Substrate processing system and substrate processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024249964-A1
Application number	US-202418417564-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 19, 2024
Priority date	Jan 20, 2023
Publication date	Jul 25, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

A substrate processing system that performs substrate processing includes: a first processing system having one of a wet processing apparatus and a dry processing apparatus; a second processing system having the other one of the wet processing apparatus and the dry processing apparatus, wherein the first processing system includes a common stage, which is common to the first processing system and the second processing system and is configured to place thereon a container accommodating substrates before being subjected to the substrate processing, wherein the substrate processing system further includes: a first transfer system configured to transfer the substrates between the first processing system and the second processing system; and a second transfer system connected to at least the second processing system, and configured to transfer the substrates between the first processing system and the second processing system, or between another stage and the second processing system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A substrate processing system that performs substrate processing, wherein the substrate processing includes at least one of forming a resist film on a substrate or developing the resist film after exposure, the substrate processing system comprising:
a first processing system having one of a wet processing apparatus configured to perform the substrate processing in a wet manner and a dry processing apparatus configured to perform the substrate processing in a dry manner; and a second processing system having the other one of the wet processing apparatus and the dry processing apparatus, wherein the first processing system includes a common stage that is common to the first processing system and the second processing system, wherein the common stage is configured to place a container, which is configured to accommodate a plurality of substrates before being subjected to the substrate processing, on the common stage, wherein the substrate processing system further comprises:
a first transfer system configured to transfer the substrates between the first processing system and the second processing system; and
a second transfer system provided separately from the first transfer system and connected to at least the second processing system, and
wherein the second transfer system is configured to transfer the substrates between the first processing system and the second processing system, or between another stage, which is provided separately from the common stage and on which the container is placed, and the second processing system.

2 . The substrate processing system of claim 1 , further comprising a buffer in which a substrate loaded into the substrate processing system from the container placed on the common stage waits for transfer,
wherein an interior of the buffer is a low-moisture atmosphere containing less moisture than an atmospheric atmosphere.

3 . The substrate processing system of claim 2 , further comprising a controller,
wherein the buffer includes a gas buffer having an interior of an inert gas atmosphere, and a vacuum buffer having an interior of a vacuum atmosphere, and wherein the controller is configured to perform a control to make a substrate scheduled to be processed by the wet processing apparatus wait in the gas buffer, and to make a substrate scheduled to be processed by the dry processing apparatus wait in the vacuum buffer.

4 . The substrate processing system of claim 3 , wherein the controller is further configured to perform a control such that in making the substrate scheduled to be processed in the dry processing apparatus wait, when another substrate is accommodated in the vacuum buffer, the substrate scheduled to be processed in the dry processing apparatus waits in the gas buffer.

5 . The substrate processing system of claim 4 , wherein the wet processing apparatus is configured to process the substrates in a sheet-by-sheet manner, and
wherein the dry processing apparatus is configured to process the substrates at once.

6 . The substrate processing system of claim 4 , wherein each of the first transfer system and the second transfer system has a transfer path connected to the second processing system, and
wherein, among the first transfer system and the second transfer system, a system having the wet processing apparatus has an interior having a same pressure and a same atmosphere as the transfer path.

7 . The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the first processing system is connected to an exposure apparatus,
wherein the first processing system comprises:
a processing block provided with one of the wet processing apparatus and the dry processing apparatus; and
an interface block configured to perform delivery of the substrates between the processing block and the exposure apparatus, and
wherein, as a transfer of the substrates to the first processing system, the first transfer system transfers the substrates to the interface block.

8 . The substrate processing system of claim 7 , wherein the second transfer system transfers the substrates between the first processing system and the second processing system, and
wherein, as a transfer of the substrates to the first processing system, the second transfer system transfers the substrates to the processing block.

9 . The substrate processing system of claim 7 , wherein a plurality of processing blocks is provided along a width direction, along which the exposure apparatus and the substrate processing system are aligned, with a relay block interposed therebetween,
wherein the second transfer system transfers the substrates between the first processing system and the second processing system, and
wherein, as a transfer of the substrates to the first processing system, the second transfer system transfers the substrates to the relay block.

10 . The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the first processing system is connected to an exposure apparatus,
wherein the first processing system comprises:
a processing block provided with one of the wet processing apparatus and the dry processing apparatus; and
an interface block configured to perform delivery of the substrates between the processing block and the exposure apparatus, and
wherein, as a transfer of the substrates to the first processing system, the first transfer system transfers the substrate to the processing block.

11 . The substrate processing system of claim 10 , wherein the second transfer system transfers the substrates between the first processing system and the second processing system, and
wherein, as a transfer of the substrates to the first processing system, the second transfer system transfers the substrates to the processing block.

12 . The substrate processing system of claim 10 , wherein a plurality of processing blocks is provided along a width direction, along which the exposure apparatus and the substrate processing system are aligned, with a relay block interposed therebetween,
wherein the second transfer system transfers the substrates between the first processing system and the second processing system, and wherein, as a transfer of the substrates to the first processing system, the second transfer system transfers the substrates to the relay block.

13 . The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the wet processing apparatus is configured to process the substrates in a sheet-by-sheet manner, and
wherein the dry processing apparatus is configured to process the substrates at once.

14 . The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein each of the first transfer system and the second transfer system has a transfer path connected to the second processing system, and
wherein, among the first transfer system and the second transfer system, a system having the wet processing apparatus has an interior having a same pressure and a same atmosphere as the transfer path.

15 . The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the second transfer system transfers the substrates between the another stage and the second processing system, and
wherein the another stage is configured to be accessible by a container transfer apparatus that transfers the container to the common stage.

16 . The substrate processing system of claim 1 , wherein the second transfer system transfers the substrates between the another stage and the second processing system, and
wherein the another stage is covered in a portion where the container is placed, and is spaced apart from the common stage.

17 . A substrat

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Takaki Shinsuke
• Nakashima Seiji
• Teramoto Akihiro
• Shobu Ryo

Classifications

• H10P72/3218

  Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers · CPC title

• H10P72/1924

  characterised by atmosphere control · CPC title

• H10P72/0474 Primary

  comprising at least one lithography chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/0452 Primary

  characterised by the layout of the process chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/3222 Primary

  Loading to or unloading from a conveyor · CPC title