JP2010283402A - Substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To prevent contaminants attached to a substrate prior to processing from attaching to the processed substrate again. <P>SOLUTION: The substrate processing apparatus 1 has a substrate carrying mechanism for carrying a plurality of substrates housed in each carrier having: a substrate processing part 7 variously processing the substrates, and a batch composing part 6 composing a batch to be collectively processed in the substrate processing part 7 by combining the plurality of the substrates housed in the plurality of the carriers 3; a batch forming mechanism for forming the batch by changing the arrangement intervals of the substrates carried by the substrate carrying mechanism; and an arrangement order-changing mechanism for changing the arrangement order of the substrates carried by the substrate carrying mechanism. The substrate carrying mechanism has a wafer holder holding a plurality of the substrates on both sides thereof, the substrates prior to processing is held by one face side of the holder, while the processed substrates are held by the other face side of the holder. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for performing various processes such as cleaning and drying on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or a liquid crystal substrate.

  2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in the process of manufacturing semiconductor components and flat displays, there has been provided a substrate processing process for performing various processes such as cleaning and drying on the front and back surfaces of a semiconductor wafer and a liquid crystal substrate using a substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus used in this substrate processing process includes a single wafer processing type substrate processing apparatus that processes each substrate, and a batch processing type that collectively processes a plurality of substrates. The substrate processing apparatus of the processing method suitable for each processing process is used.

  In particular, batch processing substrate processing apparatuses are used to reduce the processing time per single substrate by batch processing of a plurality of substrates, thereby improving the throughput of the processing process. Improvement is required.

  Therefore, in a batch processing type substrate processing apparatus, a plurality of (for example, 25) substrates accommodated in a carrier used for transfer between processes are not only collectively processed but also accommodated in a plurality of carriers. A larger amount (for example, 50) of substrates can be batch processed, and for this purpose, a batch that can be batch processed by combining substrates accommodated in a plurality of carriers using a batch knitting device is formed, Each batch was subjected to various treatments such as washing and drying.

  For example, in a conventional substrate processing apparatus, a batch that forms a batch for batch processing by combining a carrier loading / unloading unit that loads and unloads a carrier containing a plurality of substrates and a substrate accommodated in a plurality of carriers. It has a knitting unit and a substrate processing unit that performs substrate cleaning processing and drying processing for each batch, and the batch knitting unit includes a substrate transport mechanism that simultaneously transports a plurality of substrates accommodated in a carrier, There is provided a batch forming mechanism for forming a batch by changing the substrate arrangement interval to half by placing a plurality of substrates accommodated in each carrier by this substrate transfer mechanism by shifting by half the substrate arrangement interval. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  In the conventional substrate processing apparatus, in the batch knitting unit, a plurality of substrates accommodated in two carriers are sequentially transferred from each carrier to the batch forming mechanism and placed on the batch forming mechanism. At this time, the substrate arrangement interval is shifted by half by the first time and the second time, thereby combining a plurality of substrates accommodated in two carriers while narrowing the substrate arrangement interval by half. A batch for batch processing in the substrate processing unit was organized.

JP 2002-64075 A

  However, in the above-described conventional substrate processing apparatus, a plurality of substrates accommodated in each carrier are simply and continuously transported to the batch forming mechanism without changing the arrangement order. When a batch cannot be formed and a partial shortage (missing) of the substrate occurs in each carrier, a partial shortage (missing) of the substrate formed in the batch knitting unit is also present. It sometimes happened.

  As described above, if a partial deficiency occurs in the substrates constituting the batch to be batch-processed, there is a possibility that the processing in the subsequent substrate processing unit may be hindered.

  For example, in a cleaning process or a drying process, a plurality of substrates constituting a batch are immersed in a cleaning tank or a drying tank at the same time to clean or dry the substrate. If there is a partial deficiency, the distance between adjacent substrates will differ, and the contact condition between the substrate and the cleaning liquid or drying vapor will vary from one substrate to another, and a uniform cleaning or drying effect may not be obtained. It was.

  In particular, in the substrate cleaning process, the contaminants peeled from the back side of the substrate are immersed in the cleaning tank with the front surfaces (main surface: circuit forming surface) and the back surfaces facing each other. However, if there is a partial deficiency in the substrate that makes up the batch, there will be a portion where the front and back surfaces of the substrate will face each other, resulting in contamination. There is a risk that the film will re-adhere to the surface of the substrate.

  Therefore, in the present invention, in a substrate processing apparatus having a substrate processing unit that collectively processes a plurality of substrates accommodated in a horizontal posture in a carrier, a transport mechanism that transports the plurality of substrates to the substrate processing unit in a vertical posture; A substrate transport mechanism that transports a plurality of substrates by changing the posture from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture between the carrier and the transport mechanism, and the substrate transport mechanism holds the plurality of substrates on both front and back surfaces. The wafer holder is provided, and the substrate before processing is held on one side of the wafer holder, while the substrate after processing is held on the other side of the wafer holder.

  Further, the wafer holder has a plurality of wafer holding plates and is configured to hold the substrate by each wafer holding plate.

  The wafer holder is configured to lock the substrate with a locking piece attached to the front and back of the wafer holding plate and a locking piece attached to the front and back of the movable body and advanced toward the side surface of the substrate. Decided to do.

  In the wafer holder, a plurality of movable plates are attached to one movable body, and the locking piece is attached to each movable plate.

