stages for carrying in and out the carrier C with respect to the substrate processing apparatus 1, or as stages for temporarily retracting the carrier C when transfer to the transfer destination is not possible, and are shown as stage 16. A transfer mechanism 17 for transferring the carrier C between the stages 15 and 16 is provided.

[0012] Inside the housing 11 of the carrier block D1, a transfer area 21 for the wafer W is formed. On the +X side and -X side of the transfer area 21, transfer mechanisms 22 and 23 are provided respectively. Further, in a plan view, a module laminate T1 is provided between the transfer mechanisms 22 and 23. The module laminate T1 is composed of a transfer module TRS where the wafer W is temporarily placed and a temperature adjustment module SCPL that adjusts the temperature of the placed wafer W, which are vertically overlapped. Also, on the -X side of the transfer mechanism 23 in the transfer area 21, a hydrophobic treatment module 25 for hydrophobically treating the wafer W is provided.

[0013] Subsequently, the first processing block D₂ will be described. The front side of the first processing block D₂ is partitioned vertically to form eight layers, which are denoted as E₁ to E₈ from the lower side to the upper side for each layer. The lower layers of E₁ to E₄ are included in the first lower processing block D₂₁, and the upper layers of E₅ to E₈ are included in the first upper processing block D₂₂ respectively.

[0014] The first upper processing block D₂₂ will be described while referring to FIG. 3, which is a longitudinal sectional view. The first upper processing block D₂₂ includes a rectangular housing 20 that partitions the first upper processing block D₂₂ from other blocks. Inside the housing 20, the above-described layers E₅ to E₈, processing modules, and a transfer mechanism 4B to be described later are provided.

[0015] In the layers E₅ to E₈, a resist film forming module 31 for applying a resist as a chemical solution to form a resist film is provided respectively. Therefore, the resist film forming modules 31 are stacked on each other and are a plurality of provided processing modules. And on the rear side of the layers E₅ to E₈, a transfer area 33 for the wafer W extending in the Y direction is provided. Behind the transfer area 33, a heating module 34 is provided as a processing module. The heating modules 34 are stacked seven in the vertical direction to form a laminate, and two of such laminates are arranged side by side in the Y direction. In some cases, the multiple heating modules 34 arranged in two vertical rows are collectively referred to as a heating module group 35.

[0016] The heating module group 35 and the resist film formation modules 31 of layers E5 to E8 are facing each other across a transport area 33. A transport mechanism 4B is provided in the transport area 33, which transfers wafers W to the resist film formation modules 31 and the heating module 34. Therefore, the transport mechanism 4B is shared by the processing modules being stacked. The detailed configuration of the transport mechanism 4B will be described later.

[0017] The first lower processing block D21, which constitutes the first processing block D2, is provided with a chemical solution coating module for coating the chemical solution for forming the lower layer film in layers E1 to E4. Except for this difference in processing modules, it has the same configuration as the first upper processing block D22. Next, the second processing block D3 (the second upper processing block D32 and the second lower processing block D31) will be described. The second processing block D3 has a configuration that is almost the same as the first processing block D2, and only the differences will be explained below. The second upper processing block D32 is provided with a chemical solution coating module for forming the intermediate film in layers E5 to E8. The second lower processing block D31 is not provided with a chemical solution coating module in layers E1 to E4, and the only processing module provided is the heating module 34, as with the other processing blocks. In Figure 2, the transport mechanisms corresponding to the transport mechanism 4B provided in the first lower processing block D21, the second lower processing block D31, and the second upper processing block D32 are shown as 4A, 4C, and 4D, respectively.

[0018] Furthermore, TRS11 and TRS12 are provided at the +Y side ends of the transport area 33 of the second lower processing block D31 and the second upper processing block D32, respectively, and these TRS11 and TRS12 overlap each other in a plan view. In addition, a lifting and transferring mechanism 36 is provided that raises and lowers the +Y side ends of the transport area 33 of each of these blocks and transports the wafer W between TRS11 and TRS12. The lifting and transferring mechanism 36 comprises a support column 37 that extends vertically along the rear side of the transport area 33, a horizontal pivot shaft 38 that can move up and down along the support column 37 and extends in the Y direction, and a holder 39 that extends in a direction perpendicular to the extension direction of the pivot shaft 38 and is capable of adsorbing and holding the back surface of the wafer W. Note that in Figure 2, for illustrative purposes, the pivot shaft 38 is shown extending in the X direction. As the pivot shaft 38 rotates, the tip of the holder 39 faces upward when it moves up and down between TRS11 and TRS12, and the tip faces sideways when the wafer W is transferred to TRS11 and TRS12, respectively. In addition, the second lower processing block D31 and the second upper processing block D32 are each provided with SCPLs that overlap TRS11 and TRS12, and these TRS11, TRS12 and SCPLs constitute the module stack T2.

[0019] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 10 (see Figure 1). This control unit 10 is a computer and includes a program, memory, and CPU. The program incorporates a set of steps that enable the execution of a series of operations in the substrate processing apparatus 1, as described later. The control unit 10 outputs control signals to each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 using this program, thereby controlling the operation of each part. Specifically, the operation of each processing module, such as the transport mechanisms 4A to 4D, the transport of wafers W by the lifting and transferring mechanism 36, and the heating module 34, is controlled. The above program is stored on a storage medium such as a compact disc, hard disk, or DVD and installed in the control unit 10.

[0020] Next, the transport path of the wafer W in the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described. The wafer W of carrier C on stage 15 is transported in the following order: transport mechanism 22 → TRS of module stack T1 → transport mechanism 23 → hydrophobic treatment module 25 → SCPL of module stack T1. Then, this wafer W is taken into the first lower processing block D21 by transport mechanism 4A, transported in the following order: chemical coating module → heating module 34 to form a lower layer film, then transported to the SCPL of module stack T2, and then transported to the heating module 34 by transport mechanism 4C of the second lower processing block D31 for further heating treatment, before being transported to TRS 11.

[0021] The wafer W is then transported by the lifting and transferring mechanism 36 to the TRS 12 of the second upper processing block D32, and transported by the transport mechanism 4D in the order of SCPL → chemical coating module → heating module 34 of the module stack T2 to form an interlayer film, and then transported to the SCPL of the module stack T2. Subsequently, the wafer W is taken into the first upper processing block D22 by the transport mechanism 4B, and transported in the order of resist film formation module 31 → heating module 34 to form a resist film, and then transported to the TRS of the module stack T1. After that, the wafer W is transported in the order of transport mechanism 23 → TRS of module stack T1 → transport mechanism 22 and returned to carrier C.

