Vacuum transfer module and substrate processing system

Abstract

A vacuum transfer module disclosed herein includes at least one vacuum transfer chamber and at least one planar motor. The at least one planar motor is disposed along a bottom of a vacuum transfer space provided by the at least one vacuum transfer chamber and is configured to move a magnetically levitated mobile device within the vacuum transfer space. The at least one vacuum transfer chamber includes a first opening end and a second opening end constituting both ends in a first direction, and a third opening end and a fourth opening end constituting both ends in a second direction. Each of the first to fourth opening ends is configured to be connectable to another chamber.

Description

Vacuum transfer module and substrate processing system

[0001] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a vacuum transfer module and a substrate processing system.

[0002] A substrate processing system is used in processing substrates. The substrate processing system includes a plurality of process modules and a vacuum transfer module. The vacuum transfer module is configured to transfer substrates to the plurality of process modules. Patent Document 1 below discloses such a substrate processing system.

[0003] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-104042

[0004] The present disclosure provides a vacuum transfer module having high expandability.

[0005] In one exemplary embodiment, a vacuum transfer module is provided. The vacuum transfer module includes at least one vacuum transfer chamber and at least one planar motor. The at least one planar motor is arranged along a bottom portion of a vacuum transfer space provided by the at least one vacuum transfer chamber, and is configured to move a magnetically levitated moving device within the vacuum transfer space. The at least one vacuum transfer chamber includes a first open end and a second open end, as well as a third open end and a fourth open end. The first open end and the second open end respectively constitute opposite ends in a first direction. The third open end and the fourth open end respectively constitute opposite ends in a second direction that intersects the first direction. Each of the first open end, the second open end, the third open end, and the fourth open end is configured to be connectable to another chamber.

[0006] According to one exemplary embodiment, a vacuum transfer module having high expandability is provided.

[0007] This is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. This is a perspective view showing a vacuum transport chamber in a vacuum transport module according to one exemplary embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view showing a transport system in a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. This is a perspective view showing examples of a moving device and a planar motor in a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. This is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to another exemplary embodiment. This is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. This is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. This is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. This is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. This is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. This is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. This is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. This is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. This is a cross-sectional view schematically showing the configuration of an example maintenance module that can be used in various exemplary substrate processing systems. This is a cross-sectional view showing another example maintenance module that can be used in various exemplary substrate processing systems. This is a plan view showing another example of a maintenance module that can be used in a substrate processing system according to various exemplary embodiments. This is a front cross-sectional view of an example of a maintenance module that can be used in a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. This is a side cross-sectional view of an example of a maintenance module that can be used in a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. This is a diagram showing an example of a post-processing module that can be used in a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. This is a block diagram of a computer (a type of circuit) capable of realizing the various control modes described herein.

[0008] Various exemplary embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0009] Figure 1 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. Figure 1 shows the substrate processing system 1 viewed from above, with the vacuum transport chamber of the vacuum transport module 10 cut in a horizontal plane. Figure 2 is a perspective view showing the vacuum transport chamber in the vacuum transport module according to one exemplary embodiment.

[0010] The substrate processing system 1 shown in Figure 1 includes a vacuum transport module 10 and a plurality of modules 11. The substrate processing system 1 may further include a load port 13, a loader module 14, and load lock modules 151, 152. The number of load lock modules is not limited to two, but may be three or more. The substrate processing system 1 may further include a plurality of moving devices 20. The substrate processing system 1 may also further include a control unit 2.

[0011] The load port 13 is configured to support one or more substrate carriers 16 placed on it. Each of the substrate carriers 16 is a container capable of housing multiple substrates W. Each of the substrate carriers 16 is, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod). The load port 13 is located along one of a pair of side walls of the atmospheric transport chamber 14c of the loader module 14.

[0012] The loader module 14 is positioned between the load port 13 and the load lock modules 151 and 152, respectively. The loader module 14 includes an atmospheric transport chamber 14c. The atmospheric transport chamber 14c has an atmospheric transport space 14s as its internal space. The pressure in the atmospheric transport space 14s is set to atmospheric pressure.

[0013] The loader module 14 further includes a transport robot 14r. The transport robot 14r is located inside the atmospheric transport chamber 14c. Under the control of the control unit 2, the transport robot 14r is configured to transport the substrate W between the substrate carrier 16 and the respective pre-decompression chambers (chambers) of the load lock modules 151 and 152, which will be described later, via the atmospheric transport space 14s.

[0014] Each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 is arranged along the other of the pair of side walls of the atmospheric transport chamber 14c. Each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 is positioned between the atmospheric transport chamber 14c and the vacuum transport chamber assembly of the vacuum transport module 10, which will be described later. Each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 has a pre-depressurization chamber. Each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 is connected to the atmospheric transport chamber 14c via a gate valve. The pre-depressurization chambers of each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 and the atmospheric transport chamber 14c are connected by opening the gate valve between them and are isolated from each other by closing the gate valve.

[0015] The vacuum transport module 10 includes at least one vacuum transport chamber 100 and at least one planar motor 30 (see Figures 2 to 4). At least one vacuum transport chamber 100 provides a vacuum transport space 10s. At least one vacuum transport chamber 100 constitutes a vacuum transport chamber assembly, which will be described later. At least one vacuum transport chamber 100 has first to fourth open ends, which will be described later. The first to fourth open ends are configured to be connectable to other chambers. The other chambers may be chambers 11c of module 11, which will be described later, or other vacuum transport chambers 100. At least one of the first to fourth open ends may be closed by a first or second attachment, which will be described later. At least one of the first to fourth open ends may be connected to other chambers via a first or second attachment, which will be described later.

[0016] Since at least one vacuum transfer chamber 100 has four open ends that can be connected to other chambers, the vacuum transfer module 10 has high expandability. The number of vacuum transfer chambers 100 in the vacuum transfer module 10 may be one or any number. The following explanation will take the case in which the vacuum transfer module 10 includes multiple vacuum transfer chambers 100 as an example, but the number of vacuum transfer chambers 100 in the vacuum transfer module 10 may be one.

[0017] Multiple vacuum transfer chambers 100 are arranged along a first direction D1 and connected in series. The first direction D1 is a direction that intersects or is perpendicular to the vertical direction. The multiple vacuum transfer chambers 100 form a vacuum transfer space 10s by connecting their respective internal spaces 100s in series. The vacuum transfer space 10s is set to a reduced pressure state or a vacuum state by an exhaust device (e.g., a dry pump).

[0018] Multiple vacuum transfer chambers 100 constitute a vacuum transfer chamber assembly. The vacuum transfer chamber assembly may further include a first attachment 110 and a second attachment 120. The first attachment 110 and the second attachment 120 may be attached to two vacuum transfer chambers 100 (a first end vacuum transfer chamber and a second end vacuum transfer chamber) located at both ends of the multiple vacuum transfer chambers 100 so as to terminate the vacuum transfer space 10s in a first direction D1. The first attachment 110 may be attached to the first open end 101 of the first end vacuum transfer chamber (vacuum transfer chamber 100a in Figure 1) located at one end of the multiple vacuum transfer chambers 100. The second attachment 120 may be attached to the second open end 102 of the second end vacuum transfer chamber (vacuum transfer chamber 100c in Figure 1) located at the other end of the multiple vacuum transfer chambers 100.

[0019] Each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 is connected to the first open end 101 of the first end vacuum transfer chamber (vacuum transfer chamber 100a in Figure 1) via a gate valve and a first attachment 110. The vacuum transfer space 10s and the pre-depressurization chambers of each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 are connected by opening the gate valve between them and separated from each other by closing the gate valve. The first attachment 110 has an opening to connect each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 to the vacuum transfer space 10s. On the other hand, in the example of Figure 1, the second attachment 120 does not have an opening and seals the vacuum transfer space 10s by closing the opening of the second open end 102 of the second end vacuum transfer chamber (vacuum transfer chamber 100c in Figure 1).

[0020] The substrates W placed in the pre-depressurization chambers of the load lock modules 151 and 152 are transported from the pre-depressurization chambers into the vacuum transport space 10s by one of the multiple moving devices 20. The substrates W in the vacuum transport space 10s are then transported by one of the multiple moving devices 20 into one of the chambers 11c (processing chambers) of the multiple process modules. The multiple modules 11 mentioned above include multiple process modules. Examples of the moving devices 20 will be described later.

[0021] The control unit 2 is composed of circuits as described later. The control unit 2 is configured to control each part of the substrate processing system 1. The control unit 2 is configured to control the drive source of the planar motor 30 in order to move the moving device 20 in the vacuum transport space 10s and transport the substrate W between the vacuum transport chamber assembly and the selected process module.

[0022] Each of the multiple modules 11 has a chamber 11c. Each chamber 11c of the multiple modules 11 is connected to the vacuum transfer chamber assembly via a gate valve. The internal space of each of the multiple modules 11 and the vacuum transfer space 10s are in communication by opening the gate valve between them, and are isolated from each other by closing the gate valve.

