# US 12,217,986 B2 · Substrate treating apparatus with parallel first and second parts of substrate treatment lines on multiple stories for simultaneously treating a plurality of substrates

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- Number: US 12,217,986 B2
- Document ID: US12217986B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 17/145,039
- Filed: 2021-01-08
- Published: 2021-05-06
- Granted: 2025-02-04
- Earliest claimed: 2007-12-28
- Assignees: SCREEN Semiconductor Solutions Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: SCREEN Semiconductor Solutions Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Hiroyuki Ogura; Tsuyoshi Mitsuhashi; Yoshiteru Fukutomi; Kenya Morinishi; Yasuo Kawamatsu; Hiromichi Nagashima
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12217986B2

## CPC

- H10P 72/0474: {comprising at least one lithography chamber}
- B05C 9/12: the auxiliary operation being performed after the application (B05C9/14 takes precedence)
- B05C 9/14: the auxiliary operation involving heating {or cooling}
- B05C 13/00: Means for manipulating or holding work, e.g. for separate articles {(B05C1/0821 takes precedence)}
- G03F 7/70841: {Constructional issues related to vacuum environment, e.g. load-lock chamber}
- H10P 72/0434: {mainly by convection}
- H10P 72/0448: {Apparatus for applying a liquid, a resin, an ink or the like}
- H10P 72/0456: {in-line arrangement}
- H10P 72/0458: {vertical arrangement}
- H10P 72/0462: {characterised by the construction of the processing chambers, e.g. modular processing chambers}
- H10P 72/0464: {characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber}
- H10P 72/0612: {Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput}
- H10P 72/3302: {Mechanical parts of transfer devices}
- H10P 72/3306: {Horizontal transfer of a single workpiece}
- B05C 13/02: for particular articles
- B05D 3/0486: {Operating the coating or treatment in a controlled atmosphere}
- F24F 3/167: Clean rooms, i.e. enclosed spaces in which a uniform flow of filtered air is distributed (air distribution by perforated walls F24F7/10)
- H10W 72/01351: {Changing the shapes of die-attach connectors}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10
- B05C: APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (spraying apparatus, atomising apparatus, nozzles B05B; plant for applying liquids or other fluent materials to objects by electrostatic spraying B05B5/08)
- G03F: PHOTOMECHANICAL PRODUCTION OF TEXTURED OR PATTERNED SURFACES, e.g. FOR PRINTING, FOR PROCESSING OF SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES; MATERIALS THEREFOR; ORIGINALS THEREFOR; APPARATUS SPECIALLY ADAPTED THEREFOR; (phototypographic composing devices B41B; photosensitive materials or processes for photographic purposes G03C; electrophotography, sensitive layers or processes therefor G03G)
- B05D: PROCESSES FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL (conveying articles or workpieces through baths of liquid B65G, e.g. B65G49/02)
- F24F: AIR-CONDITIONING; AIR-HUMIDIFICATION; VENTILATION; USE OF AIR CURRENTS FOR SCREENING (removing dirt or fumes from areas where they are produced B08B15/00; vertical ducts for carrying away waste gases from buildings E04F17/02; tops for chimneys or ventilating shafts, terminals for flues F23L17/02)
- H10W: GENERIC PACKAGES, INTERCONNECTIONS, CONNECTORS OR OTHER CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A substrate treating apparatus for treating substrates includes a plurality of substrate treatment lines arranged vertically for carrying out plural types of treatment on the substrates while transporting the substrates substantially horizontally, and a controller for changing processes of treatment carried out on the substrates for each of the substrate treatment lines. By changing the processes of treatment carried out for the substrates for each substrate treatment line, the processes of treatment carried out for the substrates can be changed for each substrate conveniently. Thus, a plurality of different processes of treatment corresponding to the number of substrate treatment lines can be carried out in parallel for the respective substrates.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A substrate treating apparatus comprising:
a plurality of substrate treatment lines configured to carry out plural types of treatment on substrates while transporting the substrates horizontally; and
a controller configured to change processes of treatment carried out on the substrates for each of the substrate treatment lines;
wherein the substrate treatment lines are arranged vertically;
wherein each of the substrate treatment lines includes:
a plurality of treating units; and
main transport mechanisms configured to transport the substrates to and from the treating units;
wherein the controller is arranged to cause a first part of the substrate treatment lines to treat the substrates in a process in a normal operation, and a second part of the substrate treatment lines to treat the substrates in a test run, the test run comprising testing, inspecting, checking or verifying treatment quality or testing the treating units;
wherein the process in the normal operation in the first part of the substrate treatment lines and the process in the test run in the second part of the substrate treatment lines are carried out in parallel;
the substrate treating apparatus further comprises an input unit configured to input information to set substrate transport paths to each of the substrate treatment lines, wherein the controller is arranged to change the substrate transport paths for each of the substrate treatment lines based on the information inputted to the input unit;
wherein the information inputted to the input unit is not set at the controller beforehand;
wherein the information inputted to the input unit is information identifying treating units subject to the test run; and
the controller is arranged to determine, based on the information identifying treating units subject to the test run, transport paths for transporting the substrates only to the treating units identified by the information identifying treating units subject to the test run.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The substrate treating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the controller is arranged to cause the first part of the substrate treatment lines to treat the substrates in the process in the normal operation, and cause the second part of the substrate treatment lines to treat the substrates in the process in the test run, thereby to restore the second part of the substrate treatment lines.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The substrate treating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the controller is arranged to cause the second part of the substrate treatment lines to transport the substrates only to the treating units subject to the test run.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The substrate treating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the controller is arranged to cause all the substrate treatment lines to treat the substrates in the process in the normal operation.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The substrate treating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein, when the second part of the substrate treatment lines have been restored, the controller causes all the substrate treatment lines to treat the substrates in the process in the normal operation.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The substrate treating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein changes in the processes in the substrate treatment lines are made independently of each other.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The substrate treating apparatus according to claim 1 wherein the substrate transport paths determined by the controller are not set at the controller beforehand.