Substrate arranging apparatus and method

Abstract

A substrate arranging apparatus has a carrier support table 40 for supporting thereon carriers C holding a plurality of wafers in arranged in a row, first support mechanisms 42, 43 capable of moving upward relative to the table 40 to support the wafers contained in the carriers C, and a second support mechanism 60 capable of supporting the even or the odd wafers among the wafers supported by the first support mechanisms 60 and of raising the wafers supported thereon relative to the rest of the wafers. The first support mechanisms 42, 43 or the second support mechanism is able to turn through an angle of 180° relative to the other. As a result, the wafer are arranged in a front-to-front and back-to-back disposition. Thus, the carrier support table, the loader mechanism and the substrate arranging section are integrally combined and the time needed for the transfer of the wafers is shortened.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A substrate arranging apparatus comprising: 
 a table for supporting thereon a carrier holding a plurality of substrates arranged in a row in a face-to-face disposition at constant intervals;    a first support mechanism capable of moving upward relative to the table through the carrier on the table to raise and support the substrates contained in the carrier;    a second support mechanism capable of supporting a first group of alternate substrates among the substrates supported by the first support mechanism and of raising the substrates of the first group supported thereon relative to a second group of substrates consisting of the rest of the substrates; and    rotating means for rotating one of the first support mechanism and the second support mechanism through an angle of 180° relative to the other.    
     
     
         2 . The substrate arranging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the table is movable downward to cause the substrates contained in the carrier mounted on the table to be transferred to the first support mechanism when the table is moved downward.  
     
     
         3 . The substrate arranging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first support mechanisms are movable upward to cause the substrates contained in the carrier to be supported on the first support mechanism when the first support mechanism is moved upward.  
     
     
         4 . The substrate arranging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second support mechanism is movable upward relative to the first support mechanism, and the substrates of the first group are supported on the second support mechanism when the second support mechanism is moved upward.  
     
     
         5 . The substrate arranging apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein said second support mechanism comprises a comb-shaped support member having alternately arranged projections and grooves, said projections being engageable with the first group of the substrates and said grooves being not engageable with the second group of the substrates.  
     
     
         6 . The substrate arranging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second support mechanism comprises a second support member for supporting thereon the first group of the substrates among the plurality of substrates at a level higher than the second group of the substrates.  
     
     
         7 . The substrate arranging apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said second support mechanism comprises a grasping mechanism including a pair of grasping members capable of opening and closing for grasping the first group of the substrates.  
     
     
         8 . The substrate arranging apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said second support mechanism is movable downward relative to the first support mechanism to grasp the second group of the substrates.  
     
     
         9 . The substrate arranging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the table is a carrier support table on which is mounted a carrier containing a plurality of substrates in parallel to each other in a row.  
     
     
         10 . The substrate arranging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second support mechanism is a conveying mechanism for conveying the substrates to a processing unit.  
     
     
         11 . The substrate arranging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second support mechanism is a conveying mechanism for conveying the carriers.  
     
     
         12 . The substrate arranging apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the second support mechanism is movable downward relative to the table to a level lower than a top portion of the carrier.  
     
     
         13 . A substrate arranging method comprising the steps of: 
 placing a carrier holding a plurality of substrates arranged in a row in a face-to-face disposition at constant intervals;    moving up a first support mechanism relative to the carrier to support the substrates in the carrier on the first support mechanism;    selectively supporting a first group of alternate substrates among said substrates by a second support mechanism to cause a second group of substrates consisting of the substrates other than the substrates of the first group to remain on the first support mechanism;    moving the first and second support mechanisms relative to each other to bring one of the groups of the substrates to a non-interfering position at which the one group of the substrates does not interfere with the other group of the substrates;    rotating one of the second support mechanism supporting the first group of the substrates and the first support mechanism supporting the second group of the substrates relative to each other through an angle of 180° about a vertical axis, with said one group of the substrates at said non-interfering position; and    moving the first and second support mechanisms relative to each other to combine the first group of the substrates and the second group of the substrates into a unified group of substrates arranged in a line.    
     
     
         14 . The substrate arranging method according to  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said step of moving the first and second support mechanisms to bring one of the groups of the substrates to a non-interfering position comprises the step of: 
 moving up the second support mechanism; and  
   said step of moving the first and second support mechanisms to combine the first and second groups of the substrates into a unified group comprises the step of: 
 moving down the second support mechanism.  
   
     
     
         15 . The substrate arranging method according to  claim 13 , wherein: 
 said step of moving the first and second support mechanisms to bring one of the groups of the substrates to a non-interfering position comprises the step of: 
 moving down the first support mechanism; and  
   said step of moving the first and second support mechanisms to combine the first and second groups of the substrates into a unified group comprises the step of: 
 moving up the first support mechanism.  
   
     
     
         16 . A substrate arranging method comprising the steps of: 
 placing on a table a carrier holding a plurality of substrates;    moving up a first support mechanism relative to and through the carrier on the table;    supporting said substrates on the first support mechanism in a row and in a face-to-face disposition at constant intervals;    selectively supporting on a second support mechanism a first group of substrates consisting of alternate substrates among the substrates supported on the first support mechanism;    moving the first and second support mechanisms relative to each other to retain a second group of substrates other than the first group of the substrates on the first support mechanism and to move the first group of the substrates and the second group of the substrates to mutually non-interfering positions;    rotating one of the second support mechanism supporting the first group of the substrates and the first support mechanism supporting the second group of the substrates relative to each other through an angle of 180° about a vertical axis, with said groups of the substrates at said non-interfering positions;    moving the first and second support mechanisms relative to each other to combine the first group of the substrates and the second group of the substrates into a unified group of substrates and to support the unified group of substrates on the first support mechanism in a row in a face-to-face disposition at constant intervals; and    moving down the first support mechanism relative to and through the carrier on the table to retain the unified group of substrates in the carrier.    
     
     
         17 . The substrate arranging method according to  claim 16 , further comprising the steps of: 
 supporting the first group of the substrates and the second group of the substrates at different heights, respectively, on the first support mechanism; and    grasping the first group of the substrates by the second support mechanism.