Transfer apparatus

Abstract

The objective of this invention is to suppress the increase in occupied area caused by connecting vacuum transport modules when increasing the maximum number of processing modules in a vacuum transport system, and to align the notch direction of the substrate during transport. The transport apparatus according to this invention includes: a first vacuum transport module; a first transport robot; a second vacuum transport module; a second transport robot; a cylindrical connecting module; a wafer support portion rotatably mounted on the aforementioned cylindrical connecting module to support the aforementioned wafer; and at least three ring support members extending outward from the aforementioned wafer support portion to support the aforementioned at least one ring.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a conveying device. Prior Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus or method for processing substrates. As an example of the apparatus configuration, it discloses a configuration in which two transfer modules for mounting a process module are connected to perform substrate processing. Furthermore, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for providing a rotating module (rotation mechanism) to rotate the substrate when necessary. [Previous Technical Documents] [Patent Literature]

[0003] Patent Document 1: US Patent No. 10,431,480 Summary of the Invention

[0004] [Invention Summary] [The problem the invention aims to solve] The present invention provides a handling device that, when increasing the maximum number of processing modules in a vacuum handling system by connecting vacuum handling modules, can suppress the increase in occupied area caused by connecting vacuum handling modules, and align the notch direction of the substrate during handling. [Methods used to solve problems]

[0005] One embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first vacuum transport module configured to be disposed within the first vacuum transport module and to simultaneously or separately transport a wafer and at least one ring, wherein the at least one ring has an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the wafer; a second vacuum transport module; a second transport robot configured to be disposed within the second vacuum transport module and to simultaneously or separately transport the wafer and the at least one ring; a cylindrical connecting module disposed between the first vacuum transport module and the second vacuum transport module, wherein the first vacuum transport module, the second vacuum transport module and the cylindrical connecting module are arranged along a first direction, wherein the cylindrical connecting module has a first length in the first direction, wherein the first length is smaller than the diameter of the wafer; a wafer support portion configured to be rotatably mounted in the cylindrical connecting module and to support the wafer; and at least three ring support members configured to extend outward from the wafer support portion and to support the at least one ring. [Invention Effects]

[0006] According to the present invention, when the maximum number of processing modules in a vacuum transport system is increased by connecting vacuum transport modules, the increase in the occupied area caused by the connection of vacuum transport modules can be suppressed, and the notch direction of the substrate can be aligned during transport. Simple Explanation of the Diagram

[0007] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the wafer processing apparatus of this embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the composition of the module in this embodiment. Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the composition of the busbar module of this embodiment. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the structure of a rotating mechanism. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the state of two edge rings with different diameters placed on the edge ring support surface of the rotating mechanism. Implementation

[0008] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, the interior of a processing module that houses a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to simply as a "wafer") is brought into a depressurized (vacuum) state, and various processing procedures are performed on the wafer. These processing procedures are performed in a substrate processing apparatus (hereinafter also referred to as a wafer processing apparatus) that has multiple processing modules.

[0009] The wafer processing apparatus includes, for example, an atmospheric section equipped with an atmospheric module for performing desired processing of the wafer in an atmospheric environment; and a decompression (vacuum) section equipped with a decompression (vacuum) module for processing the wafer in a decompression (vacuum) environment. The atmospheric section and the decompression (vacuum) section are integrally connected by a loading and locking module configured to switch between atmospheric and decompression (vacuum) environments.

[0010] In addition, when designing wafer processing devices, as disclosed in Patent Document 1, from the perspective of user needs or wafer processing efficiency, it is sometimes required to carry more processing modules.

[0011] However, given various issues such as reducing the footprint of wafer processing units, limiting the length of transport arms, and increasing wafer processing unit throughput, there is room for further discussion regarding the appropriate device design when adding processing modules. For example, when a vacuum transport system carries more processing modules, it has been proposed to set up a bus module for connecting existing vacuum transport modules. However, this raises issues such as increased footprint due to the bus module or notch orientation shift due to wafer handling within the bus module.

