Substrate processing apparatus and substrate storage container storage method

Abstract

To store more substrate storage containers than before in a storage unit where substrate processing containers containing substrates are temporarily placed on standby.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device for processing a substrate has a substrate storage container placing unit for placing a substrate storage container that stores a substrate to be processed in the substrate processing device and a storage area arranged in proximity to the substrate storage container placing unit for storing the substrate storage container. The storage area has multiple storage sections for placing and storing a plurality of substrate storage containers in a horizontal direction, in multiple levels above and below the storage area. In other storage sections in the lower level located below the upper storage section in the storage area, a transfer device is further provided that places and stores the substrate storage containers in a different orientation from the substrate storage containers placed and stored in the upper storage section and has a mechanism that can transfer the substrate storage containers and change the horizontal orientation of the substrate storage containers while holding the substrate storage containers between the upper storage section and the other lower storage section.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate storage container storage method. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent document 1 discloses a substrate processing system in which a cassette waiting block, which holds multiple cassettes to be loaded into the substrate processing system, is arranged adjacent to a load / unload block for the substrate processing system. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-10287 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology according to the present disclosure stores more substrate storage containers than ever before in a storage unit where substrate processing containers storing substrates are temporarily parked. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate storage container placement section for placing a substrate storage container that stores substrates to be processed in the substrate processing apparatus; and a storage area arranged adjacent to the substrate storage container placement section for storing the substrate storage container, the storage area having multiple storage sections arranged vertically in which a plurality of the substrate storage containers are placed and stored horizontally, and a lower storage section located below an upper storage section in the storage area stores substrate storage containers placed in a different orientation than the substrate storage containers placed and stored in the upper storage section, the substrate storage containers being capable of being transferred between the upper storage section and the lower storage section, and further comprising a transfer device having a mechanism for changing the orientation of the substrate storage container horizontally while holding the substrate storage container.The upper storage section has a first shelf and the lower storage section has a second shelf of the same length as the first shelf, and the number of the substrate storage containers placed on the second shelf is greater than the number of the substrate storage containers placed on the first shelf. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, a storage unit in which substrate processing containers storing substrates are temporarily parked can store more substrate storage containers than ever before. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a side view showing a schematic outline of a configuration of a wafer processing apparatus according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 2 is a perspective view of the vicinity of a loading / unloading section in the wafer processing apparatus of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view of an uppermost storage section in the wafer processing apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a front view of the wafer processing apparatus of FIG. [Diagram 5] 2 is a perspective view of a transfer device in the wafer processing apparatus of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 2 is a plan view showing a storage state of a cassette placed on the top shelf plate in the wafer processing apparatus of FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is a plan view showing a state in which one of the cassettes placed on the top shelf shown in FIG. 6 has been removed. FIG. [Figure 8] 8 is a plan view showing a state in which the orientation of the cassette removed from the top shelf plate shown in FIG. 7 has been changed. FIG. [Figure 9] 9 is a plan view showing a state in which the cassette shown in FIG. 8 with its orientation changed is placed on the middle shelf board. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] First, the configuration of a conventional substrate (hereinafter, referred to as wafer) processing system disclosed in Patent Document 1 will be described. In the processing system disclosed in Patent Document 1, a cassette storage is provided adjacent to a loading / unloading block of the processing system, as a stocker for storing and waiting a plurality of cassettes to be loaded and unloaded into the loading / unloading block. The cassette storage is usually covered by a casing for controlling the atmosphere, and a loading / unloading opening for the cassettes is formed on the ceiling surface of the casing. In addition, above the cassette storage, a track for an overhead traveling vehicle for transporting cassettes between devices is arranged, and an inter-device cassette transport device is configured to be able to load and unload cassettes from above into and out of the cassette waiting block through the loading / unloading opening.

[0009] As described above, a cassette waiting block generally called FEX (Foup Exchanger) is a device for temporarily storing a plurality of cassettes (Foup) serving as substrate storage containers each containing a plurality of wafers, for example 25 wafers, to be processed in a substrate processing apparatus. A plurality of cassettes, for example about 10 cassettes, are stored inside the FEX. Since the FEX thus has the function of temporarily storing cassettes to be carried in and out of a processing system, it is generally provided adjacent to a carry-in / out block of the processing system, that is, for example, in Patent Document 1, it is provided on the front side of the carry-in / out block of the substrate processing system.

[0010] However, when an FEX stocks multiple cassettes, all the cassettes are stored with their front sides, i.e., the side through which wafers are loaded and unloaded, facing the load / unload block of the substrate processing equipment. In such cases, if one wanted to store more cassettes in the FEX, the FEX had no choice but to be larger.

