Method, device, and program for determining timing for removing a substrate from a cassette in a substrate processing apparatus, and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a method for determining extraction timing of a substrate from a cassette in a substrate processing apparatus.SOLUTION: A method includes: calculating a temporary extraction time of each substrate by adding a conveyance time required from starting an extracting operation of the substrate from a cassette to completing a delivery operation of the substrate to an exchanger to a temporary extraction time of a previous substrate; comparing a temporary time A in which a downward moving operation of a pusher for delivering an X-th polished substrate to the exchanger is completed with a temporary time B in which a delivery operation of a conveyer robot for delivering an (X+5)th polished substrate to the exchanger is completed; calculating an actual extraction time of (10+4i)th substrate by adding the conveyance time and further adding at least A-B to an actual extraction time of a previous substrate in the case of A>B; and calculating actual extraction times of the other substrates by adding the conveyance time to actual extraction times of previous substrates.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 13

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a method, an apparatus, a program, and a substrate processing apparatus for determining a timing for removing a substrate from a cassette in a substrate processing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, substrate processing apparatuses have come into use for performing various processes on substrates such as semiconductor wafers, etc. One example of the substrate processing apparatus is a chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus for performing a polishing process on a substrate.

[0003] A conventional CMP apparatus includes a polishing section for polishing a substrate, a cleaning section for cleaning and drying the substrate, and a load / unload section for delivering the substrate to the polishing section and receiving the substrate that has been cleaned and dried by the cleaning section. A conventional CMP apparatus also includes a transport section for transporting the substrate within the polishing section, cleaning section, and load / unload section, and the substrate is transported by the transport section while being subjected to various processes of polishing, cleaning, and drying in sequence.

[0004] In such a conventional CMP apparatus, when the polishing section has a first polishing unit and a second polishing unit, when a substrate is polished in the first polishing unit, the substrate is directly carried into the first polishing unit from the load / unload section, but when a substrate is polished in the second polishing unit, the substrate is carried into the second polishing unit from the load / unload section via the first polishing unit (rather than being carried into the second polishing unit directly from the load / unload section.) This causes congestion in the same carry-in route for the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit, reducing throughput.

[0005] To solve such problems, the applicant has already proposed a new substrate processing apparatus having a configuration in which substrates transported from the transport section to the polishing section are distributed to the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit by a transport robot (see Patent Document 1). In this configuration, the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit do not share a substrate introduction path, so congestion during substrate introduction to the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit is eliminated. This makes it possible to improve the throughput of the entire process.

[0006] Incidentally, when a plurality of substrates are continuously transported in a CMP apparatus, a waiting state may occur for the substrates due to waiting for the preceding substrate to be processed or waiting for a processing section shared with substrates transported on a different route to become available. For example, if a substrate is in a waiting state between the start of a polishing process and the end of a cleaning process, the state of the substrate may become unstable due to changes over time (corrosion, etc.) or disturbances (dust, etc.). In particular, when the substrate to be polished contains copper (Cu), the effect of corrosion becomes greater if the waiting time between the end of polishing and the start of cleaning is long.

[0007] In this regard, Patent Document 2 proposes a technology that calculates a tentative arrival time for a newly loaded substrate at the polishing, cleaning, and transport sections so that there is no waiting time between when a substrate is loaded into a substrate processing apparatus and when the cleaning process is completed, and compares the tentative arrival time with the end time of processing of the previous substrate loaded in the polishing, cleaning, and transport sections.If the tentative arrival time of the newly loaded substrate is earlier than the end time of processing of the previous substrate, the difference is added to the tentative arrival time (i.e., the arrival time is delayed by the difference) to determine the actual arrival time so that the newly loaded substrate does not have to wait until processing of the previous substrate is completed after arrival. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-6549 A [Patent Document 2] Patent No. 6370084 Summary of the Invention

[0009] However, the technology of Patent Document 2 is based on the configuration of a conventional CMP apparatus in which, when polishing a substrate in the second polishing unit, the substrate is transported from the load / unload section to the second polishing unit via the first polishing unit, and cannot be applied to the new substrate processing apparatus configuration in which the substrate transported from the transport section to the polishing section is allocated to the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit by a transport robot.

[0010] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of improving throughput in a substrate processing apparatus having a configuration in which a substrate transported from a transport unit to a polishing unit is sorted by a transport robot to a first polishing unit and a second polishing unit.

[0011] The method according to the first aspect of the present invention comprises the steps of: a polishing section including a first polishing unit, a second polishing unit, and a transport robot that distributes substrates between the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit, each of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit including two polishing devices, two pushers that are disposed at two substrate transport positions for each of the two polishing devices and move up and down, and an exchanger having a stage that moves horizontally between a standby position for receiving and delivering substrates from the transport robot and the two substrate transport positions; a load / unload section for removing the unpolished substrate from the cassette; a transfer unit that transfers substrates between the load / unload unit and the transfer robot; A method for determining a timing for removing a substrate from a cassette in a substrate processing apparatus comprising: calculating a tentative removal time for each substrate by adding a transport time required from when the load / unload section starts an operation of removing the substrate from the cassette to when the transport robot completes an operation of transferring the substrate to the exchanger to the tentative removal time for the previous substrate; comparing a tentative time A at which a pusher's lowering operation for transferring an Xth (X is any natural number) polished substrate from the polishing apparatus to an exchanger is completed with a tentative time B at which the transfer robot's transfer operation for transferring an X+5th unpolished substrate from the transfer unit to the exchanger is completed; If A≦B, the tentative removal time of each board is adopted as the actual removal time, If A>B, the actual removal time of the 10+4ith substrate (i is an integer greater than or equal to 0) is calculated by adding the transport time to the actual removal time of the previous substrate and then adding at least AB, and the actual removal times of the other substrates are calculated by adding the transport time to the actual removal time of the previous substrate.

[0012] According to this embodiment, immediately after the completion of the lowering operation (unloading) of the pusher for transferring the 10+4(i-1)th polished substrate from the polishing apparatus to the exchanger, the lifting operation (loading) of the same pusher for transferring the 10+4ith unpolished substrate from the exchanger to the polishing apparatus can be started stably. Similarly, immediately after the completion of the lowering operation (unloading) of the pusher for transferring the 10+4(i-1)th (k=1, 2, 3) polished substrate from the polishing apparatus to the exchanger, the lifting operation (loading) of the same pusher for transferring the 10+4i+kth unpolished substrate from the exchanger to the polishing apparatus can be started stably. Therefore, the pusher-to-pusher operation time (the time from when one pusher starts processing one substrate to when it starts processing another substrate) can be shortened, thereby minimizing the rate limiting factor in the polishing section and improving the throughput (WPH; Wafer Per Hour). In addition, since the time from polishing to cleaning is uniform and minimized for each wafer, it is possible to obtain stable results at a high level from the viewpoint of the process.

[0013] A method according to a second aspect of the present invention is a method according to the first aspect, comprising: If A>B, calculate the actual take-out time of the 10+4i-th substrate by adding the transport time to the actual take-out time of the substrate immediately before that, and then adding A-B+Δ; calculate the actual take-out times of the other substrates by adding the transport time to the actual take-out time of the substrate immediately before that, The above Δ is a value that is determined in advance in consideration of delays in communication time in an actual device.

[0014] A method according to a third aspect of the present invention is a method according to the second aspect, comprising: The Δ is 1 second or less.

[0015] A method according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is a method according to any one of the first to third aspects, The substrate processing apparatus further includes a cleaning unit that cleans the substrate after polishing, The transfer robot transfers substrates between the first polishing unit and the cleaning section and between the second polishing unit and the cleaning section.

[0016] The apparatus according to the fifth aspect of the present invention comprises: a polishing section including a first polishing unit, a second polishing unit, and a transport robot that distributes substrates between the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit, each of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit including two polishing devices, two pushers that are disposed at two substrate transport positions for each of the two polishing devices and move up and down, and an exchanger having a stage that moves horizontally between a standby position for receiving and delivering substrates from the transport robot and the two substrate transport positions; a load / unload section for removing the unpolished substrate from the cassette; a transfer unit that transfers substrates between the load / unload unit and the transfer robot; A device for determining a timing for removing a substrate from the cassette in a substrate processing apparatus comprising: A memory for storing instructions; calculating a tentative removal time for each substrate by adding a transport time required from when the load / unload section starts an operation of removing the substrate from the cassette to when the transport robot completes an operation of transferring the substrate to the exchanger to the tentative removal time for the previous substrate; comparing a tentative time A at which a pusher's lowering operation for transferring an Xth (X is any natural number) polished substrate from the polishing apparatus to an exchanger is completed with a tentative time B at which the transfer robot's transfer operation for transferring an X+5th unpolished substrate from the transfer unit to the exchanger is completed; If A≦B, the tentative removal time of each board is adopted as the actual removal time, If A>B, the actual removal time of the 10+4ith substrate (i is an integer equal to or greater than 0) is calculated by adding the transport time to the actual removal time of the substrate immediately preceding it and then adding at least AB to the actual removal time of the substrate immediately preceding it, and the actual removal times of the other substrates are calculated by adding the transport time to the actual removal time of the substrate immediately preceding it. at least one processor configured to execute the instructions for: Equipped with.