[0022] Next, we will explain the substrate transport mechanisms 4A to 4D. Since the transport mechanisms 4A to 4D are configured similarly to each other, we will explain the transport mechanism 4B in the first upper processing block D22 as a representative, referring to the perspective view in Figure 4, the front view in Figure 5, and the longitudinal cross-sectional side view in Figure 6. As shown in the explanation of the wafer transport path, the transport mechanism 4B transfers the wafer W to the TRS of the module stack T1, the SCPL of the module stack T2, the resist film formation module 31, and the heating module 34, which are located on the +Y side, -Y side, +X side, and -X side of the transport region 33, respectively.

[0023] The conveying mechanism 4B includes support columns 41 and 42, an upper beam 43, a lower beam 44, a slider 51, a base body 52, a first arm 61, a second arm 62, a base 71, a lower fork 81, and an upper fork 82. The support columns 41 and 42, the upper beam 43, and the lower beam 44 form a lifting section, raising and lowering the slider 51 and the base body 52, which are the base. The support columns 41 and 42 extend vertically, more specifically vertically, from the -X side end of the conveying area 33, with the first support column 41 positioned on the +X side relative to the heating module group 35, and the second support column 42 positioned on the -X side relative to the heating module group 35.

[0024] The upper beam 43 and the lower beam 44 extend laterally, more specifically horizontally, and are configured as elongated flat plates in the X direction, for example. One end and the other end of the upper beam 43 are connected to the upper end of the support column 41 and the upper end of the support column 42, respectively, and one end and the other end of the lower beam 44 are connected to the lower end of the support column 41 and the lower end of the support column 42, respectively. The upper beam 43 is located above the movement range of the slider 51, which moves up and down as described later, and the lower beam 44 is located behind this movement range so as not to interfere with it.

[0025] In this way, the upper beam 43 and the lower beam 44 connect the upper and lower sides of the support columns 41 and 42 to each other, respectively, ensuring relatively high rigidity for the support columns 41 and 42. This suppresses deformation and vibration of the support columns 41 and 42, allowing the wafer W to be transported to the correct position in the module. Furthermore, the connection of the support columns 41 and 42 to each other prevents misalignment between the columns 41 and 42, contributing to improved positional accuracy when assembling the various parts of the transport mechanism 4B supported by these columns 41 and 42.

[0026] Incidentally, a frame for mounting modules, etc., is provided inside the housing 20 that constitutes the first upper processing block D22, and this frame is fixed to the housing 20. Of this frame, the portion that extends vertically is shown as a vertical extension portion 45 in Figures 1 and 3, and is located behind the support columns 41 and 42, respectively. The support columns 41 and 42 are connected to each vertical extension portion 45 at intervals along the length direction by fasteners 46, such as bolts. In this way, the support columns 41 and 42 are fixed to the housing 20 along their length direction, and this fixing ensures the relatively high rigidity described above. Within the housing 20, the area behind the support columns 41 and 42 is a partitioned area 47 separated from the transport area 33 and the heating module group 35. Therefore, this partitioned area 47 is a partitioned area separated from the processing modules, and the rear side of the vertical extension portion 45 faces this partitioned area 47. The partitioned area 47 is the area where ancillary equipment related to the module, such as exhaust ducts connected to the module and electrical equipment for operating the module, is installed.

[0027] The following describes the general configuration of the slider 51, base body 52, first arm 61, second arm 62, and base 71. The slider 51 is installed between the support columns 41 and 42 so as to extend laterally, specifically horizontally. The slider 51 is configured as a beam-like body, with one end and the other end connected to and supported by the support columns 41 and 42, respectively. As will be explained later, the support columns 41 and 42 can raise and lower the slider 51 in the vertical direction, more specifically in the vertical direction, which is the extension direction of the support columns 41 and 42.

[0028] A base body 52 is connected to the slider 51, and the base body 52 is provided to protrude from the upper end of the central part of the slider 51 in the extension direction (Y direction) toward the +X side, that is, toward a direction intersecting the Y direction. The base end of the first arm 61 is connected to the lower side of the base body 52 so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis, more specifically, for example, a vertical axis, and the tip of the first arm 61 extends laterally, more specifically, for example, in a horizontal direction. Therefore, the tip of the first arm 61 is pivotable around a vertical axis relative to the base body 52.

[0029] The base end of the second arm 62 is connected to the upper side of the tip of the first arm 61 so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis, more specifically, a vertical axis, and the tip of the second arm 62 extends laterally, more specifically, horizontally. Therefore, the tip of the second arm 62 is pivotable around a vertical axis relative to the first arm 61. A base 71 is connected to the upper side of the tip of the second arm 62 so as to be rotatable around a vertical axis, more specifically, a vertical axis. The base 71 is located above the second arm 62 and also above the base body 52. ​​On the base 71, forks 81 and 82 (lower fork 81 and upper fork 82), each capable of sucking and holding a wafer W, are provided side by side in the vertical direction. Therefore, the forks 81 and 82, which are the wafer W holding parts, are rotatably provided above the tip of the second arm 62. The base 71 allows the lower fork 81, which is the first holding part, and the upper fork 82, which is the second holding part, to move forward and backward relative to the base 71 independently of each other.

[0030] As described above, the transport mechanism 4B is configured as a SCARA-type transport arm by having a first arm 61 and a second arm 62 that rotate independently. This rotational movement moves the base 71 to the vicinity of the module to which the wafer W is to be transferred. The wafer W is then transferred to the module by the forward and backward movement of the forks 81 and 82. The base body 52 is provided with a motor 53 as a first drive device, and the driving force of the motor 53 is transmitted to the first arm 61 and the second arm 62 via a power transmission mechanism including a pulley and belt, which will be described later, causing both the first arm 61 and the second arm 62 to rotate. In other words, the motor 53 is shared by the first arm 61 and the second arm 62, and the second arm 62 rotates in conjunction with the rotation of the first arm 61.

[0031] Various cables and suction pipes 85A and 85B (hereinafter referred to as "cables"), which are provided to drive each part of the transport mechanism 4B, are routed through the spaces formed inside the second arm 62, the first arm 61, the base body 52, the slider 51, and the support columns 41 and 42. In other words, a space for installing cables is provided so that they reach the inside of the support columns 41 and 42, sequentially from the second arm 62 through the first arm 61, the base body 52, and the slider 51. This installation space is formed inside the housings of the second arm 62, the first arm 61, and the base body 52, which are described later. A gap is provided on the surface of the housing that connects to this installation space. This gap in the housing is formed between the wall of the housing and a member that penetrates the wall of each housing, as will be described later.

[0032] Of the cable installation space described above, the area from the second arm 62 to the slider 51 is exhausted by the exhaust mechanism provided on the slider 51, and the gap on the surface of the housing is subjected to negative pressure relative to the transport area 33. Therefore, the air in the transport area 33 flows through the gap in the housing and through the cable installation space to the exhaust mechanism. Consequently, even if particles are generated from the power transmission mechanism including the pulleys and belts installed inside the housing, this exhaust prevents them from scattering from the gap in the housing into the transport area 33.