  The present invention further includes a wafer holding table for holding a substrate in a vertical posture, wherein the substrate transport mechanism changes the posture of a plurality of substrates accommodated in a carrier in a horizontal posture to a vertical posture and the wafer holding table. The transport mechanism transports the substrate held by the wafer holder to the substrate processing unit.

  The substrate transfer mechanism is configured to attach the wafer holder to a rotating arm of a multi-axis robot and change the posture of the substrate from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture by rotating the wafer holder. did.

  Further, in the substrate processing apparatus including a substrate processing unit that processes a substrate, a carrier that accommodates the substrate, and a substrate transport mechanism that transports the substrate between the substrate processing unit, the substrate transport mechanism is configured to mount the substrate on both sides. Each of the wafer holders has a wafer holder, and the substrate before processing is held on one side of the wafer holder, while the substrate after processing is held on the other side of the wafer holder.

  Further, the substrate transport mechanism transports the substrate by changing the posture from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture.

  Further, in the present invention, batch knitting is performed in which batch processing is performed by the substrate processing unit by combining a substrate processing unit that performs various processes on the substrate and a plurality of substrates accommodated in a plurality of carriers. In the substrate processing apparatus, the batch knitting unit batches by changing a substrate transport mechanism for transporting a plurality of substrates accommodated in each carrier, and an array interval of the substrates transported by the substrate transport mechanism. A wafer forming mechanism that holds a plurality of substrates on both the front and back surfaces, and a batch forming mechanism that forms a plurality of substrates, and an arrangement order changing mechanism that changes the arrangement order of the substrates conveyed by the substrate conveying mechanism. It has a holder and holds the substrate before processing on one side of the wafer holder, while holding the substrate after processing on the other side of the wafer holder.

  And in this invention, there exists an effect described below.

  That is, the present invention has a wafer holder that holds the substrate on both front and back surfaces, and holds the unprocessed substrate on one side of the wafer holder, while the processed substrate on the other side of the wafer holder. Since it is held, it is possible to prevent the contaminants attached to the substrate before processing from reattaching to the substrate after processing.

  In particular, when the batch is knitted by arbitrarily changing the arrangement order of the substrates by the arrangement order changing mechanism, partial shortage (missing) has occurred in a plurality of substrates accommodated in each carrier. However, by changing the arrangement order of the substrates by the arrangement order changing mechanism, it is possible to eliminate the partial shortage of the substrates, which may cause a partial shortage in the substrates constituting the organized batch. It is possible to prevent problems that may occur in subsequent batch processing due to partial shortage of substrates.

The top view which shows the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. The top view which shows a batch organization part. The front view. The top view which shows a board | substrate conveyance mechanism. The front view. The plane sectional view showing a wafer holder. FIG. The top view which shows a batch formation mechanism. The same side view. The top view which shows an arrangement | sequence order change mechanism. The front view. The same side view. The block diagram which shows a control part. The flowchart which shows a batch organization program.

  Hereinafter, a specific configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a carrier loading / unloading unit 4 that loads and unloads a carrier 3 that stores a plurality of wafers 2 (substrates), and a wafer 2 that is stored in a plurality of carriers 3. A batch knitting unit 6 (batch knitting apparatus) for knitting batches 5 to be collectively processed by combining them, and a substrate processing unit 7 for cleaning and drying the wafers 2 for each batch 5 are configured. Here, the carrier loading / unloading unit 4, the batch knitting unit 6, and the substrate processing unit 7 constituting the substrate processing apparatus 1 are unitized, and a plurality of types of carrier loading / unloading unit 4, batch knitting unit 6, substrate processing The substrate processing apparatus 1 can be configured by combining the units 7. Therefore, the batch knitting unit 6 functions as a single batch knitting apparatus.

  The carrier loading / unloading unit 4 forms a sealed opening / closing door 9 on a carrier stage 8 on which the carrier 3 is placed, and a carrier transfer mechanism 10 is disposed inside the opening / closing door 9. The carrier 3 placed on the stage 8 is temporarily stored in the carrier stock 11 as needed, and is carried into the carrier placement table 12.

  The carrier loading / unloading unit 4 requires the carrier 3 mounted on the carrier mounting table 12, contrary to the above loading, for the carrier 3 containing the wafer 2 processed by the substrate processing unit 7. Accordingly, the carrier is temporarily stored in the carrier stock 11 by the carrier transport mechanism 10 and is transported to the carrier stage 8.

  The batch knitting unit 6 forms a hermetic opening / closing door 13 with the carrier loading / unloading unit 4, and a substrate for simultaneously transferring a plurality of wafers 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 inside the opening / closing door 13. The transfer mechanism 14, the batch forming mechanism 15 for forming the batch 5 by changing the arrangement interval of the wafers 2 transferred by the substrate transfer mechanism 14 in half, and the arrangement of the wafers 2 transferred by the substrate transfer mechanism 14 A batch for transferring the batch 5 formed by the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 for changing the order and the batch forming mechanism 15 between the batch knitting unit 6 and the substrate processing unit 7 and transporting the inside of the substrate processing unit 7 A transport mechanism 17 is provided. The batch knitting unit 6 includes a wafer accommodation state detection sensor 18 for detecting the accommodation state of the wafer 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 and a notch for adjusting the positions of the notches of the plurality of wafers 2 accommodated in the carrier 3. An aligner 19 is provided. The specific structure of the batch knitting unit 6 will be described in detail later.