[0017] A sixth aspect of the present invention relates to an apparatus according to the fifth aspect, If A>B, calculate the actual removal time of the 10+4i (i is a natural number)th substrate by adding the transport time to the actual removal time of the substrate immediately before that, and then adding A-B+Δ; calculate the actual removal times of the other substrates by adding the transport time to the actual removal time of the substrate immediately before that, The above Δ is a value that is determined in advance in consideration of delays in communication time in an actual device.

[0018] A seventh aspect of the present invention relates to an apparatus according to the sixth aspect, comprising: The Δ is 1 second or less.

[0019] An apparatus according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is an apparatus according to any one of the fifth to seventh aspects, The substrate processing apparatus further includes a cleaning unit that cleans the substrate after polishing, The transfer robot transfers substrates between the first polishing unit and the cleaning section and between the second polishing unit and the cleaning section.

[0020] A program according to a ninth aspect of the present invention comprises: a polishing section including a first polishing unit, a second polishing unit, and a transport robot that distributes substrates between the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit, each of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit including two polishing devices, two pushers that are disposed at two substrate transport positions for each of the two polishing devices and move up and down, and an exchanger having a stage that moves horizontally between a standby position for receiving and delivering substrates from the transport robot and the two substrate transport positions; a load / unload section for removing the unpolished substrate from the cassette; a transfer unit that transfers substrates between the load / unload unit and the transfer robot; A program for determining a timing for removing a substrate from the cassette in a substrate processing apparatus comprising: On the computer, calculating a tentative removal time for each substrate by adding a transport time required from when the load / unload section starts an operation of removing the substrate from the cassette to when the transport robot completes an operation of transferring the substrate to the exchanger to the tentative removal time for the previous substrate; comparing a tentative time A at which a pusher's lowering operation for transferring an Xth (X is any natural number) polished substrate from the polishing apparatus to an exchanger is completed with a tentative time B at which the transfer robot's transfer operation for transferring an X+5th unpolished substrate from the transfer unit to the exchanger is completed; If A≦B, the tentative removal time of each board is adopted as the actual removal time, If A>B, the actual removal time of the 10+4ith substrate (i is an integer equal to or greater than 0) is calculated by adding the transport time to the actual removal time of the substrate immediately preceding it and then adding at least AB to the actual removal time of the substrate immediately preceding it, and the actual removal times of the other substrates are calculated by adding the transport time to the actual removal time of the substrate immediately preceding it. Make the following happen.

[0021] A program according to a tenth aspect of the present invention is the program according to the ninth aspect, If A>B, calculate the actual take-out time of the 10+4i-th substrate by adding the transport time to the actual take-out time of the substrate immediately before that, and then adding A-B+Δ; calculate the actual take-out times of the other substrates by adding the transport time to the actual take-out time of the substrate immediately before that, The above Δ is a value that is determined in advance in consideration of delays in communication time in an actual device.

[0022] A program according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention is the program according to the tenth aspect, The Δ is 1 second or less.

[0023] A program according to a twelfth aspect of the present invention is a program according to any one of the ninth to eleventh aspects, The substrate processing apparatus further includes a cleaning unit that cleans the substrate after polishing, The transfer robot transfers substrates between the first polishing unit and the cleaning section and between the second polishing unit and the cleaning section.

[0024] A substrate processing apparatus according to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention comprises: a polishing section including a first polishing unit, a second polishing unit, and a transport robot that distributes substrates between the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit, each of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit including two polishing devices, two pushers that are disposed at two substrate transport positions for each of the two polishing devices and move up and down, and an exchanger having a stage that moves horizontally between a standby position for receiving and delivering substrates from the transport robot and the two substrate transport positions; a load / unload section for removing the unpolished substrate from the cassette; a transfer unit that transfers substrates between the load / unload unit and the transfer robot; a control unit that controls the timing of removing the substrate from the cassette based on a timetable in which a processing end time or a scheduled processing end time in the polishing unit, the load / unload unit, and the transport unit is associated with each substrate; Equipped with In the timetable, A time A at which a pusher completes its lowering operation for transferring an Xth (X is any natural number) polished substrate from the polishing apparatus to an exchanger, and a time B at which the transfer robot completes its transfer operation for transferring an X+5th unpolished substrate from the transfer unit to the exchanger, satisfy the relationship A>B; and The removal time of the 10+4ith substrate (i is an integer greater than or equal to 0) is the removal time of the previous substrate plus the transport time required from the start of the substrate removal operation from the cassette in the load / unload section to the completion of the transfer operation of the substrate to the exchanger by the transport robot, plus at least AB.The removal time of any other substrate is the removal time of the previous substrate plus the transport time.

[0025] A substrate processing apparatus according to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention is the substrate processing apparatus according to the thirteenth aspect, In the timetable, The actual take-out time of the 10+4i-th substrate is the take-out time of the substrate immediately preceding it, plus the transport time, plus A-B+Δ. The actual take-out times of the other substrates are the take-out time of the substrate immediately preceding it, plus the transport time, The above Δ is a value that is determined in advance in consideration of delays in communication time in an actual device.

[0026] A substrate processing apparatus according to a fifteenth aspect of the present invention is the substrate processing apparatus according to the fourteenth aspect, The Δ is 1 second or less.

[0027] A substrate processing apparatus according to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the thirteenth to fifteenth aspects, Further, a cleaning unit is provided for cleaning the substrate after polishing. The transfer robot transfers substrates between the first polishing unit and the cleaning section and between the second polishing unit and the cleaning section. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0028] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a side view of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the cleaning unit side. [Diagram 3] 3 is an exploded perspective view showing a transfer section of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a perspective view that typically shows a first polishing apparatus of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Diagram 5] 5 is a side view of the transfer robot of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 6] 6 is a perspective view showing a first transport mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. [Figure 7] 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the first pusher of the first transport mechanism shown in FIG. [Figure 8A] FIG. 8A is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the transport unit. [Figure 8B] FIG. 8B is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the transport unit. [Figure 8C] FIG. 8C is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the transport unit. [Figure 9A] FIG. 9A is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the transport robot. [Figure 9B] FIG. 9B is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the transport robot. [Figure 9C] FIG. 9C is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the transport robot. [Figure 9D] FIG. 9D is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the transport robot. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10A is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10B is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 10C] FIG. 10C is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 10D] FIG. 10D is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 10E] FIG. 10E is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 10F] FIG. 10F is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 10G] FIG. 10G is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 10H] FIG. 10H is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 10I] FIG. 10I is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 10J] FIG. 10J is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 10K] FIG. 10K is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 10L] FIG. 10L is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 10M] FIG. 10M is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 10N] FIG. 10N is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 10O] FIG. 10O is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 10P] FIG. 10P is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the first transport mechanism. [Figure 11A] FIG. 11A is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the transport robot with respect to the cleaning unit. [Figure 11B]FIG. 11B is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the transport robot with respect to the cleaning unit. [Figure 11C] FIG. 11C is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of the transport robot with respect to the cleaning unit. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram for explaining the occurrence of a deadlock in parallel processing. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flow chart showing an example of a method for determining the timing to remove a substrate from a cassette. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a time chart for explaining a method for determining the timing for removing a substrate from a cassette. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a time chart for explaining a method for determining the timing for removing a substrate from a cassette. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a time chart for explaining a method for determining the timing for removing a substrate from a cassette. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0029] Hereinafter, an embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description and the drawings used in the following description, the same reference numerals will be used for parts that can be configured in the same way, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0030] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1, seen from the cleaning section side. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the substrate processing apparatus 10 in this embodiment has a housing having a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and the inside of the housing is partitioned by partitions into a load / unload section 11, a polishing section 12, a cleaning section 13, and a transport section 14. The load / unload section 11, the polishing section 12, the cleaning section 13, and the transport section 14 are each assembled independently and evacuated independently. The substrate processing apparatus 10 is also provided with a control section 15 (also called a control panel) that controls the operations of the load / unload section 11, the polishing section 12, the cleaning section 13, and the transport section 14.

[0031] <Load / Unload section> The load / unload section 11 includes a plurality of front load sections 113 (four in the illustrated example) on which wafer cassettes for stocking a large number of wafers (substrates) W are placed. These front load sections 113 are arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) of the substrate processing apparatus 10. The front load sections 113 can be equipped with an open cassette, a Standard Manufacturing Interface (SMIF) pod, or a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP). Here, the SMIF and FOUP are airtight containers that can store wafer cassettes therein and maintain an environment independent of the external space by covering them with a partition wall.

[0032] Furthermore, in the load / unload section 11, a travel mechanism 112 is laid along the arrangement direction of the front load section 113, and a transfer robot 111 that is movable along the arrangement direction of the front load section 113 is installed on this travel mechanism 112. The transfer robot 111 is capable of accessing a wafer cassette mounted on the front load section 113 by moving on the travel mechanism 112. This transfer robot 111 has two hands, one above and one below, and is capable of using the upper and lower hands separately, for example, by using the upper hand when returning a wafer W to a wafer cassette and using the lower hand when transferring a wafer W before polishing. Alternatively, the wafer W may be transported by only a single hand.

