Substrate processing apparatus and control method for substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

This technology provides a simple structure that allows substrates to be loaded and unloaded into the processing chamber using both the first and second hands. [Solution] The substrate processing apparatus comprises a processing unit (dry processing unit 30) and a transport unit (local transport unit 22). The transport unit includes an end effector 230 including a first hand 231 and a second hand 232, and a hand movement drive unit 24 that moves the end effector 230 in the horizontal direction. The first lifting drive unit (pin lifting drive unit 341) moves the first support member (a plurality of lifting pins 34) to a first height position H31 in which the first contact portion of the first support member that contacts the lower surface of the substrate W is above the first hand 231, a second height position H32 in which the first contact portion is between the first hand 231 and the second hand 232, and a third height position H33 in which the first contact portion is below the second hand 232.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a control method for a substrate processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a vacuum processing apparatus for processing a glass LCD substrate has been proposed (for example, Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, a transfer mechanism for transferring the LCD substrate into a processing chamber is provided. The transfer mechanism includes a catcher having a first fork and a second fork. Each of the first fork and the second fork supports the LCD substrate in a horizontal posture. The first fork and the second fork are provided at intervals in the vertical direction. The first fork is provided above the second fork. The transfer mechanism moves the catcher to integrally move the first fork and the second fork.

[0003] In the processing chamber, a plurality of first support pins and a plurality of second support pins are provided. In a state where the catcher is positioned directly above the plurality of first support pins, the plurality of first support pins rise, so that the LCD substrate on the second fork can be lifted by the first support pins.

[0004] The plurality of second support pins are provided outside the plurality of first support pins and are provided along the outside of the periphery of the LCD substrate in a plan view. The tip of the second support pin is bent, and the second support pin is provided rotatable about a vertical axis of rotation so as to change the direction of the tip. In a posture where the tip faces inward, when the plurality of second support pins rise, the tips of the plurality of second support pins contact the lower surface of the LCD substrate on the first fork, and the LCD substrate can be lifted.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0006] However, Patent Document 1 requires the provision of two types of support pins. Moreover, a rotation mechanism is also required to rotate one of the support pins. This complicates the configuration of the device.

[0007] Therefore, the present disclosure aims to provide a technology that allows substrates to be loaded into and unloaded from a processing chamber using both a first hand and a second hand, with a simple structure. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The substrate processing apparatus includes a processing chamber, a first support member provided within the processing chamber for supporting a substrate, and a first lifting drive unit for raising and lowering the first support member, and a processing unit for processing the substrate within the processing chamber; an end effector including a first hand, a second hand provided below the first hand, and a connecting member that connects the first hand and the second hand and fixes the distance between the first hand and the second hand; and the end effector is positioned horizontally between the processing transfer position within the processing chamber and the processing The transport unit includes a hand movement drive unit that moves the hand between the outside position of the processing chamber and the transport unit, the first lifting drive unit moves the first support member to a first processing height position, a second processing height position and a third processing height position, the first processing height position being a position in which the first contact portion of the first support member that contacts the lower surface of the substrate is above the first hand, the second processing height position being a position in which the first contact portion is between the first hand and the second hand, and the third processing height position being a position in which the first contact portion is below the second hand.

[0009] A control method for a substrate processing apparatus involves moving the end effector to the processing transfer position in the transport unit, moving the first support member between the first processing height position and the second processing height position or the third processing height position in the first lifting drive unit, and loading or unloading the substrate into or out of the processing chamber with the first hand, and moving the end effector to the processing transfer position in the transport unit, moving the first support member between the second processing height position and the third processing height position in the first lifting drive unit, and unloading or loading the substrate into or out of the processing chamber with the second hand. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] With a simple structure, the substrate can be loaded and unloaded into the processing chamber using both the first and second hands. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the control unit. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view schematically showing an example of a specific configuration of a dry processing module. [Figure 4] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the dry processing module. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the dry processing module. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of how the dry processing module changes during operation. [Figure 7] Figure 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of how the dry processing module changes during operation. [Figure 8] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of how the dry processing module changes during operation. [Figure 9] Figure 9 schematically shows another example of how the dry processing module changes during operation. [Figure 10] Figure 10 schematically shows another example of how the dry processing module changes during operation. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. Note that, for the purpose of ease of understanding, the dimensions and number of parts in the drawings are exaggerated or simplified as needed. Also, parts with similar configurations and functions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations are omitted in the following description.

[0013] Furthermore, in the following explanations, similar components will be denoted by the same symbols, and their names and functions will also be the same. Therefore, detailed explanations of them may be omitted to avoid redundancy.

[0014] Furthermore, even if ordinal numbers such as "first" or "second" are used in the following descriptions, these terms are used for convenience to facilitate understanding of the embodiments and are not limited to the order that may result from these ordinal numbers.

[0015] When expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships (such as "in one direction", "along one direction", "parallel", "orthogonal", "center", "concentric", "coaxial", etc.) are used, unless otherwise specified, such expressions not only precisely represent the positional relationship but also represent a state where the angle or distance is displaced within the range where the same tolerance or the same degree of function can be obtained. When expressions indicating an equal state (such as "identical", "equal", "homogeneous", etc.) are used, unless otherwise specified, such expressions not only quantitatively and precisely represent an equal state but also represent a state where there is a difference within the range where the same tolerance or the same degree of function can be obtained. When expressions indicating a shape (such as "square shape" or "cylindrical shape", etc.) are used, unless otherwise specified, such expressions not only geometrically and precisely represent the shape but also represent a shape having, for example, concavities and convexities or chamfers within the range where the same effect can be obtained. When an expression such as "comprising", "having", "including", or "possessing" is used for one component, such expression is not an exclusive expression excluding the existence of other components. When an expression such as "at least any one of A, B, and C" is used, such expression includes only A, only B, only C, any two of A, B, and C, and all of A, B, and C.

[0016] <Overall Configuration of Substrate Processing Apparatus> FIG. 1 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 100. The substrate processing apparatus 100 is a single wafer type processing apparatus that processes substrates W one by one.

[0017] The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor wafer, a substrate for a liquid crystal display, a substrate for an organic EL (Electroluminescence), a substrate for an FPD (Flat Panel Display), a substrate for an optical display, a substrate for a magnetic disk, a substrate for an optical disk, a substrate for a magneto-optical disk, a substrate for a photomask, or a substrate for a solar cell. The substrate W has a thin flat plate shape. Hereinafter, it is assumed that the substrate W is a semiconductor wafer. As an example, the substrate W is a silicon substrate. The substrate W has, for example, a disk shape. The diameter of the substrate W is, for example, about 300 mm, and the thickness of the substrate W is, for example, not less than about 0.5 mm and not more than about 3 mm.

[0018] In the example of FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes an index block 110, a processing block 120, and a control unit 90. The processing block 120 is mainly a part for processing the substrate W, and the index block 110 is mainly a part for transporting the substrate W between the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 100 and the processing block 120.

[0019] The index block 110 includes a load port 111 and an index transport unit 112. A substrate container (hereinafter referred to as a carrier) C is placed on the load port 111. A plurality of substrates W are accommodated in the carrier C in a state where they are arranged at intervals in the vertical direction, for example. In the example of FIG. 1, a plurality of load ports 111 are arranged.

[0020] The index transport unit 112 is a transport robot and can take out an unprocessed substrate W from the carrier C placed on each load port 111. The index transport unit 112 can also be called an index robot. The index transport unit 112 transports the unprocessed substrate W taken out from the carrier C to the processing block 120. The processing block 120 can perform processing on the unprocessed substrate W. Further, the index transport unit 112 can receive the processed substrate W from the processing block 120 and transport the processed substrate W to the carrier C of the load port 111.

[0021] The processing block 120 includes one or more processing modules 1 and a main transport unit 80. In the example of FIG. 1, a plurality of processing modules 1 are provided. The main transport unit 80 is a transport robot and transports the substrate W between the index transport unit 112 and the plurality of processing modules 1.

[0022] As illustrated in Figure 1, the processing block 120 may also include a transfer unit 123. The transfer unit 123 relays the substrate W between the indexer transport unit 112 and the main transport unit 80. For example, the transfer unit 123 includes a shelf on which multiple substrates W can be placed in a vertically aligned position. The indexer transport unit 112 places the unprocessed substrate W onto the transfer unit 123. The main transport unit 80 takes the unprocessed substrate W from the transfer unit 123 and transports the substrate W to the processing module 1. The processing module 1 processes the substrate W.

[0023] The multiple processing modules 1 may include a dry processing module 1A and a wet processing module 1B, or they may not include a wet processing module 1B. If a wet processing module 1B is provided, the main transport unit 80 may transport the substrate W from one of the dry processing module 1A and the wet processing module 1B to the other. The dry processing module 1A performs dry processing on the substrate W in a vacuum state, for example, and the wet processing module 1B performs wet processing on the substrate W in an atmospheric pressure state. Then, for example, the main transport unit 80 transports the substrate W processed by both the dry processing module 1A and the wet processing module 1B to the transfer unit 123.

