Apparatus for transporting substrates, system for processing substrates, and method for processing substrates

Abstract

To transfer a substrate by a substrate transfer module using magnetic levitation in a substrate transfer chamber.SOLUTION: An apparatus for transporting a substrate includes a substrate transfer chamber having a floor portion provided with a first magnet and to which the substrate processing chamber for processing the substrate is connected through an opening, a substrate holding portion that holds the substrate, and a second magnet exerting repulsive force with the first magnet, and further includes a substrate transfer module configured to be movable within the substrate transfer chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force, and the substrate transfer module is configured to directly enter the substrate transfer chamber through the opening to carry in / out the substrate, or to transfer the substrate between the substrate transfer module and the substrate transfer mechanism fixedly provided in the substrate transfer chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for transporting a substrate, a system for processing a substrate, and a method for processing a substrate. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, in an apparatus for performing processing on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter also referred to as a "wafer"), which is a substrate, the wafer is transported between a carrier that contains the wafer and a wafer processing chamber in which the processing is performed. Wafer transport mechanisms of various configurations are used for transporting the wafer.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a substrate carrier that uses magnetic levitation to transfer semiconductor substrates between processing chambers while being suspended above a plate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Special Publication No. 2018-504784 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique for transporting a substrate within a substrate transport chamber using a substrate transport module that utilizes magnetic levitation. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present disclosure relates to an apparatus for transporting a substrate, the apparatus comprising: a substrate transfer chamber having a floor portion on which a first magnet is provided and a sidewall portion to which the substrate processing chamber is connected and having an opening through which a substrate is loaded and unloaded from the substrate processing chamber; a substrate transfer module including a substrate holder that holds the substrate and a second magnet in which a repulsive force acts between the first magnet and the substrate holder, the substrate transfer module being movable within the substrate transfer chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force; The substrate transfer module ,before When a substrate transport mechanism for loading and unloading a substrate between the substrate transport chamber and the substrate processing chamber through the opening is fixedly provided in the substrate transport chamber, the substrate is transferred between the substrate transport mechanism and the substrate processing chamber. 、 a substrate transfer unit provided within the substrate transfer chamber, on which a substrate to be transferred between the substrate transfer module and the substrate transfer mechanism is temporarily placed; the substrate transport mechanism is a substrate transport arm configured to be extendable and rotatable about a vertical axis, The openings are provided in two side walls of the substrate transport chamber, one on each side of the substrate transport arm, so as to face each other across the substrate transport arm, and a plurality of the substrate transfer units are arranged along the alignment of the openings and the substrate transport arm. . Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a substrate can be transported within a substrate transport chamber by a substrate transport module that utilizes magnetic levitation. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a wafer processing system according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 2 is a vertical sectional side view of a portion of a vacuum transfer chamber provided in the wafer processing system. FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view of a first transfer module. [Figure 4] 2 is a schematic diagram of a floor portion of a vacuum transfer chamber and a first transfer module. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a vertical sectional side view of a second transfer module. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a plan view of a second transfer module. [Figure 7] 6A to 6C are first operational views showing an example of the operation of the transfer module. [Figure 8] 11 is a second operational diagram relating to an example of the operation of the transfer module. FIG. [Figure 9] 13 is a third operational diagram relating to an example of the operation of the transfer module. FIG. [Figure 10]13 is a fourth operational diagram relating to an example of the operation of the transfer module. FIG. [Figure 11] 11 is a first operational diagram relating to another example of the operation of the transfer module. FIG. [Figure 12] 13 is a second operational view of another example of the operation of the transfer module. FIG. [Figure 13] 13 is a third operational diagram according to another example of the operation of the transfer module. FIG. [Figure 14] 11 is a first operational view relating to notch alignment by the transfer module. FIG. [Figure 15] 13 is a second operational view relating to notch alignment by the transfer module. FIG. [Figure 16] 13 is a third operational view relating to notch alignment by the transfer module. FIG. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a mounting module installed on the mounting section; [Figure 18] 4 is a vertical sectional side view showing a mounting module installed on the mounting section; FIG. [Figure 19] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining alignment. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional side view showing a gas supply module moving on a top surface portion. [Figure 21] 5A to 5C are schematic diagrams illustrating the operation of the gas supply module. [Figure 22] FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing a first transfer module equipped with a coupling mechanism. [Figure 23] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the transport of a broken first transport module. [Figure 24] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a wafer processing system equipped with a recovery load lock chamber. [Diagram 25] 11 is a schematic diagram showing the transportation of a part to be installed in the apparatus by a first transportation module. FIG. [Figure 26] FIG. 1 is a plan view of a wafer processing system in which a plurality of vacuum transfer chambers are connected. [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is a plan view showing another example of a wafer processing system. [Figure 28]4A to 4C are first operational views relating to the operation of a transfer module in the wafer processing system. [Figure 29] 11 is a second operational diagram relating to the operation of the transfer module in the wafer processing system. FIG. [Diagram 30] 13 is a third operational diagram relating to the operation of the transfer module in the wafer processing system. FIG. [Diagram 31] 13 is a fourth operational diagram relating to the operation of the transfer module in the wafer processing system. FIG. [Diagram 32] FIG. 5 is a fifth operational view relating to the operation of the transfer module in the wafer processing system. [Diagram 33] FIG. 6 is a sixth operational diagram relating to the operation of the transfer module in the wafer processing system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, an overall configuration of a wafer processing system 100, which is an apparatus for processing a substrate according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, will be described with reference to FIG. Fig. 1 shows a multi-chamber type wafer processing system 100 equipped with a plurality of wafer processing chambers 110 which are substrate processing chambers for processing wafers W. As shown in Fig. 1, the wafer processing system 100 is equipped with a load port 141, an atmospheric transfer chamber 140, a load lock chamber 130, a vacuum transfer chamber 120, and the plurality of wafer processing chambers 110. In the following description, the side on which the load port 141 is provided is referred to as the front side.

[0010] In the wafer processing system 100, a load port 141, an atmospheric transfer chamber 140, a load lock chamber 130, and a vacuum transfer chamber 120 are arranged in this order horizontally from the front side. In addition, a plurality of wafer processing chambers 110 are arranged side by side on the left and right sides of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 when viewed from the front side.

[0011] The load port 141 is configured as a mounting table on which carriers C that accommodate wafers W to be processed are placed, and four carriers C are arranged in a row in the left-right direction when viewed from the front side. As the carriers C, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) can be used. The atmospheric transfer chamber 140 has an atmospheric pressure (normal pressure) atmosphere, and for example, a downflow of clean air is formed. A wafer transfer mechanism 142 for transferring the wafer W is provided inside the atmospheric transfer chamber 140. The wafer transfer mechanism 142 in the atmospheric transfer chamber 140 transfers the wafer W between the carrier C and the load lock chamber 130. An alignment chamber 150 for aligning the wafer W is provided on, for example, the left side surface of the atmospheric transfer chamber 140.