  The substrate processing unit 7 includes a cleaning / drying mechanism 20 for cleaning and drying the wafer 2 and a cleaning mechanism 21 for cleaning the wafer 2. The cleaning / drying tank 23 for cleaning and drying and the cleaning tank 24 for cleaning the batch transport mechanism 17 are arranged in parallel, and the cleaning mechanism 21 includes first to first chemical treatments of the batch 5. The first to third pure water tanks 28, 29, 30 for treating the third chemical liquid tanks 25, 26, 27 and the batch 5 with pure water, the first to third chemical liquid tanks 25, 26, 27, and the first First to third transfer devices 31, 32, and 33 for transferring the batch 5 between the third pure water tanks 28, 29, and 30 are disposed.

  Further, the substrate processing unit 7 is provided with a batch transport mechanism 17 along the cleaning / drying mechanism 20 and the cleaning mechanism 21, and a start end portion of the batch transport mechanism 17 is provided in the batch knitting unit 6.

  Then, the substrate processing unit 7 uses the batch conveying mechanism 17 to move the batch 5 knitted by the batch knitting unit 6 to the lifting / lowering device 22 of the cleaning / drying mechanism 20 and the first to third conveying devices 31, 32, 33 of the cleaning mechanism 21. The cleaning / drying mechanism 20 and the cleaning mechanism 21 process the wafer 2 for each batch 5, and then process the batch 5 after the processing by the lifting / lowering device 22 of the cleaning / drying mechanism 20 and the first to first cleaning mechanisms 21. The batch transport mechanism 17 transfers the batch 5 after processing to the batch knitting unit 6 from the third transport devices 31, 32, 33.

  As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 carries the wafer 2 together with the carrier 3 into the batch knitting unit 6 by the carrier carry-in / out unit 4, and forms the batch 5 to be batch processed by the substrate processing unit 7 in the batch knitting unit 6. Delivered to the processing unit 7, the substrate processing unit 7 performs batch processing for each batch 5, and then delivers the processed batch 5 to the batch knitting unit 6, and the batch knitting unit 6 forms the wafers 2 constituting the batch 5. It is accommodated in the carrier 3 and conveyed to the carrier loading / unloading unit 4, and the carrier 3 containing the processed wafer 2 is unloaded by the carrier loading / unloading unit 4.

  The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a plurality of (for example, 25) wafers 2 accommodated in a plurality of (for example, two) carriers 3 that are loaded from the carrier loading / unloading section 4 in the batch knitting unit 6. Are combined to form a batch 5 composed of a plurality of (for example, 50) wafers 2 that are collectively processed by the substrate processing unit 7.

  A specific structure of the batch knitting unit 6 (batch knitting apparatus) will be described below.

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the batch knitting unit 6 is provided with an opening / closing door 13 on the front left side of the box-shaped batch knitting chamber 34, and a wafer accommodation state detection on the inner left side of the opening / closing door 13. A sensor 18 is provided. The wafer accommodation state detection sensor 18 detects the position and number of wafers 2 actually accommodated in the carrier 3 and whether the wafer 2 is accommodated in a normal state (horizontal state). 2 to detect the accommodation state of the wafer 2 by receiving the reflected light from the wafer 2.

  Further, the batch knitting unit 6 has a mounting table 35 disposed substantially in the center of the batch knitting chamber 34, a notch aligner 19 disposed on the upper left side of the mounting table 35, and a substrate on the upper right side of the mounting table 35. The transport mechanism 14 is disposed, the batch forming mechanism 15 and the start end of the batch transport mechanism 17 are disposed on the right side of the batch knitting chamber 34, and the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 is disposed at the rear of the batch knitting chamber 34. It is arranged up and down.

  As described above, the batch knitting unit 6 has the substrate transport mechanism 14 disposed in the center of the batch knitting chamber 34 and the batch forming mechanism 15 disposed on the right side of the substrate transport mechanism 14. An arrangement order changing mechanism 16 is disposed in the middle of the transfer path for transferring the wafer 2 to the substrate 15 by the substrate transfer mechanism 14.

  Below, the concrete structure of the board | substrate conveyance mechanism 14, the batch formation mechanism 15, and the arrangement | sequence order change mechanism 16 which comprise the batch organization part 6 is demonstrated.

  First, the structure of the substrate transport mechanism 14 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the substrate transport mechanism 14 is attached to a multi-axis robot 36 (here, a 5-axis robot) installed on the mounting table 35. A wafer holder 37 is attached.

  The multi-axis robot 36 is attached to a base 38 fixed to the mounting table 35 via a first rotation shaft so as to be rotatable left and right, and to the rotation table 39 via a second rotation shaft. A base end portion of the first lifting arm 40 is attached so as to be pivotable up and down, and a base end portion of the second lifting arm 41 is turned up and down via a third pivot shaft at a tip portion of the first lifting arm 40. A base end portion of the third elevating arm 42 is attached to a distal end portion of the second elevating arm 41 via a fourth rotation shaft so as to be rotatable up and down. A proximal end portion of the rotation arm 43 is attached to the distal end portion via a fifth rotation shaft so as to be rotatable left and right, and a wafer holder 37 is attached to the distal end portion of the rotation arm 43.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the wafer holder 37 has 25 fork-shaped wafer holding plates 45 vertically spaced at a predetermined interval in the front opening of the casing 44 connected to the tip of the rotating arm 43. A pair of left and right locking pieces 46 and 47 for locking the wafer 2 are mounted on the front and back sides of the wafer holding plate 45 and the wafer 2 is locked to the front end of the wafer holding plate 45. A pair of left and right locking pieces 48, 49 are attached to the front and back. Note that the vertical interval of the wafer holding plates 45 is the same as the arrangement interval of the wafers 2 accommodated in the carrier 3.