[0033] Since the load / unload section 11 is the area that needs to be kept the cleanest, the inside of the load / unload section 11 is always maintained at a higher pressure than any of the outside of the apparatus, the polishing section 12, the cleaning section 13, and the transport section 14. In addition, a filter fan unit (not shown) having a clean air filter such as a HEPA filter or a ULPA filter is provided above the traveling mechanism 112 of the transport robot 111, and clean air from which particles, toxic vapors, and gases have been removed is always blown downward by this filter fan unit.

[0034] <Transportation section> The transport section 14 is an area for transporting unpolished wafers from the load / unload section 11 to the polishing section 12, and is provided to extend along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus 10. As shown in Fig. 1, the transport section 14 is disposed adjacent to both the load / unload section 11, which is the cleanest area, and the polishing section 12, which is the dirtiest area. Therefore, to prevent particles in the polishing section 12 from diffusing into the load / unload section 11 through the transport section 14, an airflow is formed inside the transport section 14 that flows from the load / unload section 11 side to the polishing section 12 side, as described below.

[0035] The structure of the transfer unit 14 will be described in detail. Fig. 3 is an exploded perspective view showing the internal configuration of the transfer unit 14. As shown in Fig. 3, the transfer unit 14 has a cover 41 extending in the longitudinal direction, a slide stage 42 that is disposed inside the cover 41 and holds the wafer W, a stage moving mechanism 43 that moves the slide stage 42 linearly along the longitudinal direction, and an exhaust duct 44 that exhausts air from inside the cover 41.

[0036] The cover 41 has a bottom plate, four side plates, and a top plate (not shown in FIG. 3). An entrance 41a communicating with the load / unload unit 11 is formed in one of the side plates in the longitudinal direction. An exit 41b communicating with the polishing unit 12 is formed in the end of one of the side plates in the width direction opposite to the entrance 41a. The entrance 41a and the exit 41b can be opened and closed by a shutter (not shown). The transport robot 111 of the load / unload unit 11 can access the slide stage 42 inside the cover 41 from the entrance 41a, and the transport robot 23 of the polishing unit 12 can access the slide stage 42 inside the cover 41 from the exit 41b.

[0037] For example, a motor-driven mechanism using a ball screw or an air cylinder is used as the stage movement mechanism 43. When a rodless cylinder is used as the stage movement mechanism 43, dust generation from the sliding part can be prevented, which is preferable. The slide stage 42 is fixed to a movable part of the stage movement mechanism 43, and is moved linearly along the longitudinal direction inside the cover 41 by the power applied from the stage movement mechanism 43.

[0038] Four pins are provided protruding upward on the outer periphery of the slide stage 42. The wafer W placed on the slide stage 42 by the transfer robot 111 of the load / unload unit 11 is supported on the slide stage 42 with its outer periphery guided and positioned by the four pins. These pins are made of resin such as polypropylene (PP), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), or polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

[0039] The exhaust duct 44 is provided on the other side panel in the longitudinal direction of the cover 41 (the side panel opposite to the carry-in opening 41a). When the carry-in opening 41a is opened and the exhaust duct 44 exhausts air, an airflow is formed inside the cover 41 that flows from the carry-in opening 41a side to the carry-out opening 41b side. This prevents particles in the polishing section 12 from diffusing into the load / unload section 11 through the transport section 14.

[0040] <Polishing section> As shown in FIG. 1, the polishing section 12 is an area where polishing of a wafer W is performed, and includes a first polishing unit 20a, a second polishing unit 20b, and a transport robot 23 that distributes a substrate W transported from the transport section 14 to the polishing section 12 to the first polishing unit 20a and the second polishing unit 20b.

[0041] Among these, the first polishing unit 20a has a first polishing apparatus 21a, a second polishing apparatus 21b, and a first transport unit 24a that transfers the substrate W between the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second polishing apparatus 21b and the transport robot 23. The second polishing unit 20b has a third polishing apparatus 21c, a fourth polishing apparatus 21d, and a second transport unit 24b that transfers the substrate W between the third polishing apparatus 21c and the fourth polishing apparatus 21d and the transport robot 23.

[0042] 1, the first polishing apparatus 21a, the second polishing apparatus 21b, the third polishing apparatus 21c, and the fourth polishing apparatus 21d are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus 10. The second polishing apparatus 21b, the third polishing apparatus 21c, and the fourth polishing apparatus 21d have the same configuration as the first polishing apparatus 21a, so the first polishing apparatus 21a will be described below.

[0043] 4 is a perspective view showing the first polishing apparatus 21a. The first polishing apparatus 21a includes a polishing table 101a on which a polishing pad 102a having a polishing surface is attached, a top ring 25a for holding a wafer W and polishing the wafer W while pressing it against the polishing pad 102a on the polishing table 101a, a polishing liquid supply nozzle 104a for supplying a polishing liquid (also called a slurry) or a dressing liquid (e.g., pure water) to the polishing pad 102, a dresser (not shown) for dressing the polishing surface of the polishing pad 102a, and an atomizer (not shown) for spraying a mixture of a liquid (e.g., pure water) and a gas (e.g., nitrogen gas) or a liquid (e.g., pure water) onto the polishing surface in the form of a mist.

[0044] Of these, the top ring 25a is supported by a top ring shaft 103a. A polishing pad 102a is attached to the upper surface of the polishing table 101a, and the upper surface of the polishing pad 102a constitutes a polishing surface for polishing the wafer W. A fixed grindstone can be used instead of the polishing pad 102a. The top ring 25a and the polishing table 101a are configured to rotate around their axes as shown by the arrows in FIG. 4. The wafer W is held by vacuum suction on the lower surface of the top ring 25a. During polishing, a polishing liquid is supplied from a polishing liquid supply nozzle 104a to the polishing surface of the polishing pad 102a, and the wafer W to be polished is pressed against the polishing surface by the top ring 25a and polished.

[0045] Considering that a slurry is used during polishing, the polishing section 12 is the dirtiest area. Therefore, in this embodiment, in order to prevent particles in the polishing section 12 from scattering to the outside, exhaust is performed from the periphery of each polishing table of the first polishing device 21a, the second polishing device 21b, the third polishing device 21c, and the fourth polishing device 21d, and the pressure inside the polishing section 12 is made negative compared to the outside of the device, the surrounding cleaning section 13, the load / unload section 11, and the transport section 14, thereby preventing scattering of particles. In addition, an exhaust duct (not shown) is usually provided below the polishing table, and a filter (not shown) is provided above it, and purified air is ejected through the exhaust duct and the filter to form a downflow.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 1, the top ring 25a of the first polishing apparatus 21a moves between the polishing position and the first substrate transfer position TP1 by the swing motion of the top ring head, and the transfer of the wafer to the first polishing apparatus 21a is performed at the first substrate transfer position TP1. Similarly, the top ring 25b of the second polishing apparatus 21b moves between the polishing position and the second substrate transfer position TP2 by the swing motion of the top ring head, and the wafer is delivered to the second polishing apparatus 21b at the second substrate transfer position TP2, the top ring 25c of the third polishing apparatus 21c moves between the polishing position and the third substrate transfer position TP3 by the swing motion of the top ring head, and the wafer is delivered to the third polishing apparatus 21c at the third substrate transfer position TP3, and the top ring 25d of the fourth polishing apparatus 21d moves between the polishing position and the fourth substrate transfer position TP4 by the swing motion of the top ring head, and the wafer is delivered to the fourth polishing apparatus 21d at the fourth substrate transfer position TP4.

[0047] 1, the transport robot 23 is disposed between the first transport unit 24a and the second transport unit 24b, and transfers wafers between the transport section 14 and the first transport unit 24a and the second transport unit 24b. In the illustrated example, the transport robot 23 is disposed approximately in the center of the housing of the substrate processing apparatus 10.

[0048] Fig. 5 is a side view showing the transfer robot 23. As shown in Fig. 5, the transfer robot 23 has a hand 231 that holds the wafer W, an inversion mechanism 234 that inverts the hand 231 up and down, an extendable arm 232 that supports the hand W, and a robot body 233 that includes an arm up and down movement mechanism that moves the arm 232 up and down and an arm rotation mechanism that rotates the arm 232 around a vertical axis. The robot body 233 is attached so as to be suspended from a frame on the ceiling of the polishing section 14.

[0049] In this embodiment, the hand 231 can access the slide stage 42 from the exit 41b of the transfer section 14 shown in Fig. 3. The hand 231 can also access the first transfer unit 24a and the second transfer unit 24b of the polishing section 12. Therefore, the wafers W continuously transferred from the transfer section 14 to the polishing section 12 are distributed by the transfer robot 23 to the first transfer unit 24a and the second transfer unit 24b.

[0050] Since the second transport unit 24b has a similar configuration to the first transport unit 24a, the first transport unit 24a will be described below. Fig. 6 is a perspective view showing the first transport unit 24a.

