Substrate Processing Equipment

Abstract

To ensure that substrate transport in a vacuum section is carried out accurately.SOLUTION: Provided is a substrate processing device comprising: a vacuum transport module; a transport robot located inside of the vacuum transport module and having an end effector; two capacitive sensors arranged on the end effector; a load lock module connected to the vacuum transport module; a substrate processing module connected to the vacuum transport module; a substrate support unit located inside of the substrate processing module; and a control unit. The control unit is constituted so as to perform a step for receiving a substrate, a step for determining a difference between the notch position of the substrate and a reference notch position, and a step for placing the substrate on the substrate support unit in the substrate processing module while adjusting the rotation position.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus and a processing method for processing substrates. As an example of the apparatus configuration, it discloses that a transfer robot that places a substrate on an end effector and transfers the substrate is provided with a sensor that detects the position or orientation of a notch provided in the substrate, and aligns the substrate based on a signal from the sensor. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2015 / 147148A1 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The technology according to the present disclosure accurately transports substrates in a vacuum section. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure provides a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a vacuum transfer module; a transfer robot disposed within the vacuum transfer module and having an end effector; two capacitance sensors disposed on the end effector; a load lock module connected to the vacuum transfer module; a substrate processing module connected to the vacuum transfer module; a substrate support disposed within the substrate processing module; and a controller, wherein the controller is configured to perform the following steps: (a) receiving a substrate with the end effector in the load lock module; (b) determining a difference between a notch position of the substrate on the end effector and a reference notch position based on outputs from the two capacitance sensors; and (c) placing the substrate on the end effector on the substrate support in the substrate processing module while adjusting the rotational position of the substrate on the end effector based on the determined difference so that the notch position of the substrate on the end effector corresponds to the reference notch position. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present disclosure, substrates can be transported accurately in a vacuum section. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view illustrating a configuration example of a transfer arm according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a configuration example of an electrode according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of notches in a substrate according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement of notches in a substrate according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a system configuration of a capacitance sensor according to an embodiment. [Figure 7]FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a circuit configuration including a high-frequency oscillator and a C / V conversion circuit according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of notches and electrodes according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of notches in a substrate according to an embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of notches in a substrate according to an embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the arrangement of notches in a substrate according to an embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a graph showing an example of the relationship between rotation angle and capacitance. [Figure 13] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a configuration example of a substrate processing method according to an embodiment. [Figure 14] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a configuration example of a substrate processing method according to an embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example in which the capacitance value exceeds a threshold value. [Figure 16] 1 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a configuration of a zero point adjustment method according to an embodiment. [Figure 17] 10A and 10B are plan views showing other configuration examples of the shape of the signal electrode according to the embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 10 is a plan view showing a configuration example of a third electrode according to an embodiment; [Figure 19] 1 is a plan view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 20] 1 is a flowchart illustrating a configuration example of a substrate processing method according to an embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, a substrate processing module containing semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as "substrates") is placed in a vacuum (reduced pressure) state, and the substrates are subjected to various processing steps. These processing steps are performed using a substrate processing apparatus in which, for example, multiple substrate processing modules are arranged around a common transfer module.

[0009] The substrate processing apparatus includes an atmospheric section having an atmospheric module for performing a desired process on a substrate in an atmospheric atmosphere, and a reduced-pressure section (vacuum section) having a vacuum (reduced-pressure) module for processing the substrate in a vacuum (reduced-pressure) atmosphere. The atmospheric section and the vacuum section (reduced-pressure section) are connected together via a load lock module configured so that the interior can be switched between the atmospheric atmosphere and the vacuum (reduced-pressure) atmosphere.

[0010] Furthermore, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, the substrate processing apparatus includes a vacuum transfer robot that transfers substrates between the load lock module and each substrate processing module in a transfer module provided in the vacuum section. The vacuum transfer robot includes an end effector on which the substrate is placed during transfer.

[0011] In a conventional substrate processing apparatus, the substrate is adjusted for notch orientation in an orienter module provided in the atmospheric section, and then transferred to a load lock module by an atmospheric transfer robot, and then transferred from the load lock module to a substrate support in a substrate processing module by a vacuum transfer robot.

[0012] Patent Document 1 discloses that a sensor provided on an end effector detects deviations in the center position and notch orientation and corrects the operation of the transfer robot.

[0013] The technology according to the present disclosure detects rotational misalignment and determines the rotation angle, and also corrects the operation of the transfer robot based on the amount of rotational misalignment, enabling accurate substrate transfer.

[0014] Hereinafter, the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. In this specification, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0015] <Configuration of the substrate processing apparatus> First, an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus will be described. FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to one embodiment. In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a plasma processing module for performing plasma processing such as etching, film formation, or diffusion on a substrate W. The plasma processing module is an example of a substrate processing module. Below, a case will be described in which the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes multiple substrate processing modules. However, the module configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be selected as desired depending on the purpose of the substrate processing.

[0016] 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 has a configuration in which an atmospheric section 10 and a decompression section 11 are integrally connected via a load lock module 20. The atmospheric section 10 includes an atmospheric module that performs a desired process on a substrate W in an atmospheric atmosphere. The decompression section 11 includes a decompression module that performs a desired process on a substrate W in a decompression atmosphere.

[0017] The load lock module 20 has a plurality of substrate transfer chambers 21a and 21b, for example, two in this embodiment, along the width direction (X-axis direction) of a loader module 30 (to be described later) and a vacuum transfer module 50 (to be described later).

[0018] The substrate transfer chambers 21a, 21b (hereinafter, these may be collectively referred to simply as "substrate transfer chamber 21") are provided to communicate with the internal space of a loader module 30 (described later) in the atmospheric section 10 and the internal space of a vacuum transfer module 50 (described later) in the decompression section 11 via substrate transfer ports 22, 23. The substrate transfer ports 22, 23 are configured to be freely opened and closed by gate valves 24, 25, respectively. The substrate transfer chamber 21 is provided with a stocker (not shown) that temporarily holds substrates W being transferred between the loader module 30 and the vacuum transfer module 50.