[0011] Therefore, one aspect of the technology disclosed herein is to store more substrate storage containers than conventionally in a storage area for storing cassettes.

[0012] Hereinafter, the configuration of a wafer processing apparatus as a substrate processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, elements having substantially the same functional configurations are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0013] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the wafer processing apparatus 1 has a configuration in which a loading / unloading station 10 serving as a loading / unloading section for a substrate storage container (hereinafter referred to as a cassette) such as a FOUP that stores multiple substrates, i.e., wafers, is integrally connected to a processing station 20 serving as a processing section equipped with multiple various processing devices (not shown) that perform predetermined processing on the wafers W.

[0014] The load / unload station 10 has a cassette block 11 and a load / unload block 12 that is connected to the cassette block 11 and serves as a load / unload section for relaying wafers between the cassette block 11 and the processing station 20. The cassette block 11 has a cassette mounting table 13 also called a load port, and a plurality of cassettes 30, for example, four cassettes 30 in the illustrated example, can be mounted on the cassette mounting table 13 in a row aligned in the Y direction.

[0015] The carry-in / out block 12 has a transport arm 14 which takes out unprocessed wafers from a cassette C placed on a cassette mounting table 13 and transports them to the processing station 20, and also transports wafers processed in the processing station 20 into a cassette 30 on the cassette mounting table 13. The carry-in / out block 12 is lower in height than the processing station 20, and the cassette mounting table 13 is set to an even lower height than the carry-in / out block 12.

[0016] A cassette storage area 40 is provided above the load-unload block 12 as a storage area. The cassette storage area 40 is configured to store cassettes 30 in three upper and lower storage sections, with the lowest storage section 12a being provided on the upper surface of the load-unload block 12. The middle storage section is set on a shelf 41, and the highest storage section is set on a shelf 42. These shelves 41, 42 are supported by, for example, a wall 20a on the front side of the processing station 20.

[0017] Above the cassette placement stage 13, an overhead hoist transport (OHT) is provided as an overhead vehicle that can move along a transfer path R0 extending in the Y direction, for example. The OHT can hold and transfer the cassette 30 between the wafer processing apparatus 1 and another wafer processing apparatus provided outside the wafer processing apparatus 1, and can lower to deliver the cassette 30 from above to a placement plate 42a of a shelf plate 41, which will be described later. As shown in FIG. 2, the cassette 30 has a front portion 31 for inserting and removing the wafer, and a plate-like locking portion 32 that is square in plan view and provided on the upper surface. The OHT moves along the transfer path R0 while holding the locking portion 32 with the front portion 31 of the cassette 30 facing the processing station 20 of the wafer processing apparatus 1.

[0018] As shown in Fig. 3, the shelf 42 serving as the topmost storage section can store four cassettes 30 aligned in the Y direction. Each cassette 30 is placed on a placement plate 42a provided on the shelf 42. Each placement plate 42a serving as a substrate support section is provided with a support member 42b that directly supports the lower surface of the cassette 30. As shown in Fig. 3, the placement plate 42a is slidable in the X direction, and by moving in the negative X direction, the placement plate 42a can receive the cassette 30 held by the OHT at a position above the cassette placement table 13, and the OHT can receive the cassette 30 on the placement plate 42a.

[0019] In this manner, the shelf 42 serving as the uppermost storage section places the cassettes 30 in an aligned manner with the front portions 31 of the cassettes 30 facing the processing station 20, similar to the cassette placement table 13.

[0020] On the other hand, the lowest storage section 12a and the shelf 41 serving as the middle storage section provided on the upper surface of the loading / unloading block 12 store cassettes 30 in a different orientation than the cassettes 30 placed on the top shelf 42, i.e., with all of the front portions 31 facing in the negative Y direction, as shown in Figures 2 and 4.

[0021] The length in the Y direction of the shelf 41 and the storage section 12a is the same as that of the top shelf 42, but since this type of cassette 30 has a depth shorter than a width, by aligning and placing the cassettes 30 with their front surfaces 31 facing in the negative Y direction, more cassettes 30 can be placed and stored than when placed and stored on the top shelf 42. In the illustrated example, five cassettes 30 can be placed and stored on the shelf 41 and the storage section 12a. Therefore, more cassettes 30 can be stored when the cassettes 30 placed on the shelf 41 and the storage section 12a are placed with their front surfaces 31 facing the processing station 20, like the cassettes 30 placed on the top shelf 42.

[0022] In such a case, as described above, the cassette 30 received from the OHT is placed on the top shelf 42 with its front surface 31 facing the processing station 20, so it is necessary to change the orientation of the cassette 30 and transfer it to the shelf 41 and storage section 12a.

