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US 6,672,779 B2Granted
Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method
AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited
InventorsIssei Ueda, Shinichi Hayashi, Naruaki Iida, Yuji Matsuyama, Yoichi Deguchi
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Thermal processing unit sections each with ten tiers and coating processing unit sections each with five tiers are disposed around a first main wafer transfer section and a second main wafer transfer section, and in the thermal processing unit section, the influence of the time required for substrate temperature regulation processing on a drop in throughput can be reduced greatly by transferring the wafer W while the temperature of the wafer W is being regulated by a temperature regulation and transfer device.
Claims22
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
- a first zone for heating the substrate;
- a second zone being disposed adjacent to the first zone along a first direction, for regulating a temperature of the substrate to a predetermined temperature;
- a third zone being disposed approximately perpendicular to the first direction adjacent to the second zone, for delivering and receiving the substrate to/from the second zone;
- wherein the second zone has a delivering position for delivering and receiving the substrate to/from the third zone, and a mechanism transferring the substrate between the delivering position and the first zone.
1 more element
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
- a heat processing section heating the substrate;
- a temperature regulating section regulating a temperature to a predetermined temperature and disposed adjacent to the heat processing section along with a first direction;
- and
- a substrate delivering section disposed along with a second direction approximately perpendicular to the first direction, delivering and receiving the substrate to/from the temperature regulating section;
- wherein the temperature regulating section has a delivering position for delivering and receiving the substrate to/from the substrate delivering section and a mechanism transferring the substrate between the delivering position and the heat processing section.
2 more elements
The substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
- a main transfer section for transferring the substrate;
- a thermal processing section processing the substrate at a temperature not less than a predetermined temperature;
- at least two temperature regulating sections, disposed around the main transfer section in at least two directions facing each other out of four directions, having a delivering position used for delivering and receiving the substrate to/from the main transfer section, capable of moving freely between the delivering position and the thermal processing section, and delivering and receiving the substrate to/from the main transfer device while regulating the temperature of the substrate to the predetermined temperature;
- and
- moving means for moving the temperature regulating sections.
2 more elements
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
- a temperature regulating section regulating a temperature of a substrate to a predetermined temperature;
- a temperature regulation and transfer mechanism having a substrate placing plate capable of moving while regulating the temperature of the substrate at the predetermined temperature and transferring the substrate by causing the substrate placing plate to move;
- and
- a main transfer section delivering and receiving the substrate to/from the temperature regulating section and the temperature regulation and transfer mechanism.
1 more element
A substrate processing method, comprising the steps of:
- delivering a substrate from a main transfer section for transferring the substrate to a delivering position of a temperature regulation and transfer section, used for delivering and receiving the substrate to/from the main transfer section and capable of moving freely between the delivering position and a processing section;
- transferring the substrate to the processing section while regulating the temperature of the substrate to a predetermined temperature by the temperature regulation and transfer section;
- and
- subjecting the transferred substrate to thermal processing in the processing section.
1 more element
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
- a main transfer section for transferring the substrate:
- a first processing section for performing a thermal processing of the substrate;
- a second processing section for performing a thermal processing of the substrate;
- and
- a sub-transfer section having a delivering position for delivering and receiving the substrate to/from the main transfer section, for transferring the substrate between the delivering position and the first processing section and the second processing section;
- wherein the first processing section, the second processing section, and the sub-transfer section are being disposed linearly.
3 more elements
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
- a processing unit having openings for a delivery of the substrate on two sides;
- and
- a first main transfer section and a second main transfer section, disposed to face the respective openings of the processing unit, carrying the substrate into and out of the processing unit through the openings,
- wherein the processing unit has:
- a processing section for performing a thermal processing of the substrate;
- and
- a temperature regulation and transfer section regulating a temperature of the substrate to a predetermined temperature and having a delivering position for delivering and receiving the substrate between the first main transfer section and the second main transfer section through the openings, for transferring the substrate between the delivering position and the temperature regulation and transfer section, and between the processing section and the temperature regulation and transfer section.
4 more elements
A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
- a processing unit having openings for a delivery of the substrate on two sides;
- and
- a first main transfer section and a second main transfer section, disposed to face the respective openings of the processing unit, carrying the substrate into and out of the processing unit through the openings,
- wherein the processing unit has:
- a first processing section for performing a thermal processing of the substrate;
- a second processing section for performing a thermal processing of the substrate;
- and
- a sub-transfer section having a delivering position for delivering and receiving the substrate between the first main transfer section and the second main transfer section through the openings, for transferring the substrate between the delivering position and the sub-transfer section, and between the first processing section and the second processing section and the sub-transfer section;
- wherein the first processing section, the second processing section, and the sub-transfer section are being disposed linearly.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.