Substrate treating apparatus and substrate reversing method

A substrate reversing method for reversing a substrate, the method comprising:

• a transporting step of causing a transport mechanism with a first suction portion to transport the substrate to a supporting portion;
• a first supporting step of causing the supporting portion to receive the substrate from the transport mechanism and to support the substrate in a horizontal posture;
• a first taking step of causing a reversing mechanism with a second suction portion to take the substrate from the supporting portion;
• a reversing step of causing the reversing mechanism to reverse the substrate;
• and
• a second supporting step of causing the supporting portion to receive the substrate from the reversing mechanism and to support the substrate in a horizontal posture, wherein
• in the transporting step, the first suction portion is located above the substrate, and the first suction portion sucks the substrate upward by causing gas to flow over a top face of the substrate and is moved to the supporting portion,
• in the first taking step, the second suction portion is located at a first position as a position above the substrate supported by the supporting portion, and sucks the substrate upward by causing gas to flow over the top face of the substrate,
• in the reversing step, the second suction portion is half-rotated around a horizontal rotation axis to be moved from the first position to a second position while the second suction portion sucks the substrate;
• the second position is a position where the second suction portion is half-rotated around the rotation axis from the first position;
• the second position is located below the substrate;
• the supporting portion is at rest at a first support position in the first supporting step,
• the supporting portion is at rest at the first support position in the first taking step,
• the supporting portion is moved from the first support position to a second support position lower than the first support position in the reversing step, and
• the supporting portion is moved from the second support position to the first support position in the second supporting step.

A substrate treating apparatus, comprising:

• a supporting portion configured to contact a substrate to support the substrate in a horizontal posture;
• a transport mechanism configured to transport the substrate to the supporting portion;
• and
• a reversing mechanism configured to receive the substrate from the supporting portion, to reverse the substrate, and to deliver the substrate to the supporting portion,
• the transport mechanism including:
• a first suction portion configured to suck the substrate without contacting the substrate;
• and
• a transport driving unit including a first hand configured to engage and move the first suction portion,
• the reversing mechanism including:
• a second hand including a second suction portion configured to suck the substrate without contacting the substrate;
• and
• a hand driving unit including a rotation driving unit configured to rotate the second hand with the second suction portion around a horizontal rotation axis, wherein
• when the transport mechanism transports a substrate to the supporting portion, the first suction portion is located above the substrate and sucks the substrate upward while causing gas to flow along a top face of the substrate and the transport driving unit moves the first suction portion to the supporting portion,
• when the reversing mechanism receives the substrate from the supporting portion, the second suction portion is located above the substrate supported by the supporting portion and sucks the substrate upward while causing gas to flow along a top face of the substrate;
• the rotation driving unit moves the second suction portion between a first position where the second suction portion blows gas downward and a second position where the second suction portion blows gas upward by rotating the second suction portion around the rotation axis;
• the substrate treating apparatus further comprising:
• a lifting drive unit configured to move the supporting portion between a first support position overlapping the rotation axis in side view and a second support position lower than the first support position, wherein
• the second suction portion is located at a position higher than the substrate supported by the supporting portion at the first support position when the second suction portion is located at the first position, and
• a height position of the substrate sucked by the second suction portion at the second position is lower than a height position of the substrate supported by the supporting portion at the first support position and is higher than a height position of the substrate supported by the supporting portion at the second support position.

A substrate reversing method for reversing a substrate, the method comprising:

• a transporting step of causing a transport mechanism with a first suction portion to transport the substrate to a supporting portion;
• a first supporting step of causing the supporting portion to receive the substrate from the transport mechanism and to support the substrate in a horizontal posture;
• a first taking step of causing a reversing mechanism with a second suction portion to take the substrate from the supporting portion;
• a reversing step of causing the reversing mechanism to reverse the substrate;
• and
• a second supporting step of causing the supporting portion to receive the substrate from the reversing mechanism and to support the substrate in a horizontal posture, wherein
• in the transporting step, the first suction portion is located above the substrate, and the first suction portion sucks the substrate upward by causing gas to flow over a top face of the substrate and is moved to the supporting portion,
• in the first taking step, the second suction portion is located at a first position as a position above the substrate supported by the supporting portion, and sucks the substrate upward by causing gas to flow over the top face of the substrate,
• in the reversing step, the second suction portion is half-rotated around a horizontal rotation axis to be moved from the first position to a second position while the second suction portion sucks the substrate;
• the second position is a position where the second suction portion is half-rotated around the rotation axis from the first position;
• and
• the second position is located below the substrate;
• and
• the substrate reversing method further comprises:
• a second taking step of causing the transport mechanism to take a substrate from the supporting portion, wherein
• the second suction portion is at rest at the second position from the second supporting step to the second taking step.