Substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing device comprising a liquid proofing structure which prevents a liquid from entering a floor and of which the attachment / detachment work is easy.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device 10 comprises: at least one first processing module 21a, 21b which processes a substrate W using liquid; at least one second processing module 31 which processes the substrate W after being processed by the first processing module 21a, 21b; a transfer robot 22 disposed in a transfer area 28 where the substrate W is transferred from the first processing module 21a, 21b to the second processing module 31; a pair of beams 53 and 54 disposed above a floor 51 of the transfer area 28 and connected to a drain line 58; and at least one inclined plate 56 bridging the pair of beams 53 and 54. A top face of the inclined plate 56 extends from one of the pair of beams 53 and 54 to the other beam while being inclined with respect to a horizontal direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate such as a wafer.

Background Art

[0002] As one of the substrate processing apparatuses for processing a substrate such as a wafer, a polishing apparatus is known. The polishing apparatus generally includes a polishing module for polishing a substrate, a cleaning module for cleaning the polished substrate, and a drying module for drying the cleaned substrate. The polishing apparatus further has a transfer robot for transferring the substrate between the modules (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0003] When the substrate is processed by the polishing module, the substrate is wetted with a liquid (for example, a polishing liquid and pure water). Therefore, when the transfer robot transfers the polished substrate from the polishing module to the cleaning module, the liquid adhering to the substrate drops in the transfer area where the transfer robot is arranged.

[0004] On the other hand, for an operator who adjusts and maintains the equipment arranged inside the polishing apparatus including the transfer robot, a floor is provided in the transfer area. The operator moves on the floor to access the equipment to be adjusted and maintained. This floor is provided on the base of the polishing apparatus, and usually, utilities such as electric wires, signal lines, and pipes are arranged between the floor and the base. Therefore, a water receiving pan made of a plurality of plate materials is provided above the floor so that the liquid dropped from the substrate does not contaminate or malfunction the above utilities.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] In the conventional water receiving pan, a labyrinth structure is provided between the partition wall and the plate material that separate each module and the conveyance area so as to surely prevent the liquid from reaching the floor and the utilities arranged thereunder.

[0007] On the other hand, when an operator enters the polishing apparatus for maintenance or the like, the operator needs to remove the water receiving pan from the polishing apparatus to expose the floor. However, in order to remove the water receiving pan, it is necessary to disassemble the above-described labyrinth structure, and this work may be difficult. Further, after work such as maintenance is completed, the operator needs to restore the water receiving pan including the labyrinth structure, and this restoration work may also be a time-consuming work. If time is taken for the removal and restoration work of the water receiving pan, the downtime of the polishing apparatus will increase.

[0008] The above problem similarly occurs in any substrate processing apparatus that conveys a wet substrate with a transfer robot. For example, the same problem occurs in a substrate processing apparatus including a plating apparatus, a grinding apparatus, a photoresist film coating apparatus, an etching apparatus, and the like.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus having a liquid-proof structure that prevents the intrusion of liquid into the floor and is easy to attach and detach.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] In one aspect, there is provided a substrate processing apparatus including at least one first processing module that processes a substrate using a liquid, at least one second processing module that processes the substrate after being processed by the first processing module, a transfer robot disposed in a transfer area that transfers the substrate from the first processing module to the second processing module, a pair of gutters disposed above the floor of the transfer area and connected to a drain line, and at least one inclined plate spanned across the pair of gutters, wherein an upper surface of the inclined plate extends obliquely with respect to a horizontal direction from one of the pair of gutters to the other.

[0011] In one aspect, at least a lower end of a partition wall that separates the first processing module from the transfer area is located above one of the pair of gutters. In one aspect, at least a lower end of a partition wall that separates the second processing module from the transfer area is located above the other of the pair of gutters.

[0012] In one aspect, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a sensor that detects whether the inclined plate is correctly disposed with respect to the pair of gutters. In one aspect, the inclined plate has a dog attached to a bottom surface thereof, and the sensor is a non-contact detection type sensor or a contact detection type sensor that detects the dog.

[0013] In one aspect, the at least one inclined plate is a plurality of inclined plates arranged along a longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus, and the plurality of inclined plates are continuously arranged in the longitudinal direction by overlapping front and rear end portions of adjacent inclined plates in the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus. In one aspect, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a door provided on a wall of the substrate processing apparatus for accessing the transfer area, and the transfer area extends linearly along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus from the door.