[0024] In the example shown in Figure 1, the main transport unit 80 is located within the main transport space TS. The main transport space TS extends along a predetermined direction of movement Dx. The direction of movement Dx is, for example, the direction along the horizontal. In the example shown in Figure 1, the direction of movement Dx is perpendicular to the arrangement direction of the load ports 111. Hereafter, the horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction of movement Dx will also be referred to as the width direction Dy (here the same as the arrangement direction). The size of the main transport space TS in the direction of movement Dx is larger than the size of the main transport space TS in the width direction Dy. In other words, the main transport space TS has a long, elongated shape in the direction of movement Dx when viewed from above. Note that "viewed from above" here means viewing the object along the vertical direction.

[0025] In the example shown in Figure 1, multiple processing modules 1 are provided on both sides of the main transport space TS in the width direction Dy. In the example shown in Figure 1, multiple (two in the figure) processing modules 1 are arranged in the movement direction Dx on each side. At the location where each processing module 1 is provided, the multiple processing modules 1 may be stacked vertically. The portion containing the multiple processing modules 1 stacked vertically is also called the tower TW.

[0026] Each processing module 1 includes a module transport gate GMT. The module transport gate GMT is located at the boundary between the processing module 1 and the main transport space TS. The module transport gate GMT is an openable / closable loading / unloading entrance, and its opening and closing are controlled by the control unit 90. The module transport gate GMT may be a gate valve or a shutter. This also applies to the other gates described later. The main transport unit 80 stops at a transfer position facing the module transport gate GMT. The main transport unit 80 then loads and unloads the substrate W to and from the processing module 1 through the open module transport gate GMT. When the module transport gate GMT is closed, the internal space of the processing module 1 is isolated from the main transport space TS.

[0027] The main transport unit 80 transports, for example, an unprocessed substrate W from the transfer unit 123 to the dry processing module 1A. The dry processing module 1A performs dry processing on the substrate W. Dry processing is a process that etches, for example, objects to be etched on the main surface of the substrate W. This dry processing may leave impurities on the main surface of the substrate W. The main transport unit 80 transports the processed substrate W from the dry processing module 1A to the wet processing module 1B. The wet processing module 1B then performs wet processing on the dry-processed substrate W. Wet processing is a cleaning process that removes, for example, impurities from the main surface of the substrate W. This wet processing can remove at least some of the impurities from the substrate W. The main transport unit 80 transports the wet-processed substrate W from the wet processing module 1B to the transfer unit 123.

[0028] The control unit 90 comprehensively controls the substrate processing apparatus 100. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the internal configuration of the control unit 90. The control unit 90 is an electronic circuit and includes, for example, a data processing unit 91 and a storage unit 92. The data processing unit 91 and the storage unit 92 may be interconnected via a bus 93. The data processing unit 91 may be an arithmetic processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processor Unit). The storage unit 92 may include a non-temporary storage unit (e.g., ROM (Read Only Memory)) 921 and a temporary storage unit (e.g., RAM (Random Access Memory)) 922. The non-temporary storage unit 921 may store, for example, a program that defines the processing to be executed by the control unit 90. By executing this program, the data processing unit 91 enables the control unit 90 to execute the processing defined in the program. Of course, some or all of the processing performed by the control unit 90 may be performed by hardware such as dedicated logic circuits. In the example in Figure 2, the control unit 90 is also connected to a non-temporary storage unit 94 (e.g., memory such as flash memory or a hard disk).

[0029] <Dry Processing Module> Next, an example of the configuration of a dry processing module 1A, which is a processing module 1 having the transport structure according to this embodiment, will be described. Figure 3 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of a specific configuration of the dry processing module 1A. Below, an example of the configuration of the transport system of the dry processing module 1A will be described first.

[0030] As shown in Figure 3, the dry processing module 1A includes a local transport unit 22 (corresponding to an example of a transport unit) and a dry processing unit 30 (corresponding to an example of a processing unit). The local transport unit 22 transports the substrate W to the dry processing unit 30. The dry processing unit 30 performs dry processing (corresponding to an example of processing) on ​​the substrate W.

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, the local transport unit 22 includes an end effector 230 and a hand movement drive unit 24. The end effector 230 includes a plurality of hands 23 and a connecting member 233. In the example in Figure 3, the plurality of hands 23 are shown as a first hand 231 and a second hand 232. The first hand 231 and the second hand 232 have, for example, a plate shape. The first hand 231 and the second hand 232 hold or support the substrate W in a horizontal position. For example, the substrate W is placed on the first hand 231 or the second hand 232. The first hand 231 and the second hand 232 are spaced apart in the vertical direction. Here, the second hand 232 is located below the first hand 231. The distance between the first hand 231 and the second hand 232 is wider than the thickness of the substrate W. The distance may be set as narrow as possible. For example, the distance is 25 mm or less.

[0032] The first hand 231 and the second hand 232 may have the same shape in a plan view. The first hand 231 and the second hand 232 may be arranged so as to overlap in a plan view. The first hand 231 and the second hand 232 are fixed to each other by a connecting member 233. In other words, the relative positional relationship between the first hand 231 and the second hand 232 is constant, and the distance between the first hand 231 and the second hand 232 is fixed.

[0033] Referring also to Figure 1, for example, the first hand 231 includes one or more elongated members 23a. In the example in Figure 1, there are multiple (specifically two) elongated members 23a. The multiple elongated members 23a are adjacent to each other in plan view, and the base ends of the multiple elongated members 23a are connected by connecting members 23b. The second hand 232 may also include elongated members 23a and connecting members 23b, similar to the first hand 231. The connecting member 233 is fixed, for example, to the connecting member 23b of the first hand 231 and the connecting member 23b of the second hand 232.

[0034] The hand movement drive unit 24 is controlled by the control unit 90 to move the end effector 230 horizontally. In other words, the hand movement drive unit 24 moves the first hand 231 and the second hand 232 together horizontally. For example, the hand movement drive unit 24 includes a drive source such as a motor and a power transmission unit that transmits the driving force of the drive source to the hand 23. The power transmission unit includes, for example, at least one of an arm mechanism, a ball screw mechanism, a rotation mechanism, and a cam mechanism. As a specific example, in Figure 3, the hand movement drive unit 24 includes a forward / backward drive unit 241 and a rotation drive unit 242.

[0035] The forward / backward drive unit 241 moves the end effector 230 along one horizontal direction (hereinafter referred to as the forward / backward direction). The forward / backward direction is, for example, the direction along the longitudinal direction of the long member 23a. The forward / backward drive unit 241 includes, for example, a plurality of arms and a motor that adjusts the connection angle of the plurality of arms. The end effector 230 is connected to one end of the connection body including the plurality of arms, and the other end is connected to the rotary drive unit 242. By adjusting the connection angle of the arms, the end effector 230 moves along the forward / backward direction. Note that the forward / backward drive unit 241 may include a linear motion mechanism such as a ball screw mechanism instead of an arm drive.

[0036] The rotary drive unit 242 includes a motor and rotates the end effector 230 and the forward / backward drive unit 241 together around a rotation axis aligned vertically. This rotation allows adjustment of the orientation of the end effector 230. Specifically, the rotary drive unit 242 moves the end effector 230 to a processing rotation position where the tip of the long member 23a faces the dry processing unit 30. In this state, the forward / backward drive unit 241 moves the end effector 230 along the forward / backward direction. This allows the local transport unit 22 to move the end effector 230 between a processing transfer position inside the dry processing chamber 31 and a position outside the dry processing chamber 31. The processing transfer position is the position where the substrate W is transferred between the multiple lifting pins 34 and the local transport unit 22.

[0037] In the example shown in Figure 3, the hand movement drive unit 24 does not include a lifting drive unit for raising and lowering the end effector 230.

[0038] The dry processing unit 30 includes a dry processing chamber 31 (corresponding to an example of a processing chamber), a plurality of lifting pins 34 (corresponding to an example of a first support member), and a pin lifting drive unit 341 (corresponding to an example of a first lifting drive unit).

[0039] The dry processing chamber 31 forms a processing space for performing dry processing on the substrate W. The dry processing chamber 31 is provided with a transport processing gate GTP. The transport processing gate GTP is an openable and closable transport entrance / exit, and its opening and closing are controlled by the control unit 90. When the transport processing gate GTP is open, the local transport unit 22 transports the substrate W into and out of the dry processing chamber 31, as described later. When the transport processing gate GTP is closed, the dry processing unit 30 performs dry processing on the substrate W within the dry processing chamber 31.

[0040] Multiple lifting pins 34 are provided inside the dry processing chamber 31 and support the substrate W. Each lifting pin 34 has a rod-like shape extending along the vertical direction, and the tips of the multiple lifting pins 34 (corresponding to the first contact portion) contact the lower surface of the substrate W, thereby supporting the substrate W in a horizontal position. The horizontal position here refers to the position in which the thickness direction of the substrate W is aligned with the vertical direction.

[0041] The pin lifting drive unit 341 moves the multiple lifting pins 34 up and down. The pin lifting drive unit 341 moves the multiple lifting pins 34 to at least the following height positions: first height position H31 (corresponding to an example of a first processing height position), second height position H32 (corresponding to an example of a second processing height position), and third height position H33 (corresponding to an example of a third processing height position).