[0019] The substrate transfer chamber 21 is configured to temporarily hold a substrate W. The substrate transfer chamber 21 is also configured so that its interior can be switched between an atmospheric atmosphere and a reduced pressure atmosphere (vacuum state). That is, the load lock module 20 is configured so that the substrate W can be appropriately transferred between the atmospheric section 10, which has an atmospheric atmosphere, and the reduced pressure section 11, which has a reduced pressure atmosphere.

[0020] The atmospheric section 10 has a loader module 30 equipped with an atmospheric section transfer robot 40, which will be described later, and a load port 32 on which a FOUP 31 capable of storing a plurality of substrates W is placed. The loader module 30 is provided with an orienter module 33 that adjusts the notch position (horizontal orientation) of the substrate W. As an example, the orienter module 33 detects the notch of the substrate W loaded therein, and adjusts the notch position by rotating the substrate W so that the notch is at the desired notch position.

[0021] In addition to the above, a storage module (not shown) for storing a plurality of substrates W may be provided adjacent to the storage module.

[0022] The loader module 30 is made up of a rectangular housing, and the interior of the housing is maintained at atmospheric pressure. On one side of the loader module 30 that forms the front (the long side on the Y-axis negative side in FIG. 1), a plurality of load ports 32, for example, five load ports 32, are arranged side by side. On the other side of the loader module 30 that forms the back (the long side on the Y-axis positive side in FIG. 1), the substrate transfer chambers 21a and 21b of the load lock module 20 are arranged side by side.

[0023] An atmospheric transfer robot 40 that transfers a substrate W is provided inside the loader module 30. The atmospheric transfer robot 40 has a transfer arm 41 that holds and moves the substrate W, a turntable 42 that rotatably supports the transfer arm 41, and a rotary table 43 on which the turntable 42 is mounted. Also provided inside the loader module 30 is a guide rail 44 that extends in the longitudinal direction of the loader module 30 (the X-axis direction in FIG. 1). The rotary table 43 is mounted on the guide rail 44, and the atmospheric transfer robot 40 is configured to be movable along the guide rail 44. The atmospheric transfer robot 40 receives the substrate W that has been adjusted in the orienter module 33 so that its notch orientation is at a reference notch position, and delivers it to the load lock module 20 via the internal space of the loader module 30.

[0024] The decompression section 11 has a vacuum transfer module 50 configured to transfer a substrate W in a vacuum environment, and a substrate processing module 70 that performs a desired process on the substrate W transferred from the vacuum transfer module 50. The interiors of the vacuum transfer module 50 and the substrate processing module 70 are each configured to be able to maintain a reduced pressure (vacuum) atmosphere. In this embodiment, a plurality of, for example, six substrate processing modules 70 are connected to one vacuum transfer module 50. Note that the number and arrangement of the substrate processing modules 70 are not limited to this embodiment and can be set as desired.

[0025] The vacuum transfer module 50 is connected to the load lock module 20. In one embodiment, the vacuum transfer module 50 has a vacuum transfer space 50s and an opening. The opening is in communication with the vacuum transfer space 50s and forms a connection portion with each module. In the vacuum transfer module 50, the substrate W is transferred between each module via the vacuum transfer space 50s. As an example, the substrate W loaded into the substrate transfer chamber 21a of the load lock module 20 is transferred to one substrate processing module 70 via the vacuum transfer space 50s. The substrate W is then subjected to a desired process in the substrate processing module 70. The substrate W is then transferred to the substrate transfer chamber 21b of the load lock module 20 via the vacuum transfer space 50s and transferred to the atmospheric section 10.

[0026] The vacuum transfer space 50s is provided with a vacuum transfer robot 80 configured to transfer a substrate W. In one embodiment, the vacuum transfer robot 80 includes an end effector 102 (described later) that holds the substrate W, a transfer arm 81 that moves the end effector 102, a rotary table 82 that rotatably supports the transfer arm 81, and a rotary table 83 on which the rotary table 82 is mounted. In one embodiment, the rotary table 83 is fixed to a central portion of the vacuum transfer module 50. In one embodiment, the vacuum transfer robot 80 is configured to transfer a substrate between the vacuum transfer space 50s and the load lock module 20 via gate valves 24 and 25. In another embodiment, the vacuum transfer robot 80 is configured to transfer a substrate between the vacuum transfer space 50s and the substrate processing space of the substrate processing module 70 via a gate valve 71.

[0027] The substrate processing module 70 communicates with the vacuum transfer module 50 via a substrate transfer port 51 formed in the sidewall of the vacuum transfer module 50, and the substrate transfer port 51 is configured to be freely opened and closed using a gate valve 71. As the substrate processing module 70, a module that performs processing according to the purpose of substrate processing can be selected as desired.

[0028] The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control unit 90 as shown in FIG. 1. The control unit 90 processes computer-executable instructions that cause the plasma processing apparatus 1 to perform various processes described herein, such as transporting and processing a substrate W. The control unit 90 may be configured to control each element of the plasma processing apparatus 1 to perform the various processes described herein. In one embodiment, part or all of the control unit 90 may be included in the plasma processing apparatus 1. The control unit 90 may include a processing unit, a storage unit, and a communication interface. The control unit 90 is implemented, for example, by a computer. The processing unit may be configured to read a program from the storage unit and execute the read program to perform various control operations. The program may be stored in the storage unit in advance or may be acquired via a medium when needed. The acquired program is stored in the storage unit and read from the storage unit by the processing unit for execution. The medium may be various computer-readable storage media H or a communication line connected to the communication interface. The processing unit may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit may include a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof. The communication interface may communicate with the substrate processing apparatus 1, 200 via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0029] <End effector> Next, the detailed configuration of the end effector 102 in the vacuum transfer robot 80 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a plan view that schematically shows the outline of the configuration of the end effector 102 according to this embodiment.

[0030] In Figure 2, the transport arm 81 includes an arm housing 100, and an end effector 102 is connected to the arm housing 100 at the tip of the transport arm 81. A fork is one example of the end effector 102. The end effector 102 is provided with a substrate placement portion 103 on which the substrate W is fixed and placed by a desired substrate fixing means (not shown). In Figure 2, an example of the substrate W placed on the substrate placement portion 103 is indicated by a dotted circle. A reference notch position 104 is defined on the substrate placement portion, at which the notch NC of the substrate W will be located when the substrate W is placed thereon.