[0012] Between the vacuum transfer chamber 120 and the atmospheric transfer chamber 140, three load lock chambers 130 are arranged side by side. The load lock chamber 130 has lift pins 131 that push up the loaded wafer W from below and hold it. Three lift pins 131 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction and are configured to be freely raised and lowered. The load lock chamber 130 is configured to be able to switch between an atmospheric pressure atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere. The load lock chamber 130 and the atmospheric transfer chamber 140 are connected via a gate valve 133. The load lock chamber 130 and the vacuum transfer chamber 120 are also connected via a gate valve 132. The boundary between the vacuum transfer chamber 120 and the load lock chamber 130 is connected so that there is no step on the floor surface. Therefore, it is configured so as not to hinder the movement between the load lock chamber 130 and the vacuum transfer chamber 120 of the first transfer module 20 described later. The vacuum transfer chamber 120 is depressurized to a vacuum atmosphere by a vacuum exhaust mechanism (not shown). The vacuum transfer chamber 120 corresponds to the substrate transfer chamber of this embodiment.

[0013] The vacuum transfer chamber 120 in which the wafer W is transferred under a vacuum atmosphere is configured with a housing that is long in the front-rear direction and has a rectangular shape in a plan view, as shown in Fig. 1. In the wafer processing system 100 of this example, a total of six wafer processing chambers 110 are provided on the left and right side walls of the vacuum transfer chamber 120, three on each side, via gate valves 111. The wafer W is transferred in and out between the vacuum transfer chamber 120 and the wafer processing chambers 110 via an opening (not shown) that is opened and closed by the gate valve 111.

[0014] Each wafer processing chamber 110 is connected to the vacuum transfer chamber 120 through the aforementioned opening in which the gate valve 111 is provided. In each wafer processing chamber 110, a predetermined process is performed on a wafer W placed on a mounting table 112 provided therein while the pressure is reduced to a vacuum atmosphere by a vacuum exhaust mechanism (not shown). Examples of the process performed on the wafer W include an etching process, a film forming process, a cleaning process, and an ashing process. The mounting table 112 is provided with a heater (not shown) for heating the wafer W to a predetermined temperature. When the process performed on the wafer W uses a process gas, the wafer processing chamber 110 is provided with a process gas supply unit (not shown) composed of a shower head or the like. The wafer processing chamber 110 corresponds to the substrate processing chamber of this embodiment.

[0015] When the inside of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 shown in FIG. 1 is divided into three regions, a front stage, a middle stage, and a rear stage, as viewed from the front side, the wafer processing chamber 110 is installed so as to face each of the regions from the left and right. The front stage region and the middle stage region are each provided with a wafer transfer arm 5, which is a substrate transfer mechanism. As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the wafer transfer arm 5 is configured as a joint arm in which a base 50 fixed to the bottom surface of the vacuum transfer chamber 120, a lower stage arm section 51 connected above the base 50 via a rotation shaft (not shown), an upper stage arm section 52, and a wafer holding section 53 arranged in two stages are connected in this order from the lower side. With this configuration, the wafer transfer arm 5 can move freely in a telescopic manner and rotate freely around a vertical axis. In the following, the wafer transfer arm 5 provided in the front stage region (front side) and the wafer transfer arm 5 provided in the middle stage region (rear side) are respectively indicated by the symbols A and B (5A, 5B).

[0016] Between the front and middle regions, and between the middle and rear regions, three placement units 4, which are substrate transfer units on which the wafer W is temporarily placed, are arranged in a row in the left-right direction. The placement units 4 correspond to the positions at which the substrate is transferred. The placement unit 4 has three lift pins 41 for supporting the wafer W, which are provided so as to form a triangular support surface in a plan view. The lift pins 41 are configured to protrude and retract from the bottom surface of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 by a lift mechanism (not shown), and push up and hold the wafer W from below. In the drawings, the area in which the wafer W supported by the lift pins 41 is projected onto the bottom surface of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 is indicated by a broken line as the placement unit 4. The placement unit 4 arranged between the wafer transfer arm 5A and the wafer transfer arm 5B, and the placement unit 4 provided at the rear side of the wafer transfer arm 5B are indicated by the symbols A and B, respectively (4A, 4B).

[0017] The mounting parts 4A, 4B are configured such that the lift pins 41 protrude from the bottom surface of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 when holding a wafer W, and when not holding a wafer W, the lift pins 41 are lowered below the bottom surface of the vacuum transfer chamber 120. Therefore, when not holding a wafer W, first and second transfer modules 20, 30, which will be described later, can pass above the mounting parts 4A, 4B.

[0018] The front-rear distance between each of the placement parts 4A, 4B and the base 50 of each of the wafer transfer arms 5A, 5B is set to a distance that allows the first transfer module 20 described later to pass through even when the lift pins 41 are raised. The front-rear distance between the base 50 of the front-side wafer transfer arm 5A and the load lock chamber 130 is also set to a distance that allows the first transfer module 20 to pass through under similar conditions. Furthermore, the front-rear distance between the rear placement part 4B and the rear wall surface of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 is set to a distance that allows the second transfer module 30 described later to take a position with the arm part 32 facing in the front-rear direction.

[0019] With the above-mentioned configuration, the wafer transfer arm 5 (5A, 5B) is disposed in the vacuum transfer chamber 120 so as to be sandwiched between two openings to which the wafer processing chamber 110 is connected. The layout is such that a plurality of placement units 4 are disposed in line with these openings and the wafer transfer arm 5.

[0020] In addition to the wafer transfer arms 5A, 5B, the vacuum transfer chamber 120 accommodates first and second transfer modules 20, 30, which are substrate transfer modules for transferring the wafer W. In this example, the first transfer module 20 configured in a disk shape and the second transfer module 30 equipped with an arm portion 32 having a fork-shaped substrate holding portion are accommodated. The first and second transfer modules 20 are each configured to be movable by magnetic levitation within the vacuum transfer chamber 120. The configuration of devices related to the transfer and processing of the wafer W using the transfer modules 20 will be described in detail below.

[0021] 3 and 4, the first transfer module 20 includes a stage 2 which is a substrate holding section on which a wafer W is placed and held. For example, the stage 2 is formed in a flat, circular plate shape, and the upper surface thereof serves as a mounting surface for placing a wafer W to be transferred and processed. 3, the first transfer module 20 is formed with three slits 21 extending from the periphery of the stage 2 toward the inside of the stage 2 so as not to interfere with the mounting parts 4A, 4B and the lifting pins 41, 131 in the load lock chamber 130. In the following specification, the orientation of the first transfer module 20 may be expressed as facing the first transfer module 20 with the open end of the slits 21 facing a predetermined direction.

[0022] The relationship between the lift pins 41, 131 and the slit 21 will be described using the placement unit 4 in the vacuum transfer chamber 120 as an example. First, the first transfer module 20 is placed on the front side of the placement unit 4 in a position facing the rear side of the vacuum transfer chamber 120, and moved toward the rear side. At this time, as described above, a gap is secured between the placement unit 4 and the base 50 of each wafer transfer arm 5 so that the first transfer module 20 can pass through. Therefore, the first transfer module 20 can be placed at a position facing the placement unit 4 without interference between the first transfer module 20 and the lift pins 41. Also, the first transfer module 20 is placed on the rear side of the placement unit 4 in a position facing the front side of the vacuum transfer chamber 120, and moved toward the front side. By this operation, the formation area of ​​the slit 21 is moved along the arrangement position of the lift pins 41. As a result, the first transfer module 20 and the receiver 4 can be disposed vertically so that the first transfer module 20 and the lift pins 41 do not interfere with each other and their centers are aligned.

