Substrate holding hand, substrate processing apparatus and substrate transport method

Abstract

To provide a wafer holding hand suitable for holding a large-sized and thin wafer, a wafer processing device comprising a wafer transfer robot with the same, and a wafer transfer method using the wafer holding hand.SOLUTION: A wafer holding hand H includes: a base B; a finger F horizontally extending from the base in a predetermined extension direction 81; a front claw FC suspending downward from the finger and supporting an edge of a wafer W from a lower side at a position lower than the finger; a rear claw RC suspending downward from the finger or the base at a position closer to the base than the front claw and supporting the edge of the wafer from a lower side at a position lower than the finger; and a claw interval change mechanism for changing an interval of the front claw and the rear claw in the extension direction. Each of the front claw and the rear claw comprises a first wafer support part 61. The first wafer support part 61 includes a first wafer support tapered surface 71, which is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane, and supports the edge of the wafer from the lower side.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate holding hand provided for use in a substrate transport robot. The present invention also relates to a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a substrate transport robot. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method for transporting substrates with a substrate holding hand. Substrates to be held, transported, or processed include, for example, semiconductor wafers, FPD (Flat Panel Display) substrates such as liquid crystal display devices and organic EL (Electroluminescence) display devices, optical disk substrates, magnetic disk substrates, magneto-optical disk substrates, photomask substrates, ceramic substrates, and solar cell substrates. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a main transport robot that transports substrates to multiple processing units. The main transport robot includes a holding arm with a hand that holds the substrate. The hand has a pair of support arms that support the substrate. Each support arm has a first support surface formed low on the upper surface, with a rising wall formed at the edge that forms an arc identical to the outer periphery of the substrate, and a second support surface formed continuous with the upper end of the rising wall. The first support surface of one support arm and the second support surface of the other support arm form a first holding unit. The second support surface of one support arm and the first support surface of the other support arm form a second holding unit. The first and second support units can hold substrates, such as semiconductor wafers with a diameter of 200 mm, in an inclined position. The first holding unit is used to load substrates before cleaning processing, and the second holding unit is used to transport substrates after cleaning processing. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-299405 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The substrates handled by substrate processing apparatuses are becoming larger. Furthermore, in some cases, the substrates are being made thinner during the manufacturing process. When such large, thin substrates are supported by the handles of the substrate processing apparatus, gravity causes the substrate to deform, causing the center portion to sag significantly.

[0005] Conventional hands are not necessarily suited to holding such large, thin substrates, and there is room for improvement.

[0006] Therefore, one embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate holding hand suitable for holding large, thin substrates, a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a substrate transport robot having the same, and a substrate transport method using the substrate holding hand. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate holding hand for use in a substrate transport robot that transports substrates and for holding a substrate horizontally. The substrate holding hand includes a base, fingers extending horizontally from the base in a predetermined extension direction, front claws hanging downward from the fingers and supporting an edge of the substrate from below the fingers, rear claws hanging downward from the fingers or the base at a position closer to the base than the front claws and supporting the edge of the substrate from below the fingers, and a claw spacing change mechanism that changes the spacing between the front claws and the rear claws in the extension direction. Each of the front claws and the rear claws includes a first substrate support portion having a first substrate support tapered surface that is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane so as to extend downward toward an interior of a substrate to be held, and configured to support the edge of the substrate from below with the first substrate support tapered surface.

[0008] According to this configuration, the fingers extend horizontally from the base along the extension direction, and the front claws are provided to hang downward from the fingers. Meanwhile, the rear claws are provided at positions closer to the base than the front claws so as to hang downward from the fingers or the base. The front and rear claws are configured to support the edges of the substrate from below, below the fingers. Therefore, when a substrate is held by the substrate holding hand, the fingers are positioned above the substrate supported by the front and rear claws, so that even if the substrate is deformed by gravity so that its center hangs downward, there is no possibility that the substrate will come into contact with the fingers. In this way, the substrate holding hand has a configuration suitable for holding large, thin substrates.

[0009] On the other hand, according to this embodiment, the distance between the front and rear claws in the extension direction is increased or decreased by the claw spacing change mechanism. In other words, the front and rear claws can be opened and closed between a claw open state in which the gap between them is large and a claw closed state in which the gap between them is narrower than in the claw open state. Therefore, by inserting the substrate between the front and rear claws in the claw open state and then switching to the claw closed state, the front and rear claws can be inserted below the edge of the substrate. This allows the front and rear claws to hold the substrate so that the edge of the substrate can be supported from below, and by raising the substrate holding hand, the substrate can be held in a state where it is suspended below the fingers.

[0010] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, each of the front and rear claws has a first substrate support tapered surface that slopes downward toward the inside of the substrate, and this first substrate support tapered surface supports the edge of the substrate from below. Therefore, when the substrate is supported by the first substrate support tapered surfaces of the front and rear claws, the first substrate support tapered surface guides the substrate to the appropriate position, and the substrate can be held by the substrate holding hand at that appropriate position. This gives the substrate holding hand an alignment function that aligns and holds the substrate. Therefore, a substrate transport robot equipped with such a substrate holding hand can transport substrates accurately.

[0011] In one embodiment, the claw spacing change mechanism includes a claw movement mechanism that moves the rear claws back and forth relative to the front claws along the extension direction.

[0012] In one embodiment, two fingers are provided that face each other along a horizontal intersecting direction that intersects with the extension direction, and each finger is provided with the front claw portion.

[0013] With this configuration, the front claws on each of the two fingers support the edge of the substrate from below the fingers. This allows the substrate to be held more stably, i.e., more reliably. Therefore, a substrate holding hand with a structure more suitable for holding large, thin substrates can be provided.

[0014] In one embodiment, the distance between the upper edge and the lower edge of the first substrate support tapered surface in plan view is 1 mm to 2 mm (more specifically, more than 1 mm and 2 mm or less).

[0015] In one embodiment, each of the front claw portion and the rear claw portion includes a second substrate support portion configured to support the edge of the substrate from below below the first substrate support tapered surface.