[0033] The slider 51 also has a housing (shown as 51A in Figure 6), and the space 54 inside the housing 51A serves as the space for installing the cables described above, and this space 54 extends along the length of the slider 51. On the front of the slider 51, openings 55A are provided on the +Y side and -Y side with respect to the position where the base body 52 is installed, and the exhaust mechanism, which is a fan 55 described above, is installed overlapping each opening 55A. Each fan 55 is equipped with a filter, and the exhausted air, as described above, is returned to the transport area 33 through the opening 55A in a purified state (with particles removed) after passing through the filter.

[0034] The base body 52 will now be described with reference to Figure 7, a perspective view showing the upper end of the base body 52 with a cutout. The base body 52 is equipped with a housing 52A, and the motor 53 is provided at a position offset in the -Y direction from the position where the first arm 61 is connected on the lower side of the housing 52A. Inside the housing 52A, which is the housing for the base body, there are pulleys 56 and 57 that are rotatable around a vertical axis and are spaced apart from each other in the Y direction, and an endless belt 58 is stretched over these pulleys 56 and 57. The pulley 56 is connected to the motor 53. In addition, a through hole 57A is drilled in the center of the pulley 57 along the axial direction of the pulley 57, and the upper side of the through hole 57A opens into the housing 52A. In addition, a communication hole 59 is opened in the rear side wall of the housing 52A, and this communication hole 59 is connected to the space 54 inside the slider 51 described above.

[0035] Next, the first arm 61 will be described. The first arm 61 is equipped with a housing 61A (see Figure 6). Inside the housing 61A, which is the housing for the first arm, pulleys 63 and 64 are provided on the base end and tip end of the first arm 61, respectively, and pulleys 63 and 64 are provided, which are rotatable around a vertical axis. An endless belt 65 is stretched over the pulleys 63 and 64. Through holes 63A and 64A are drilled in the center of the pulleys 63 and 64, respectively, along the axial direction of the pulleys 63 and 64.

[0036] The lower side of the through-hole 63A of the pulley 63 opens into the housing 61A. The pulley 63 is connected to the upper wall inside the housing 61A. The edge of the through-hole 63A of the pulley 63 protrudes upward, passing through the upper part of the housing 61A and the lower part of the housing 52A of the base body 52, and is connected to the pulley 57. The pulley 63, the connecting part 63B, and the pulley 57 are, in general terms, a single cylindrical body, and they all rotate together, with their respective axes of rotation aligned in a plan view. For example, the connecting part 63B is configured to include a reduction gear so that the gear ratio (ratio of rotations) between the pulley 63 and the pulley 57 is a predetermined value, but this is not shown in the diagram. As described above, the pulley 63 and the housing 61A are connected, so the first arm 61 rotates together with the rotation of the pulley 63. Furthermore, the edge of the through hole 64A of the pulley 64 protrudes upward so as to penetrate the upper wall of the housing 61A, and is configured as a cylindrical connecting portion 64B.

[0037] Next, the second arm 62 will be described. The second arm 62 is equipped with a housing 62A. The previously described cylindrical connecting part 64B is connected to the lower surface of the housing 62A, and the inside of the connecting part 64B is in communication with the inside of the housing 62A. By being connected in this way via the connecting part 64B, the second arm 62 rotates together with the rotation of the pulley 64. Inside the housing 62A, which is the housing for the second arm, for example, valves 66A and 66B, which are solenoid valves, and pressure sensors 67A and 67B are provided, which will be described later. A motor 68 is provided at the lower part of the base end side of the housing 62A, and the rotation of the second arm 62 causes the tip of the first arm 61 to rotate laterally. The driving force of this motor 68 is transmitted to the base 71 via a power transmission mechanism for the base 71, which is composed of a pulley and a belt, and the base 71 rotates. Regarding the power transmission mechanism for rotating the base 71, only the pulley, whose upper end is connected to the lower part of the base 71, is shown as 69 in Figure 7.

[0038] The pulleys 56, 57, 63, 64 and belts 58, 65 described above are a power transmission mechanism that transmits the driving force of the motor 53 to the first arm 61 and the second arm 62. The power of the motor 53 causes these pulleys 56, 57, 63, and 64 to rotate together via belts 58 and 65. As a result, the first arm 61 and the second arm 62 rotate together with a predetermined rotation ratio as previously described. The through hole 64A of pulley 64 inside the housing 62A, the through hole 63A of pulley 63 inside the housing 61A, the through hole 57A of pulley 57, the communication hole 59 inside the housing 52A, and the space 54 are spaces (communication passages) through which air is exhausted by the fan 55 of the slider 51, which is the second exhaust mechanism. Air flows towards the fan 55 in this order and is exhausted. As described above, since the space in which the power transmission mechanism consisting of pulleys and belts is installed is exhausted collectively by the fan 55, there is no need to install a fan 55 for exhaust in each housing, and the manufacturing cost of the conveying mechanism 4B is reduced.

[0039] Next, the base 71 will be explained with reference to Figure 8, which is a cross-sectional plan view. The base 71 is equipped with a flat, rectangular housing 70, which is configured to be roughly rectangular in plan view. The forks 81 and 82 move back and forth along the longitudinal direction of this rectangle, moving between a retracted position where the wafer W holding area of ​​the forks is located on the base 71 and an advanced position where it protrudes forward from the base 71. When the forks 81 and 82 are in the retracted position, they overlap each other. One of the forks 81 and 82 is used to receive the wafer W from the module, and the other is used to send the wafer W to the module.

[0040] For the sake of convenience in describing the configuration, the longitudinal direction of the housing 70 described above may be referred to as the front-to-back direction, and the short direction as the left-to-right direction. The right and left sides of the base 71 refer to the right and left sides when viewed in the forward direction of the forks 81 and 82. Inside the housing 70, there are drive mechanisms 7A for the lower fork 81 and 7B for the upper fork. Drive mechanism 7A includes a motor 72A, pulleys 73A and 74A, a belt 75A, a guide 76A, and a connector 77A. Drive mechanism 7B includes a motor 72B, pulleys 73B and 74B, a belt 75B, a guide 76B, and a connector 77B. The pulleys 73A, 74A, 73B, and 74B rotate around a horizontal pivot axis that extends left and right. The belts 75A and 75B are endless belts. The guides 76A and 76B are formed to extend horizontally in the front-to-back direction.

[0041] The first forward / backward mechanism, the drive mechanism 7A, is described as follows: The motor 72A is positioned in the center of the rear side of the housing 70. A pulley 73A is positioned to the right of the motor 72A, and a pulley 74A is positioned in front of the pulley 73A, with a belt 75A stretched over the pulleys 73A and 74A. A guide 76A is provided to the right of the pulleys 73A, 74A and the belt 75A. The left end of a plate-shaped connecting portion 77A is locked to the guide 76A and the belt 75A. The right end of the connecting portion 77A protrudes to the right side (one side) of the housing 70 through a slit 71A formed on the right side of the housing 70, is bent upward on the outside of the housing 70, and is connected to the lower fork 81. With this configuration, the lower fork 81 is supported by the base 71 via the connecting portion 77A and the guide 76A. The motor 72A drives the belt 75A, causing the connecting portion 77A to move along the length of the guide 76A, thereby moving the lower fork 81 connected to the connecting portion 77A back and forth.

