Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

To reduce an occupied floor area of a substrate processing device.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device includes a carrier block on which a carrier for storing a substrate is placed, one processing block in which the substrate is conveyed from the carrier block, an elevating transfer mechanism that overlaps with the one processing block, is provided with another processing block for transporting the substrate to the carrier block, a shaft extending in the lateral direction, and a support surface for supporting the substrate facing the substrate, and raises and lowers the shaft and the support portion between a position where the substrate is delivered to a first processing block transport mechanism and a position where the substrate is delivered to a second processing block, and a rotation mechanism that rotates the support portion around the shaft such that the support surface is in a first direction when an elevating transfer portion is located in a first region and a second region, and the support surface is in a second direction having a larger inclination with respect to the horizontal plane than the first direction when the elevating transfer portion is moved up and down between the first region and the second region.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as wafers) are transported between various processing modules to undergo various processes such as liquid processing and heat treatment. Patent Document 1 describes a coating apparatus including processing blocks, each of which includes a plurality of unit blocks stacked on top of each other, each of which is provided with a plurality of processing modules, and a main arm provided for each unit block to transport wafers between the processing modules. In this example, unit blocks for forming an SOC film, an anti-reflective film, and a resist film are stacked in two layers starting from the bottom. It also describes that wafers are transported from bottom to top in the order of the unit block for forming the SOC film, the unit block for forming the anti-reflective film, and the unit block for forming the resist film, and three types of films are stacked to form the films. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-208004 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique that can reduce the floor area occupied by a substrate processing apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure includes a processing block including a plurality of first processing modules each for processing a substrate, and a first transport mechanism shared by the plurality of first processing modules for transporting the substrate; a second processing block including a plurality of second processing modules each processing the substrate, and a second transport mechanism shared by the plurality of second processing modules and transporting the substrate, the second processing block overlapping the first processing block; an elevating and transferring mechanism comprising a shaft extending in a horizontal direction and a support part having a support surface that faces and supports the substrate and that extends from the shaft in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the shaft, the elevating and transferring mechanism raising and lowering the shaft and the support part between a first position for transferring the substrate to the first transport mechanism and a second position for transferring the substrate to the second transport mechanism; a rotation mechanism that rotates the support unit around the axis so that the orientation of the support unit changes between a first orientation for transferring the substrate at each of the first position and the second position, and a second orientation in which the inclination of the support surface with respect to a horizontal plane is greater than that of the first orientation for moving between the first position and the second position; Equipped with the one processing block includes a first substrate mounting part on which the substrate is mounted so as to transfer the substrate to the first transport mechanism; the other processing block includes a second substrate mounting portion on which the substrate is mounted for transferring the substrate to the second transport mechanism; the first position and the second position are positions where the substrate is transferred to the first substrate placement part and the second substrate placement part, respectively; the one processing block includes a first temperature adjustment module that is provided in an area that overlaps with the first substrate mounting part and the lifting and transferring mechanism in a plan view, and that adjusts a temperature of the substrate when the substrate is transported by the first transport mechanism; the other processing block includes a second temperature adjustment module that is provided in an area that overlaps with the second substrate mounting part and the lifting and transferring mechanism in a plan view, and that adjusts a temperature of the substrate when the substrate is transported by the second transport mechanism; The first temperature adjustment module is located below the first substrate mounting part, and the second temperature adjustment module is located above the second substrate mounting part. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] The present disclosure can reduce the floor area occupied by a substrate processing apparatus. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional front view of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional front view of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a left side view of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 5]FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional side view of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a side view showing a lifting and transferring mechanism provided in the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing the lifting and transferring mechanism. [Figure 9] 10A to 10C are explanatory views showing the operation of the lifting and transferring mechanism. [Figure 10] 10A to 10C are explanatory views showing the operation of the lifting and transferring mechanism. [Figure 11] 10A to 10C are explanatory views showing the operation of the lifting and transferring mechanism. [Figure 12] 10A to 10C are explanatory views showing the operation of the lifting and transferring mechanism. [Figure 13] 10A to 10C are explanatory views showing the operation of the lifting and transferring mechanism. [Figure 14] 10A to 10C are explanatory views showing the operation of the lifting and transferring mechanism. [Figure 15] 2 is a schematic view of a transfer path in the substrate processing apparatus; FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to another embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 17] FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional front view of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of the arrangement of the lifting and transferring mechanism; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] An example of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the cross-sectional plan view of FIG. 1 and the longitudinal front views of FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. FIGS. 2 and 3 show cross sections at different positions of the apparatus. In the substrate processing apparatus 1, a carrier block D1, a first processing block D2, and a second processing block D3 are arranged in this order in a horizontal linear fashion, with adjacent blocks connected to each other. These blocks (carrier block, first and second processing blocks) D1 to D3 are each provided with a housing and are separated from one another, and a transfer area for substrates, i.e., wafers W, is formed inside each housing.

[0009] In the following explanation, the arrangement direction of these blocks D1 to D3 is referred to as the left-right direction, with the carrier block D1 side being the left side and the second processing block D3 being the right side. Also, in the front-to-rear direction of the device, when looking at carrier block D1 from the left, the front is referred to as the front and the back is referred to as the rear.

[0010] Before describing each of the blocks D1 to D3 in detail, we will describe the general configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Wafers W are transported to the substrate processing apparatus 1 while being stored in a carrier C called, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unify Pod). The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes processing modules that perform various processes, such as forming a coating film by applying various coating liquids to the wafers W as a liquid process, and heating the wafers W after the coating film has been formed.

[0011] The first processing block D2 and the second processing block D3 are each partitioned vertically into two. The lower and upper sides of the partitioned first processing block D2 are referred to as the first lower processing block D21 and the first upper processing block D22, respectively. The lower and upper sides of the partitioned second processing block D3 are referred to as the second lower processing block D31 and the second upper processing block D32, respectively. Therefore, the first lower processing block D21 and the first upper processing block D22 are stacked on top of each other, and the second lower processing block D31 and the second upper processing block D32 are stacked on top of each other. The first lower processing block D21 and the first upper processing block D22 are adjacent to each other, and the second lower processing block D31 and the second upper processing block D32 are adjacent to each other.

[0012] Wafers W are transferred in the following order: carrier block D1 → first lower processing block D21 → second lower processing block D31 → second upper processing block D32 → first upper processing block D22 → carrier block D1. Therefore, with carrier block D1 as the reference, the first lower processing block D21 and second lower processing block D31 form the outbound path for wafer W, and the first upper processing block D22 and second upper processing block D32 form the return path for wafer W. The lower processing blocks forming the outbound path may be collectively referred to as lower processing block G1, and the upper processing blocks forming the return path may be collectively referred to as upper processing block G2.