[0023] In this embodiment, such a function is realized by the transfer device support mechanism 50 and the transfer device 60 shown in Fig. 5. That is, as shown in Fig. 2, the transfer device support mechanism 50 has support pillars 51 and 52 on both sides of the cassette mounting table 13, for example. A transfer device support member 53 is stretched between the support pillars 51 and 52. This transfer device support member 53 can be moved up and down in the Z direction along the support pillars 51 and 52 by an appropriate drive mechanism (not shown).

[0024] The transfer device 60 has a base 61 which is movable in the longitudinal direction of the transfer device support member 53, i.e., in the Y direction, by an appropriate drive mechanism (not shown). The base 61 is provided with a slide body 62 which is movable in the X direction by an appropriate drive mechanism (not shown). A holding portion 63 is provided on the lower surface side of the slide body 62 so as to be rotatable by an appropriate drive mechanism (not shown). The holding portion 63 according to the embodiment has a configuration which holds the locking portion 32 provided on the upper surface of the cassette 30 by embracing the locking portion 32 from both sides.

[0025] 5 in the positive X-direction, the locking portion 32 of the cassette 30 is held by the holding portion 63. Then, for example, the sliding body 62 is retracted in the negative X-direction, and the holding portion 63 is rotated by the rotation mechanism, whereby the orientation of the held cassette 30 can be changed. In this embodiment, the orientation of the cassette 30 can be changed to any orientation within 360 degrees.

[0026] With the above configuration, the transfer device 60 is capable of three-dimensional movement, and is also capable of rotating the held cassette 30 at least 90 degrees in the horizontal direction around the held position.

[0027] Next, an example of a procedure for transferring the cassette 30 in an embodiment having the transfer device 60 having such a configuration will be described.

[0028] First, as described above, the placement plate 42a of the shelf 42, which is the top storage section, slides in the negative X direction and waits at the receiving position, as shown in Fig. 3. Next, the cassette 30 held by the OHT is lowered as it is and placed on the placement plate 42a. The placement plate 42a with the cassette 30 placed thereon slides in the positive X direction and returns to a predetermined position on the shelf 42. For example, a state in which four cassettes 30 are placed on the shelf 42 is shown in the plan view of Fig. 6.

[0029] 5, the transfer device 60 moves to a position for removing the cassette 30, and moves the slider 62 in the positive X direction to hold the locking portion 32 of the cassette 30. In this state, the transfer device 60 is temporarily raised, and then the slider 62 is moved in the negative X direction to move the cassette 30 away from the shelf board 42, as shown in FIG.

[0030] Thereafter, by rotating the holding portion 63 by the rotation mechanism, the orientation of the held cassette 30 can be changed as shown in Fig. 8. In the example of Fig. 8, the front portion 31 of the cassette 30 is rotated 90 degrees clockwise.

[0031] In this state, the transfer device 60 is moved in the Z direction to a position set slightly higher than the height of the shelf 41 or storage section 12a on which the cassette 30 will be placed by changing its orientation, and the base 61 is moved in the Y direction to a position where the cassette 30 will be placed on the shelf 41 or storage section 12a, as shown in Fig. 9. In the example of Fig. 9, the cassette 30 is to be placed on the middle shelf 41. Such movements of the transfer device 60 in the Z direction and the Y direction may be performed simultaneously.

[0032] Thereafter, the slide body 62 of the transfer device 60 is moved toward the shelf board 41, and the held cassette 0 is moved onto the support member 41b of a predetermined placement plate 41a of the shelf board 41. Next, the transfer device 60 is lowered, and once the cassette 30 is placed on the support member 41b at the predetermined position, the slide body 62 is retracted.

[0033] By moving the transfer device 60 in this manner, the cassettes 30 can be rotated and aligned on the shelf boards 41 or the storage section 12a for storage.

[0034] As described above, by placing cassettes 30 on shelf 41, storage section 12a in a direction opposite to that of top shelf 42, more cassettes 30 can be stored in cassette storage area 40 than in the past.

[0035] In addition, when the cassette 30 that has been placed in such a manner with its front portion 31 facing the negative Y direction as shown in FIG. 2 is placed on the cassette placement table 13 with its front portion 31 facing the negative Y direction, the transfer device 60 may be moved in the reverse order to the above-described procedure. That is, the slide body 62 is advanced relative to the cassette 30 placed on the shelf 41 to hold the locking portion 32 of the cassette 30 with the holding portion 63, and then the transfer device 60 is temporarily raised and retreated, and then the holding portion 63 is rotated counterclockwise to face the front portion 31 of the held cassette 30 toward the processing station 20. Then, the cassette 30 may be placed in a predetermined position on the cassette placement table 13 as it is. The same procedure is followed when transferring the cassette 30 to the top shelf 42.

