Interface apparatus for transporting substrates between substrate processing apparatus

An interface apparatus for transferring substrates between a first processing apparatus having first substrate transport means for successively transporting the substrates into and out of a plurality of processing units, and a second processing apparatus having second substrate transport means for transporting the substrates into and out of at least one of a plurality of processing units, said interface apparatus comprising:

• transfer means for transferring the substrates between said first substrate transport means and said second substrate transport means;
• storage means for storing a plurality of substrates;
• and
• depositing and fetching means for transporting the substrates between said transfer means and said storage means,
• wherein said transfer means includes at least three supporting pins for supporting a substrate in horizontal posture, and a pin supporting mechanism for vertically movably supporting said supporting pins, and
• said interface apparatus further comprises a substrate adjusting mechanism including a pair of adjusting members opposed to each other across the substrate supported on said supporting pins, said adjusting members being horizontally movable toward and away from each other to contact outer edges of the substrate to effect positional adjustment of the substrate and
• wherein said pin supporting mechanism and said substrate adjusting mechanism are driven by a single drive mechanism including:
• a single air cylinder having a vertically extendible rod;
• a cam connected to said rod to be vertically movable and defining a cam groove having an upper curved portion and a lower straight portion;
• a pusher plate horizontally reciprocable with movement of a cam follower engaged in said cam groove;
• a pair of links interconnecting said pusher plate and said pair of adjusting members;
• and
• a lift member engageable with said cam during upward movement of said cam to move upwardly with said cam and raise said pin supporting mechanism.

A photoresist processing system for carrying out a series of photoresist processes on substrates, said system comprising:

• a first photoresist processing apparatus including a plurality of processing units;
• a second photoresist processing apparatus including at least one processing unit;
• storage means disposed between said first photoresist processing apparatus and said second photoresist processing apparatus for storing a plurality of substrates in multiple stages;
• first transport means for transporting the substrates into and out of said processing units of said first photoresist processing apparatus;
• second transport means for transporting the substrates into and out of said processing unit of said second photoresist processing apparatus;
• vertically movable third transport means for transporting the substrates into and out of said storage means;
• transfer means for transferring the substrates between said first transport means and said second transport means, between said first transport means and said third transfer means and between said second transport means and said third transfer means;
• and
• vertically movable temporary support means operable independently of said first, second, and third transport means for raising a substrate from said transfer means and for retaining the substrate above a position to which said third transport means is raised for transporting a substrate into and out of an uppermost stage in said storage means;
• wherein said temporary support means is movable upward for raising and retaining the substrate from said transfer means when a downstream one of said first and second photoresist processing apparatus becomes incapable of receiving substrates;
• wherein said third transport means is operable, after said temporary support means raises and retains the substrate, for receiving substrates from an upstream one of said first and second photoresist processing apparatus through said transfer means, and for transporting the substrates into said storage means;
• said temporary support means being movable downward, when the downstream photoresist processing apparatus becomes capable of receiving substrates, for transporting the substrate retained by said temporary support means to the downstream photoresist processing apparatus through said transfer means;
• and
• said third transport means is operable, after said temporary support means releases the substrate retained thereby, for fetching the substrates from said storage means and transporting the substrates to the downstream photoresist processing apparatus through said transfer means.