[0042] The first height position H31 is the position where the tips of the multiple lifting pins 34 are above the first hand 231. The substrate W supported at the first height position H31 is located above the first hand 231. The second height position H32 is the position where the multiple lifting pins 34 can support the substrate W between the first hand 231 and the second hand 232. The substrate W supported at the second height position H32 is separated from both the first hand 231 and the second hand 232. At the second height position H32, the tips of the multiple lifting pins 34 are between the first hand 231 and the second hand 232. The third height position H33 is the position where the tips of the multiple lifting pins 34 are below the second hand 232. The difference (height width) between the first height position H31 and the third height position H33 is greater than the height width between the top surface of the first hand 231 and the bottom surface of the second hand 232. Furthermore, the difference is, for example, 35 mm or less.

[0043] In the example shown in Figure 3, the dry processing unit 30 includes a stage 33. The stage 33 is located inside the dry processing chamber 31. The stage 33 has a plate-like shape and is positioned so that its thickness direction is aligned with the vertical direction. A substrate W is placed on the stage 33 in a horizontal position. The dry processing unit 30 performs dry processing on the substrate W placed on the stage 33.

[0044] In the example shown in Figure 3, at least a portion of the lifting pins 34 are positioned to penetrate the stage 33. The first height position H31 and the second height position H32 are positions where the tips of the multiple lifting pins 34 are above the upper surface of the stage 33, and the third height position H33 is a position where the tips of the multiple lifting pins 34 are below the upper surface of the stage 33.

[0045] The pin lifting drive unit 341 is controlled by the control unit 90. For example, the pin lifting drive unit 341 includes a drive source such as a motor and a power transmission unit that transmits the driving force of the drive source to the lifting pin 34. The power transmission unit includes, for example, a ball screw mechanism.

[0046] In such a dry processing module 1A, the local transport unit 22 can load and unload the substrate W into and out of the dry processing chamber 31 using the first hand 231 and the second hand 232, respectively. The loading and unloading operation will be described below.

[0047] First, the control unit 90 controls the local transport unit 22 to rotate the end effector 230 to the processing rotation position. This causes the end effector 230 to face the transport processing gate GTP. The control unit 90 also opens the transport processing gate GTP. Then, the control unit 90 moves the end effector 230 to the processing transfer position using the local transport unit 22, and moves the lifting pins 34 to the pin lifting drive unit 341, thereby transferring the substrate W between the end effector 230 and the multiple lifting pins 34. For example, in loading or unloading using the first hand 231, the control unit 90, as will be described in detail later, moves the multiple lifting pins 34 to the pin lifting drive unit 341 between a first height position H31 and a second height position H32 or a third height position H33. On the other hand, when loading or unloading using the second hand 232, the control unit 90, as will be described in detail later, instructs the pin lifting drive unit 341 to move the multiple lifting pins 34 between the second height position H32 and the third height position H33.

[0048] First, an example of transporting a substrate W using the first hand 231 will be described. Here, it is assumed that the substrate W is supported by the first hand 231. The local transport unit 22 moves the end effector 230 horizontally to the processing transfer position. The processing transfer position is where the substrate W faces the multiple lifting pins 34 in the vertical direction. Next, the pin lifting drive unit 341 raises the multiple lifting pins 34 from, for example, the third height position H33 to the first height position H31. This transfers the substrate W from the first hand 231 to the multiple lifting pins 34. Next, the local transport unit 22 moves the end effector 230 to a position outside the dry processing chamber 31. In this way, the local transport unit 22 can transport the substrate W into the dry processing chamber 31 using the first hand 231. In the example in Figure 3, a stage 33 is provided, so the pin lifting drive unit 341 lowers the multiple lifting pins 34 to the third height position H33. This allows the circuit board W to be passed to stage 33.

[0049] An example of unloading the substrate W using the first hand 231 is the reverse of the operation described above. That is, first the pin lifting drive unit 341 raises the multiple lifting pins 34 from the third height position H33 to the first height position H31. This transfers the substrate W from the stage 33 to the multiple lifting pins 34. Next, the local transport unit 22 moves the end effector 230 horizontally to the processing transfer position. This causes the first hand 231 to stop directly below the substrate W. Next, the pin lifting drive unit 341 lowers the multiple lifting pins 34 below the first hand 231. For example, the pin lifting drive unit 341 lowers the multiple lifting pins 34 to the second height position H32 or the third height position H33. This descent transfers the substrate W from the lifting pins 34 to the first hand 231. Next, the local transport unit 22 moves the end effector 230 horizontally to a position outside the dry processing chamber 31. In this way, the local transport unit 22 can use the first hand 231 to transport the substrate W out of the dry processing chamber 31.

[0050] Next, an example of transporting a substrate W using the second hand 232 will be described. Here, it is assumed that the substrate W is supported by the second hand 232. The local transport unit 22 moves the end effector 230 to the processing transfer position. As a result, multiple lifting pins 34 are positioned directly below the substrate W. Next, the pin lifting drive unit 341 raises the multiple lifting pins 34 from the third height position H33 to the second height position H32. As a result, the substrate W is transferred from the second hand 232 to the multiple lifting pins 34. Since the lifting pins 34 are located at the second height position H32, the substrate W does not collide with the first hand 231. Next, the local transport unit 22 moves the end effector 230 to a position outside the dry processing chamber 31. In this way, the local transport unit 22 can transport the substrate W into the dry processing chamber 31 using the second hand 232. In the example shown in Figure 3, a stage 33 is provided, so the pin lifting drive unit 341 lowers the multiple lifting pins 34 to a third height position H33. This allows the substrate W to be placed on the stage 33.

[0051] An example of unloading a substrate W from the dry processing chamber 31 using the second hand 232 is the reverse of the operation described above. That is, first, the pin lifting drive unit 341 raises the multiple lifting pins 34 from the third height position H33 to the second height position H32. This transfers the substrate W from the stage 33 to the multiple lifting pins 34. Next, the local transport unit 22 moves the end effector 230 to the processing transfer position. This causes the second hand 232 to stop directly below the substrate W. In this state, the first hand 231 is positioned above the substrate W. That is, the substrate W is positioned between the first hand 231 and the second hand 232. Next, the pin lifting drive unit 341 lowers the multiple lifting pins 34 to the third height position H33. This lowering transfers the substrate W from the multiple lifting pins 34 to the second hand 232. Next, the local transport unit 22 moves the end effector 230 to an outside position of the dry processing chamber 31. In this way, the local transport unit 22 can use the second hand 232 to transport the substrate W out of the dry processing chamber 31.

[0052] As described above, according to the transport structure of the dry processing module 1A in this embodiment, the local transport section 22 includes a first hand 231 and a second hand 232, and the lifting pin 34 moves to the first height position H31, the second height position H32, and the third height position H33, respectively. Therefore, the dry processing module 1A has a simpler structure and can transport the substrate W in and out of the dry processing module 1A using the first hand 231 and the second hand 232, respectively. For example, it is possible to eliminate the need for multiple types of support pins and a support pin rotation mechanism as described in Patent Document 1.

[0053] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, even without providing a lifting drive unit for the end effector 230 in the local transport unit 22, the substrate W can be transported between the local transport unit 20 and the dry processing unit 30 using the first hand 231 and the second hand 232, respectively. If a lifting drive unit is not provided in the local transport unit 22, the vertical size of the local transport unit 22 can be reduced. In other words, since the local transport unit 22 includes the end effector 230 and the hand movement drive unit 24, its vertical size is large, but by omitting the lifting drive unit, the vertical size of the local transport unit 22 can be effectively reduced. Therefore, the vertical size of the dry processing module 1A can be reduced. This is particularly effective in structures that form a tower TW by stacking multiple dry processing modules 1A vertically. In other words, in a tower TW in which multiple dry processing modules 1A are stacked vertically, the size of each dry processing module 1A is added up, so reducing the size of each dry processing module 1A is important.

[0054] Furthermore, since the local transport unit 22 includes a first hand 231 and a second hand 232, two substrates W can be transported within the dry processing module 1A. For example, as will be detailed later, during the period when the dry processing unit 30 is dry processing the substrates W, the local transport unit 22 can support the next substrate W with the first hand 231. Then, when the dry processing unit 30 has finished dry processing the substrates W, the processed substrates W can be unloaded from the dry processing chamber 31 with the second hand 232. Once the processed substrates W on the second hand 232 are unloaded from the local transport unit 22, the local transport unit 22 can load the next substrate W on the first hand 231 into the dry processing chamber 31. Therefore, the next substrate W can be loaded into the dry processing chamber 31 more quickly after the dry processing is completed.

[0055] By the way, in the example shown in Figure 3, the local transport unit 22 is located inside the local transport chamber 21. The local transport chamber 21 is connected to the dry processing chamber 31 via the transport processing gate GTP. The external position of the dry processing chamber 31 is the position inside the local transport chamber 21. Hereafter, the unit including the local transport unit 22 and the local transport chamber 21 will also be referred to as the local transport unit 20.

[0056] In the example shown in Figure 3, the dry processing module 1A also includes a load lock unit 10. In the example shown in Figure 3, the load lock unit 10 includes a load lock chamber 11, a plurality of lifting pins 13 (corresponding to an example of a second support member), and a pin lifting drive unit 14 (corresponding to an example of a second lifting drive unit).