[0023] 4, a plurality of floor-side coils 15 are arranged in the floor section 10 of each of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 and the load lock chamber 130. The floor-side coils 15 generate a magnetic field when power is supplied from a power supply unit (not shown). From this perspective, the floor-side coils 15 correspond to the first magnet of this embodiment.

[0024] Meanwhile, a plurality of module side coils 35 are also arranged inside the first transport module 20. A repulsive force acts between the module side coils 35 and the magnetic field generated by the floor surface side coils 15. This action allows the first transport module 20 to be magnetically levitated relative to the floor surface section 10. In addition, by adjusting the strength and position of the magnetic field generated by the floor surface side coils 15, it is possible to move the first transport module 20 in a desired direction above the floor surface section 10, adjust the amount of levitation, and adjust the orientation of the first transport module 20.

[0025] The module side coil 35 provided in the first conveying module 20 corresponds to the second magnet in this embodiment. The module side coil 35 receives power from a battery (not shown) that is a magnet power supply unit provided in the first conveying module 20, and functions as an electromagnet. Note that a permanent magnet may be provided as an auxiliary inside the first conveying module 20 together with the multiple module side coils 35. Furthermore, the module side coil 35 may be composed of a permanent magnet.

[0026] For example, for each module side coil 35, an increase / decrease in power supplied to the module side coil 35 and power supply / stop control are performed by a power supply control unit (not shown) provided in the first conveying module 20. At this time, the power supply control unit may be configured to obtain a control signal related to power supply control by wireless communication with the control unit 9 described later.

[0027] As described above, the first transfer module 20 is formed with a dimension that allows it to pass between the base 50 of the wafer transfer arms 5A, 5B and the mounting part 4 (FIGS. 1 and 2). Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 2, the second transfer module 30 is formed with a height dimension that allows it to pass under the pivoting lower arm part 51 of the wafer transfer arms 5A, 5B while holding a wafer W.

[0028] Next, the configuration of the second transfer module 30 disposed at the rear of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the second transfer module 30 has a main body 31 having a rectangular planar shape and a width dimension substantially equal to that of the first transfer module 20. The main body 31 is provided with an arm 32 extending horizontally and holding the wafer W horizontally. A fork is provided at the tip of the arm 32 so as to surround an area in which the three lift pins 41 and 131 are provided from the left and right. The fork corresponds to the substrate holder in the second transfer module 30. The arm 32 is set to a length that allows the wafer W to be transferred to the mounting table 112 by opening the gate valve 111 and inserting the arm 32 into the wafer processing chamber 110 while the main body 31 is positioned in the vacuum transfer chamber 120.

[0029] Furthermore, inside the main body 31 of the second transfer module 30, a module side coil 35 similar to that of the first transfer module 20 is provided. With this configuration, like the first transfer module 20, the second transfer module 30 can be moved in a desired direction on the floor surface 10, and the levitation amount and orientation of the second transfer module 30 can be adjusted. The above-described first and second transfer modules 20, 30, and the vacuum transfer chamber 120 equipped with the wafer transfer arm 5 and connected to the wafer processing chamber 110 correspond to the device for transferring substrates according to the present disclosure.

[0030] Returning to FIG. 1, the wafer processing system 100 having the above-mentioned configuration includes a control unit 9 that controls each bed side coil 15 and the wafer processing chamber 110. The control unit 9 is configured by a computer having a CPU and a storage unit, Wafer Processing System 100 Each Department The storage unit records a program that includes a group of steps (commands) for controlling the operations of the first and second transfer modules 20, 30 and the wafer processing chamber 110. This program is stored in a storage medium, such as a hard disk, a compact disk, a magnetic optical disk, or a memory card, and is installed from there into a computer.

[0031] Next, an example of the operation of the wafer processing system 100 will be described. First, when a carrier C accommodating a wafer W to be processed is placed on the load port 141, the wafer W is removed from the carrier C by the wafer transfer mechanism 142 in the atmospheric transfer chamber 140. Next, the wafer W is transferred to the alignment chamber 150, where alignment of the wafer W is performed. Furthermore, when the wafer W is removed from the alignment chamber 150 by the wafer transfer mechanism 142, the gate valve 133 is opened.

[0032] Next, the wafer transfer mechanism 142 enters the load lock chamber 130, and the lift pins 131 push up and receive the wafer W. Here, for example, the first wafer W is loaded into the leftmost load lock chamber 130 when viewed from the front side to the back side. Thereafter, when the wafer transfer mechanism 142 retreats from the load lock chamber 130, the gate valve 133 is closed. Furthermore, the atmosphere inside the load lock chamber 130 is switched from atmospheric pressure to a vacuum atmosphere. Next, the wafer W is transferred to each load lock chamber 130 in the same manner. In this example, for example, the second wafer W is transferred to the rightmost load lock chamber 130.

[0033] When the inside of the load lock chamber 130 becomes a vacuum atmosphere, the gate valve 132 is opened. At this time, inside the vacuum transfer chamber 120, the first transfer module 20A is waiting in a position facing the load lock chamber 130 near the connection position of the load lock chamber 130. Then, the first transfer module 20A is lifted by magnetic levitation using a repulsive force, utilizing a magnetic field generated by the floor surface side coil 15 provided on the floor surface portion 10.

[0034] Next, the transfer of the wafer W from the load lock chamber 130 to each wafer processing chamber 110 will be described. First, an example of transferring the wafer W to the front stage wafer processing chamber 110 and then to the middle stage wafer processing chamber 110 will be described with reference to FIGS. 7 to 10. Here, an example of transferring the wafer W to each wafer processing chamber 110 provided on the right side of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 when viewed from the front side will be described. Note that in FIGS. 7 to 10, the first transfer module 20 that transfers the wafer W first is indicated with the symbol A (20A), and the first transfer module 20 that transfers the wafer W next is indicated with the symbol B.

[0035] 7, the first transfer module 20A is inserted into the load lock chamber 130 and positioned below the wafer W supported by the lift pins 131. The lift pins 131 are then lowered to transfer the wafer W to the first transfer module 20A, whereby the wafer W is placed on the stage 2.

[0036] Next, the first transfer module 20A holding the wafer W is caused to leave the load lock chamber 130 and move straight up to the front of the placement part A4 on the near side. Next, the first transfer module 20A moves rightward between the front placement part 4A and the base 50 of the front wafer transfer arm 5A. At this time, the first transfer module 20A moves parallel to the right without changing direction. Then, after moving to the front of the rightmost placement part 4A, it changes its moving direction to the rear side and reaches above the placement part 4 (FIG. 8).

[0037] Furthermore, in the mounting part 4A, the lift pins 41 rise and push up the wafer W held by the first transfer module 20A to receive it. At this time, the next wafer W has been loaded into the leftmost load lock chamber 130, and the atmosphere in the load lock chamber 130 is similarly switched to a vacuum atmosphere. Then, the first transfer module 20B enters the load lock chamber 130 and receives the wafer W.