[0036] The transfer device 60 is not limited to the configuration shown above, but may be any configuration capable of three-dimensional movement and rotating the held cassette 30 by 90 degrees or more in the horizontal direction.

[0037] In the embodiment described above, the cassette storage area 40 is provided above the carry-in / out block 12, so that it is possible to load and store a large number of cassettes 30 to be temporarily placed on standby without increasing the floor area of ​​the wafer processing apparatus 1.

[0038] As mentioned above, the transport arm 14 is provided within the load-loading block 12. However, since the load-loading block 12 is normally a compartment that is hermetically closed, there is no passage of dust or particles between the cassette storage area 40 set up above the load-loading block 12 and the interior of the load-loading block 12.

[0039] Furthermore, in order to maintain a clean atmosphere in the cassette storage area 40 itself, for example, the transfer device support mechanism 50, the transfer device 60 and the entire cassette storage area 40 can be covered with panels or the like, and an opening through which the OHT and cassette 30 can pass can be formed only in the portion where the cassette 30 is transferred between the OHT and the top shelf 42, or a shutter that can open and close the opening itself can be provided.

[0040] Furthermore, when even more cassettes 30 are to be stored, another storage area similar to the cassette storage area 40 may be provided, for example, on the opposite side (negative X-direction) from the processing station 20 across the transfer device support mechanism 50 and the transfer device 60. In this case, too, if the other storage area is provided with multiple upper and lower shelves on which the cassettes 30 are placed and stored by changing their orientation, as in the cassette storage area 40, it will be possible to accommodate and store a very large number of cassettes 30. In this case, since the slide body 62 of the transfer device 60 is movable in the X-direction as described above, it is possible to access the cassettes and shelves stored in the other storage area.

[0041] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

[0042] Note that the following configurations also fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. (1) A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate storage container mounting section for mounting a substrate storage container that stores substrates to be processed in the substrate processing apparatus; and a storage area arranged adjacent to the substrate storage container mounting section for storing the substrate storage containers, wherein the storage area has multiple storage sections arranged vertically in which a plurality of the substrate storage containers are mounted and stored horizontally, the uppermost storage section being capable of transferring the substrate storage containers to and from an overhead traveling vehicle that moves above the substrate processing apparatus, and other storage sections located below the uppermost storage section mounting and storing substrate storage containers in a different orientation than the substrate storage container mounted and stored in the uppermost storage section. (2) A substrate processing apparatus as described in (2), further comprising a loading / unloading section for loading / unloading the substrate between a substrate storage container on the substrate storage container mounting section and a processing section side of the substrate processing apparatus, and the storage area is provided above the loading / unloading section. (3) A substrate processing apparatus as described in either (1) or (2), wherein the storage section located at the top is equipped with a substrate support section that is movable between a position above the substrate storage container loading section for transferring the substrate storage container to and from the ceiling traveling vehicle, and a position for storing the substrate storage container. (4) the loading / unloading section includes a transport arm for loading / unloading the substrate between a substrate storage container on the substrate storage container placement section and a processing section of the substrate processing apparatus; The substrate processing apparatus according to either (2) or (3), wherein the loading / unloading section is airtightly partitioned from the storage area. (5) A transfer device capable of transferring the substrate storage container between a topmost storage section, another storage section located below the topmost storage section, and the substrate storage container placement section, The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the transfer device includes a mechanism for changing the orientation of the substrate storage container in a horizontal direction while holding the substrate storage container. (6) The substrate processing apparatus according to (5), wherein the transfer device is movable in three dimensions and has a rotation mechanism that rotates the held substrate storage container by at least 90 degrees in the horizontal direction around the holding position. (7) A substrate processing apparatus as described in either (5) or (6), further comprising another storage area for storing substrate storage containers, located opposite the storage area across from the substrate storage container mounting section, and the transfer device is capable of transferring substrate storage containers stored in the other storage area to the uppermost storage section and the substrate storage container mounting section. (8) A method for storing a substrate storage container for storing substrates, comprising the steps of: the substrate storage container is stored in a storage area disposed adjacent to a substrate storage container placement unit in a substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates; The storage area includes storage sections in which the substrate storage containers are placed and stored in a horizontal direction, the storage sections being arranged in multiple vertical stages, the storage unit located at the top is capable of transferring the substrate storage container between the storage unit and an overhead traveling vehicle that moves above the substrate processing apparatus; The substrate storage container storage method includes storing substrate storage containers in another storage section located below the topmost storage section, the substrate storage containers being placed and stored in a different orientation than the substrate storage containers placed and stored in the topmost storage section. [Explanation of symbols]

