Apparatus for transporting circuit boards, system for processing circuit boards, and method for processing circuit boards.

Abstract

To provide an apparatus that transfers a substrate inside a substrate transfer chamber by a substrate transfer module using magnetic levitation.SOLUTION: A placement module 400 includes two placement tables 401 and 402 where wafers W can be placed vertically in two stages. The placement table 401 on a lower stage side includes a base 411, and a holder 403 to hold the center of the bottom surface of the wafer is provided above the base. The placement table 402 on an upper stage side includes a cylindrical portion 412 surrounding the placement table on the lower stage side, and a holder 404 to hold the center of the bottom surface of the wafer is provided above the cylindrical portion. Windows 405 are formed at two positions facing each other on the side surface of the cylindrical portion to deliver the wafer to the placement table on the lower stage side. Each holder delivers the wafer to and from a wafer holder of each first transfer module. Module-side coils 35 are provided at the base and the lower end of the cylindrical portion, respectively. Each of the placement tables is independently rotated about a vertical axis by using the repulsive force between the module-side coils and floor-side coils provided in a floor portion of a vacuum transfer chamber.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 18

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] For example, in an apparatus for performing processing on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter also referred to as a "wafer") as a substrate, the wafer is transported between a carrier that houses the wafer and a wafer processing chamber where the processing is executed. Various configurations of wafer transfer mechanisms are used for wafer transfer.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a substrate carrier that transfers a semiconductor substrate between processing chambers while floating from a plate using magnetic levitation.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique for transporting a substrate by a substrate transport module using magnetic levitation in a substrate transport chamber.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to the present disclosure The base An apparatus for transporting a plate is an apparatus for transporting a substrate to a substrate processing chamber where the substrate is processed, and includes a floor portion provided with a first magnet, and a side wall portion connected to the substrate processing chamber and having an opening formed therein for loading and unloading the substrate between the side wall portion and the substrate processing chamber; A substrate transport module comprises a substrate holding portion for holding the substrate and a second magnet with which a repulsive force acts between the first magnet, and is configured to be movable within the substrate transport chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force, The substrate transport module is configured to transfer substrates to and from the substrate transport mechanism when a substrate transport mechanism for loading and unloading substrates between the substrate transport chamber and the substrate processing chamber is fixedly installed in the substrate transport chamber through the opening, Provided in the substrate transport chamber, between the substrate transport module and the substrate transport mechanism It includes a board transfer section where the board to be transferred is temporarily placed, The substrate transfer unit comprises a mounting section on which the substrate is placed, and a magnet on the substrate transfer unit side with which a repulsive force acts between it and the first magnet. The device is configured to allow rotation around a vertical axis within the substrate transport chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force, in order to change the orientation of the substrate depending on whether it is held by the substrate transport module or the substrate transport mechanism. ru. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to this disclosure, substrates can be transported within a substrate transport chamber using a substrate transport module that utilizes magnetic levitation. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a plan view of the wafer processing system related to this disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of a portion of the vacuum transport chamber in the wafer processing system. [Figure 3] This is a plan view of the first transport module. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of the floor of the vacuum transport chamber and the first transport module. [Figure 5] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional side view of the second transport module. [Figure 6]It is a plan view of the second transfer module. [Figure 7] It is a first working diagram related to an example of the operation of the transfer module. [Figure 8] It is a second working diagram related to an example of the operation of the transfer module. [Figure 9] It is a third working diagram related to an example of the operation of the transfer module. [Figure 10] It is a fourth working diagram related to an example of the operation of the transfer module. [Figure 11] It is a first working diagram related to another example of the operation of the transfer module. [Figure 12] It is a second working diagram related to another example of the operation of the transfer module. [Figure 13] It is a third working diagram related to another example of the operation of the transfer module. [Figure 14] It is a first working diagram related to notch alignment by the transfer module. [Figure 15] It is a second working diagram related to notch alignment by the transfer module. [Figure 16] It is a third working diagram related to notch alignment by the transfer module. [Figure 17] It is a perspective view showing a mounting module installed on the mounting part. [Figure 18] It is a longitudinal side view showing a mounting module installed on the mounting part. [Figure 19] It is an explanatory diagram for explaining alignment. [Figure 20] It is a longitudinal side view showing a gas supply module that moves the top surface part. [Figure 21] It is a schematic diagram showing the operation of the gas supply module. [Figure 22] It is a perspective view showing a first transfer module equipped with a connecting mechanism. [Figure 23] It is a schematic diagram showing the transfer of a failed first transfer module. [Figure 24] It is a plan view showing a wafer processing system equipped with a load lock chamber for recovery. [Figure 25] This is a schematic diagram illustrating the transport of parts to be installed in the device by the first transport module. [Figure 26] This is a plan view of a wafer processing system consisting of multiple connected vacuum transport chambers. [Figure 27] This is a plan view showing another example of a wafer processing system. [Figure 28] This is a first operation diagram relating to the operation of the transport module in the wafer processing system. [Figure 29] This is a second diagram illustrating the operation of the transport module in the wafer processing system. [Figure 30] This is a third diagram illustrating the operation of the transport module in the wafer processing system. [Figure 31] This is a fourth diagram illustrating the operation of the transport module in the wafer processing system. [Figure 32] This is the fifth operational diagram relating to the operation of the transport module in the wafer processing system. [Figure 33] This is a sixth operation diagram relating to the operation of the transport module in the wafer processing system. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The overall configuration of the wafer processing system 100, which is an apparatus for processing substrates according to the embodiment of this disclosure, will be described below with reference to Figure 1. Figure 1 shows a multi-chamber type wafer processing system 100 equipped with multiple wafer processing chambers 110, which are substrate processing chambers for processing wafers W. As shown in Figure 1, the wafer processing system 100 includes a load port 141, an atmospheric transport chamber 140, a load lock chamber 130, a vacuum transport chamber 120, and multiple wafer processing chambers 110. In the following description, the side where the load port 141 is located will be referred to as the front side.

[0010] In the wafer processing system 100, the load port 141, atmospheric transport chamber 140, load lock chamber 130, and vacuum transport chamber 120 are arranged in this order horizontally from the front. The multiple wafer processing chambers 110 are also arranged side-by-side to the left and right of the vacuum transport chamber 120 when viewed from the front.

[0011] The load port 141 is configured as a platform on which carriers C containing wafers W to be processed are placed, and four of them are installed side by side in a left-to-right direction when viewed from the front. For example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod) can be used as the carrier C. The atmospheric transport chamber 140 maintains an atmospheric pressure (normal pressure) atmosphere, creating, for example, a downflow of clean air. Inside the atmospheric transport chamber 140, a wafer transport mechanism 142 for transporting wafers W is provided. The wafer transport mechanism 142 inside the atmospheric transport chamber 140 transports wafers W between the carrier C and the load lock chamber 130. An alignment chamber 150 for aligning wafers W is provided, for example, on the left side of the atmospheric transport chamber 140.