[0013] As the wafer W is transported on the outbound and return routes in this manner, three types of coating films are sequentially formed on the wafer W and stacked one on top of the other. Of these coating films, the topmost film is a resist film, the film below that is referred to as an intermediate film, and the film below that is referred to as a lower-layer film. The lower-layer film is formed in a processing module on the outbound route, while the intermediate film and resist film are formed in processing modules on the return route. Note that a module is a location on which the wafer W is placed other than the transport mechanism. A module that processes the wafer W is referred to as a processing module as described above, but this processing also includes acquiring images for inspection.

[0014] The carrier block D1 will be described below with reference to the side view of Fig. 4. Carriers C are loaded and unloaded into and from the carrier block D1 by a carrier transport mechanism (external transport mechanism) (not shown) provided in a clean room in which the substrate processing apparatus 1 is installed. The carrier block D1 is a block that loads and unloads wafers W into and from the carriers C.

[0015] The aforementioned housing constituting carrier block D1 is designated 11. Housing 11 is formed in a rectangular shape, and its lower side protrudes to the left to form support base 12. Furthermore, on the left side surface of housing 11 above support base 12, two points spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction protrude to the left to form support bases 13 and 14. The lower support base and the upper support base are designated 13 and 14, respectively.

[0016] Each of the support bases 12 to 14 can accommodate, for example, four carriers C at intervals in the front-to-rear direction, and each of the support bases 12 to 14 has a stage for placing the carriers C thereon, and the stages are arranged, for example, in a 3 x 4 matrix when viewed from the left. The left end of the support base 12 protrudes further left than the support bases 13 and 14, and the stage of the support base 12 is provided on the right side of the support base 12, below the support bases 13 and 14. The interior of the support base 12 is used as an area for storing bottles containing processing liquid for liquid processing in the first processing block D2 and the second processing block D3, as described above.

[0017] Carriers C can be transferred between the stages by a carrier transfer mechanism 21, which will be described later. Regarding these stages, the two front stages of each of the support bases 12 and 13 are configured as movable stages 15 on which carriers C are placed to load and unload wafers W into and from the apparatus. Therefore, the movable stages 15 are arranged in a 2 × 2 matrix when viewed from the left. The movable stages 15 move between a load position on the right side for loading and unloading wafers W and an unload position on the left side for transferring carriers C to and from the carrier transfer mechanism 21. In this example, the movable stage 15 of the support base 12 serves as a stage (loader) on which carriers C are placed to unload unprocessed wafers W into the apparatus, while the movable stage 15 of the support base 13 serves as a stage (unloader) on which carriers C are placed to store processed wafers W in the apparatus. However, one movable stage 15 may serve as both a loader and an unloader.

[0018] Regarding the other stages, the two rear stages of the support bases 12 and 13 and the two stages of the support base 14 are configured as temporary placement stages 16. The other two stages of the support base 14 are configured as a carry-in stage 17 and an unloading stage 18. For example, the stage on the rear end side and the stage on the front end side of the support base 14 are the carry-in stage 17 and the unloading stage 18, respectively. These carry-in stage 17 and unloading stage 18 are stages on which the carrier C is placed so that the external transport mechanism described above can carry the carrier C into and out of the substrate processing apparatus 1, respectively.

[0019] The carrier C is transferred in the following order: carry-in stage 17 → movable stage 15 of support base 12 → movable stage 15 of support base 13 → carry-out stage 18. When transferring the carrier C between stages in this way, if the destination stage is not available (if it is occupied by another carrier C), the carrier C is placed on the temporary placement stage 16 and waits until the destination stage becomes available.

[0020] A carrier transfer mechanism 21 is provided above the left side of the support base 12. The carrier transfer mechanism 21 includes an articulated arm 22 that can hold a held portion provided on the upper part of the carrier C, and a movement mechanism 23 that can move the articulated arm 22 up and down and back and forth, and can transfer the carrier C between stages as described above.

[0021] Transfer openings 24 for loading and unloading wafers W are formed in the left wall of the housing 11, and are arranged in a 2 x 2 matrix to match the arrangement of the movable stages 15. A door 25 is provided at each transfer opening 24. The door 25 is capable of holding the lid of the carrier C on the movable stage 15 at the load position, and can move while holding the lid to open and close the transfer opening 24.

[0022] The transfer opening 24 faces a transfer area 31 for the wafer W formed within the housing 11, and the transfer area 31 is formed in a linear shape that is long from front to back in a plan view. A transfer mechanism 32 is provided on the front side of the transfer area 31. The transfer mechanism 32 includes a base that is movable back and forth, vertically movable, and rotatable about a vertical axis, and a wafer W holder that can move forward and backward on the base. The transfer mechanism 32 can access the carrier C on the moving stage 15 at the load position described above, and the module stack T1 and pre-processing inspection module 41 described below, to transfer the wafer W.

[0023] A pre-processing inspection module 41 is provided in the carrier block D1, and this pre-processing inspection module 41 images the surface of the wafer W before processing by the substrate processing apparatus 1. Image data obtained by this imaging is sent to the control unit 10, which will be described later, and the presence or absence of an abnormality in the wafer W is determined by the control unit 10 based on the image data. The pre-processing inspection module 41 is configured in the shape of a flat rectangular parallelepiped that is elongated from side to side, with its right side located in the center of the front and rear of the transfer region 31 and its left side penetrating the left wall of the housing 11 and protruding outside the housing 11.

[0024] The pre-processing inspection module 41 includes a stage 42 that is movable left and right within the module, a half mirror 43 provided above the movement path of the stage 42, an illumination unit 44 that irradiates light downward via the half mirror 43, and a camera 45 provided to the left of the half mirror 43 (see FIG. 3). A wafer W is delivered to the stage 42 located on the right side within the module by the transport mechanism 32. As the stage 42 to which the wafer W has been delivered moves leftward and passes below the half mirror 43, light is emitted from the illumination unit 44 and an image of the wafer W reflected on the half mirror 43 is captured by the camera 45, thereby acquiring the image data.

[0025] 1, in the transfer region 31, a transfer mechanism 33 is provided so as to be located behind the pre-processing inspection module 41 in a plan view. The transfer mechanism 33 includes a base that can be raised and lowered and rotated about a vertical axis, and a holder for the wafer W that can be moved forward and backward on the base, and is capable of delivering the wafer W to and from the module stack T1, which will be described later.