[0023] The multiple modules 11 include the multiple process modules described above. The processing performed in each of the multiple process modules, i.e., substrate processing, includes, but is not limited to, film deposition processing, etching processing (e.g., plasma etching processing), ashing processing, cleaning processing, and substrate post-processing. In one embodiment, the multiple process modules may include at least one process module selected from the group consisting of the first to fourth process modules. The first process module is a single-wafer etching apparatus (e.g., a plasma etching apparatus). The second process module may be a multi-wafer substrate processing apparatus or a substrate processing apparatus for large-diameter substrates. The multi-wafer substrate processing apparatus processes multiple substrates (e.g., two or four) arranged horizontally in a chamber simultaneously. The substrate processing apparatus for large-diameter substrates is configured to process substrates having a diameter larger than the diameter of substrates that the first process module can process. The second process module may be a multi-wafer etching apparatus (e.g., a plasma etching apparatus) or an etching apparatus for large-diameter substrates (e.g., a plasma etching apparatus). The second process module may be a multi-wafer film deposition apparatus or a film deposition apparatus for large-diameter substrates. The third process module is a film deposition apparatus. The fourth process module is a post-processing module configured to perform post-processing on the substrate.

[0024] Furthermore, the plurality of modules 11 may include the load lock modules 151 and 152 described above. The plurality of modules 11 may further include at least one maintenance module configured to perform maintenance on the substrate processing system 1. The at least one maintenance module may include a maintenance module used for replacing components of the substrate processing system 1 and / or a maintenance module used for transporting the mobile device 20 between the vacuum transport space 10s and the internal space of its containment chamber.

[0025] In the vacuum transfer module 10, each of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers 100 may have a hollow, substantially cubic shape. Each of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers 100 includes a first open end 101, a second open end 102, a third open end 103, and a fourth open end 104. The first open end 101 and the second open end 102 constitute both ends of each vacuum transfer chamber 100 in the first direction D1. In each vacuum transfer chamber 100, the internal space 100s extends from the first open end 101 to the second open end 102 in the first direction D1. The first open end 101 and the second open end 102 each have an opening.

[0026] The second opening end 102 of each vacuum transfer chamber 100 is connected to the first opening end 101 of the adjacent vacuum transfer chamber 100 in the first direction D1 among the multiple vacuum transfer chambers 100. A sealing member 106 may be sandwiched between the second opening end 102 of each of the multiple vacuum transfer chambers 100 and the first opening end 101 of the adjacent vacuum transfer chamber 100 to improve the airtightness of the vacuum transfer space 10s. A sealing member 106 may also be sandwiched between the first opening end 101 of the first end vacuum transfer chamber (vacuum transfer chamber 100a in Figure 1) and the first attachment 110. A sealing member 106 may also be sandwiched between the second opening end 102 of the second end vacuum transfer chamber (vacuum transfer chamber 100c in Figure 1) and the second attachment 120.

[0027] The third opening end 103 and the fourth opening end 104 constitute the ends of each vacuum transfer chamber 100 in the second direction D2. The second direction D2 is a direction that intersects or is perpendicular to the vertical direction and the first direction D1. In each vacuum transfer chamber 100, the internal space 100s extends from the third opening end 103 to the fourth opening end 104 in the second direction D2. Each of the third opening end 103 and the fourth opening end 104 has an opening. Each of the third opening end 103 and the fourth opening end 104 is configured to be connectable to any of the chambers 11c of the plurality of modules 11. Each of the third opening end 103 and the fourth opening end 104 has an opening that communicates with the internal space 100s. A gate valve is interposed between the openings of each of the third opening end 103 and the fourth opening end 104 and the chamber 11c.

[0028] Hereinafter, at least one planar motor 30 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2, as well as Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a transport system in a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. Figure 4 is a perspective view showing an example of a moving device and a planar motor in a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment.

[0029] The transport system 300 shown in Figure 3 includes a plurality of moving devices 20, at least one planar motor 30, and a drive source 33. The transport system 300 is configured to move the plurality of moving devices 20 using at least one planar motor 30 (linear motor unit).

[0030] At least one planar motor 30 may include a plurality of planar motors 30. Each of the plurality of planar motors 30 is arranged along the bottom 105 of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers 100. In one embodiment, each of the plurality of planar motors 30 may be provided over a region from a first opening end 101 to a second opening end 102 of the corresponding vacuum transfer chamber 100. Alternatively, the second opening end 102 of each of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers 100 and the first opening end 101 of the adjacent vacuum transfer chamber 100 may be directly connected. In this case, the distance between adjacent planar motors 30 in the first direction D1 is minimized or eliminated.

[0031] Each planar motor 30 includes a body 31 and a plurality of electromagnetic coils 32. The body 31 may constitute the bottom 105 of the corresponding vacuum transport chamber 100. The plurality of electromagnetic coils 32 are arranged throughout the body 31 and below the internal space 100s of the corresponding vacuum transport chamber 100. The plurality of electromagnetic coils 32 may be arranged two-dimensionally throughout the body 31. The drive source 33 is configured to supply current to the plurality of electromagnetic coils 32 individually. The supply and cessation of current from the drive source 33 to each of the plurality of electromagnetic coils 32, as well as the direction and magnitude of the current from the drive source 33 to each of the plurality of electromagnetic coils 32, are controlled by the control unit 2. Under the control of the control unit 2, a magnetic field is generated in the vacuum transport space 10s by supplying current from the drive source 33 to one or more selected electromagnetic coils 32.

[0032] Each of the multiple moving devices 20 is a magnetic levitation device and includes a base 21. The base 21 includes multiple magnets 23 (e.g., permanent magnets). The multiple magnets 23 are arranged within the base 21. The multiple magnets 23 may be arranged two-dimensionally within the base 21.

[0033] Each of the multiple mobile devices 20 may include a transport mobile device 20. The transport mobile device 20 includes an end effector 22. The end effector 22 is supported by a base 21. The end effector 22 is configured to support a substrate W placed on it. The end effector 22 may also be configured to support consumable parts such as a ring member (for example, an edge ring used in a plasma processing device) placed on it.

[0034] In one embodiment, the multiple moving devices 20 may include, in addition to the moving devices 20 for transport, at least one of a cleaning device, a retrieval device for retrieving other moving devices 20, and an observation device having a sensor. The cleaning device is configured to clean the vacuum transport module 10 in the vacuum transport space 10s.

[0035] In the transport system 300, by setting the direction of the current supplied from the drive source 33 to the multiple electromagnetic coils 32 (i.e., multiple electromagnets) and multiple magnets 23 so that they repel each other, the moving device 20 can be levitated from the main body 31 in the vacuum transport space 10s by the principle of magnetic levitation. Furthermore, by individually controlling the current supplied from the drive source 33 to the multiple electromagnetic coils 32 by the control unit 2, the position of the moving device 20 can be controlled by moving the moving device 20 along the surface of the main body 31 while it is levitating in the vacuum transport space 10s. In addition, the amount of levitation of the moving device 20 can be controlled by controlling the magnitude of the current.

[0036] According to the transport system 300, the movement of the moving device 20 is controlled by the control unit 2's control of the drive source 33, allowing the moving device 20 to transport substrates W in the vacuum transport space 10s between the vacuum transport space 10s and a selected process module, or between the vacuum transport space 10s and a pre-depressurization chamber. Furthermore, multiple substrates W can be transported simultaneously or in parallel by multiple moving devices 20.

[0037] As described above, in one embodiment, the vacuum transport module 10 is configured by connecting vacuum transport chambers 100 in series. Therefore, the vacuum transport module 10 has even greater expandability. For example, with the vacuum transport module 10, the number of vacuum transport chambers 100 connected in series can be adjusted. Also, with the vacuum transport module 10, a vacuum transport chamber 100 can be used that corresponds to the length of the other module 11 to be connected. For example, a vacuum transport chamber 100 having a length in the first direction D1 corresponding to the length of the other module 11 to be connected in the first direction D1 can be used. The length of the vacuum transport chamber 100 is the length along the first direction D1 from the first opening end 101 to the second opening end 102.

[0038] The following describes several other examples of substrate processing systems. Figure 5 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to another exemplary embodiment. The control unit 2 is omitted in Figure 5. The following description will focus on the substrate processing system 1B shown in Figure 5, in terms of its differences from the substrate processing system 1.

[0039] In the substrate processing system 1B, the vacuum transport module 10 includes a plurality of vacuum transport chambers 100a and 100b. Each of the third open end 103 and fourth open end 104 of each of the vacuum transport chambers 100a and 100b may include a single opening as an opening communicating with the internal space 100s. A second attachment 120 is attached to the second open end 102 of the vacuum transport chamber 100b. The length of the vacuum transport chamber 100b in the first direction D1 is longer than the length of the vacuum transport chamber 100a in the first direction D1. In various embodiments, such as the vacuum transport module 10 of the substrate processing system 1B, the length of at least one of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers 100 in the first direction D1 may differ from the length of at least one other vacuum transport chamber 100 in the first direction D1.

[0040] The substrate processing system 1B includes a plurality of modules 11, namely two process modules 11A and two process modules 11B. The length of each of the two process modules 11B in the first direction D1 is longer than the length of each of the two process modules 11A in the first direction D1. The chambers 11c of the two process modules 11A are each connected to the third opening end 103 and the fourth opening end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100a via gate valves. The chambers 11c of the two process modules 11B are each connected to the third opening end 103 and the fourth opening end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100b via gate valves.

[0041] In one example of a substrate processing system 1B, each of the two process modules 11A may be the first process module (single-wafer etching apparatus) described above, and each of the two process modules 11B may be the second process module (multi-wafer substrate processing apparatus or substrate processing apparatus for large-diameter substrates) described above.