[0012] Three load lock chambers 130 are installed side by side between the vacuum transport chamber 120 and the atmospheric transport chamber 140. Each load lock chamber 130 has a lifting pin 131 that pushes up and holds the transported wafer W from below. Three lifting pins 131 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction and are configured to move up and down freely. Each load lock chamber 130 is configured to switch between an atmospheric pressure atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere. The load lock chamber 130 and the atmospheric transport chamber 140 are connected via a gate valve 133. The load lock chamber 130 and the vacuum transport chamber 120 are also connected via a gate valve 132. The boundary between the vacuum transport chamber 120 and the load lock chamber 130 is connected so as not to create a step in the floor surface. Therefore, it is configured so as not to hinder the movement of the first transport module 20, described later, between the load lock chamber 130 and the vacuum transport chamber 120. The vacuum transport chamber 120 is depressurized to a vacuum atmosphere by a vacuum exhaust mechanism (not shown). The vacuum transport chamber 120 corresponds to the substrate transport chamber in this embodiment.

[0013] As shown in Figure 1, the vacuum transport chamber 120, in which wafers W are transported under a vacuum atmosphere, is composed of a rectangular housing that is long in the front-to-back direction. In the wafer processing system 100 of this example, a total of six wafer processing chambers 110, three on each of the left and right side walls of the vacuum transport chamber 120, are provided via gate valves 111. Wafers W are loaded and unloaded between the vacuum transport chamber 120 and the wafer processing chambers 110 through an opening (not shown) that is opened and closed by the gate valves 111.

[0014] Each wafer processing chamber 110 is connected to the vacuum transport chamber 120 via the aforementioned opening, which is equipped with a gate valve 111. Each wafer processing chamber 110 is depressurized into a vacuum atmosphere by a vacuum exhaust mechanism (not shown), and a predetermined process is performed on the wafer W placed on a mounting table 112 located inside the chamber. Examples of processes performed on the wafer W include etching, film deposition, cleaning, and ashing. The mounting table 112 is equipped with a heater (not shown) for heating the wafer W to a predetermined temperature. If the process performed on the wafer W utilizes a processing gas, the wafer processing chamber 110 is equipped with a processing gas supply unit (not shown) consisting of a shower head or the like. The wafer processing chamber 110 corresponds to the substrate processing chamber in this embodiment.

[0015] When the inside of the vacuum transport chamber 120 shown in Figure 1 is viewed from the front, it is divided into three areas: the front, middle, and rear sections. The wafer processing chamber 110 is installed so as to sandwich each of these areas from the left and right. The front section and the middle section are each provided with a wafer transport arm 5, which is a substrate transport mechanism. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the wafer transport arm 5 is configured as an articulated arm, consisting of a base 50 fixed to the bottom surface of the vacuum transport chamber 120, and a lower arm section 51, an upper arm section 52, and two wafer holding sections 53 arranged in two stages, connected in this order from below, above the base 50 via a rotation axis (not shown). With this configuration, the wafer transport arm 5 can be extended and retracted and rotated around a vertical axis. Hereafter, the wafer transport arm 5 provided in the front section (front side) and the wafer transport arm 5 provided in the middle section (back side) will be denoted by the symbols A and B, respectively (5A, 5B).

[0016] Between the preceding and middle regions, and between the middle and subsequent regions, there are, for example, three mounting sections 4 arranged in a row in the left-right direction, which are substrate transfer sections for temporarily placing wafers W. The positions of the mounting sections 4 correspond to the positions where the substrates are transferred. The mounting section 4 is provided with three lifting pins 41 that support the wafer W, forming a triangular support surface when viewed from above. The lifting pins 41 are configured to protrude from the bottom surface of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 by a lifting mechanism (not shown), and hold the wafer W by pushing it up from below. In the drawing, the area of ​​the mounting section 4 is shown by a dashed line as the area obtained by projecting the wafer W supported by the lifting pins 41 onto the bottom surface of the vacuum transfer chamber 120. The mounting sections 4 arranged between wafer transfer arms 5A and 5B, and the mounting section 4 provided on the far side of wafer transfer arm 5B are indicated by the symbols A and B respectively (4A, 4B).

[0017] The mounting sections 4A and 4B are configured such that when they hold a wafer W, the lifting pins 41 protrude from the bottom surface of the vacuum transport chamber 120. When they do not hold a wafer W, the lifting pins 41 are lowered below the bottom surface of the vacuum transport chamber 120. Therefore, when they do not hold a wafer W, the first and second transport modules 20 and 30, described later, can pass over the mounting sections 4A and 4B.

[0018] The front-to-back distance between each mounting section 4A, 4B and the base 50 of each wafer transport arm 5A, 5B is set to allow the first transport module 20, described later, to pass through even when the lifting pin 41 is raised. Similarly, the front-to-back distance between the base 50 of the front wafer transport arm 5A and the load lock chamber 130 is also set to allow the first transport module 20 to pass through under the same conditions. Furthermore, the front-to-back distance between the rear mounting section 4B and the rear wall of the vacuum transport chamber 120 is set to allow the second transport module 30, described later, to assume a posture with its arm section 32 facing in the front-to-back direction.

[0019] In the configuration described above, wafer transport arms 5 (5A, 5B) are positioned within the vacuum transport chamber 120, sandwiched between two openings to which the wafer processing chamber 110 is connected. Multiple mounting sections 4 are arranged along the alignment of these openings and the wafer transport arms 5.

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

[0021] As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the first transport module 20 includes a stage 2, which is a substrate holding section on which the wafer W is placed and held. For example, the stage 2 is formed in the shape of a flat disc, and its upper surface is a mounting surface for placing the wafer W to be transported and processed. As shown in Figure 3, the first transport module 20 has three slits 21 that extend from the periphery of the stage 2 toward the inside of the stage 2 so as not to interfere with the mounting sections 4A and 4B and the lifting pins 41 and 131 in the load lock chamber 130. In the following specification, the orientation of the first transport module 20 may be expressed as facing the first transport module 20 directly when the opening end of the slits 21 is facing a predetermined direction.

[0022] The relationship between the lifting pins 41 and 131 and the slit 21 will be explained using the mounting section 4 in the vacuum transfer chamber 120 as an example. First, the first transfer module 20 is positioned on the front side of the mounting section 4, facing the back side of the vacuum transfer chamber 120, and moved toward the back side. At this time, as previously described, a gap is secured between the mounting section 4 and the base 50 of each wafer transfer arm 5 that allows the first transfer module 20 to pass through. Therefore, the first transfer module 20 and the lifting pins 41 do not interfere with each other, and the first transfer module 20 can be positioned facing the mounting section 4. Next, the first transfer module 20 is positioned on the back side of the mounting section 4, facing the front side of the vacuum transfer chamber 120, and moved toward the front side. This operation moves the slit formation area along the position of the lifting pins 41. As a result, the first transport module 20 and the mounting section 4 can be positioned vertically so that their centers are aligned without interference between the first transport module 20 and the lifting pin 41.

