Apparatus for treating substrate and method for treating substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12412767-B2
Application number	US-202217980995-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 4, 2022
Priority date	Nov 5, 2021
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

The inventive concept provides a substrate treating apparatus. The substrate treating apparatus includes a first process treating unit configured to treat a substrate in a single-type method; a second process treating unit configured to treat a substrate in a batch-type method; and a posture changing unit provided between the first process treating unit and the second process treating unit and configured to change a posture of the substrate between a vertical posture and a horizontal posture, and wherein the substrate is loaded to and unloaded from the first process treating unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate treating apparatus comprising:
a first process treating unit configured to treat a substrate in a single-type method;
a second process treating unit configured to treat a substrate in a batch-type method; and
a posture changing unit configured to transfer the substrate between the first process treating unit and the second process treating unit and to change a posture of the substrate between a vertical posture and a horizontal posture,
wherein the posture changing unit comprises:
a posture changing treating bath having a storage space for storing the substrate and includes at least one of a first, second, or third treating liquid; and
a posture changing robot configured to discharge the substrate immersed in liquid within the storage space one by one, change the posture of the substrate from the vertical posture to the horizontal posture, and transfer the substrate to a buffer unit,
wherein the buffer unit is configured to store the substrate in the horizontal posture.

2. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the posture changing unit further comprises:
a support member positioned within the storage space of the posture changing treating bath and which supports the substrate which has its posture changed by the posture changing robot in the vertical posture.

3. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first process treating unit comprises:
a liquid treating unit configured to treat the substrate in the single-type method by supplying a first treating liquid to the substrate in the horizontal posture; and
the buffer unit configured to store the substrate which has been treated at the liquid treating unit in the horizontal posture.

4. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the posture changing robot transfers the substrate between the buffer unit and the posture changing treating bath, and
the posture changing robot changes the substrate which is stored at the buffer unit in the horizontal posture to the vertical posture to transfer to the posture changing treating bath, and changes the substrate which is stored at the posture changing treating bath in the vertical posture to the horizontal posture to transfer to the buffer unit.

5. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second process treating unit comprises:
a plurality of batch-type treating baths for batch-type treating the substrate; and
a transfer unit configured to transfer the substrate between the posture changing treating bath and the plurality of batch-type treating baths.

6. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of batch-type treating baths comprise:
a first batch-type treating bath for batch-type treating the substrate by supplying a second treating liquid to the substrate; and
a second batch-type treating bath for batch-type treating the substrate by supplying a third treating liquid to the substrate.

7. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the first process treating unit comprises:
an organic solvent treating unit configured to single-type treat the substrate by supplying an organic solvent to the substrate;
a supercritical treating unit configured to single-type treat the substrate by supplying a drying fluid to the substrate; and
a transfer treating unit configured to transfer the substrate between the buffer unit, the liquid treating unit, the organic solvent treating unit, and the supercritical treating unit.

8. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first process treating unit includes a load port unit configured to include a plurality of load ports, and
a portion of the plurality of load ports are provided as a first load port unit at which the substrate is loaded in the horizontal posture, and
the other portion of the plurality of load ports are provided as a second load port unit at which the substrate is unloaded in the horizontal posture.

9. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the posture changing robot comprises:
a hand which is configured to hold the substrate; and
an arm which moves the hand,
wherein a surface of the substrate stored in the buffer unit remains in a wetted state.

10. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a controller, and
wherein the controller controls the substrate to sequentially perform:
a substrate loading step for loading the substrate to the load port of the first process treating unit in the horizontal posture;
a first single-type treating step for treating the substrate at the liquid treating unit of the first process treating unit in the horizontal posture;
a first posture changing step for changing the posture of the substrate from the horizontal posture to the vertical posture;
a batch-type treating step for treating the substrate at the second process treating unit in the vertical posture;
a second posture changing step for changing the posture of the substrate from the vertical posture to the horizontal posture;
a second single-type treating step for treating the substrate at the first process treating unit in the horizontal posture; and
a substrate unloading step for unloading the substrate to the load port of the first process treating unit in the horizontal posture.

11. A substrate treating apparatus comprising:
a first process treating unit configured to treat a substrate in a single-type method;
a second process treating unit configured to treat a plurality of substrates in a batch-type method;
a third process treating unit configured to treat the substrate in a single-type method;
a first posture changing unit provided between the first process treating unit and the second process treating unit and which is configured to change a posture of the substrate between a vertical posture and a horizontal posture; and
a second posture changing unit provided between the second process treating unit and the third process treating unit and which is configured to change a posture of the substrate between the vertical posture and the horizontal posture,
wherein the second process treating unit is provided between the first process treating unit and the third process treating unit,
wherein the second process treating unit further comprises a transfer unit configured to transfer the plurality of substrates treated in the second process treating unit to the second posture changing unit,
wherein the second posture changing unit comprises:
a second posture changing treating bath having a storage space for storing the substrate and includes at least one of a first, second, or third treating liquid; and
a second posture changing robot configured to discharge the substrate immersed in liquid within the storage space one by one, change the posture of the substrate from the vertical posture to the horizontal posture, and transfer the substrate to a second buffer unit,
wherein the second buffer unit is configured to store the substrate in the horizontal posture.

12. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the substrate is loaded to the first process treating unit, and the substrate is unloaded by the second process treating unit, and
wherein a surface of the substrate stored in the second buffer unit remains in a wetted state.

13. The substrate treating apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the first process treating unit comprises:
a first load port unit configured to include a plurality of load ports at which the substrate is loaded in the horizontal posture;
a liquid treating unit configured to single-type treat the substrate in the horizontal posture by supplying a first treating

Assignees

• Semes Co Ltd

Inventors

• Park Gui Su
• Choi Jun Young
• Jang Young Jin
• Ko Yong Sun
• Chang Kyu Hwan
• Lim Jun Hyun

Classifications

• H10P72/7602 Primary

  the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance · CPC title

• H10P72/3211 Primary

  Changing orientation of the substrate, e.g. from a horizontal position to a vertical position · CPC title

• H10P72/3304 Primary

  characterised by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/3302

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/3306

  Horizontal transfer of a single workpiece · CPC title