[0012] The present invention addresses the above-described situation by providing a transport apparatus configured to suppress the increase in occupied area by a bus module and to align the notch direction of the wafer during transport. Hereinafter, a wafer processing apparatus, which is the transport apparatus of this embodiment, will be described with reference to the illustrations. Furthermore, in this specification and illustrations, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are given the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0013] <Composition of Wafer Processing Equipment> First, the wafer processing apparatus of this embodiment will be described. FIG1 is a schematic plan view showing the configuration of the wafer processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment. In this embodiment, the wafer processing apparatus 1 is described as having a processing module for performing plasma processing such as etching, film deposition, or diffusion processing on a wafer W that serves as a substrate. However, the module configuration of the wafer processing apparatus 1 of the present invention is not limited to this and can be arbitrarily selected according to the purpose of wafer processing.

[0014] As shown in Figure 1, the wafer processing apparatus 1 has an atmospheric section 10 and a decompression section (vacuum section) 11 integrally connected via a loading and locking module 20. The atmospheric section 10 includes an atmospheric module for processing and transporting wafers W in an atmospheric environment. The decompression section (vacuum section) 11 includes a decompression module (vacuum module) for processing and transporting wafers W in a decompression (vacuum) environment.

[0015] The loading locking module 20 has multiple wafer transport chambers 21a, 21b, and 21c along the width direction (X-axis direction) of the loading module 30 and the fitting module 60 described later. In this embodiment, for example, there are three wafer transport chambers 21a, 21b, and 21c.

[0016] The wafer transport chambers 21a, 21b, and 21c (hereinafter, sometimes collectively referred to as "wafer transport chamber 21"), which serve as substrate transport chambers, are configured to connect via wafer transport ports 22 and 23 to the internal space of the loading module 30 (described later in the text) of the atmospheric section 10 and the internal space of the first transfer module 50a (described later in the text) of the pressure reduction section 11. Furthermore, the wafer transport ports 22 and 23 are configured to be freely opened and closed by gate valves 24 and 25, respectively.

[0017] The wafer transport chamber 21 is configured to temporarily hold the wafer W. Furthermore, the wafer transport chamber 21 is configured to switch between an atmospheric environment and a depressurized environment (vacuum state). In other words, the loading and locking module 20 is configured to appropriately receive and transfer the wafer W between the atmospheric section 10 in the atmospheric environment and the depressurized section 11 in the depressurized environment.

[0018] The atmospheric section 10 includes: a loading module 30, equipped with a wafer transport mechanism 40 (described later); and a loading port 32 for mounting a ring 31 capable of holding multiple wafers W. Furthermore, a steering module (not shown) for adjusting the horizontal direction of the wafers W or a storage module (not shown) for storing multiple wafers W may be disposed adjacent to the loading module 30.

[0019] The loading module 30 is composed of a rectangular frame, the interior of which is kept in an atmospheric environment. Multiple, for example, five loading ports 32 are arranged on one side of the loading module 30 forming the long side along the negative Y-axis. On the other sides of the loading module 30 forming the long side along the positive Y-axis, wafer transport chambers 21a, 21b, and 21c of the loading locking module 20 are arranged.

[0020] Inside the loading module 30, a wafer transport mechanism 40 for transporting wafer W is provided. The wafer transport mechanism 40 includes: a transport arm 41 for holding and moving wafer W; a rotary stage 42 for rotatably supporting the transport arm 41; and a rotary mounting stage 43 for mounting the rotary stage 42. Furthermore, inside the loading module 30, a guide rail 44 extending toward the long side (X-axis direction) of the loading module 30 is provided. The rotary mounting stage 43 is mounted on the guide rail 44, and the wafer transport mechanism 40 is configured to move along the guide rail 44.

[0021] The decompression unit 11 includes: two transfer modules (vacuum transport modules) 50a and 50b that internally transport wafers W (hereinafter also referred to as the first transfer module (first vacuum transport module) 50a and the second transfer module (second vacuum transport module) 50b); a bus module (cylindrical connecting module) 55 that connects the two transfer modules 50a and 50b to each other; a fitting module 60 that connects the loading locking module 20 and the first transfer module 50a; and a processing module 70 that processes the wafers W transported from the transfer modules 50a and 50b. The internal configurations of the transfer modules 50a and 50b, the fitting module 60, and the processing module 70 are designed to maintain a decompression (vacuum) environment. Furthermore, in this embodiment, multiple, for example, six processing modules 70 are connected to one transfer module 50a (or 50b). Furthermore, the number or configuration of the processing modules 70 is not limited to this embodiment and can be set arbitrarily.