  Further, the wafer holder 37 has a cylinder 50 attached to the inside of the casing 44, and a central portion on the back side of the movable body 52 that is vertically extended is attached to the tip of the rod 51 of the cylinder 50. In addition, 25 movable plates 53 are attached vertically with a predetermined interval, and a locking piece 54 for locking the wafer 2 is attached to the front and back of the movable plate 53 at the front end.

  The wafer holder 37 is configured to drive the cylinder 50 on the side surface of the wafer 2 by driving the cylinder 50 in a state where the wafer 2 is locked by the locking pieces 46, 47, 48, 49 attached to the wafer holding plate 45. The wafer 2 can be held by the wafer holding plate 45 by moving forward. The wafer holder 37 is configured so that the locking pieces 46, 47, 48, 49, 54 are attached to the front and back of each wafer holding plate 45 so that the wafer 2 can be held on the front and back of each wafer holding plate 45. . Therefore, the unprocessed wafer 2 that has not been processed in the substrate processing unit 7 is held on the front surface side of the wafer holding plate 45, while the processed wafer 2 that has been processed in the substrate processing unit 7 is processed as a wafer. Contaminants adhering to the unprocessed wafer 2 are reattached to the processed wafer 2 through the locking pieces 46, 47, 48, 49, 54 so as to be held on the back side of the holding plate 45. Can be prevented.

  In the substrate transfer mechanism 14, the multi-axis robot 36 appropriately changes the posture of the wafer holder 37 to take out the unprocessed wafer 2 from the carrier 3, and the wafer 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 is transferred to the batch forming mechanism 15. In addition, the wafer 2 is transferred to an arbitrary position of the arrangement order changing mechanism 16, and the attitude of the wafer 2 is changed from the horizontal attitude stored in the carrier 3 to the vertical attitude in the middle of the transfer. The processed wafer 2 is transferred from the order change mechanism 16 to the carrier 3, and the posture of the wafer 2 is changed from the vertical posture to the horizontal posture during the transfer.

  Here, since the substrate transport mechanism 14 transports the wafer 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 by the multi-axis robot 36 to any position of the batch forming mechanism 15 and the arrangement order changing mechanism 16, for example, knitting When there is a margin in the number of batches 5 to be processed (when one batch 5 is knitted with 40 wafers 2), the batches are shifted so that the wafers 2 are concentrated on the central portion on the batch forming mechanism 15. Place the wafer 2 on the forming mechanism 15 or remove the wafer 2 from the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 in advance and place it on the batch forming mechanism 15 so that the wafer 2 is concentrated on the central portion of the batch forming mechanism 15. Can do. As described above, when there is a margin in the number of batches 5 to be knitted, the wafers 2 are transferred to the batch forming mechanism 15 by the substrate transfer mechanism 14 so that the wafers 2 are concentrated on the central portion on the batch forming mechanism 15. Thus, even when the number of wafers 2 to be processed at a time is small, the wafers 2 can be arranged substantially symmetrically from the center of the batch 5, and process characteristics such as cleaning and drying in subsequent processing at the substrate processing unit 7. Can be improved.

  Next, the structure of the batch forming mechanism 15 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the batch forming mechanism 15 has a base 55 disposed on the right side of the batch knitting chamber 34, and is moved up and down on the base 55. A table 56 is attached so as to be movable up and down, a pair of left and right support arms 57 and 58 are attached to the upper end of the elevator table 56, and wafer holding tables 59 and 60 are attached to the support arms 57 and 58, respectively.

  In each of the wafer holding stands 59, 60, holding grooves 61, 62 for holding 50 wafers 2 in a horizontal state are formed at intervals in the front-rear direction. The interval between the holding grooves 61 and 62 is set to be half the arrangement interval of the wafers 2 accommodated in the carrier 3.

  The batch forming mechanism 15 then places the wafer 2 on the first time and the position on which the wafer 2 is placed on the second time when the substrate 2 is placed on the wafer holders 59 and 60 by the substrate transport mechanism 14. Thus, the wafer holders 59, 60 are shifted at half the interval between the wafers 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 and placed on the wafer holders 59, 60 so that the wafers 2 are accommodated at half intervals of the wafers 2 accommodated in the carrier 3. The wafer 2 is placed on the wafer 2, thereby changing the arrangement interval of the wafers 2 in half. The wafer holders 59 and 60 are configured to be extendable and configured to change the arrangement interval of the wafers 2 by shortening the wafer holders 59 and 60 after the wafer 2 is placed by the substrate transfer mechanism 14. May be.

  Further, the batch forming mechanism 15 is configured such that the three wafer holding chucks 63 of the batch transfer mechanism 17 can be inserted between the left and right wafer holding stands 59, 60. The batch 5 composed of a plurality of wafers 2 can be delivered between the wafer holding tables 59 and 60 and the wafer holding chuck 63 of the batch transfer mechanism 17.

  Next, the structure of the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 will be described. As shown in FIGS. 10 to 12, the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 has a base 64 extended left and right behind the batch knitting chamber 34. Support plates 65, 66 are attached to the left and right ends of the base 64, and wafer supports 67, 68, 69 are installed between the left and right support plates 65, 66. In each of the wafer supports 67, 68, 69, a holding groove 70 for holding the wafer 2 in a vertical state is formed on the peripheral surface with a gap left and right. The interval between the holding grooves 70 is the same as the arrangement interval of the wafers 2 accommodated in the carrier 3.

