Substrate transfer apparatus, substrate processing apparatus, and substrate processing method

A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

• a storage to store a plurality of substrates stacked at predetermined intervals;
• a substrate transfer apparatus to transfer the substrates;
• and
• a substrate processor configured to process the substrates,
• wherein the substrate transfer apparatus includes:
• a first gripping plate;
• a first claw fixedly supported by the first gripping plate, and has an abutment surface, which abuts on an outer peripheral surface of a substrate, located above and below a surface of the first gripping plate;
• a second gripping plate overlapping the first gripping plate;
• a second claw fixedly supported by the second gripping plate, and has an abutment surface, which abuts on the outer peripheral surface of the substrate, located above and below the surface of the first gripping plate;
• and
• a gripper to move both the first gripping plate and the second gripping plate such that both the first claw and the second claw move to approach and separate from each other in a direction intersecting the outer peripheral surface of the substrate, and wherein the gripper includes
• a support plate,
• a linear guide supported by the support plate and extending in a direction in which the first claw and the second claw move to approach and separate from each other,
• a first linear motion block fixed to the first gripping plate and configured to be movable along the linear guide,
• a second linear motion block fixed to the second gripping plate and configured to be movable along the linear guide,
• a cylinder connected to one of the first gripping plate and the second gripping plate to move the one of the gripping plates in the direction in which the first claw and the second claw move to approach and separate from each other, and
• a swing pin mover configured to convert and transmit the movement of the one of the gripping plates caused by the cylinder to the other of the gripping plates such that the other of the gripping plates moves in a direction opposite to the movement of the one of the gripping plates.

A substrate processing method, comprising:

• removing a first substrate from a storage that stores a plurality of substrates stacked at predetermined intervals using a substrate transfer apparatus that includes
• a first gripping plate,
• a first claw fixedly supported by the first gripping plate, and has an abutment surface, which abuts on an outer peripheral surface of a substrate, located above and below a surface of the first gripping plate,
• a second gripping plate overlapping the first gripping plate,
• a second claw fixedly supported by the second gripping plate, and has an abutment surface, which abuts on the outer peripheral surface of the substrate, located above and below the surface of the first gripping plate, and
• a gripper to move both the first gripping plate and the second gripping plate such that both the first claw and the second claw move to approach and separate from each other in a direction intersecting the outer peripheral surface of the substrate,
• wherein the gripper includes
• a support plate,
• a linear guide supported by the support plate and extending in a direction in which the first claw and the second claw move to approach and separate from each other,
• a first linear motion block fixed to the first gripping plate and configured to be movable along the linear guide,
• a second linear motion block fixed to the second gripping plate and configured to be movable along the linear guide,
• a cylinder connected to one of the first gripping plate and the second gripping plate to move the one of the gripping plates in the direction in which the first claw and the second claw move to approach and separate from each other, and
• a swing pin mover configured to convert and transmit the movement of the one of the gripping plates caused by the cylinder to the other of the gripping plates such that the other of the gripping plates moves in a direction opposite to the movement of the one of the gripping plates;
• performing a process on the first substrate removed from the storage;
• storing the first substrate subjected to the process in the storage using the substrate transfer apparatus;
• removing a second substrate located above or below the first substrate from the storage using the substrate transfer apparatus;
• performing a process on the second substrate removed from the storage;
• and
• storing the second substrate subjected to the process in the storage using the substrate transfer apparatus.