Substrate processing apparatus
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorMasatoshi Deguchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A substrate processing apparatus has a film forming unit group disposed along a first transfer route and a developing processing unit group disposed along a second transfer route. A substrate is transferred along the first transfer route, undergoes film forming processing in the film forming unit group, and thereafter undergoes exposure processing. After undergoing exposure processing, the substrate is transferred along the second transfer route and undergoes developing processing in the developing unit group. The unit groups in which different sorts of processing are performed are disposed along the different transfer routes as described above, thereby enabling the substrate to be transferred efficiently.
Claims14
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of first processing units, disposed along a first transfer route, each for processing a substrate;
- a plurality of second processing units, disposed along a second transfer route, for processing the substrate after the substrate processed in the first processing unit is processed in a processing apparatus;
- and
- transfer means for transferring the substrate between the plurality of first processing units disposed along the first transfer route and transferring the substrate between the plurality of second processing units disposed along the second transfer route,
- wherein the transfer means comprises:
- first transfer means for transferring the substrate between the first processing units along the first transfer route;
- and
- second transfer means for transferring the substrate between the second processing units along the second transfer route,
- said the substrate processing apparatus further comprising a third transfer means for transferring the substrate processed by said plurality of first processing units, to an apparatus external to the first and second processing units and for transferring the substrate processed by the external apparatus to said plurality of second processing units;
- and
- wherein the second processing unit further has:
- a chemical filter disposed on top of the second processing unit;
- and
- a mechanism for letting air inside the second processing unit flow downward from above.
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
- a plurality of first processing units, disposed along a first transfer route, each for processing a substrate;
- a plurality of second processing units, disposed along a second transfer route arranged nearly parallel to the first transfer route with a space between the first processing unit and the second processing unit for processing the substrate after the substrate processed in the first processing unit is processed in a processing apparatus;
- and
- transfer means for transferring the substrate between the plurality of first processing units disposed along the first transfer route and transferring the substrate between the plurality of second processing units disposed along the second transfer route,
- wherein the transfer means comprises:
- first transfer means for transferring the substrate between the first processing units along the first transfer route;
- and
- second transfer means for transferring the substrate between the second processing units along the second transfer route,
- said the substrate processing apparatus further comprising a third transfer means for transferring the substrate processed by said plurality of first processing units, to an apparatus external to the first and second processing units and for transferring the substrate processed by the external apparatus to said plurality of second processing units and
- wherein said first processing units having at least one film forming unit for forming a film on a substrate;
- and
- said second processing units having at least one developing processing unit for performing developing processing for the substrate after the substrate processed in the first processing unit undergoes exposure processing,
- the second processing unit having a chemical filter disposed on the top of the second processing unit and a mechanism for letting air inside the second processing unit flow downward from above.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.