[0023] As schematically shown in Figure 4, multiple floor-side coils 15 are arranged within the floor surface 10 of the vacuum transport chamber 120 and the load lock chamber 130, respectively. The floor-side coils 15 generate a magnetic field when power is supplied from a power supply unit (not shown). In this respect, the floor-side coils 15 correspond to the first magnet in this embodiment.

[0024] Meanwhile, multiple module-side coils 35 are arranged inside the first transport module 20. A repulsive force acts between the module-side coils 35 and the magnetic field generated by the floor-side coils 15. This action allows the first transport module 20 to be magnetically levitated relative to the floor 10. Furthermore, by adjusting the strength and position of the magnetic field generated by the floor-side coils 15, the first transport module 20 can be moved in a desired direction on the floor 10, the amount of levitation can be adjusted, and the orientation of the first transport module 20 can be adjusted.

[0025] The module-side coil 35 provided in the first transport module 20 corresponds to the second magnet in this embodiment. Power is supplied to the module-side coil 35 from a battery (not shown) which is a magnet power supply unit provided inside the first transport module 20, and it functions as an electromagnet. In addition, a configuration in which a permanent magnet is provided auxiliaryly inside the first transport module 20 along with multiple module-side coils 35 may be used. Furthermore, the module-side coil 35 may be made of a permanent magnet.

[0026] For example, each module-side coil 35 is controlled by a power supply control unit (not shown) located within the first transport module 20, which controls the increase or decrease of power supplied to the module-side coil 35, as well as the supply and stop of power. In this case, the power supply control unit may be configured to acquire control signals related to power supply control via wireless communication with a control unit 9, which will be described later.

[0027] As previously described, the first transport module 20 is sized to pass between the base 50 of the wafer transport arms 5A and 5B and the mounting section 4 (Figures 1 and 2). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2, the second transport module 30 is sized to pass below the pivoting lower arm section 51 of the wafer transport arms 5A and 5B while holding the wafer W.

[0028] Next, the configuration of the second transport module 30, which is located downstream of the vacuum transport chamber 120, will be described. As shown in Figures 5 and 6, the second transport module 30 has approximately the same width as the first transport module 20 and comprises a rectangular main body 31. This main body 31 is provided with an arm 32 that extends horizontally and holds the wafer W horizontally. The tip of the arm 32 is provided with a fork that can be positioned to surround an area on both sides where three lifting pins 41 and 131 are located. The fork corresponds to the substrate holding portion in the second transport module 30. This arm 32 is set to a length that allows the wafer W to be transferred to the mounting table 112 by opening the gate valve 111 and inserting the arm 32 into the wafer processing chamber 110 while the main body 31 remains located inside the vacuum transport chamber 120.

[0029] Furthermore, the main body 31 of the second transport module 30 is equipped with a module-side coil 35 similar to that of the first transport module 20. With this configuration, the second transport module 30 can be moved in a desired direction on the floor surface 10, the amount of levitation can be adjusted, and the orientation of the second transport module 30 can be adjusted, just as with the first transport module 20. The vacuum transport chamber 120, to which the wafer processing chamber 110 is connected, and which includes the first and second transport modules 20 and 30 and the wafer transport arm 5 as described above, corresponds to the apparatus for transporting substrates in this disclosure.

[0030] Returning to Figure 1, the wafer processing system 100 having the above-described configuration includes a control unit 9 that controls each floor-side coil 15, the wafer processing chamber 110, and the like. The control unit 9 is composed of a computer with a CPU and a memory unit, and controls each part of the wafer processing system 100. The memory unit stores a program containing a set of steps (instructions) for controlling the operation of the first and second transport modules 20 and 30 and the wafer processing chamber 110. This program is stored on a storage medium such as a hard disk, compact disk, magnetic optical disk, or memory card, and then installed on the computer.

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

[0032] Next, the wafer transport mechanism 142 enters the load lock chamber 130, and the lifting pin 131 pushes up and receives the wafer W. Here, for example, looking from the front to the back, the first wafer W is loaded into the leftmost load lock chamber 130. After that, when the wafer transport mechanism 142 retracts from the load lock chamber 130, the gate valve 133 is closed. Furthermore, the atmosphere inside the load lock chamber 130 is switched from atmospheric pressure to a vacuum atmosphere. Subsequently, the wafers W are similarly transported to each load lock chamber 130; in this example, for example, the second wafer W is transported to the rightmost load lock chamber 130.

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

[0034] Next, we will explain the transport of wafers W from the load lock chamber 130 to each wafer processing chamber 110. First, we will explain an example of transporting wafers W sequentially to the preceding wafer processing chamber 110 and then to the middle wafer processing chamber 110, referring to Figures 7 to 10. Here, we will explain an example of transporting wafers W sequentially to each wafer processing chamber 110 located to the right of the vacuum transport chamber 120, as viewed from the front. In Figures 7 to 10, the first transport module 20 that transports wafers W first is denoted with the symbol A (20A), and the second transport module 20 that transports wafers W afterwards is denoted with the symbol B.

[0035] First, as shown in Figure 7, the first transport module 20A is moved into the load lock chamber 130 and positioned below the wafer W supported by the lifting pin 131. Then, the lifting pin 131 is lowered, and the wafer W is transferred to the first transport module 20, thereby placing the wafer W on the stage 2.

[0036] Next, the first transport module 20A holding the wafer W is moved out of the load lock chamber 130 and forward to the front of the mounting section A4. Next, the first transport module 20A moves to the right between the front mounting section 4A and the base 50 of the front wafer transport arm 5A. At this time, the first transport module 20A moves parallel to the right without changing direction. After moving to the front of the rightmost mounting section 4A, it changes direction of movement toward the rear and reaches above the mounting section 4 (Figure 8).

[0037] Furthermore, in the mounting section 4A, the lifting pin 41 rises, pushing up and receiving the wafer W held by the first transport module 20A. At the same time, a subsequent wafer W is being loaded into the leftmost load lock chamber 130, and the atmosphere in the load lock chamber 130 is similarly switched to a vacuum atmosphere. Then the first transport module 20B enters the load lock chamber 130 and receives the wafer W.