[0042] Refer to Figure 6 below. Figure 6 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. The control unit 2 is omitted in Figure 6. The substrate processing system 1C shown in Figure 6 will be described below in terms of its differences from the substrate processing system 1B.

[0043] The substrate processing system 1C includes a plurality of modules 11, consisting of two process modules 11A, two process modules 11C, and module 11D. The length of each of the two process modules 11C in a first direction D1 is longer than the length of each of the two process modules 11A in a first direction D1. The chambers 11c of the two process modules 11A are each connected to the third open end 103 and the fourth open end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100a via gate valves. The chambers 11c of the two process modules 11C are each connected to the third open end 103 and the fourth open end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100b via gate valves.

[0044] In one example of a substrate processing system 1C, each of the two process modules 11A may be the above-mentioned first process module (single-wafer etching apparatus), and each of the two process modules 11C may be the above-mentioned third process module (film forming apparatus).

[0045] In one example of a substrate processing system 1C, a second attachment 120B is attached to a second opening end 102 of a vacuum transfer chamber 100b. A chamber 11c of a module 11D is connected to the second opening end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100b via the second attachment 120B and a gate valve. The module 11D may be the above-mentioned maintenance module. The second attachment 120B has an opening for communicating an internal space 100s of the vacuum transfer chamber 100b with an internal space of the chamber 11c of the module 11D.

[0046] In another example, the substrate processing system 1C may not include the module 11D, the above-mentioned second attachment 120 may be attached to the second opening end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100b, and a vacuum transfer space 10s may be sealed by the second attachment 120.

[0047] Reference is now made to FIG. 7. FIG. 7 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to still another exemplary embodiment. The control unit 2 is omitted in FIG. 7. Hereinafter, the substrate processing system 1D shown in FIG. 7 will be described from the viewpoint of differences from the substrate processing system 1B.

[0048] In the substrate processing system 1D, the vacuum transfer module 10 includes four vacuum transfer chambers 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d as a plurality of vacuum transfer chambers 100. Each of the third open end 103 and fourth open end 104 of each of the vacuum transfer chambers 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d may include a single opening as an opening that communicates with the internal space 100s. A second attachment 120B is attached to the second open end 102 of the second end vacuum transfer chamber, i.e., the vacuum transfer chamber 100d. The number of vacuum transfer chambers 100 may be more than four.

[0049] The chamber 11c of the process module 11A is connected via a gate valve to each of the third open end 103 and fourth open end 104 of the vacuum transfer chambers 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d. The process module 11A may be the first process module (single-wafer etching apparatus) described above.

[0050] Furthermore, the chamber 11c of module 11D is connected to the second open end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100d via the second attachment 120B and a gate valve. Module 11D may be the maintenance module described above.

[0051] In another example, the substrate processing system 1D may not include module 11D, the second attachment 120 may be attached to the second open end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100d, and the vacuum transfer space 10s may be sealed by the second attachment 120.

[0052] Refer to Figure 8 below. Figure 8 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. The control unit 2 is omitted in Figure 8. The substrate processing system 1E shown in Figure 8 will be described below in terms of its differences from the substrate processing system 1B.

[0053] In the substrate processing system 1E, the vacuum transfer module 10 includes three vacuum transfer chambers 100a, 100b, and 100c as a plurality of vacuum transfer chambers 100. Each of the third open end 103 and fourth open end 104 of each of the vacuum transfer chambers 100a, 100b, and 100c may include a single opening as an opening communicating with the internal space 100s. The length of each of the vacuum transfer chambers 100b and 100c in the first direction D1 may be longer than the length of the vacuum transfer chamber 100a in the first direction D1.

[0054] The chamber 11c of process module 11A is connected to each of the third open end 103 and fourth open end 104 of vacuum transfer chamber 100a via a gate valve. Process module 11A may be the first process module (single-wafer etching apparatus) described above. The chamber 11c of process module 11C is connected to each of the third open end 103 and fourth open end 104 of vacuum transfer chamber 100b via a gate valve. Process module 11C may be the third process module (film deposition apparatus) described above. The chamber 11c of process module 11B is connected to each of the third open end 103 and fourth open end 104 of vacuum transfer chamber 100c via a gate valve. Process module 11B may be the second process module (multi-wafer substrate processing apparatus or substrate processing apparatus for large-diameter substrates) described above.

[0055] Furthermore, the chamber 11c of module 11D is connected to the second end vacuum transfer chamber, i.e., the second open end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100c, via the second attachment 120B and a gate valve. Module 11D may be the maintenance module described above.

[0056] In another example, the substrate processing system 1E may not include module 11D, a second attachment 120 may be attached to the second open end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100c, and the vacuum transfer space 10s may be sealed by the second attachment 120.

[0057] Refer to Figure 9 below. Figure 9 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. The control unit 2 is omitted in Figure 9. The substrate processing system 1F shown in Figure 9 will be described below in terms of its differences from the substrate processing system 1E.

[0058] In the substrate processing system 1F, the chamber 11c of the process module 11E is connected to the third open end 103 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100c via a gate valve. The process module 11E may be the fourth process module (post-processing module) described above. The length of the process module 11E in the first direction D1 may be the same as the length of the process module 11A in the first direction D1, or it may be longer or shorter than the length of the process module 11A in the first direction D1. A process module 11E having a length in the first direction D1 that is shorter than the length of the process module 11A in the first direction D1 may perform heat treatment, ashing, etc. on the substrate W as a post-processing module.

[0059] The chamber 11c of module 11D is connected to the fourth opening end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100c via a gate valve. Module 11D may be the maintenance module described above. In addition, in substrate processing systems according to various embodiments, the chamber of the maintenance module may be connected to the third opening end 103 or the fourth opening end 104 via a gate valve, as in module 11D in substrate processing system 1F, and may be arranged along the first direction D1 with at least one of a plurality of process modules.

[0060] In the substrate processing system 1F, the second attachment 120 described above may be attached to the second open end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100c, and the vacuum transfer space 10s may be sealed by the second attachment 120.

[0061] The following refers to Figure 10. Figure 10 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. The control unit 2 is omitted in Figure 10. The following description will focus on the substrate processing system 1G shown in Figure 10, in terms of its differences from the substrate processing system 1F.

[0062] In the substrate processing system 1G, the vacuum transport module 10 further includes a vacuum transport chamber 100d. Each of the third open end 103 and fourth open end 104 of each of the vacuum transport chambers 100a, 100b, 100c, and 100d may include a single opening as an opening communicating with the internal space 100s. Each of the third open end 103 and fourth open end 104 of the vacuum transport chamber 100c is connected to the chamber 11c of the process module 11E via a gate valve. The process module 11E may be the fourth process module (post-processing module) described above. The length of the process module 11E in the first direction D1 may be the same as the length of the process module 11A in the first direction D1, or it may be longer or shorter than the length of the process module 11A in the first direction D1. A process module 11E having a length in the first direction D1 that is shorter than the length of process module 11A in the first direction D1 may be used as a post-processing module to perform heat treatment, ashing, and the like on the substrate W.

[0063] The third opening end 103 and the fourth opening end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100d are each connected to the chamber 11c of module 11D via gate valves. Module 11D may be the maintenance module described above.

[0064] In the substrate processing system 1G, the second attachment 120 described above may be attached to the second open end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100d, and the vacuum transfer space 10s may be sealed by the second attachment 120.

[0065] The following refers to Figure 11. Figure 11 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. The control unit 2 is omitted in Figure 11. The substrate processing system 1H shown in Figure 11 will be described below in terms of its differences from the substrate processing system 1B.

[0066] In the substrate processing system 1H, the vacuum transfer module 10 further includes a vacuum transfer chamber 100z. The second open end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100z is connected to the first open end 101 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100a. A first attachment 110B is attached to the first open end 101 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100z. The first attachment 110B has no opening and closes the opening of the first open end 101 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100z, sealing the vacuum transfer space 10s.

[0067] The substrate processing system 1H does not include a loader module 14 and load lock modules 151 and 152. The substrate processing system 1H further includes two device front-end modules 11F as part of a plurality of modules 11. Each of the two device front-end modules 11F includes a chamber 11c and a transport device 11r.

[0068] Each of the two device front-end modules 11F has a chamber 11c, which is a vacuum chamber located between the load port 13 and the vacuum transfer chamber 100z. The chambers 11c of the two device front-end modules 11F are connected to the third opening end 103 and the fourth opening end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100z via gate valves. The internal space of the chambers 11c is set to a reduced pressure or vacuum state by an exhaust device (e.g., a dry pump).

[0069] In each of the two device front-end modules 11F, the transport device 11r is located inside the chamber 11c. The transport device 11r is controlled by the control unit 2. The transport device 11r is configured to transport substrates W from the substrate carrier 16 on the load port 13 to the vacuum transport chamber 100z via the chamber 11c. In one embodiment, with the gate valve between the vacuum transport chamber 100z and the chamber 11c closed, the transport device 11r transports a plurality of substrates W from the substrate carrier 16 on the load port 13 into the chamber 11c. Then, the gate valve between the chamber 11c and the substrate carrier 16 is closed, and the internal space of the chamber 11c is set to a reduced pressure state or a vacuum state by the exhaust device. Then, the gate valve between the vacuum transport chamber 100z and the chamber 11c is opened, and one of the plurality of substrates W in the chamber 11c is transported into the vacuum transport space 10s by the moving device 20.