  In addition, the arrangement sequence changing mechanism 16 is attached to the upper part of the base 64 so that the movable base 71 can be moved to the left and right. Further, a wafer holder 74 is attached to the front side portion of the lifting platform 73, and a locking piece 75 for locking the wafer 2 is attached to the front and back of the wafer holder 74, and the base end portion of the wafer holder 74 is attached. A pair of upper and lower locking pieces 76, 77 that can be moved back and forth in the front-rear direction are attached to the front and back sides.

  Then, the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 holds the wafers 2 transferred to the wafer supports 67, 68, 69 by the substrate transfer mechanism 14 one by one by the locking pieces 75, 76, 77 of the wafer holding plate 74, and moves up and down. By moving the table 73 up and down and moving the moving table 71, the wafers 2 can be moved one by one, and the arrangement order of the wafers 2 can be changed.

  As shown in FIG. 13, the substrate transport mechanism 14, the batch forming mechanism 15, the arrangement order changing mechanism 16, and the batch transport mechanism 17 constituting the batch knitting apparatus disposed in the batch knitting unit 6 described above are controlled by a control unit 78. The drive is controlled by. The control unit 78 includes a controller 79 composed of a CPU and a storage medium 80 connected to the controller 79. The control unit 78 controls not only the batch knitting unit 6, but also the carrier loading / unloading unit 4 and the substrate processing unit 7. Also configured to do. The controller 78 can be communicably connected to a host computer provided separately from the substrate processing apparatus 1. The storage medium 80 stores various setting data and a batch organization program 81 to be described later, and may be a memory such as a ROM or a RAM, or a disk-shaped storage medium such as a hard disk or a CD-ROM.

  The control unit 78 drives and controls the substrate transport mechanism 14, the batch forming mechanism 15, the arrangement order changing mechanism 16, and the batch transport mechanism 17 in accordance with the batch knitting program 81 stored in the storage medium 80. By combining a plurality of wafers 2 accommodated in a batch, a batch 5 for batch processing by the substrate processing unit 7 is knitted.

  Hereinafter, a case where the batch 5 is knitted from the two carriers 3 by the batch knitting program 81 will be described as an example.

  In the batch organization program 81, as shown in FIG. 14, first, the wafer 2 is loaded from the first carrier 3 (first wafer loading step S1).

  In the first wafer loading step S1, after the first carrier 3 is placed on the carrier loading table 12 in the carrier loading / unloading section 4, the open / close door 13 is opened, and the wafer 2 is accommodated by the wafer accommodation state detection sensor 18. After detecting the state, the posture of the wafer holder 37 is changed by the multi-axis robot 36 of the substrate transfer mechanism 14, the wafer 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 is taken out by the wafer holding plate 45 of the wafer holder 37, and the door is opened 13 is closed, and the position of the notch of the wafer 2 is adjusted by the notch aligner 19.

  Next, the batch organization program 81 determines whether to directly transfer the wafer 2 to the batch forming mechanism 15 or to temporarily transfer the wafer 2 to the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 based on the detection result of the wafer accommodation state detection sensor 18. (First transport path determination step S2).

  In this first transfer path determination step S2, it is detected by the wafer accommodation state detection sensor 18 whether or not a partial deficiency (missing) has occurred in the wafer 2 accommodated in the first carrier 3. If there is no shortage, it is determined that the wafer 2 is directly transferred to the batch forming mechanism 15. On the other hand, if there is a partial shortage, it is determined that the wafer 2 is once transferred to the arrangement order changing mechanism 16. To do.

  In the first transfer path determination step S2, when it is determined that the wafer 2 is directly transferred to the batch forming mechanism 15, the attitude of the wafer 2 is changed from the horizontal position to the vertical position by the substrate transfer mechanism 14 (first position). Then, the wafer 2 is placed in odd-numbered holding grooves 61, 62 formed on the wafer holding bases 59, 60 of the batch forming mechanism 15 (first wafer placement step S4). Thereafter, the batch knitting program 81 executes a second wafer carry-in step S6 described later.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in the first transfer path determination step S2 that the wafer 2 is once transferred to the arrangement order change mechanism 16, the substrate transfer mechanism 14 causes the left side of the wafer supports 67, 68, 69 of the arrangement order change mechanism 16 to be left. The wafer 2 is transferred to the holding groove 70 formed in the part (first wafer transfer step S5).

  Next, the batch knitting program 81 loads the wafer 2 from the second carrier 3 (second wafer loading step S6).

  In the second wafer carry-in step S6, as in the first wafer carry-in step S1, after the second carrier 3 is placed on the carrier placing table 12 in the carrier carry-in / out section 4, the open / close door 13 is opened to open the wafer. The accommodation state detection sensor 18 detects the accommodation state of the wafer 2, and then the posture of the wafer holder 37 is changed by the multi-axis robot 36 of the substrate transfer mechanism 14, and the carrier 3 is attached to the carrier 3 by the wafer holding plate 45 of the wafer holder 37. The accommodated wafer 2 is taken out, the door 13 is closed, and the position of the notch of the wafer 2 is adjusted by the notch aligner 19.

  Next, the batch organization program 81 determines whether to directly transfer the wafer 2 to the batch forming mechanism 15 or to temporarily transfer the wafer 2 to the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 based on the detection result of the wafer accommodation state detection sensor 18. (Second transport path determination step S7).