[0038] Next, as shown in Figure 9, the first transport module 20A, which has received the wafer W, moves to the rear side of the mounting section 4A and moves from right to left along the rear side of the mounting section 4A on the front side. Furthermore, the first transport module 20A moves straight toward the front and waits at the rear side of the load lock chamber 130 on the left. Furthermore, the first transport module 20A moves to the mounting section 4A while maintaining a posture directly facing the load lock chamber 130, with the lifting pin 41 not raised. Therefore, the first transport module 20A can move along the trajectory shown in Figure 9 without interfering with the lifting pin 41. The same applies to the operation of the other first transport module 20B.

[0039] Furthermore, the wafer transport arm 5A on the near side receives the wafer W that has been passed to the mounting section 4A on the right side, and transports the wafer W to, for example, the wafer processing chamber 110 on the right side of the preceding section. At this time, the first transport module 20B, holding the subsequent wafer W, exits the load lock chamber 130 and moves straight ahead to the front of the mounting section 4A. It then changes direction of movement and moves to the left between the mounting section 4A and the front wafer transport arm 5A. After moving to the front of the central mounting section 4A, it changes direction of movement toward the rear and reaches above the mounting section 4A (Figure 9). It then raises the lifting pin 41 of the mounting section 4A and transfers the wafer W to the lifting pin 41.

[0040] Next, as shown in Figure 10, the first transport module 20B, which has received the wafer W, moves to the far side of the mounting section 4, and then changes its direction of movement to the right. After that, it moves straight towards the front and waits at the far side of the rightmost load lock chamber 130. Meanwhile, the wafer transport arm 5B on the far side receives the wafer W that has been passed to the central mounting section 4A and transports the wafer W to, for example, the wafer processing chamber 110 on the right side of the middle section.

[0041] Next, the operation of transporting the wafer W from the load lock chamber 130 to the subsequent wafer processing chamber 110 will be explained with reference to Figures 11 to 13. In this example, the case of transporting to the wafer processing chamber 110, which is located to the right of the downstream vacuum transport chamber 120, will be explained. First, for example, the wafer W is transferred to the first transport module 20 in the load lock chamber 130 on the left side. Then, as shown in Figure 11, the first transport module 20, having received the wafer W, moves straight towards the back and reaches the front side of the mounting section 4B at the back.

[0042] Furthermore, the first transport module 20 changes its direction of movement and moves to the right between the rear mounting section 4B and the rear wafer transport arm 5B. After moving to the front of the right mounting section 4B, it changes its direction of movement to the rear and reaches above the right mounting section 4B. Then, for example, it rotates around the vertical axis in place to change its orientation so that it faces the mounting section 4B directly. Here, since the first transport module 20 is in a position facing forward when it exits the load lock chamber 130, it only needs to be rotated 180° around the vertical axis above the mounting section 4. At this time, the second transport module 30 is waiting at the rear of the right mounting section 4B with its arm section 32 facing forward.

[0043] Next, as shown in Figure 12, the lifting pin 41 of the mounting section 4 is raised to push up and receive the wafer W, and the first transport module 20 moves to the front. After rotating 180° around the vertical axis, the first transport module 20 moves to the left between the mounting section 4B and the wafer transport arm 5B on the far side. Then it moves straight forward and returns to the far side of the leftmost load lock chamber 130 to wait. Meanwhile, the second transport module 30 is advanced forward to position the arm portion 32 on the mounting portion 4B, and the lifting pin 41 of the mounting portion 4B is lowered to transfer the wafer W to the arm portion 32.

[0044] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 13, the second transport module 30, which holds the wafer W, reverses direction and moves backward as viewed from the mounting section 4B, pointing the tip of the arm 32 toward the wafer processing chamber 110 on the right. Next, the gate valve 111 of the wafer processing chamber 110 is opened, and the second transport module 30 moves straight ahead, allowing the arm 32 to enter the wafer processing chamber 110 and transfer the wafer W. Note that when the wafer W is transferred, the main body 31 of the second transport module 30 is located inside the vacuum transport chamber 120, and only the arm 32 has entered the wafer processing chamber 110 (Figure 13).

[0045] Once the wafers W have been loaded into each wafer processing chamber 110 through the operations described above, the arm 32 is retracted into the vacuum transport chamber 120 and the gate valve 111 is closed. Subsequently, the wafers W are heated sequentially by the mounting table 112 to a preset temperature, and processing gas is supplied into the wafer processing chamber 110 from the processing gas supply unit. In this way, the desired processing of the wafers W is performed.

[0046] After processing the wafer W for a predetermined period, the heating of the wafer W is stopped, and the supply of the processing gas is also stopped. If necessary, cooling gas may be supplied into the wafer processing chamber 110 to cool the wafer W. After that, the wafer W is transported in the reverse order of its arrival, and returned from the wafer processing chamber 110 to the load lock chamber 130. Furthermore, after switching the atmosphere of the load lock chamber 130 to an atmospheric pressure atmosphere, the wafer transport mechanism 142 on the atmospheric transport chamber 140 side removes the wafer W from the load lock chamber 130 and returns it to the predetermined carrier C.

[0047] In the above-described embodiment, when transporting the wafer W to the wafer processing chamber 110, the first transport module 20 transports the wafer from the load lock chamber 130 to the mounting section 4 located in the vacuum transport chamber 120. On the other hand, in the case where the first transport module 20 is not provided in the vacuum transport chamber 120, wafer transport arms 5A and 5B must also be used to transport wafers W in the front-to-back direction between the load lock chamber 130 and the front-side mounting section 4A, and between the front-side mounting section 4A and the rear-side mounting section 4B. Therefore, each wafer transport arm 5A and 5B has the added operation of transporting wafers W in the front-to-back direction in addition to transporting wafers W to the wafer processing chamber 110. As a result, the load on the wafer transport arms 5A and 5B to transport wafers W becomes large. An increase in the load on specific equipment may become a constraint on increasing the number of wafers W that can be processed per unit time by the wafer processing system 100. On the other hand, adding a dedicated wafer transport arm for transporting wafers W in the front-to-back direction is not practical due to insufficient space, interference with other wafer transport arms 5A and 5B, and constraints on the positions to which wafers can be transported by the additional wafer transport arm.

[0048] In contrast, by installing a first transport module 20 that can move relatively freely within the vacuum transport chamber 120, the transport of wafers W from the load lock chamber 130 to each mounting section 4 can be assigned to the first transport module 20. Therefore, the wafer transport arm 5 only needs to be responsible for transporting wafers W between the mounting section 4 and the wafer processing chamber 110. This reduces the load on the wafer transport arm 5. As previously described, multiple mounting sections 4 are arranged along the alignment of the wafer processing chamber 110 and the wafer transport arm 5. This configuration allows for efficient wafer transport by the wafer transport arm 5 and the first transport module 20 while ensuring sufficient space for the first transport module 20 to move.