[0070] In addition, in each of the substrate processing systems 1 and 1B to 1G, similar to the substrate processing system 1H, the device front-end module 11F and the vacuum transfer chamber 100z may be used instead of the loader module 14 and the load lock modules 151 and 152.

[0071] The following refers to Figure 12. Figure 12 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. The control unit 2 is omitted in Figure 12. The following description will focus on the substrate processing system 1J shown in Figure 12, in terms of its differences from the substrate processing system 1B.

[0072] In the substrate processing system 1J, the vacuum transport module 10 includes a vacuum transport chamber 100e as a plurality of vacuum transport chambers 100, in addition to vacuum transport chambers 100a and 100b. Vacuum transport chamber 100e is connected between vacuum transport chambers 100a and 100b. The first open end 101 of vacuum transport chamber 100e is connected to the second open end 102 of vacuum transport chamber 100a, and the second open end 102 of vacuum transport chamber 100e is connected to the first open end 101 of vacuum transport chamber 100b.

[0073] Furthermore, the substrate processing system 1J includes six process modules 11A and two process modules 11B as a plurality of modules 11. In one example of the substrate processing system 1J, each of the six process modules 11A may be the first process module (single-wafer etching apparatus) described above, and each of the two process modules 11B may be the second process module (multi-wafer substrate processing apparatus or substrate processing apparatus for large-diameter substrates) described above.

[0074] The length of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e in the first direction D1 is longer than the length of the vacuum transfer chamber 100a in the first direction D1. The third open end 103 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e includes two openings arranged along the first direction D1, which communicate with the internal space 100s. The chambers 11c of two of the six process modules 11A are each positioned along the two openings of the third open end 103 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e and are arranged along the first direction D1. The chambers 11c of these two process modules 11A are connected to the third open end 103 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e via corresponding gate valves. The number of process modules 11A connected to the third open end 103 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e may be three or more.

[0075] Furthermore, the fourth opening end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e includes two openings arranged along the first direction D1, which communicate with the internal space 100s. The chambers 11c of two other process modules 11A among the six process modules 11A are arranged along the two openings of the fourth opening end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e and are arranged along the first direction D1. These two chambers 11c of other process modules 11A are connected to the fourth opening end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e via corresponding gate valves. Note that the number of process modules 11A connected to the fourth opening end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e may be three or more.

[0076] The following refers to Figure 13. Figure 13 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. The control unit 2 is omitted in Figure 13. The following description will focus on the substrate processing system 1K shown in Figure 13, in terms of its differences from the substrate processing system 1J.

[0077] The vacuum transport module 10 of the substrate processing system 1K does not include a vacuum transport chamber 100a. Furthermore, the substrate processing system 1K includes multiple modules 11, consisting of four process modules 11A and two process modules 11B.

[0078] In the substrate processing system 1K, each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 is connected to the first open end 101 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100b via a gate valve and a first attachment 110. The chamber 11c of one of the two process modules 11B is connected to the third open end 103 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100b via a gate valve. The chamber 11c of the other of the two process modules 11B is connected to the fourth open end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100b via a gate valve.

[0079] The first open end 101 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e is connected to the second open end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100b. In the substrate processing system 1K, the chambers 11c of two of the four process modules 11A are connected to the third open end 103 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e via corresponding gate valves, similar to the case of the substrate processing system 1J. Note that the number of process modules 11A connected to the third open end 103 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e may be three or more. Also in the substrate processing system 1K, the chambers 11c of two other process modules 11A are connected to the fourth open end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e via corresponding gate valves, similar to the case of the substrate processing system 1J. Note that the number of process modules 11A connected to the fourth open end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e may be three or more.

[0080] The following refers to Figure 14. Figure 14 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. The control unit 2 is omitted in Figure 14. The substrate processing system 1L shown in Figure 14 will be described below in terms of its differences from the substrate processing system 1K shown in Figure 13.

[0081] In the substrate processing system 1L, three process modules 11A are arranged along the third opening end 103 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e and along the first direction D1. The chambers 11c of the three process modules 11A are connected via gate valves corresponding to the third opening end 103 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e. Additionally, three more process modules 11A are arranged along the fourth opening end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e and along the first direction D1. The chambers 11c of the three more process modules 11A are connected via gate valves corresponding to the fourth opening end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e. The number of process modules 11A connected to the third opening end 103 and the fourth opening end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e can be any number of two or more. Furthermore, each of the three process modules 11A and the three other process modules 11A may be the first process module (single-wafer etching apparatus) described above, or it may be another process module such as the second or third process module described above.

[0082] The substrate processing system 1L includes a vacuum transfer chamber 100f instead of a vacuum transfer chamber 100b. The vacuum transfer chamber 100f is positioned between the vacuum transfer chamber 100e and the load lock modules 151 and 152, respectively. A first attachment 110 is mounted on the first open end 101 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100f. Each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 is connected to the first open end 101 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100f via a gate valve and the first attachment 110 corresponding to the first open end 101. The second open end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100f is connected to the first open end 101 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e.

[0083] The chamber 11c of the process module 11E is connected to the third open end 103 and the fourth open end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100f via gate valves. The length of the process module 11E in the first direction D1 may be shorter than the length of the process module 11A in the first direction D1. Alternatively, the length of the process module 11E in the first direction D1 may be the same as the length of the process module 11A in the first direction D1, or it may be longer than the length of the process module 11A in the first direction D1. The process module 11E may also be the fourth process module (post-processing module) described above. As a post-processing module, the process module 11E may perform heat treatment, ashing, etc. on the substrate W.

[0084] The substrate processing system 1L offers a high degree of freedom in the layout of module 11. Therefore, in the substrate processing system 1L, in the first direction D1, the process module 11E, which is a post-processing module, can be placed between each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 and the process module 11A. Consequently, in the substrate processing system 1L, the distance from the process module 11E to each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 is short, and the transport time of the substrate W to which post-processing has been applied in the process module 11E can be shortened.

[0085] Refer to Figure 15 below. Figure 15 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. The control unit 2 is omitted in Figure 15. The substrate processing system 1M shown in Figure 15 will be described below in terms of its differences from the substrate processing system 1K shown in Figure 14.

[0086] In the substrate processing system 1M, the vacuum transfer module 10 further includes a vacuum transfer chamber 100g. The first open end 101 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100g is connected to the second open end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e. A second attachment 120C is attached to the second open end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100g. The second attachment 120C includes two openings.

[0087] The substrate processing system 1M further includes four additional process modules 11E. The chambers 11c of two of the four additional process modules 11E are connected to the second opening end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100g via corresponding gate valves. The chambers 11c of two other additional process modules 11E are each connected to the third opening end 103 and the fourth opening end 104 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100g via corresponding gate valves.

[0088] In the substrate processing system 1M, throughput can be improved by the additional process module 11E compared to the substrate processing system 1L. In the substrate processing system 1M, the second open end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100g may be closed by the second attachment 120, and the second open end 102 may not be connected to the chamber 11c of another module.

[0089] The following refers to Figure 16. Figure 16 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to yet another exemplary embodiment. The control unit 2 is omitted in Figure 16. The substrate processing system 1N shown in Figure 16 will be described below in terms of its differences from the substrate processing system 1M shown in Figure 15.

[0090] The substrate processing system 1N does not include a vacuum transfer chamber 100f. In the substrate processing system 1N, the first open end 101 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100e is connected to load lock modules 151 and 152, respectively, via a first attachment 110 and a gate valve.

[0091] In the substrate processing system 1N, the second opening end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100g can be connected to the chamber 11c of another module 11 via a second attachment 120C. In the example shown in Figure 16, the second opening end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100g is connected to the chamber 11c of each of modules 11G and 11H. Each of modules 11G and 11H may be the maintenance module described above, or any of the first to fourth process modules described above. According to the substrate processing system 1N, the substrate processing system 1N can be easily expanded by changing the layout of modules behind the second opening end 102 of the vacuum transfer chamber 100g and selecting additional modules.

[0092] The following describes some examples of the maintenance module described above. Figure 17 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing the configuration of an example maintenance module that can be used in substrate processing systems according to various exemplary embodiments. The maintenance module 5 shown in Figure 17 can be used as the module 11D described above. The maintenance module 5 is used for transporting the mobile device 20 between the vacuum transport space 10s and the internal space of its housing chamber 500. The maintenance module 5 can be used for replacing the mobile device 20 in the vacuum transport space 10s. As shown in Figure 17, the maintenance module 5 may include a main body 5M. The main body 5M may include a housing chamber 500, an equipment chamber 510, and a transport robot RT1. The housing chamber 500 is the chamber 11c of module 11D. The housing chamber 500 includes an opening 502 for connecting the internal space of the housing chamber 500 and the vacuum transport space 10s to each other, and a gate valve 503 for opening and closing the opening 502.

[0093] The transport robot RT1 is housed in a housing chamber 500. The transport robot RT1 has an end effector. The transport robot RT1 is controlled to transport a mobile device 20 supported or held by the end effector between the vacuum transport space 10s and the internal space of its housing chamber 500. In one example, the transport robot RT1 may be an articulated transport robot. In another example, the transport robot RT1 may be a sliding transport robot. The sliding transport robot RT1 is configured to move its end effector along a rail. The transport robot RT1 may be a transport robot of a type other than articulated or sliding.