[0016] According to this configuration, a substrate having a peripheral edge located inward from the lower edge of the first substrate support tapered surface can be supported by the second substrate support portion. More specifically, a substrate smaller than the substrate supported by the first substrate support tapered surface can be supported by the second substrate support portion, and toTherefore, such small substrates can be held below the fingers while being supported by the front and rear claws. This makes it possible to provide a substrate holding hand that can hold substrates of two or more different sizes. Furthermore, because the second substrate support portion is configured to support the substrate below the first substrate support tapered surface, the substrate is aligned toward the second substrate support portion by the first substrate support tapered surface. Therefore, even when the substrate is supported by the second substrate support portion, the substrate is held in an aligned state. This allows a substrate transport robot equipped with this substrate holding hand to accurately transport substrates of different sizes.

[0017] In one embodiment, the first substrate support tapered surface is configured so that the peripheral edge surface of a substrate of a first size (e.g., a first diameter) contacts the first substrate support tapered surface, and the substrate of the first size is supported by the first substrate support tapered surface, and the edge of a substrate of a second size smaller than the first size (e.g., a second diameter smaller than the first diameter) is supported by the second substrate support portion.

[0018] In one embodiment, the first substrate support tapered surface is configured so that the peripheral edge surface of a circular substrate with a diameter of 301 mm contacts the first substrate support tapered surface, and the circular substrate with a diameter of 301 mm is supported by the first substrate support tapered surface, and a circular substrate with a diameter of 300 mm is supported by the second substrate support portion.

[0019] In one embodiment, the second substrate support portion has a second substrate support tapered surface that is continuous with the lower edge of the first substrate support tapered surface and has a smaller inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane than the first substrate support tapered surface, and is configured to support the edge of the substrate from below with the second substrate support tapered surface.

[0020] With this configuration, the second substrate support tapered surface has a small inclination angle, so that the second substrate support tapered surface can reliably support a relatively small substrate that is not supported by the first substrate support tapered surface. Furthermore, contact between the edge of such a relatively small substrate and the second substrate support tapered surface is essentially point contact, so there is little impact on the substrate.

[0021] Note that supporting the substrate substantially by point contact can also be achieved by providing the second substrate supporting portion with a protrusion having a convex curved surface at its upper end, in addition to support by the tapered surface.

[0022] In one embodiment, the substrate holding hand further includes a substrate sensor disposed on the base or the fingers and configured to detect whether a substrate is being held by the front claws and the rear claws below the fingers.

[0023] This configuration makes it possible to check whether the substrate is being held by the substrate holding hand, thereby realizing reliable substrate holding.

[0024] One embodiment of the present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus including a processing unit for processing a substrate, and a substrate transport robot for transporting the substrate to the processing unit, wherein the substrate transport robot is provided with a substrate holding hand having the above-described characteristics.

[0025] In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a substrate placement unit that provides a substrate placement location for temporarily placing a substrate to be processed, and the substrate transport robot transports the substrate between the substrate placement unit and the processing unit.

[0026] In one embodiment, the substrate transport robot operates to receive a substrate from the source by sequentially performing the following steps: advancing the substrate holding hand along the extension direction in a claw open state in which the distance between the front claw portion and the rear claw portion is greater than the size of the substrate, until the source substrate is positioned inside the front claw portion and the rear claw portion in a planar view; lowering the substrate holding hand until the peripheral edge of the substrate is positioned at a height between the lower surface of the finger and the first substrate support tapered surface; retracting the substrate holding hand to bring the first substrate support tapered surface of the front claw portion closer to the peripheral edge of the substrate; advancing the rear claw portion in the extension direction using the claw spacing change mechanism to bring the first substrate support tapered surface of the rear claw portion closer to the peripheral edge of the substrate; and raising the substrate holding hand to support the peripheral edge of the substrate from below with the first substrate support tapered surfaces of the front claw portion and the rear claw portion.

[0027] The substrate processing apparatus performs the steps substrate The transport robot is to execute the substrate Preferably, a controller configured and programmed to control the transfer robot is included.

[0028] In one embodiment, the substrate transport robot operates to deliver a substrate to a destination by sequentially executing the following steps at the destination of the substrate: lowering the substrate holding hand at the destination of the substrate, and delivering the substrate, whose peripheral edge is supported from below by the first substrate support tapered surfaces of the front and rear claws, to the destination so that the fingers are positioned above the substrate and the first substrate support tapered surfaces are positioned below the peripheral edge of the substrate; retracting the rear claws using the claw spacing change mechanism to a claw open state in which the spacing between the front and rear claws is larger than the size of the substrate; advancing the substrate holding hand along the extension direction until the substrate is positioned inside the front and rear claws in a planar view; raising the substrate holding hand until the front and rear claws are higher than the substrate; and retracting the substrate holding hand along the extension direction to remove the substrate holding hand from above the substrate.

[0029] The substrate processing apparatus performs the steps substrate The transport robot is to execute the substrate Preferably, a controller configured and programmed to control the transfer robot is included.

[0030] One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for transporting a substrate using a substrate holding hand having the above-described features, including: a substrate receiving step of receiving the substrate from an origin by supporting the substrate with the front and rear claws and holding the substrate below the fingers at the origin, a step of transporting the substrate held below the fingers by the substrate holding hand from the origin to a destination, and a substrate transferring step of releasing the substrate from support by the front and rear claws at the destination and transferring the substrate from the substrate holding hand to the destination.

[0031] In one embodiment, the substrate receiving step includes the steps of: advancing the substrate holding hand along the extension direction until, in a claw open state in which the distance between the front claw portion and the rear claw portion is greater than the size of the substrate, the substrate to be transported is positioned inside the front claw portion and the rear claw portion in a planar view; lowering the substrate holding hand until the peripheral edge of the substrate is positioned at a height between the lower surface of the finger and the first substrate support tapered surface; retracting the substrate holding hand to bring the first substrate support tapered surface of the front claw portion closer to the peripheral edge of the substrate; advancing the rear claw portion using the claw spacing change mechanism to bring the first substrate support tapered surface of the rear claw portion closer to the peripheral edge of the substrate; and raising the substrate holding hand to support the peripheral edge of the substrate from below with the first substrate support tapered surfaces of the front claw portion and the rear claw portion.