[0031] When the vacuum transfer robot 80 receives the substrate W temporarily held in the stocker of the substrate transfer chamber 21, the operation of the vacuum transfer robot 80 is controlled so that the notch NC of the substrate W is positioned at the reference notch position 104. Details of this control will be described later.

[0032] The vacuum transfer robot 80 includes a notch position detection unit. The notch position detection unit includes two capacitance sensors 111a and 111b, a sensor substrate 112, and a coaxial cable 113 provided between one of the electrodes and the sensor substrate 112.

[0033] The first capacitance sensor 111a and the second capacitance sensor 111b are each provided adjacent to the reference notch position 104 and symmetrically arranged with respect to the reference notch position 104 (in the example of FIG. 2, they are line-symmetrical with respect to a line parallel to the X-axis that passes through the reference notch position 104). In the following description, when describing a common configuration, the two capacitance sensors may be simply referred to as capacitance sensor 111 without distinction. The same applies when describing the common configuration of each component included in capacitance sensor 111.

[0034] Fig. 3 is a plan view schematically illustrating details of an exemplary configuration of the capacitance sensor 111 shown in Fig. 2. In Fig. 3, the first capacitance sensor 111a includes a first signal electrode 120a, a first guard electrode 121a, and a first ground electrode 122a. The second capacitance sensor 111b includes a second signal electrode 120b, a second guard electrode 121b, and a second ground electrode 122b. The first signal electrode 120a and the second signal electrode 120b, the first guard electrode 121a and the second guard electrode 121b, and the first ground electrode 122a and the second ground electrode 122b are each arranged symmetrically with respect to a line parallel to the X-axis that passes through the center of the reference notch position 104 (for example, the position of the center of gravity of the triangle indicating the reference notch position 104 in Fig. 3).

[0035] 3 , the guard electrode 121 surrounds the outside of three sides of the signal electrode 120 in a plan view, excluding the side facing the reference notch position 104. The ground electrode 122 surrounds the outside of the guard electrode 121 in a plan view. Hereinafter, the side of the first signal electrode 120a facing the reference notch position 104 will be referred to as the left electrode side 123, and the side of the second signal electrode 120b facing the reference notch position 104 will be referred to as the right electrode side 124. The left electrode side 123 of the first signal electrode 120a extends along the left side of the reference notch position 104, and the right electrode side 124 of the second signal electrode 120b extends along the right side of the reference notch position 104.

[0036] The signal electrode 120 is electrically shielded from the outside in the circumferential direction of the capacitance sensor 111 by the guard electrode 121 and the ground electrode 122. Therefore, with this notch position detection unit, it is possible to measure capacitance with high directivity in the direction in which the signal electrode 120 and the substrate W face each other (for example, the positive direction of the Z axis in FIG. 3).

[0037] The shape and size of the signal electrode 120 are determined to match the shape and size of the notch NC of the substrate W. Such shape and size will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a plan view showing an example of an arrangement in which the notch NC of the substrate W is aligned with the reference notch position 104. The thick line in FIG. 4 indicates the peripheral portion PN of the substrate W, which includes the notch NC. For ease of viewing, the guard electrode 121 and the ground electrode 122 are indicated by dotted lines. The portion of the substrate W excluding the notch NC completely covers the upper surface of the signal electrode 120. On the other hand, the signal electrode 120 is not provided in the portion where the notch NC is aligned at the reference notch position 104. Furthermore, the straight portion of the peripheral portion PN of the substrate W that forms the notch NC contacts the left electrode edge 123 of the first signal electrode 120a and the right electrode edge 124 of the second signal electrode 120b, respectively.

[0039] 5 is a plan view showing an example of the arrangement when the notch NC of the substrate W is positioned offset from the reference notch position 104. The size, shape, and arrangement of the signal electrode 120 are such that it can completely cover the notch NC of the substrate W when the notch NC is positioned offset from the reference notch position 104, and does not overlap with the notch NC when the notch NC is at the reference notch position.

[0040] 6 is an explanatory diagram showing the system configuration of the notch position detection unit in the vacuum transfer robot 80. As described above, the capacitance sensor 111 is connected to the sensor board 112 by the coaxial cable 113. The sensor board 112 includes a high-frequency oscillator 140, a C / V conversion circuit 141, an A / D converter 142, a calculation unit 143, and a communication unit 144.

[0041] 6, the coaxial cable 113 includes wires 130 to 132. One end of the wire 130 is connected to the signal electrode 120. The other end of the wire 130 is connected to an input terminal of a C / V conversion circuit 141 (described later) provided on the sensor substrate 112. One end of the wire 131 is connected to the guard electrode 121. The other end of the wire 131 is connected to an input terminal of a C / V conversion circuit 141 (described later) provided on the sensor substrate 112. One end of the wire 132 is connected to the ground electrode 122. The other end of the wire 132 is connected to a ground potential line GL connected to the ground GC of the sensor substrate 112. The other end of the wire 132 may be connected to the ground potential line GL via a switch (not shown).

[0042] The high-frequency oscillator 140 is connected to a power source (not shown), such as a battery or an external power source, and is configured to receive power from the power source and generate a high-frequency signal. The power source is also connected to the calculation unit 143 and the communication unit 144. The high-frequency oscillator 140 has a plurality of output lines 150. The high-frequency oscillator 140 is configured to supply the generated high-frequency signals to the wiring 130 and the wiring 131 via the plurality of output lines 150. Therefore, the high-frequency oscillator 140 is electrically connected to the signal electrode 120 and the guard electrode 121 of the notch position detection unit, and the high-frequency signal from the high-frequency oscillator 140 is configured to be provided to the signal electrode 120 and the guard electrode 121.

[0043] The C / V conversion circuit 141 converts the capacitance value between the substrate W and the signal electrode 120 into a voltage value. The specific circuit configuration will be described later.