[0042] The second reciprocating mechanism, the drive mechanism 7B, is described below. The motor 72B is located in the center of the front side of the housing 70. A pulley 73B is located to the left of the motor 72B, and a pulley 74B is located behind the pulley 73B. A belt 75B is placed over the pulleys 73B and 74B. A guide 76B is provided to the left of the pulleys 73B, 74B and the belt 75B. The right end of a plate-shaped connecting portion 77B is locked to the guide 76B and the belt 75B. The left end of the connecting portion 77B protrudes to the left side of the housing 70 (the other side) through a slit 71B formed on the left side of the housing 70, and is bent upward on the outside of the housing 70 to connect to the upper fork 82. With this configuration, the upper fork 82 is supported by the base 71 via the connecting portion 77B and the guide 76B. The motor 72B drives the belt 75B, causing the connecting portion 77B to move along the length of the guide 76B, thereby moving the upper fork 82 connected to the connecting portion 77B back and forth. A sealing belt is provided to close the slits 71A and 71B of the base 71, but it is not shown in the diagram.

[0043] As described above, the pulleys 73A, 74A, belt 75A, guide 76A, and connecting part 77A that constitute the drive mechanism 7A are located on the right side inside the housing 70. The pulleys 73B, 74B, belt 75B, guide 76B, and connecting part 77B that constitute the drive mechanism 7B are located on the left side inside the housing 70. Power cables (wiring) for supplying power are connected to the third drive devices, motors 72A and 72B. The upstream end of these cables is led out to the housing 62A of the second arm 62 via an installation area provided on the pulley 69 connected to the lower side of the base 71, as previously described, and is housed in the aforementioned connecting passage. In other words, these cables are led out from inside the housing 70, through housing 62A, housing 61A, housing 52A, and housing 51A in that order, to the support column 41 or support column 42.

[0044] The lower fork 81 is plate-shaped, with its tip splitting into two and extending forward, forming a roughly horseshoe shape that surrounds the side circumference of the wafer W. At the tip of the lower fork 81 surrounding the wafer W, there are four claw portions 83 for supporting the back surface of the wafer W, which protrude toward the center of the area supporting the wafer W. Each claw portion 83 is provided with a suction hole 84 that sucks the back surface of the wafer W while it is being supported. The upstream end of a suction tube 85A is connected to each suction hole 84, and the downstream ends of the suction tubes 85A merge with each other. The above-mentioned connection portion 77A is connected to the lower right of the base end of the lower fork 81.

[0045] The upper fork 82 is configured similarly to the lower fork 81, and the suction tube corresponding to the suction tube 85A is indicated as 85B. The aforementioned connection part 77B is connected to the lower left of the base end of the upper fork 82.

[0046] Incidentally, the downstream ends of the merged suction pipes 85A and 85B are routed into the housing 62A of the second arm 62. A valve 66A and a pressure sensor 67A are installed in that order downstream direction in the suction pipe 85A, and a valve 66B and a pressure sensor 67B are installed in that order downstream direction in the suction pipe 85B. The downstream ends of the suction pipes 85A and 85B are connected to an exhaust source (not shown).

[0047] While the wafer W is supported by the lower fork 81, valve 66A opens, allowing the wafer W to be sucked in through the suction hole 84 of the lower fork 81, and the back surface of the wafer W is held by the lower fork 81. While the wafer W is supported by the upper fork 82, valve 66B opens, allowing the wafer W to be sucked in through the suction hole 84 of the upper fork 82, and the wafer W is held by the upper fork 82 by suction. During operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1, pressure sensors 67A and 67B transmit detection signals corresponding to the pressure inside the suction tube 85A and 85B, respectively, to the control unit 10. This allows the control unit 10 to determine whether or not there is an abnormality. Pressure sensors 67A and 67B are also equipped with screens 68C that display the detected pressure inside the suction tube 85A and 85B, respectively (see Figure 5), and these screens are exposed on the side of the housing 62A. Users of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can perform maintenance, etc., by visually checking these screens.

[0048] The base 71 is also provided with a position detection unit 86 for detecting the position of the wafer W relative to the forks held by the lower fork 81 or upper fork 82, which are located in a retracted position. The position detection unit 86 comprises a support frame 87 formed in a gate shape when viewed from the front-rear direction of the base 71. The support frame 87 comprises a total of four light irradiating units 88 that irradiate light toward the peripheral edge of the wafer W below, and a total of four light receiving units 89 each located below the light irradiating units 88. The control unit 10 detects the position of the wafer W based on the area that each light receiving unit 89 receives light from. For convenience of illustration, only two light irradiating units 88 and two light receiving units 89 are shown in Figure 5. The position detection unit 86 is also omitted from the display in Figures 6 to 8, etc.

[0049] Next, the support columns 41 and 42 will be explained in more detail with reference to Figure 9, which is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional front view. The support column 41 is made up of a housing 40, and a motor 91 is provided so as to protrude from the rear of the upper end of the housing 40. The motor 91, which is the second drive device, is provided in the partitioned area 47 shown in Figure 1, which was described earlier. Pulleys 92 and 93 are provided at the upper and lower ends of the housing 40, respectively, and the pulleys 92 and 93 rotate around a horizontal axis that extends front to back. An endless belt 94 is stretched over the pulleys 92 and 93. Inside the housing 40, a guide 95 is provided on the -Y side of the pulleys 92 and 93. The guide 95 is a guide for raising and lowering the slider 51 and extends vertically. A vertically extending slit 96 is opened on the -Y side of the housing 40. Through this slit 96, the vertically elongated connecting portion 51B, which forms the +Y end of the slider 51, enters the housing 40 and is supported by being locked in place by the belt 94 and guide 95. The slit 96 is also closed by a sealing belt, but the indication of the sealing belt is omitted. The motor 91 may be located below the support columns 41 and 42 and rotate the pulley 93.

[0050] Fans 97 and 98 are provided near the upper and lower ends of the housing 40, respectively, to exhaust air from inside the housing 40. More specifically, the fans 97 and 98, provided on the upper and lower sides of the housing 40, draw air from the transport area 33 into the housing 40 through the slit 96 and exhaust it, for example, into the compartment area 47. This exhaust creates negative pressure in the slit 96 and inside the housing 40 relative to the transport area 33, suppressing the scattering of particles from inside the housing 40 into the transport area 33 through the slit 96. If fans 97 and 98 were not provided, the movement of the end of the slider 51 inside the housing 40 would compress the air, increasing the pressure at the upper and lower ends of the housing 40, making it easier for particles to scatter from these upper and lower ends through the slit 96. To more reliably prevent the scattering of these particles, fan 97 is provided near the upper end on the upper side of the housing 40, and fan 98 is provided near the lower end on the lower side of the housing 40. Fans 97 and 98 may also be equipped with filters, similar to the fan 55 of the slider 51, to return the exhausted air to the transport area 33.