[0032] In one embodiment, the substrate transfer step includes the steps of: lowering the substrate holding hand at the destination, and transferring the substrate, whose peripheral edge is supported from below by the first substrate support tapered surfaces of the front and rear claws, to the destination, so that the fingers are positioned above the substrate and the first substrate support tapered surfaces are positioned below the peripheral edge of the substrate; retracting the rear claws using the claw spacing change mechanism to achieve a claw open state in which the spacing between the front and rear claws is larger than the size of the substrate; advancing the substrate holding hand along the extension direction until the substrate is positioned inside the front and rear claws in a planar view; raising the substrate holding hand until the front and rear claws are higher than the substrate; and retracting the substrate holding hand along the extension direction to remove the substrate holding hand from above the substrate. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0033] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view for explaining the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2]FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view for explaining an example of the configuration of a main transport robot provided in the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 3A-3B] FIG. 3A is a plan view of the substrate holding hand of the main transport robot, and FIG. 3B is a bottom view thereof. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the front and rear claws provided on the substrate holding hand. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the holding operation of a substrate with a diameter of 300 mm. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the holding operation of a substrate with a diameter of 301 mm. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the sequence of a substrate receiving step for receiving a substrate from the transfer source. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the sequence of a substrate delivery step in which a substrate is delivered to a destination. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0034] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view illustrating the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 100 is an apparatus for processing a substrate W such as a semiconductor wafer. In this embodiment, the substrate W is a circular substrate. The diameter of the substrate W is, for example, approximately 300 mm. More specifically, the substrate processing apparatus 100 of this embodiment is configured to be able to transport and process a circular substrate with a diameter of 300 mm and a circular substrate with a diameter of 301 mm using a common transport mechanism.

[0036] The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes an indexer block 1 and a processing block 2. The substrate processing apparatus 100 further includes a control device 7 that controls each part of the indexer block 1 and the processing block 2. The control device 7 typically includes a processor (CPU) and a memory, and realizes various functions by the processor executing programs stored in the memory.

[0037] The indexer block 1 includes a carrier holding unit 11 and an indexer robot 12. A plurality of carrier holding units 11 are provided, and each carrier holding unit 11 is configured to be able to hold one carrier C. The carrier C is configured to accommodate a plurality of (e.g., 25) horizontally oriented substrates W stacked with gaps between them in the vertical direction. Specifically, the carrier C includes a plurality of tiers of slots (substrate holding shelves) that each hold one substrate W horizontally. The plurality of carrier holding units 11 are arranged in a row at approximately the same height along the left-right direction X when viewed from the front from the left side of FIG. 1.

[0038] The indexer robot 12 is configured to access a slot in any stage of a carrier C arranged in any carrier holding unit 11 to load and unload a substrate W. Specifically, the indexer robot 12 includes a hand 13 for holding a substrate W, and a hand movement mechanism 14 for moving the hand 13 in the left-right direction X, the front-rear direction Y perpendicular to the left-right direction, and the up-down direction Z, and for rotating the hand 13 about a vertical axis. With this configuration, the indexer robot 12 transports substrates W between the carrier C and the processing block 2. Specifically, the indexer robot 12 transports unprocessed substrates W from the carrier C to the processing block 2, and transports processed substrates W that have been processed in the processing block 2 from the processing block 2 to the carrier C. More specifically, the indexer robot 12 operates to transport unprocessed substrates W from the carrier C to a substrate passing unit 5 provided in the processing block 2, and to transport processed substrates W from the substrate passing unit 5 to the carrier C.

[0039] The processing block 2 includes a plurality of processing units 3 and a main transport robot 4. In this embodiment, the processing block 2 further includes a substrate passing unit 5 that provides a substrate placement location (substrate waiting location, buffer) on which a substrate W to be transferred between the main transport robot 4 and the indexer robot 12 is temporarily placed. The substrate passing unit 5 is an example of a substrate placement unit. The substrate passing unit 5 includes one or more substrate holders 5a on which a substrate W is temporarily placed. The substrate holders 5a may be substrate support shelves that support the substrate W in a horizontal position. Multiple stages of substrate support shelves may be stacked in the vertical direction Z to form multiple stages of slots that can hold multiple substrates W at intervals in the vertical direction.

[0040] The processing block 2 has a transport path 6 that extends in the front-rear direction Y from near the center of the indexer robot 12 in the left-right direction X, and a plurality of processing units 3 are arranged on each side of the transport path 6. In this embodiment, the plurality of processing units 3 constitute four unit towers T1 to T4. Two unit towers T1, T2 are arranged on one side of the transport path 6 in the front-rear direction Y, and two other unit towers T3, T4 are arranged on the other side of the transport path 6 in the front-rear direction Y. The two unit towers T1, T3 face each other in the left-right direction X with the transport path 6 between them, and the other two unit towers T2, T4 face each other in the left-right direction X with the transport path 6 between them.

[0041] A substrate passing unit 5 is disposed in the transport path 6 between two unit towers T1, T3 facing each other in the left-right direction X near the indexer block 1. The main transport robot 4 is disposed with its center of operation aligned at a position substantially equidistant from the four unit towers T1-T4 so as to be surrounded by these four unit towers T1-T4 in a plan view. As a result, the substrate passing unit 5 is located between the main transport robot 4 and the indexer robot 12.

[0042] Each of the unit towers T1 to T4 is configured by stacking multiple layers (for example, three layers) of processing units 3. The main transport robot 4 operates to access each processing unit 3, load unprocessed substrates W into each processing unit 3, and load processed substrates W out of each processing unit 3.

[0043] In this embodiment, the processing units 3 are single-wafer processing units that process substrates W one by one. Specifically, each processing unit 3 includes a substrate holder 3a that holds one substrate W, and a processing liquid nozzle 3b that supplies a processing liquid to the substrate W held by the substrate holder 3a. Specifically, the substrate holder 3a may be a spin chuck that holds and rotates one substrate W in a horizontal position. The main transport robot 4 is configured to transfer the substrate W to and from the substrate holder 3a.

[0044] 2 is a schematic perspective view for explaining an example configuration of the main transport robot 4. The main transport robot 4 is a substrate transport robot including a substrate holding hand H that holds one substrate W in a horizontal position, and a hand moving mechanism 40 that moves the substrate holding hand H. The hand moving mechanism 40 includes a base 46, a rotation drive mechanism 41 that rotates the base 46 about a vertical rotation axis 45, a vertical drive mechanism 42 that moves the base 46 up and down, and an advance / retract drive mechanism 43 that moves the substrate holding hand H forward and backward in the horizontal direction relative to the substrate W.

