# US 2023/0056038 A1 · Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

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- Number: US 2023/0056038 A1
- Document ID: US20230056038A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/889,520
- Filed: 2022-08-17
- Published: 2023-02-23
- Earliest claimed: 2021-08-17
- Assignees: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Applicants: Tokyo Electron Limited
- Inventors: Kousei IDE; Naruaki IIDA; Kazuya MATSUSHITA
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20230056038A1

## CPC

- H10P 72/3304: {characterised by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices}
- 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 72/3202: {Mechanical details, e.g. rollers or belts}
- H10P 72/3306: {Horizontal transfer of a single workpiece}
- H10P: GENERIC PROCESSES OR APPARATUS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF DEVICES COVERED BY CLASS H10

## Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a loading/unloading block; a processing station provided on one of left and right sides of the loading/unloading block; a relay block provided on one of left and right sides of the processing station; processing blocks provided side by side in a left-right direction to form the processing station, each of the processing blocks including a processing module configured to perform a process on the substrate and a main transfer mechanism configured to deliver the substrate to the processing module; and bypass transfer mechanisms provided separately from the main transfer mechanism and provided respectively for the processing blocks arranged side by side in the left-right direction to transfer the substrate between left and right blocks, wherein bypass transfer paths for the substrate transferred by the plurality of bypass transfer mechanisms have heights different from each other, and partially overlap each other in a plan view.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a loading/unloading block in which a substrate is loaded and unloaded;
a processing station provided on one of left and right sides of the loading/unloading block, and in which the substrate is transferred to and from the loading/unloading block;
a relay block provided on one of left and right sides of the processing station, and in which the substrate is transferred to and from the processing station;
a plurality of processing blocks provided side by side in a left-right direction to form the processing station, each of the plurality of processing blocks including at least one processing module configured to perform a process on the substrate and a main transfer mechanism configured to deliver the substrate to the at least one processing module; and
a plurality of bypass transfer mechanisms provided separately from the main transfer mechanism and provided respectively for the plurality of processing blocks arranged side by side in the left-right direction to transfer the substrate between left and right blocks,
wherein a plurality of bypass transfer paths, which are transfer paths for the substrate transferred by the plurality of bypass transfer mechanisms, have heights different from each other, and partially overlap each other in a plan view.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the plurality of processing blocks include at least three processing blocks including a first processing block, a second processing block and a third processing block arranged sequentially from one of the left and right sides to the other, and the plurality of bypass transfer paths for the plurality of bypass transfer mechanisms include a first bypass transfer path, a second bypass transfer path and a third bypass transfer path,
wherein the second bypass transfer path has a left end portion overlapping with one bypass transfer path of the first bypass transfer path and the third bypass transfer path in the plan view, and a right end portion overlapping with the other bypass transfer path of the first bypass transfer path and the third bypass transfer path in the plan view, and
the first bypass transfer path and the third bypass transfer path are located above or below the second bypass transfer path.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:
substrate placement parts each configured to place the substrate thereon and move up and down with respect to an end portion of each of the plurality of bypass transfer paths to deliver the substrate to each of the plurality of bypass transfer mechanisms.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of bypass transfer mechanisms includes a base body provided in each of the plurality of processing blocks, a first moving body configured to move in the left-right direction with respect to the base body, and a substrate support body configured to support the substrate and move in the left-right direction with respect to the first moving body.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein the at least one processing module includes a plurality of the processing modules provided side by side in the left-right direction,
the main transfer mechanism includes a column provided between the plurality of processing modules in the plan view, and
each of the plurality of bypass transfer paths includes a transfer path extending in a front-rear direction and is a bypass path through which the substrate bypasses the column.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein a guide member for guiding a front-rear movement and a left-right movement of the support body is provided on one of the base body and the first moving body.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 6, wherein the guide member is a curved rail, and the substrate support body is configured to move along the curved rail so as to form the bypass path.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 7, wherein a connection portion, which is connected to the guide member and configured to be movable in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction together with the substrate support body, and a second moving body, which is connected to the connection portion and configured to be movable in the left-right direction, are provided on a side of the base body and the first moving body where the guide member is provided, and
a rail extending in the front-rear direction is provided in one of the connection portion and the second moving body to cause one of the connection portion and the second moving body to slide in the front-rear direction with respect to the other of the connection portion and the second moving body.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 8, wherein the rail extending in the front-rear direction is provided in the connection portion.

### Claim 10 (depends on 5)

The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein each of the plurality of bypass transfer paths includes two first regions configured to transfer the substrate in the left-right direction and the front-rear direction and a second region sandwiched between the two first regions and configured to transfer the substrate in the left-right direction, and
a movement speed of the substrate in the left-right direction in the two first regions is smaller than a movement speed of the substrate in the left-right direction in the second region.

### Claim 11

A substrate processing method, comprising:
loading and unloading a substrate into and from a loading/unloading block;
transferring the substrate between a processing station provided on one of left and right sides of the loading/unloading block and the loading/unloading block;
transferring the substrate between a relay block provided on one of left and right sides of the processing station and the processing station;
in each of a plurality of processing blocks provided side by side in a left-right direction to form the processing station and including a processing module, a main transfer mechanism and a bypass transfer mechanism configured to transfer the substrate independently of the main transfer mechanism, delivering the substrate to the processing module by the main transfer mechanism and processing the substrate in the processing module; and
transferring the substrate between left and right blocks by using bypass transfer paths which are transfer paths for the substrate transferred by the bypass transfer mechanism, have heights different from each other, and partially overlap each other in a plan view.