Advantages of the Invention

[0014] According to the present invention, since the inclined plate is spanned across a pair of gutters, the liquid that has fallen from the substrate flows into the gutters along the inclined plate. As a result, it is possible to prevent the liquid from reaching the floor. Furthermore, by simply lifting the inclined plate spanned across the pair of gutters, the floor can be exposed, while by simply placing the inclined plate on the pair of gutters, the liquid-proof structure can be easily restored.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0015]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0016] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions thereof are omitted.

[0017] FIG. 1 is a plan view showing the overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. The arrow in FIG. 1 indicates the conveyance direction of a wafer W, which is an example of a substrate.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 10 includes a substantially rectangular housing, and the interior of the housing is partitioned by partition walls 14, 15, and 16 into a polishing unit 20, a cleaning unit 30, and a load / unload unit 40. These polishing unit 20, cleaning unit 30, and load / unload unit 40 are each independently assembled and independently exhausted. Further, the substrate processing apparatus 10 is provided with a control unit 11 that controls the operations of the polishing unit 20, the cleaning unit 30, and the load / unload unit 40.

[0019] As shown in FIG. 1, the load / unload unit 40 has a plurality (four in the illustrated example) of front load portions 41 arranged adjacent to each other on the front of the load / unload unit 40, and a first transfer robot 42 movable along the arrangement direction of the front load portions 41.

[0020] A wafer cassette for stocking a large number of wafers W is placed on the front load portion 41. Specifically, for example, an open cassette, a SMIF (Standard Manufacturing Interface) pod, or a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) can be mounted on the front load portion 41. Here, SMIF and FOUP are sealed containers that can store a wafer cassette inside and maintain an environment independent of the external space by covering it with a partition wall.

[0021] The first transfer robot 42 can access the wafer cassettes mounted on each front load unit 41 by moving along the arrangement direction of the front load units 41. This first transfer robot 42 has two hands (not shown) vertically. For example, when returning the wafer W to the wafer cassette, the upper hand is used, and when transporting the wafer W before polishing, the lower hand is used, so that the upper and lower hands can be used separately.

[0022] The polishing unit 20 shown in FIG. 1 corresponds to the area where the polishing process of the wafer W is performed, and has at least one (two in the illustrated example) polishing modules 21a, 21b, a first temporary stage 23 where the wafer W before polishing is temporarily placed, a second temporary stage 24 where the wafer W after polishing is temporarily placed, and a second transfer robot 22 that transfers the wafer W between the polishing modules 21a, 21b, the first temporary stage 23, and the second temporary stage 24.

[0023] In the present embodiment, the polishing modules 21a, 21b are polishing modules that polish the peripheral edge portion (also referred to as the bevel portion) of the substrate by bringing an abrasive into sliding contact with the peripheral edge portion in the presence of a liquid such as pure water and a chemical solution. Each of the polishing modules 21a, 21b corresponds to a first processing module that processes the wafer W (substrate) using a liquid. In one embodiment, the polishing module as the first processing module may be a CMP module that presses the substrate against a polishing pad that rotates in the presence of a liquid such as slurry to polish the surface of the substrate, or a back surface polishing module that brings an abrasive into sliding contact with the back surface of the substrate to polish the back surface.

[0024] Hereinafter, as an example of the first processing module, the polishing module will be described. However, the processing module is not limited to this example as long as it is a module that processes the substrate using a liquid (for example, a processing solution). For example, the first processing module may be other modules such as a plating module, a grinding module, a photoresist film coating module, and an etching module.

[0025] The cleaning unit 30 corresponds to an area for cleaning and further drying the wafer W after polishing, and includes a cleaning module 31, a drying module 32, a third transfer robot 33, and a fourth transfer robot 34. In the present embodiment, the cleaning module 31 corresponds to a second processing module that processes the wafer W processed by the polishing module 21a or 21b which is the first processing module.

[0026] The third transfer robot 33 is disposed between the second temporary stage 24 of the polishing unit 20 and the cleaning module 31, and transfers the polished wafer W from the second temporary stage 24 to the cleaning module 31. The fourth transfer robot 34 is disposed between the cleaning module 31 and the drying module 32, and transfers the cleaned wafer W from the cleaning module 31 to the drying module 32.