[0094] The maintenance module 5 further includes an exhaust mechanism 511, a gas supply mechanism 512, a drive mechanism 513, a battery 514, and a control unit 515. The exhaust mechanism 511, gas supply mechanism 512, drive mechanism 513, battery 514, and control unit 515 are located within the equipment chamber 510. The exhaust mechanism 511, gas supply mechanism 512, drive mechanism 513, and battery 514 are controlled by the control unit 515.

[0095] The exhaust mechanism 511 is connected to the internal space of the containment chamber 500 and exhausts the internal space of the containment chamber 500. The exhaust mechanism 511 includes, for example, a pressure regulating valve (not shown) and a vacuum pump (not shown). The vacuum pump may include a turbomolecular pump, a roughing pump, or a combination thereof. The exhaust mechanism 511 can reduce the pressure in the internal space of the containment chamber 500 to a predetermined vacuum level.

[0096] The exhaust mechanism 511 may also be connected to the opening 502. In this case, the exhaust mechanism 511 is connected via an exhaust passage to the passage between the gate valve 503 and the gate valve on the vacuum transport module 10. The exhaust mechanism 511 can evacuate the passage so as to reduce the pressure in the passage to a predetermined vacuum level before the gate valve 503 and the gate valve on the vacuum transport module 10 are opened.

[0097] The gas supply mechanism 512 is connected to the internal space of the containment chamber 500 and is configured to supply an inert gas, such as nitrogen gas, to the internal space of the containment chamber 500. The gas supply mechanism 512 includes, for example, an on-off valve (not shown) and a flow control valve (not shown).

[0098] The drive mechanism 513 is the drive source for the transport robot RT1 and is controlled by the control unit 515. The control unit 515 includes a communication interface for communication between the maintenance module 5 and external devices. The control unit 515 communicates with external devices of the maintenance module 5, for example, wirelessly or via wired connection, to control each unit of the maintenance module 5.

[0099] The maintenance module 5 may be configured to receive power for its operation from the substrate processing system described above, with the storage chamber 500 connected to the vacuum transfer chamber assembly of the vacuum transfer module 10. That is, the maintenance module 5 may be configured to receive power for the operation of each unit of the maintenance module 5, such as the exhaust mechanism 511, gas supply mechanism 512, drive mechanism 513, and control unit 515, from the substrate processing system.

[0100] Each unit of the maintenance module 5, such as the exhaust mechanism 511, gas supply mechanism 512, drive mechanism 513, and control unit 515, may operate using or partially using power stored in the battery 514. When the maintenance module 5 is connected to the vacuum transfer chamber assembly, power may be stored in the battery 514 from the substrate processing system via the electrical connector 500c.

[0101] The maintenance module 5 may include a moving mechanism 520. The maintenance module 5 is moved by the moving mechanism 520 and connected to the vacuum transport chamber assembly of the substrate processing system. The moving mechanism 520 supports the main body 5M mounted on it. The moving mechanism 520 may be integrated with the main body 5M or it may be separable from the main body 5M. The moving mechanism 520 may include a body 521 and wheels 522. The body 521 contains a power source such as a battery, a steering mechanism, a control unit 529 that controls them, etc. The wheels 522 are rotated by the power source in the body 521 and move the maintenance module 5 in a direction controlled by the steering mechanism in the body 521.

[0102] The following references are to Figures 18 and 19. Figure 18 is a cross-sectional view showing another example of a maintenance module that can be used in substrate processing systems according to various exemplary embodiments. Figure 19 is a plan view showing another example of a maintenance module that can be used in substrate processing systems according to various exemplary embodiments. The maintenance module 5B shown in Figures 18 and 19 can be used as the module 11D described above. The maintenance module 5B will be described below in terms of its differences from the maintenance module 5 shown in Figure 17.

[0103] Maintenance module 5B, like maintenance module 5, is used to transport the mobile device 20 between the vacuum transport space 10s and the internal space of its containment chamber 500. Maintenance module 5B may be used to replace the mobile device 20 within the vacuum transport space 10s.

[0104] Maintenance module 5B does not include the transport robot RT1. Maintenance module 5B includes a planar motor 505. The planar motor 505 is positioned along the bottom surface of the housing chamber 500 and is configured to move a magnetically levitating mobile device such as the mobile device 20. The planar motor 505 includes a plurality of electromagnetic coils (not shown) arranged similarly to the plurality of electromagnetic coils 32 of the planar motor 30 described above. The current to each of the plurality of electromagnetic coils of the planar motor 505 is controlled by control unit 2 or control unit 515. By controlling the energization of each electromagnetic coil of the planar motor 505, i.e., the current supply to each electromagnetic coil, the mobile device 20 can be moved within the housing chamber 500.

[0105] In the maintenance module 5B, the mobile device 20 before use may be housed in space K1 within the housing chamber 500, and the mobile device 20 after use may be housed in space K2 within the housing chamber 500. The housing chamber 500 may have a partition wall 501. The partition wall 501 defines space K1 and space K2 within the internal space of the housing chamber 500, separating space K1 and space K2 from each other.

[0106] The other configurations of the maintenance module 5B may be the same as the corresponding configuration of the maintenance module 5 shown in Figure 17.

[0107] The following references are to Figures 20 and 21. Figure 20 is a front cross-sectional view of an example maintenance module that can be used in a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. Figure 21 is a side cross-sectional view of an example maintenance module that can be used in a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. The maintenance module 722 shown in Figures 20 and 21 is configured as a storage module capable of housing components (e.g., consumables) in the substrate processing system.

[0108] The maintenance module 722 includes a storage section for storing consumable parts, and a stage (mounting platform) and a rotating section for aligning the consumable parts. The storage section houses consumable parts such as edge rings, coverings, and upper electrodes. The edge rings, coverings, and upper electrodes are the consumable parts of the first and second process modules described above. The maintenance module 722 is capable of moving the consumable parts from the storage section to the stage by the end effector 22 of the moving device 20. The aligned consumable parts are then transported to the vacuum transport space 10s by the moving device 20. The maintenance module 722 includes an opening interposed between the vacuum transport chamber assembly of the vacuum transport module 10 and the maintenance module 722, and a gate valve 723 that can open and close the opening.

[0109] The maintenance module 722 includes a chamber 730 and an equipment chamber 740. Chamber 730 is chamber 11c of the maintenance module 722 and is mounted on the frame 724, while the equipment chamber 740 is located above chamber 730. Chamber 730 is capable of switching the pressure of its internal space between vacuum and atmospheric pressure. In addition, the internal space of chamber 730 is supplied with a purge gas, for example, N2. ２ An inert gas, such as a gas, is supplied, and the pressure inside the chamber 730 is adjustable. The atmosphere inside the equipment chamber 740 is atmospheric pressure.

[0110] The maintenance module 722 further includes a storage unit 739. The storage unit 739 is installed inside the chamber 730. The storage unit 739 has a stage 731 and a basket 734 provided below the stage 731. The storage unit 739 is movable up and down by a ball screw 736. Inside the equipment chamber 740 are a line sensor 732 for detecting the orientation of consumable parts and a motor 738 for driving the ball screw 736. A control unit 725 may also be provided inside the equipment chamber 740. Between the chamber 730 and the equipment chamber 740, a window 741 made of quartz or the like is provided so that the line sensor 732 can receive light from a light-emitting unit 733, which will be described later.

[0111] The stage 731 supports the consumable member placed on it. The stage 731 also has a light-emitting section 733 facing the line sensor 732. The stage 731 is rotatable in the θ direction by a rotating section built into the surface directly below the mounting surface, and rotates the consumable member, such as the edge ring 750, placed on the mounting surface of the stage 731 to a predetermined orientation. That is, the stage 731 performs alignment (positioning) of the edge ring 750 under the control unit 725. The stage 731 is an example of a mounting base and a rotating section. The following describes an example in which the edge ring 750 is used as the consumable member.

[0112] The line sensor 732 detects the amount of light emitted from the light-emitting unit 733 and outputs the detected amount of light to the control unit 725. The control unit 725 detects the orientation flat of the edge ring 750 by utilizing the fact that the detected amount of light changes depending on whether or not there is an orientation flat on the edge ring 750. Based on the detected orientation flat, the control unit 725 detects the orientation of the edge ring 750. The line sensor 732 is, for example, a line sensor such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The control unit 725 aligns the edge ring 750 according to the detected orientation of the edge ring 750.

[0113] A cassette 735 is placed inside the basket 734. The cassette 735 is removable from the basket 734 and houses the edge ring 750 inside. The cassette 735 is open to the front and rear sides of the maintenance module 722. The basket 734 and cassette 735 are examples of storage compartments.

[0114] The storage unit 739 has a guide 737 on its side that is supported by a ball screw 736. The ball screw 736 connects the upper and lower surfaces of the chamber 730, passes through the upper surface of the chamber 730, and is connected to a motor 738 in the equipment chamber 740. The portion of the ball screw 736 that passes through the chamber 730 is sealed so that the ball screw 736 can rotate. As the ball screw 736 rotates due to the motor 738, the storage unit 739 can move vertically (in the Z-axis direction). Note that the ball screw 736 and motor 738 are an example of a lifting mechanism.

[0115] As shown in Figure 21, the maintenance module 722 is connected to the vacuum transfer chamber assembly via a gate valve 723. When the gate valve 723 opens the aforementioned opening, the end effector 22 can be inserted into the chamber 730. The mobile device 20 can insert the end effector 22 into the chamber 730 to load and unload the edge ring 750 from the cassette 735, and to place and retrieve the edge ring 750 onto the stage 731. The chamber 730 is also provided with a door 742. The door 742 is opened and closed when removing or installing the cassette 735 inside the chamber 730.