[0045] In a plan view, the rotation axis 45 determines the center of operation of the main transport robot 4. For example, in a plan view, the rotation axis 45 is disposed equidistant from the four unit towers T1 to T4.

[0046] The advance / withdraw drive mechanism 43 advances and withdraws the substrate holding hand H in a radial direction from the rotation axis 45. A plurality of (for example, two) substrate holding hands H may be provided so as to be stacked one on top of the other in the vertical direction. In this case, the advance / withdraw drive mechanism 43 is preferably configured to be able to advance and withdraw the plurality of substrate holding hands H individually. The plurality of substrate holding hands H can be used, for example, to hold unprocessed substrates W and to hold processed substrates W.

[0047] FIG. 3A is a plan view of the substrate holding hand H, and FIG. 3B is a bottom view of the substrate holding hand H seen from below.

[0048] The substrate holding hand H is configured to hold a substrate W horizontally. The substrate holding hand H includes a base B and fingers F extending horizontally from the base B in a predetermined extension direction 81. The base B is coupled to a hand movement mechanism 40 (more specifically, an advance / retreat drive mechanism 43). In this embodiment, the two fingers F extend substantially parallel to the extension direction 81 and face each other in a cross direction 82, which is a horizontal direction intersecting the extension direction 81. The two fingers F may be configured to be line-symmetrical with each other in a plan view. In this case, the axis of symmetry 83 is a straight line extending in the extension direction 81 at a midpoint between the two fingers F. In this embodiment, each finger F is made of a chemical-resistant material, such as a ceramic material. Each finger F is configured in a plate shape and has a trapezoidal shape that is wide at the base end close to the base B and narrows as it moves away from the base B toward the tip end. The base end of each finger F is connected to the base B and is supported by the base B in a cantilevered manner.

[0049] A front claw FC is provided at the tip of each finger F, hanging downward from the finger F. The front claw FC is made of a material that is resistant to chemicals, such as a ceramic material or a resin material. The front claw FC is configured to support the edge of the substrate W from below below the fingers F. The pair of front claws FC respectively coupled to the tip of the pair of fingers F have a structure that is symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane including the axis of symmetry 83 of the pair of fingers F.

[0050] A rear claw RC is disposed at a position closer to the base B than the front claw FC. The rear claw RC is coupled to the claw moving mechanism 50, which is coupled to the base B. Therefore, in this embodiment, the rear claw RC is attached to the base B via the claw moving mechanism 50 and is disposed so as to hang downward from the base B. However, the rear claw RC may also be attached to a finger F and disposed so as to hang downward from the finger F. The rear claw RC is configured to support the edge of the substrate W from below below the finger F. In this embodiment, a pair of rear claws RC is provided. One rear claw RC is disposed near one finger F, and the other rear claw RC is disposed near the other finger F. In this embodiment, the pair of rear claws RC are disposed and structured symmetrically with respect to a vertical plane including an axis of symmetry 83 of the pair of fingers F in a plan view.

[0051] The claw-moving mechanism 50 is configured to move the rear claws RC relative to the front claws FC along the extension direction 81. Therefore, the claw-moving mechanism 50 constitutes a claw-spacing change mechanism that changes the distance between the front claws FC and the rear claws RC in the extension direction 81. Specifically, the claw-moving mechanism 50 includes a bracket 51 that supports the pair of rear claws RC and a pusher 52 that moves the bracket 51 in the extension direction 81. The pusher 52 may be an air-driven actuator including an air cylinder and a spring. The claw-moving mechanism 50 can change the distance between the front claws FC and the rear claws RC, thereby enabling the front claws FC and the rear claws RC to be in an open state (claw-open state) where the distance between them is widened, and a closed state (claw-closed state) where the distance between them is narrowed. The claw-moving mechanism 50 preferably has a normally closed configuration that is in a closed state when in an inactive state. For example, the pusher 52 may have a spring that biases the rear claw portion RC to the closed position, and an actuator (for example, an air actuator) that moves the rear claw portion RC to the open position against the spring force.

[0052] FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of the front claw portion FC and the rear claw portion RC, showing a cross-section in a vertical plane along a radial direction from the assumed center (center of gravity) position 84 (hereinafter referred to as the "holding center position 84"; see also FIGS. 3A and 3B) of the substrate W (circular substrate) to be held.

[0053] Each of the front claws FC and the rear claws RC includes a first substrate support portion 61 having a first substrate support tapered surface 71 that is inclined with respect to the horizontal plane so as to extend downward toward the holding center position 84. Each of the front claws FC and the rear claws RC further includes a second substrate support portion 62 configured to support the edge of the substrate W from below below the first substrate support tapered surface 71. In this embodiment, the second substrate support portion 62 has a second substrate support tapered surface 72 that is continuous with the lower edge of the first substrate support tapered surface 71 and has a smaller angle of inclination with respect to the horizontal plane than the first substrate support tapered surface 71, and is configured to support the edge of the substrate W from below with this second substrate support tapered surface 72. A cylindrical surface 70 that extends vertically is formed on the upper edge of the first substrate support tapered surface 71.

[0054] When the front claws FC and rear claws RC are in the claw closed state (the state shown by the solid lines in FIG. 4), the peripheral edge surface of the substrate W having a first size (first diameter in the case of a circular substrate) φ1 comes into contact with the first substrate supporting tapered surface 71, thereby supporting the substrate W on the first substrate supporting tapered surface 71. On the other hand, the edge of the substrate W having a second size (diameter in the case of a circular substrate) φ2, which is smaller than the first size φ1, is designed to be supported by the second substrate supporting portion 62 (more specifically, the second substrate supporting tapered surface 72).

[0055] The substrate W having the first size φ1 may be, for example, a circular substrate having a diameter of 301 mm, and the substrate W having the second size φ2 may be, for example, a circular substrate having a diameter of 300 mm. In this case, the diameter φ70 (φ1<φ70) of the cylindrical surface 70 in the closed state may be approximately 302 mm. Furthermore, the lower edge of the first substrate support tapered surface 71 (i.e., the upper edge of the second substrate support tapered surface 72) may be located on a circumference with a diameter φ71 (φ2<φ71<φ1) of approximately 300.3 mm. The distance 75 between the upper and lower edges of the first substrate support tapered surface 71 in a plan view is preferably approximately 1 mm to 2 mm (more than 1 mm and equal to or less than 2 mm).