[0027] As the cleaning module 31, for example, a roll sponge type cleaning module that rotates roll-shaped sponges arranged vertically and presses them against the front and back surfaces of the substrate W to clean the front and back surfaces of the substrate W, or a pencil type cleaning module that rotates a hemispherical sponge and presses it against the substrate W for cleaning can be used. As the drying module 32, for example, a spin dryer type drying module having a stage for rotating the chucked substrate W at a high speed and drying the cleaned substrate W by rotating the substrate W at a high speed can be used.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 1, the partition wall 14 is a partition wall that partitions the polishing unit 20 and the cleaning unit 30 from the load / unload unit 40. A transfer area 28 where the second transfer robot 22 is disposed is formed between the partition wall 15 that partitions the polishing unit 20 and the partition wall 16 that partitions the cleaning unit 30. The wafer W polished by the polishing modules 21a and 21b of the polishing unit 20 is transferred to the cleaning module 31 of the cleaning unit 30 through the transfer area 28.

[0029] Next, an example of a substrate processing method in the substrate processing apparatus 10 having such a configuration will be described.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 1, first, in the load / unload unit 40, the first transfer robot 42 takes out the wafer W before polishing from the wafer cassette in the front load unit 41 and temporarily places it on the first temporary stage 23.

[0031] The second transfer robot 22 clamps the wafer W before polishing on the first temporary stage 23 by hand and transfers it into the first polishing module 21a (or the second polishing module 21b). Then, the first polishing module 21a (or the second polishing module 21b) performs the polishing process on the transferred wafer W.

[0032] Next, when the polishing process of the wafer W in the first polishing module 21a (or the second polishing module 21b) is completed, the second transfer robot 22 takes out the polished wafer W from the first polishing module 21a (or the second polishing module 21b) and temporarily places it on the second temporary stage 24.

[0033] When the polished wafer W is temporarily placed on the second temporary stage 24, the third transfer robot 33 transfers the polished wafer W from the second temporary stage 24 to the cleaning module 31, and the cleaning module 31 performs the cleaning process on the wafer W. Next, the fourth transfer robot 34 transfers the cleaned wafer W from the cleaning module 31 to the drying module 32, and the drying module 32 performs the drying process on the wafer W. Then, the first transfer robot 42 of the load / unload unit 40 takes out the dried wafer W from the drying module 32 and stores it in the wafer cassette of the front load unit 41.

[0034] The wafer W polished by the polishing module 21a or 21b is transferred to the cleaning module 31 via the second transfer robot 22. At this time, since the wafer W is in a state of being wet with a processing liquid (liquid) such as pure water, the liquid may drop from the wafer W in the transfer area 28 where the second transfer robot 22 is arranged. Therefore, a liquid-proof structure for receiving the liquid dropped from the wafer W is provided below the transfer area 28. Hereinafter, the liquid-proof structure according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0035] In the present specification, the direction of the arrow indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 1 is referred to as the "longitudinal direction" or the "front-rear direction", and the direction of the arrow indicated by the dashed-dotted line in FIG. 1 is referred to as the "lateral direction" or the "left-right direction". The lateral direction is orthogonal to the longitudinal direction in a horizontal view.

[0036] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the lower part of the substrate processing apparatus along the line A-A of FIG. 1. FIG. 2 corresponds to a cross-sectional view showing a liquid prevention structure provided below the transfer area 28. As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate processing apparatus 10 has a base 50 that supports the whole thereof, and a floor 51 is disposed above the base 50 in the transfer area 28. The floor 51 is provided for an operator to enter the inside of the substrate processing apparatus 10, and is supported by, for example, a plurality of support bases (not shown) on the base 50 or the frame of the substrate processing apparatus 10. Between the base 50 and the floor 51, utilities of the substrate processing apparatus 10 such as electric wires, signal lines, and pipes are disposed. The liquid prevention structure is provided to prevent the liquid dropped from the wafer W from passing through the floor 51 and reaching the utilities.

[0037] The liquid prevention structure shown in FIG. 2 includes a pair of gutters 53, 54 provided above the floor 51 and close to the partitions 15, 16 respectively, and at least one inclined plate 56 spanned across the pair of gutters 53, 54. The inclined plate 56 is a plate body having a substantially flat plate shape, and the left and right ends 56a, 56b of the inclined plate 56 in the lateral direction (see FIG. 1) are bent downward. When the inclined plate 56 is spanned across the pair of gutters 53, 54, the left and right ends 56a, 56b of the inclined plate 56 in the lateral direction are respectively located inside the openings of the gutters 53, 54. In other words, the inclined plate 56 is placed on the pair of gutters 53, 54 such that the left and right ends 56a, 56b of the inclined plate 56 in the lateral direction are located inside the openings of the gutters 53, 54.