[0049] Here, a floor-side coil 15 may also be installed on the floor of the wafer processing chamber 110 so that the first transport module 20 can directly enter the wafer processing chamber 110 and transport the wafer W. Alternatively, the first and second transport modules 20 and 30, each with different operating temperatures, may be used, for example, depending on the temperature of the wafer W before and after processing in the wafer processing chamber 110.

[0050] Furthermore, when transporting the wafer W in the first transport module 20, the notch and orientation flat (OF) of the wafer W may be aligned. When processing the wafer W in the wafer processing chamber 110, it may be necessary to process the wafer with the notch and OF facing in a predetermined direction based on the results of alignment performed in advance in the alignment chamber 150. On the other hand, as shown in Figure 1, if the wafer processing chambers 110 are arranged on the left and right sides of the wafer transport arm 5, and the wafer W placed on the mounting section 4 is always facing the same direction, the orientation of the notch and OF may differ by 180° between the left and right wafer processing chambers 110. In such cases, the first transport module 20 can also be used for aligning the notch or OF. Note that in Figures 14 and 15 described below, the wafer transport arm 5 is omitted for illustrative purposes.

[0051] For example, let's consider the case of notch alignment. Suppose a wafer W, whose notch alignment has been performed by alignment, is positioned as shown in Figure 14. If the wafer W is placed on the mounting section 4 without changing the orientation of the notch, and the wafer W is then transported to the wafer processing chamber 110 on the right by the wafer transport arm 5, the wafer W will be rotated 180° around the vertical axis relative to the pre-set orientation.

[0052] In this case, for example, when the first transport module 20 holding the wafer W enters the vacuum transport chamber 120 from the load lock chamber 130, the first transport module 20 is rotated 180° around the vertical axis, as shown in Figure 15. Then, as shown in Figure 16, the wafer W is transferred to the mounting section 4, thereby rotating the direction of the wafer W being transferred to the mounting section 4 by 180°. Furthermore, the first transport module 20 retracts from the position of the mounting section 4, is rotated 180° around the vertical axis, and returns to the far end of the leftmost load lock chamber 130 to wait (Figure 16). By using the first transport module 20 utilizing magnetic levitation in this way, there is no need to provide a separate device for notch alignment in the wafer processing system 100.

[0053] Next, Figures 17 and 18 show an example of a mounting module 400 that constitutes a substrate transfer unit arranged in the mounting unit 4. This mounting module 400 is configured to rotate freely around a vertical axis using magnetic levitation. This mounting module 400 is equipped with two mounting tables 401 and 402 so that wafers W can be mounted in two stages, upper and lower. For example, the lower mounting table 401 is equipped with a base portion 411, and above the base portion 411 is a holding portion 403 that holds the center of the lower surface of the wafer W. The holding portion 403 is configured to allow the transfer of wafers W between the wafer holding portion 53 of each first transport module 20.

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

[0055] Furthermore, module-side coils 35, which are magnets on the substrate transfer side, are provided at the lower ends of the base portion 411 of the mounting table 401 and the cylindrical portion 412 of the mounting table 402, respectively. By utilizing the repulsive force between these module-side coils 35 and the floor-side coils 15 provided on the floor portion 10 of the vacuum transfer chamber 12, each of the mounting tables 401 and 402 is configured to rotate independently around a vertical axis. With the mounting module 400 of this example, the orientation of the wafer W can be changed depending on whether it is held by the first transfer module 20 or held by the wafer transfer arm 5. In this example, instead of the wafer W notch and OF alignment operation by the first transfer module 20 as explained with reference to Figures 14 to 16, the wafer W transfer and rotation operations can be shared by providing a dedicated mounting module 400.

[0056] Next, Figure 19 shows an example of aligning a wafer W using a transport module that utilizes magnetic levitation. The transport module 60 illustrated in Figure 19 has a main body 61 on which a module-side coil 35 is provided, and a support column 62 that extends upward from the upper surface of the main body 61 and has a smaller diameter than the wafer W. A substrate holding surface, which forms the substrate holding portion, is formed on the upper surface of the support column 62, and the wafer W is supported from the bottom side by the substrate holding surface. In the alignment using the transport module 60 described above, a wafer sensor 6 for alignment is used, which is a detection unit equipped with a light receiving unit that irradiates light downwards and receives the light on the lower side. The wafer sensor 6 detects the position of the peripheral edge of the wafer W located outside the support column 62. The wafer sensor 6 is installed, for example, in the load lock chamber 130.

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

[0058] Then, while the load lock chamber 130 is switched to a vacuum atmosphere, the transport module 60 is rotated in place around its vertical axis. As a result, the wafer W rotates around a central axis passing through its center, and alignment is performed while detecting the position of the peripheral edge of the rotating wafer W. This configuration eliminates the need for the alignment chamber 150 shown in Figure 1, thereby miniaturizing the wafer processing system 100. Furthermore, since alignment can be performed while the load lock chamber 130 is switched to a vacuum, the number of wafers W processed per unit time can be improved compared to, for example, an example where the wafers are transported to the alignment chamber 150 for alignment. Alternatively, the sensor unit 6 may be placed in the moving area of ​​the transport module 60, such as the atmospheric transport chamber 140 or the vacuum transport chamber 120, so that alignment can be performed at each installation location.

[0059] The transport module 60 described above also corresponds to the substrate transport module in this example, and may be used in place of, or together with, the first and second transport modules 20 and 30 described above to transport the wafer W within the vacuum transport chamber 120. In this case, the lifting pins 41 of the mounting section 4 are positioned around the support column 62 to support the lower surface of the wafer W.

[0060] Furthermore, each of the transport modules 20, 30, and 60 described above may be equipped with an accelerometer or thermometer to detect vibrations during the transport of the wafer W or to detect a rise in the temperature of the wafer W. For example, the measured values ​​of acceleration or temperature may be transmitted to the control unit 9, and the transport modules 20, 30, and 60 may be self-diagnosed as having a failure when, for example, the measured value of acceleration or the measured value of temperature exceeds a threshold. Alternatively, an abnormality in the wafer W processing process may be detected when the measured value of the wafer W exceeds a threshold.

[0061] Furthermore, the disc-shaped first transport module 20 may be equipped with a camera to monitor the inside of the vacuum transport chamber 120, for example. By imaging the inside of the vacuum transport chamber 120, it is possible to check for any abnormalities inside the vacuum transport chamber 120. Alternatively, the first transport module 20 may be brought into the wafer processing chamber 110, and the inside of the chamber may be imaged to check for abnormalities. For example, by imaging the wafer W placed on the mounting table 112 and the mounting table 112, the position of the wafer W and the position of the mounting table 112 can be confirmed to verify the accuracy of wafer teaching and transport. In addition to the camera, a laser displacement meter or encoder may be installed to further improve the accuracy of position confirmation. In addition, a separate imaging module capable of moving within the vacuum transport chamber 120 by magnetic levitation may be provided, in addition to the transport modules 20, 30, and 60 described above, and a camera may be installed on the imaging module.