[0051] As shown in Figure 6, the first transport unit 24a has a first pusher 51a that is arranged at a first substrate transport position TP1 relative to the first polishing apparatus 21a and moves up and down, a second pusher 51b that is arranged at a second substrate transport position TP2 relative to the second polishing apparatus 21b and moves up and down, and an exchanger 50 having a first stage 52a, a second stage 52b and a third stage 52c that move horizontally independently of one another between the first substrate transport position TP1 and the second substrate transport position TP2.

[0052] Among these, the first pusher 51a transfers the wafer W held on any one of the first to third stages 52a to 52c to the top ring 25a of the first polishing device 21a, and transfers the wafer W polished in the first polishing device 21a to any one of the first to third stages 52a to 52c. The second pusher 51b transfers the wafer W held on any one of the first to third stages 52a to 52c to the top ring 25b of the second polishing device 21b, and transfers the wafer W polished in the second polishing device 21b to any one of the first to third stages 52a to 52c. In this way, the first pusher 51a and the second pusher 51b function as a transfer mechanism for transferring the wafer W between the exchanger 50 and each top ring. The second pusher 51b has a structure similar to that of the first pusher 51a, so the following description will be given of only the first pusher 51a.

[0053] FIG. 7 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the first pusher 51a. As shown in FIG. 7, the first pusher 51a includes a guide stage 331 for holding a top ring of the first polishing apparatus 21a, and a push stage 333 for holding a wafer W. Four top ring guides 337 are installed on the outermost periphery of the guide stage 331. An upper step 338 of the top ring guide 337 is an access portion to the lower surface of a guide ring (not shown that surrounds the outer periphery of the wafer W) of the top ring. A taper (preferably about 25° to 35°) is formed on the upper step 338 for introducing the top ring. When loading and unloading the wafer, the edge of the wafer is directly received by the top ring guide 337.

[0054] A waterproof guide sleeve 340 is installed on the back surface of the guide stage 331. A center sleeve 341 for waterproofing the pusher is installed inside the guide sleeve 340.

[0055] In order to provide the top ring guide 337 with an alignment mechanism, a linear way 346 is provided which moves in the horizontal X-axis and Y-axis directions to center the guide stage 331. The guide stage 331 is fixed to the linear way 346. This linear way 346 is structured so that it can be returned to its center position by applying pressure. This structure realizes centering of the guide stage 331. Alternatively, it can be returned to its center position without applying pressure just by using the spring inside the linear way 346.

[0056] Moreover, the linear way 346 is fixed to a shaft 330, and this shaft 330 is connected to an electric actuator 347. Drive of the electric actuator 347 moves the guide stage 331 up and down via the shaft 330. As a result, when receiving a wafer W from stages 52a to 52c of an exchanger described later, the guide stage 331 can be made to wait at a height that keeps the clearance between each stage optimal as a preparatory operation, so that the time required for the receiving operation can be shortened.

[0057] The push stage 333 is disposed above the guide stage 331, and a cylinder 349 is provided at the center of the push stage 333 for moving the push stage 333 up and down relative to the guide stage 331. The push stage 333 moves up and down by the cylinder 349, and loads the wafer W onto the top ring. In this embodiment, the push stage 333 can be positioned at a desired height by being driven by the cylinder 349. A compression spring 351 for positioning is disposed at the end of the push stage 333.

[0058] In order to prevent back-contamination of the wafer from the slurry adhering to the pusher, a cleaning nozzle for cleaning the dirt is separately installed. In some cases, a wafer presence sensor for checking the presence or absence of a wafer on the pusher is separately installed.

[0059] As shown in Fig. 6, the exchanger 52a has a first stage 52a, a second stage 52b, and a third stage 52c arranged in multiple vertical stages. In the illustrated example, the first stage 52a is arranged in the lower stage, the second stage 52b is arranged in the middle stage, and the third stage 52c is arranged in the upper stage. The first stage 52a, the second stage 52b, and the third stage 52c move on the same axis passing through the first substrate transfer position TP1 and the second substrate transfer position TP2 in a plan view, but are installed at different heights, so that they can move freely without interfering with each other.

[0060] As shown in Fig. 6, the first stage 52a is provided with a first stage driving mechanism 54a for linearly moving the first stage 52a in one axial direction, the second stage 52b is provided with a second stage driving mechanism 54b for linearly moving the second stage 52b in the one axial direction, and the third stage 52c is provided with a third stage driving mechanism 54c for linearly moving the third stage 52c in the one axial direction. For example, an electric actuator or a motor driving mechanism using a ball screw is used as the first to third stage driving mechanisms 54a to 54c. The first to third stages 52a to 52c are capable of moving in different directions at different times by receiving power from different first to third stage driving mechanisms 54a to 54c.

[0061] Since the second stage 52b and the third stage 52c have the same configuration as the first stage 52a, the first stage 52a will be described below.

[0062] As shown in Fig. 6, the first stage 52a has a U-shape in plan view that is open on one side (the far right side in Fig. 6) in the linear movement direction by the first stage drive mechanism 54a. Therefore, when the first stage 52a is disposed at the first substrate transfer position TP1, the first pusher 51a can move up and down so as to pass inside the first stage 52a. In addition, the first stage 52a can move to the other side in the linear movement direction (the front left side in Fig. 6) even when the first pusher 51a has passed inside the first stage 52a.

[0063] Although not shown, the first stage 52a is provided with four pins protruding upward. Therefore, the wafer placed on the first stage 52a is supported on the first stage 52a with its outer periphery guided and positioned by the four pins. These pins are made of resin such as polypropylene (PP), polychlorotrifluoroethylene (PCTFE), or polyetheretherketone (PEEK).

[0064] Next, an example of the operation of the first pusher 51a and the exchanger 50 configured as described above will be described.

[0065] First, when loading a wafer, the first stage 52a of the exchanger 50 transports the wafer W above the first pusher 51a. When the top ring 25a of the first polishing apparatus 21a is at the wafer loading position (first substrate transport position TP1) above the first pusher 51a and is not holding the wafer W, the electric actuator 347 lifts up all the components around the guide stage 331. During the lift, the guide stage 331 passes inside the first stage 52a. At this time, the guide stage 331 centers the wafer W with the taper of the top ring guide 337 as it passes, and the push stage 333 holds the pattern surface of the wafer W (other than the edge).

[0066] The top ring guide 337 rises without stopping while the push stage 333 holds the wafer W, and the guide ring is drawn in by a taper (not shown) of the top ring guide 337. The top ring is centered by alignment using a linear way 346 that is freely movable in the X and Y directions, and the upward movement of the guide stage 331 is completed when the upper part 338 of the top ring guide 337 comes into contact with the lower surface of the guide ring.

[0067] The guide stage 331 does not rise any further because the upper stage 338 of the top ring guide 337 comes into contact with and is fixed to the lower surface of the guide ring. At this time, the push stage 333 is further raised by the cylinder 349. At this time, the push stage 333 holds the pattern surface (other than the edge) of the wafer W and transports the wafer W to the top ring. When the top ring completes suction of the wafer W, the first pusher 51a starts to descend, and the operation is completed when the descent ends.

[0068] In this embodiment, the first stage 52a has a U-shape in plan view that opens on one side in the linear movement direction (the far right side in FIG. 6), so that it can move to the other side in the linear movement direction (the front left side in FIG. 6) even before the first pusher 51a starts to move down. Therefore, it is not necessary to wait for the first pusher 51a to move down when moving the first stage 52a, and the process throughput is improved.

[0069] Next, at the time of wafer unloading, the wafer W is transported by the top ring to the wafer loading position above the first pusher 51a. When the first stage 52a of the exchanger 50 is above the first pusher 51a and does not have a wafer loaded thereon, the electric actuator 347 raises the set of components around the guide stage 331, and the guide ring is drawn in by the taper (not shown) of the top ring guide 337. The guide stage 331 is centered on the top ring by alignment with the linear way 346, and the upper step 338 of the top ring guide 337 comes into contact with the lower surface of the guide ring, completing the raising of the guide stage 331.

[0070] Next, the wafer W is released from the top ring. At this time, the wafer W is centered by the lower taper of the top ring guide 337, and the edge portion is held by the top ring guide 337. When the wafer W is held by the first pusher 51a, the first pusher 51a starts to descend. During the descent, the guide stage 331, which has been moving its center position to center the top ring, is centered by the guide sleeve 340 and the center sleeve 341. During the descent, the edge portion of the wafer W is transferred from the first pusher 51a to the first stage 52a, and the operation is completed when the descent ends.

[0071] <Cleaning section> 1 and 2, the cleaning section 13 is an area for cleaning polished wafers, and has a first cleaning unit 30a and a second cleaning unit 30b arranged in two layers, one above the other. The above-mentioned transfer section 14 is disposed between the first cleaning unit 30a and the second cleaning unit 30b. The first cleaning unit 30a, the transfer section 14, and the second cleaning unit 30b are arranged so as to overlap each other in the vertical direction, which provides the advantage of a small footprint.