[0038] The pair of gutters 53, 54 are fixed to the frame of the substrate processing apparatus 10 (not shown). Each of the gutters 53, 54 has a U-shaped cross section opening upward and is connected to the drains 58, 58. The inclined plate 56 is spanned across the inner wall 53a of the gutter 53 and the inner wall 54a of the gutter 54.

[0039] One gutter 53 is provided below the partition wall 15, and the lower end of the partition wall 15 faces the opening of the gutter 53. Similarly, the other gutter 54 is provided below the partition wall 16, and the lower end of the partition wall 16 faces the opening of the gutter 54. As shown in FIG. 2, the lower end of the partition wall 15 may be positioned above the gutter 53, or the lower end of the partition wall 16 may be extended to the internal space of the gutter 54. Although not shown, the lower end of the partition wall 15 may be extended to the internal space of the gutter 53, or the lower end of the partition wall 16 may be positioned above the gutter 54. In one embodiment, the lower end of the partition wall 15 may be connected to the outer wall of the gutter 53, or the partition wall 15 and the outer wall of the gutter 53 may be integrally formed. Similarly, the lower end of the partition wall 16 may be connected to the outer wall of the gutter 54, or the partition wall 16 and the outer wall of the gutter 54 may be integrally formed.

[0040] The lower end of the partition wall 15 shown in FIG. 2 is formed as a bent portion 15a facing the opening of the gutter 53. The bent portion 15a functions as a guiding portion for guiding the liquid flowing along the partition wall 15 toward the gutter 53. In this case, as long as the lower end of the bent portion 15a faces the opening of the gutter 53, the partition wall 15 other than the bent portion 15a does not need to be positioned above the gutter 53. Thus, a bent portion 15a for guiding the liquid toward the opening of the gutter 53 may be formed at the lower end of the partition wall 15. Similarly, a bent portion for guiding the liquid toward the opening of the gutter 54 may be formed at the lower end of the partition wall 16.

[0041] With such a configuration, when the wafer W wetted with the liquid is conveyed by the second transfer robot 22, the liquid scattered from the wafer W and adhering to the partition walls 15 and 16 flows into the gutters 53 and 54 along the partition walls 15 and 16.

[0042] The inclined plate 56 having a substantially flat plate shape and spanning across a pair of gutters 53 and 54 is inclined at a constant angle with respect to the horizontal plane from the other gutter 54 toward the one gutter 53. In the present embodiment, the upper end of the gutter 54 is at a position higher than the upper end of the gutter 53 in the vertical direction. When the inclined plate 56 is placed on the upper ends of the inner walls 53a and 54a of the gutters 53 and 54, the inclined plate 56 is spanned across the gutters 53 and 54 obliquely with respect to the horizontal direction. Therefore, most of the liquid dropped from the wafer W flows from the inclined plate 56 toward the one gutter 53 and is collected in the gutter 53. The remainder (a part) of the liquid dropped from the wafer W is collected in the gutter 54. The liquid collected in the gutters 53 and 54 in this way is discharged from the substrate processing apparatus 10 by the drains 58 and 58 connected to the pair of gutters 53 and 54. By such a liquid-proof structure, it is possible to prevent the liquid dropped from the wafer W from reaching the floor 51.

[0043] Furthermore, when an operator enters the inside of the substrate processing apparatus 10, the floor 51 can be exposed by a simple operation of lifting the inclined plate 56 from the gutters 53 and 54. As a result, since the operator can expose the floor 51 in a short time, the operator can easily enter the inside of the substrate processing apparatus 10. After the work is completed, the liquid-proof structure can be easily restored by spanning the inclined plate 56 across the gutters 53 and 54. Therefore, the downtime of the substrate processing apparatus 10 can be reduced.

[0044] FIG. 3(a) is a top view of a liquid-proof structure according to an embodiment, and FIG. 3(b) is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B of FIG. 3(a). FIG. 3(b) is a schematic diagram for explaining a connection method of adjacent inclined plates 56.