[0022] The first transfer module 50a, which is a vacuum transport module, is connected to the loading and locking module 20 via the fitting module 60 as described above. For example, the first transfer module 50a and the second transfer module 50b transport the wafer W, which has been moved into the wafer transport chamber 21a of the loading and locking module 20, to one or more processing modules 70 for processing, and then transport it to the atmosphere section 10 via the wafer transport chamber 21c of the loading and locking module 20.

[0023] Inside the first transfer module 50a, a first wafer transport mechanism (first transport robot) 80a is provided as a first transport mechanism for transporting wafer W. The first wafer transport mechanism 80a includes: a transport arm 81a for holding and moving the wafer W; a rotary table 82a for rotatably supporting the transport arm 81a; and a rotary mounting stage 83a for mounting the rotary table 82a. The rotary mounting stage 83a is fixed to the central portion of the first transfer module 50a. In one embodiment, the first transport robot 80a is configured to be disposed within the first vacuum transport module 50a and simultaneously or separately transport the wafer W and at least one ring ER1. The ring ER1 has an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the wafer W. In one embodiment, at least one ring may have multiple rings ER1 and ER2. Each ring ER1 and ER2 has an inner diameter larger than the diameter of the wafer W. In this case, the first transport robot 80a can simultaneously transport multiple rings ER1 and ER2, or transport them separately. In one embodiment, multiple rings ER1 and ER2 are edge rings used together within a plasma processing module 70. The multiple edge rings ER1 and ER2 are configured to surround the wafer W within the plasma processing module 70. In one embodiment, the multiple edge rings ER1 and ER2 have a first edge ring ER1 and a second edge ring ER2, the outer diameter of the second edge ring ER2 being larger than the outer diameter of the first edge ring ER1. In one embodiment, the first edge ring ER1 is made of Si or SiC material, and the second edge ring ER2 is made of quartz. Furthermore, the first edge ring ER1 and the second edge ring ER2 can be made of the same material. For example, the first edge ring ER1 and the second edge ring ER2 can be made of quartz.

[0024] Inside the second transfer module 50b, a second wafer transport mechanism (second transport robot) 80b is provided as the second transport mechanism for transporting wafer W. The second wafer transport mechanism 80b has the same functional configuration as the first wafer transport mechanism 80a described above, and includes a transport arm 81b, a rotary table 82b, and a rotary mounting stage 83b. In one embodiment, the second transport robot 80b is configured to be disposed within the second vacuum transport module 50b, and can transport wafer W and at least one ring ER1 simultaneously or separately. When at least one ring has multiple rings ER1 and ER2, the second transport robot 80b can transport multiple rings ER1 and ER2 simultaneously, or transport them separately.

[0025] Processing module 70 performs plasma processing on wafer W, such as etching, film deposition, or diffusion. Within processing module 70, any module can be selected to perform processing for the desired wafer processing purpose. Furthermore, processing module 70 is connected to each of the transfer modules 50a and 50b via wafer transport ports 51 formed on the sidewalls of each transfer module 50a and 50b. The wafer transport ports 51 are configured to open and close freely using gate valves 71.

[0026] As shown in FIG1, a control unit 90 is provided in the wafer processing apparatus 1 described above. The control unit 90 is, for example, a computer equipped with a CPU or memory, and has a program storage unit (not shown). The program storage unit stores programs for controlling the transport or processing of the wafer W of the wafer processing apparatus 1. Furthermore, the program may be a program recorded on a computer-readable memory medium H, or a program installed from the memory medium H into the control unit 90.

[0027] <Composition of Each Module> The wafer processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment is configured as described above. Next, the detailed configuration of each module will be explained. Figure 2 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the loading locking module 20, the fitting module 60, the first transfer module 50a, the second transfer module 50b, and the bus module 55.

[0028] The loading and locking module 20 has three wafer transport chambers 21a, 21b, and 21c arranged along the width direction (X-axis direction) of the fitting module 60. Each of the three wafer transport chambers 21 has a wafer transport port 22 for receiving and transporting wafers W between the loading module 30 and the first transport module 50a, and a wafer transport port 23 for receiving and transporting wafers W between the loading module 20 and the first transport module 50a. In other words, three wafer transport ports 22 and 23 are formed on the sidewalls of the loading and locking module 20 on the negative Y-axis direction side and the positive Y-axis direction side, respectively.