[0072] As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the first cleaning unit 30a includes a plurality of (four in the illustrated example) cleaning modules 311a, 312a, 313a, and 314a, a wafer station 33a, and a cleaning section transport mechanism 32a that transports the wafer W between each of the cleaning modules 311a to 314a and the wafer station 33a. The cleaning modules 311a to 314a and the wafer station 33a are arranged in series along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus 10. A filter fan unit (not shown) having a clean air filter is provided on the upper portion of each of the cleaning modules 311a to 314a, and clean air from which particles have been removed by the filter fan unit is constantly blown out downward. The inside of the first cleaning unit 30a is constantly maintained at a pressure higher than that of the polishing section 12 to prevent particles from flowing in from the polishing section 12.

[0073] Similarly, the second cleaning unit 30b includes a plurality of (four in the illustrated example) cleaning modules 311b, 312b, 313b, and 314b, a wafer station 33b, and a cleaning section transport mechanism 32b that transports the wafer W between each of the cleaning modules 311b to 314b and the wafer station 33b. The cleaning modules 311b to 314b and the wafer station 33b are arranged in series along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus 10. A filter fan unit (not shown) having a clean air filter is provided on the upper portion of each of the cleaning modules 311b to 314b, and clean air from which particles have been removed by the filter fan unit is constantly blown downward. The inside of the second cleaning unit 30b is constantly maintained at a pressure higher than that of the polishing section 12 to prevent particles from flowing in from the polishing section 12.

[0074] <Polishing process using substrate processing equipment> Next, an example of a process for polishing a wafer W using the substrate processing apparatus 10 having such a configuration will be described. The polishing process described below is performed by the control unit 15 controlling the operations of the load / unload unit 11, the polishing unit 12, the cleaning unit 13, and the transport unit 14. The control unit 15 has a timetable in which the processing end time or the scheduled processing end time in the load / unload unit 11, the transport unit 14, the polishing unit 12, and the cleaning unit 13 are associated with each substrate W, and controls the timing of removing the substrate W from the cassette 113 based on the timetable. Here, the timetable is created by the control unit 15 (or an information processing apparatus other than the control unit 15) executing a "method of determining the timing of removing a substrate from a cassette" described later.

[0075] 8A and 1, the unpolished wafer W is taken out by the transfer robot 111 of the load / unload unit 11 from the wafer cassette of the front load unit 113 and moved to a position facing the carry-in opening 41a of the transfer unit 14. Next, as shown in Fig. 8B and 3, after the carry-in opening 41a of the transfer unit 14 is opened, the wafer W held by the transfer robot 111 is inserted into the inside of the cover 41 through the carry-in opening 41a and placed on and supported by the slide stage 42.

[0076] Next, as shown in Fig. 8C and Fig. 3, the slide stage 42 holding the wafer W is moved in the longitudinal direction to a position facing the discharge port 41b by the power applied from the stage moving mechanism 43. Then, the discharge port 41b of the transfer unit 14 is opened. At this time, an air flow flowing from the discharge port 41a side to the discharge port 41b side is formed by the exhaust duct 44 inside the cover 41 of the transfer unit 14. This prevents particles in the polishing unit 12 from diffusing into the load / unload unit 11 through the transfer unit 14.

[0077] As shown in FIG. 9A and FIG. 3, the arm 232 of the transport robot 23 of the polishing section 12 is extended in a state where the hand 231 of the transport robot 23 is positioned at the same height as the discharge port 41b of the transport section 14. The hand 231 supported at the tip of the arm is inserted into the inside of the cover 41 through the discharge port 41b and inserted below the wafer W held on the slide stage 42. Next, the hand 231 is raised, and the wafer W is transferred from the slide stage 42 to the hand 231. Then, the arm 232 is contracted, and the wafer W held on the hand 231 is taken out from the transport section 14 to the polishing section 12 as shown in FIG. 9B. Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 9C, the hand 231 is turned upside down together with the wafer W by the inversion mechanism 234 of the transport robot 23. In the drawings, the wafer W painted in gray indicates a wafer that is upside down.

[0078] 9D, the arm 232 is rotated around the axis of the robot body 233, and the hand 231 is directed toward the first transfer unit 24a. Then, the arm 232 is extended, and the wafer W held by the hand 231 is transferred to the first transfer unit 24a, and then transferred from the first transfer unit 24a to the first polishing apparatus 21a or the second polishing apparatus 21b. Note that, when the first polishing unit 20a is congested, the wafer W held by the hand 231 may be transferred to the second transfer unit 24b, and then transferred from the second transfer unit 24b to the third polishing apparatus 21c or the fourth polishing apparatus 21d. In this embodiment, the wafer W transferred from the transfer section 14 to the polishing section 12 is distributed to the first transfer unit 24a and the second transfer unit 24b by the transfer robot 23, and the wafer W is transferred from the first transfer unit 24a to the first polishing apparatus 21a or the second polishing apparatus 21b, and the wafer W is transferred from the second transfer unit 24b to the third polishing apparatus 21c or the fourth polishing apparatus 21d. Therefore, the first polishing unit 20a and the second polishing unit 20b do not share a transfer path, and congestion during transfer of substrates to the first polishing unit 20a and the second polishing unit 20b is eliminated. Therefore, the throughput of the entire process is improved.

[0079] The wafer transfer operation by the second transfer unit 24b is similar to the wafer transfer operation by the first transfer unit 24a, so the wafer transfer operation by the first transfer unit 24a will be described below.

[0080] When two wafers are processed in parallel in the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second polishing apparatus 21b, the unpolished first wafer W1 held by the transfer robot 23 is delivered to the third stage 52c of the exchanger 50 disposed at the standby position L1, as shown in Figures 10A and 10B. Then, as shown in Figure 10C, the third stage 52c holding the first wafer W1 is moved from the standby position L1 to the first substrate transfer position TP1.

[0081] Next, as shown in Fig. 10D, the first pusher 51a rises and passes inside the third stage 52c, and the first wafer W1 on the third stage 52c is pushed up by the first pusher 51a and transferred to the top ring 25a of the first polishing device 21a. Then, after the first wafer W1 is attracted and held by the top ring 25a of the first polishing device 21a, the first pusher 51a descends to the initial height position as shown in Fig. 10E. The transfer robot 23 holds the second wafer W2 before polishing.

[0082] Thereafter, as shown in FIG. 10F, the first wafer W1 is polished in the first polishing device 21a. At this time, the third stage 52c is moved from the first substrate transfer position TP1 to the waiting position L1, and the second stage 52b is moved from the waiting position L1 to the first substrate transfer position TP1. The second wafer W2 before polishing held by the transfer robot 23 is delivered to the third stage 52c arranged at the waiting position L1. Then, as shown in FIG. 10G, the third stage 52c holding the second wafer W2 is moved from the waiting position L1 to the second substrate transfer position TP2.

[0083] Incidentally, even when parallel processing is performed by the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second polishing apparatus 21b, it is possible to use the second stage 52b to receive a wafer from the first polishing apparatus 21a and to transfer the wafer to the second polishing apparatus 21b, as in the case of series processing by the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second polishing apparatus 21b. However, in this case, as shown in Fig. 12, if a problem occurs during wafer reception from the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second stage 52b becomes unusable, this will lead to the wafer being unable to be transferred to the second polishing apparatus 21b (a deadlock will occur).

[0084] On the other hand, in this embodiment, when wafers are polished in parallel by the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second polishing apparatus 21b, the same third stage 52c is used to transfer wafers to both the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second polishing apparatus 21b, and the second stage 52b and the first stage 52a are dedicated to receiving wafers from the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second polishing apparatus 21b, respectively. Therefore, even if a problem occurs when receiving wafers from the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second stage 52b becomes unusable, it is possible to continue transferring wafers to the second polishing apparatus 21b (no deadlock occurs).

[0085] Next, as shown in Fig. 10H, the second pusher 51b rises and passes inside the third stage 52c, and the second wafer W2 on the third stage 52c is pushed up by the second pusher 51b and delivered to the top ring 25b of the second polishing device 21b. Then, after the second wafer W2 is attracted and held by the top ring 25b of the second polishing device 21b, the second pusher 51b descends to the initial height position as shown in Fig. 10I. The transfer robot 23 holds the third wafer W3 before polishing.

[0086] 10J, the second wafer W2 is polished in the second polishing device 21b. At this time, the third stage 52c is moved from the second substrate transfer position TP2 to the standby position L1, and the first stage 52a is moved from the standby position L1 to the second substrate transfer position TP2. The unpolished third wafer W3 held by the transfer robot 23 is delivered to the third stage 52c arranged at the standby position L1.

[0087] If polishing in the first polishing apparatus 21a is completed before polishing in the second polishing apparatus 21b is completed, the first pusher 51a rises and receives the polished first wafer W1 from the top ring 25a of the first polishing apparatus 21a, as shown in Fig. 10K. Then, as shown in Fig. 10L, the first pusher 51a descends and passes through the second stage 52b, and the first wafer W1 on the first pusher 51a is delivered to the second stage 52b. The first wafer W1 held on the second stage 52b is cleaned by a cleaning nozzle (not shown) at the first substrate transfer position TP1.