[0057] The load lock chamber 11 is connected to the local transport chamber 21 via the load transport gate GLT. The transport processing gate GTP is an openable / closable discharge entrance, and its opening and closing is controlled by the control unit 90. The rotary drive unit 242 of the local transport unit 22 also rotates the end effector 230 to the load rotation position. The load rotation position is the position where the tip of the long member 23a faces the load lock unit 10. As described later, the local transport unit 22 loads the substrate W into and out of the load lock chamber 11 via the load transport gate GLT.

[0058] In the example shown in Figure 1, the load lock chamber 11 faces the main transport space TS, and a dry transport gate GDT, which is an example of a module transport gate GMT, is provided in the portion facing the main transport space TS. The substrate W is transported between the load lock chamber 11 and the main transport unit 80 through the dry transport gate GDT. In other words, the load lock chamber 11 forms the interface space for the dry processing module 1A. On the other hand, the local transport chamber 21 forms the relay space for the substrate W between the load lock chamber 11 and the dry processing chamber 31, and the dry processing chamber 31 forms the dry processing space as described above.

[0059] In the examples in Figures 1 and 3, the local transport chamber 21 is adjacent to the load lock chamber 11 in the direction of movement Dx. Also in the examples in Figures 1 and 3, the dry processing chamber 31 is adjacent to the local transport chamber 21 in the direction of movement Dx. In other words, in the examples in Figures 1 and 3, the load lock chamber 11, the local transport chamber 21, and the dry processing chamber 31 are arranged in this order in the direction of movement Dx. That is, in the examples in Figures 1 and 3, in each of the dry processing modules 1A, there is a one-to-one relationship between the load lock unit 10 (e.g., load lock chamber 11), the local transport unit 20 (e.g., local transport chamber 21), and the dry processing unit 30 (e.g., dry processing chamber 31). In other words, each of the load lock unit 10 and the local transport unit 20 is a unit dedicated to a single dry processing unit 30.

[0060] The load lock unit 10 switches the load lock chamber 11 between atmospheric pressure and vacuum. In other words, the load lock unit 10 changes the state of the load lock chamber 11 between atmospheric pressure and vacuum, as described later. The main transport unit 80 transports the load lock unit 10 and the substrate W in the atmospheric pressure state. In other words, the main transport unit 80 transports the load lock chamber 11 and the substrate W in the atmospheric pressure state through the dry transport gate GDT.

[0061] As described later, the local transport unit 20 can create a vacuum in the local transport chamber 21, and the dry processing unit 30 can create a vacuum in the dry processing chamber 31. For example, the local transport unit 22 transports the substrate W between the load lock chamber 11 and the dry processing chamber 31 in a vacuum state, and the dry processing unit 30 processes the substrate W in a vacuum state.

[0062] Multiple lifting pins 13 are provided within the load lock chamber 11 and support the substrate W. Each lifting pin 13 has a rod-like shape extending vertically. The tips of the multiple lifting pins 13 (corresponding to the second contact portion) contact the lower surface of the substrate W, thereby supporting the substrate W in a horizontal position.

[0063] The pin lifting drive unit 14 raises and lowers a plurality of lifting pins 13. The pin lifting drive unit 14 moves the plurality of lifting pins 13 to at least the following height positions: first height position H11 (corresponding to an example of the first load height position), second height position H12 (corresponding to an example of the second load height position), and third height position H13 (corresponding to an example of the third load height position). The relative positional relationship between the first height position H11 and the end effector 230 is the same as the relative positional relationship between the first height position H31 and the end effector 230. That is, the first height position H11 is the position where the tips of the plurality of lifting pins 13 are above the first hand 231. The same applies to the second height position H32 and the third height position H33. In other words, the second height position H12 is the position where the tips of the multiple lifting pins 13 are between the first hand 231 and the second hand 232, and the third height position H13 is the position where the tips of the multiple lifting pins 13 are below the second hand 232.

[0064] Since the pin lifting drive unit 14 can move the multiple lifting pins 13 from the first height position H11 to the third height position H13, the local transport unit 22 can load and unload the substrate W into and out of the load lock chamber 11 using the first hand 231 and the second hand 232, respectively. The specific operation of loading and unloading is the same as the operation of loading and unloading into and out of the dry processing chamber 31, so a repetitive explanation will be avoided here.

[0065] With such a dry processing module 1A, the local transport unit 22 can transport the substrate W between the load lock chamber 11 and the dry processing chamber 31 using the first hand 231. In this case, the substrate W moves horizontally between the load lock chamber 11 and the dry processing chamber 31 at the height position of the first hand 231 (first hand position). Similarly, the local transport unit 22 can also transport the substrate W between the load lock chamber 11 and the dry processing chamber 31 using the second hand 232. In this case, the substrate W moves horizontally between the load lock chamber 11 and the dry processing chamber 31 at the height position of the second hand 232 (second hand position).

[0066] <Pressure control system> In the example shown in Figure 3, the processing module 1 including the transport structure according to this embodiment is a dry processing module 1A. Therefore, an example of the configuration of the pressure control system of the dry processing module 1A will also be described.

[0067] The load lock unit 10 includes a first pressure adjustment unit 15. The first pressure adjustment unit 15 adjusts the pressure inside the load lock chamber 11. For example, the first pressure adjustment unit 15 adjusts the pressure inside the load lock chamber 11 to a value within the atmospheric pressure range. This brings the load lock chamber 11 into an atmospheric pressure state. The atmospheric pressure range includes standard atmospheric pressure and, for example, may be 80% or more and 120% or less of standard atmospheric pressure. Alternatively, the first pressure adjustment unit 15 adjusts the pressure inside the load lock chamber 11 to a value within the vacuum range, which is lower than the atmospheric pressure range. This brings the load lock chamber 11 into a vacuum state. The vacuum range may be, for example, one-tenth or less of standard atmospheric pressure, or one-hundredth or less.

[0068] In the example shown in Figure 3, the first pressure adjustment unit 15 includes a first gas suction unit 16 and a first gas supply unit 17. The first gas supply unit 17 supplies gas into the load lock chamber 11. The gas is, for example, an inert gas. The inert gas includes, for example, at least one of a noble gas and nitrogen gas. The noble gas includes, for example, at least one of argon gas and neon gas. The first gas suction unit 16 draws gas from inside the load lock chamber 11.

[0069] In the example shown in Figure 3, the first gas supply unit 17 includes a first supply pipe 171 and a first supply valve 172. The downstream end of the first supply pipe 171 is connected to, for example, the bottom of the load lock chamber 11. The upstream end of the first supply pipe 171 is connected to an inert gas supply source. The inert gas supply source has a storage section (not shown) for storing inert gas. The first supply pipe 171 is provided with a first supply valve 172. The first supply valve 172 is controlled by a control unit 90 to switch the opening and closing of the first supply pipe 171.

[0070] In the example shown in Figure 3, the first gas suction unit 16 includes a first suction pipe 161, a first pressure regulating valve 162, and a suction unit VP. The upstream end of the first suction pipe 161 is connected to, for example, the bottom of the load lock chamber 11. The downstream end of the first suction pipe 161 is connected to the suction unit VP. The suction unit VP is, for example, a pump and is controlled by the control unit 90. The suction unit VP draws gas from the load lock chamber 11 through the first suction pipe 161. The first suction pipe 161 is provided with a first pressure regulating valve 162. The first pressure regulating valve 162 is controlled by the control unit 90. The first pressure regulating valve 162 adjusts the pressure in the load lock chamber 11 by adjusting its opening. The first pressure regulating valve 162 is, for example, an auto pressure controller. The first pressure regulating valve 162 may have a built-in pressure sensor, or a pressure sensor may be provided in the load lock chamber 11. The first pressure regulating valve 162 can adjust the pressure in the load lock chamber 11 with greater precision by adjusting its opening degree according to the value detected by the pressure sensor. The same applies to the other pressure regulating valves described later.

[0071] The local transport unit 20 includes a second pressure adjustment unit 25. The second pressure adjustment unit 25 adjusts the pressure inside the local transport chamber 21. Specifically, the second pressure adjustment unit 25 adjusts the pressure inside the local transport chamber 21 to a value within the vacuum range. This creates a vacuum state in the local transport chamber 21. The second pressure adjustment unit 25 includes a second gas suction unit 26 and a second gas supply unit 27. The second gas supply unit 27 supplies gas (e.g., inert gas) into the local transport chamber 21. The second gas suction unit 26 draws gas from inside the local transport chamber 21. In the example in Figure 3, the second gas supply unit 27 includes a second supply pipe 271 and a second supply valve 272, and the second gas suction unit 26 includes a second suction pipe 261, a second pressure adjustment valve 262, and a suction unit VP. These configurations are the same as those of the first pressure adjustment unit 15, so a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0072] The dry processing unit 30 includes a third pressure adjustment unit 35. The third pressure adjustment unit 35 adjusts the pressure inside the dry processing chamber 31. Specifically, the third pressure adjustment unit 35 adjusts the pressure inside the dry processing chamber 31 to a value within the vacuum range. This creates a vacuum state in the dry processing chamber 31. The third pressure adjustment unit 35 includes a third gas suction unit 36 ​​and a third gas supply unit 37. The third gas supply unit 37 supplies gas (e.g., inert gas) into the dry processing chamber 31. The third gas suction unit 36 ​​draws gas from inside the dry processing chamber 31. In the example in Figure 3, the third gas supply unit 37 includes a third supply pipe 371 and a third supply valve 372, and the third gas suction unit 36 ​​includes a third suction pipe 361, a third pressure adjustment valve 362, and a suction unit VP. These configurations are the same as those of the first pressure adjustment unit 15, so a detailed explanation is omitted. In the example shown in Figure 3, the downstream end of the third supply pipe 371 is connected to the side of the dry processing chamber 31.