[0038] 9, the first transfer module 20A having received the wafer W moves to the rear side of the mounting part 4A, and then moves from right to left along the rear side of the front mounting part 4A. The first transfer module 20A then moves straight to the front side and waits at the rear side of the left load lock chamber 130. The first transfer module 20A moves to the platform 4A where the lift pins 41 are not raised, while maintaining a posture facing the load lock chamber 130. Therefore, the first transfer module 20A can move along the trajectory shown in Fig. 9 without interfering with the lift pins 41. This also applies to the operation of the other first transfer module 20B.

[0039] Furthermore, the wafer transfer arm 5A on the front side receives the wafer W transferred onto the right-side mounting portion 4A, and transfers the wafer W to, for example, the wafer processing chamber 110 on the right side of the previous stage. At this time, the first transfer module 20B holding the succeeding wafer W leaves the load lock chamber 130 and moves straight ahead to the front of the mounting part 4A. It then changes its moving direction and moves leftward between the mounting part 4A and the front wafer transfer arm 5A. After moving to the front of the central mounting part 4A, it changes its moving direction to the rear side and reaches above the mounting part 4A (FIG. 9). Then, it lifts the lift pins 41 of the mounting part 4A, and the wafer W is transferred to the lift pins 41.

[0040] 10, the first transfer module 20B that has received the wafer W moves to the rear side of the mounting part 4, and then changes its moving direction to the right. Then, the first transfer module 20B moves straight to the front side and waits at the rear side of the rightmost load lock chamber 130. On the other hand, the wafer transfer arm 5B at the rear side receives the wafer W transferred onto the central mounting portion 4A, and transfers the wafer W to, for example, the wafer processing chamber 110 on the right side of the middle stage.

[0041] Next, the operation of transferring the wafer W from the load lock chamber 130 to the downstream wafer processing chamber 110 will be described with reference to Figures 11 to 13. In this example, the case of transferring the wafer W to the wafer processing chamber 110 installed on the right side of the downstream vacuum transfer chamber 120 will be described. First, for example, in the left load lock chamber 130, the wafer W is delivered to the first transfer module 20. Next, as shown in FIG. 11, the first transfer module 20 that has received the wafer W moves straight toward the rear side and moves to the front side of the mounting part 4B at the rear side.

[0042] Furthermore, the first transfer module 20 changes its moving direction and moves to the right between the rear placement unit 4B and the rear wafer transfer arm 5B. After moving to the front of the right placement unit 4B, it changes its moving direction to the rear and reaches above the right placement unit 4B. Then, for example, it rotates around a vertical axis on the spot and changes its orientation so as to face the placement unit 4B. Here, since the first transfer module 20 is in a position facing the front side when it leaves the load lock chamber 130, it is sufficient to rotate it 180° around the vertical axis above the placement unit 4. At this time, the second transfer module 30 is waiting at the rear side of the right placement unit 4B with the arm unit 32 facing the front side.

[0043] 12, the lift pins 41 of the placement unit 4 are raised to push up and receive the wafer W, and the first transfer module 20 moves to the front side. After rotating 180° about the vertical axis, the first transfer module 20 moves leftward between the placement unit 4B at the rear side and the wafer transfer arm 5B at the rear side. It then moves straight forward and returns to the rear side of the leftmost load lock chamber 130 and waits there. Meanwhile, the second transfer module 30 is advanced forward to position the arm 32 on the placement unit 4 B, and the lift pins 41 of the placement unit 4 B are lowered to transfer the wafer W to the arm 32 .

[0044] 13, the second transfer module 30 holding the wafer W changes direction and retreats when viewed from the mounting part 4B, and points the tip of the arm part 32 toward the wafer processing chamber 110 on the right side. Next, the gate valve 111 of the wafer processing chamber 110 is opened, and the second transfer module 30 is moved straight forward to cause the arm part 32 to enter the wafer processing chamber 110 to transfer the wafer W. When transferring the wafer W, the main body part 31 of the second transfer module 30 is located inside the vacuum transfer chamber 120, and only the arm part 32 has entered the wafer processing chamber 110 (FIG. 13).

[0045] When the loading of the wafer W into each wafer processing chamber 110 is completed by each of the operations described above, the arm unit 32 is retreated to the vacuum transfer chamber 120, and the gate valve 111 is closed. Next, the wafer W is heated by the mounting table 112 in sequence until it reaches a preset temperature, and a processing gas is supplied from the processing gas supply unit into the wafer processing chamber 110. In this manner, the desired processing of the wafer W is performed.

[0046] After the processing of the wafer W is thus performed for a preset period, the heating of the wafer W is stopped and the supply of the processing gas is stopped. If necessary, a cooling gas may be supplied into the wafer processing chamber 110 to cool the wafer W. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred in the reverse order to that of the loading, and is returned from the wafer processing chamber 110 to the load lock chamber 130. Furthermore, after the atmosphere in the load lock chamber 130 is switched to a normal pressure atmosphere, the wafer W in the load lock chamber 130 is removed by the wafer transfer mechanism 142 on the atmospheric transfer chamber 140 side and returned to a predetermined carrier C.

[0047] In the embodiment described above, when the wafer W is transferred to the wafer processing chamber 110, the wafer W is transferred from the load lock chamber 130 to the placement unit 4 provided in the vacuum transfer chamber 120 by the first transfer module 20. On the other hand, in the case where the first transfer module 20 is not provided in the vacuum transfer chamber 120, the wafer transfer arms 5A and 5B must also be used to transfer the wafer W in the forward and backward directions between the load lock chamber 130 and the front-side placement unit 4A and between the front-side placement unit 4A and the rear-side placement unit 4B. For this reason, the wafer transfer arms 5A and 5B are required to transfer the wafer W in the forward and backward directions in addition to the operation of transferring the wafer W to the wafer processing chamber 110. As a result, the load of the operation of transferring the wafer W by the wafer transfer arms 5A and 5B increases. The increase in the load of a specific device may be a constraint on increasing the number of wafers W that can be processed per unit time in the wafer processing system 100. On the other hand, providing an additional wafer transfer arm dedicated to transferring the wafer W in the forward and backward directions is not practical due to a lack of arrangement space, interference with other wafer transfer arms 5A and 5B, and constraints on the position where the additional wafer transfer arm can transfer the wafer.

[0048] In response to this, by installing the first transfer module 20, which can move relatively freely within the vacuum transfer chamber 120, the first transfer module 20 can be made to share the role of transferring the wafer W from the load lock chamber 130 to each mounting unit 4. Therefore, the wafer transfer arm 5 only needs to share the role of transferring the wafer W between the mounting unit 4 and the wafer processing chamber 110. This makes it possible to suppress an increase in the load on the wafer transfer arm 5. As described above, a plurality of mounting units 4 are arranged in line with the wafer processing chamber 110 and the wafer transfer arm 5. This configuration allows the wafer W to be efficiently transferred by the wafer transfer arm 5 and the first transfer module 20 while ensuring a movement space for the first transfer module 20.