[0044] The output of C / V conversion circuit 141 is connected to the input of A / D converter 142. In addition, A / D converter 142 is connected to calculation unit 143. A / D converter 142 is controlled by a control signal from calculation unit 143, converts the output signal (voltage signal) of C / V conversion circuit 141 into a digital value, and outputs it to calculation unit 143 as a detection value.

[0045] The calculation unit 143 controls the supply of a high-frequency signal from the high-frequency oscillator 140 to the signal electrode 120 and the guard electrode 121. Specifically, as will be described later, the calculation unit 143 controls a variable resistor 160 or a variable capacitor 161 provided on the output line 150 to adjust the amplitude and phase of the high-frequency signal. The calculation unit 143 also controls the power supply from the power source described above to each component.

[0046] Furthermore, the calculation unit 143 acquires measurement values ​​of the first capacitance sensor 111a and the second capacitance sensor 111b based on the detection values ​​input from the A / D converter 142. In one embodiment, for the output from either the first capacitance sensor 111a or the second capacitance sensor 111b, if the detection value output from the A / D converter 142 is X, the calculation unit 143 acquires measurement values ​​based on the detection values ​​so that the measurement values ​​are proportional to (a·X+b). Here, a and b are constants that change depending on the circuit state, etc. The calculation unit 143 may, for example, be provided with information on a predetermined arithmetic expression (function) that makes the measurement values ​​proportional to (a·X+b) and acquire the measurement values ​​based on the function.

[0047] The calculation unit 143 acquires measurement values ​​for each of the first capacitance sensor 111a and the second capacitance sensor 111b, as will be described in detail later. In one embodiment, the calculation unit 143 acquires capacitance values ​​at the respective electrodes from the first capacitance sensor 111a and the second capacitance sensor 111b, and compares the capacitance values. If the absolute value of the difference between the capacitance values ​​exceeds a threshold, the calculation unit 143 determines that a rotational misalignment has occurred, and outputs a determination signal to the communication unit 144. In one embodiment, the calculation unit 143 calculates a rotation angle based on the capacitance values, and outputs the calculated rotation angle signal to the communication unit 144. The relationship between the measurement values ​​and the rotational misalignment of the substrate W in the calculation unit 143, and the method for determining the rotational misalignment or calculating the angle will be described later. The calculation unit 143 may also include a storage unit (not shown) that stores the acquired capacitance values, determination results, rotation angle values, etc.

[0048] The communication unit 144 transmits the determination signal or the rotation angle signal output from the calculation unit 143 to an external device, for example, the control unit 90.

[0049] 7 is an explanatory diagram showing details of a circuit configuration including a high-frequency oscillator 140 and a C / V conversion circuit 141 in one embodiment. In Fig. 7, in one embodiment, a first output line 150a from the high-frequency oscillator 140 is connected to wiring 131. In addition, a second output line 150b and a third output line 150c are connected to wiring 130. The first output line 150a may be provided with a desired resistance.

[0050] The second output line 150b includes a variable resistor 160, and the third output line 150c includes a variable capacitor 161. The variable resistor 160 and the variable capacitor 161 may be known ones whose resistance and capacitance can be controlled by the calculation unit 143.

[0051] Wiring 130 is connected to the inverting input terminal (-) of operational amplifier 162, and wiring 131 is connected to the non-inverting input terminal (+). In addition, a feedback resistor 163 is connected between the output terminal and the inverting input terminal (-) of operational amplifier 162, and negative feedback is applied to operational amplifier 162.

[0052] In addition to the above, the system configuration of the notch position detector may be applied by referring to or modifying the system configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-68582. Also, the circuit configuration including the high-frequency oscillator 140 and the C / V conversion circuit 141 may be applied by referring to or modifying the circuit configuration disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 3302377.

[0053] <How to calculate capacitance value> According to the substrate processing apparatus 1 having the above configuration, the capacitance values ​​of the first capacitance sensor 111a and the second capacitance sensor 111b can be calculated. A specific method for obtaining the capacitance values ​​of the electrodes will be described below with reference to the drawings.

[0054] FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing a plan view of the notch NC of the substrate W, the first signal electrode 120a, and the second signal electrode 120b. For the sake of convenience of explanation, in the example of FIG. 8, the notch NC is regarded as a right-angled isosceles triangle with a schematic area of 1 (hypotenuse length of 2). Also, the illustration of the guard electrode 121 and the ground electrode 122 is omitted. Hereinafter, the isosceles triangle schematically showing the notch NC is simply referred to as the notch NC, and the hypotenuse of the isosceles triangle is referred to as the notch outer peripheral portion NP. Also, each of the first signal electrode 120a and the second signal electrode 120b is regarded as a parallelogram with an area S0 whose diagonal angles are 135° and 45°, the long side length is 2 or more, and the short side length is √(2) or more. Also, each of the first signal electrode 120a and the second signal electrode 120b is arranged so as to sandwich the reference notch position 104 as shown in FIG. 8.

[0055] FIGS. 9 to 11 are explanatory diagrams showing an example of rotational deviation when the notch NC moves to the side of the first signal electrode 120a. In the following figures, let the area of the notch NC not facing the electrode be S1, and the area of the notch NC facing the electrode be S2. Also, let the moving distance of the notch NC outer peripheral portion when the notch NC moves due to rotational deviation be t. Also, let the distance between the substrate W and the first signal electrode 120a or the second signal electrode 120b be d.

[0056] In FIG. 9, the first signal electrode 120a and the second signal electrode 120b are in a state where the notch NC does not overlap and the substrate W overlaps over the entire surface, and it is when t = 0. At this time, S1 = 1 and S2 = 0.

[0057] In FIG. 10, the notch NC is moving to the side of the first signal electrode 120a due to the rotational deviation of the substrate W, and the moving distance t of the notch NC outer peripheral portion is in the range of 0 < t < 2. At this time, since the area of the notch NC is 1, the area S2 of the notch NC facing the electrode is expressed by the following formula (1). S2 = 1 - S1 = 1 - (1 - t + 1 / 4t 2 [[ID=1']] 2 ··· (1)

[0058] Note: There seems to be an error in the original text where "1 / 4t" in line should probably be something like "1 / 4t²" or some other correct mathematical expression for the formula to be meaningful. The translation is done based on the provided text as is. In FIG. 11, it is a state where the notch NC completely overlaps the first signal electrode 120a due to the rotational displacement of the substrate W, and it is when t ≧ 2. At this time, S1 = 0 and S2 = 1.