[0056] The substrate W having the second dimension φ2 may be a laminated substrate obtained by bonding a thinned substrate W1 and a supporting substrate W2 (e.g., a glass substrate) for supporting the thinned substrate W1 together. Generally, the supporting substrate W2 is larger than the substrate W1, and therefore the size of the supporting substrate W2 is the size of the laminated substrate W.

[0057] In the open-jaw state (shown by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 4 ) where the front and rear claws FC and RC are spaced far apart, the inner peripheral ends 73 of the front and rear claws FC and RC are spaced apart so as to accommodate both the first and second sizes φ1 and φ2 of the substrate W therebetween. In other words, in the open-jaw state, the inner peripheral ends 73 of the front and rear claws FC and RC are located on a circumference with a diameter greater than 301 mm. More specifically, this diameter is greater than 302 mm, e.g., 305 mm. The diameter is preferably 310 mm or greater. The final diameter is determined by a balance between design factors such as the stroke of the substrate holding hand H.

[0058] In this embodiment, the substrate holding hand H is equipped with a substrate sensor 55 for detecting whether or not a substrate W is being held below the fingers F. In this embodiment, the substrate sensor 55 is disposed on one of the pair of fingers F. However, the substrate sensor 55 may also be disposed on the base B. The substrate sensor 55 may be, for example, a reflective sensor that projects light toward the substrate W and detects the presence or absence of light reflected from the substrate W.

[0059] FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the holding operation of a substrate having a diameter of 300 mm (an example of the second size φ2), and shows a cross section similar to that of FIG.

[0060] The substrate holding hand H, with its claws in the open position (see the two-dot chain line in the left diagram of FIG. 5), is lowered from above the 300 mm diameter substrate W (φ300 wafer) so that the substrate W is positioned above the upper edge of the first substrate support tapered surface 71. This positions the front claws FC and rear claws RC at a height that faces the peripheral edge of the substrate W, and the substrate W is received between the front claws FC and rear claws RC. In this state, by closing the claws (see the solid line in the left diagram of FIG. 5), the front claws FC and rear claws RC face the peripheral edge of the substrate W from below. Next, the substrate holding hand H is raised (see the right diagram of FIG. 5). The peripheral edge of the 300 mm diameter substrate W is then supported from below by the second substrate support tapered surface 72.

[0061] If the center of the substrate W is deviated from the holding center position 84, when the substrate holding hand H rises, the peripheral edge of the substrate W is guided by the first substrate supporting tapered surface 71 to the second substrate supporting tapered surface 72. In this way, the 300 mm diameter substrate W is held by the second substrate supporting part 62 (second substrate supporting tapered surface 72) in an aligned state in which its center position is guided to the holding center position 84.

[0062] FIG. 6 is a schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the holding operation of a substrate having a diameter of 301 mm (an example of the first size φ1), and shows a cross section similar to that of FIG.

[0063] The substrate holding hand H, with its claws in the open position (see the two-dot chain line in the left diagram of FIG. 6), is lowered from above the 301 mm diameter substrate W (φ301 wafer) so that the substrate W is positioned above the upper edge of the first substrate support tapered surface 71. As a result, the front claws FC and rear claws RC are positioned at a height facing the peripheral edge of the substrate W, and the substrate W is received inside the front claws FC and rear claws RC. In this state, by closing the claws (see the solid line in the left diagram of FIG. 6), the front claws FC and rear claws RC face the peripheral edge of the substrate W from below.

[0064] Next, the substrate holding hand H is raised (see the right diagram in FIG. 6). As a result, the peripheral edge of the 301 mm diameter substrate W descends relative to the front claws FC and rear claws RC. Because the diameter of the lower edge of the first substrate supporting tapered surface 71 is smaller than 301 mm, the peripheral edge of the 301 mm diameter substrate W stops midway up and down on the first substrate supporting tapered surface 71, and in that state is supported from below by the first substrate supporting tapered surface 71.

[0065] If the center of the substrate W is deviated from the holding center position 84, when the substrate holding hand H rises, the peripheral edge of the substrate W is guided by the first substrate supporting tapered surface 71, and the center position of the substrate W is thereby guided to the holding center position 84. In this way, the 301 mm diameter substrate W is held by the first substrate supporting part 61 (first substrate supporting tapered surface 71) in an aligned state in which the center position is guided to the holding center position 84.

[0066] 7 is a diagram illustrating the operation (GET operation) of the main transport robot 4 to pick up the substrate W from the substrate holder 3a of the processing unit 3 or the substrate holder 5a of the substrate passing unit 5, i.e., the sequence of the substrate receiving step to receive the substrate from the transfer source. This operation is realized by the control device 7 (see FIG. 1) controlling the main transport robot 4.

[0067] The main transport robot 4 advances the substrate holding hand H along the extension direction 81 in a claw-open state where the distance between the front claws FC and the rear claws RC is greater than the size of the substrate W, until the substrate W is positioned between the front claws FC and the rear claws RC in a plan view (step S1). At this time, the front claws FC pass through an approach path at a predetermined height above the substrate W held by the substrate holders 3a and 5a from which the substrate W is to be transferred, and advances until the front claws FC pass a predetermined distance beyond the reference position (the position in steps S3 to S5) where the substrate W is held. The predetermined distance is preferably greater than the distance from the cylindrical surface 70 to the inner circumferential end 73 of the front claws FC, and more preferably greater than the distance plus a predetermined front clearance 87 (see FIG. 6, for example, 0.5 mm).

[0068] Next, the main transport robot 4 lowers the substrate holding hand H until the peripheral edge of the substrate W is positioned at a height between the lower surfaces of the fingers F and the first substrate support tapered surface 71 (step S2). More specifically, the substrate holding hand H is lowered to a height above the upper edge of the first substrate support tapered surface 71 where the peripheral edge of the substrate W faces the front claws FC and rear claws RC (i.e., faces the cylindrical surface 70).