[0029] The wafer transport chamber 21, which houses the locking module 20, is connected to the loading module 30 and the first transfer module 50a via gate valves 24 and 25. These gate valves 24 and 25 ensure both airtightness between the wafer transport chamber 21 and the loading module 30, or the transfer modules 50a and 50b, and maintain communication between them.

[0030] As shown in Figure 2, a storage warehouse 26 is provided in the wafer handling chamber 21 to temporarily store the wafers W being transported between the loading module 30 and the transfer modules 50a and 50b.

[0031] Furthermore, as shown in FIG2, the loading locking module 20 is connected to a gas supply section 27 for supplying gas to the interior of the wafer transport chamber 21 and an exhaust section 28 for discharging gas. The loading locking module 20 is configured such that the interior of the wafer transport chamber 21 can switch between an atmospheric environment and a depressurized environment via the gas supply section 27 and the exhaust section 28.

[0032] An opening 52 is formed at one end of the first transfer module 50a on the negative Y-axis side, to which the fitting module 60 is connected, for transporting the wafer W between the module and the fitting module 60. Furthermore, the other end of the first transfer module 50a on the positive Y-axis side is connected to the second transfer module 50b via a busbar module 55. In other words, one end of the second transfer module 50b on the negative Y-axis side is connected to the first transfer module 50a via the busbar module 55, while the other end of the second transfer module 50b on the positive Y-axis side is closed by an end plate 53, which is a plate-like member.

[0033] In this way, no plate-like components or gate valves are provided between the transfer modules 50a and 50b, the bus module 55, and the fitting module 60 as shown in the figure. That is to say, the transfer modules 50a and 50b, the bus module 55, and the fitting module 60 define an integrated transport space S that is internally connected and transports the wafer W by the first wafer transport mechanism 80a or the second wafer transport mechanism 80b.

[0034] On the sides of the long sides of the conveying modules 50a and 50b in the negative and positive directions along the X-axis, as described above, a plurality of wafer transport ports 51 are formed that communicate with the processing module 70. The wafer transport ports 51 are configured to be freely opened and closed using gate valves 71.

[0035] Furthermore, a gas supply unit 54 is connected to the top surface of the transfer modules 50a and 50b above the wafer transfer port 51 to supply inert gas (e.g., N2 gas) to the transfer space S. This gas supply unit 54 supplies inert gas to the transfer space S by blocking the wafer transfer port 51, i.e., forming a gas curtain, and prevents particles from scattering from the processing module 70 to the transfer modules 50a and 50b when the gate valve 71 is open.

[0036] Furthermore, the gas supply unit 54 supplies inert gas to the interior of the transport space S to eliminate stagnant airflow inside the transport space S, and the interior of the transport space S can be properly vented by the exhaust mechanism (not shown) connected to the fitting module 60.

[0037] <Composition of a bus module> As described above, bus module 55 connects to the first transfer module 50a and the second transfer module 50b. The interior of bus module 55 is spatially connected to the interiors of the first transfer module 50a and the second transfer module 50b, and is in a depressurized environment when transporting wafer W. Figure 3 is a schematic perspective view showing the general structure of bus module 55. Furthermore, Figure 3 shows the state in which wafer W is transported into bus module 55 by wafer transport mechanism 80a (transport arm 81a).

[0038] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the loading locking module 20, fitting module 60, first transmission module 50a, bus module 55, and second transmission module 50b are connected in this order from the negative Y-axis direction.

[0039] Furthermore, as shown in Figure 3, the bus module 55 is configured in a cylindrical shape and has: a first opening 55a, formed on one side (negative Y-axis direction side) connected to the first conveyor module 50a; and a second opening 55b, formed on the other side (positive Y-axis direction side) connected to the second conveyor module 50b.

[0040] In this embodiment, the bus module 55 has a first opening 55a and a second opening 55b that are both large enough to allow proper handling of the wafer W between the bus module 55 and each of the transport modules 50a and 50b.