[0116] The maintenance module 722, like the maintenance module 5 described above, is moved by the moving mechanism 520 and connected to the vacuum transport chamber assembly. Once the maintenance module 722 is connected to the vacuum transport chamber assembly, it is possible to transport consumable parts such as the edge ring 750 between the vacuum transport space 10s and the internal space of the chamber 730 of the maintenance module 722 using the moving device 20, for example, under a vacuum atmosphere.

[0117] The following describes a post-processing module that can be used as the fourth process module described above, with reference to Figure 22. Figure 22 is a diagram showing an example of a post-processing module that can be used in a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. In one embodiment, the fourth process module described above may be the post-processing module 900 shown in Figure 22. The post-processing module 900 may be used for post-processing of substrates processed in the first to third process modules of the substrate processing system. The post-processing module 900 is configured, for example, as a heat treatment module.

[0118] The post-processing module 900 includes a processing chamber 910 and an equipment chamber 920. The processing chamber 910 is chamber 11c in the post-processing module 900 and is configured to reduce the pressure in its internal space. The internal space of the processing chamber 910 can be depressurized using an exhaust mechanism while the post-processing module 900 is connected to the vacuum transfer chamber assembly.

[0119] The post-processing module 900 further includes a substrate support section 911, a heater 912, and a control unit 921. The substrate support section 911 is located within the processing chamber 910. The heater 912 is located within the substrate support section 911. The control unit 921 is located within the equipment chamber 920. The heater 912, under the control of the control unit 921, heats the substrate on the substrate support section 911, thereby performing heat treatment on the substrate within the processing chamber 910 under reduced pressure. The temperature of the heat treatment is, for example, in the range of 200°C to 800°C, but is not limited to this range.

[0120] The post-processing module 900, like the maintenance module 5 described above, is moved by the moving mechanism 520 and connected to the vacuum transport chamber assembly. Once the post-processing module 900 is connected to the vacuum transport chamber assembly, the substrate can be transported between the vacuum transport space 10s and the internal space of the processing chamber 910 using the moving device 20, for example, under a vacuum atmosphere. As described above, the post-processing module 900 can perform heat treatment on the substrate placed on the substrate support portion 911 under reduced pressure conditions.

[0121] The following describes examples of circuits (control circuits) that may constitute each or at least one of the control units 2, 515, 529, 725, and 921 of the substrate processing system 1.

[0122] Figure 23 illustrates a block diagram of a computer (a type of circuit) capable of implementing the various control modes described herein. Furthermore, the control modes of this disclosure can be implemented as a system, method, and / or computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium on which computer-readable program instructions causing one or more processing units to execute the modes of this embodiment are recorded.

[0123] A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device capable of storing instructions used by an instruction execution device (processor). A computer-readable storage medium may, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include, but are not exhaustive, flexible disks, hard disks, solid-state drives (SSDs), random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash), static random-access memory (SRAM), compact disks (CDs or CD-ROMs), digital multipurpose disks (DVDs), memory cards or memory sticks (and suitable combinations thereof). In this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium should not be interpreted as a transient signal itself, such as, for example, radio waves or other freely propagating electromagnetic waves, electromagnetic waves propagating through waveguides or other transmission media (e.g., optical pulses passing through optical fiber cables), or electrical signals transmitted via wires.

[0124] The computer-readable program instructions described in this disclosure can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to a suitable computing device or processing device, or they can be downloaded to an external computer or external storage device via a global network (i.e., the Internet), a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network. Networks include transmission copper wires, optical fiber, wireless communications, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. The network adapter card or network interface of each computing device or processing device can receive computer-readable program instructions from the network, transfer those computer-readable program instructions, and store them in a computer-readable storage medium within the computing device or processing device.

[0125] Computer-readable program instructions for performing the operations of the Disclosure may include machine language instructions and / or microcode. These instructions can be compiled or interpreted from source code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including assembly language, Basic, Fortran, Java®, Python, R, C, C++, C#, etc. Computer-readable program instructions can be fully executed on a user's personal computer, notebook computer, tablet, or smartphone, or may be fully executed on a remote computer or computer server, or on any combination of these computing devices. The remote computer or computer server may be connected to one or more of the user's devices via a computer network, including a local area network, a wide area network, or a global network (i.e., the Internet). Alternatively, electronic circuits, including, for example, programmable logic circuits, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs), may be configured or customized to execute computer-readable program instructions using information from the computer-readable program instructions and implement embodiments of the Disclosure.

[0126] This specification will describe aspects of the present disclosure with reference to flowcharts and block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that each block in the flowcharts and block diagrams, as well as combinations of blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0127] Computer-readable program instructions capable of implementing the systems and methods described in this disclosure may be supplied to one or more processors (and / or one or more cores within a processor) of a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or other programmable device. This makes it possible to generate a machine that constructs a system for implementing the functions specifically shown in the flowcharts and block diagrams of this disclosure, through instructions executed via the processors of the computer or other programmable device. These computer-readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can instruct the computer, programmable device, and / or other device to function in a particular manner. The computer-readable storage medium storing the instructions is a product containing instructions that implement the embodiments of the functions specifically shown in the flowcharts and block diagrams of this disclosure.

[0128] Furthermore, computer-readable program instructions can be loaded into a computer, another programmable device, or other device, and a series of operations can be executed on that computer, other programmable device, or other device to realize a computer implementation process. Therefore, the functions specifically shown in the flowcharts and block diagrams of this disclosure can be realized by instructions executed on a computer, another programmable device, or other device.

[0129] Figure 23 is a functional block diagram showing a network system 800 in which one or more computers and servers are connected to a network. In one embodiment, the hardware and software environments illustrated in Figure 23 may serve as an exemplary platform for implementing the software and / or methods relating to this disclosure.

[0130] Referring to Figure 23, the network system 800 may include, but is not limited to, a computer 805, a network 810, a remote computer 815, a web server 820, a cloud storage server 825, and a computer server 830. In some embodiments, one or more examples of the functional blocks illustrated in Figure 23 may be used.

[0131] Further details of computer 805 are shown in Figure 23. The functional blocks illustrated within computer 805 are merely illustrative examples for constructing exemplary functions and do not encompass all of its functions. Details of the remote computer 815, web server 820, cloud storage server 825, and computer server 830 are not shown, but these computers and devices may also include functions similar to those shown for computer 805.

[0132] Computer 805 may be a personal computer (PC), desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, netbook computer, personal data device (PDA), smartphone, or other programmable electronic device capable of communicating with other devices on the network 810.

[0133] The computer 805 may include a processing unit 835, a bus 837, a memory 840, a non-volatile storage device 845, a network interface 850, a peripheral device interface 855, and a display device interface 865. In some embodiments, these functions may be implemented as individual electronic subsystems (integrated circuit chips or combinations of chips and associated devices), while in other embodiments, some of the combinations of functions may be implemented on a single chip (also known as a system-on-a-chip or SoC).

[0134] The processing unit 835 may be one or more single-chip or multi-chip microprocessors designed and / or manufactured by Intel Corporation, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), Arm Holdings, Apple Computer, etc. Examples of microprocessors include Intel Corporation's Celeron, Pentium®, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7; AMD's Opteron, Phenom, Athlon, Turion, Ryzen; and Arm's Cortex-A, Cortex-R, Cortex-M, etc.

[0135] Bus 837 may be a proprietary or industry-standard high-speed parallel or serial peripheral interconnect bus such as ISA, PCI, PCI Express (PCI-e), or AGP.

[0136] The memory 840 and the non-volatile storage device 845 may be computer-readable storage media. The memory 840 may include any suitable volatile storage device such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and static random access memory (SRAM). The non-volatile storage device 845 may include one or more of the following: flexible disk, hard disk, solid-state drive (SSD), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash), compact disc (CD or CD-ROM), digital multipurpose disc (DVD), memory card, or memory stick.

[0137] The program 848 may be a collection of machine-readable instructions and / or machine-readable data stored in at least one memory, such as a non-volatile storage device 845, and used to create, manage, and control specific software functions as described in detail and illustrated in the drawings of this disclosure. In some embodiments, memory 840 may be much faster than the non-volatile storage device 845. In that case, the program 848 may be transferred from the non-volatile storage device 845 to memory 840 and then executed by the processing unit 835. The program 848 includes computer program code. In one implementation, at least one memory storing the computer program code comprises at least one processing unit (such as a processing circuit described later) for carrying out the control process and claimed advanced embodiments of this disclosure.

[0138] Computer 805 may communicate and interact with other computers via network 810 using network interface 850. Network 810 may be, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, or a combination thereof, and may include wired, wireless, or fiber optic connections. In general, network 810 can be any combination of connections and protocols that support communication between two or more computers and associated devices.

[0139] The peripheral interface 855 may enable data input and output via other devices that can be locally connected to the computer 805. For example, the peripheral interface 855 may enable connection to an external device 860. The external device 860 may include devices such as a keyboard, mouse, keypad, touchscreen, and / or other suitable input devices. The external device 860 may also include portable computer-readable storage media such as a thumb drive, portable optical or magnetic disk, and memory card. Software and data used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure (e.g., program 848) may be stored on such portable computer-readable storage media. In this case, the software may be loaded into the non-volatile storage device 845, or directly into memory 840 via the peripheral interface 855. The peripheral interface 855 may use industry-standard connections such as RS-232 or Universal Serial Bus (USB) to connect to the external device 860.