[0026] Next, the module stack T1 will be described. This module stack T1 is configured by vertically stacking a transfer module TRS on which a wafer W is temporarily placed and a temperature adjustment module SCPL, and is provided in the central portion of the transfer region 31 from front to back. Therefore, in a plan view, the module stack T1 is sandwiched between the transfer mechanisms 32 and 33 in the front-to-back direction and is disposed on the right side of the pre-processing inspection module 41. The transfer module TRS includes, for example, a plurality of pins arranged horizontally, and the wafer W is transferred to and from these pins by the lifting and lowering operation of the transfer mechanism. The SCPL is configured, for example, to cool the placed wafer W by connecting a coolant flow path to a plate on which the wafer W is placed, and the wafer W is transferred to and from this plate by the lifting and lowering operation of the transfer mechanism.

[0027] Note that SCPLs are also provided in blocks other than carrier block D1, and the SCPLs in blocks other than D1 have the same configuration as, for example, the SCPL in carrier block D1. TRSs are also provided in blocks other than D1. Hereinafter, to distinguish between the SCPLs and TRSs in each location, numbers are added after the SCPLs and TRSs. Furthermore, for each location, multiple TRSs and SCPLs are provided, for example, stacked. In other words, multiple TRSs and SCPLs with the same number are provided, but for convenience of illustration, only one is shown. Note that in this specification, a stack of modules refers to modules that are stacked in a plan view, and the modules may be separated from each other or may be in contact with each other.

[0028] Some of the modules constituting the module stack T1 are provided below the pre-processing inspection module 41, and some are provided above the pre-processing inspection module 41. For example, the modules are provided in the order TRS1, TRS2, SCPL1, and TRS3 from bottom to top, with the pre-processing inspection module 41 located between SCPL1 and TRS3 (see FIG. 3). For example, TRS1, TRS2, and SCPL1 are each located at the height of the first lower processing block D21, and TRS3 is located at the height of the first upper processing block D22. The transport mechanism 33 can access each of the modules constituting the module stack T1, and the transport mechanism 32 can access TRS1 and TRS2.

[0029] TRS1 and TRS2 are used to transfer wafers W between the transfer mechanisms 32 and 33. SCPL1 is used to transfer wafers W between the first lower processing block D21 and the carrier block D1. Therefore, SCPL1 is also accessible to a transfer mechanism 6A of the first lower processing block D21, which will be described later. TRS3 is used to transfer wafers W between the first upper processing block D22 and the carrier block D1. Therefore, TRS3 is also accessible to a transfer mechanism 6B of the first upper processing block D22, which will be described later.

[0030] A hydrophobization treatment module 30 is provided behind the transfer mechanism 33. The hydrophobization treatment module 30 supplies a treatment gas to the wafer W to perform a hydrophobization treatment before a coating film is formed on the wafer W. For example, the hydrophobization treatment module 30 is provided, for example, stacked at the same height as the second upper processing block D32, and the transfer mechanism 33 transfers the wafer W to and from the hydrophobization treatment module 30. The hydrophobization treatment module 30 includes a hot plate on which the wafer W is placed, similar to the hot plate 55 provided in the heating module 54 described below, and a cover that can be raised and lowered to cover the hot plate. The hydrophobization treatment is performed on the wafer W by supplying a treatment gas into an enclosed space formed above the hot plate by the cover.

[0031] Next, the first processing block D2 will be described with reference to the longitudinal side view of Figure 5. The front side of the first processing block D2 is vertically partitioned to form eight levels, which are numbered E1 to E8 from bottom to top. The lower levels E1 to E4 are included in the first lower processing block D21, and the upper levels E5 to E8 are included in the first upper processing block D22. Each level forms an area where a liquid processing module can be installed.

[0032] First, the first upper processing block D22 will be described. Each of stories E5 to E8 is provided with a resist coating module 51 as a liquid processing module. Each resist coating module 51 includes two cups 52 arranged side by side and each containing a wafer W, and a nozzle (not shown). The resist coating module 51 supplies the resist liquid supplied from the bottle by a pump (not shown) onto the surface of the wafer W for processing.

[0033] A transfer region 53 for wafers W is provided behind stories E5 to E8 and extends linearly in a plan view from the left end to the right end of the upper processing block D22. Therefore, the extension direction of the transfer region 53 is perpendicular to the extension direction of the transfer region 31 of the carrier block D1. The transfer region 53 extends from the height of story E5 to the height of story E8. In other words, the transfer region 53 is not divided into stories E5 to E8.

[0034] The processing modules are stacked, for example, in seven stages in the vertical direction behind the transport area 53, with two stacks of processing modules arranged side by side. That is, the stacks of processing modules and the cups 52 are each arranged along the extension direction of the transport area 53.

[0035] The stack of processing modules arranged side by side as described above is referred to as the rear processing section 50. The processing modules constituting this rear processing section 50 include multiple heating modules 54. The heating modules 54 in the first upper processing block D22 are modules for removing solvents from coating films and include a hot plate 55 on which a wafer W is placed and heated, and a cooling plate 56 for adjusting the temperature of the wafer W. The cooling plate 56 is movable between a front position where the wafer W is transferred by the lifting and lowering operation of the transfer mechanism 6B (described later) and a rear position where it overlaps with the hot plate 55. The lifting and lowering operation of pins (not shown) provided on the hot plate 55 cooperates with the movement of the cooling plate 56 to transfer the wafer W between the hot plate 55 and the cooling plate 56.

[0036] The transfer area 53, which is the main transfer path, is provided with the transfer mechanism 6B, which is the main transfer mechanism described above, and the transfer mechanism 6B includes a base 61 that is movable left and right, vertically movable, and rotatable about a vertical axis, and a holder 62 for the wafer W that can move forward and backward on the base 61. Note that each transfer mechanism in the substrate processing apparatus 1, including this transfer mechanism 6B, is provided with two holders, which can move forward and backward independently of each other on the base.

[0037] A transfer mechanism 63 for moving a base 61 of the transfer mechanism 6B left and right is provided below the rear processing unit 50. The transfer mechanism 6B can transfer wafers W to and from each processing module in the first upper processing block D22, the TRS3 of the carrier block D1, and the SCPL of the second upper processing block D32 (to be described later). Therefore, the transfer mechanism 6B is shared by these modules.