[0041] Furthermore, the depth dimension H1 of the bus module 55 in the Y-axis direction is designed to be smaller than the diameter (substrate size) of the wafer W. However, the depth dimension H1 of the bus module 55 is designed to be large enough to accommodate the rotating mechanisms 56a and 56b that constitute the receiving / receiving section 56 described later. Also, the depth dimension H1 of the bus module 55 can be designed based on the gap (spacing) between the processing modules 70 adjacent to each other near the bus module 55. For example, from the viewpoint of the overall area occupied by the device, the spacing between adjacent processing modules 70 is set to approximately 10 mm, and the depth dimension H1 of the bus module 55 is designed based on this value. Therefore, the cylindrical connecting module 55 is disposed between the first vacuum transport module 50a and the second vacuum transport module 50b. The first vacuum transport module 50a, the second vacuum transport module 50b, and the cylindrical connecting module 55 are arranged along the first direction Y. The cylindrical connecting module 55 has a first length H1 in the first direction Y. The first length H1 is smaller than the diameter of the wafer W.

[0042] As shown in Figure 1, a receiving / receiving section 56 is provided in the bus module 55 for receiving / receiving wafer W between the first transfer module 50a and the second transfer module 50b. As shown in Figure 1, the receiving / receiving section 56 of this embodiment has two rotating mechanisms (wafer support sections) 56a and 56b, which are arranged along the width direction (X-axis direction) of the bus module 55.

[0043] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of rotating mechanisms 56a and 56b. Rotating mechanism 56a is illustrated here as an example, but rotating mechanism 56b has the same configuration. As shown in Figure 4, rotating mechanism 56a is composed of the following elements: a shaft member 100 containing a drive shaft; a substrate support portion (wafer stage) 105 having a substrate support surface (wafer support surface) 105a at the upper end of the shaft member 100; and an edge ring support portion 108 having at least three rod-shaped retaining members (ring support members) 107 extending outward from the outer periphery of the substrate support portion 105. In the configuration shown in Figure 4, the three retaining members 107a, 107b, and 107c are arranged at 120° intervals on the outer periphery of the substrate support portion 105.

[0044] The substrate support portion 105 is configured to be connected to a drive shaft (not shown) included within the shaft member 100, and rotates freely with the drive shaft. The substrate support portion 105 is preferably designed to be housed within the busbar module 55. Furthermore, the edge ring support portion 108 may be non-rotating, or it may be configured to be connected to the drive shaft and rotate freely, similar to the substrate support portion 105. As an example, the substrate support portion 105 and the edge ring support portion 108 may rotate integrally, or they may rotate independently of each other. Moreover, the substrate support portion 105 or the edge ring support portion 108 may be configured to be freely removable from the shaft member 100. Removing the substrate support portion 105 or the edge ring support portion 108 improves the efficiency of transporting or packaging the device.

[0045] On the substrate support surface 105a of the substrate support portion 105, the wafer W can be fixed and placed by means of a locking member such as an O-ring. The substrate support surface 105a can be a circular plate-shaped member with a diameter smaller than that of the wafer W. This size is preferably designed to be smaller than the width of the forks of the transport arms 81a and 81b, considering the receiving and passing of the wafer W between the transport arms 81a and 81b. Therefore, the wafer supports 56a and 56b are configured to be rotatably mounted on the cylindrical connecting module 55 to support the wafer W. The wafer support 56a includes a wafer stage 105 and a shaft member 100. The wafer stage 105 has a wafer support surface 105a. The wafer support surface 105a has a diameter smaller than the first length H1. The shaft member 100 extends downward from the wafer stage 105. The wafer support 56b also has the same configuration as the wafer support 56a.