[0051] The support column 42 is configured to be mirror-symmetric with respect to the support column 41 in the Y direction. The -Y end of the slider 51 is also configured as a connection part 51B, which enters the housing 40 of the support column 42 through a slit 96 and is supported by the support column 42 by engaging with the belt 94 and guide 95. The motors 91 of the support columns 41 and 42 rotate the pulleys 92 and 93 of the support column 41 and the pulleys 92 and 93 of the support column 42, driving the belt 94 of the support columns 41 and 42, and causing the slider 51 to move up and down along the length of the guide 95. Thus, the pulleys 92 and 93, the belt 94 and the guide 95 constitute a lifting mechanism provided in the internal space (space within the housing 40) formed along the length of the support column 41.

[0052] Figure 10 shows the trajectories of the movement of the first arm 61 and the second arm 62 on the +Y side from the center of the transport area 33 in the Y direction when the transport mechanism 4B transfers wafers W to each module, using solid lines, dashed lines, and double dashed lines, respectively. In the figure, the rotation center of the first arm 61 (i.e., the rotation centers of pulleys 57 and 63) is shown as P1, the rotation center of the second arm 62 (i.e., the rotation center of pulley 64) is shown as P2, and the rotation center of the base 71 is shown as P3.

[0053] As shown by the dashed line in the figure, when the tip of the first arm 61 points forward, the tip of the second arm 62 points backward, and the pivot center P3 is located at the center of the transport area 33 in the Y direction. From this state, as the tip of the first arm 61 moves toward the +Y side, the tip of the second arm 62 points toward the +Y side (shown by the solid line and dashed line). As the first arm 61 and the second arm 62 move in this way, the trajectory of the pivot center P3 moves in a manner that roughly coincides with a virtual straight line L1 at the front-to-back center of the transport area 33, depending on the gear ratio of each pulley. In Figure 10, the trajectories of the movement of the first arm 61 and the second arm 62 on the -Y side of the transport area 33 are omitted to avoid complexity, but these trajectories are symmetrical with respect to the center of the transport area 33 in the Y direction. Therefore, the pivot center P3 roughly coincides with the straight line L1 on the -Y side of the transport region 33, just as it does on the +Y side. "Roughly coincides with the straight line L1" means that the distance from the straight line L1 is 3 mm or less.

[0054] Furthermore, even if the distance between the base 71 and one processing module facing the transport area 33 is slightly shifted due to the forward and backward position of the pivot center P3 at each position in the Y direction of the transport area 33, the amount of forward movement of the lower fork 81 and upper fork 82 of the base 71 can be adjusted. In other words, the effect of the positional shift of the pivot center P3 is canceled out by this adjustment of the amount of forward movement.

[0055] The process by which the transport mechanism 4B described above transports a wafer W from the resist film formation module 31 to any heating module 34 will now be explained. For example, the upper fork 82 holds the wafer W that has been processed in the resist film formation module 31, and both forks 81 and 82 are in the retracted position. The slider 51 is raised and lowered by the motors 91 of the support columns 41 and 42, and when the base 71 is positioned at a height corresponding to the heating module 34 to which the wafer W is to be transported, the first arm 61 and the second arm 62 are rotated by the motor 53 of the base body 52, and as explained in Figure 10, the rotation center P3 of the base 71 moves along the transport area 33, and the base 71 is positioned in front of the heating module 34 to which it is to be transported.

[0056] The motor 68 of the second arm 62 rotates the base 71, and as the tips of the forks 81 and 82 move toward the heating module 34, the lower fork 81 moves to the forward position. Subsequently, the slider 51 rises, and the wafer W processed in the heating module 34 is transferred to the lower fork 81. After that, when the lower fork 81 returns to the retracted position, the upper fork 82 moves to the forward position, and the slider 51 descends, placing the wafer W, which was held by the upper fork 82, onto the heating module 34. As described above, when the wafer W is held by the lower fork 81, suction is performed from the suction hole 84 of the lower fork 81, and when the wafer W is held by the upper fork 82, suction is performed from the suction hole 84 of the upper fork 82, as the valves 66A and 66B are opened and closed. In addition, when the lower fork 81 or the upper fork 82 is in the retracted position holding the wafer W, the position detection unit 86 described above detects the position of the wafer W.

[0057] The transfer of wafer W to the heating module 34 was described as an example, but the same procedure is followed when transferring wafer W to other modules. Depending on the module to which wafer W is transferred, the transfer may be performed by a lifting pin provided by the module instead of raising and lowering the slider 51. In addition, for example, while the substrate processing device 1 is in operation, exhaust is constantly performed by the fan 55 of the slider 51 and the fans 97 and 98 of the support columns 41 and 42, preventing the scattering of particles as described above.

[0058] According to this transport mechanism 4B, the support columns 41 and 42 are fixed to the transport area 33, and the movement of the base 71 and forks 81 and 82 in the Y direction is performed by the first arm portion 61 and the second arm portion 62, which are supported by the support columns 41 and 42 via the slider 51 and the base body 52. ​​Therefore, compared to a configuration in which the base 71 and forks 81 and 82 are moved by the movement of the support columns 41 and 42 in the Y direction, the volume of the structure moving in the transport area 33 can be kept relatively small, thus suppressing the disturbance of the airflow in the transport area 33 caused by the movement of this structure, which would cause particles to scatter and adhere to the wafer W. Therefore, according to the transport mechanism 4B, it is possible to transport the wafer W over a wide range in the lateral direction by the rotation of the first arm portion 61 and the second arm portion 62, while preventing a decrease in the yield of semiconductor devices manufactured from the wafer W.

[0059] In the transport mechanism 4B, the base end of the first arm 61 is connected to the lower side of the base body 52, the base end of the second arm 62 is connected to the upper side of the tip of the first arm 61, and forks 81 and 82 are provided on the upper side of the second arm 62 via the base 71. Therefore, the thickness (vertical length) of the structure consisting of the base body 52, the first arm 61 and the second arm 62 can be reduced, and the forks 81 and 82 are positioned above the first arm 61 and the second arm 62. With the forks 81 and 82 positioned in this way, even if particles are released and fall from pulleys, belts, etc., included in the first arm 61 and the second arm 62, adhesion to the wafer W is suppressed, thus more reliably preventing a decrease in the yield of the semiconductor product. In this example, the forks 81 and 82 are also positioned above the base body 52, which is preferable as it also suppresses the adhesion of particles from the base body 52 to the wafer W. Furthermore, the small thickness of the structure consisting of the base body 52, the first arm portion 61, and the second arm portion 62 means that the height of the space below the forks 81 and 82 where wafer W cannot be transported is small. In other words, since wafer W can be transported over a wide area in the vertical direction, the module to which wafer W is transferred by the transport mechanism 4B has greater freedom in terms of height layout. Accordingly, it becomes possible to have a relatively large number of stacked resist film forming modules 31 and heating modules 34, as illustrated in the example.