[0059] Here, in FIG. 9, if the capacitance between the substrate W and the first signal electrode 120a or the second signal electrode 120b is C0, C0 is expressed by the following formula (2). However, ε0 is the permittivity of vacuum. C0 = ε0×(S0 / d) ··· (2)

[0060] In the states of FIGS. 9 to 11 where the notch NC is moving to the side of the first signal electrode 120a, the substrate W completely overlaps the entire surface of the second signal electrode 120b. Therefore, for the capacitance C2 between the substrate W and the second signal electrode 120b, C2 = C0 holds.

[0061] In the state of FIG. 10 where the length t is in the range of 0 < t < 2, the capacitance C1 between the substrate W and the first signal electrode 120a is expressed by the following formula (3). C1 = C0 - ε0×(S2 / d) Substituting formula (1) into this and arranging, C1 = C0 - ε0 / d×(t - 1 / 4t 2 ) ··· (3)

[0062] FIG. 12 is a graph showing the relationship between the rotation angle θ in the rotational displacement derived based on the above formula (3) and the capacitance C1 between the substrate W and the first signal electrode 120a. Note that when the moving distance of the outer peripheral portion of the notch NC is t = 0, the rotation angle is θ = 0, and in the range of t > 0, the rotation angle can be obtained from the value of t and the diameter of the substrate W. For example, when the rotation angle at t = 2 is θ = θ1 and the diameter of the substrate W is 300, θ1 ≈ 0.76° can be approximately obtained.

[0063] 12, the capacitance C1 decreases almost uniformly in accordance with the relationship in equation (3) when the rotation angle θ is in the range of 0≦θ≦θ1. Note that in FIG. 12, when θ>θ1, after the notch NC completely overlaps the first signal electrode 120a, the area S2 of the notch NC facing the electrode does not change, and therefore the capacitance C1 does not change.

[0064] Although the above describes the case where the substrate W is rotated toward the first signal electrode 120a, the same applies when the substrate W is rotated toward the second electrode 120b in terms of the symmetry (axis symmetry) of the first signal electrode 120a and the second signal electrode 120b.

[0065] <First substrate processing method> According to the above-described method for calculating the capacitance value, by comparing the capacitance C1 that has decreased due to rotational misalignment with the unchanged capacitance C2 based on equation (3), it is possible to determine that rotational misalignment has occurred if the absolute value of the difference between the values ​​exceeds a threshold. A first substrate processing method MT1 that can be performed in conjunction with determining whether or not there is a rotational misalignment will now be described with reference to Fig. 13. Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an outline of the configuration of the first substrate processing method MT1.

[0066] In step ST1, the vacuum transfer robot 80 receives the substrate W from the load lock module 20 with the end effector.

[0067] In step ST2, the capacitance C1 and the capacitance C2 are obtained by the notch position detector.

[0068] In step ST3, the calculation unit 143 calculates the absolute value (|C1-C2|) of the difference between the capacitance C1 and the capacitance C2 acquired in step ST2, and compares it with a predetermined threshold value.

[0069] If the absolute value of the difference is greater than the threshold value in step ST3, it is determined that a rotational misalignment has occurred, and the process proceeds to step ST4. In step ST4, the determination signal output from the calculation unit 143 is transmitted from the communication unit 144 to the control unit 90.

[0070] In step ST5, the control unit 90 receives a determination signal indicating that rotational misalignment has occurred in step ST4, controls the substrate processing apparatus 1 to transport the substrate W to the orienter module 33, and readjusts the notch orientation of the substrate W. Thereafter, the substrate W may be transported again to the load lock module 20, and step ST1 and subsequent steps may be executed again. In other cases, the process ends.

[0071] If the absolute value of the difference is equal to or less than the threshold value in step ST3, the process proceeds to step ST6. In step ST6, it is determined that no rotational misalignment has occurred and the notch orientation of the substrate W is normal, and the substrate W is transported to the substrate processing module 70. The desired processing is performed in the substrate processing module 70, and then the process ends.

[0072] <Second substrate processing method> According to the above-described method for calculating the capacitance value, the rotation angle θ can be calculated from the capacitance C1 based on equation (3). A second substrate processing method MT2 that can be performed in conjunction with the calculation of the rotation angle will now be described with reference to Fig. 14. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing an outline of the configuration of the second substrate processing method MT2.

[0073] In step ST11, a first operation of the vacuum transfer robot 80 causes the end effector to receive the substrate W from the load lock module 20. The first operation is a predetermined control operation of the vacuum transfer robot 80, and is stored in or executed by the control unit 90.

[0074] In step ST12, the capacitance C1 and the capacitance C2 are obtained by the notch position detector.

[0075] In step ST13, the calculation unit 143 determines the rotation direction from the capacitances C1 and C2 acquired in step ST2, and calculates the rotation angle θ. Note that by comparing the capacitances C1 and C2, it can be determined that if the capacitance C1 is small, the rotation direction of the substrate W is toward the first signal electrode 120a, and if the capacitance C2 is small, the rotation direction of the substrate W is toward the second signal electrode 120b. After determining the rotation direction, the calculation unit 143 calculates the rotation angle θ from the capacitance C1 or the capacitance C2 based on the above formula (3). The calculation unit 143 outputs a rotation angle signal including information about the value of the rotation angle θ to the communication unit 144, and then outputs it to the control unit 90.

[0076] In step ST14, the calculation unit 143 outputs a rotation angle signal including information on the value of the rotation angle θ to the communication unit 144, and the communication unit 144 transmits the rotation angle signal to the control unit 90.

[0077] In step ST15, the control unit 90 corrects the predetermined second movement based on the rotation angle signal to determine the third movement.

[0078] In step ST15, the second operation is an operation of the vacuum transport robot 80 controlled by the control unit 90 following the first operation, and is an operation of transporting the substrate W from the load lock module 20 to the substrate processing module 70 when there is no rotational misalignment and the notch orientation of the substrate W is normal.