[0069] Next, the main transport robot 4 retracts the substrate holding hand H along the extension direction 81, and brings the first substrate supporting tapered surface 71 of the front claw FC close to the peripheral edge of the substrate W (step S3). The position of the substrate holding hand H after retraction is such that, when the diameter of the substrate W is 301 mm and its center coincides with the holding center position 84, the peripheral edge surface of the substrate W and the cylindrical surface 70 of the front claw FC face each other horizontally, and a predetermined front clearance 87 (see FIG. 6, for example, 0.5 mm) is formed therebetween.

[0070] Next, the main transport robot 4 uses the claw movement mechanism 50 to advance the rear claws RC along the extension direction 81 to close the claws and bring the first substrate supporting tapered surface 71 of the rear claws RC close to the peripheral edge of the substrate W (step S4). The position of the rear claws RC after advancing is such that, when the diameter of the substrate W is 301 mm and its center coincides with the holding center position 84, the peripheral edge surface of the substrate W and the cylindrical surface 70 of the rear claws RC face each other horizontally, and a predetermined rear clearance 88 (see FIG. 6, for example, 0.5 mm) is formed therebetween. It is preferable that the front clearance 87 and the rear clearance 88 are equal to each other.

[0071] Next, the main transport robot 4 raises the substrate holding hand H to support the peripheral edge of the substrate W from below with the front claws FC and rear claws RC (step S5). The height of the raised substrate holding hand H is set so that the second substrate support tapered surface 72 is positioned above the substrate holding height of the substrate holders 3a and 5a. More specifically, after the substrate holding hand H is raised, the lower ends of the front claws FC and rear claws RC are positioned above the upper ends of the substrate holders 3a and 5a. This allows the substrate W to be picked up from the substrate holders 3a and 5a. In the case of a substrate W with a diameter of 300 mm, the peripheral edge of the substrate W is supported by the second substrate support tapered surface 72. In the case of a substrate W with a diameter of 301 mm, the peripheral edge of the substrate W is supported by the first substrate support tapered surface 71.

[0072] Thereafter, the main transport robot 4 retreats the substrate holding hand H, and causes the substrate holding hand H to retreat from the processing unit 3 or the substrate passing unit 5 (step S6). This allows the substrate W to be carried out from the substrate passing unit 5 or the processing unit 3.

[0073] The control device 7 performs substrate presence / absence detection to detect whether the substrate W is held by the substrate holding hand H by referring to the output of the substrate sensor 55, for example, in step S5 and thereafter.

[0074] Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining the operation (PUT operation) in which the main transport robot 4 places the substrate W on the substrate holder 3a of the processing unit 3 or the substrate holder 5a of the substrate passing unit 5, i.e., the sequence of the substrate transfer step in which the substrate is transferred to the destination.

[0075] The main transport robot 4 performs a substrate receiving step (see FIG. 7) of receiving the substrate W from the source, a step of transporting the substrate W to the destination, and then a substrate transferring step of transferring the substrate W to the destination. This substrate transfer operation is realized by the control device 7 (see FIG. 1) controlling the main transport robot 4.

[0076] With the substrate holding hand H holding the substrate W in the claw closed state, the main transport robot 4 advances the substrate holding hand H in the extension direction 81 along an approach path at a predetermined height set above the substrate holding position of the substrate holders 3a, 5a to which the substrate W is to be transferred (step S11). As a result, the substrate W is positioned above the substrate holding position to which the substrate W is to be transferred.

[0077] Next, the main transport robot 4 lowers the substrate holding hand H. As a result, the substrate W, whose peripheral edge is supported from below by the first substrate support tapered surfaces 71 or the second substrate support tapered surfaces 72 of the front claws FC and rear claws RC, is transferred to the substrate holders 3a and 5a (step S12). After being lowered, the height of the substrate holding hand H is such that the fingers F are positioned above the substrate W and the first substrate support tapered surfaces 71 are positioned below the peripheral edge of the substrate W, and the cylindrical surfaces 70 of the front claws FC and rear claws RC face the peripheral edge of the substrate W in the horizontal direction with a front clearance 87 and a rear clearance 88 (see FIG. 6), respectively.

[0078] Next, the main transport robot 4 retracts the rear claws RC using the claw moving mechanism 50 to open the claws (step S13). As a result, the distance between the front claws FC and the rear claws RC becomes larger than the size of the substrate W.

[0079] Next, the main transport robot 4 advances the substrate holding hand H along the extension direction 81 until the substrate W is positioned between the front claws FC and the rear claws RC in a plan view (step S14). After the substrate holding hand H has advanced, the inner peripheral ends 73 of the front claws FC and the rear claws RC are positioned outward from the peripheral edge surface of the substrate W in a plan view.

[0080] Next, the main transport robot 4 raises the substrate holding hand H until the front claw portion FC and the rear claw portion RC are higher than the substrate W, more specifically, until the lowest ends of the front claw portion FC and the rear claw portion RC are higher than the substrate W (step S15).

[0081] Then, the main transport robot 4 retreats the substrate holding hand H along the extension direction 81 to retract the substrate holding hand H from above the substrate W (step S16). As a result, the substrate holding hand H retreats to the outside of the processing unit 3 or the substrate passing unit 5, which is the transport destination.

[0082] In this manner, the main transport robot 4 carries the substrate into the processing unit 3 or the substrate passing unit 5, and then causes the substrate holding hand H to withdraw from the processing unit 3 or the substrate passing unit 5, thereby completing the substrate transfer step.

[0083] For example, during the period before step S12, the control device 7 performs substrate presence detection by referring to the output of the substrate sensor 55 to detect whether the substrate W is being held by the substrate holding hand H, and thereafter does not perform substrate presence detection.

[0084] As described above, in the substrate holding hand H of this embodiment, the fingers F extend horizontally from the base B along the extension direction 81, and the front claws FC are provided so as to hang downward from the fingers F. Meanwhile, the rear claws RC are provided at positions closer to the base B than the front claws FC so as to hang downward from the base B. The front claws FC and rear claws RC are configured to support the edge of the substrate W from below, below the fingers F. Therefore, when the substrate W is held by the substrate holding hand H, the fingers F are positioned above the substrate W supported by the front claws FC and rear claws RC. Therefore, even if the center of the substrate W is deformed by gravity so that it hangs downward, there is no possibility that the substrate W will come into contact with the fingers F. In this way, the substrate holding hand H has a configuration suitable for holding large, thin substrates.