[0060] Incidentally, regarding the structure consisting of the housing 52A of the base body 52, the housing 61A of the first arm 61, and the housing 62A of the second arm 62, which are connected to each other, as shown in Figure 5, the height of the upper end of the structure (=height of the upper surfaces of housings 52A and 62A) is the same as the height of the upper end of the slider 51. Also, the height of the lower end of the structure (=height of the lower surface of housing 61A) is the same as the height of the lower end of the slider 51. Because the lower end of the structure and the lower end of the slider 51 have the above height relationship, it is prevented that the structure will come into contact with the bottom of the transport area 33 and obstruct the downward movement of the slider 51. Furthermore, because the upper end of the structure and the upper end of the slider 51 have the above height relationship, it is prevented that the height of the lower fork 81 and the upper fork 82 will be higher than the upper end of the slider 51, and the height of the space below the forks 81 and 82 where wafer W transport is impossible is reduced.

[0061] Therefore, by setting the height relationship between the upper end of the slider 51 and the upper end of the structure, and the height relationship between the lower end of the slider 51 and the lower end of the structure as previously described, the height range accessible by each fork 81, 82 becomes wider. Consequently, there is greater flexibility in the layout of the module heights, and the number of stacked modules can be increased. In addition, in order to obtain the effect described here, the height of the upper end of the structure may be lower than the height of the upper end of the slider 51, and the height of the lower end of the structure may be higher than the height of the lower end of the slider 51. In other words, the height of the upper end of the structure should be at a height of less than or equal to the height of the upper end of the slider 51, and the height of the lower end of the structure should be at a height of more than or equal to the height of the lower end of the slider 51.

[0062] Furthermore, as described above, the transport mechanism 4B is a SCARA type transport mechanism, but its tip is configured such that forks 81 and 82 move back and forth on the base 71. With this configuration, as exemplified in the transfer of wafer W to the heating module 34, wafer W can be loaded into and unloaded from the module by the back-and-forth movement of the forks 81 and 82 without moving the base 71 laterally. Therefore, the loading and unloading of wafer W to and from this module can be performed quickly, and a high throughput can be obtained for the substrate processing apparatus 1. In addition, by providing the position detection unit 86 on the base 71, there is the advantage that the position of wafer W can be detected for each of the forks 81 and 82.

[0063] Furthermore, within the housing 70 of the base 71, a drive mechanism 7A is located on the right side and a drive mechanism 7B is located on the left side. A connecting portion 77A protruding from the left side of the housing 70 connects the belt 75A and guide 76A that make up the drive mechanism 7A to the lower fork 81, and a connecting portion 77B protruding from the right side of the housing 70 connects the belt 75B and guide 76B that make up the drive mechanism 7B to the upper fork 82. By arranging the drive mechanisms 7A and 7B on the left and right sides of the base 71 in this way, and supporting the lower fork 81 and upper fork 82 from only one side of the base 71, the thickness of the base 71 can be made relatively small. To explain in more detail, let's assume that each fork is connected to the drive mechanism inside the housing 70 of the base 71 by connecting portions provided on the left and right sides of the base 71. In that case, the thickness of the base 71 would increase because the height of the connection part of the lower fork 81 and the connection part of the upper fork 82 would need to be offset so that their movements do not interfere with each other. In contrast, with this configuration, there is no need to offset the height of the connection parts 77A and 77B in that way, so the thickness of the base 71 can be reduced as described above. The reduced thickness of the base 71 allows for a wider lifting range for the forks 81 and 82. Therefore, the degree of freedom in the layout of the height of the module to which the wafer W is transferred by the transport mechanism 4B can be increased.

[0064] Furthermore, the lower fork 81 is supported only from the right side of the base 71 by the connecting portion 77A, and the upper fork 82 is supported only from the left side of the base 71 by the connecting portion 77B. Therefore, since the center of gravity of the connecting portion 77A is located at the right end, supporting the connecting portion 77A at a position close to this center of gravity prevents slight tilting of the lower fork 81 connected to the connecting portion 77A, allowing for more reliable and stable transport of the wafer W. Similarly, since the center of gravity of the connecting portion 77B is located at the left end, supporting the connecting portion 77B at a position close to this center of gravity prevents slight tilting of the upper fork 82 connected to the connecting portion 77B, allowing for more reliable and stable transport of the wafer W. For this reason, as described above, it is preferable that the drive mechanism 7A has the guide 76A positioned to the right of the belt 75A, and the drive mechanism 7B has the guide 76B positioned to the left of the belt 75B.

[0065] Incidentally, the pressure sensors 67A and 67B, which are interposed in the exhaust pipes 85A and 85B that form the exhaust passage, are located on the second arm portion 62, so that the positions of the forks 81 and 82 are relatively close to the suction holes 84. Therefore, the ability of the detected value to track changes in the amount of suction from the suction holes 84 is relatively high, which is preferable because it allows for highly accurate detection of the presence or absence of abnormalities. It should be noted that abnormalities in the adsorption of the wafer W can be detected by monitoring the state of the exhaust passage, but this state of the exhaust passage is not limited to pressure; for example, it could be flow rate. Therefore, instead of the pressure sensors 67A and 67B, for example, flow rate sensors may be installed in the exhaust pipes 85A and 85B to detect the amount of exhaust.

[0066] Incidentally, the heating module 34 is provided with a heating plate on which the wafer W is placed and heated, and the resist film formation module 31 is supplied with a solvent to improve the wettability of the wafer W surface before the resist is supplied. As previously described, the motors 91 provided on the support columns 41 and 42 are located in the partitioned area 47, so they are less affected by the heat of the heating plate and are also prevented from being exposed to the solvent atmosphere. Therefore, the lifespan of the motors 91 is prevented from being shortened.

[0067] In linking the first arm 61 and the second arm 62 with the motor 53, the above-described configuration example uses a power transmission mechanism consisting of a belt and pulley, but the first arm 61 and the second arm 62 may also be linked using a power transmission mechanism consisting of multiple gears. Also, in the above-described configuration example, the motor 91 is provided on both the support columns 41 and 42, but it may be provided on only one of them. Furthermore, the processing modules that are stacked on the substrate processing apparatus 1 and whose wafer transfer is shared with the transport mechanism 4B are not limited to the coating film formation modules such as the resist film formation module 31 and the heating module 34 described above. They may be modules that supply various liquids such as developer, cleaning solution, and adhesive to the wafer W, or modules that expose the wafer W. In addition, inspection modules that image the wafer W to detect abnormalities are also included in the processing modules.