[0079] In step ST15, the third operation is an operation for transporting the substrate W so as not to cause rotational misalignment of the substrate W that would occur on the substrate support part in the substrate processing module 70 if the substrate W were transported to the substrate processing module 70 by the second operation without correction. When the second operation is corrected to the third operation, the notch NC position of the substrate W after correction is corrected to a position corresponding to the reference notch position 104 before correction. As an example of this correction, the horizontal rotation angle of the end effector 102 in the second operation is changed based on the rotation angle θ in the rotational misalignment.

[0080] In step ST16, the substrate W is transported to the substrate processing module 70 and placed on the substrate support by the third operation determined by correcting the second operation.

[0081] In one embodiment, the control unit 90 is configured to perform the following steps (a) to (c). (a) Receiving the substrate W by the end effector 102 in the load lock module 20 (b) determining the difference between the position of the notch NC of the substrate W on the end effector 102 and the reference notch position 104 based on the outputs from the two capacitance sensors 111a, 111b; (c) a step of placing the substrate W on the end effector 102 on a substrate support in the substrate processing module 70 while adjusting the rotational position of the substrate W on the end effector 102 based on the determined difference so that the position of the notch NC of the substrate W on the end effector 102 corresponds to (matches) the reference notch position 104.

[0082] The difference between the position of the notch NC of the substrate W on the end effector 102 and the reference notch position 104 is determined based on the rotation angle θ (ie, the amount of movement of the notch NC of the substrate W from the reference notch position 104).

[0083] According to the substrate processing method MT2 of the second embodiment having the above-described configuration, the rotation angle θ of the substrate W can be calculated even after the substrate W has been received by the vacuum transfer robot 80. Furthermore, by correcting the operation of the vacuum transfer robot 80, the substrate W can be transported so that the notch orientation of the substrate W is normal on the substrate support part of the substrate processing module 70.

[0084] <Zero point correction of capacitance sensor> Zero point correction of the notch position detection unit having the above configuration will be described below with reference to FIG. 15. The capacitance value detected by the notch position detection unit may change even when there is no detection target or when the detection target does not actually change. For this reason, it is preferable to perform zero point adjustment periodically. For example, as shown in FIG. 15, zero point adjustment is performed at time T1 when the value of capacitance C1 or C2 of the first capacitance sensor 111a or the second capacitance sensor 111b exceeds threshold value TH. Note that zero point adjustment is performed when no substrate W is placed on the end effector 102.

[0085] FIG. 16 is a flowchart showing an outline of the configuration of a method MT3 for adjusting the zero point of the notch position detector.

[0086] In step ST21, it is confirmed that the substrate W is not placed on the end effector 102. If it is placed on the end effector 102, the process is executed again after the substrate W is removed. If it is not placed on the end effector 102, the process proceeds to step ST22.

[0087] In step ST22, either the capacitance C1 of the first capacitance sensor 111a or the capacitance C2 of the second capacitance sensor 111b is compared with a predetermined threshold. If the comparison result shows that neither the capacitance C1 nor the capacitance C2 exceeds the threshold, the process ends. After completion, zero-point adjustment may be performed again after a desired period of time has elapsed. If the comparison result shows that either the capacitance C1 or the capacitance C2 exceeds the threshold, the process proceeds to step ST23.

[0088] In step ST23, the placement of a substrate on the end effector 102 is prohibited, and zero point adjustment is performed.

[0089] In step ST24, the placement of the substrate on the end effector 102 is permitted, and then the process ends.

[0090] In one embodiment, the zero-point adjustment includes controlling the variable resistor 160 and the variable capacitor 161 in the C / V conversion circuit 141 shown in FIG. 7 to synchronize the phase and amplitude of the radio frequency signal at the signal electrode 120 and the guard electrode 121. As described above, the radio frequency oscillator 140 supplies the radio frequency signal to the signal electrode 120 and the guard electrode 121. At this time, if the phase and amplitude of the radio frequency signal at the signal electrode 120 and the guard electrode 121 are misaligned, the output voltage at the output terminal of the operational amplifier 162 fluctuates over time. By controlling the variable resistor 160 and the variable capacitor 161 to synchronize the phase and amplitude of the radio frequency signal at the signal electrode 120 and the guard electrode 121, the output voltage at the output terminal of the operational amplifier 162 can be stabilized.

[0091] In the above embodiment, an example in which the shape of the signal electrode 120 is a parallelogram has been described, but the shape of the signal electrode 120 according to the present disclosure is not limited to this. Fig. 17 is a plan view schematically showing an example of another shape of the signal electrode 120.

[0092] 17, the first signal electrode 120a and the second signal electrode 120b are each trapezoidal and are arranged to be line-symmetrical with respect to the reference notch position 104. In this way, the above-described substrate processing methods MT1, MT2, etc. can be performed even if the angle tangent to the side opposite to the side facing the reference notch position 104 is changed to have a desired angle.

[0093] In the above embodiment, an example in which two capacitance sensors 111 are provided as the notch position detection unit has been described, but the number of capacitance sensors 111 is not limited to this. Fig. 18 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a third capacitance sensor 111c that the notch position detection unit further includes in addition to the first capacitance sensor 111a and the second capacitance sensor 111b.

[0094] 18, the third capacitance sensor 111c includes a third signal electrode 120c, a third guard electrode 121c surrounding the third signal electrode 120c, and a third ground electrode 122c surrounding the third guard electrode 121c. Similarly to the other capacitance sensors 111, the third capacitance sensor 111c is connected to the sensor substrate 112 by the respective wirings included in a third coaxial cable 113c. Unlike the first capacitance sensor 111a and the second capacitance sensor 111b, the third signal electrode 120c is entirely surrounded by the third guard electrode 121c. Therefore, the third capacitance sensor 111c can measure capacitance with even higher directivity in the direction in which the third signal electrode 120c faces the substrate W (for example, the positive direction of the Z axis in FIG. 18).

