Substrate processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9230842-B2
Application number	US-201113824637-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 21, 2011
Priority date	Sep 22, 2010
Publication date	Jan 5, 2016
Grant date	Jan 5, 2016

Abstract

Disclosed is a substrate processing apparatus including: a housing section configured to house a substrate; a transfer chamber that includes a plurality of airtight chambers connected to the periphery thereof, and a transfer mechanism provided therewithin, each of the plurality of airtight chambers being configured to process the substrate under an airtight state, and the transfer mechanism being configured to transfer the substrate to and from the airtight chambers; a carry-in section configured to carry the substrate into the transfer chamber via a first opening provided in the transfer chamber; and a carry-out section configured to carry out the substrate discharged from a second opening provided at a different position from that of the first opening of the transfer chamber, to the housing section, without returning the substrate to the transfer chamber.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a housing section configured to house a substrate;
a plurality of transfer chambers including at least a first transfer chamber and a second transfer chamber connected in a series connection along a nearly horizontal direction to transfer the substrate therebetween, each of the plurality of transfer chambers including a plurality of airtight chambers connected to the periphery thereof, and a transfer mechanism provided therewithin, each of the plurality of airtight chambers being configured to process the substrate under an airtight state, and the transfer mechanism being configured to transfer the substrate to and from the airtight chambers;
a carry-in section configured to carry the substrate from the housing section either into the first transfer chamber via a first opening provided in the first transfer chamber or into the second transfer chamber via the first opening and a relay section provided in the first transfer chamber to be connected to the second transfer chamber; and
a carry-out section configured to carry out the substrate discharged from the second transfer chamber via a second opening provided in the second transfer chamber and connected to the carry-out section, such that the substrate is transferred from the second transfer chamber directly to the housing section, without returning the substrate to the first transfer chamber,
wherein the carry-out section includes a first moving section configured to move, via the second opening, the substrate discharged from the second transfer chamber in a vertical direction with a vertical transfer arm and a second moving section configured to move the substrate in a horizontal direction such that the substrate is transferred to the housing section substantially in a direction of the series connection of the first transfer chamber and the second transfer chamber.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the carry-out section is provided with a pressure control section configured to control an inner pressure thereof, and
the carry-out section is configured to switch between a decompressed state and atmospheric state in order to carry in the substrate from the second transfer chamber by controlling the inner pressure to almost the same level as that of the second transfer chamber by the pressure control section, and to carry out the substrate to the housing section by controlling the inner pressure to almost the same level as that of the housing section by the pressure control section.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising: a pressure control chamber provided between the carry-out section and the transfer chamber; and
a pressure control section which controls a pressure of the pressure control chamber to a vacuum state before the substrate is discharged from the transfer chamber to the pressure control chamber, and controls the pressure of the pressure control chamber to an atmospheric pressure state before the substrate is carried out from the pressure control chamber to the carry-out section.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the carry-out section is provided with a heating unit configured to heat the substrate.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the carry-out section is provided with a cooling unit configured to cool the substrate.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the carry-out section is provided with a cleaning unit configured to clean the substrate.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second moving section of the carry-out section is disposed above or below the plurality of transfer chambers.

Assignees

• Kobayashi Sensho
• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Kobayashi Sensho

Classifications

• H10P72/3304

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

• H10P72/0464

  characterised by the construction of the transfer chamber · CPC title

• H10P72/0461

  characterised by the presence of two or more transfer chambers · CPC title

• H10P72/0456 Primary

  in-line arrangement · CPC title

• H10P72/33 Primary

  into and out of processing chamber · CPC title