[0045] The liquid-proof structure shown in Fig. 3(a) has a plurality of inclined plates 56. By overlapping the front and rear ends 56c and 56d of adjacent inclined plates 56 in the longitudinal direction (see Fig. 1), the plurality of inclined plates 56 are continuously arranged in the longitudinal direction. As shown in Fig. 3(b), a protruding portion 56c extending upward is formed at the rear end of the inclined plate 56, and a covering portion 56d covering the protruding portion 56c from above is formed at the front end of the inclined plate 56. When arranging the plurality of inclined plates 56 continuously in the longitudinal direction, the ends 56a and 56b of the inclined plates 56 in the left-right direction are placed on the inner walls 53a and 54a of the gutters 53 and 54, and the protruding portion 56c formed at the rear end of one of the adjacent inclined plates 56 is covered with the covering portion 56d formed at the front end of the other inclined plate 56. With such a configuration, it is possible to prevent the liquid falling from the wafer W from reaching the floor 51 through the gap in the front-rear direction between the adjacent inclined plates 56.

[0046] Furthermore, since the other inclined plate 56 can be easily lifted from the one inclined plate 56, the plurality of inclined plates 56 can be easily removed. When restoring the plurality of inclined plates 56, the covering portion 56d of the one inclined plate 56 may be placed on the protruding portion 56c of the other inclined plate 56 according to the arrangement order in the longitudinal direction. In this way, since the removal and restoration of the plurality of inclined plates 56 can be easily performed, the downtime of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced.

[0047] In the present embodiment, the floor 51 can be exposed or covered by a simple operation of spanning the inclined plate 56 over the pair of gutters 53 and 54 or removing the inclined plate 56 from the pair of gutters 53 and 54. On the other hand, if the inclined plate 56 is not correctly arranged with respect to the pair of gutters 53 and 54, there is a risk that the liquid falling from the wafer W may reach the floor 51. Therefore, it is preferable that the substrate processing apparatus 10 has a sensor for detecting whether the inclined plate 56 is correctly arranged with respect to the pair of gutters 53 and 54.

[0048] FIG. 4(a) is a side view schematically showing an example of a sensor for detecting whether or not the inclined plate is correctly arranged with respect to a pair of gutters, FIG. 4(b) is a front view schematically showing the sensor shown in FIG. 4(a), and FIG. 4(c) is a schematic diagram showing a state where the sensor shown in FIG. 4(b) is operating normally.

[0049] The sensors 60 shown in FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are optical sensors having a light emitting section 61 and a light receiving section 62. The sensor 60 is connected to the control section 11 (see FIG. 1) and transmits its measurement result to the control section 11. In the present embodiment, the light emitting section 61 and the light receiving section 62 are attached to the outer surface of the inner wall 54a of the gutter 54, and the light receiving section 62 is arranged close to the light emitting section 61 so as to be able to receive the light emitted from the light emitting section 61.

[0050] On the other hand, a dog 59 is attached to the lower surface of the inclined plate 56. The dog 59 is inserted into the gap formed between the light emitting section 61 and the light receiving section 62 when the inclined plate 56 is arranged at the correct position with respect to the pair of gutters 53 and 54. As a result, the light reception signal sent from the sensor 60 to the control section 11 is interrupted. The control section 11 determines that the inclined plate 56 is attached at the correct position with respect to the pair of gutters 53 and 54 when the light reception signal is not transmitted from the sensor 60. In the present embodiment, the dog 59 and the sensor 60 constitute a position detection mechanism for the inclined plate 56.

[0051] The type of the position detection mechanism is arbitrary as long as it can detect whether or not the inclined plate 56 is attached at the correct position with respect to the pair of gutters 53 and 54. For example, the sensor 60 may be not only a non-contact detection type sensor such as the above optical sensor but also a contact detection type sensor such as a touch sensor capable of detecting the contact of the dog 59. Examples of non-contact sensors other than optical sensors include an ultrasonic sensor including a transmission section that emits ultrasonic waves and a reception section that receives the ultrasonic waves emitted from the transmission section, and a magnetic sensor.

[0052] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 3(a), the transport area 28 is preferably formed linearly in a plan view along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus 10. For example, the transport area 28 extends linearly from the outer surface of the substrate processing apparatus 10 to the partition wall 14. In this case, the pair of gutters 53, 54 can also be arranged linearly along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus 10, and the inclined plate 56 can also be a substantially rectangular plate.

