Wafer processing apparatus including EFEM and method of processing wafer

A wafer processing apparatus comprising:

• a first equipment front end module (EFEM) comprising:
• a first EFEM chamber;
• a first upper load port provided at a first side or a second side of the first EFEM chamber;
• a first lower load port provided at the first side or the second side of the first EFEM chamber and vertically overlapping with the first upper load port;
• a first load lock provided at the first side or the second side of the first EFEM chamber and vertically overlapping with the first upper load port and the first lower load port;
• and
• a first EFEM arm configured to transfer a first wafer between a first wafer carrier, while the first wafer carrier is seated on at least one from among the first upper load port and the first lower load port, and the first load lock;
• a second EFEM provided at the first side of the first EFEM, and comprising:
• a second EFEM chamber spaced apart from the first EFEM chamber;
• a second upper load port provided at a first side or a second side of the second EFEM chamber;
• a second lower load port provided at the first side or the second side of the second EFEM chamber and vertically overlapping with the second upper load port;
• a second load lock provided at the first side or the second side of the second EFEM chamber and vertically overlapping with the second upper load port and the second lower load port;
• and
• a second EFEM arm configured to transfer a second wafer between a second wafer carrier, while the second wafer carrier is seated on at least one from among the second upper load port and the second lower load port, and the second load lock;
• a wafer transfer chamber connected to the first load lock of the first EFEM and the second load lock of the second EFEM;
• a plurality of wafer processing chambers connected to the wafer transfer chamber;
• and
• a wafer transfer arm provided in the wafer transfer chamber and configured to supply at least one from among the first wafer and the second wafer to at least one of the plurality of wafer processing chambers.

A wafer processing method comprising:

• mounting a wafer carrier accommodating a wafer on a load port, the load port provided at a first side or a second side of an equipment front end module (EFEM) chamber;
• connecting the wafer carrier to the EFEM chamber by operating the load port;
• unloading, by an EFEM arm configured to be moved within the EFEM chamber in a vertical direction, the wafer from the wafer carrier;
• loading, by the EFEM arm, the wafer into a wafer aligner to align the wafer;
• and
• unloading, by the EFEM arm, the wafer from the wafer aligner and loading, by the EFEM arm, the wafer into a load lock, the load lock provided at the first side of the EFEM chamber and overlapped with the load port in the vertical direction.