[0043] 1. Wafer Processing Equipment 10 Loading / unloading station 11 Cassette Block 12 Loading / unloading block 12a Storage section 13 Cassette placement table 20 Processing Stations 30 Cassettes 31 Front part 32 Locking part 40 Cassette Storage Area 41, 42 Shelf 41a, 42a Mounting plate 50 Transfer device support mechanism 51, 52 Support column 53 Transfer device support member 60 Transfer equipment 61 Base 62 Slide body 63 Holding part

Claims

1. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, a substrate storage container placement section for placing a substrate storage container that stores substrates to be processed in the substrate processing apparatus; a storage area disposed adjacent to the substrate storage container placement portion and configured to store the substrate storage container; the storage area has multiple storage sections arranged vertically in multiple stages in which the substrate storage containers are placed and stored in a horizontal direction; a substrate storage container is placed and stored in a lower storage section located below the upper storage section in the storage area in a different orientation from the substrate storage container placed and stored in the upper storage section; a transfer device capable of transferring the substrate storage container between the upper storage section and another storage section on the lower side and having a mechanism for changing the orientation of the substrate storage container in a horizontal direction while holding the substrate storage container; The upper storage section has a first shelf, the lower storage section has a second shelf having the same length as the first shelf; The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the number of the substrate storage containers placed on the second shelf is greater than the number of the substrate storage containers placed on the first shelf.

2. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, a substrate storage container placement section for placing a substrate storage container that stores substrates to be processed in the substrate processing apparatus; a storage area arranged adjacent to the substrate storage container placement portion and configured to store the substrate storage container; the storage area has storage sections in which the substrate storage containers are placed and stored in a horizontal direction, the storage sections being arranged in multiple vertical stages, a substrate storage container is placed and stored in a lower storage section located below the upper storage section in the storage area in a different orientation from the substrate storage container placed and stored in the upper storage section; a loading / unloading section including a transport arm that transports the substrate between a substrate storage container on the substrate storage container placement section and a processing section of the substrate processing apparatus, The loading / unloading unit is lower in height than the processing unit, and at least one of the storage units is provided above the loading / unloading unit; The upper storage section has a first shelf, the lower storage section has a second shelf having the same length as the first shelf; The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the number of the substrate storage containers placed on the second shelf is greater than the number of the substrate storage containers placed on the first shelf.

3. 3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the upper storage section is provided with a substrate support section that is movable between a position for transferring the substrate storage container to an overhead traveling vehicle that moves above the substrate processing apparatus above the substrate storage container loading section and a position for storing the substrate storage container.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a rotation mechanism that is movable in three dimensions and rotates the held substrate storage container by at least 90 degrees in a horizontal direction around a holding position.

5. A method for storing a substrate storage container that stores substrates, comprising the steps of: the substrate storage container is stored in a storage area disposed adjacent to a substrate storage container placement unit in a substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates; In the storage area, storage sections for storing the substrate storage containers in a horizontal direction are provided in multiple levels, one above the other, a substrate storage container is placed and stored in a lower storage section located below the upper storage section in the storage area in a different orientation from the substrate storage container placed and stored in the upper storage section; The upper storage section has a first shelf, the lower storage section has a second shelf having the same length as the first shelf; the number of the substrate storage containers placed on the second shelf is greater than the number of the substrate storage containers placed on the first shelf; A substrate storage container storage method, in which the substrate storage container is transferred between the upper storage section and another lower storage section by a transfer device having a mechanism for changing the orientation of the substrate storage container horizontally while holding it.

6. A method for storing a substrate storage container that stores substrates, comprising the steps of: the substrate storage container is stored in a storage area disposed adjacent to a substrate storage container placement unit in a substrate processing apparatus for processing substrates; In the storage area, storage sections for storing the substrate storage containers in a horizontal direction are provided in multiple levels, one above the other, a substrate storage container is placed and stored in a lower storage section located below the upper storage section in the storage area in a different orientation from the substrate storage container placed and stored in the upper storage section; The upper storage section has a first shelf, the lower storage section has a second shelf having the same length as the first shelf; the number of the substrate storage containers placed on the second shelf is greater than the number of the substrate storage containers placed on the first shelf; A substrate storage container storage method, comprising: a loading / unloading section including a transport arm that transports the substrate between a substrate storage container on the substrate storage container mounting section and a processing section side of the substrate processing apparatus, the loading / unloading section being provided at a lower height than the processing section, and at least one of the storage sections being provided above the loading / unloading section.

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