[0140] The computer 805 may be connected to the display device 870 via the display device interface 865. In one embodiment, the display device 870 may be used to present a command line or a graphical user interface to the user of the computer 805. The display device interface 865 may be connected to the display device 870 using one or more proprietary or industry standard connections such as VGA, DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI®, etc.

[0141] As described above, the network interface 850 enables communication with other computing systems or storage systems or computing devices or storage devices outside of the computer 805. The software programs and data described herein may be downloaded to the non-volatile storage device 845 via the network interface 850 and network 810 from, for example, a remote computer 815, a web server 820, a cloud storage server 825, or a computer server 830. Furthermore, the systems and methods described herein may be implemented by one or more computers connected to the computer 805 via the network interface 850 and network 810. For example, in one embodiment, the systems and methods described herein may be implemented by a combination of a remote computer 815, a computer server 830, or computers interconnected on network 810.

[0142] The data, datasets, and / or databases used in the embodiments of the systems and methods described herein may be stored in or downloaded from a remote computer 815, a web server 820, a cloud storage server 825, or a computer server 830.

[0143] The circuits used in this application can be defined as one or more of the following: electronic components (such as semiconductor devices), a plurality of electronic components directly connected to each other or interconnected via electronic communication, a computer, a network of computer devices, a remote computer, a web server, a cloud storage server, or a computer server. For example, each of the one or more of the computer, remote computer, web server, cloud storage server, and computer server may be included as a component of the circuit, or may include the circuit. In some embodiments, one or more examples of these components may be used, and each of the one or more examples of these components may also be included in the circuit, or may include the circuit. In some embodiments, a circuit represented by a network system may include a serverless computing system that corresponds to virtualized hardware resources. A circuit represented by a computer may be a personal computer (PC), a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a netbook computer, a personal data device (PDA), a smartphone, or other programmable electronic device that can communicate with other devices on a network. The circuit may be a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or other programmable device described herein that includes one or more processing units. Each processing unit may be one or more single-chip microprocessors or multi-chip microprocessors. One or more processing units are considered processing circuits or circuits because they incorporate transistors and other circuits. The circuits can implement the systems and methods described in this disclosure based on computer-readable program instructions. These program instructions are supplied to one or more processing units (and / or one or more cores within processing units) of one or more general-purpose computers, dedicated computers, or other programmable devices described herein. This makes it possible to generate a machine that constructs a system for implementing the functions specifically shown in the flowcharts and block diagrams of this disclosure, through instructions contained within the circuits or executed via one or more processing units of a programmable device containing the circuits.Alternatively, a circuit may be a pre-programmed structure, such as a programmable logic device or an application-specific integrated circuit. A circuit is considered a circuit whether it is used alone or in combination with other programmable circuits or other pre-programmed circuits.

[0144] In light of the above teachings, it is clear that numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible. Therefore, it should be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention can be implemented in forms other than those specifically described herein.

[0145] Although various exemplary embodiments have been described above, the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above, and various additions, omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made. Furthermore, it is possible to combine elements from different embodiments to form other embodiments.

[0146] Herein, various exemplary embodiments included in this disclosure are described in [E1] to [E26] below.

[0147] [E1] A vacuum transport module comprising: at least one vacuum transport chamber; and at least one planar motor positioned along the bottom of a vacuum transport space provided by the at least one vacuum transport chamber and configured to move a magnetically levitating mobile device within the vacuum transport space, wherein the at least one vacuum transport chamber includes a first open end and a second open end, each forming both ends in a first direction; and a third open end and a fourth open end, each forming both ends in a second direction intersecting the first direction, wherein each of the first open end, the second open end, the third open end, and the fourth open end is configured to be connectable to other chambers.

[0148] [E2] The vacuum transport module according to E1, comprising a plurality of vacuum transport chambers connected in series along the first direction, the vacuum transport space being formed by the series connection of the internal spaces of each of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers, the plurality of vacuum transport chambers being at least one of the vacuum transport chambers, the first open end of another vacuum transport chamber adjacent to each of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers in the first direction being connected to the second open end of each of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers, and the third open end and the fourth open end each being configured to be connectable to a chamber of another module.

[0149] [E3] The vacuum transport module according to E2, wherein the at least one planar motor comprises a plurality of planar motors, each of which is positioned along the bottom of a corresponding vacuum transport chamber among the plurality of vacuum transport chambers and extends in a region from a first opening end to a second opening end of the corresponding vacuum transport chamber in a first direction, and the second opening end of each of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers is directly connected to the first opening end of another adjacent vacuum transport chamber among the plurality of vacuum transport chambers in a first direction.

[0150] [E4] The vacuum transfer module according to E3, further comprising a sealing member sandwiched between the second opening end of each of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers and the first opening end of the other vacuum transfer chamber.

[0151] [E5] The vacuum transport module according to any one of E2 to E4, further comprising a first attachment and a second attachment, which are attached to two vacuum transport chambers located at both ends of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers so as to terminate the vacuum transport space.

[0152] [E6] The vacuum transport module according to E5, wherein each of the first attachment and the second attachment is configured to seal the vacuum transport space, or to seal the vacuum transport space together with the chamber of the other module.

[0153] [E7] The vacuum transport module according to any one of E2 to E6, wherein the length in the first direction of at least one of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers is different from the length in the first direction of at least one other vacuum transport chamber among the plurality of vacuum transport chambers.

[0154] [E8] A substrate processing system comprising: a vacuum transfer module as described in E1; and a plurality of modules, each having a chamber and connected to the vacuum transfer module.

[0155] [E9] A substrate processing system comprising a vacuum transfer module as described in any one of E2 to E7, and a plurality of modules each having a chamber and connected to the vacuum transfer module.

[0156] [E10] The substrate processing system according to E9, wherein the plurality of modules include a plurality of modules having chambers connected to a plurality of third openings, each of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers, including the third opening end, and a plurality of fourth openings, each of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers, including the fourth opening end.

[0157] [E11] The substrate processing system according to E10, wherein the vacuum transport module further includes a first attachment and a second attachment, which are attached to two vacuum transport chambers located at both ends of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers so as to terminate the vacuum transport space.

[0158] [E12] The substrate processing system according to E11, wherein the plurality of modules include at least one module having a chamber connected to the first open end of the first end vacuum transfer chamber via the first attachment mounted on the first open end of the first end vacuum transfer chamber located at one end of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers.

[0159] [E13] The substrate processing system according to E12, wherein at least one module includes a load lock module connected to the first open end of the first end vacuum transfer chamber via the first attachment.

[0160] [E14] The substrate processing system according to any one of E11 to E13, wherein the plurality of modules include at least one module having a chamber connected to the second opening end of the second end vacuum transfer chamber via the second attachment mounted on the second opening end of the second end vacuum transfer chamber located at the other end of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers.

[0161] [E15] The substrate processing system according to any one of E8 to E14, wherein the plurality of modules include a plurality of process modules configured to perform substrate processing.

[0162] [E16] The substrate processing system according to E15, wherein the plurality of process modules include at least one process module selected from the group consisting of a first process module which is a single-wafer etching apparatus, a second process module which is a multi-wafer substrate processing apparatus or a single-wafer substrate processing apparatus configured to process substrates having a diameter larger than the diameter of substrates that can be processed by the first process module, a third process module which is a film deposition apparatus, and a fourth process module configured to perform post-processing of the substrate.

[0163] [E17] The substrate processing system according to E15 or E16, wherein the plurality of modules further include at least one maintenance module configured to perform maintenance on the substrate processing system.

[0164] [E18] The substrate processing system according to E17, wherein the at least one maintenance module includes a maintenance module used for replacing components of the substrate processing system and / or a maintenance module used for transporting a magnetically levitating mobile device between the vacuum transport space and the internal space of the containment chamber.

[0165] [E19] The substrate processing system according to E17 or E18, wherein the chamber of at least one maintenance module is connected to the third or fourth opening end of at least one of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers and is arranged in line with at least one of the plurality of process modules along the first direction.

[0166] [E20] The substrate processing system according to any one of E15 to E19, wherein the plurality of modules include an apparatus front-end module, the apparatus front-end module includes a vacuum chamber disposed between a load port and the vacuum transport module, and a transport device configured to transport substrates through the vacuum chamber between a container on the load port and the vacuum transport chamber.

[0167] [E21] The substrate processing system according to any one of E9 to E20, wherein the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers include: a first vacuum transfer chamber including a third opening end to which the chamber of one of a pair of modules included in the plurality of modules is connected and a fourth opening end to which the chamber of the other module of the pair of modules is connected; and a second vacuum transfer chamber including a third opening end to which the chambers of two or more modules from the plurality of modules are connected and a fourth opening end to which the chambers of two or more other modules from the plurality of modules are connected.

[0168] [E22] The substrate processing system according to any one of E9 to E20, wherein the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers include: a first vacuum transfer chamber having a third opening end to which the chamber of one module of a first pair of modules included in the plurality of modules is connected, and a fourth opening end to which the chamber of the other module of the first pair of modules is connected; and a second vacuum transfer chamber having a length longer than the length of the first vacuum transfer chamber in the first direction, and having a third opening end to which the chamber of one module of a second pair of modules included in the plurality of modules is connected, and a fourth opening end to which the chamber of the other module of the second pair of modules is connected.