[0038] Next, the first lower processing block D21 will be described. The first lower processing block D21 has a configuration generally similar to the first upper processing block D22 already described, and the following description will focus on the differences from the first upper processing block D22. No liquid processing module is provided on level E1, and levels E2 to E4 are provided with chemical liquid coating modules 47 that apply chemical liquid for forming an underlayer film as liquid processing modules. The chemical liquid coating modules 47 have a configuration similar to that of the resist coating module 51, except that they supply the above-mentioned chemical liquid for forming an underlayer film instead of supplying resist liquid from a nozzle.

[0039] The main transfer mechanism provided in the transfer region 53 is shown as transfer mechanism 6A and has the same configuration as the above-described transfer mechanism 6B. The transfer mechanism 6A delivers wafers W to and from each processing module in the first lower processing block D21, the SCPL1 in the module stack T1, and the SCPL in the second lower processing block D31, which will be described later.

[0040] Next, the second processing block D3 will be described. The second processing block D3 has a configuration similar to that of the first processing block D2, and the following description will focus on the differences from the first processing block D2. First, in the second upper processing block D32, no processing modules are provided on story E5, and a chemical liquid coating module 48 for forming an intermediate film is provided as a liquid processing module on stories E6 to E8. The chemical liquid coating module 48 has a configuration similar to that of the resist coating module 51, except that it is provided with a nozzle that supplies a chemical liquid for forming an intermediate film instead of a resist liquid. The main transfer mechanism in the second upper processing block D32 is referred to as a transfer mechanism 6D. The transfer mechanism 6D can transfer wafers W to and from each module provided in the second upper processing block D32, including the SCPL and TRS modules described below.

[0041] Next, the second lower processing block D31 will be described. The second lower processing block D31 does not have a liquid processing module. The rear processing unit 50, including a heating module 54, is provided in the same manner as the other processing blocks D21, D22, and D32. The heating module 54 in the second lower processing block D31, together with the heating module 54 in the first lower processing block D21, heats the underlying film in stages to harden the underlying film. The main transport mechanism in the second lower processing block D31 is a transport mechanism 6C. The transport mechanism 6C delivers wafers W to and from each module provided in the second lower processing block D31, including the SCPL and TRS modules described below.

[0042] Incidentally, the left side of each liquid treatment module in each of the first lower processing block D21, first upper processing block D22, second lower processing block D31, and second upper processing block D32 described above is configured as an auxiliary equipment installation area 91 for the liquid treatment module. This auxiliary equipment installation area 91 is located forward of the transfer area 53 of each processing block D21, D22, D31, and D32, and is provided from the bottom of the lower processing block G1 to the top of the upper processing block G2. Therefore, each of the first processing block D2 and the second processing block D3 is provided with an auxiliary equipment installation area 91, and the vertical side view of Figure 6 shows the auxiliary equipment installation area 91 in the second processing block D3. In the auxiliary equipment installation area 91 of the first processing block D2 and the auxiliary equipment installation area 91 of the second processing block D3, exhaust channels, drainage channels, power supply cables, etc. connected to the liquid treatment modules in each processing block are installed.

[0043] The left side of rear processing unit 50 and rear side of transport area 53 in each of processing blocks D21, D22, D31, and D32 is configured as an ancillary equipment installation area 92. Thus, like ancillary equipment installation area 91, ancillary equipment installation area 92 is also provided in each of first processing block D2 and second processing block D3, and extends from the bottom of lower processing block G1 to the top of upper processing block G2. The upper side of ancillary equipment installation area 92 forms an area where various electrical equipment (electrical devices) for operating each processing module in the processing block in which the ancillary equipment installation area 92 is provided is installed. The lower side of ancillary equipment installation area 92 forms an installation area for liquid processing bottles, similar to support base 12 of carrier block D1, and coating liquid is supplied from the bottles to each liquid processing module in the processing block in which the ancillary equipment installation area 92 is provided.

[0044] The layouts of the liquid treatment modules, rear processing section 50, and ancillary equipment installation areas 91 and 92 are the same among the processing blocks D21, D22, D31, and D32, except that there are no liquid treatment modules in the second lower processing block D31. As shown in Figures 3 and 6, SCPL3 and SCPL4 are provided in the upper left corner of the transfer area 53 of the second upper processing block D32. SCPL2 is provided in the lower left corner of the transfer area 53 of the second lower processing block D31.

[0045] TRS11 and TRS12 are provided between SPCL2 and SCPL3 and SCPL4, with TRS11, the first substrate platform, located in second lower processing block D31, and TRS12, the second substrate platform, located in second upper processing block D32. In plan view, SCPL2 to SCPL4, TRS11, and TRS12 are stacked on top of each other to form a stack, and this stack is located between ancillary equipment installation areas 91 and 92 from the front and back.

[0046] An elevator transfer mechanism 7 for transporting wafers W from TRS11 to TRS12, i.e., from second lower processing block D31 to second upper processing block D32, is provided on the front side of the ancillary equipment installation area 92. The elevator transfer mechanism 7 will be described below with reference to the side view of FIG. 7 and the plan view of FIG. 8. The elevator transfer mechanism 7 includes, for example, two support columns 72, a rotating shaft 73, a support portion 74, and a rotating mechanism 75. The two support columns 72 are arranged side by side on the left and right in front of and close to the ancillary equipment installation area 92 (i.e., at the rear end of the transfer area 53), and each extends vertically.

[0047] A rotation shaft 73 extends horizontally, i.e., laterally, from one support column 72 to the other support column 72, and a rotation mechanism 75 is connected to one end of the rotation shaft 73. The rotation mechanism 75 is equipped with a motor or the like, and rotates the rotation shaft 73 around its axis. The other end of the rotation shaft 73 is connected to, for example, a bearing 76. The rotation mechanism 75 and the bearing 76 are each provided, for example, inside the support column 72, and the support column 72 is configured as an elevating mechanism that vertically raises and lowers both the rotation mechanism 75 and the bearing 76.

[0048] As shown by the solid line in Figure 7, a plate-shaped support portion 74 is formed to extend horizontally forward (either front or rear) from the rotation shaft 73. Therefore, the support portion 74 is provided to extend in a direction intersecting the axial direction of the rotation shaft 73. As it extends, the support portion 74 branches into two, forming a symmetrical fork shape. The forked tip of the support portion 74 is indicated as 77, and the base portion closer to the rotation shaft 73 than the tip portion 77 is indicated as 76. The upper surface of the support portion 74 forms a support surface 74A that faces and supports the lower surface (rear surface) of the wafer W.