[0049] Here, a floor surface side coil 15 may also be installed on the floor surface of the wafer processing chamber 110 so that the first transfer module 20 can be directly inserted into the wafer processing chamber 110 to transfer the wafer W. Also, for example, depending on the temperature of the wafer W before and after processing in the wafer processing chamber 110, the first and second transfer modules 20, 30 having different usable temperatures may be used.

[0050] Furthermore, when the wafer W is transferred by the first transfer module 20, the notch or orientation flat (OF) of the wafer W may be aligned. When processing the wafer W in the wafer processing chamber 110, it may be necessary to perform the processing with the notch or OF facing a predetermined direction based on the result of a previous alignment performed in the alignment chamber 150. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 1, when the wafer processing chambers 110 are arranged on the left and right sides of the wafer transfer arm 5, if the wafer W placed on the placement unit 4 always faces the same direction, the orientations of the notch and OF may differ by 180° between the left and right wafer processing chambers 110. In such a case, the first transfer module 20 can also be used for aligning the notch or OF. Note that, for convenience of illustration, in the following explanation of Figures 14 and 15, the wafer transfer arm 5 is omitted.

[0051] For example, in regard to the alignment of a notch, a wafer W whose notch has been aligned by alignment is assumed to be positioned as shown in Fig. 14. If the wafer W is placed on the mounting part 4 without changing the orientation of the notch and is then carried into the wafer processing chamber 110 on the right by the wafer transfer arm 5, the wafer W will end up rotated 180° around the vertical axis with respect to the preset orientation.

[0052] In this case, for example, when the first transfer module 20 holding the wafer W enters the vacuum transfer chamber 120 from the load lock chamber 130, the first transfer module 20 is rotated 180° around the vertical axis as shown in FIG. 15. Then, by transferring the wafer W to the placement unit 4 as shown in FIG. 16, the direction of the wafer W transferred to the placement unit 4 can be rotated 180°. Furthermore, the first transfer module 20 retreats from the position of the placement unit 4, rotates 180° around the vertical axis, and returns to the innermost side of the leftmost load lock chamber 130 to wait (FIG. 16). By using the first transfer module 20 utilizing magnetic levitation in this way, it is not necessary to provide a separate device for aligning the notch in the wafer processing system 100.

[0053] 17 and 18 show an example of a mounting module 400 constituting a substrate transfer section disposed in the mounting section 4. The mounting module 400 is configured to be rotatable about a vertical axis by utilizing magnetic levitation. The mounting module 400 includes two mounting tables 401, 402 so that the wafers W can be mounted on two levels, one above the other. For example, the lower mounting table 401 includes a base portion 411, and a holder 403 that holds the center of the lower surface of the wafer W is provided above the base portion 411. The holder 403 is configured to be able to transfer the wafer W between the wafer holder 53 of each first transfer module 20 and the mounting module 400.

[0054] The upper mounting table 402 includes a cylindrical portion 412 surrounding the lower mounting table 401, and a holder 404 for holding the center of the underside of the wafer W is provided above the cylindrical portion 412. Two windows 405 for transferring the wafer W to the lower mounting table 401 are formed in opposing positions on the side surface of the cylindrical portion 412. The holder 404 is also configured to allow the transfer of the wafer W between it and the wafer holder 53 of each first transfer module 20.

[0055] The lower ends of the base portion 411 of the mounting table 401 and the cylindrical portion 412 of the mounting table 402 are provided with substrateA module side coil 35, which is a magnet on the transfer section side, is provided. By utilizing the repulsive force between the module side coil 35 and the floor surface side coil 15 provided on the floor surface section 10 of the vacuum transfer chamber 12, each of the placement tables 401, 402 is configured to be independently rotatable about a vertical axis. According to the placement module 400 of this example, the orientation of the wafer W can be changed between when it is held by the first transfer module 20 and when it is held by the wafer transfer arm 5. In this example, instead of the operation of aligning the notch and OF of the wafer W by the first transfer module 20 described with reference to FIGS. 14 to 16, a dedicated placement module 400 is provided, so that the transfer and rotation operations of the wafer W can be shared.

[0056] Next, Fig. 19 shows an example of aligning the wafer W using a transfer module utilizing magnetic levitation. The transfer module 60 shown in Fig. 19 includes a main body 61 provided with a module side coil 35 and a support column 62 extending so as to protrude upward from the upper surface of the main body 61 and having a smaller diameter than the wafer W. A substrate holding surface forming a substrate holding portion is formed on the upper surface of the support column 62, and the wafer W is supported from the underside by the substrate holding surface. In the above-mentioned alignment using the transfer module 60, for example, a wafer sensor 6 for alignment is used, which is a detection unit that irradiates light downward and has a light receiving unit on the lower side that receives the light. The wafer sensor 6 detects the position of the edge of the wafer W located outside the support members 62. The wafer sensor 6 is provided in the load lock chamber 130, for example.

[0057] Then, for example, while the transfer module 60 is waiting inside the load lock chamber 130, the wafer W is delivered to the transfer module 60 from the atmospheric transfer chamber 140 side, and the gate valve 133 on the atmospheric transfer chamber 140 side is closed. Furthermore, the transfer module 60 is moved so that the edge of the wafer W is positioned on the optical path of the wafer sensor 6.

[0058] Then, while the inside of the load lock chamber 130 is switched to a vacuum atmosphere, the transfer module 60 is rotated on the spot about the vertical axis. As a result, the wafer W rotates about a central axis passing through the center of the wafer W, and alignment is performed while detecting the position of the peripheral edge of the rotating wafer W. 1, the alignment chamber 150 can be omitted, and the wafer processing system 100 can be made smaller. Furthermore, since alignment can be performed while the load lock chamber 130 is switched to a vacuum, the number of wafers W processed per unit time can be improved, as compared with an example in which alignment is performed by transferring the wafers to the alignment chamber 150. The sensor unit 6 may be provided in the movement area of ​​the transfer module 60, such as the atmospheric transfer chamber 140 or the vacuum transfer chamber 120, and alignment may be performed at each installation location.

[0059] The transfer module 60 described above also corresponds to the substrate transfer module of this example, and may be used instead of or together with the first and second transfer modules 20 and 30 described above to transfer the wafer W in the vacuum transfer chamber 120. In this case, the lift pins 41 of the placement unit 4 are disposed at positions around the support columns 62 where the lower surface of the wafer W can be supported.

[0060] Further, an accelerometer and a thermometer may be provided in each of the transfer modules 20, 30, and 60 to detect vibrations during transfer of the wafer W or to detect a temperature rise of the wafer W. For example, the measured values ​​of acceleration and temperature may be transmitted to the control unit 9, and the transfer modules 20, 30, and 60 may perform self-diagnosis of a malfunction when the measured value of acceleration or the measured value of temperature exceeds a threshold value. Also, an abnormality in the processing of the wafer W may be detected when the measured value of the temperature of the wafer W exceeds a threshold value.