[0046] An edge ring support surface 109 with an upwardly projecting shape is formed at the outer front end of the retaining member 107. The substrate support surface 105a and the edge ring support surface 109 may be at the same height level or at different height levels. Therefore, at least three ring support members 107a, 107b, and 107c are configured to extend outward from the wafer support portion 56a and together support at least one ring ER1. When at least one ring has multiple rings ER1 and ER2, at least three ring support members 107a, 107b, and 107c are configured to together support multiple rings ER1 and ER2. At least three ring support members 107a, 107b, and 107c have a first ring support member 107a and a second ring support member 107b. In one embodiment, the first ring support member 107a extends to the interior of the first vacuum transport module 50a, and the second ring support member 107b extends to the interior of the second vacuum transport module 50b. At least three ring support members 107a, 107b, and 107c are rotatable. In one embodiment, each ring support member 107a, 107b, and 107c includes a rod-shaped portion and a protruding portion. The rod-shaped portion is mounted on the shaft member 100 at one end. The protruding portion protrudes upward from the other end of the rod-shaped portion and has a ring support surface 109 at its upper end. Furthermore, the edge ring support surface 109 preferably has a certain width in the radial direction of the rotating mechanism 56a. This is because the edge ring ER allows two rings of different diameters (e.g., a focal ring FR and a cover ring CR) to support rotation on the edge ring support surface 109.

[0047] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing the state in which two edge rings ER1 and ER2 with different diameters are placed on the edge ring support surface 109 of the rotating mechanisms 56a and 56b. According to the configuration of this embodiment, the two edge rings ER1 and ER2 with different diameters can be simultaneously supported on the edge ring support surface 109 as shown in Figure 5, and can be held or rotated. Furthermore, the focal ring FR refers to a silicon-based component that aligns around the wafer W, and the cover ring CR refers to a quartz-based component that covers the outer side of the focal ring FR. The edge ring ER refers to a ring-shaped component configured to surround the wafer W during plasma processing, and here it is a general term for the aforementioned focal ring FR and cover ring CR.

[0048] As described above, the dimensions of the substrate support portion 105 are preferably designed to be smaller than the depth dimension H1 of the bus module 55. In addition, the overall dimensions of the retaining members 107 (107a~107c), including the edge ring support portion 108, can be designed to be larger than the depth dimension H1 of the bus module 55. In this case, the front end of the retaining member 107 can extend into the interior of each transmission module 50a, 50b.

[0049] <Wafer Acquisition Methods> Next, an example of a method for receiving and receiving wafer W via bus module 55 in the wafer processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment will be described. For example, after the first substrate processing is performed on the processing module 70 provided on the side of the first transfer module 50a for the same wafer W, when the second substrate processing is performed on another processing module 70 provided on the side of the second transfer module 50b, the wafer W must be received from the first transfer module 50a to the second transfer module 50b.

[0050] First, after the first substrate is processed by the processing module 70 located on the side of the first transfer module 50a, the wafer W is removed from the processing module 70 by the first wafer transport mechanism 80a (transport arm 81a), and the wafer W is placed on the substrate support portion 105 of either the rotating mechanism 56a or 56b in the bus module 55.

[0051] Then, with the wafer W mounted on the substrate support 105, the drive shaft included in the shaft member 100 drives the substrate support 105 and the wafer W to rotate together by a predetermined angle. After rotation, the wafer W is removed from the substrate support 105 by the second wafer transport mechanism 80b (transport arm 81b). The wafer W is directly transported by the second wafer transport mechanism 80b to the processing module 70 located on the side of the second transfer module 50b. Then, the second substrate processing is performed in the processing module 70 located on the side of the second transfer module 50b. Therefore, the control unit 90 controls the first transport robot 80a to place the wafer W on the wafer support 56a. Next, the control unit 90 controls the wafer support 56a to rotate the wafer W on the wafer support 56a by a predetermined angle. Then, the second handling robot 80b is controlled to move the wafer W on the wafer support 56a into the second vacuum handling module 50b.

[0052] When handling multiple wafers W during the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, from the viewpoint of process characteristics or mass production, it is preferable to handle them in a manner in which the wafers W within the processing module 70 are all facing the same direction. Therefore, whether it is during handling by the first wafer handling mechanism 80a (handling arm 81a) or the second wafer handling mechanism 80b (handling arm 81b), it is preferable to control the handling in a manner in which the wafers W in the processing module 70 at the handling destination are all facing the same direction.

[0053] From this perspective, it is required that notches (cuts) be formed in predetermined locations on the wafer W, and that the notch directions of the wafer W be aligned when the wafer W is transported to the processing module 70 during substrate processing, so that the wafer W is consistently oriented in the same direction within the processing module 70. The wafer processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment has a configuration in which a first transfer module 50a and a second transfer module 50b are connected via a bus module 55. Regarding the substrate processing of the wafer W, it is necessary to transport the same wafer W towards multiple processing modules 70; in this case, it is required to transport it via the bus module 55.