[0049] If the orientation of the support portion 74 described above is referred to as a first orientation, in this first orientation, the support surface 74A is horizontal and the wafer W is supported horizontally. The rotation mechanism 75 rotates the support portion 74 around the rotation axis 73, and as shown by the dashed line in FIG. 7, the support portion 74 assumes a second orientation in which the tip side of the support portion 74 stands upward. Therefore, the base end side (the side of the rotation axis 73) of the support surface 74A is positioned below the tip side. In this manner, the orientation of the support portion 74 switches between the first orientation and the second orientation. When the support portion 74 is in this second orientation, the support surface 74A is inclined so that its tip side is positioned slightly forward of the base side. Therefore, the support surface 74A is inclined with respect to a vertical plane (shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. 7), and the inclination θ of the support surface 74A with respect to the vertical plane is, for example, 30° or less in order to transport the wafer W, as will be described later.

[0050] In the support surface 74A, suction holes 81 for sucking the peripheral edge of the backside of the wafer W are opened in each of the tip portions 77 and the base portion 76, so that the wafer W can be sucked and held on the support surface 74A even when the support portion 74 is in the second orientation described above. Each suction hole 81 is connected to a suction path 82 formed inside the support portion 74 as shown in FIG. 7 , and the downstream side of the suction path 82 is drawn to the outside of the support portion 74 and connected to a suction portion 83 that exhausts the suction path 82. Outside the support portion 74, a valve V82 is interposed in the suction path 82. Opening and closing the valve V82 switches between a suction state and a non-suction state from the suction hole 81. When the backside of the wafer W is supported by the support portion 74, the suction state is established, and the wafer W is sucked onto the support surface 74A.

[0051] Furthermore, a pressure detection unit 84 is provided in the suction path 82, and transmits a detection signal corresponding to the pressure in the suction path 82 to the control unit 10, which will be described later. Based on the detection signal, the control unit 10, which serves as a holding abnormality detection unit, determines whether or not there is an abnormality in the holding of the wafer W. More specifically, when the valve V82 is opened and the suction state is established as described above, if the wafer W is not supported properly, for example, by falling off the support member 74, the detected pressure will become relatively high due to the suction of gas through the suction holes 81. Therefore, the presence or absence of the above-described abnormality can be determined by comparing the detected pressure value with a preset threshold value.

[0052] Further, a fall prevention portion 85 is formed on the base portion 76 of the support portion 74. This fall prevention portion 85 is formed by raising an outer region of the support surface 74A of the support portion 74 relative to the support surface 74A, and when the support portion 74 is in the second orientation, the fall prevention portion 85 is located below the wafer W. Due to the provision of this fall prevention portion 85 and the fact that the support surface 74A is inclined with respect to the vertical plane when the support portion 74 is in the second orientation as described above, even if a problem occurs in suction through the suction holes 81, the wafer W is prevented from sliding toward the base end side of the support portion 74 and falling from the support portion 74 and being damaged.

[0053] The TRS11 and TRS12 for the above-mentioned lifting and transferring mechanism 7 will be further explained with reference to Fig. 8. These TRS11 and TRS12 are configured to fit into a recess surrounded by two tip portions 77 and a base portion 76 in a plan view when the support portion 74 of the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 is in the above-mentioned horizontal first orientation, and support the center of the wafer W. Note that Fig. 8 shows only TRS11 as a representative. With such a configuration, the TRS11 and TRS12 can transfer the wafer W to and from the support portion 74 that is lifted and lowered in the first orientation without interference.

[0054] Next, the transfer of the wafer W by the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 will be described step by step with reference to FIGS. 9 to 14. The support members 74, with their tips pointing upward, move from above the TRS 11 on which the wafer W is placed to below the TRS. Being in this second orientation, the support members 74 do not interfere with the wafer W (FIG. 9). The support members 74 then assume a horizontal first orientation (FIG. 10). Note that this change in orientation lowers the support members 74 to a position where they do not interfere with the wafer W. Next, the support members 74 are moved from below the TRS 11 on which the wafer W is placed to above it, and the wafer W is transferred from the TRS 11 to the support members 74 (FIG. 11).

[0055] Next, the support members 74 are set to the second orientation and moved above the TRS 12. Because they are in the second orientation at this time, the wafer W held by the support members 74 does not interfere with the TRS 12 (FIG. 12). Thereafter, the support members 74 are set to the first orientation (FIG. 13), and the support members 74 are moved from above the TRS 12 downward, and the wafer W is transferred from the support members 74 to the TRS 12. Thereafter, the support members 74 are set to the second orientation and moved downward (FIG. 14). Note that this change in orientation of the support members 74 lowers them to a position where they do not interfere with the wafer W placed on the TRS 12, and the change in orientation is performed above the TRS 11 so as not to interfere with the subsequent wafer W placed on the TRS 11. Note that the height position of the TRS 11 corresponds to the first position, and the height position of the TRS 12 corresponds to the second position.

[0056] 9 to 14, and sequentially transfers the wafers W transferred to the TRS 11 to the TRS 12. Note that the suction from the suction holes 81 of the support part 74 and the detection of the pressure in the suction path 82 are performed during the period from when the support part 74 receives the wafer W from the TRS 11 until when the support part 74 transfers the wafer W to the TRS 12.

[0057] The substrate processing apparatus 1 also includes a control unit 10 (see FIG. 1). The control unit 10 is configured by a computer and includes a program, a memory, and a CPU. The program incorporates steps that enable a series of operations in the substrate processing apparatus 1 to be performed. The control unit 10 detects whether or not there is an abnormality in the holding of the wafer W. The program causes the control unit 10 to output control signals to each component of the substrate processing apparatus 1, thereby controlling the operation of each component. Specifically, the control unit 10 controls the operations of the transfer mechanisms 6A-6D, the lifting and transferring mechanism 7, and each processing module. This allows the wafer W to be transferred and processed, as described below. The program also detects whether or not there is an abnormality in the holding based on the pressure in the suction path 82, as described above, and detects an abnormality based on an acquired image of the wafer W. The program is stored on a storage medium, such as a compact disc, hard disk, or DVD, and installed in the control unit 10.

[0058] Each processing module in the first lower processing block D21 (one left-hand processing block) and the second lower processing block D31 (one right-hand processing block) is a first processing module, and the chemical coating module 47 that forms the underlayer film (first coating film) is a first coating film forming module. The heating module 54 in the processing blocks D21 and D31 that heats the wafer W on which this underlayer film has been formed is a first heating module. The transfer mechanisms 6A and 6C in these processing blocks D21 and D31 are first transfer mechanisms, and the transfer area 53 in these processing blocks D21 and D31 is a first transfer area. Each processing module in the first upper processing block D22 (another right-hand processing block) and the second upper processing block D32 (another right-hand processing block) is a second processing module. The chemical coating module 48 and resist coating module 51 that form the intermediate film and resist film (second coating film) are second coating film forming modules, and the heating modules 54 of the processing blocks D22 and D32 that heat the wafers W on which the intermediate film and resist film have been formed are second heating modules. Also, the transfer mechanisms 6B and 6D of the processing blocks D22 and D32 are second transfer mechanisms, and the transfer area 53 of the processing blocks D22 and D32 is a second transfer area.