[0073] <Processing structure> The dry processing unit 30 includes a processing gas supply unit 38. The processing gas supply unit 38 supplies processing gas into the dry processing chamber 31. The processing gas acts on the main surface (in this case, the top surface) of the substrate W placed on the substrate placement unit 32 (specifically, the stage 33). This allows for dry processing on the main surface of the substrate W according to the type of processing gas. As an example, the processing gas is an etching gas. The etching gas removes the material to be etched from the substrate W. As a specific example, the processing gas may include hydrogen fluoride gas and may also include water vapor. By acting on the oxide film (e.g., silicon oxide film) of the substrate W with hydrogen fluoride gas (and water vapor), the oxide film can be etched. This dry processing may leave residues of the processing gas components (e.g., fluorine), by-products, or residues of the material to be etched on the main surface of the substrate W.

[0074] In the example shown in Figure 3, the processing gas supply unit 38 includes a supply pipe 381, a supply valve 382, ​​and a flow rate control valve 383. The downstream end of the supply pipe 381 is connected to, for example, the side of the dry processing chamber 31. In the example shown in Figure 3, the supply pipe 381 and the third supply pipe 371 merge into a common pipe, the downstream end of which is connected to the side of the dry processing chamber 31. The upstream end of the supply pipe 381 is connected to a processing gas supply source. The processing gas supply source has a storage section (not shown) for storing the processing gas. The supply pipe 381 is provided with a supply valve 382 and a flow rate control valve 383. The supply valve 382 is controlled by the control unit 90 to switch the opening and closing of the supply pipe 381. The flow rate control valve 383 is controlled by the control unit 90 to adjust the flow rate of the processing gas flowing through the supply pipe 381. If the processing gas contains multiple types of gases, a supply pipe 381, a supply valve 382, ​​and a flow control valve 383 corresponding to each type may be provided.

[0075] The dry processing unit 30 may include a plasma reactor for plasmaizing the processing gas. The plasma reactor may be, for example, a capacitively coupled or inductively coupled plasma reactor. The dry processing unit 30 may perform plasma processing on the substrate W by acting various active species (e.g., ions or radicals) contained in the plasma on the main surface of the substrate W.

[0076] Incidentally, in the example described above, the hand movement drive unit 24 of the local transport unit 22 does not include a lifting drive unit for raising and lowering the end effector 230. In this case, the end effector 230 does not move up or down. Therefore, the height and width of the load transport gate GLT and the transport processing gate GTP can be reduced. As a result, the cost of each gate can be reduced.

[0077] Furthermore, the distance between the first hand 231 and the second hand 232 is fixed, and the hand movement drive unit 24 moves the first hand 231 and the second hand 232 together horizontally. Therefore, compared to the case where drive units are provided to move the first hand 231 and the second hand 232 individually, the vertical size of the local transport unit 22 can be reduced, and the manufacturing cost of the local transport unit 22 can be reduced.

[0078] Furthermore, since it is not necessary to raise the end effector 230 above the lifting pin 34 within the dry processing chamber 31, the vertical size of the dry processing chamber 31 can be reduced. This reduces the volume of the dry processing chamber 31. Therefore, the third pressure adjustment unit 35 can adjust the pressure inside the dry processing chamber 31 with greater precision. Since the pressure value inside the dry processing chamber 31 affects the result of the dry processing on the substrate W, the dry processing unit 30 can perform the dry processing on the substrate W with greater precision. Similarly, the first pressure adjustment unit 5 can adjust the pressure inside the load lock chamber 11 with greater precision.

[0079] <An example of the operation of the dry processing module> The following describes an example of operation when three substrates W are sequentially transported to the dry processing module 1A. In the following, the substrate W that is first transported to the dry processing module 1A will be called the first substrate W1, the substrate W that is transported to the dry processing module 1A after the first substrate W1 will be called the second substrate W2, and the substrate W that is transported to the dry processing module 1A after the second substrate W2 will be called the third substrate W3.

[0080] Figures 4 and 5 are flowcharts illustrating an example of the operation of the dry processing module 1A. Figures 6 to 8 are schematic diagrams showing an example of how the dry processing module 1A changes during operation. Initially, the first pressure adjustment unit 15 adjusts the pressure in the load lock chamber 11 to a value within the vacuum range, the second pressure adjustment unit 25 adjusts the pressure in the local transport chamber 21 to a value within the vacuum range, and the third pressure adjustment unit 35 adjusts the pressure in the dry processing chamber 31 to a value within the vacuum range.

[0081] First, the control unit 90 controls the first pressure adjustment unit 15 to adjust the pressure inside the load lock chamber 11 to within the atmospheric pressure range (step S1). For example, the control unit 90 opens the first supply valve 172 and closes the first pressure adjustment valve 162. As a result, inert gas is supplied into the load lock chamber 11, and the pressure inside the load lock chamber 11 increases.

[0082] Next, the control unit 90 opens the dry transport gate GDT and controls the main transport unit 80 to load the unprocessed first substrate W1 into the load lock chamber 11 (step S2). As a result, the first substrate W1 is supported by a plurality of lifting pins 13, as shown in the uppermost part of Figure 6. In the example in Figure 6, the plurality of lifting pins 13 are stopped at a first height position H11.

[0083] Next, the control unit 90 closes the transport dry gate GTD and controls the first pressure adjustment unit 15 to reduce the pressure in the load lock chamber 11 to a value within the vacuum range (step S3). For example, the control unit 90 opens the first supply valve 172 while controlling the first pressure adjustment valve 162. As a result, the gas in the load lock chamber 11 is mainly drawn in, and the pressure in the load lock chamber 11 decreases. Since the opening degree of the first pressure adjustment valve 162 is dynamically adjusted according to the pressure in the load lock chamber 11, the pressure can be adjusted to the vacuum range with greater precision.

[0084] Next, the control unit 90 opens the load transport gate GLT and controls the pin lifting drive unit 14 and the local transport unit 22 to move the first substrate W1 from the load lock chamber 11 into the local transport chamber 21 using either the first hand 231 or the second hand 232 (step S4). Here, as an example, the first hand 231 is used. In this case, first, the control unit 90 controls the local transport unit 22 to move the end effector 230 to the load transfer position. As a result, the first hand 231 is positioned directly below the first substrate W1, as shown second from the top in Figure 6. The control unit 90 controls the pin lifting drive unit 14 to lower the multiple lifting pins 13 to the second height position H12 or the third height position H13. As a result, the first substrate W1 is transferred from the multiple lifting pins 13 to the first hand 231. Then, as shown third from the top in Figure 6, the control unit 90 controls the local transport unit 22 to move the end effector 230 into the local transport chamber 21 and close the load transport gate GLT.

[0085] Next, the control unit 90 opens the transport processing gate GTP and controls the local transport unit 22 and the pin lifting drive unit 341 to transport the first substrate W1 into the dry processing chamber 31 (step S5: first processing transport step). Here, the first hand 231 transports the first substrate W1 into the dry processing chamber 31. Specifically, the control unit 90 controls the local transport unit 22 to move the end effector 230 to the processing transfer position, and then controls the pin lifting drive unit 341 to raise the multiple lifting pins 34 from, for example, the third height position H33 to the first height position H31. As a result, the first substrate W1 is transferred from the first hand 231 to the multiple lifting pins 34, as shown in the fourth position from the top of Figure 6. Next, the control unit 90 controls the local transport unit 22 to move the end effector 230 into the local transport chamber 21, and then controls the pin lifting drive unit 341 to lower the multiple lifting pins 34 to the third height position H33. As a result, the first substrate W1 is passed to the stage 33, as shown in the bottom row of Figure 6. Then, the control unit 90 closes the transport processing gate GTP.

[0086] Next, the control unit 90 controls the third pressure adjustment unit 35 and the processing gas supply unit 38 to perform dry processing on the first substrate W1 in the dry processing chamber 31 (step S6: first processing step). For example, the control unit 90 controls the third pressure adjustment unit 35 to adjust the pressure in the dry processing chamber 31 to a processing range suitable for processing, while controlling the processing gas supply unit 38 to supply processing gas into the dry processing chamber 31. The processing gas acts on the main surface of the substrate W. As a result, processing is performed on the substrate W according to the type of processing gas.

[0087] Meanwhile, after the load transport gate GLT is closed, the control unit 90 controls the first pressure adjustment unit 15 to adjust the pressure inside the load lock chamber 11 to within the atmospheric pressure range (step S7). Step S7 is the same as step S4. In the example in Figure 4, step S7 is performed in parallel with at least part of steps S5 and S6. For example, as shown fourth from the top in Figure 6, the first pressure adjustment unit 15 supplies inert gas to the load lock chamber 11 during transport of the first substrate W1 to the dry processing unit 30 to adjust the pressure inside the load lock chamber 11 to within the atmospheric pressure range.