[0169] [E23] The substrate processing system according to any one of E9 to E20, wherein the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers include: a first vacuum transfer chamber including a third opening to which the chamber of one module of a first pair of modules included in the plurality of modules is connected and a fourth opening to which the chamber of the other module of the first pair of modules is connected; a second vacuum transfer chamber including a third opening to which the chambers of two or more modules of the plurality of modules are connected and a fourth opening to which the chambers of two or more other modules of the plurality of modules are connected; and a third vacuum transfer chamber having a length longer than the length of the first vacuum transfer chamber in the first direction, including a third opening to which the chamber of one module of a second pair of modules included in the plurality of modules is connected and a fourth opening to which the chamber of the other module of the second pair of modules is connected.

[0170] [E24] The substrate processing system according to E9, wherein the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers include a first vacuum transfer chamber and a second vacuum transfer chamber, and the plurality of modules include a plurality of process modules, each including a chamber connected to a corresponding opening end of the third and fourth opening ends of the first vacuum transfer chamber, and at least two post-processing modules, each including a chamber connected to a corresponding opening end of the third and fourth opening ends of the second vacuum transfer chamber, and configured to perform post-processing on a substrate processed in any of the plurality of process modules.

[0171] [E25] The substrate processing system according to E24, wherein the plurality of modules further include load lock modules, and the second vacuum transfer chamber is located between the load lock modules and the first vacuum transfer chamber in the first direction.

[0172] [E26] The substrate processing system according to E24, wherein the plurality of modules further include a load lock module, and the second vacuum transfer chamber is the one of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers that is furthest from the load lock module in the first direction.

[0173] From the above description, it will be understood that the various embodiments of this disclosure are described herein for illustrative purposes and can be modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to limit the scope and spirit, and the true scope and spirit are shown by the appended claims.

[0174] 1...Substrate processing system, 10...Vacuum transfer module, 100...Vacuum transfer chamber, 101...First opening end, 102...Second opening end, 103...Third opening end, 104...Fourth opening end, 30...Planar motor, 11...Module.

Claims

1. A vacuum transport module comprising: at least one vacuum transport chamber; and at least one planar motor positioned along the bottom of a vacuum transport space provided by the at least one vacuum transport chamber and configured to move a magnetically levitating mobile device within the vacuum transport space, wherein the at least one vacuum transport chamber includes a first open end and a second open end, each forming both ends in a first direction; and a third open end and a fourth open end, each forming both ends in a second direction intersecting the first direction, wherein each of the first, second, third, and fourth open ends is configured to be connectable to other chambers.

2. The vacuum transport module according to claim 1, comprising a plurality of vacuum transport chambers connected in series along the first direction, wherein the vacuum transport space is formed by the series connection of the internal spaces of each of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers, the plurality of vacuum transport chambers comprising the plurality of vacuum transport chambers comprising at least one vacuum transport chamber, wherein the first open end of another vacuum transport chamber adjacent to each of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers in the first direction is connected to the second open end of each of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers, and the third open end and the fourth open end are each configured to be connectable to a chamber of another module.

3. The vacuum transport module according to claim 2, wherein the at least one planar motor comprises a plurality of planar motors, each of which is positioned along the bottom of a corresponding vacuum transport chamber among the plurality of vacuum transport chambers, and extends in a region from a first opening end to a second opening end of the corresponding vacuum transport chamber in a first direction, and the second opening end of each of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers is directly connected to the first opening end of another adjacent vacuum transport chamber among the plurality of vacuum transport chambers in a first direction.

4. The vacuum transport module according to claim 3, further comprising a sealing member sandwiched between the second opening end of each of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers and the first opening end of the other vacuum transport chamber.

5. The vacuum transport module according to any one of claims 2 to 4, further comprising a first attachment and a second attachment, which are attached to two vacuum transport chambers located at both ends of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers so as to terminate the vacuum transport space.

6. The vacuum transport module according to claim 5, wherein each of the first attachment and the second attachment is configured to seal the vacuum transport space, or to seal the vacuum transport space together with the chamber of the other module.

7. The vacuum transport module according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein the length of at least one of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers in the first direction is different from the length of at least one other vacuum transport chamber in the first direction.

8. A substrate processing system comprising: a vacuum transport module as described in claim 1; and a plurality of modules, each having a chamber and connected to the vacuum transport module.

9. A substrate processing system comprising: a vacuum transport module according to any one of claims 2 to 4; and a plurality of modules, each having a chamber and connected to the vacuum transport module.

10. The substrate processing system according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of modules include a plurality of modules having chambers connected to a plurality of third opening ends, each of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers, including the third opening end of each of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers, and a plurality of fourth opening ends, each of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers, including the fourth opening end of each of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers.

11. The substrate processing system according to claim 10, wherein the vacuum transport module further includes a first attachment and a second attachment, which are attached to two vacuum transport chambers located at both ends of the plurality of vacuum transport chambers so as to terminate the vacuum transport space.

12. The substrate processing system according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of modules include at least one module having a chamber connected to the first open end of the first end vacuum transfer chamber via the first attachment mounted on the first open end of the first end vacuum transfer chamber located at one end of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers.

13. The substrate processing system according to claim 12, wherein at least one module includes a load lock module connected to the first open end of the first end vacuum transfer chamber via the first attachment.

14. The substrate processing system according to claim 11, wherein the plurality of modules include at least one module having a chamber connected to the second opening end of the second end vacuum transfer chamber via the second attachment mounted on the second opening end of the second end vacuum transfer chamber located at the other end of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers.

15. The substrate processing system according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of modules include a plurality of process modules configured to perform substrate processing.

16. The substrate processing system according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of process modules include at least one process module selected from the group consisting of a first process module which is a single-wafer etching apparatus, a second process module which is a multi-wafer substrate processing apparatus or a single-wafer substrate processing apparatus configured to process substrates having a diameter larger than the diameter of substrates that can be processed by the first process module, a third process module which is a film deposition apparatus, and a fourth process module configured to perform post-processing of the substrate.

17. The substrate processing system according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of modules further include at least one maintenance module configured to perform maintenance on the substrate processing system.

18. The substrate processing system according to claim 17, wherein the at least one maintenance module includes a maintenance module used for replacing components of the substrate processing system and / or a maintenance module used for transporting a magnetically levitating mobile device between the vacuum transport space and the internal space of the housing chamber.

19. The substrate processing system according to claim 17, wherein the chamber of at least one maintenance module is connected to the third or fourth opening end of at least one of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers and is arranged in line with at least one of the plurality of process modules along the first direction.

20. The substrate processing system according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of modules include an apparatus front-end module, the apparatus front-end module includes a vacuum chamber disposed between a load port and the vacuum transport module, and a transport device configured to transport substrates through the vacuum chamber between a container on the load port and the vacuum transport chamber.

21. The substrate processing system according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers include: a first vacuum transfer chamber having a third opening end to which the chamber of one of a pair of modules included in the plurality of modules is connected and a fourth opening end to which the chamber of the other module of the pair of modules is connected; and a second vacuum transfer chamber having a third opening end to which the chambers of two or more modules from the plurality of modules are connected and a fourth opening end to which the chambers of two or more other modules from the plurality of modules are connected.

22. The substrate processing system according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers include: a first vacuum transfer chamber having a third open end to which the chamber of one module of a first pair of modules included in the plurality of modules is connected, and a fourth open end to which the chamber of the other module of the first pair of modules is connected; and a second vacuum transfer chamber having a length longer than the length of the first vacuum transfer chamber in the first direction, and having a third open end to which the chamber of one module of a second pair of modules included in the plurality of modules is connected, and a fourth open end to which the chamber of the other module of the second pair of modules is connected.

23. The substrate processing system according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers include: a first vacuum transfer chamber including a third open end to which the chamber of one module of a first pair of modules included in the plurality of modules is connected and a fourth open end to which the chamber of the other module of the first pair of modules is connected; a second vacuum transfer chamber including a third open end to which the chambers of two or more modules of the plurality of modules are connected and a fourth open end to which the chambers of two or more other modules of the plurality of modules are connected; and a third vacuum transfer chamber having a length longer than the length of the first vacuum transfer chamber in the first direction, including a third open end to which the chamber of one module of a second pair of modules included in the plurality of modules is connected and a fourth open end to which the chamber of the other module of the second pair of modules is connected.

24. The substrate processing system according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers include a first vacuum transfer chamber and a second vacuum transfer chamber, and the plurality of modules include a plurality of process modules, each including a chamber connected to a corresponding opening end among the third and fourth opening ends of the first vacuum transfer chamber, and at least two post-processing modules, each including a chamber connected to a corresponding opening end among the third and fourth opening ends of the second vacuum transfer chamber, and configured to perform post-processing on a substrate processed in any of the plurality of process modules.

25. The substrate processing system according to claim 24, wherein the plurality of modules further include load lock modules, and the second vacuum transfer chamber is located between the load lock modules and the first vacuum transfer chamber in the first direction.

26. The substrate processing system according to claim 24, wherein the plurality of modules further include a load lock module, and the second vacuum transfer chamber is the one of the plurality of vacuum transfer chambers that is furthest from the load lock module in the first direction.

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