[0059] The first processing block D2 consists of a first lower processing block D21 and a first upper processing block D22, which are referred to as one set of processing blocks, and the second processing block D3 consists of a second lower processing block D31 and a second upper processing block D32, which are referred to as another set of processing blocks. As described above, the carrier block D1 is arranged along the row of these sets, and the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 is provided in the other set (the second lower processing block D31 and the second upper processing block D32) that is farther away from the carrier block D1. In the second lower processing block D31 and the second upper processing block D32, the transport area 53 is located forward of the position where the pivot shaft 73 of the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 is provided, and this transport area extends to the right (either left or right). Processing modules are provided along the direction of extension of this transport area.

[0060] Next, the processing and transport of wafers W in the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 15 , which shows an outline of the transport path. In FIG. 15 , the transport mechanisms used for the transport are indicated on or near some of the arrows representing the transport of wafers W between modules. First, the wafer W is removed from the carrier C placed on the moving stage 15 of the support table 12 by the transport mechanism 32. The wafer W is then transported to the pre-processing inspection module 41, where image data is acquired and the presence or absence of abnormalities is determined, and then the wafer W is transported to the TRS1. The wafer W is then transported by the transport mechanism 33 to the hydrophobization treatment module 30, where it is subjected to hydrophobization treatment, and then to the SCPL1. The wafer W is then loaded into the first lower processing block D21 by the transfer mechanism 6A, transported through the chemical solution coating module 47 and then the heating module 54, and after a lower layer film is formed on the wafer W, it is transported to the SPCL2 of the second lower processing block D31.

[0061] Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred by the transfer mechanism 6C to the heating module 54 in the second lower processing block D31, where it is subjected to heat processing, and then transferred to the TRS 11, and then transferred to the TRS 12 in the second upper processing block D32 by the lifting transfer mechanism 7 as described with reference to Figures 9 to 14. The wafer W is then transferred by the transfer mechanism 6D in the second upper processing block D32 in the order SCPL 3 → chemical liquid coating module 48 → heating module 54, and is then transferred to the SCPL 4 in a state where an intermediate film has been formed on the wafer W.

[0062] The wafer W is then loaded into the first upper processing block D22 by the transfer mechanism 6B, and transferred in the order of resist coating module 51 and heating module 54, and with a resist film formed thereon, is transferred to TRS3 of carrier block D1. Thereafter, the wafer W is transferred in the order of transfer mechanism 33, TRS2, and transfer mechanism 32, and stored in carrier C on moving stage 15 of support table 13.

[0063] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is provided with the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 for transferring the wafer W from the second lower processing block D31 to the second upper processing block D32. The support member 74 of the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 for holding the wafer W rotates so that its position can be switched between a horizontal first orientation and an upright second orientation. Suppose that instead of the lifting and transferring mechanism 7, a transfer mechanism (i.e., a transfer mechanism similar to the transfer mechanisms 6A-6D) is provided in which the wafer W holder is movable forward and backward relative to a base and the base is movable up and down to transfer the wafer W between TRS11 and TRS12. However, in this case, a lifting and transferring space for the transfer mechanism must be provided in front of or behind TRS11 and TRS12, and the front-to-back width of the lifting and transferring space is equivalent to the front-to-back width of the transfer mechanism. Therefore, in order to secure the lifting space, the rear processing unit 50 and the ancillary equipment installation area 92 or the chemical solution coating module 48 and the ancillary equipment installation area 91 are shifted to the right by the width of the lifting space from the previously described positions, which increases the left-right length of the second processing block D3 and increases the floor area (footprint) occupied by the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0064] However, because the lifting / transferring mechanism 7 has a pivoting support 74 as described above, the longitudinal width required to avoid interference with the wafers W placed on each TRS 11 is reduced, allowing the lifting / transferring mechanism 7 to be installed in the space at the front of the ancillary equipment installation area 92. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 reduces the lateral length of the second processing block D3 in which the lifting / transferring mechanism 7 is installed, thereby reducing the floor space occupied by the substrate processing apparatus 1. Furthermore, when installing the substrate processing apparatus 1 in a limited space, such a reduced floor space means that the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be installed in that space without reducing the number of processing modules installed in the substrate processing apparatus 1. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 also has the effect of ensuring a sufficient number of processing modules and preventing a decrease in throughput.

[0065] Furthermore, by providing the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 as a dedicated transfer mechanism between the lower processing block (one processing block) G1 and the upper processing block G2 (another processing block), the load on the transfer mechanisms 6A-6D of each processing block is reduced. Therefore, the transfer mechanisms 6A-6D can quickly transfer wafers W to and from the processing modules provided in each processing block, and from this perspective as well, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can achieve high throughput.

[0066] As described above, the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 is provided in the transport area 53 on the front side of the ancillary equipment installation area 92. In other words, it is provided so as to face an area where no processing modules are provided. Because of this arrangement, the provision of the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 does not reduce the number of processing modules installed, and therefore a reduction in throughput is more reliably prevented.

[0067] Furthermore, because the lifting / transferring mechanism 7 only performs lifting and rotating operations, the drive mechanism is simpler than when a transport mechanism having a configuration such as the transport mechanisms 6A to 6D is provided instead of the lifting / transferring mechanism 7, as described above. This allows for a reduction in the manufacturing cost of the device.

[0068] The second orientation is not limited to the tip of the support portion 74 facing upward, but may also be facing downward. However, if the tip of the support portion 74 is configured to face upward, even if a problem occurs in the suction through the suction hole 81, the wafer W will slide down toward the rear support column 72 and will be supported by the support column 72. This prevents the wafer W from falling to the floor of the processing block and being damaged. As described above, in this example, the provision of the fall prevention portion 85 more reliably prevents the wafer W from being damaged by falling.