[0061] Also, a camera for monitoring the inside of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 may be provided on the disk-shaped first transfer module 20. For example, by capturing an image of the inside of the vacuum transfer chamber 120, it is possible to check for the presence or absence of abnormalities in the vacuum transfer chamber 120. Also, the first transfer module 20 may be advanced into the wafer processing chamber 110 to capture an image of the inside of the chamber and check for abnormalities. For example, an image of the wafer W placed on the mounting table 112 and the mounting table 112 may be captured to check the positions of the wafer W and the mounting table 112, thereby checking the accuracy of teaching and transfer of the wafer W. Also, in addition to the camera, a laser displacement meter and an encoder may be provided to further improve the accuracy of position confirmation. Furthermore, an imaging module capable of moving within the vacuum transfer chamber 120 by magnetic levitation may be provided separately from the above-mentioned transfer modules 20, 30, and 60, and a camera may be installed in the imaging module.

[0062] 20 and 21 show an example in which a magnet is provided on the ceiling (top surface) of a substrate transfer chamber (such as the above-mentioned vacuum transfer chamber 120) where the wafer W is transferred, and a module is provided that moves along the ceiling by magnetic attraction. As an example of such a module, a gas discharge module 7 will be described. As shown in FIG. 20, the gas discharge module 7 includes a housing 70. Inside the housing 70, for example, nitrogen (N 2 ) A gas storage section 71 in which gas is stored is provided.

[0063] In addition, a plurality of gas discharge holes 72 are formed on the bottom surface of the housing 70, and the N 2 Gas is discharged from gas discharge holes 72 via piping 73. Note that V73 provided on piping 73 in Fig. 20 is a valve.

[0064] A module side coil 35 is provided on the top plate of the housing 70, and a top surface side coil 16 is installed on the top surface 11 of the vacuum transfer chamber 120. The top surface side coil 16 corresponds to a third magnet, and the module side coil 35 corresponds to a fourth magnet. The gas discharge module 7 is magnetically attracted to a position below the top surface 11 in the vacuum transfer chamber 120 by the magnetic attraction between the module side coil 35 and the top surface side coil 16.

[0065] By using the gas discharge module 7 configured in this manner, N 2 This forms a downward flow of clean gas toward the wafer W in the vacuum transfer chamber 120. This downward flow suppresses adhesion of particles 93 floating in the vacuum transfer chamber 120 and corrosive gas 94 generated during processing in the wafer processing chamber 110 to the wafer W, and prevents adhesion of N 2 It can be exhausted through exhaust port 90 along with the gas flow. Furthermore, when the transfer modules 20 and 30 are transferring the wafer W, the gas discharge module 7 is configured to apply N 2 The gas supplying module 20 and the gas supplying module 30 may be moved in accordance with the gas supplying module 20 and the gas supplying module 30 so as to continue discharging the gas. By configuring in this way, the wafer W being transported is 2 The wafer W can be covered with gas, and thus can be prevented from being oxidized by gas floating in the transfer path.

[0066] In addition, the module provided on the top surface side and moving may be a temperature control module housing a heater or the like. For example, by moving the temperature control module disposed above the wafer W together with the wafer W being transferred by the first transfer module 20 moving along the floor surface, the temperature of the wafer W can be adjusted during transfer. Also, if a shelf is provided in the module that moves along the ceiling, Condition A wafer placement unit may be provided and the wafer W may be transported using the module.

[0067] Also, a connecting mechanism may be provided to connect the transfer modules 20, 30, 60 to each other. For example, Fig. 22 shows an example in which a protrusion 22 is provided on the side of a first transfer module 20. A recess 23 into which the protrusion 22 can be inserted is provided on the side opposite the protrusion 22. Then, as shown in Fig. 23, the protrusion 22 of a first transfer module 20 is configured to be inserted into the recess of another first transfer module 20 for connection. The protrusion 22 and the recess 23 form a connecting mechanism.

[0068] With this configuration, for example, when a first transfer module 20 breaks down and becomes unable to move, the broken down first transfer module 20 is sandwiched and connected by other first transfer modules 20. The first transfer module 20 with diagonal lines in Fig. 23 indicates the broken down first transfer module 20. With this configuration, the broken down first transfer module 20 can be transported by the other first transfer modules 20.

[0069] Furthermore, a dedicated load lock chamber 200 capable of switching the internal atmosphere between air and vacuum may be provided to unload the broken first transfer module 20. FIG. 24 shows an example in which the load lock chamber 200 is provided on the side wall surface at the rear side of the vacuum transfer chamber 120. In FIG. 24, reference numeral 201 denotes a gate valve, and reference numeral 202 denotes an outlet for the first transfer module 20. By providing the load lock chamber 200 for recovering the broken transfer modules 20, 30, and 60 in this manner, it becomes unnecessary to stop and open the wafer processing system 100, and the downtime of the system 100 can be reduced. Furthermore, the wafer W in which an abnormality has occurred may be recovered from the load lock chamber 200.

[0070] Furthermore, the load lock chamber 200 described above may be used as a storage chamber for storing unused transfer modules 20, 30, 60. The number of transfer modules 20, 30, 60 used in the vacuum transfer chamber 120 may be adjustable according to the throughput of the processing performed in the wafer processing system 100. Furthermore, the number of transfer modules 20, 30, 60 arranged in the vacuum transfer chamber 120 may be increased or decreased via the load lock chamber 200.

[0071] Furthermore, the transfer modules 20, 30, and 60 may be used to transfer components to be installed in the vacuum transfer chamber 120 or the wafer processing chamber 110. FIG. 25 shows an example in which the first transfer module 20 transfers the focus ring 113. For example, the wafer transfer arm 5 may be configured to receive the focus ring 113 from the first transfer module 20, carry it into the wafer processing chamber 110, and install it on the mounting table 112. With this configuration, internal components and members can be replaced or installed without opening the wafer processing chamber 110.

[0072] The first transfer module 20 may be configured to have a rectangular planar shape. On the other hand, by configuring the transfer module 20 to have a circular planar shape, the area required for rotation of the transfer module 20 can be reduced, and the area of ​​the vacuum transfer chamber 120 can be narrowed.

[0073] Furthermore, the transfer of the wafer W between the first transfer module 20 and the wafer transfer arm 5 may be performed directly between the first transfer module 20 and the wafer transfer arm 5, without using the mounting unit 4. In this case, for example, lift pins that protrude from and are recessed in the surface of the stage 2 of the first transfer module 20 may be provided. The lift pins may then be used to lift and lower the wafer W placed on the first transfer module 20, thereby transferring the wafer W to and from the wafer transfer arm 5.

[0074] In addition, the number and layout of the wafer processing chambers 110 in the vacuum transfer chamber 120 are not limited to the example shown in Fig. 1. The number of wafer processing chambers 110 may be increased or decreased as necessary. For example, the case where only one wafer processing chamber 110 is provided in the vacuum transfer chamber 120 is also included in the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0075] The arrangement of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 is not limited to the arrangement in which the long side of the rectangular vacuum transfer chamber 120 in plan view faces the front-rear direction as shown in Fig. 1. For example, the vacuum transfer chamber 120 may be arranged so that the long side faces the left-right direction when viewed from the load port 141 side. Furthermore, the planar shape of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 may be of various shapes depending on the shape of the area in which the wafer processing system 100 is disposed. For example, it may be a square, a polygon having pentagons or more sides, a circle, or an ellipse.