[0088] Next, the control unit 90 opens the dry transport gate GDT and controls the main transport unit 80 to load the unprocessed second substrate W2 into the load lock chamber 11 (step S8: first load loading step). In the example in Figure 4, step S8 is performed in parallel with at least part of steps S5 and S6. For example, as shown in the bottom row of Figure 6, the main transport unit 80 loads the second substrate W2 into the load lock chamber 11 while the first substrate W1 is being dry-processed. As a result, the second substrate W2 is supported by a plurality of lifting pins 13. In the example in Figure 6, the plurality of lifting pins 13 are located at a first height position H11. Then, the control unit 90 closes the dry transport gate GDT.

[0089] Next, the control unit 90 controls the first pressure adjustment unit 15 to reduce the pressure in the load lock chamber 11 to a value within the vacuum range (step S9: first pressure reduction step). Step S9 is the same as step S3. In the example in Figure 4, step S9 is performed in parallel with at least part of steps S5 and S6. For example, as shown in the top row of Figure 7, the first pressure adjustment unit 15 sucks gas from the load lock chamber 11 during the dry processing of the first substrate W1 to reduce the pressure in the load lock chamber 11 to within the vacuum range.

[0090] After both steps S5 and S9 are completed, the second substrate W2 is made to wait on the lifting pins 13 or the first hand 231 until the dry processing of the first substrate W1 is completed (i.e., until step S6 is completed) (step S10: first waiting step). Here, the second substrate W2 is made to wait on the first hand 231. First, as shown in the second and third images from the top of Figure 7, the control unit 90 opens the load transport gate GLT and controls the pin lifting drive unit 14 and the local transport unit 22 to move the second substrate W2 from the load lock chamber 11 into the local transport chamber 21 using the first hand 231. As a result, the second substrate W2 is supported by the first hand 231 within the local transport chamber 21. The second substrate W2 waits on the first hand 231 within the local transport chamber 21 until the dry processing of the first substrate W1 is completed.

[0091] Once sufficient drying has been performed on the first substrate W1, the control unit 90 controls the processing gas supply unit 38 to stop the supply of processing gas. This completes the drying process.

[0092] Next, the control unit 90 opens the transport processing gate GTP and controls the local transport unit 22 and the pin lifting drive unit 341 to remove the first substrate W1 from the dry processing chamber 31 (step S11: first processing removal step). The first substrate W1 is passed to the other of the first hand 231 and the second hand 232 (i.e., the hand on which the second substrate W2 is not placed). Here, the first substrate W1 is passed to the second hand 232.

[0093] Specifically, first, the control unit 90 controls the pin lifting drive unit 341 to raise the multiple lifting pins 34 from the third height position H33 to the second height position H32. This allows the first substrate W1 to be transferred from the stage 33 to the multiple lifting pins 34. Then, the control unit 90 controls the local transport unit 22 to move the end effector 230 to the processing transfer position. As a result, the second hand 232 is positioned directly below the first substrate W1, as shown in the third position from the top of Figure 7. In other words, the first substrate W1 is positioned between the first hand 231 and the second hand 232. Next, the control unit 90 controls the pin lifting drive unit 341 to lower the multiple lifting pins 34 to the third height position H33. This allows the first substrate W1 to be transferred from the multiple lifting pins 34 to the second hand 232. Then, the control unit 90 controls the local transport unit 22 to move the end effector 230 into the local transport chamber 21 and close the transport processing gate GTP. As a result, the first substrate W1 and the second substrate W2 are supported by the first hand 231 and the second hand 232, respectively, within the local transport chamber 21, as shown in the bottom row of Figure 7.

[0094] As described above, the local transport unit 22 uses the second hand 232 to transport the first substrate W1 out of the dry processing chamber 31 while the first hand 231 is supporting the second substrate W2.

[0095] Next, the control unit 90 opens the load transport gate GLT and controls the pin lifting drive unit 14 and the local transport unit 22 to unload the first substrate W1 from the local transport chamber 21 (step S12: first local unloading step). Specifically, first, the control unit 90 controls the pin lifting drive unit 14 to lower the multiple lifting pins 13 to the third height position H13, and then controls the local transport unit 22 to move the end effector 230 to the load transfer position. As a result, the multiple lifting pins 13 are positioned directly below the first substrate W1. Next, the control unit 90 controls the pin lifting drive unit 14 to raise the multiple lifting pins 13 to the second height position H12. As a result, the first substrate W1 is transferred from the second hand 232 to the multiple lifting pins 13, as shown in the top row of Figure 8. Then, the control unit 90 controls the local transport unit 22 to move the end effector 230 into the local transport chamber 21 and close the load transport gate GLT. As a result, as shown second from the top in Figure 8, the processed first substrate W1 is supported by the lifting pins 13 in the load lock chamber 11, and the unprocessed second substrate W2 is supported by the first hand 231 in the local transport chamber 21.

[0096] As described above, the local transport unit 22 transports the first substrate W1 from the local transport chamber 21 to the load lock chamber 11 with the second hand 232 while the first hand 231 is supporting the second substrate W2.

[0097] Next, the control unit 90 controls the local transport unit 22 and the pin lifting drive unit 341 to transport the second substrate W2 into the dry processing chamber 31 (step S13: second processing transport step). Specifically, first, the control unit 90 controls the local transport unit 22 to move the end effector 230 to the processing transfer position. This positions the multiple lifting pins 34 directly below the second substrate W2. Then, the control unit 90 controls the pin lifting drive unit 341 to raise the multiple lifting pins 34 to the first height position H31. As a result, the second substrate W2 is transferred from the first hand 231 to the multiple lifting pins 34, as shown in the third position from the top of Figure 8. Next, the control unit 90 controls the local transport unit 22 to move the end effector 230 into the local transport chamber 21, and then controls the pin lifting drive unit 341 to lower the multiple lifting pins 34 to the third height position H33. As a result, the second substrate W2 is passed to stage 33. Then, the control unit 90 closes the transport processing gate GTP.

[0098] Next, the control unit 90 controls the third pressure adjustment unit 35 and the processing gas supply unit 38 to perform dry processing on the second substrate W2 in the dry processing chamber 31 (step S14). Step S14 is the same as step S6.

[0099] On the other hand, after step S12, the control unit 90 controls the first pressure adjustment unit 15 to raise the pressure in the load lock chamber 11 to within the atmospheric pressure range (step S15). Step S15 is the same as step S1. In the example in Figure 5, step S15 is performed in parallel with at least part of steps S13 and S14. For example, as shown second from the top in Figure 8, the first pressure adjustment unit 15 supplies inert gas into the load lock chamber 11 to raise the pressure in the load lock chamber 11 immediately after the load transport gate GLT is closed as the second substrate W2 is loaded into the local transport chamber 21.

[0100] Next, the control unit 90 controls the main transport unit 80 to unload the first substrate W1 from the load lock chamber 11 (step S16: load unloading). In the example in Figure 5, step S16 is performed in parallel with at least part of steps S13 and S14. For example, as shown third from the top in Figure 8, the main transport unit 80 unloads the first substrate W1 from the load lock chamber 11 while the second substrate W2 is being transported to the dry processing unit 30. As a result, the first substrate W1 is no longer in the load lock chamber 11.

[0101] Next, the control unit 90 controls the main transport unit 80 to transport the third substrate W3 to the load lock unit 10 (step S17: second load loading). In the example in Figure 5, step S17 is performed in parallel with at least part of steps S13 and S14. For example, as shown in the bottom row from the top of Figure 8, the main transport unit 80 loads the third substrate W3 into the load lock chamber 11 while the second substrate W2 is undergoing dry processing. As a result, the third substrate W3 is supported by a plurality of lifting pins 13.

[0102] Next, the control unit 90 controls the first pressure adjustment unit 15 to reduce the pressure in the load lock chamber 11 to a value within the vacuum range (step S18: second pressure reduction). Step S18 is the same as step S3. In the example in Figure 5, step S18 is performed in parallel with at least part of steps S13 and S14. For example, the first pressure adjustment unit 15 sucks gas from inside the load lock chamber 11 during the dry processing of the second substrate W2 to reduce the pressure inside the load lock chamber 11.

[0103] After both steps S13 and S18 are completed, the third substrate W3 is placed on multiple lifting pins 13 or the first hand 231 to wait (step S19: second waiting). Here, the third substrate W3 is placed on the first hand 231 to wait. Specifically, first the control unit 90 opens the load transport gate GLT and controls the pin lifting drive unit 14 and the local transport unit 22 to load the third substrate W3 into the local transport chamber 21 using the first hand 231. The third substrate W3 waits on the first hand 231 in the local transport chamber 21 until the dry processing of the second substrate W2 is completed.

[0104] Thereafter, steps S11 to S19 are repeatedly performed on the substrate W in sequence.

