Substrate processing apparatus and method
AssigneeDainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.
InventorsToru Morimoto, Kenji Hashinoki, Tetsuya Hamada, Kenji Kamei
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Abstract
Substrates of a precedent lot are transported among first processing parts while being processed by the first processing parts. The circulating transportation for the precedent lot is interrupted after starting of the circulating transportation of the first substrate of the precedent lot before starting of the circulating transportation of the last substrate of the precedent lot. Thereafter, a substrate of a subsequent lot is transported among second processing parts while being processed by the second processing parts. Hence, processing of the substrates of the precedent and subsequent lots are concurrently processed, resulting in improving a through put.
Claims16
A substrate processing apparatus for processing a precedent and a subsequent lot each of which is formed by a plurality of substrates, comprising:
- a plurality of first processing parts each of which processes said substrates of said precedent lot one by one;
- a plurality of second processing parts each of which processes said substrates of said subsequent lot one by one;
- transport means for circulating among said first processing parts while holding said substrates of said precedent lot to perform circulating transportation for said precedent lot, thereby to process said substrates of said precedent lot by first processing and circulating among said second processing parts while holding said substrates of said subsequent lot to perform circulating transportation for said subsequent lot, thereby to process said substrates of said subsequent lot by second processing, said transport means being capable of carrying only single substrate at the same time from one of said plurality of first or second processing parts to another;
- and
- double flow control means for controlling said transport means to perform double flow processing in which said circulating transportation for said precedent and subsequent lots are performed by repetition of unit circulation which circulates among said first or second processing parts, and in which said circulating transportation for said precedent lot is interrupted after starting of the circulating transportation of the first substrate of said precedent lot before starting of the circulating transportation of the last substrate of said precedent lot and then at least one unit circulation of said circulating transportation for said subsequent lot is performed.
A method of processing substrates of precedent and subsequent lots, comprising the steps of:
- preparing a plurality of first processing parts each of which processes said substrates of said precedent lot;
- preparing a plurality of second processing parts each of which processes said substrates of said subsequent lot;
- transporting said substrates of said precedent lot circulating among said first processing parts while processing said substrates of said precedent lot by said first processing parts, thereby to process by first processing;
- and
- transporting said substrates of said subsequent lot circulating among said second processing parts while processing said substrates of said subsequent lot by said second processing parts, wherein each of said steps of transporting said substrates of said precedent and subsequent lots are performed by carrying only single substrate at the same time from one of said plurality of first or second processing parts to another, and
- said substrates are transported in double flow processing in which circulating transportations for said precedent and subsequent lots are performed by repetition of unit circulation which circulates among said first or second processing parts, and in which said circulating transportation for said precedent lot is interrupted after starting of the circulating transportation of the first substrate of said precedent lot before starting of the circulating transportation of the last substrate of said precedent lot and then at least one unit circulation of said circulating transportation for said subsequent lot is performed.
A method of processing substrates of precedent and subsequent lots, comprising the steps of:
- preparing a plurality of first processing parts each of which processes said substrates of said precedent lot;
- preparing a plurality of second processing parts each of which processes said substrates of said subsequent lot;
- transporting said substrates of said precedent lot circulating among said first processing parts while processing said substrates of said precedent lot by said first processing parts;
- judging whether first cycle time required for processing said substrates of said subsequent lot by said second processing parts is ended;
- and
- when it is judged that the first cycle time is ended, interrupting the transportation of said substrates of said precedent lot and then transporting said substrates of said subsequent lot circulating among said second processing parts while processing said substrates of said subsequent lot by said second processing parts, wherein each of transportations of said substrates of said precedent and subsequent lots is performed by carrying only single substrate at the same time from one of said plurality of first or second processing parts to another, and said transportations for said precedent and subsequent lots are performed by repetition of unit circulation which circulates among said first or second processing parts.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.