[0069] Incidentally, when transferring wafers W from the second lower processing block D31 to the second upper processing block D32 as described above, a liquid processing module may also be provided in the second lower processing block D31, and wafers W may be transferred to the second upper processing block D32 after processing in the liquid processing module. Alternatively, a heating module 54 may be provided in only one of the first lower processing block D21 and the second lower processing block D31. In this case, after a lower layer film is formed in the chemical liquid coating module 47 of the first lower processing block D21, processing may be performed only once in the heating module 54, and wafers W may be transferred to the upper processing block G2 by the lifting and transferring mechanism 7. Furthermore, when the heating module 54 is provided only in the first lower processing block D21, the area in the second lower processing block D31 where the heating module 54 is provided may be used as an area for installing auxiliary equipment.

[0070] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus may be configured so that each module described as being provided in the lower processing block G1 is provided in the upper processing block G2 and the lower processing block G1, respectively. That is, in this substrate processing apparatus, wafers W are transported through the upper processing block G2 as an outward route and through the lower processing block G1 as a return route, and the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 transfers the wafer W from TRS12 to TRS11. Therefore, the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 may be configured to transfer wafers W from above to below. The module to which the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 transfers wafers W is not limited to a TRS, and may be configured to transfer wafers W to, for example, an SCPL. Furthermore, the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 is not limited to being configured to transfer wafers W to a module, and may transfer wafers W directly to, for example, transfer mechanisms 6B and 6D. However, if such a transfer is performed, it is considered that the transfer mechanisms 6B and 6D will have to wait for a long time without being able to transfer the wafer W, so as already mentioned, it is preferable that the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 performs the transfer to the module.

[0071] The substrate processing apparatus 8 may also be configured to include only the first processing block D2, without including the second processing block D3. A substrate processing apparatus 8 configured in this manner will be described with reference to the plan view of FIG. 16 and the front view of FIG. 17. In this substrate processing apparatus 8, the first processing block D2 forms an anti-reflective coating and a resist film in this order on the wafers W, and the chemical coating module 48 in the first lower processing block D21 supplies the wafers W with a chemical liquid for forming an anti-reflective coating, instead of a chemical liquid for forming an underlayer film.

[0072] In this substrate processing apparatus 8, the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 and the TRS11 and TRS12 are located to the right of the rear processing section 50 so as not to interfere with the transfer of wafers W between the module stack T1 and the transfer mechanisms 6A and 6B. In accordance with this arrangement, incidental equipment installation areas 91 and 92 are also provided at the right end of the first processing block D2.

[0073] In this substrate processing apparatus 8, similar to the substrate processing apparatus 1, a wafer W is transferred from the carrier block D1 to the first lower processing block D21 via the SCPL 1 of the module stack T1, and then transferred through the chemical coating module 48 and the heating module 54, in that order, to form an anti-reflection coating. The wafer W is then transferred to the first upper processing block D22 via the TRS 11, the lifting and transferring mechanism 7, and the TRS 12, in that order, to the SCPL located at the height of the first upper processing block D22 in the module stack T1, the resist coating module 51, and the heating module 54, in that order, to form a resist film. The wafer W is then returned from the carrier block D1 to the carrier C, similar to the substrate processing apparatus 1. Thus, the configuration of the apparatus is not limited to two processing blocks connected laterally. The positions of the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 and the TRS 11 and TRS 12 for the lifting and transferring mechanism 7 may be appropriately set depending on the configuration of the processing blocks.

[0074] The lifting and transferring mechanism 7 is not limited to the configuration in which the support part 74 extends forward from the pivot shaft 73 as in the example described above. As shown in Fig. 18, a configuration may be adopted in which a support pillar 72 is provided near the ancillary equipment installation area 91 on the front side of the transport area 53, a pivot shaft 73 extends in the left-right direction from the support pillar 72, and the support part 74 extends from the pivot shaft 73 toward the rear of the transport area 53. Furthermore, in the substrate processing apparatus 8 described in Fig. 17, a configuration may be adopted in which a support pillar 72 is provided at the right end of the transport area 53, a pivot shaft 73 extends from the support pillar 72 in the front-rear direction within the transport area 53, and the support part 74 extends from the pivot shaft 73 toward the left.

[0075] 9 to 14, the support portion 74 is shown as having a first orientation in a height region (first region) near the TRS 11 and a height region near the TRS 12, and as having a second orientation in a region between the first region and the second region. The support portion 74 may also be oriented in the first orientation in this intermediate region as long as it does not interfere with the transfer of the wafer W. That is, the support portion 74 does not necessarily have to be oriented in the second orientation while being raised and lowered between the TRS 11 and the TRS 12. Furthermore, if the inclination of the support surface 74A with respect to the horizontal plane in the second orientation is relatively small, the wafer W can be held by utilizing the frictional force between the support surface 74A and the back surface of the wafer W, even without providing the suction holes 81. Alternatively, the support portion 74 may be provided with a plurality of pressing mechanisms. Each pressing mechanism may be configured to press the wafer W from the outside of the wafer W toward the center of the wafer W, and the wafer W may be held by the support portion 74 by the action of each pressing mechanism. Therefore, the support portion 74 is not limited to a configuration in which the suction holes 81 are provided.

[0076] Although the first orientation of the support portion 74 has been described as being horizontal, it may be inclined relative to the horizontal plane as long as it can support the wafer W. Furthermore, although the configuration in which the wafer W is supported by contacting the upper surface of the plate-shaped support portion 74 has been described, a member for supporting the wafer W may be provided on the upper surface of the support portion 74, and this member may face and contact the lower surface of the wafer W to support the wafer W. In this case, the member forms the support surface for the wafer W.

[0077] The liquid processing performed by the apparatus is not limited to the above examples and may include the formation of a coating film other than the above-described coating film by applying a chemical liquid, the application of an adhesive to bond wafers W together, and a cleaning process in which a cleaning liquid is supplied to the front or back surface of the wafer W for cleaning. Other processes may also include a development process. For example, a post-exposure cleaning process may be performed in the lower processing block G1, followed by a development process in the upper processing block G2. The coating film may be, for example, an insulating film or a protective film laminated on a resist film. The rear processing unit 50 may also include processing modules other than a heating module. For example, an edge exposure module may be provided to expose the edge of the resist film, or an inspection module similar to the pre-processing inspection module 41 may be provided to inspect the surface of the wafer W after a film has been formed.