[0105] As described above, according to the transport operation described, the loading of the subsequent substrate W (e.g., the second substrate W2) into the load lock chamber 11 (step S8) is performed in parallel with at least a portion of the loading of the preceding substrate W (e.g., the first substrate W1) into the dry processing chamber 31 (step S5) and the dry processing of the preceding substrate W (step S6). Furthermore, the reduction of the pressure inside the load lock chamber 11 to within the vacuum range (step S9) is also performed in parallel with at least a portion of the loading of the preceding substrate W (e.g., the first substrate W1) into the dry processing chamber 31 (step S5) and the dry processing of the preceding substrate W (step S6). The subsequent substrate W then waits in a vacuum state until the dry processing of the preceding substrate W is completed. In other words, in the above example, the pressure adjustment between atmospheric pressure and vacuum for the transport of the subsequent substrate W (steps S7 and S9) is completed by the time the dry processing of the preceding substrate W (step S6) is completed. Therefore, after the dry processing of the preceding substrate W is completed, the subsequent substrate W can be transported into the dry processing chamber 31 in a shorter time (step S12). Thus, the throughput of the substrate processing apparatus 100 can be improved.

[0106] Furthermore, in the example described above, the subsequent substrate W is waiting on the first hand 231 in the local transport chamber 21 immediately preceding the dry processing chamber 31. Therefore, the substrate W is not present in the load lock chamber 11. Consequently, after the dry processing of the preceding substrate W is completed, the preceding substrate W can be removed from the dry processing chamber 31 and loaded into the load lock chamber 11 more quickly. In turn, the subsequent substrate W can be loaded into the dry processing chamber 31 more quickly.

[0107] Incidentally, in the case of dry processing, such as etching processes that etch the target film on the substrate W, there is a risk that by-products resulting from the reaction between the processing gas and the substrate W may adhere to the substrate W as impurities.

[0108] However, in the above example, in step S5, the untreated substrate W is brought into the dry processing chamber 31 using one of the first hand 231 and the second hand 232 (for example, the first hand 231), and in step S11, the processed substrate W is removed from the dry processing chamber 31 using the other of the first hand 231 and the second hand 232 (for example, the second hand 232). This allows the first hand 231 and the second hand 232 to be used separately for the untreated substrate W and the processed substrate W. Therefore, it is possible to avoid impurities adhering to the processed substrate W adhering to the untreated substrate W via the first hand 231 or the second hand 232.

[0109] Furthermore, in the example described above, untreated substrates W are transported by the first hand 231, and treated substrates W are transported by the second hand 232. In this case, the first hand 231 can be said to be a hand exclusively for untreated substrates, and the second hand 232 can be said to be a hand exclusively for treated substrates. Since the first hand 231 is located above the second hand 232, the untreated substrates W are transported horizontally at a higher position than the treated substrates W. Therefore, even if impurities attached to the treated substrates W fall off during the horizontal transport of the treated substrates W, they will not contaminate the transport path of the untreated substrates W. This reduces the possibility of impurities adhering to the untreated substrates W.

[0110] In the example described above, the unprocessed substrate W was transported by the first hand 231, and the processed substrate W was transported by the second hand. However, if, for example, the processed substrate W is cleaner than the unprocessed substrate W, the unprocessed substrate W may be transported by the second hand 232, and the processed substrate W may be transported by the first hand 231. In this case, the second hand 232 can be said to be a hand exclusively for unprocessed substrates, and the first hand 231 can be said to be a hand exclusively for processed substrates. Furthermore, in this case, as will be described in detail below, while the preceding substrate W is being dry-processed, the subsequent substrate W waits in a vacuum state on multiple lifting pins 13 inside the load lock chamber 11.

[0111] Figures 9 and 10 schematically illustrate another example of the changes in the state of the dry processing module 1A during operation. Figures 9 and 10 show an example where the second hand 232 supports an unprocessed substrate W. As shown in Figure 9, after the dry processing of the first substrate W1 is completed, the control unit 90 controls the pin lifting drive unit 341 and the local transport unit 22 to have the first hand 231 remove the processed first substrate W1 from the dry processing chamber 31. Next, the control unit 90 controls the pin lifting drive unit 14 and the local transport unit 22 to have the second hand 232 transport the unprocessed second substrate W2 from the load lock chamber 11 into the local transport chamber 21, and controls the pin lifting drive unit 341 and the local transport unit 22 to transport the second substrate W2 into the dry processing chamber 31. As described above, the local transport unit 22 uses the second hand 232 to transport the second substrate W2 from the load lock chamber 11 to the dry processing chamber 31 while the first hand 231 supports the first substrate W1.

[0112] Then, as shown in Figure 10, the control unit 90 controls the third pressure adjustment unit 35 and the processing gas supply unit 38 to perform dry processing on the second substrate W2 in the dry processing chamber 31. During this dry processing, the control unit 90 controls the pin lifting drive unit 14 and the local transport unit 22 to load the first substrate W1 into the load lock chamber 11 with the first hand 231. Then, while the dry processing of the second substrate W2 is in progress, the control unit 90 controls the first pressure adjustment unit 15 to raise the pressure in the load lock chamber 11 to within the atmospheric pressure range. Next, the control unit 90 controls the main transport unit 80 to unload the first substrate W1 from the load lock chamber 11 and load the third substrate W3 into the load lock chamber 11. Then, while the dry processing of the second substrate W2 is in progress, the control unit 90 controls the first pressure adjustment unit 15 to lower the pressure in the load lock chamber 11 to within the vacuum range. The third substrate W3 remains in a vacuum state on multiple lift-up / lower pins 13 until the dry processing of the second substrate W2 is complete. Thereafter, the same operation is performed sequentially on substrates W.

[0113] <Bellows> In the example shown in Figure 3, the pin lifting drive unit 14 is located in the external space of the load lock chamber 11. In the example shown in Figure 3, the lower ends of the multiple lifting pins 13 are connected to the upper surface of the support plate 18. The support plate 18 has, for example, a plate-like shape and is provided in a position where its thickness direction is aligned with the vertical direction. In the example shown in Figure 3, an opening is formed at the bottom of the load lock chamber 11, and the multiple lifting pins 13 are arranged to pass through this opening. In the example shown in Figure 3, a bellows 19 is provided between the bottom of the load lock chamber 11 and the support plate 18. The bellows 19 has a cylindrical and corrugated shape. In the example shown in Figure 3, multiple bellows 19 are provided, each surrounding the lower portion of the multiple lifting pins 13. The bellows 19 are deformable in the vertical direction. That is, the vertical size of the bellows 19 is variable. The upper end periphery of the bellows 19 is connected to the periphery of the opening of the load lock chamber 11, and the lower end periphery of the bellows 19 is connected to the periphery of the support plate 18.

[0114] The pin lifting drive unit 14 is located below the support plate 18. The pin lifting drive unit 14 is connected to the support plate 18 and moves the support plate 18 up and down. As a result, the multiple lifting pins 13 connected to the support plate 18 move up and down.

[0115] Since the pin lifting drive unit 14 is located outside the load lock chamber 11, the pin lifting drive unit 14 can be placed in an atmospheric pressure space. This improves the reliability of the pin lifting drive unit 14. Also, as shown in Figure 3, a bellows 19 is provided in a one-to-one ratio for each lifting pin 13. This reduces the volume of the vacuum section within the load lock chamber 11 compared to a structure where a single bellows surrounds multiple lifting pins 13. As a result, the first pressure adjustment unit 15 can adjust the pressure inside the load lock chamber 11 with greater precision.

[0116] In the example shown in Figure 3, the pin lifting drive unit 341 is located in the space outside the dry processing chamber 31. In the example shown in Figure 3, the lower ends of the multiple lifting pins 34 are connected to the upper surface of the support plate 342, and a bellows 343 is provided between the bottom of the dry processing chamber 31 and the support plate 342. In the example shown in Figure 3, multiple bellows 343 are provided, each surrounding the lower portion of the multiple lifting pins 34. These are similar to the support plate 18 and the bellows 19, respectively.

[0117] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 100 and the control method for the substrate processing apparatus 100 have been described in detail, but the above description is illustrative in all respects, and this disclosure is not limited thereto. Furthermore, the various modifications described above can be applied in combination as long as they do not contradict each other. And it is understood that many modifications not illustrated can be conceivable without falling outside the scope of this disclosure.

[0118] This disclosure includes the following aspects:

[0119] The first embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus, comprising a processing unit that processes the substrate within the processing chamber, including a processing chamber, a first support member provided within the processing chamber for supporting a substrate, and a first lifting drive unit for raising and lowering the first support member; an end effector that includes a first hand, a second hand provided below the first hand, and a connecting member that connects the first hand and the second hand and fixes the distance between the first hand and the second hand; and the end effector positioned horizontally along the processing transfer position within the processing chamber. The device includes a transport unit that includes a hand movement drive unit that moves the first support member between a position and an external position of the processing chamber, the first lifting drive unit moves the first support member to a first processing height position, a second processing height position and a third processing height position, the first processing height position being a position in which the first contact portion of the first support member that contacts the lower surface of the substrate is above the first hand, the second processing height position being a position in which the first contact portion is between the first hand and the second hand, and the third processing height position being a position in which the first contact portion is below the second hand.