  In this second transfer path determination step S7, it is detected by the wafer containing state detection sensor 18 whether or not a partial deficiency (missing) has occurred in the wafer 2 accommodated in the second carrier 3. If there is no shortage, it is determined that the wafer 2 is directly transferred to the batch forming mechanism 15. On the other hand, if there is a partial shortage, it is determined that the wafer 2 is once transferred to the arrangement order changing mechanism 16. To do.

  In the second transfer path determination step S7, when it is determined that the wafer 2 is directly transferred to the batch forming mechanism 15, the substrate transfer mechanism 14 changes the posture of the wafer 2 from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture (first step). 2 wafer posture changing step S8), the front and back of the wafer 2 are reversed (wafer front and back reversing step S9), and then the wafer 2 is inserted into the even-numbered holding grooves 61 and 62 formed on the wafer holding bases 59 and 60 of the batch forming mechanism 15. Is placed (second wafer placement step S10).

  Here, in the batch knitting program 81, the wafer 2 accommodated in the first carrier 3 and the second carrier are reversed by reversing the front and back of the wafer 2 accommodated in the second carrier 3 in the wafer front / back reversing step S9. The front and back surfaces of the wafer 2 accommodated in the wafer 3 face each other so as to prevent the reattachment of contaminants. Depending on the processing conditions in the substrate processing unit 7, the wafer front / back reversing step S9 may not be executed.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in the second transfer path determination step S7 that the wafer 2 is once transferred to the arrangement order changing mechanism 16, the substrate transfer mechanism 14 causes the right side of the wafer supports 67, 68, 69 of the arrangement order changing mechanism 16. The wafer 2 is transferred to the holding groove 70 formed in the part (second wafer transfer step S11).

  Next, the batch knitting program 81 determines whether or not to transfer the wafer 2 to the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 in either the first transfer path determination step S2 or the second transfer path determination step S7 (transfer determination step S12). In the case of transfer, the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 is driven to change the arrangement order of the wafers 2 (arrangement order changing step S13). On the other hand, if not transferred, the arrangement order changing step S13 is executed. Without performing this, a batch forming step S23 described later is executed.

  In the arrangement order changing step S13, the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 is used to place the wafer 2 positioned at either the left or right end in the part where the partial shortage of the wafer 2 occurs based on the detection result of the wafer accommodation state detection sensor 18. By using it and moving it, a partial deficiency occurring in the wafer 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 is resolved. For example, when the fifth wafer 2 from the right among the wafers 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 is insufficient, the wafer 2 located on the rightmost side is moved to the fifth position from the right, and the fifth wafer 2 from the right is moved. The shortage of the wafer 2 which has occurred second is solved.

  Further, in the arrangement order changing step S13, when the partial shortage of the wafer 2 cannot be completely solved only by the movement of the wafer 2 accommodated in the first carrier 3 or the second carrier 3, the first or second is changed. The portion generated in the wafer 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 by moving the wafer 2 accommodated in the second carrier 3 to the insufficient portion occurring in the wafer 2 accommodated in the second or first carrier 3. To solve this shortage.

  Thereafter, the batch organization program 81 determines whether or not the wafer 2 accommodated in the first carrier 3 has been transferred to the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 (first transfer determination step S14). The wafer 2 held in the holding groove 70 formed on the left side of the wafer supports 67, 68, 69 of the order changing mechanism 16 is held by the wafer holder 37 of the substrate transfer mechanism 14 (first wafer holding step S15). Thereafter, the posture of the wafer 2 is changed from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture by the substrate transfer mechanism 14 (first wafer posture changing step S16), and the odd-numbered holding formed on the wafer holders 59 and 60 of the batch forming mechanism 15 is performed. The wafer 2 is placed in the grooves 61 and 62 (first wafer placement step S17).

  Further, the batch knitting program 81 determines whether or not the wafer 2 accommodated in the second carrier 3 has been transferred to the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 (second transfer determination step S18). The wafer 2 held in the holding groove 70 formed on the right side of the wafer supports 67, 68, 69 of the order changing mechanism 16 is held by the wafer holder 37 of the substrate transfer mechanism 14 (second wafer holding step S19). Then, the posture of the wafer 2 is changed from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture by the substrate transfer mechanism 14 (second wafer posture changing step S20), the front and back of the wafer 2 are reversed (wafer front and back reversing step S21), and then The wafer 2 is placed in the even-numbered holding grooves 61, 62 formed on the wafer holding bases 59, 60 of the batch forming mechanism 15 (second wafer placement step S22).

  Finally, the batch knitting program 81 forms the batch 5 in the batch forming mechanism 15 (batch forming step S23), and transfers the formed batch 5 from the batch forming mechanism 15 to the batch transport mechanism 17 (batch delivery step S24).

  In the batch knitting program 81, the multi-axis of the substrate transport mechanism 14 is used in the first wafer placement steps S4 and S17, the first wafer transfer step S5, the second wafer placement steps S10 and S22, and the second wafer transfer step S11. By simply changing the posture of the wafer holder 37 by the robot 36, the wafer 2 is transferred to any position on the wafer holders 59, 60 of the batch forming mechanism 15 and the wafer supports 67, 68, 69 of the arrangement order changing mechanism 16. You can do that.