[0068] [Second Embodiment] The substrate processing apparatus 1A according to the second embodiment will be described with reference to the plan view in Figure 11, focusing on the differences from the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment. In the substrate processing apparatus 1A, instead of transport mechanisms 4A, 4B, 4C, and 4D, transport mechanisms 40A, 40B, 40C, and 40D are provided, respectively, and in Figure 11, transport mechanisms 40B and 40D are shown. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1A differs from the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the arrangement of modules on the -X side of the transport area 33 in each processing block (D21, D22, D31, and D32). Transport mechanisms 40A to 40D have similar configurations, and the arrangement of modules on the -X side is the same among each processing block D21, D22, D31, and D32.

[0069] Hereafter, the first upper processing block D22 and the transport mechanism 40B provided in the first upper processing block D22 will be described as representatives, with reference to Figure 12, which is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view taken in the +Y direction. Similar to the substrate processing apparatus 1, seven heating modules 34 are stacked vertically on the -X side of the transport area 33, and two of these stacks are arranged in the Y direction. If we call the stack on the +Y side 35A and the stack on the -Y side 35B, then, as shown in Figure 11, the stack 35A and the other stack 35B are separated from each other in the Y direction, which is different from the arrangement of processing modules in the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0070] On the +Y side of the laminate 35A and the -Y side of the laminate 35B, partitioned areas 47 equipped with the aforementioned module auxiliary equipment are provided, similar to the substrate processing apparatus 1. Therefore, auxiliary equipment is provided in the Y direction where the laminates 35A and 35B are aligned, flanking the laminates 35A and 35B. The auxiliary equipment for each processing module of the laminate 35A is provided in the partitioned area 47 on the +Y side of the laminate 35A, and the auxiliary equipment for each processing module of the laminate 35B is provided in the partitioned area 47 on the -Y side of the laminate 35B.

[0071] Next, the transport mechanism 40B will be explained, focusing on the differences from the transport mechanism 4B, with reference to Figure 13, which is a cross-sectional plan view. As previously mentioned, the transport mechanism 4B uses two support columns (columns 41 and 42) to raise and lower the base body 52 to which the arm is connected, but the transport mechanism 40B uses one support column (column 101, described later) to raise and lower the base body 52. ​​By using only one support column, malfunctions caused by misalignment due to distortion of the components included in one column and the components included in the other column are prevented. In other words, the transport mechanism 40B can transport wafers W to the destination module with higher precision.

[0072] The transport mechanism 4B does not have support columns 41, 42, an upper beam 43, a lower beam 44, or a slider 51, but instead has a support column 101. The support column 101 extends vertically at a position closer to the +X direction between the laminates 35A and 35B. Therefore, the support column 101 is positioned between the laminates 35A and 35B in the Y direction where they are aligned. A base body 52 is connected to and supported on the +X side of this support column 101, and the base body 52 moves up and down in the transport area 33 along the extension direction of the support column 101. By providing the support column 101 between the laminates 35A and 35B as described above, and positioning the support column 101 outside the transport area 33, an increase in the size of the transport area 33 in the X direction, and consequently an increase in the size of the substrate processing device 1A, is prevented.

[0073] In the transport mechanism 40B, a fan 55 is provided inside the housing 52A of the base body 52 instead of the slider 51, and as described above, the housings 52A, the housing 61A of the first arm 61, and the housing 62A of the second arm 62, which are all in communication with each other, are all simultaneously drawn in by the fan 55. In addition, a filter 50 is provided in the housing 52A, and the air drawn in by the fan 55 is released to the outside of the housing 52A, i.e., the transport area 33, via the filter 50.

[0074] Next, the configuration of the support column 101 in the transport mechanism 40B will be explained with reference to Figure 14, which is a schematic perspective view of its internal components. The support column 101 is equipped with a housing 102, and a partition plate 103 is provided that divides the inside of the housing 102 into two sections in the X direction. Of the space partitioned by the partition plate 103, the +X side is shown as the front space 104, and the -X side is shown as the rear space 105. On the side of the partition plate 103 facing the front space 104, two guide rails 106 are provided spaced apart in the Y direction, and each extends vertically, i.e., in the longitudinal direction. Therefore, if the +X side on which the base body 52 is provided with respect to the support column 101 is considered the front side, the guide rails 106 are arranged side by side.

[0075] Pulleys 107 and 108 are provided between two guide rails 106 in the Y direction. Pulleys 107 and 108 are located at the upper and lower ends, respectively, of the front space 104, and are rotatable around an axis extending in the X direction. An endless belt 108 is stretched over the pulleys 107 and 108. A fourth drive device, a motor 109, is provided so as to protrude in the -X direction from the upper end of the housing 102. Therefore, like the support column 101, the motor 109 is also provided sandwiched between the laminates 35A and 35B, and the motor 109 is connected to the pulley 107.

[0076] Furthermore, a slider 111 is provided in the forward space 104. This slider 111 comprises two sliding parts 112, each connected to a guide rail 106, and a main part 113 that forms a recess open toward the -X side in a plan view. The sliding parts 112 are formed to widen from the edge of the recess toward the outside of the recess in a plan view. The belt 108 fits into the recess formed by the main part 113 in a plan view, and the belt 108 and the main part 113 are connected to each other. With this configuration, the belt 108 is rotated by the motor 109, and the slider 111 moves up and down along the guide rail 106. Note that since the slider 111 connected to the two guide rails 106 is moved up and down by a single motor 109, the motor 109 is a drive device common to both guide rails 106.

[0077] Two slits 131 are formed on the +X side of the housing 102 (the side facing the transport area 33), opening into the front space 104, and each extends vertically. The two slits 131 are located apart in the Y direction and each faces the guide rail 106. Rollers 132 and 133 are provided at the upper and lower ends of the front space 104, respectively, with two of each roller 132 and 133 arranged vertically and spaced apart in the Y direction. Rollers 132 and 133 are each rotatable around an axis extending in the Y direction. An endless sealing belt 134 is placed over each pair of vertically aligned rollers 132 and 133 to close the slits 131. A portion of each sealing belt 134 is open, and the slider 111 and the base body 52 are connected to each other via a connecting member 135 provided in the opening. Therefore, as the slider 111 moves up and down, the base body 52 moves up and down along the extension direction of the guide rail 106. In this embodiment, the support column 101 and the motor 109 correspond to the lifting and lowering section, and the base body 52 corresponds to the base that moves up and down by the lifting and lowering section.