[0088] 10M, the second stage 52b holding the first wafer W1 is moved from the first substrate transfer position TP1 to the waiting position L1, and at the same time, the third stage 52c holding the third wafer W3 is moved from the waiting position L1 to the first substrate transfer position TP1. The first wafer W1 held by the second stage 52b is removed from the second stage 52b by the transfer robot 23 at the waiting position L1.

[0089] On the other hand, if polishing in the second polishing apparatus 21b is completed before polishing in the first polishing apparatus 21a is completed, the second pusher 51b rises and receives the polished second wafer W2 from the top ring 25b of the second polishing apparatus 21b, as shown in Fig. 10N. Then, as shown in Fig. 10O, the second pusher 51b descends and passes through the first stage 52a, and the second wafer W2 on the second pusher 51b is delivered to the first stage 52a. The second wafer W2 held on the first stage 52a is cleaned by a cleaning nozzle (not shown) at the second substrate transfer position TP2.

[0090] 10P, the first stage 52a holding the second wafer W2 is moved from the second substrate transfer position TP2 to the standby position L1, and at the same time, the third stage 52c holding the third wafer W3 is moved from the standby position L1 to the second substrate transfer position TP2. The second wafer W2 held by the first stage 52a is removed from the first stage 52a by the transfer robot 23 at the standby position L1.

[0091] 11A, the wafer W held on the first stage 52a is removed from the first stage 52a by the hand 231 of the transfer robot 23. Thereafter, the hand 231 together with the wafer W is turned upside down by the inversion mechanism 234 of the transfer robot 23.

[0092] 11B, the arm 232 of the transport robot 23 is rotated around the axis of the robot body 233, and the hand 231 is directed toward the first wafer station 33a of the first cleaning unit 30a of the cleaning section 13. Then, as shown in FIG. 11C, the arm 232 is extended, and the wafer W held by the hand 231 is delivered to the first wafer station 33a. More specifically, with the hand 231 of the transport robot 23 positioned at the same height as the carry-in opening 73 of the first wafer station 33a, the arm 232 is extended, and the wafer W held by the hand 231 is carried into the inside of the housing 71 through the carry-in opening 73 of the first wafer station 33a, and is placed on and supported by the stage 72.

[0093] When the first cleaning unit 30a is crowded, the wafer W held by the hand 231 may be transferred to the second wafer station 33b of the second cleaning unit 30a. In this embodiment, the wafer W transported from the polishing section to the cleaning section is distributed to the first cleaning unit 30a and the second cleaning unit 30b by the transport robot 23, and is cleaned in parallel in the first cleaning unit 30a and the second cleaning unit 30b. This improves the throughput of the entire process.

[0094] According to the present embodiment as described above, since the cleaning section 13 has the first cleaning unit 30a and the second cleaning unit 30b arranged in two stages, one above the other, even when a plurality of wafers W are continuously transferred from the polishing section 12 to the cleaning section 13, the plurality of wafers W can be cleaned in parallel by distributing the wafers W to the first cleaning unit 30a and the second cleaning unit 30b. Therefore, the throughput of the entire process can be improved.

[0095] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the unpolished wafer W is transported from the slide stage 42 of the transport section 14 to the polishing section 12, so that the transport robot 111 arranged in the load / unload section 11 can be prevented from coming into contact with the polishing environment and becoming contaminated.

[0096] According to the present embodiment, the transport robot 23 is disposed adjacent to the transport section 14 and the first and second polishing units 20a and 20b, respectively, and the wafer W transported from the transport section 14 to the polishing section 12 is distributed to the first and second transport units 24a and 24b by the transport robot 23. The wafer W is then transported from the first transport unit 24a to the first polishing device 21a or the second polishing device 21b, and the wafer W is transported from the second transport unit 24b to the third polishing device 21c or the fourth polishing device 21d. In this way, the first polishing unit 20a and the second polishing unit 20b do not share a wafer transport path, so that congestion during wafer transport to the first polishing unit 20a and the second polishing unit 20b is eliminated. This can improve the throughput of the entire process.

[0097] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the first transfer unit 24a of the polishing section 12 can transfer the wafer W received from the transfer robot 23 to each of the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second polishing apparatus 21b. Furthermore, the second transfer unit 24b of the polishing section 12 can transfer the wafer W received from the transfer robot 23 to each of the third polishing apparatus 21c and the fourth polishing apparatus 21d. For example, the first stage 52a of the first transport unit 24a receives a first wafer from the transport robot 23 and moves to the first substrate transport position TP1, the first pusher 51a rises to transfer the first wafer from the first stage 52a to the first polishing device 21a, and while the first wafer is being polished in the first polishing device 21a, the second stage 52b receives a second wafer from the transport robot 23 and moves to the second substrate transport position TP2, the second pusher 51b rises to transfer the second wafer from the second stage 52b to the second polishing device 21b, and the second wafer is polished in the second polishing device 21b. By polishing two wafers in parallel in this way, the throughput of the entire process can be improved.

[0098] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the exchanger 50 of the polishing section 12 has three stages 52a to 52c, for example, while both the first stage 52a and the second stage 52b are being used to transfer wafers to and from the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second polishing apparatus 21b, the third stage 52c can be made to receive the next wafer and wait there. This allows the timing for starting the polishing process for the next wafer to be advanced, further improving throughput.

[0099] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, when the first wafer W1 and the second wafer W2 are polished in parallel in the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second polishing apparatus 21b, the same third stage 52c is used to transfer wafers to both the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second polishing apparatus 21b, and the second stage 52b and the first stage 52a are dedicated to receiving wafers from the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second polishing apparatus 21b, respectively. Therefore, even if a problem occurs when receiving a wafer from one of the polishing apparatuses 21a, wafer transfer to the other polishing apparatus 21b can continue (avoiding the occurrence of deadlock).

[0100] In the example shown in Figures 10A to 10P, the waiting position L1 is positioned closer to the transport robot 23 (to the right side of the paper) than the first substrate transport position TP1 and the second substrate transport position TP2, but this positional relationship is not limited to this, and the waiting position L1 may be positioned between the first substrate transport position TP1 and the second substrate transport position TP2, or may be positioned on the opposite side of the transport robot 23 from the first substrate transport position TP1 and the second substrate transport position TP2 (to the left side of the paper).

[0101] <Timing for removing the board from the cassette> Next, a method for determining the timing of taking out the substrate W from the cassette 113 in the above-mentioned substrate processing apparatus 10 will be described. The control unit 15 has a timetable in which the processing end time or the scheduled processing end time in the loading / unloading unit 11, the transport unit 14, the polishing unit 12, and the cleaning unit 13 are associated with each substrate W, and controls the timing of taking out the substrate W from the cassette 113 based on the timetable. In the following description, the control unit 15 creates the timetable by executing the "method of determining the timing of taking out the substrate W from the cassette 113", but the present invention is not limited to this. An information processing apparatus (computer) separate from the control unit 15 may create the timetable by executing the "method of determining the timing of taking out the substrate W from the cassette 113", and the created timetable may be set in the control unit 15.

[0102] In the following explanation, an example will be given in which the transport robot 23 alternately distributes the substrates W transported one by one from the transport section 12 between the first transport unit 24a and the second transport unit 24b, the first transport unit 24a alternately distributes the substrates W received from the transport robot 23 between the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second polishing apparatus 21b, and the first polishing apparatus 21a and the second polishing apparatus 21b process two wafers W in parallel, and similarly, the second transport unit 24b alternately distributes the substrates W received from the transport robot 23 between the third polishing apparatus 21c and the fourth polishing apparatus 21d, and the third polishing apparatus 21c and the fourth polishing apparatus 21d process two wafers W in parallel. Specifically, for example, the 4j+1th substrate W (j is an integer greater than or equal to 0) is assigned by the transport robot 23 to the first transport unit 24a and then polished in the first polishing apparatus 21a, the 4j+2th substrate W is assigned by the transport robot 23 to the second transport unit 24b and then polished in the third polishing apparatus 21c, the 4j+3th substrate W is assigned by the transport robot 23 to the first transport unit 24a and then polished in the second polishing apparatus 21b, and the 4j+4th substrate W is assigned by the transport robot 23 to the second transport unit 24b and then polished in the fourth polishing apparatus 21d.

[0103] Fig. 13 is a flow chart showing an example of a method for determining the timing for taking out the substrate W from the cassette 113. Figs. 14 to 16 are time charts for explaining a method for determining the timing for taking out the substrate W from the cassette 113.

[0104] 13, first, the control unit 15 calculates the tentative take-out time of each substrate W by adding the transport time T required from when the load / unload unit 11 starts taking out the substrate W from the cassette 113 to when the transport robot 23 completes the transfer operation of the substrate W to the exchanger 50 to the tentative take-out time of the immediately preceding substrate W (step S10). For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the control unit 15 sets the tentative take-out time of the second substrate W to the time obtained by adding the transport time T to the tentative take-out time of the first substrate W, that is, a time later than the tentative take-out time of the first substrate W by the transport time T. Similarly, the control unit 15 sets the tentative take-out time of the third substrate W to the time obtained by adding the transport time T to the tentative take-out time of the second substrate W, that is, a time later than the tentative take-out time of the second substrate W by the transport time T. Similarly, the control unit 15 sets the provisional removal time for the k+1th substrate W (k is a natural number) to the provisional removal time for the kth substrate W plus the transport time T, i.e., a time that is later than the provisional removal time for the kth substrate W by the transport time T.