[0062] Figures 20 and 21 show an example in which a magnet is installed on the ceiling (top surface) of a substrate transport chamber (for example, the vacuum transport chamber 120 described above) where wafers W are transported, and a module is provided that moves along the ceiling by magnetic attraction. A gas discharge module 7 will be described as an example of such a module. As shown in Figure 20, the gas discharge module 7 includes a housing 70. Inside the housing 70 is a gas storage section 71 in which, for example, a clean gas such as nitrogen (N2) gas is stored.

[0063] Furthermore, multiple gas discharge holes 72 are formed on the lower side of the housing 70, and the N2 gas stored in the gas storage section 71 is discharged through the piping 73 via the gas discharge holes 72. Note that V73, which is provided in the piping 73 in Figure 20, is a valve.

[0064] Then, a module-side coil 35 is installed on the top plate of the housing 70, and a top-side coil 16 is installed on the top surface 11 of the vacuum transport chamber 120. The top-side coil 16 corresponds to a third magnet, and the module-side coil 35 corresponds to a fourth magnet. The module-side coil 35 and the top-side coil 16 then magnetically attract the gas discharge module 7 at a position below the top surface 11 inside the vacuum transport chamber 120 due to the magnetic attraction.

[0065] As shown in Figure 21, the gas discharge module 7 discharges N2 gas while moving, for example, within the vacuum transport chamber 120. This creates a downward flow of clean gas toward the wafer W within the vacuum transport chamber 120. This downward flow suppresses the adhesion of particles 93 floating within the vacuum transport chamber 120 and corrosive gases 94 generated during processing in the wafer processing chamber 110 to the wafer W, and allows them to be exhausted from the exhaust port 90 along with the N2 gas flow. Furthermore, while the transport modules 20 and 30 are transporting the wafer W, the gas discharge module 7 may be moved in accordance with the transport modules 20 and 30 so as to continuously discharge N2 gas onto the wafer W held by the transport modules 20 and 30. This configuration allows the wafer W to be covered with N2 gas during transport, preventing oxidation of the wafer W by gases floating in the transport path.

[0066] In addition, the module provided on the top surface and that moves may be a temperature control module housing a heater or the like. For example, by moving the temperature control module positioned above the wafer W together with the wafer W being transported by the first transport module 20 that moves along the floor, the temperature of the wafer W can be adjusted during transport. Alternatively, a shelf-like wafer mounting section may be provided on the module that moves along the ceiling, and the wafer W may be transported using this module.

[0067] Furthermore, a connecting mechanism may be provided to connect each of the transport modules 20, 30, and 60 to one another. For example, Figure 22 shows an example in which a projection 22 is provided on the side surface of the first transport module 20. On the side surface opposite to the projection 22, a recess 23 is provided into which the projection 22 can be inserted. As shown in Figure 23, the projection 22 of the first transport module 20 is configured to be inserted into the recess of another first transport module 20 to connect them. The projection 22 and the recess 23 constitute a connecting mechanism.

[0068] With this configuration, for example, if the first transport module 20 malfunctions and becomes immobile, other first transport modules 20 can be used to sandwich and connect the malfunctioning first transport module 20. In Figure 23, the first transport module 20 with diagonal lines indicates a malfunctioning first transport module 20. With this configuration, the malfunctioning first transport module 20 can be transported by other first transport modules 20.

[0069] Furthermore, a dedicated load lock chamber 200 may be provided that can switch the internal atmosphere between an atmospheric atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere in order to remove the malfunctioning first transport module 20. Figure 24 shows an example in which the load lock chamber 200 is provided on the side wall at the back of the vacuum transport chamber 120. Reference numeral 201 in Figure 24 indicates a gate valve, and reference numeral 202 indicates the outlet for the first transport module 20. By providing a load lock chamber 200 for recovering malfunctioning transport modules 20, 30, and 60 in this way, it becomes unnecessary to stop and open the wafer processing system 100, and the downtime of the system 100 can be reduced. In addition, wafers W that have malfunctioned may be recovered from the load lock chamber 200.

[0070] Furthermore, the aforementioned load lock chamber 200 may be used as a storage chamber for transport modules 20, 30, and 60 that are not in use. The number of transport modules 20, 30, and 60 used in the vacuum transport chamber 120 may be adjusted to match the throughput of the processing performed in the wafer processing system 100. Moreover, the number of transport modules 20, 30, and 60 placed in the vacuum transport chamber 120 may be increased or decreased via the load lock chamber 200.

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

[0072] The first transport module 20 may also be configured to have a rectangular planar shape. On the other hand, by using a transport module 20 with a circular planar shape, the area required for the transport module 20 to rotate can be reduced, and the area of ​​the vacuum transport chamber 120 can be reduced.

[0073] Alternatively, the transfer of the wafer W between the first transport module 20 and the wafer transport arm 5 may be performed directly between the first transport module 20 and the wafer transport arm 5 without going through the mounting section 4. In this case, for example, a lifting pin is provided that protrudes from the surface of the stage 2 of the first transport module 20. Then, the wafer W placed on the first transport module 20 may be raised and lowered using this lifting pin to transfer it between the wafer W and the wafer transport arm 5.

[0074] Furthermore, the number and layout of wafer processing chambers 110 in the vacuum transport chamber 120 are not limited to the example shown in Figure 1. The number of wafer processing chambers 110 may be increased or decreased as needed. For example, even if only one wafer processing chamber 110 is provided in the vacuum transport chamber 120, this is also within the technical scope of this disclosure.

[0075] Furthermore, the arrangement of the vacuum transport chamber 120 is not limited to the arrangement shown in Figure 1, where the long side of the rectangular vacuum transport chamber 120 is oriented in the front-to-back direction. For example, the vacuum transport chamber 120 may be arranged with its long side oriented in the left-to-right direction when viewed from the load port 141 side. Furthermore, the planar shape of the vacuum transfer chamber 120 can be various shapes depending on the shape of the area where the wafer processing system 100 is located. For example, it may be a square, a polygon with pentagons or more, a circle, or an ellipse.

[0076] Furthermore, the substrate transport chamber in which wafers W are transported to the wafer processing chamber 110 using transport modules 20, 30, and 60 is not limited to a case where the transport chamber is a vacuum transport chamber 120 with a vacuum atmosphere inside. The transport modules 20, 30, and 60 of this disclosure can also be applied to a wafer processing system in which the wafer processing chamber 110 is provided to the side of a substrate transport chamber with an atmospheric pressure atmosphere inside. In this case, it is not a mandatory requirement to provide a load lock chamber 130 to the wafer processing system, and wafers W taken out from the carrier C to the atmospheric transport chamber 140 may be directly transported to the substrate transport chamber.