[0053] Furthermore, it is preferable to provide a door 29 on the wall (outer wall) of the substrate processing apparatus 10 that allows access to the transport area 28. In this case, it becomes easier for an operator to perform maintenance on the substrate processing apparatus 10, and components of the substrate processing apparatus 10, such as the second transfer robot 22, can be easily carried out of the substrate processing apparatus 10.

[0054] FIG. 5(a) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which a cart for carrying out the second transfer robot from the substrate processing apparatus is carried into the transport area, and FIG. 5(b) is a schematic diagram showing a state in which the second transfer robot is being carried out of the substrate processing apparatus using the cart shown in FIG. 5(a).

[0055] As shown in FIG. 5(a), in the substrate processing apparatus having the door 29 and in which the transport area 28 extends along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus 10, by opening the door 29, the cart 65 can be easily carried into the transport area 28 and moved to directly below the second transfer robot 22. When the cart 65 is carried into the substrate processing apparatus 10, it is necessary to remove the inclined plate 56 from the gutters 53, 54 and carry it out of the substrate processing apparatus 10. However, if the transport area 28 is provided linearly, the removal work and the carrying-out work of the inclined plate 56 are very easy.

[0056] The second transfer robot 22 shown in FIG. 5(a) is fixed to a beam (or frame) 70 arranged near the ceiling of the substrate processing apparatus 10 using a fastening tool (not shown) such as a bolt. In the present embodiment, by removing the fastening tool, the second transfer robot 22 can be easily moved onto a carriage 65 moved directly below the second transfer robot 22. Further, since the transfer area 28 extends along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus 10, the second transfer robot 22 and the carriage 65 can be carried out of the substrate processing apparatus 10 without colliding with the components of the substrate processing apparatus 10 (for example, partition walls 15, 16, and gutters 53, 54, etc.).

[0057] In the above-described embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 10 has two polishing modules 21a and 21b as the first processing module, but the number of the first processing modules is not limited to this example. The substrate processing apparatus 10 may have at least one first processing module. Similarly, the substrate processing apparatus 10 has one cleaning module 31 as the second processing module, but the number of the second processing modules is not limited to this example. The substrate processing apparatus 10 may have at least one second processing module.

[0058] The above-described embodiment is described for the purpose of enabling a person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains to practice the present invention. Various modifications of the above embodiment can be naturally made by those skilled in the art, and the technical idea of the present invention can also be applied to other embodiments. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, but is interpreted in the broadest scope in accordance with the technical idea defined by the claims.

Explanation of reference numerals

[0059] 10 Substrate processing apparatus 11 Control unit 20 Polishing unit 21a First polishing module (first processing module) 21b Second polishing module (first processing module) 22 Second transfer robot 28 Conveyor Area 29 Door 30 Cleaning Unit 31 Cleaning Module (Second Processing Module) 32 Drying Module 33 Third Conveyor Robot 34 Fourth Conveyor Robot 40 Load / Unload Unit 41 Front Loading Section 42 First Conveyor Robot 50 Base 51 Floor 53, 54 Drain 56 Inclined Plate 58 Drain 59 Dog 60 Sensor

Claims

1. At least one first processing module that processes a substrate using a liquid, At least one second processing module that processes the substrate after being processed by the first processing module, A transfer robot disposed in a transfer area that transfers the substrate from the first processing module to the second processing module, A pair of gutters disposed above the floor of the transfer area and connected to a drain line, At least one inclined plate spanning the pair of gutters, A substrate processing apparatus, wherein an upper surface of the inclined plate extends inclined with respect to a horizontal direction from one of the pair of gutters to the other.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein at least a lower end of a partition wall that separates the first processing module from the transfer area is located above one of the pair of gutters.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein at least a lower end of a partition wall that separates the second processing module from the transfer area is located above the other of the pair of gutters.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising a sensor that detects whether the inclined plate is correctly disposed with respect to the pair of gutters.

5. The inclined plate has a dog attached to its bottom surface, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the sensor is a non-contact detection type sensor or a contact detection type sensor that detects the dog.

6. The at least one inclined plate is a plurality of inclined plates arranged along a longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus, The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the plurality of inclined plates are continuously arranged in the longitudinal direction by overlapping front and rear end portions of adjacent inclined plates in the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus.

7. The substrate processing apparatus further comprises a door provided on a wall of the substrate processing apparatus for accessing the transfer area, The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the transfer area extends linearly along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus from the door.

Images