  In the batch knitting program 81, the wafer 2 is directly transferred to the batch forming mechanism 15 based on the detection result of the wafer accommodation state detection sensor 18 in the first transfer path determination step S2 and the second transfer path determination step S7. Although it is determined whether the wafer 2 is once transferred to the arrangement order changing mechanism 16, the present invention is not limited to this. Information from the host computer connected to the control unit 78 or information from the operator input to the control unit 78 is used. Based on this, it is possible to grasp the accommodation state of the wafer 2 and determine whether the wafer 2 is directly transferred to the batch forming mechanism 15 or whether the wafer 2 is once transferred to the arrangement order changing mechanism 16. Based on instructions from the connected host computer and instructions from the operator input to the controller 78, batch formation of the wafers 2 is performed regardless of the wafer 2 accommodation state. Or conveyed directly to the structure 15, may be temporarily determines whether to transfer the wafer 2 to the positional relationship changing mechanism 16.

  Further, in the batch knitting program 81, if there is no partial shortage in the wafer 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 in the first transfer path determination step S2 and the second transfer path determination step S7, the wafer 2 is stored. Although it is determined that the wafer is directly transferred to the batch forming mechanism 15, the present invention is not limited to this, and even if there is no partial shortage in the wafer 2 accommodated in the carrier 3, the wafer 2 is arranged in the arrangement order changing mechanism 16. May be once transported. For example, when the number of wafers 2 accommodated in the first carrier 3 and the second carrier 3 is different, the wafers 2 accommodated in both carriers 3 are once transported to the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 and the arrangement order changing mechanism. The arrangement order of the wafers 2 may be changed by 16 and then transferred to the batch forming mechanism 15. As described above, when the number of wafers 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 forming the batch 5 is different, when the wafer 2 is directly conveyed to the batch forming mechanism 15, the wafer 2 is partially formed into the batch 5 formed by the batch forming mechanism 15. Since the shortage will occur, changing the arrangement order of the wafers 2 by the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 may prevent a partial shortage of the wafers 2 from occurring in the batch 5 formed by the batch forming mechanism 15. it can.

  The controller 78 shows the initial state of the wafers 2 accommodated in the carriers 3 and the knitting history indicating how the batch 5 is knitted by the substrate transport mechanism 14, the batch forming mechanism 15, and the arrangement order changing mechanism 16. Is stored in the storage medium 80, and after the processing in the substrate processing section 7, the substrate 2 is transferred so that the wafers 2 constituting the batch 5 are accommodated in the original carrier 3 again based on the stored initial state and knitting history. The mechanism 14, the batch forming mechanism 15, and the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 are controlled. Here, the control unit 78 accommodates the wafer 2 after processing in the substrate processing unit 7 in a carrier 3 different from the carrier 3 before batch organization based on an instruction from the host computer or an instruction from the operator. It can also be controlled.

  As described above, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 configured as described above, the substrate transport mechanism 14 that transports a plurality of wafers 2 accommodated in each carrier 3 and the arrangement interval of the wafers 2 transported by the substrate transport mechanism 14. The batch forming mechanism 15 for changing the arrangement of the wafers 2 and the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 for changing the arrangement order of the wafers 2 transferred by the substrate transfer mechanism 14. The batch 5 can be knitted by arbitrarily changing the arrangement order of the wafers 2.

  Therefore, for example, as described above, even if a partial shortage occurs in the plurality of wafers 2 accommodated in each carrier 3, the wafer 2 is changed by changing the arrangement order of the wafers 2 by the arrangement order changing mechanism 16. This eliminates the partial shortage of the wafers 2 constituting the knitted batch 5, and the subsequent batch due to the partial shortage of the wafers 2. Problems such as poor cleaning and poor drying that may occur in the treatment can be prevented in advance.

  In addition, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, since the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 is disposed in the middle of the transfer path for transferring the wafer 2 to the batch forming mechanism 15 by the substrate transfer mechanism 14, the transfer distance of the wafer 2. Thus, the time required for batch knitting can be shortened, and the throughput can be improved.

  Further, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, according to the accommodation state of the wafers 2 accommodated in the carrier 3, whether the plurality of wafers 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 are directly conveyed to the batch forming mechanism 15 by the substrate conveyance mechanism 14. Alternatively, the plurality of wafers 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 are transferred to the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 by the substrate transfer mechanism 14 and then transferred to the batch forming mechanism 15 after changing the arrangement order of the wafers 2. In addition, when there is no need to change the arrangement order of the wafers 2 such as when there is no partial shortage in the plurality of wafers 2 accommodated in the carrier 3, the wafers 2 are directly transferred to the batch forming mechanism 15. Thus, the time required for batch organization can be shortened.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1, since the wafer 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 is changed in posture from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture while being transferred by the substrate transfer mechanism 14, it is necessary to provide a separate posture changing device. Thus, the apparatus can be simplified, and the labor, time, and cost required for manufacturing the apparatus can be reduced.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1, a plurality of wafers 2 accommodated in the carrier 3 are transported to any position of the batch forming mechanism 15 or the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 by the substrate transport mechanism 14. Even when the wafer 2 is not accommodated at the end of the carrier 3 and a partial shortage of the wafer 2 occurs, the wafer 2 is shifted when transported to the batch forming mechanism 15 or the arrangement order changing mechanism 16. It is possible to easily solve the partial shortage of the end portion.

  Further, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the arrangement order of the wafers 2 is changed by the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 so as to eliminate the partial shortage occurring in the plurality of wafers 2 accommodated in each carrier 3. For this reason, partial shortage does not occur in the wafers 2 constituting the organized batch 5, and problems that may occur in subsequent batch processing due to partial shortage of the wafers 2 are obviated. Can be prevented.