[0120] A second embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus according to the first embodiment, further comprising a load lock chamber, a load lock unit for switching the load lock chamber between atmospheric pressure and a vacuum state, a transport unit provided in a local transport chamber, a processing unit for processing the substrate in the processing chamber under vacuum conditions, a transport unit for transporting the substrate between the load lock chamber and the processing chamber under vacuum conditions, and a load lock unit provided in the load lock chamber for supporting the lower surface of the substrate. The device further includes a second support member and a second lifting drive unit for raising and lowering the second support member, wherein the second lifting drive unit moves the second support member to a first load height position, a second load height position, and a third load height position, the first load height position being a position in which the second contact portion of the second support member that contacts the lower surface of the substrate is above the first hand, the second load height position being a position in which the second contact portion is between the first hand and the second hand, and the third load height position being a position in which the second contact portion is below the second hand.

[0121] A third embodiment is a substrate processing apparatus according to the first or second embodiment, wherein the hand movement drive unit does not include a lifting drive unit for raising and lowering the end effector.

[0122] A fourth aspect is a control method for a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the transport unit moves the end effector to the processing transfer position, the first lifting drive unit moves the first support member between the first processing height position and the second processing height position or the third processing height position, and the first hand loads or unloads the substrate into or out of the processing chamber, and the transport unit moves the end effector to the processing transfer position, the first lifting drive unit moves the first support member between the second processing height position and the third processing height position, and the second hand loads or unloads the substrate into or out of the processing chamber.

[0123] A fifth aspect is a control method for a substrate processing apparatus according to the fourth aspect, comprising: a first processing loading step of loading the substrate into the processing chamber with one of the first hand and the second hand; a first processing step of processing the substrate in the processing chamber; and a first processing unloading step of unloading the substrate from the processing chamber with the other of the first hand and the second hand.

[0124] A sixth aspect is a control method for a substrate processing apparatus according to the second aspect, comprising: a first processing loading step of loading a first substrate into the processing chamber with one of the first hand and the second hand; a first processing step of processing the first substrate in the processing chamber; a first loading loading step performed in parallel with the first processing loading step and at least a part of the first processing step, of loading a second substrate into the load lock chamber so that the second support member supports the second substrate; a first depressurization step performed after the first loading loading step to reduce the pressure in the load lock chamber to within a vacuum range; a first waiting step of holding the second substrate in the second support member or the first hand until the end of the first processing step; and a first processing unloading step performed after the first depressurization step and the first processing step of transporting the first substrate from the processing chamber into the local transport chamber with the other of the first hand and the second hand.

[0125] A seventh aspect is a control method for a substrate processing apparatus according to the sixth aspect, wherein in a first processing loading step, the first substrate is loaded into the processing chamber by the first hand; in a first waiting step, the second substrate is transported from the load lock chamber to the local transport chamber by the first hand; and in a first processing unloading step, the first substrate is unloaded from the processing chamber by the second hand; the control method further comprises, after the first processing unloading step, a first local unloading step in which the first substrate is transported from the local transport chamber to the load lock chamber by the second hand; and after the first local unloading step, a second processing loading step in which the second substrate is loaded into the processing chamber by the first hand.

[0126] According to the first embodiment, a substrate can be loaded into and unloaded from the processing chamber using a simple structure and a first hand and a second hand, respectively.

[0127] According to the second and sixth embodiments, substrates can be transported between the load lock chamber and the processing chamber using the first and second hands. This allows the processing unit to load the next substrate into the load lock chamber and create a vacuum in the load lock chamber while the processing unit is processing the substrate. In other words, the pressure adjustment between atmospheric pressure and vacuum pressure for loading the next substrate can be completed by the end of processing. This allows the next substrate to be loaded into the processing chamber in a shorter time after the processed substrate is removed from the processing chamber.

[0128] According to the third embodiment, the vertical size of the conveying section can be reduced.

[0129] According to the fourth embodiment, the substrate can be loaded into and unloaded from the processing chamber using the first hand and the second hand, respectively.

[0130] According to the fifth embodiment, the first hand and the second hand can be used separately for untreated substrates and treated substrates.

[0131] According to the seventh embodiment, untreated substrates are transported by the first hand, which is above the second hand, and treated substrates are transported by the second hand. Therefore, even if impurities adhere to the substrates during processing and fall off the substrates during transport, the untreated substrates are supported by the first hand, which is higher up, thus reducing the possibility of the impurities adhering to the untreated substrates. [Explanation of symbols]

[0132] 11 Load Lock Chamber 13. Second support member (lifting pin) 14. Second lifting drive unit (pin lifting drive unit) 21 Local transport chamber 22. Conveyor Unit (Local Conveyor Unit) 30 Processing Units (Dry Processing Units) 31 Processing Chamber (Dry Processing Chamber) 34. First support member (lifting pin) 341 First lifting drive unit (pin lifting drive unit) H11 First Road Height Position (First Height Position) H12 Second Road Height Position (Second Height Position) H13 Third Road Height Position (Third Height Position) H31 First processing height position (first height position) H32 Second processing height position (second height position) H33 Third processing height position (Third height position) S5 First Processing and Delivery Step (Step) S6 First processing step (step) S8 First Loading Step (Step) S9 First decompression step (step) S10 First waiting step (step) S11 First Processing and Discharge Step (Step) S12 First local discharge step (step) S13 Second Processing and Delivery Step (Step) W board

Claims

1. A processing unit comprising a processing chamber, a first support member provided within the processing chamber for supporting a substrate, and a first lifting drive unit for raising and lowering the first support member, wherein processing is performed on the substrate within the processing chamber, An end effector including a first hand, a second hand provided below the first hand, and a connecting member that connects the first hand and the second hand and fixes the distance between the first hand and the second hand, and a conveying unit including a hand movement drive unit that moves the end effector horizontally between a processing transfer position inside the processing chamber and a position outside the processing chamber. Equipped with, A substrate processing apparatus in which the first lifting drive unit moves the first support member to a first processing height position, a second processing height position, and a third processing height position, wherein the first processing height position is a position in which the first contact portion of the first support member that contacts the lower surface of the substrate is above the first hand, the second processing height position is a position in which the first contact portion is between the first hand and the second hand, and the third processing height position is a position in which the first contact portion is below the second hand.

2. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, The load lock chamber is included, and the load lock unit further comprises a load lock unit for switching the load lock chamber between atmospheric pressure and vacuum. The transport unit is located inside the local transport chamber. The processing unit performs processing on the substrate in the processing chamber under vacuum conditions. The transport unit transports the substrate between the load lock chamber and the processing chamber under vacuum conditions. The aforementioned load lock unit is A second support member is provided within the load lock chamber and supports the lower surface of the substrate, A second lifting drive unit for raising and lowering the second support member and It further includes, The substrate processing apparatus wherein the second lifting drive unit moves the second support member to a first load height position, a second load height position, and a third load height position, the first load height position being a position in which the second contact portion of the second support member that contacts the lower surface of the substrate is above the first hand, the second load height position being a position in which the second contact portion is between the first hand and the second hand, and the third load height position being a position in which the second contact portion is below the second hand.

3. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, A substrate processing apparatus in which the hand movement drive unit does not include a lifting drive unit for raising and lowering the end effector.

4. A control method for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, The transport unit moves the end effector to the processing transfer position, and the first lifting drive unit moves the first support member between the first processing height position and the second processing height position or the third processing height position, and the first hand loads or unloads the substrate into or out of the processing chamber. A control method for a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: moving the end effector to the processing transfer position in the transport unit; moving the first support member between the second processing height position and the third processing height position in the first lifting drive unit; and using the second hand to transport or load the substrate into the processing chamber.

5. A control method for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, A first processing loading step involves loading the substrate into the processing chamber using one of the first hand and the second hand, A first processing step of performing processing on the substrate in the processing chamber, A first processing and unloading step in which the substrate is unloaded from the processing chamber using the other of the first and second hands, A control method for a substrate processing apparatus, comprising the above.

6. A control method for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, A first processing loading step involves loading the first substrate into the processing chamber using one of the first hand and the second hand, A first processing step of performing processing on the first substrate in the processing chamber, The first loading step is performed in parallel with the first processing loading step and at least a portion thereof, and involves loading the second substrate into the load lock chamber so that the second support member supports the second substrate, After the first load loading step, a first depressurization step is performed to reduce the pressure inside the load lock chamber to within the vacuum range, A first waiting step in which the second substrate is held in the second support member or the first hand until the end of the first processing step, A first processing and unloading step is performed, after the first depressurization step and the first processing step, in which the first substrate is transported from the processing chamber into the local transport chamber by the other of the first hand and the second hand. A control method for a substrate processing apparatus, comprising the above.

7. A control method for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, In the first processing loading step, the first substrate is loaded into the processing chamber with the first hand, In the first waiting step, the second substrate is transported from the load lock chamber to the local transport chamber by the first hand. In the first processing and unloading step, the first substrate is unloaded from the processing chamber by the second hand. The control method described above is A first local unloading step is performed in which the first substrate is transported from the local transport chamber into the load lock chamber by the second hand after the first processing unloading step, A second processing loading step is performed in which the second substrate is loaded into the processing chamber using the first hand after the first local loading step. A control method for a substrate processing device, further equipped with additional features.

Images