[0054] According to the configuration of this embodiment, by providing rotating mechanisms 56a and 56b in the bus module 55 through which the wafer W passes during transport, the wafer W can be rotated by a predetermined angle when being received from the first wafer transport mechanism 80a toward the second wafer transport mechanism 80b. This allows the wafer W to be transported in a manner where the notch direction of the wafer W is aligned with the same direction within the processing module 70 at the transport destination, thereby improving the uniformity of substrate processing or increasing production volume.

[0055] Furthermore, while the method for receiving and accepting wafer W is described here, the scope of the present invention is not limited thereto. That is, as in the wafer processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, it can be configured such that when performing plasma processing on wafer W in processing module 70, edge rings ER can be transported in the vacuum transport section. As described above, the rotation mechanisms 56a and 56b include edge ring support sections 108 for supporting edge rings ER. Therefore, similar to wafer W transport, when transporting edge rings ER, the edge rings ER can be rotated to transport processing module 70 in a desired direction. Therefore, control unit 90 controls the first transport robot 80a to place at least one ring ER1, ER2 on at least three ring support members 107a, 107b, 107c. Then, control unit 90 controls the second transport robot 80b to transport at least one ring ER1, ER2 on the at least three ring support members 107a, 107b, 107c into the second vacuum transport module 50b.

[0056] In the wafer processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, when more processing modules 70 are mounted on a single vacuum transport system to meet various requirements, a bus module 55 with a very small depth (specifically less than the diameter of the wafer W) is used to connect the existing vacuum transport modules (transfer modules 50a, 50b). This allows for the suppression of increased area when increasing the maximum number of processing modules 70.

[0057] Furthermore, in the wafer processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, in order to increase the maximum number of processing modules 70, the first transfer module 50a and the second transfer module 50b are connected via a bus module 55. Rotation mechanisms 56a and 56b are provided in the bus module 55 that receives the wafer W. This allows the same wafer W to be received from the first wafer transport mechanism 80a to the second wafer transport mechanism 80b, for example, by rotating the wafer W at a desired angle. In other words, the wafer W can be transported in such a way that the notch direction of the wafer W faces the same direction within the processing module 70 at the transport destination, thereby increasing production capacity.

[0058] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered as illustrative in all respects, not as limiting. The aforementioned embodiments can be omitted, substituted, or modified in various forms without departing from the scope and intent of the appended patent application.

[0059] For example, the wafer processing apparatus 1 of the above embodiment is illustrated in the figure as having two transfer modules 50a and 50b and a bus module 55 connecting the transfer modules, but the apparatus configuration is not limited to this. That is, it can be configured to connect three or more transfer modules 50 to each other with multiple bus modules 55 and close their terminals with end plates 53.

[0060] 1: Wafer processing equipment 10: Atmospheric Department 11: Decompression Section (Vacuum Section) 20: Load Locking Module 21a: Wafer Handling Room 21b: Wafer Handling Room 21c: Wafer Handling Room 22: Wafer transport port 23: Wafer transport port 24: Gate valve 25: Gate valve 30: Load Module 31: Ring hoop 32: Loading Port 40: Wafer handling mechanism 41: Handling arm 42: Rotary table 43: Rotary platform 44: Guide rail 50a: First Conveying Module (First Vacuum Transport Module) 50b: Second Conveyor Module (Second Vacuum Transport Module) 51: Wafer transport port 55: Busbar Module 56: Receiving Department 56a: Rotating mechanism 56b: Rotating mechanism 60: Fitting Module 70: Processing Module 71: Gate valve 80a: First wafer handling mechanism (first handling robot) 80b: Second wafer handling mechanism (second handling robot) 81a: Handling arm 81b: Handling arm 82a: Rotary table 82b: Rotary table 83a: Rotary stage 83b: Rotary stage 90: Control Department 105:Substrate support department 108: Edge ring support W: Wafer H1: Length of bus module 55 in the Y direction

Claims

1. A handling device comprising: a first vacuum handling module; a first handling robot disposed within the first vacuum handling module; a second vacuum handling module; a second handling robot disposed within the second vacuum handling module; a cylindrical connecting module disposed between the first vacuum handling module and the second vacuum handling module; a wafer support portion disposed within the cylindrical connecting module; and a plurality of ring support members extending outward from the wafer support portion; the plurality of ring support members being configured to include a first ring support member and a second ring support member, wherein the first ring support member extends into the first vacuum handling module, and the second ring support member extends into the second vacuum handling module.