[0095] The third capacitance sensor 111c is provided so that the area of ​​the third signal electrode 120c is the same as the area of ​​the first signal electrode 120a and the area of ​​the second signal electrode 120b, and is provided at a position that always faces the substrate W when the substrate W is placed on the end effector 102.

[0096] According to the notch position detection unit including the third capacitance sensor 111c, when calculating the capacitance, the capacitance calculated by the third capacitance sensor 111c can be used as the capacitance C0 when the entire surface of the first signal electrode 120a or the second signal electrode 120b is covered by the substrate W. By using the capacitance of the third capacitance sensor 111c as the reference capacitance C0, the capacitances C1 and C2 can be calculated more accurately.

[0097] A substrate processing apparatus 200 according to one embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 19. The substrate processing apparatus 200 includes a first vacuum transfer module 50a and a second vacuum transfer module 50b, which are connected by a pass module 201. The first vacuum transfer module 50a and the second vacuum transfer module 50b each have the same configuration as the vacuum transfer module 50 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the example of FIG. 1, except for the pass module 201. That is, both the first vacuum transfer module 50a and the second vacuum transfer module 50b have a configuration capable of calculating the capacitance and performing the substrate processing methods MT1 and MT2. In one embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 200 or the pass module 201 has substantially the same configuration as the substrate processing apparatus 200 or the pass module described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2022-104056. The pass module 201 also includes substrate support units 202a and 202b (hereinafter sometimes simply referred to as the substrate support unit 202) that include a rotation mechanism therein. The substrate W placed on the substrate support members 202a and 202b can be rotated by a rotation mechanism and controlled to adjust the notch orientation.

[0098] The substrate processing apparatus 200 having the above-described configuration can perform the following substrate processing method MT4. Figure 20 is a flowchart showing an outline of the configuration of the substrate processing method MT4.

[0099] In step ST31, the first vacuum transfer robot 80a receives the substrate W from the load lock module 20 at the first end effector 102a of the first transfer arm 81a.

[0100] In step ST32, the capacitances C1 and C2 are obtained by the notch position detection unit in the first transport end effector 102a.

[0101] In step ST33, the calculation unit 143 determines the rotation direction from the capacitances C1 and C2 acquired in step ST32, and calculates the rotation angle θ. Note that by comparing the capacitances C1 and C2, it can be determined that if the capacitance C1 is small, the rotation direction of the substrate W is toward the first signal electrode 120a, and if the capacitance C2 is small, the rotation direction of the substrate W is toward the second signal electrode 120b. After determining the rotation direction, the calculation unit 143 calculates the rotation angle θ from the capacitance C1 or the capacitance C2 based on the above formula (3). The calculation unit 143 outputs a rotation angle signal including information about the value of the rotation angle θ to the communication unit 144, and then outputs it to the control unit 90.

[0102] In step ST34, the calculation unit 143 outputs a rotation angle signal including information on the value of the rotation angle θ to the communication unit 144, and the communication unit 144 transmits the rotation angle signal to the control unit 90.

[0103] In step ST35, the control unit 90 controls the first vacuum transfer robot 80a to transfer the substrate W to the substrate support unit 202a of the path module 201.

[0104] In step ST36, the control unit 90 controls the rotation mechanism of the substrate support unit 202a based on the rotation angle signal to rotate the notch NC of the substrate W to a position corresponding to the reference notch position 104. Then, the process ends.

[0105] After the substrate processing method is completed, the substrate W may be received again by the first vacuum transfer robot 80a and transferred to the substrate processing module 70 connected to the first vacuum transfer module 50a for desired processing. Alternatively, the substrate W may be received again by the second vacuum transfer robot 80b and transferred to the substrate processing module 70 connected to the second vacuum transfer module 50b for desired processing.

[0106] In one embodiment, the control unit 90 is configured to perform the following steps (a) to (e). (a) receiving the substrate W by the first end effector 102a in the load lock module 20; (b) determining the difference between the position of the notch NC of the substrate W on the first end effector 102a and the reference notch position 104 based on the outputs from the two capacitance sensors 111a, 111b; (c) A step of placing the substrate W on the first end effector 102a onto the substrate support portion 202 in the pass module 201. (d) a step of rotating the substrate W on the substrate support 202 in the pass module 201 based on the determined difference so that the position of the notch NC of the substrate W on the substrate support 202 in the pass module 201 corresponds to (matches) the reference notch position 104. (e) A step of receiving the substrate W on the substrate support 202 in the pass module 201 with the second end effector 102b.

[0107] The substrate W on the substrate support part 202 in the path module 201 is rotated by a rotation mechanism provided in the substrate support part 202 in the path module 201 .

[0108] According to the substrate processing method MT4 having the above configuration, the rotation angle θ of the substrate W can be calculated even after the substrate W has been received by the vacuum transfer robot 80. Furthermore, based on the calculated rotation angle θ, the substrate W can be rotated by a substrate support part provided in the pass module so that the notch orientation of the substrate W is normal.

[0109] In one embodiment, the control unit 90 is configured to perform the following steps (a) to (d). (a) receiving the substrate W by the first end effector 102a in the load lock module 20; (b) determining the difference between the position of the notch NC of the substrate W on the first end effector 102a and the reference notch position 104 based on the outputs from the two capacitance sensors 111a, 111b; (c) a step of placing the substrate W on the first end effector 102a on the substrate support 202 in the pass module 201 while adjusting the rotational position of the substrate W on the first end effector 102a based on the determined difference so that the position of the notch NC of the substrate W on the first end effector 102a corresponds to the reference notch position 104. (d) A step of receiving the substrate W on the substrate support 202 in the pass module 201 with the second end effector 102b.

[0110] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. For example, the components of the above-described embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Such an arbitrary combination naturally provides the functions and effects of each of the components involved in the combination, and also provides other functions and effects that are apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of this specification.