[0078] The base body 52 connected to the slider 111 supports the first arm 61, the second arm 62, and the base 71 as described above. In order to reduce the load on the guide rail 106 by supporting multiple members in this way and to extend the lifespan of the guide rail 106, it is preferable to provide multiple guide rails 106 arranged in the Y direction as described above. Alternatively, by providing multiple guide rails 106 in this way, the slider 111 can be raised and lowered even with a single support column, and the space required for the support column is reduced. Therefore, providing multiple guide rails 106 contributes to reducing the floor area occupied by the substrate processing apparatus 1A. In addition, two or more guide rails 106 may be provided to achieve this effect.

[0079] As shown in Figures 12 and 13, fans 141 and 142 are provided at the upper and lower ends of the rear space 105, respectively, and fans 141 and 142 are located on the -Y side and +Y side, respectively, with respect to the position where the belt 108 is installed. Holes 143 and 144 are provided in the partition plate 103, facing the fans 141 and 142. Fans 141 and 142 cause air in the transport area 33 to flow into the front space 104 through the gap between the seal belt 134 and the opening edge of the slit 131, and then flow through holes 143 and 144 respectively before converging in the rear space 105. The housing 102 is provided with an exhaust passage (not shown) connected to the rear space 105, and the air that flows into the rear space 105 flows into this exhaust passage and is removed.

[0080] As described above, an airflow is formed from the transport area 33 toward the rear space 105, preventing particles generated by the components in the front space 104 from being released into the transport area 33 through the gap between the seal belt 134 and the opening edge of the slit 131. In addition to the fans 141 and 142, the rear space 105 houses various cables for driving the various parts of the transport mechanism 4B, as well as components for bundling, protecting, and guiding these cables, but these are not shown in the illustration. Using the first upper processing block D22 and transport mechanism 40B described above, the wafer W is transported in the substrate processing apparatus 1A along the same transport path as the substrate processing apparatus 1, and processing is performed.

[0081] Incidentally, because of this transport path, in the substrate processing apparatus 1A, the wafer W is transferred between adjacent processing blocks in the Y direction, so the wafer W moves between one end and the other end in the Y direction of the transport area 33 in the first upper processing block D22. However, the substrate processing apparatus does not have to be configured such that the processing blocks are adjacent in the Y direction. For example, it is conceivable to have a device configuration in which the wafer W transported from the carrier block D1 to the upper processing block D22 is processed by processing modules forming the stacked structures 35A and 35B, and then returned to the carrier block D1.

[0082] In such a device configuration, as described above, the layout of the two partitioned areas 47, each equipped with ancillary equipment, is such that the laminates 35A and 35B are sandwiched between them. Therefore, when transferring the wafer W to the processing modules constituting the laminates 35A and 35B, it is not necessary to move the wafer W to the -Y side end of the transport area 33. Furthermore, the transport path is assumed to be between the processing module constituting the laminate 35A and the processing module constituting the laminate 35B, where the wafer W is transported and processed. In the above layout, only the support column 101 interposes between the laminates 35A and 35B, and these laminates 35A and 35B are in close proximity to each other. Therefore, the transport time between the processing module of laminate 35A and the processing module of laminate 35B can be shortened. From the above, by adopting the above layout for the partitioned areas 47 and the laminates 35A and 35B, the throughput of the substrate processing device can be improved.

[0083] Next, Figure 15 will be explained. This Figure 15 is a cross-sectional plan view showing an example of a modification of the support column 101 of the conveying mechanism 4B. In the space 104 in front of the support column 101, a partition member 150 is provided that approaches the belt 108 from the X direction, and the space 104 is divided into three partition regions 151, 152, and 153 by this partition member 150. Regions 151 and 152 are the outer regions of the annular belt 108 and each includes a guide rail 106. Holes 143 and 144 are opened in partition regions 151 and 152, respectively, and exhaust is performed by fans 141 and 142, respectively. Partition region 153 is the region surrounded by the belt 108, and the partition plate 103 is provided with a hole 145 that opens into partition region 153. A fan 146 is provided in the rear space 105 so as to face this hole 145, and exhausts the partitioned area 153 through the hole 145.

[0084] In this modified example, exhaust mechanisms consisting of fans 141, 142, and 146 are provided corresponding to partitioned areas 151, 152, and 153, respectively. However, since fans 141 and 142 can also exhaust air from partitioned area 153 through the gap between the belt 108 and the partitioning member 150, fan 146 does not necessarily need to be provided. In that case as well, exhaust mechanisms consisting of fans 141 and 142 are provided corresponding to partitioned areas 151 and 152, respectively. By partitioning the inside of the housing 102 into multiple sections and providing an exhaust mechanism corresponding to each section for exhaust, the exhaust efficiency in each section is increased, and the release of particles from inside the housing 102 into the transport area 33 is more reliably suppressed.

[0085] It should be noted that the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The above embodiments may be omitted, substituted, modified, and combined in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0086] W wafer 34 Heating Module 41, 42 pillars 51 Slider 52 Base body 53 Motor 61 1st arm 62 2nd arm 81, 82 Fork

Claims

1. A substrate holding unit that transfers the substrate to one of a plurality of stacked processing modules that process the substrate, The base portion to which the substrate holding portion is connected, It comprises a lifting mechanism for raising and lowering the base, The aforementioned lifting mechanism is Multiple rails and multiple sealing belts are arranged side by side and extend vertically, The rails are all equipped with a drive device that is common to each rail and moves the base up and down along the extension direction of each rail, The base is connected to a slider that is physically connected to the plurality of rails and moves up and down by the lifting part, A substrate processing apparatus in which a portion of each seal belt is open, and the slider and the base are connected to each other via a connecting member provided in the opening.

2. In a plan view, the processing module and the other processing module are separated from each other in the lateral direction, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the lifting mechanism is provided sandwiched between one processing module and the other processing module.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the auxiliary equipment for the processing module is provided so as to sandwich the first processing module and the other processing module in a direction in which the first processing module and the other processing module are aligned.

4. The lifting mechanism comprises a housing having the plurality of rails inside, A partition plate divides the space inside the housing into a front space where the multiple rails exist and a rear space. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, comprising an exhaust mechanism that forms an airflow from the front space to the rear space.

5. The plurality of rails are positioned in a plan view to sandwich the pulley and belt connected to the drive device in the left-right direction. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of exhaust mechanisms are provided, and each is provided on one side to the left and the other side with respect to the belt.

6. A step of transferring the substrate to one of a plurality of stacked processing modules that process the substrate, by a substrate holding unit, The process includes raising and lowering the base portion to which the substrate holding portion is connected by a lifting portion, The lifting section comprises a plurality of rails and a plurality of sealing belts arranged horizontally and extending vertically, and a drive mechanism common to each of the rails. The process includes raising and lowering a slider, to which the base is connected and which is physically connected to the plurality of rails, by the lifting unit, thereby raising and lowering the base along the extension direction of each rail, A substrate processing method in which a portion of each seal belt is open, and the slider and the base are connected to each other via a connecting member provided in the opening.

Images