Batch forming apparatus, substrate processing system, batch forming method, and storage medium

A substrate processing system comprising:

• a batch forming apparatus for forming a batch of substrates by combining a plurality of substrates that have been taken out from a plurality of carriers each containing therein a plurality of substrates in a stacked manner;
• and
• a substrate processing apparatus that processes the batch of substrates formed by the batch forming apparatus;
• wherein:
• the batch forming apparatus includes:
• a substrate transfer mechanism that takes out the substrates from each carrier and transfers the substrates;
• a substrate relative positional relationship changing mechanism that has a wafer support member, the wafer support member being capable of receiving substrates transferred by the substrate transfer mechanism, the substrate relative positional relationship changing mechanism being capable of rearranging one or more substrates on the wafer support member one by one relative to other substrates on the wafer support member such that positional relationships of the substrates are changed thereon;
• and
• a batch forming mechanism that forms a batch of substrates out of the substrates that have been transferred thereto by the substrate transfer mechanism,
• wherein the substrate relative positional relationship changing mechanism has a horizontally extending base, on which the substrates may be respectively placed in the vertical direction, and a wafer holding member capable of holding a substrate, the wafer holding member being capable of moving vertically and horizontally, and the wafer holding member being capable of rearranging one or more substrates on the horizontally extending base one by one relative to other substrates on the horizontally extending base such that positional relationships of the substrates are changed thereon;
• wherein the wafer holding member moves vertically when the wafer holding member picks up the substrate placed on the horizontally extending base or places the substrate on the horizontally extending base;
• and
• wherein the wafer holding member moves over the substrates placed on the horizontally extending base when the wafer holding member moves horizontally while holding the substrate.

A storage medium storing batch forming instructions for making a batch forming apparatus form a batch of substrates,

• the batch forming apparatus including:
• a substrate transfer mechanism that takes out the substrates from each carrier and transfers the substrates;
• a substrate relative positional relationship changing mechanism that has a wafer support member, the wafer support member being capable of receiving substrates transferred by the substrate transfer mechanism, the substrate relative positional relationship changing mechanism being capable of rearranging one or more substrates out of the substrates supported by the wafer support member one by one relative to other substrates on the wafer support member such that positional relationships of the substrates are changed thereon;
• and a batch forming mechanism that forms a batch of substrates out of the substrates that have been transferred thereto by the substrate transfer mechanism,
• the batch forming instructions causing a controller of the batch forming apparatus to carry out steps of:
• taking out the substrates from each carrier and transferring the substrates;
• judging, based on conditions of the plurality of substrates contained in each carrier, whether to change positional relationships of the substrates that have been taken out from each carrier relative to each other,
• when it is judged that positional relationships of the substrates are to be changed relative to each other, rearranging one or more substrates out of the plurality of substrates by the substrate relative positional relationship changing mechanism, the plurality of substrates being transferred by the substrate transfer mechanism, one by one relative to other substrates to change positional relationships of the substrates relative to each other;
• transferring the plurality of substrates to the batch forming mechanism, with positional relationships of the substrates having been changed relative to each other by the substrate relative positional relationship changing mechanism;
• and
• forming a batch of substrates by the batch forming mechanism out of the plurality of substrates transferred thereto;
• wherein the substrate relative positional relationship changing mechanism has a horizontally extending base, on which the substrates may be respectively placed in the vertical direction, and a wafer holding member capable of holding a substrate, the wafer holding member being capable of moving vertically and horizontally, and the wafer holding member being capable of rearranging one or more substrates on the horizontally extending base one by one relative to other substrates on the horizontally extending base such that positional relationships of the substrates are changed thereon;
• wherein the wafer holding member moves vertically when the wafer holding member picks up the substrate placed on the horizontally extending base or places the substrate on the horizontally extending base;
• and
• wherein the wafer holding member moves over the substrates placed on the horizontally extending base when the wafer holding member moves horizontally while holding the substrate.