[0111] Furthermore, the effects described herein are merely descriptive or exemplary and are not limiting. In other words, the technology according to the present disclosure may achieve other effects that are apparent to those skilled in the art from the description of this specification, in addition to or in place of the above-described effects. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1. Substrate processing equipment 20 Load Lock Modules 50 Vacuum Transfer Module 70 Substrate Processing Module 80 Vacuum transport robot 81 Transfer arm 90 Control Unit 102 End Effector 104 Reference notch position 111 Capacitive Sensor 112 Sensor board W substrate NC Notch

Claims

1. a vacuum transfer module; a transfer robot disposed within the vacuum transfer module and having an end effector; two capacitance sensors disposed on the end effector; a load lock module connected to the vacuum transfer module; a substrate processing module connected to the vacuum transfer module; a substrate support disposed within the substrate processing module; a control unit, The control unit (a) receiving a substrate with the end effector in the load lock module; (b) determining a difference between a position of a notch of a substrate on the end effector and a reference notch position based on outputs from the two capacitance sensors; (c) placing the substrate on the end effector onto the substrate support in the substrate processing module while adjusting a rotational position of the substrate on the end effector based on the determined difference so that a position of the notch of the substrate on the end effector corresponds to the reference notch position; The substrate processing apparatus is configured to perform the above steps.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the two capacitance sensors are disposed on the end effector so as to surround the reference notch position on the end effector.

3. the two capacitance sensors include a first capacitance sensor and a second capacitance sensor; the first capacitance sensor is disposed to the left of the reference notch position and includes a first signal electrode having a left electrode edge extending along a left edge of the reference notch position; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the second capacitance sensor is disposed to the right of the reference notch position and has a second signal electrode having a right electrode side extending along a right side of the reference notch position.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the left electrode side and the right electrode side are arranged to form a V-shape in a plan view.

5. the first capacitance sensor has a first guard electrode and a first ground electrode; the first guard electrode surrounds the first signal electrode; the first ground electrode surrounds the first guard electrode; the second capacitance sensor has a second guard electrode and a second ground electrode; the second guard electrode surrounds the second signal electrode; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the second ground electrode surrounds the second guard electrode.

6. the first capacitance sensor has a first guard electrode and a first ground electrode; the first guard electrode surrounds the periphery of the first signal electrode except for the left electrode side; the first ground electrode surrounds the first guard electrode; the second capacitance sensor has a second guard electrode and a second ground electrode; the second guard electrode surrounds the periphery of the second signal electrode except for the right electrode side; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , wherein the second ground electrode surrounds the second guard electrode.

7. 7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first signal electrode and the second signal electrode have a parallelogram shape in a plan view.

8. 7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the first signal electrode and the second signal electrode have a trapezoidal shape in a plan view.

9. a first vacuum transfer module; a first transfer robot disposed within the first vacuum transfer module and having a first end effector; two capacitance sensors disposed on the first end effector; a load lock module connected to the first vacuum transfer module; a second vacuum transfer module; a second transfer robot disposed within the second vacuum transfer module and having a second end effector; a pass module disposed between the first vacuum transfer module and the second vacuum transfer module; a substrate support disposed within the pass module; a control unit, The control unit (a) receiving a substrate with the first end effector in the load lock module; (b) determining a difference between a position of a notch of a substrate on the first end effector and a reference notch position based on outputs from the two capacitance sensors; (c) placing the substrate on the first end effector onto the substrate support section in the pass module while adjusting the rotational position of the substrate on the first end effector based on the determined difference so that the position of the notch of the substrate on the first end effector corresponds to the reference notch position; (d) receiving the substrate on the substrate support in the pass module with the second end effector; The substrate processing apparatus is configured to perform the above steps.

10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the two capacitance sensors are arranged on the first end effector so as to surround the reference notch position on the first end effector.

11. the two capacitance sensors include a first capacitance sensor and a second capacitance sensor; the first capacitance sensor is disposed to the left of the reference notch position and includes a first signal electrode having a left electrode edge extending along a left edge of the reference notch position; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10 , wherein the second capacitance sensor is disposed to the right of the reference notch position and has a second signal electrode having a right electrode edge extending along a right edge of the reference notch position.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 11 , wherein the left electrode side and the right electrode side are arranged to form a V-shape in a plan view.

13. the first capacitance sensor has a first guard electrode and a first ground electrode; the first guard electrode surrounds the first signal electrode; the first ground electrode surrounds the first guard electrode; the second capacitance sensor has a second guard electrode and a second ground electrode; the second guard electrode surrounds the second signal electrode; The substrate processing apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the second ground electrode surrounds the second guard electrode.

14. a first vacuum transfer module; a first transfer robot disposed within the first vacuum transfer module and having a first end effector; two capacitance sensors disposed on the first end effector; a load lock module connected to the first vacuum transfer module; a second vacuum transfer module; a second transfer robot disposed within the second vacuum transfer module and having a second end effector; a pass module disposed between the first vacuum transfer module and the second vacuum transfer module; a substrate support disposed within the pass module; a control unit, The control unit (a) receiving a substrate with the first end effector in the load lock module; (b) determining a difference between a position of a notch of a substrate on the first end effector and a reference notch position based on outputs from the two capacitance sensors; (c) placing the substrate on the first end effector onto the substrate support in the pass module; (d) rotating the substrate on the substrate support member based on the determined difference so that the position of the notch of the substrate on the substrate support member corresponds to the reference notch position; (e) receiving the substrate on the substrate support in the pass module with the second end effector; The substrate processing apparatus is configured to perform the above steps.

15. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the two capacitance sensors are disposed on the first end effector so as to surround the reference notch position on the first end effector.

16. the two capacitance sensors include a first capacitance sensor and a second capacitance sensor; the first capacitance sensor is disposed to the left of the reference notch position and includes a first signal electrode having a left electrode edge extending along a left edge of the reference notch position; The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 15 , wherein the second capacitance sensor is disposed to the right of the reference notch position and includes a second signal electrode having a right electrode edge extending along a right edge of the reference notch position.

17. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 16 , wherein the left electrode side and the right electrode side are arranged to form a V-shape in plan view.

18. the first capacitance sensor has a first guard electrode and a first ground electrode; the first guard electrode surrounds the first signal electrode; the first ground electrode surrounds the first guard electrode; the second capacitance sensor has a second guard electrode and a second ground electrode; the second guard electrode surrounds the second signal electrode; The substrate processing apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the second ground electrode surrounds the second guard electrode.

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