Substrate processing system

A substrate processing system that performs substrate processing, the substrate processing system comprising:

• a batch processing device that performs batch processing of collectively processing a plurality of substrates;
• a single wafer processing device that performs single wafer processing of processing the substrates one by one;
• a relay device that conveys the substrates for which the batch processing has been completed from the batch processing device to the single wafer processing device;
• and
• a controller that controls the batch processing device, the single wafer processing device, and the relay device,
• wherein
• the batch processing device includes:
• at least one batch processing tank;
• a first placement unit capable of placing a carrier that stores the plurality of substrates in a horizontal orientation at predetermined intervals in a vertical direction;
• a substrate acquisition and conveyance mechanism that takes out the substrates from the carrier placed on the first placement unit;
• a first orientation changing mechanism that changes an orientation of the substrates taken out from the carrier by the substrate acquisition and conveyance mechanism from the horizontal orientation to a vertical orientation;
• and
• a lifter that can collectively immerse, in the batch processing tank, the plurality of substrates whose orientation has been changed into the vertical orientation by the first orientation changing mechanism,
• the single wafer processing device includes:
• a single wafer drying unit that can dry, one by one, the substrates in the horizontal orientation for which the batch processing has been completed;
• a second placement unit on which the carrier can be placed;
• and
• a storage and conveyance mechanism that loads the substrates in the horizontal orientation into the carrier placed on the second placement unit,
• the relay device includes:
• a second orientation changing mechanism that changes the orientation of the substrates received from the batch processing device from the vertical orientation to the horizontal orientation;
• and
• a relay conveyance mechanism capable of conveying the substrates whose orientation has been changed into the horizontal orientation by the second orientation changing mechanism to the single wafer processing device one by one,
• the controller:
• controls the substrate acquisition and conveyance mechanism to take out the substrates from the first carrier placed on the first placement unit;
• controls the first orientation changing mechanism to change the orientation of the substrates taken out from the first carrier from the horizontal orientation to the vertical orientation;
• controls the lifter to collectively immerse, in the batch processing tank, the plurality of substrates whose orientation has been changed into the vertical orientation and perform first batch processing;
• controls the second orientation changing mechanism to change the orientation of the substrates for which the first batch processing has been performed from the vertical orientation to the horizontal orientation;
• controls the relay conveyance mechanism to convey the substrates whose orientation has been changed into the horizontal orientation from the batch processing device to the single wafer processing device;
• controls the storage and conveyance mechanism to load the substrates in the horizontal orientation conveyed to the single wafer processing device into a second carrier placed on the second placement unit;
• when the second carrier storing the substrates for which the first batch processing has been performed is placed on the first placement unit of the batch processing device, controls the substrate acquisition and conveyance mechanism to take out the substrates from the second carrier placed on the first placement unit;
• controls the first orientation changing mechanism to change the orientation of the substrates taken out from the second carrier from the horizontal orientation to the vertical orientation;
• controls the lifter to collectively immerse, in the batch processing tank, the plurality of substrates whose orientation has been changed into the vertical orientation and perform second batch processing;
• controls the second orientation changing mechanism to change the orientation of the substrates for which the second batch processing has been performed from the vertical orientation to the horizontal orientation;
• controls the relay conveyance mechanism to convey the substrates whose orientation has been changed into the horizontal orientation from the batch processing device to the single wafer processing device;
• controls the single wafer drying unit to dry, one by one, the substrates in the horizontal orientation conveyed to the single wafer processing device;
• and
• controls the storage and conveyance mechanism to perform a series of operations of loading the substrates in the horizontal orientation for which the drying processing has been performed into a third carrier placed on the second placement unit,
• the substrate processing system further comprises a rotation mechanism that rotates the substrates around a normal line of the substrates, and
• the controller controls, after the first batch processing and before the second batch processing, the rotation mechanism to perform the second batch processing with the orientation of the substrates being vertically inverted with respect to the orientation of the substrates in the first batch processing.