[0105] Next, the control unit 15 compares a tentative time A at which the pushers 51a, 51b complete their lowering operation for transferring the Xth (X is any natural number) polished substrate W from the polishing apparatuses 21a-21d to the exchanger 50, with a tentative time B at which the transfer robot 23 completes its transfer operation for transferring the (X+5)th unpolished substrate W from the transfer unit 14 to the exchanger 50 (step S11). For example, as shown in FIG. 14, the control unit 15 compares the tentative time A at which the pushers 51a, 51b complete their lowering operation for transferring the first polished substrate W from the polishing apparatuses 21a-21d to the exchanger 50, with a tentative time B at which the transfer robot 23 completes its transfer operation for transferring the (X+5)th unpolished substrate W from the transfer unit 14 to the exchanger 50. 6 The time is compared with a tentative time B at which the transfer operation of the transfer robot 23 for transferring the second unpolished substrate W from the transfer section 14 to the exchanger 50 is completed.

[0106] More specifically, for example, the control unit 15 measures the time t1 required from the start of the operation of taking out the substrate W from the cassette 113 in the load / unload unit 11 until the transfer of the substrate W to the transfer unit 14, the time t2 required from the transfer unit 14 receiving the substrate W from the load / unload unit 11 until the transfer of the substrate W to the transfer robot 23, the time t3 required from the transfer robot 23 receiving the substrate W from the transfer unit 14 until the transfer of the substrate W to the exchanger 50, the time t4 required for the exchanger 50 to move from the position of receiving the substrate W from the transfer robot 23 to the substrate transfer position, the time t5 required from the start to the completion of the ascending operation (loading) for the pushers 51a and 51b to transfer the substrate W from the exchanger 50 to the polishing devices 21a to 21d, the time t6 required from the polishing devices 21a to 21d receiving the substrate W from the pushers 51a and 51b until the polished substrate W is transferred back to the pushers 51a and 51b after polishing, and the time t7 required from the start to the completion of the descending operation (unloading) for the pushers 51a and 51b to transfer the substrate W from the polishing devices 21a to 21d to the exchanger 50. Using these times, a provisional time A when the descending operation of the pushers 51a and 51b for transferring the first polished substrate W from the polishing devices 21a to 21d to the exchanger 50 is completed is calculated as A = t1 + t2 + t3 + t4 + t5 + t6 + t7, 6 A provisional time B when the transfer operation of the transfer robot 23 for transferring the substrate W before the second polishing from the transfer unit 14 to the exchanger 50 is completed is calculated as B = (t1 + t2 + t3)×6, and A and B are compared. Here, t1, t2, t3, t4, t5, and t7 are fixed times required for transfer, while t6 is a time that can be arbitrarily changed depending on the content of the polishing recipe, user settings, etc. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 14, when t6 is set to a relatively short time, A < B may occur, and conversely, as shown in FIG. 15, when t6 is set to a relatively long time, A > B may occur.

[0107] As shown in FIG. 14, if A≦B (i.e., B is simultaneous with A or B is later than A) (step S12: NO), the control unit 15 adopts the tentative removal time of each substrate W as the actual removal time (step 13).

[0108] On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 15, when A>B (i.e., B is earlier than A) (step S12: YES), the control unit 15 calculates the actual removal time of the 10+4ith (i is a natural number equal to or greater than 0) substrate W (i.e., the 10th, 14th, 18th, . . . substrate) by adding the above-mentioned transport time T to the actual removal time of the previous substrate W (i.e., the 9th, 13th, 17th, . . . substrate) and further adding at least AB, as shown in Fig. 16, and calculates the actual removal time of the other substrates W (i.e., the 1st to 9th, 11th to 13th, 15th to 17th, . . . substrates) by adding the above-mentioned transport time T to the actual removal time of the previous substrate W (step S14). The reason for applying at least AB correction to the removal time of the 10+4ith substrate is as follows. That is, (1) at the fastest loading time, for the first to fourth substrates W, there is no waiting time in the exchanger 50 before the pushers 51a, 51 move up (load) to transfer the substrate W from the exchanger 50 to the polishing devices 21a-21d (i.e., from when the exchanger 50 receives the substrate W from the transport robot 23 until it moves to the substrate transfer position). (2) To maximize WPH, for the fifth and subsequent substrates W, there is a waiting time in the exchanger 50 before the pushers 51a, 51b load. (3) The substrates affected by the waiting time in (2) are the ninth and subsequent substrates W, and every four substrates W thereafter are affected (i.e., the 9th, 13th, 17th, .... substrates are affected). (4) The substrates W that contribute to maximizing WPH from the 5th onwards are the 10th and subsequent substrates W (i.e., the 10th, 14th, 18th,.... substrates) that follow the 9th, 13th, 17th,.... substrates whose transport is disrupted due to the waiting time in (2). Therefore, the substrates W to which correction is applied to the substrate removal time are the 10+4ith substrates W (i.e., the 10th, 14th, 18th,.... substrates).

[0109] In the case of A>B, the control unit 15 may calculate the actual removal time of the 10+4i-th substrate W by adding the above-mentioned transport time T to the actual removal time of the previous substrate W and further adding A-B+Δ, and may calculate the actual removal time of the other substrates W by adding the above-mentioned transport time T to the actual removal time of the previous substrate W. Here, Δ is a value determined in advance in consideration of the delay in communication time in the actual device, and may be, for example, 1 second or less, 0.8 seconds or less, or 0.6 seconds or less. The reason for considering the term Δ is that when the transport result previously examined by the simulator is compared with the actual transport result in the actual device, an error corresponding to the communication time occurs during transport in the actual device. By adding this error time, the transport timing in the actual device is strictly corrected, and transport with the maximum WPH can be achieved.

[0110] 16, when A>B, the control unit 15 sets the actual take-out time of the 10th substrate W to the actual take-out time of the 9th substrate W plus the above-mentioned transport time T and further adding A-B+Δ, that is, a time that is later than the actual take-out time of the 9th substrate W by T+A-B+Δ. Next, the control unit 15 sets the actual take-out time of the 11th substrate W to the actual take-out time of the 10th substrate W plus the above-mentioned transport time T, that is, a time that is later than the actual take-out time of the 10th substrate W by T. Next, the control unit 15 sets the actual take-out time of the 12th substrate W to the actual take-out time of the 11th substrate W plus the above-mentioned transport time T, that is, a time that is later than the actual take-out time of the 11th substrate W by T. Next, the control unit 15 sets the actual take-out time of the 13th substrate W to the actual take-out time of the 12th substrate W plus the above-mentioned transport time T, i.e., a time T later than the actual take-out time of the 12th substrate W. Next, the control unit 15 sets the actual take-out time of the 14th substrate W to the actual take-out time of the 13th substrate W plus the above-mentioned transport time T and further adding A-B+Δ, i.e., a time T+A-B+Δ later than the actual take-out time of the 13th substrate W.

[0111] According to the present embodiment as described above, as shown in FIG. 16, immediately after the lowering operation (unloading) of the pushers 51a, 51b for transferring the 10+4(i-1)th polished substrate W from the polishing apparatuses 21a to 21d to the exchanger 50 is completed, the raising operation (loading) of the same pushers 51a, 51b for transferring the 10+4ith unpolished substrate W from the exchanger 50 to the polishing apparatuses 21a to 21d can be stably started. Similarly, the 10+4(i-1)+kth (k=1, 2, 3) polished substrate W can be transferred from the polishing apparatuses 21a to 21d to the exchanger 50. Immediately after the pusher's lowering operation (unloading) for transferring to the exchanger is completed, the same pushers 51a, 51b can start their upward operation (loading) for transferring the 10+4i+kth unpolished substrate W from the exchanger 50 to the polishing devices 21a-21d, so that the pusher-to-pusher operation time (the time from when one pusher 51a, 51b starts processing a certain substrate W to when it starts processing another substrate W) can be shortened, thereby minimizing the rate limit of the polishing unit 12 and improving the throughput (WPH; Wafer Per Hour). In addition, the time from polishing to cleaning becomes uniform and shortest for each wafer W, so that it is possible to obtain a stable result at a high level from the viewpoint of the process.

[0112] Although the embodiment and modified examples of the present invention have been described above by way of example, the scope of the present invention is not limited to these, and can be modified or changed according to the purpose within the scope of the claims. Furthermore, each embodiment and modified example can be appropriately combined within a range that does not cause contradiction in the processing content.