  Further, in the substrate processing apparatus 1, partial deficiencies occurring in the plurality of wafers 2 are solved by changing the arrangement order of the wafers 2 accommodated in different carriers 3 by the arrangement order changing mechanism 16. Therefore, even when the arrangement order of the wafers 2 accommodated in one carrier 3 is changed, even if the partial shortage in the entire batch 5 cannot be resolved, it is accommodated in another carrier 3. The partial shortage of the entire batch 5 can be solved by using the wafer 2.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 1, since the multi-axis robot 36 is used as the substrate transport mechanism 14, the arrangement between the carrier 3 and the batch forming mechanism 15 or the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 and the arrangement order changing with the batch forming mechanism 15 are changed. Transfer of the wafer 2 to and from the mechanism 16, change of the posture of the wafer 2 during transfer (from horizontal state to vertical state or from vertical state to horizontal state), any of the batch forming mechanism 15 or the arrangement order changing mechanism 16 Transport to a position can be performed, and batch knitting with a high degree of freedom can be easily realized.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Substrate processing apparatus 2 Wafer 3 Carrier 4 Carrier carrying in / out part 5 Batch 6 Batch knitting part 7 Substrate processing part 8 Carrier stage 9 Opening and closing door 10 Carrier conveyance mechanism
11 Carrier stock 12 Carrier mounting table
13 Opening / closing door 14 Board transfer mechanism
15 Batch formation mechanism 16 Array order change mechanism
17 Batch transfer mechanism 18 Wafer containment state detection sensor
19 Notch aligner 20 Cleaning and drying mechanism
21 Cleaning mechanism 22 Lifting device
23 Washing / drying tank 24 Washing tank
25 First chemical tank 26 Second chemical tank
27 Third chemical tank 28 First pure water tank
29 Second pure water tank 30 Third pure water tank
31 First transport device 32 Second transport device
33 Third conveyor 34 Batch knitting room
35 Mounting table 36 Multi-axis robot
37 Wafer holder 38 Base
39 Turntable 40 First lifting arm
41 Second lifting arm 42 Third lifting arm
43 Rotating arm 44 Casing
45 Wafer holding plate 46, 47 Locking piece
48,49 Locking piece 50 cylinder
51 Rod 52 Movable body
53 Movable plate 54 Locking piece
55 Base 56 Lift platform
57,58 Support arm 59,60 Wafer holder
61,62 Holding groove 63 Wafer holding chuck
64 Base 65,66 Support plate
67, 68, 69 Wafer support 70 Holding groove
71 Moving platform 72 Prop
73 Lifting platform 74 Wafer holder
75 Locking piece 76,77 Locking piece
78 Controller 79 Controller
80 Storage media 81 Batch organization program

Claims (9)

In a substrate processing apparatus having a substrate processing unit that collectively processes a plurality of substrates accommodated in a horizontal posture in a carrier,
A transport mechanism for transporting a plurality of substrates to the substrate processing unit in a vertical posture;
A substrate transport mechanism for transporting a plurality of substrates by changing the posture from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture between the carrier and the transport mechanism;
Have
The substrate transport mechanism includes a wafer holder that holds a plurality of substrates on both front and back surfaces, and holds a substrate before processing on one side of the wafer holder, while a substrate after processing is held on the wafer holder. A substrate processing apparatus, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is held on the other surface side.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the wafer holder includes a plurality of wafer holding plates, and each wafer holding plate holds the substrate.   The wafer holder is configured to lock the substrate with a locking piece attached to the front and back of the wafer holding plate and a locking piece attached to the front and back of the movable body and advanced toward the side surface of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2.   4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the wafer holder has a plurality of movable plates attached to one movable body, and the locking pieces are attached to the movable plates. A wafer holding table for holding the substrate in a vertical position;
The substrate transport mechanism transports the plurality of substrates accommodated in a carrier in a horizontal posture to the wafer holding table by changing the posture to a vertical posture,
5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism transports a substrate held by a wafer holder to the substrate processing unit.   The substrate transfer mechanism is configured to attach the wafer holder to a rotating arm of a multi-axis robot and to change the posture of the substrate from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture by rotating the wafer holder. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5. In a substrate processing apparatus having a substrate processing unit that processes a substrate, and a substrate transport mechanism that transports a substrate between a substrate containing the substrate and the substrate processing unit,
The substrate transport mechanism includes a wafer holder that holds the substrate on both front and back surfaces, and holds the substrate before processing on one side of the wafer holder, while the substrate after processing is held on the other side of the wafer holder. A substrate processing apparatus characterized by being held on the side.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the substrate transport mechanism transports a substrate while changing a posture from a horizontal posture to a vertical posture. Substrate processing having a substrate processing unit that performs various types of processing on a substrate, and a batch knitting unit that forms a batch to be collectively processed by the substrate processing unit by combining a plurality of substrates accommodated in a plurality of carriers In the device
The batch knitting unit
A substrate transport mechanism for transporting a plurality of substrates housed in each carrier;
A batch forming mechanism for forming a batch by changing an arrangement interval of the substrates conveyed by the substrate conveying mechanism;
An arrangement order changing mechanism for changing the arrangement order of the substrates conveyed by the substrate conveying mechanism;
Have
The substrate transport mechanism includes a wafer holder that holds a plurality of substrates on both front and back surfaces, and holds a substrate before processing on one side of the wafer holder, while a substrate after processing is held on the wafer holder. A substrate processing apparatus, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is held on the other surface side.