[0085] On the other hand, according to this embodiment, the distance between the front claws FC and the rear claws RC in the extension direction 81 is increased or decreased by a claw movement mechanism 50, which is an example of a claw spacing change mechanism. In other words, the front claws FC and the rear claws RC can be opened and closed between a claw open state in which the gap between them is large and a claw closed state in which the gap between them is narrower than in the claw open state. Therefore, by inserting the substrate W between the front claws FC and the rear claws RC in the claw open state and then switching to the claw closed state, the front claws FC and the rear claws RC can be inserted below the edge of the substrate W. This allows the front claws FC and the rear claws RC to hold the edge of the substrate W so as to support it from below, and by raising the substrate holding hand H, the substrate W can be held in a state where it is suspended below the fingers F.

[0086] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, each of the front claws FC and the rear claws RC has a first substrate support tapered surface 71 that slopes downward toward the inside of the substrate W, and this first substrate support tapered surface 71 supports the edge of the substrate W from below. Therefore, when the substrate W is supported by the first substrate support tapered surfaces 71 of the front claws FC and the rear claws RC, the first substrate support tapered surfaces 71 guide the substrate W to an appropriate position, and the substrate can be held at that appropriate position by the substrate holding hand H. This gives the substrate holding hand H an alignment function that aligns and holds the substrate W. Therefore, the main transport robot 4 equipped with such a substrate holding hand H can accurately transport the substrate W.

[0087] Furthermore, in this embodiment, two fingers F are provided that face each other along a horizontal intersecting direction 82 that intersects with the extension direction 81. Each finger is provided with a front claw portion FC. Therefore, the front claw portions FC provided on each of the two fingers support the edge of the substrate W from below, below the finger F. This makes it possible to hold the substrate W more stably, i.e., more reliably. Therefore, it is possible to provide a substrate holding hand H that has a structure that is more suitable for holding a large, thin substrate W. Moreover, in this embodiment, since two rear claw portions RC are provided, the substrate W can be held in a stable state more reliably.

[0088] In this embodiment, each of the front claws FC and rear claws RC is provided with a second substrate support portion 62 configured to support the edge of the substrate W from below below the first substrate support tapered surface 71. This allows the second substrate support portion 62 to support a substrate W having a peripheral edge located inward from the lower edge of the first substrate support tapered surface 71. More specifically, the second substrate support portion 62 supports a substrate W (e.g., a substrate with a diameter of 300 mm) that is smaller than the substrate W (e.g., a substrate with a diameter of 301 mm) supported by the first substrate support tapered surface 71, and to Therefore, such a small substrate W can be held below the fingers F while being supported by the front claws FC and rear claws RC. Therefore, it is possible to provide a substrate holding hand H that can hold substrates W of two or more different sizes. Moreover, since the second substrate support parts 62 are configured to support the substrate W below the first substrate support tapered surface 71, the substrate W is aligned toward the second substrate support parts 62 by the first substrate support tapered surface 71. Therefore, even when the substrate W is supported by the second substrate support parts 62, the substrate W is held in an aligned state. As a result, the main transport robot 4 equipped with this substrate holding hand H can accurately transport substrates W of different sizes.

[0089] In this embodiment, the second substrate support portion 62 has a second substrate supporting tapered surface 72 that is continuous with the lower edge of the first substrate supporting tapered surface 71 and has a smaller angle of inclination with respect to the horizontal plane than the first substrate supporting tapered surface 71, and is configured to support the edge of the substrate W from below with the second substrate supporting tapered surface 72. Because the angle of inclination of the second substrate supporting tapered surface 72 is small, the second substrate supporting tapered surface 72 can reliably support a relatively small substrate W that is not supported by the first substrate supporting tapered surface 71. Furthermore, contact between the edge of such a relatively small substrate W and the second substrate supporting tapered surface 72 is essentially point contact, and therefore has little effect on the substrate W.

[0090] In this embodiment, the substrate holding hand H is also provided with a substrate sensor 55 configured to detect whether or not the substrate W is being held by the front claws FC and rear claws RC below the fingers F. This makes it possible to confirm whether or not the substrate W is being held by the substrate holding hand H, thereby achieving reliable substrate holding.

[0091] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention can also be embodied in other forms, as shown in the following modified examples.

[0092] In the above-described embodiment, two fingers F are provided, but the number of fingers is not limited to two. For example, one finger may be provided. More specifically, one finger may be provided with two front claws at its front end.

[0093] In the above-described embodiment, the rear claw portion RC is attached to the base B via the claw portion moving mechanism 50, but the claw portion moving mechanism 50 may be disposed on the finger F, and the rear claw portion RC may be attached to the finger F.

[0094] In the above-described embodiment, the claw spacing change mechanism changes the spacing between the front claws FC and the rear claws RC by moving the rear claws RC using the claw moving mechanism 50. However, the claw spacing change mechanism may also be configured by moving the front claws FC in the extension direction 81. For example, the claw spacing change mechanism may be configured by fixing the rear claws RC to the base B, while using a finger moving mechanism that moves the fingers F in the extension direction 81 relative to the base B.

[0095] In the above-described embodiment, the second substrate support portion 62 is configured to make point contact with the peripheral edge of the substrate W from below using the second substrate support tapered surface 72, but similar point contact support is also possible by providing a protrusion with a head on a convex curved surface.