[0076] In addition, the substrate transfer chamber in which the wafer W is transferred to the wafer processing chamber 110 using the transfer modules 20, 30, 60 is not limited to being configured as the vacuum transfer chamber 120 with a vacuum atmosphere inside. The transfer modules 20, 30, 60 of the present disclosure can also be applied to a wafer processing system configured such that the wafer processing chamber 110 is provided to the side of the substrate transfer chamber with an atmospheric atmosphere inside. In this case, it is not essential to provide the load lock chamber 130 in the wafer processing system, and the wafer W taken out from the carrier C to the atmospheric transfer chamber 140 may be directly loaded into the substrate transfer chamber.

[0077] Also, for example, the vacuum transfer chamber 120A and another vacuum transfer chamber 120B may be connected by a communication path 8. For example, as shown in Fig. 26, one end of the communication path 8 is connected to the left side of the vacuum transfer chamber 120A, and the other end of the communication path 8 is connected to the right side of the other vacuum transfer chamber 120B. This vacuum transfer chamber 120B is configured similarly to the vacuum transfer chamber 120A, except that no load lock chamber 130 is provided on the front side.

[0078] In addition, a floor side coil 15 is also installed on the floor of the communication path 8 to enable the movement of the transfer modules 20, 30, and 60. By connecting multiple vacuum transfer chambers 120A, 120B in this manner, the load lock chamber 130, atmospheric transfer chamber 140, and load port 141 can be shared.

[0079] Furthermore, if only the wafer transfer arm 5 is used as the wafer transfer mechanism fixed to the bottom between the vacuum transfer chambers 120A and 120B, a large space is required for rotation. In addition, since the distance that can be transferred is limited, multiple transfer mechanisms may need to be installed to transfer to a distant location.

[0080] In contrast, when using the first and second transport modules 20, 30 that are levitated and move by magnetic force, the range in which the floor side coil 15 can be installed can be adjusted relatively freely. As a result, the range in which one transport module 20, 30, 60 can move can be freely set, increasing the degree of freedom in device design.

[0081] Furthermore, instead of providing a fixed transfer mechanism within the vacuum transfer chamber 120, the wafer W may be levitated by magnetic force and transferred within the vacuum transfer chamber 120 only by the transfer modules 20, 30, and 60. FIG. 27 shows a wafer processing system 101 that transfers a wafer W using only the second transfer module 30 (hereinafter, simply referred to as the "transfer module 30"). In this wafer processing system 101, the length of the short side of a rectangular vacuum transfer chamber 160 in a plan view is wide enough that two transfer modules 30 holding a wafer W can pass each other when aligned side by side. The length of the short side of the vacuum transfer chamber 160 in this example is shorter than the length from the main body 31 to the tip of the wafer W when the transfer module 30 holds the wafer W (the total length of the transfer module 30 when holding the wafer W). In this example, the wafer W is transferred using two transfer modules 30 provided in the vacuum transfer chamber 160.

[0082] In front of the front side of the vacuum transfer chamber 160, two load lock chambers 130 are arranged side by side, and four wafer processing chambers 110 are arranged side by side on the left and right sides of the vacuum transfer chamber 160. That is, the wafer W is loaded into the wafer processing chamber 110 in a direction (short side direction) intersecting with the long side direction of the vacuum transfer chamber 160. On the other hand, as described above, the length of the short side direction of the vacuum transfer chamber 160 is shorter than the overall length of the transfer module 30 in a state in which the wafer W is held. Therefore, when loading and unloading the wafer W using the transfer module 30, it is necessary to perform a switching operation that combines a linear movement along the long side direction of the vacuum transfer chamber 160 and a curved movement that enters or exits the vacuum transfer chamber 160 while changing the orientation of the transfer module 30.

[0083] Therefore, a space 161 is provided at the rear of the vacuum transfer chamber 160 for performing a switching operation when switching the transfer module 30 when transferring a wafer W to the last wafer processing chamber 110. That is, the space 161 is provided protruding further back than the rearmost wafer processing chamber 110 (more specifically, the position of the gate valve 111 of the rear wafer processing chamber 110). When transferring a wafer W to or from a front wafer processing chamber 110 other than the last wafer processing chamber, the above-mentioned switching operation can be performed using the space in the vacuum transfer chamber 160 that extends forward from the above-mentioned space 161. In this wafer processing system 101, the transfer module 30 moves within the vacuum transfer chamber 160 with the arm portion 32 facing the load lock chamber 130 (front side) along the long side of the vacuum transfer chamber 160, on a trajectory shifting to the left and right when viewed from the front side.

[0084] The transfer operation of the wafer W between the wafer processing chambers 110 in this wafer processing system 101 will be described using the wafer processing chamber 110 at the last stage on the left side as an example. First, when the transfer module 30 receives the wafer W from the load lock chamber 130 on the left side, it moves backward toward the back side with the arm part 32 facing forward (see also the arrow indicating the direction of travel next to the transfer module 30 on the left side when viewed from the front side in Figure 27).

[0085] Then, the transfer module 30 holding the wafer W moves to a position where the gate valve 111 of the final wafer processing chamber 110 is provided. At this time, the main body 31 of the transfer module 30 passes the position where the gate valve 111 is disposed and reaches the space 161 further back. By this operation, the tip side of the arm 32 holding the wafer W is positioned near the gate valve 111. When the tip of the arm portion 32 reaches the vicinity of the gate valve 111 in this manner, in addition to the retreating movement, the tip of the arm portion 32 is rotated clockwise so as to face the gate valve 111, as shown in FIG.

[0086] Next, the gate valve 111 is opened, and the direction of movement of the transfer module 30 is switched to forward while rotating so as to insert the wafer W into the wafer processing chamber 110 (FIG. 29). After that, when the transfer module 30 is directly facing the wafer processing chamber 110, the rotation is stopped and the wafer W moves straight forward until it reaches above the mounting table 112. By the above-mentioned switching operation of switching between backward and forward movement while rotating the transfer module 30, the transfer module 30 assumes a posture in which the arm part 32 faces leftward when viewed from the front side (FIG. 30). Then, the wafer W is transferred to the mounting table 112, and the transfer module 30 is retreated from the wafer processing chamber 110. Furthermore, the gate valve 111 is closed, and the wafer W is processed.

[0087] When the processing of the wafer W is completed and the wafer W is to be unloaded from the wafer processing chamber 110, the transfer module 30 again inserts the arm 32 into the wafer processing chamber 110 to receive the processed wafer W. 31 to 33, the transfer module 30 is rotated in a manner opposite to that used for loading, and a switching operation is performed to switch between moving backward and forward to unload the wafer W. Thereafter, the transfer module 30 moves forward to transfer the wafer W to the left load lock chamber 130. Although not described in the above example, the switching operation described with reference to FIGS. 28 to 33 is also used when the transfer module 30 retracts the arm unit 32, which is not holding the wafer W, from the wafer processing chamber 110 and moves it into the chamber.