[0077] Alternatively, for example, vacuum transport chamber 120A and another vacuum transport chamber 120B may be connected by a connecting passage 8. For example, as shown in Figure 26, one end of the connecting passage 8 is connected to the left side of vacuum transport chamber 120A, and the other end of the connecting passage 8 is connected to the right side of the other vacuum transport chamber 120B. This vacuum transport chamber 120B is configured similarly to vacuum transport chamber 120A, except that a load lock chamber 130 is not provided on the front side.

[0078] Furthermore, floor-side coils 15 are installed on the floor of the connecting passage 8, making the transport modules 20, 30, and 60 movable. By connecting multiple vacuum transport chambers 120A and 120B in this way, the load lock chamber 130, atmospheric transport chamber 140, and load port 141 can be made common.

[0079] Furthermore, if only a wafer transport arm 5 is used as the wafer transport mechanism fixed to the bottom surface between vacuum transport chambers 120A and 120B, a large space is required for rotation. Also, because the transport distance is limited, it may be necessary to provide multiple transport mechanisms to transport wafers to distant locations.

[0080] In contrast, when using the first and second transport modules 20 and 30 that levitate and move using magnetic force, the range in which the floor-side coils 15 can be installed can be adjusted relatively freely. As a result, the range in which a single transport module 20, 30, or 60 can move can be freely set, thus increasing the degree of freedom in equipment design.

[0081] Alternatively, instead of providing a fixed transport mechanism within the vacuum transport chamber 120, the wafer W may be transported solely by transport modules 20, 30, and 60 that levitate using magnetic force within the vacuum transport chamber 120. Figure 27 shows a wafer processing system 101 that transports wafers W using only the second transport module 30 (hereinafter also simply referred to as "transport module 30") described above. In plan view, the length of the rectangular vacuum transport chamber 160 of this wafer processing system 101 is such that two transport modules 30, each holding a wafer W, can pass each other side by side. In this example, the length of the vacuum transport chamber 160 in the short-side direction is shorter than the length from the main body 31 to the tip of the wafer W when the transport module 30 is holding the wafer W (the total length of the transport module 30 when holding the wafer W). In this example, wafers W are transported using two transport modules 30 installed in the vacuum transport chamber 160.

[0082] In front of the vacuum transport chamber 160, two load lock chambers 130 are provided side by side, and four wafer processing chambers 110 are installed on each side of the vacuum transport chamber 160. In other words, wafers W are transported into the wafer processing chambers 110 in a direction that intersects the long side direction of the vacuum transport chamber 160 (the short side direction). On the other hand, as previously described, the length of the vacuum transport chamber 160 in the short side direction is shorter than the total length of the transport module 30 when it is holding the wafer W. Therefore, when loading and unloading wafers W using the transport module 30, it is necessary to perform a reversal operation that combines linear movement along the long side direction of the vacuum transport chamber 160 with curved movement that changes the orientation of the transport module 30 as it enters or exits the vacuum transport chamber 160.

[0083] Therefore, a space 161 is provided at the rear of the vacuum transport chamber 160 for performing a reversal operation when switching the transport module 30 when loading wafers W into the last wafer processing chamber 110. In other words, the space 161 is provided extending further back than the last wafer processing chamber 110 (more specifically, the location of the gate valve 111 of the last wafer processing chamber 110). When loading or unloading wafers W into or from the wafer processing chambers 110 other than the last one, the reversal operation described above can be performed using the space within the vacuum transport chamber 160 that extends further forward than the aforementioned space 161. In this wafer processing system 101, the transport module 30 moves along the long side of the vacuum transport chamber 160, with its arm portion 32 facing the load lock chamber 130 side (front side), and follows trajectories that are slightly to the left and slightly to the right when viewed from the front.

[0084] The wafer transfer operation between the wafer processing chamber 110 and the wafer processing system 101 will be explained using the wafer processing chamber 110 at the rearmost stage on the left as an example. First, when the transport module 30 receives the wafer W from the load lock chamber 130 on the left side, it moves backward toward the back while keeping the arm portion 32 facing forward (see also the arrow indicating the direction of travel, which is added to the transport module 30 on the left side when viewed from the front in Figure 27).

[0085] The transport module 30, holding the wafer W, then moves to the position where the gate valve 111 of the final wafer processing chamber 110 is located. At this time, the main body 31 of the transport module 30 has passed the location of the gate valve 111 and reached the space 161 further back. As a result of this movement, the tip of the arm portion 32 that holds the wafer W is positioned near the gate valve 111. Once the tip of the arm portion 32 reaches the vicinity of the gate valve 111, as shown in Figure 28, in addition to the retraction movement, the arm portion 32 rotates clockwise so that the tip of the arm portion 32 faces the gate valve 111.

[0086] Next, the gate valve 111 is opened, and the transport module 30 is rotated to insert the wafer W into the wafer processing chamber 110, while the direction of movement of the transport module 30 is switched to forward (Figure 29). After that, when the transport module 30 is facing the wafer processing chamber 110, it stops rotating and moves straight forward until the wafer W reaches above the mounting table 112. By rotating the transport module 30 as described above and switching between moving it backward and forward, the transport module 30 assumes a position where the arm portion 32 is facing left when viewed from the front (Figure 30). The wafer W is then transferred to the mounting table 112, and the transport module 30 is moved out of the wafer processing chamber 110. The gate valve 111 is then closed, and the wafer W is processed.

[0087] Then, when the wafer W has finished processing and it is time to remove the wafer W from the wafer processing chamber 110, the transport module 30 re-enters the wafer processing chamber 110 with its arm 32 to receive the processed wafer W. Next, as shown in Figures 31 to 33, the wafer W is unloaded by performing a reversal operation, which involves rotating the transport module 30 and switching between moving backward and forward, in the opposite direction to the loading operation. After that, the module moves forward towards the front and transports the wafer W to the load lock chamber 130 on the left side. Although not explained in the above example, the operation in which the transport module 30 retracts the arm portion 32, which is not holding the wafer W, from the wafer processing chamber 110 and then enters also uses the reversal operation described in Figures 28 to 33.

[0088] As described above, a space 161 is provided at the rear of the vacuum transfer chamber 160 for changing the direction of the transfer module 30 while turning it over. By providing this space 161, the width of the short side of the vacuum transfer chamber 160 can be made shorter than the total length of the transfer module 30 when holding the wafer W. Therefore, the floor area of ​​the vacuum transfer chamber 160 can be reduced. As previously mentioned, for each wafer processing chamber 110 located in front of the furthest wafer processing chamber 110, the turning operation can be performed using the space within the vacuum transfer chamber 160 that extends in front of the space 161. Furthermore, since this wafer processing system 101 does not have wafer transport arms 5 or mounting units 4 inside the vacuum transport chamber 160, the height dimension of the vacuum transport chamber 160 can be reduced compared to the case where these devices 5 and 4 are installed.