[0096] In addition, various design modifications can be made within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1: Indexer block 2: Processing block 3: Processing unit 3a: Substrate holder 3b: Processing liquid nozzle 4: Main transport robot 5: Board passing unit 5a: Substrate holder 6: Transport path 7: Control device 11: Carrier holding part 12: Indexer robot 40: Hand movement mechanism 41: Rotation drive mechanism 42: Vertical drive mechanism 43: Advance / retract drive mechanism 45: Rotation axis 46: Foundation 50: Claw movement mechanism 51: Bracket 52: Pusher 55: Substrate sensor 61:First board support part 62:Second board support part 70: Cylindrical surface 71: First substrate supporting tapered surface 72: Second substrate supporting tapered surface 73: Inner edge 81:Stretching direction 82: Cross direction 84: Holding center position 100: Substrate processing apparatus H: Substrate holding hand B: Base F: Finger FC: Front claw part RC: Rear claw part W: Substrate

Claims

1. A substrate holding hand that is provided in a substrate transport robot that transports a substrate and that holds the substrate horizontally, A base and a finger extending horizontally from the base in a predetermined extension direction; a front claw portion that hangs down from the finger and supports an edge portion of the substrate from below the finger; a rear claw portion that hangs downward from the finger or the base at a position closer to the base than the front claw portion and supports an edge of the substrate from below the finger; a claw portion spacing change mechanism that changes the spacing between the front claw portion and the rear claw portion in the extension direction; Including, each of the front claw portion and the rear claw portion has a first substrate support tapered surface that is inclined with respect to a horizontal plane so as to be inward of the substrate to be held as it extends downward, and includes a first substrate support portion configured to support an edge of the substrate from below on the first substrate support tapered surface, and a second substrate support portion configured to support the edge of the substrate from below below the first substrate support tapered surface, the first substrate support tapered surface is configured so that a peripheral end surface of a circular substrate having a diameter of 301 mm comes into contact with the first substrate support tapered surface, so that the circular substrate having a diameter of 301 mm is supported by the first substrate support tapered surface, and so that a circular substrate having a diameter of 300 mm is supported by the second substrate support portion. Board holding hand.

2. The two fingers are opposed to each other along a horizontal intersecting direction intersecting the extension direction, The substrate holding hand of claim 1 , wherein each finger is provided with the front claw.

3. 3. The substrate holding hand according to claim 1, wherein the distance between the upper edge and the lower edge of the first substrate supporting tapered surface in a plan view is 1 mm to 2 mm.

4. A substrate holding hand as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the second substrate support portion has a second substrate supporting tapered surface that is continuous with the lower edge of the first substrate supporting tapered surface and has a smaller inclination angle with respect to the horizontal plane than the first substrate supporting tapered surface, and is configured to support the edge of the substrate from below with the second substrate supporting tapered surface.

5. The substrate holding hand according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising a substrate sensor disposed on the base or the fingers and configured to detect whether a substrate is being held by the front claw portion and the rear claw portion below the fingers.

6. a processing unit for processing a substrate; a substrate transport robot that transports a substrate to the processing unit, A substrate processing apparatus, wherein the substrate transport robot is provided with the substrate holding hand according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. a substrate placement unit that provides a substrate placement location for temporarily placing a substrate to be processed; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the substrate transport robot transports the substrate between the substrate mounting unit and the processing unit.

8. The substrate transport robot advancing the substrate holding hand along the extension direction until the source substrate is positioned inside the front and rear claws in a claw-open state in which the distance between the front and rear claws is greater than the size of the substrate; lowering the substrate holding hand until a peripheral edge of the substrate is positioned at a height between the lower surface of the finger and the first substrate supporting tapered surface; retracting the substrate holding hand to bring the first substrate supporting tapered surface of the front claw portion closer to the peripheral edge of the substrate; advancing the rear claws in the extension direction by the claw spacing change mechanism to bring the first substrate supporting tapered surfaces of the rear claws closer to a peripheral edge of the substrate; raising the substrate holding hand to support a peripheral edge of the substrate from below with the first substrate supporting tapered surfaces of the front claws and the rear claws; 8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the substrate processing apparatus operates to receive the substrate from the transfer source by sequentially performing the steps above.

9. The substrate transport robot at a destination of the substrate, lowering the substrate holding hand and delivering the substrate, whose peripheral edge portion is supported from below by the first substrate supporting tapered surfaces of the front and rear claw portions, to the destination of the substrate, so that the fingers are positioned above the substrate and the first substrate supporting tapered surfaces are positioned below the peripheral edge of the substrate; a step of retracting the rear claws by the claw spacing change mechanism to set the claws in an open state in which the spacing between the front claws and the rear claws is larger than the size of the board; advancing the substrate holding hand along the extension direction until the substrate is positioned inside the front claw portion and the rear claw portion in a plan view; raising the substrate holding hand until the front claw portion and the rear claw portion are higher than the substrate; a step of retracting the substrate holding hand along the extension direction to retract the substrate holding hand from above the substrate; 9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the substrate is transferred to the destination by sequentially executing the above steps.

10. A method for transporting a substrate using the substrate holding hand according to any one of claims 1 to 5, comprising: a substrate receiving step of receiving the substrate from the source of transfer by supporting the substrate with the front claws and the rear claws and holding the substrate below the fingers at the source of transfer; transporting the substrate held below the fingers by the substrate holding hand from the source to the destination; a substrate transfer step of releasing the substrate from support by the front claws and the rear claws at the destination and transferring the substrate from the substrate holding hand to the destination; A substrate transport method comprising:

11. The substrate receiving step includes: advancing the substrate holding hand along the extension direction until the source substrate is positioned inside the front and rear claws in a claw-open state in which the distance between the front and rear claws is greater than the size of the substrate; lowering the substrate holding hand until a peripheral edge of the substrate is positioned at a height between the lower surface of the finger and the first substrate supporting tapered surface; retracting the substrate holding hand to bring the first substrate supporting tapered surface of the front claw portion closer to the peripheral edge of the substrate; advancing the rear claws by the claw spacing change mechanism to bring the first substrate supporting tapered surfaces of the rear claws closer to the peripheral edge of the substrate; raising the substrate holding hand to support a peripheral edge of the substrate from below with the first substrate supporting tapered surfaces of the front claws and the rear claws; The method of claim 10 , comprising:

12. The substrate transfer step includes: at the destination, lowering the substrate holding hand and delivering the substrate, the peripheral portion of which is supported from below by the first substrate supporting tapered surfaces of the front and rear claws, to the destination, so that the fingers are positioned above the substrate and the first substrate supporting tapered surfaces are positioned below the peripheral portion of the substrate; a step of retracting the rear claws by the claw spacing change mechanism to set the claws in an open state in which the spacing between the front claws and the rear claws is larger than the size of the board; advancing the substrate holding hand along the extension direction until the substrate is positioned inside the front claw portion and the rear claw portion in a plan view; raising the substrate holding hand until the front claw portion and the rear claw portion are higher than the substrate; a step of retracting the substrate holding hand along the extension direction to retract the substrate holding hand from above the substrate; The substrate transport method according to claim 10 or 11, comprising:

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