[0088] As described above, at the rear side of the vacuum transfer chamber 160, there is a space 161 where the transfer module 30 is turned around and changed direction. but By providing this space 161, the width of the vacuum transfer chamber 160 in the short side direction is of , can be made shorter than the overall length of the transfer module 30 when it is holding a wafer W. This makes it possible to reduce the floor area of ​​the vacuum transfer chamber 160. As described above, for each wafer processing chamber 110 arranged closer to the rearmost wafer processing chamber 110, a switching operation can be performed by using the space in the vacuum transfer chamber 160 that extends closer to the rear side than the space 161. Furthermore, since the wafer processing system 101 does not include a wafer transfer arm 5 or a placement unit 4 within the vacuum transfer chamber 160, the height of the vacuum transfer chamber 160 can be reduced compared to when these devices 5, 4 are provided.

[0089] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 2 Stage 5 Wafer transfer arm 10 Floor section 15 Floor side coil 20 First transfer module (transfer module) 30 Second transfer module (transfer module) 32 Wafer holder 35 Module side coil 60 Transport Module 100, 101 Wafer processing system 110 Wafer processing chamber 120, 160 Vacuum transfer chamber W wafer

Claims

1. An apparatus for transporting a substrate to a substrate processing chamber in which processing of the substrate is performed, comprising: a substrate transfer chamber including a floor portion on which a first magnet is provided and a sidewall portion having an opening portion to which the substrate processing chamber is connected and through which a substrate is loaded and unloaded from the substrate processing chamber; a substrate transfer module including a substrate holder that holds the substrate and a second magnet in which a repulsive force acts between the first magnet and the second magnet, the substrate transfer module being movable within the substrate transfer chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force; the substrate transfer module is configured to transfer a substrate between the substrate transfer chamber and the substrate processing chamber when a substrate transfer mechanism for loading and unloading a substrate between the substrate transfer chamber and the substrate processing chamber through the opening is fixedly provided in the substrate transfer chamber, and to transfer a substrate between the substrate transfer mechanism and the substrate processing chamber; a substrate transfer unit provided within the substrate transfer chamber, on which a substrate to be transferred between the substrate transfer module and the substrate transfer mechanism is temporarily placed; the substrate transport mechanism is a substrate transport arm configured to be extendable and rotatable about a vertical axis, The openings are provided in two side walls of the substrate transport chamber, which are disposed on either side of the substrate transport arm, so as to face each other across the substrate transport arm, and a plurality of the substrate transfer sections are arranged in line with these openings and the substrate transport arm.

2. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate transfer section comprises a mounting section on which the substrate is placed, and a magnet on the substrate transfer section side which exerts a repulsive force between the magnet and the first magnet, and is configured to be freely rotatable about a vertical axis within the substrate transfer chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force in order to change an orientation of the substrate between when the substrate is held by the substrate transfer module and when the substrate is held by the substrate transfer mechanism.

3. the substrate transport chamber includes a top surface portion on which a third magnet is provided, a fourth magnet is provided to generate an attractive force between the fourth magnet and the third magnet, and a processing module is provided to perform processing inside the substrate transport chamber or on a substrate; The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the processing module is configured to be movable within the substrate transfer chamber by magnetic attraction using the attractive force.

4. 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the processing module is a gas discharge module that discharges gas into the substrate transfer chamber through gas supply holes provided on a lower surface of the processing module to form a downward flow of clean gas toward the substrate in the substrate transfer chamber.

5. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate transport module comprises a coupling mechanism for coupling with another substrate transport module.

6. The apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a storage chamber connected to the substrate transport chamber and configured to store the substrate transport module.

7. 7. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transport module is configured to transport components placed within the substrate transport chamber or the substrate processing chamber in addition to transporting the substrate.

8. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate transport module is configured in a disk shape with the second magnet provided therein, and an upper surface of the disk serves as the substrate holder.

9. 8. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transport module comprises a main body portion having the second magnet disposed therein, and an arm portion extending laterally from the main body portion and having a fork at its tip that forms the substrate holding portion.

10. 8. An apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the substrate transport module comprises a main body portion having the second magnet provided therein, and a support portion extending so as to protrude upward from an upper surface of the main body portion and having a substrate holding surface formed on its upper surface that constitutes the substrate holding portion.

11. The support portion is configured to have a smaller diameter than the substrate, a sensor unit that optically detects a peripheral portion of a substrate supported by the support column and located outside the support column, in an area in which the substrate transport module can move due to the first magnet being provided on a floor surface portion; The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the substrate transport module is configured to align the substrate by moving the substrate held on the substrate holding surface to a position where the sensor unit can detect a peripheral portion of the substrate, and by rotating the main body unit around a central axis passing through a center of the substrate.

12. the substrate transfer chamber is configured to transfer the substrate under a vacuum atmosphere; a load lock chamber configured to be able to freely switch an internal pressure between normal pressure and vacuum, and in which a substrate is temporarily placed for being transferred between the substrate transfer chamber and the load lock chamber, is connected to a position of the side wall of the substrate transfer chamber different from a position where an opening for connecting the substrate processing chamber is formed; the load lock chamber includes a region in which the substrate transfer module can move, the region including the first magnet provided on a floor surface thereof, and the substrate transfer module for alignment and the sensor unit disposed in the region; The apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the alignment is performed on the substrate carried into the load lock chamber during a period in which the pressure in the load lock chamber is switched between normal pressure and vacuum.

13. The apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate transport module is provided with a function for self-diagnosing a fault.

14. 14. The device according to claim 1, further comprising an imaging module having a camera for imaging a moving area in which the first magnet is provided, the imaging module being provided with a magnet for the imaging module that exerts a repulsive force between the imaging module and the first magnet, and configured to be movable by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force.

15. An apparatus for transporting a substrate according to any one of claims 1 to 14, a plurality of substrate processing chambers connected to the substrate transfer chamber via a plurality of the openings formed in a sidewall of the substrate processing chamber;

16. 1. A method for processing a substrate transferred to a substrate processing chamber, comprising: a substrate transport module that is accommodated in a substrate transport chamber having a floor portion on which a first magnet is provided, and a side wall portion that is connected to the substrate processing chamber and has an opening through which a substrate is loaded and unloaded from the substrate processing chamber, the substrate transport module including a substrate holder that holds the substrate and a second magnet that exerts a repulsive force between the substrate and the first magnet, and that is configured to be movable within the substrate transport chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force, and when a substrate transport mechanism for loading and unloading a substrate between the substrate processing chamber and the substrate transport chamber via the opening is fixedly provided within the substrate transport chamber, a step of transferring a substrate between the substrate transport mechanism and the substrate transport mechanism and then loading the substrate into the substrate processing chamber by the substrate transport mechanism; thereafter, processing the substrate in the substrate processing chamber; A method for carrying out a process of transporting a substrate into a substrate processing chamber via a plurality of substrate transfer parts arranged in a row along the openings and the substrate transport arm, the substrate transfer part being a substrate transfer module provided within the substrate transport chamber and on which a substrate is temporarily placed to be transferred between the substrate transport module and the substrate transport mechanism, and the substrate transport mechanism being a substrate transport arm configured to be extendable and rotatable about a vertical axis, the openings being provided in two side walls of the substrate transport chamber provided on either side of the substrate transport arm, the openings being opposed to each other across the substrate transport arm, the substrate transfer part being arranged in a row along the openings and the substrate transport arm.

Images