[0089] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The above embodiments may be omitted, replaced, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0090] 2 stages 5. Wafer transport arm 10 Floor section 15 Floor-side coil 20. First transport module (transport module) 30. Second transport module (transport module) 32 Wafer holding section 35 Module-side coil 60 transport modules 100, 101 Wafer Processing System 110 Wafer Processing Room 120, 160 Vacuum Transfer Chambers W wafer

Claims

1. A device for transporting substrates to a substrate processing chamber where substrate processing takes place, A substrate transport chamber having a floor portion on which a first magnet is provided, and a side wall portion to which the substrate processing chamber is connected and an opening is formed between the substrate processing chamber and the substrate transport chamber for loading and unloading substrates, A substrate transport module comprises a substrate holding portion for holding the substrate and a second magnet with which a repulsive force acts between the first magnet, and is configured to be movable within the substrate transport chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force, The substrate transport module is configured to transfer substrates to and from the substrate transport mechanism when a substrate transport mechanism for loading and unloading substrates between the substrate transport chamber and the substrate processing chamber is fixedly installed in the substrate transport chamber through the opening, Provided in the substrate transport chamber, between the substrate transport module and the substrate transport mechanism It includes a board transfer section where the board to be transferred is temporarily placed, The substrate transfer section comprises a mounting section on which a substrate is placed, and a magnet on the substrate transfer section side with which a repulsive force acts between it and the first magnet, and is configured to be rotatable around a vertical axis within the substrate transport chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force, in order to change the orientation of the substrate when it is held by the substrate transport module and when it is held by the substrate transport mechanism.

2. The substrate transport module is configured to transport a substrate by inserting the substrate holding portion into the substrate processing chamber through the opening, The substrate transport chamber is equipped with a top surface on which a third magnet is provided. A fourth magnet is provided with which an attractive force acts between it and the third magnet, and the substrate transport chamber is equipped with a processing module for processing the substrate, The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processing module is configured to be movable within the substrate transport chamber by magnetic attraction using the attractive force.

3. The apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processing module is a gas discharge module that discharges gas into the substrate transport chamber through a gas supply hole provided on the lower surface of the processing module in order to form a downward flow of clean gas toward the substrate in the substrate transport chamber.

4. The substrate transport module is configured to transport substrates by inserting the substrate holding portion into the substrate processing chamber through the opening, The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transport module is equipped with a connecting mechanism for connecting with other substrate transport modules.

5. The substrate transport module is configured to transport a substrate by inserting the substrate holding portion into the substrate processing chamber through the opening, The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transport module is configured in the shape of a disc with the second magnet provided inside, and the upper surface of the disc serves as the substrate holding portion.

6. The substrate transport module is configured to transport substrates by inserting the substrate holding portion into the substrate processing chamber through the opening, The substrate transport module comprises a main body portion having the second magnet inside, and an arm portion extending laterally from the main body portion, with a fork at its tip that forms the substrate holding portion. The substrate transport module, while keeping the main body positioned within the substrate transport chamber, inserts the arm portion into the substrate processing chamber through the opening, thereby transporting the substrate in and out. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transport chamber is elongated rectangular in shape when viewed from above, the length of the shorter side of the rectangle is shorter than the total length of the substrate transport module when the substrate is held, and the substrate transport chamber is provided with a space for changing the direction of the substrate transport module while performing a reversing operation when inserting and withdrawing the arm portion into and out of the substrate processing chamber through the opening.

7. The substrate transport module is configured to transport substrates by inserting the substrate holding portion into the substrate processing chamber through the opening, The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate transport module comprises a main body portion having the second magnet provided inside, and a support column portion extending upward from the upper surface of the main body portion, with a substrate holding surface forming the substrate holding portion formed on its upper surface.

8. The support column is configured to have a smaller diameter than the base plate. Because the first magnet is provided on the floor surface, a sensor unit is provided in the area where the substrate transport module can move, which optically detects the peripheral edge of the substrate located outside the support column, with respect to the substrate supported by the support column. The apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the substrate transport module is configured to move to a position where the peripheral edge of the substrate held on the substrate holding surface can be detected by the sensor unit, and to perform alignment of the substrate by rotating the main body unit around a central axis passing through the center of the substrate.

9. The substrate transport chamber is configured so that substrates are transported under a vacuum atmosphere. A load lock chamber is connected to the substrate transport chamber at a location different from the position where an opening for connecting the substrate processing chamber is formed in the side wall of the substrate transport chamber, and the internal pressure is configured to be switchable between atmospheric pressure and vacuum, and substrates being transported in and out of the substrate transport chamber are temporarily placed there. The load lock chamber comprises a region on the floor surface from which the substrate transport module can move, and the sensor unit and the substrate transport module for alignment arranged in that region, The apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the alignment is performed on a substrate brought into the load lock chamber during the period in which the pressure in the load lock chamber is switched between atmospheric pressure and vacuum.

10. The substrate transport module is configured to transport substrates by inserting the substrate holding portion into the substrate processing chamber through the opening, The apparatus according to claim 1, comprising an imaging module equipped with a camera for imaging a moving region on which the first magnet is provided, wherein the imaging module is equipped with a magnet for the imaging module on which a repulsive force acts with the first magnet, and the imaging module is configured to be movable by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force.

11. An apparatus for transporting substrates to a substrate processing chamber where substrate processing is performed, A substrate transport chamber having a floor portion on which a first magnet is provided, and a side wall portion to which the substrate processing chamber is connected and an opening is formed between the substrate processing chamber and the substrate transport chamber for loading and unloading substrates, A substrate transport module comprises a substrate holding portion for holding the substrate and a second magnet with which a repulsive force acts between the first magnet, and is configured to be movable within the substrate transport chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force, The substrate transport module is configured to transfer substrates to and from the substrate transport mechanism when a substrate transport mechanism for loading and unloading substrates between the substrate transport chamber and the substrate processing chamber is fixedly installed in the substrate transport chamber through the opening, Provided in the substrate transport chamber, between the substrate transport module and the substrate transport mechanism It includes a board transfer section where the board to be transferred is temporarily placed, The substrate transfer unit comprises a mounting section on which the substrate is placed, and a magnet on the substrate transfer unit side with which a repulsive force acts between it and the first magnet. The device is configured to allow rotation around a vertical axis within the substrate transport chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force, in order to change the orientation of the substrate depending on whether it is held by the substrate transport module or the substrate transport mechanism. A system for processing substrates, comprising a plurality of substrate processing chambers connected to the substrate transport chamber via a plurality of openings formed in the side wall.

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