[0078] The arrangement of the carrier block D1 and the processing block may be reversed, and the layout of the components of each block may be reversed. The disclosed embodiments are illustrative in all respects and should not be considered limiting. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, modified, and combined in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0079] 7 Lifting and transferring mechanism 73 Rotating shaft 74 Support part 75 Rotating mechanism C Carrier D1 Carrier Block D2 First processing block D21 First lower processing block D22 First upper processing block D3 Second processing block D31 Second lower processing block D32 Second upper processing block E1~E8 layer W wafer 6A, 6B, 6C, 6D Conveyor mechanism

Claims

1. a processing block including a plurality of first processing modules each for processing a substrate, and a first transport mechanism shared by the plurality of first processing modules for transporting the substrate; a second processing block including a plurality of second processing modules each processing the substrate, and a second transport mechanism shared by the plurality of second processing modules and transporting the substrate, the second processing block overlapping the first processing block; an elevating and transferring mechanism comprising a shaft extending in a horizontal direction and a support portion having a support surface that faces and supports the substrate and that extends from the shaft in a direction intersecting the extension direction of the shaft, the elevating and transferring mechanism raising and lowering the shaft and the support portion between a first position for transferring the substrate to the first transport mechanism and a second position for transferring the substrate to the second transport mechanism; a rotation mechanism that rotates the support unit around the axis so that the orientation of the support unit changes between a first orientation for transferring the substrate at each of the first position and the second position, and a second orientation in which the inclination of the support surface with respect to a horizontal plane is greater than that of the first orientation for moving between the first position and the second position; Equipped with the one processing block includes a first substrate mounting part on which the substrate is mounted so as to transfer the substrate to the first transport mechanism; the other processing block includes a second substrate mounting portion on which the substrate is mounted for transferring the substrate to the second transport mechanism; the first position and the second position are positions where the substrate is transferred to the first substrate placement part and the second substrate placement part, respectively; the one processing block includes a first temperature adjustment module that is provided in an area that overlaps with the first substrate mounting part and the lifting and transferring mechanism in a plan view, and that adjusts a temperature of the substrate when the substrate is transported by the first transport mechanism; the other processing block includes a second temperature adjustment module that is provided in a region that overlaps with the second substrate mounting part and the lifting and transferring mechanism in a plan view, and that adjusts a temperature of the substrate when the substrate is transported by the second transport mechanism; A substrate processing apparatus, wherein the first temperature adjustment module is located below the first substrate mounting part, and the second temperature adjustment module is located above the second substrate mounting part.

2. ancillary equipment for the first processing module or the second processing module is provided; The support portion has a recessed shape in a plan view, the first substrate placement portion and the second substrate placement portion are fixed to a region that fits inside the recessed portion in a plan view, 2 . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the first substrate platform and the second substrate platform are provided at positions sandwiched between installation areas of two of the auxiliary equipment that overlap each other and are positioned in front and behind each other in a plan view.

3. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the second orientation is such that a base end side of the support surface, which is on the shaft side, is positioned lower than a tip end side and is tilted with respect to a vertical plane.

4. 4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein a base end side of the support portion relative to the support surface rises above the support surface, forming a fall prevention portion that prevents the substrate from falling from the base end side of the support surface.

5. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support surface has suction holes for holding the substrate by suction.

6. 6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 5, comprising: a suction path connected to the suction hole; a pressure detection unit that detects the pressure in the suction path; and a holding abnormality detection unit that detects whether or not there is an abnormality in holding the substrate based on the detected pressure.

7. The support portion extends from the shaft to one side, either forward or backward, a first transport region in which the substrate is transported by the first transport mechanism is located on one of the front and rear sides of the axis and extends on one of the left and right sides, and the plurality of first processing modules are provided along the extension direction of the first transport region; A substrate processing apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a second transport area in which the substrate is transported by the second transport mechanism is located on one side of the axis, either front or rear, and extends to one side of the axis, and the plurality of second processing modules are each arranged along the extension direction of the second transport area.

8. the one processing block is composed of a left processing block and a right processing block, each of which is equipped with the plurality of first processing modules and the first transport mechanism, and which are arranged laterally so as to be able to transfer the substrate between them; the other processing block is configured by another left processing block and another right processing block, each of which is equipped with the plurality of second processing modules and the second transport mechanism, and which are arranged left and right so as to be able to transfer the substrate between them; 8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one left processing block and another left processing block overlap each other, and one right processing block and another right processing block overlap each other.

9. the plurality of first processing modules include a first coating film forming module that supplies a coating liquid to the substrate to form a first coating film, and a first heating module that heats the substrate on which the first coating film has been formed; 9. A substrate processing apparatus as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the plurality of second processing modules comprise a second coating film forming module that supplies a coating liquid to the substrate to form a second coating film that is laminated on the first coating film, and a second heating module that heats the substrate on which the second coating film has been formed.

10. a processing block including a plurality of first processing modules each for processing a substrate, and a first transport mechanism shared by the plurality of first processing modules for transporting the substrate; a second processing block including a plurality of second processing modules each processing the substrate, and a second transport mechanism shared by the plurality of second processing modules and transporting the substrate, the second processing block overlapping the first processing block; a step of raising and lowering an elevation transfer mechanism including a shaft extending in a horizontal direction and a support portion having a support surface that faces and supports the substrate and that extends from the shaft in a direction intersecting with the extension direction of the shaft, between a first position for transferring the substrate to the first transport mechanism and a second position for transferring the substrate to the second transport mechanism; rotating the support portion around the axis by a rotation mechanism; changing the orientation of the support part between a first orientation for transferring the substrate at each of the first position and the second position, and a second orientation in which the inclination of the support surface with respect to a horizontal plane is larger than that of the first orientation for moving between the first position and the second position; placing the substrate on a first substrate rest portion provided in the one processing block for transferring the substrate to the first transport mechanism; placing the substrate on a second substrate rest portion provided in the other processing block for transferring the substrate to the second transport mechanism; Equipped with the first position and the second position are positions where the substrate is transferred to the first substrate placement part and the second substrate placement part, respectively; transporting the substrate by the first transport mechanism to a first temperature adjustment module provided in a region in the one processing block that overlaps with the first substrate mounting part and the lifting and transferring mechanism in a plan view, and adjusting a temperature of the substrate; and transporting the substrate by the second transport mechanism to a second temperature adjustment module provided in a region overlapping with the second substrate mounting part and the lifting and transferring mechanism in a plan view in the other processing block, thereby adjusting a temperature of the substrate, A substrate processing method, wherein the first temperature adjustment module is located below the first substrate mounting part, and the second temperature adjustment module is located above the second substrate mounting part.

11. Ancillary equipment for the first processing module or the second processing module is provided, The support portion has a recessed shape in a plan view, the first substrate placement portion and the second substrate placement portion are fixed to a region that fits inside the recessed portion in a plan view, The substrate processing method according to claim 10 , wherein the first substrate platform and the second substrate platform are provided in a position sandwiched between installation areas of two of the auxiliary equipment that overlap each other and are positioned in front and behind each other in a plan view.

Images