[0113] In addition, the device for determining the timing for removing a substrate from a cassette in this embodiment may be constituted by one or more computers, but a program for causing one or more computers to realize the device for determining the timing for removing a substrate from a cassette and a recording medium having the program recorded thereon are also protected by this case. [Explanation of symbols]

[0114] 10 Substrate processing equipment 11 Load / unload section 12 Polishing section 13 Cleaning section 14 Conveyor section 15 Control section 20a First Polishing Unit 20b Second polishing unit 21a 1st polishing device 21b 2nd polishing device 21c 3rd polishing device 21d 4th polishing device 23 Transport Robot 231 Hands 232 Arm 233 Robot Body 234 Reversal Mechanism 24a First conveying unit 24b Second transport unit 25a~25d Top ring 50 Exchanger 51a 1st Pusher 51b 2nd Pusher 52a 1st stage 52b 2nd stage 52c 3rd stage 101 Polishing table 102 Polishing pad 103 Top ring shaft 104 Polishing liquid supply nozzle

Claims

1. a polishing section including a first polishing unit, a second polishing unit, and a transport robot that distributes substrates between the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit, each of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit including two polishing devices, two pushers that are disposed at two substrate transport positions for each of the two polishing devices and move up and down, and an exchanger having a stage that moves horizontally between a standby position for receiving and delivering substrates from the transport robot and the two substrate transport positions; a load / unload unit for removing the unpolished substrate from the cassette; a transport unit that transports substrates between the load / unload unit and the transport robot; A method for determining a timing for removing a substrate from a cassette in a substrate processing apparatus comprising: The computer calculating a tentative removal time of each substrate by adding a transport time required from when the load / unload unit starts an operation of removing the substrate from the cassette to when the transport robot completes an operation of transferring the substrate to the exchanger to the tentative removal time of the previous substrate; comparing a tentative time A at which a pusher's lowering operation for transferring an Xth (X being any natural number) polished substrate from the polishing apparatus to an exchanger is completed with a tentative time B at which the transfer operation of the transport robot for transferring an X+5th unpolished substrate from the transport unit to the exchanger is completed; If A≦B, the tentative removal time of each substrate is adopted as the actual removal time, If A>B, the actual take-out time of the 10+4ith substrate (i is an integer equal to or greater than 0) is calculated by adding the transport time to the actual take-out time of the substrate immediately preceding it and then adding at least A-B thereto, and the actual take-out times of the other substrates are calculated by adding the transport time to the actual take-out time of the substrate immediately preceding it. A method comprising:

2. The computer, If A>B, calculate the actual take-out time of the 10+4i-th substrate by adding the transport time to the actual take-out time of the substrate immediately before that, and then adding A-B+Δ; calculate the actual take-out times of the other substrates by adding the transport time to the actual take-out time of the substrate immediately before that, The Δ is a value that is determined in advance in consideration of the delay in communication time in the actual device.

2. The method of claim 1 .

3. The Δ is 1 second or less.

3. The method of claim 2 .

4. The substrate processing apparatus further includes a cleaning unit that cleans the substrate after polishing, the transfer robot transfers the substrate between the first polishing unit and the cleaning unit and between the second polishing unit and the cleaning unit. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. a polishing section including a first polishing unit, a second polishing unit, and a transport robot that distributes substrates between the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit, each of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit including two polishing devices, two pushers that are disposed at two substrate transport positions for each of the two polishing devices and move up and down, and an exchanger having a stage that moves horizontally between a standby position for receiving and delivering substrates from the transport robot and the two substrate transport positions; a load / unload unit for removing the unpolished substrate from the cassette; a transport unit that transports substrates between the load / unload unit and the transport robot; A device for determining a timing for removing a substrate from the cassette in a substrate processing apparatus comprising: A memory for storing instructions; calculating a tentative removal time of each substrate by adding a transport time required from when the load / unload unit starts an operation of removing the substrate from the cassette to when the transport robot completes an operation of transferring the substrate to the exchanger to the tentative removal time of the previous substrate; comparing a tentative time A at which a pusher's lowering operation for transferring an Xth (X being any natural number) polished substrate from the polishing apparatus to an exchanger is completed with a tentative time B at which the transfer operation of the transport robot for transferring an X+5th unpolished substrate from the transport unit to the exchanger is completed; If A≦B, the tentative removal time of each substrate is adopted as the actual removal time, If A>B, the actual removal time of the 10+4i (i is an integer equal to or greater than 0)-th substrate is calculated by adding the transport time to the actual removal time of the substrate immediately preceding it and then adding at least A-B to the actual removal time of the substrate immediately preceding it, and the actual removal times of the other substrates are calculated by adding the transport time to the actual removal time of the substrate immediately preceding it. at least one processor configured to execute the instructions for: An apparatus comprising:

6. If A>B, calculate the actual take-out time of the 10+4i-th substrate by adding the transport time to the actual take-out time of the substrate immediately before that, and then adding A-B+Δ; calculate the actual take-out times of the other substrates by adding the transport time to the actual take-out time of the substrate immediately before that, The Δ is a value that is determined in advance in consideration of the delay in communication time in the actual device.

6. The apparatus according to claim 5 .

7. The Δ is 1 second or less.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6 .

8. The substrate processing apparatus further includes a cleaning unit that cleans the substrate after polishing, the transfer robot transfers the substrate between the first polishing unit and the cleaning unit and between the second polishing unit and the cleaning unit. Apparatus according to any one of claims 5 to 7.

9. a polishing section including a first polishing unit, a second polishing unit, and a transport robot that distributes substrates between the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit, each of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit including two polishing devices, two pushers that are disposed at two substrate transport positions for each of the two polishing devices and move up and down, and an exchanger having a stage that moves horizontally between a standby position for receiving and delivering substrates from the transport robot and the two substrate transport positions; a load / unload unit for removing the unpolished substrate from the cassette; a transport unit that transports substrates between the load / unload unit and the transport robot; A program for determining a timing for removing a substrate from the cassette in a substrate processing apparatus comprising: On the computer, calculating a tentative removal time of each substrate by adding a transport time required from when the load / unload unit starts an operation of removing the substrate from the cassette to when the transport robot completes an operation of transferring the substrate to the exchanger to the tentative removal time of the previous substrate; comparing a tentative time A at which a pusher's lowering operation for transferring an Xth (X being any natural number) polished substrate from the polishing apparatus to an exchanger is completed with a tentative time B at which the transfer operation of the transport robot for transferring an X+5th unpolished substrate from the transport unit to the exchanger is completed; If A≦B, the tentative removal time of each substrate is adopted as the actual removal time, If A>B, the actual removal time of the 10+4i (i is an integer equal to or greater than 0)-th substrate is calculated by adding the transport time to the actual removal time of the substrate immediately preceding it and then adding at least A-B to the actual removal time of the substrate immediately preceding it, and the actual removal times of the other substrates are calculated by adding the transport time to the actual removal time of the substrate immediately preceding it. A program characterized by causing a user to execute the following:

10. If A>B, calculate the actual take-out time of the 10+4i-th substrate by adding the transport time to the actual take-out time of the substrate immediately before that, and then adding A-B+Δ; calculate the actual take-out times of the other substrates by adding the transport time to the actual take-out time of the substrate immediately before that, The Δ is a value that is determined in advance in consideration of the delay in communication time in the actual device.

10. The program according to claim 9 .

11. The Δ is 1 second or less.

11. The program according to claim 10 .

12. The substrate processing apparatus further includes a cleaning unit that cleans the substrate after polishing, the transfer robot transfers the substrate between the first polishing unit and the cleaning unit and between the second polishing unit and the cleaning unit. The program according to any one of claims 9 to 11.

13. a polishing section including a first polishing unit, a second polishing unit, and a transport robot that distributes substrates between the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit, each of the first polishing unit and the second polishing unit including two polishing devices, two pushers that are disposed at two substrate transport positions for each of the two polishing devices and move up and down, and an exchanger having a stage that moves horizontally between a standby position for receiving and delivering substrates from the transport robot and the two substrate transport positions; a load / unload unit for removing the unpolished substrate from the cassette; a transport unit that transports substrates between the load / unload unit and the transport robot; a control unit that controls the timing of removing the substrate from the cassette based on a timetable in which a processing end time or a scheduled processing end time in the polishing unit, the load / unload unit, and the transport unit is associated with each substrate; Equipped with In the timetable, A time A at which a pusher completes a lowering operation for transferring an Xth (X being any natural number) polished substrate from the polishing apparatus to an exchanger, and a time B at which the transport robot completes a transfer operation for transferring an X+5th unpolished substrate from the transport unit to the exchanger, satisfy the relationship A>B; and The removal time of the 10+4ith substrate (i is an integer equal to or greater than 0) is calculated by adding the transport time required from when the load / unload unit starts removing the substrate from the cassette to when the transport robot completes the transfer of the substrate to the exchanger to the removal time of the previous substrate, and further adding at least A-B. The removal times of the other substrates are calculated by adding the transport time to the removal time of the previous substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,

14. In the timetable, The actual take-out time of the 10+4i-th substrate is the take-out time of the substrate immediately preceding it, plus the transport time, plus A-B+Δ, and the actual take-out times of the other substrates are the take-out times of the substrate immediately preceding it, plus the transport time, The Δ is a value that is determined in advance in consideration of the delay in communication time in the actual device. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13 .

15. The Δ is 1 second or less. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 14 .

16. Further, a cleaning unit is provided for cleaning the substrate after polishing. the transfer robot transfers the substrate between the first polishing unit and the cleaning unit and between the second polishing unit and the cleaning unit.

16. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is a substrate processing apparatus.

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