2. The conveying device as described in claim 1, wherein, The first vacuum transport module, the second vacuum transport module, and the cylindrical connecting module are arranged along a first direction; the cylindrical connecting module has a first length in the first direction.

3. The conveying device as described in claim 2, wherein, The wafer support portion includes a wafer stage with a wafer support surface; the wafer support surface has a diameter smaller than the first length.

4. The conveying device as described in claim 1, wherein, The wafer support is rotatable.

5. The conveying device as described in claim 1, wherein, The multiple rings support the ability of the component to rotate.

6. The conveying device as described in claim 4, wherein, The multiple rings support the ability of the component to rotate.

7. The conveying device as described in claim 3, wherein, The wafer support further includes a shaft member extending downward from the wafer stage; each of the plurality of ring support members includes a rod-shaped portion and a protruding portion; the rod-shaped portion is mounted on the shaft member at one end; the protruding portion protrudes upward from the other end of the rod-shaped portion and has a ring support surface at the upper end.

8. The conveying device as described in claim 7, wherein, The ring support surface is at the same height as the wafer support surface.

9. The conveying device as described in claim 7, wherein, The ring support surface is located at a different height from the wafer support surface.

10. The conveying device as described in claim 7, wherein, The plurality of ring support members includes three ring support members arranged at 120° intervals around the axis member.

11. The transport device as described in claim 6 further includes a control unit; the control unit is configured to: control the first transport robot to place the wafer on the wafer support; control the wafer support to rotate the wafer on the wafer support by a predetermined angle; and control the second transport robot to transport the wafer on the wafer support into the second vacuum transport module.

12. The conveying device as described in claim 11, wherein, The control unit is further configured to: control the first transport robot to place at least one ring on the plurality of ring support members; and control the second transport robot to transport the at least one ring on the plurality of ring support members into the second vacuum transport module.

13. A handling device comprising: a first vacuum handling module; a first handling robot disposed within the first vacuum handling module; a second vacuum handling module; a second handling robot disposed within the second vacuum handling module; a cylindrical connecting module disposed between the first vacuum handling module and the second vacuum handling module; a wafer support portion disposed within the cylindrical connecting module; and a plurality of ring support members extending outward from the wafer support portion; the plurality of ring support members being configured to include a first ring support member, and the first ring support member extending into the first vacuum handling module or the second vacuum handling module.

14. The conveying device as described in claim 13, wherein, The first vacuum transport module, the second vacuum transport module, and the cylindrical connecting module are arranged along a first direction; the cylindrical connecting module has a first length in the first direction.

15. The conveying device as described in claim 14, wherein, The wafer support portion includes a wafer stage with a wafer support surface; the wafer support surface has a diameter smaller than the first length.

16. The conveying device as described in claim 14, wherein, The wafer support is rotatable.

17. The conveying device as described in claim 16, wherein, The multiple rings support the ability of the component to rotate.

18. The conveying device as described in claim 15, wherein, The wafer support further includes a shaft member extending downward from the wafer stage; each of the plurality of ring support members includes a rod-shaped portion and a protruding portion; the rod-shaped portion is mounted on the shaft member at one end; the protruding portion protrudes upward from the other end of the rod-shaped portion and has a ring support surface at the upper end.

19. The transport device as described in claim 17 further includes a control unit; the control unit is configured to: control the first transport robot to place the wafer on the wafer support; control the wafer support to rotate the wafer on the wafer support by a predetermined angle; and control the second transport robot to transport the wafer on the wafer support into the second vacuum transport module.

20. The conveying device as described in claim 19, wherein, The control unit is further configured to: control the first transport robot to place at least one ring on the plurality of ring support members; and control the second transport robot to transport the at least one ring on the plurality of ring support members into the second vacuum transport module.

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