Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method for successively processing a plurality of substrates

Abstract

One of reverse passing parts provided in a substrate passing part comprises a first holding mechanism and a second holding mechanism. The first holding mechanism and the second holding mechanism are arranged in vertically symmetry with respect to a rotary central axis and rotate 180 degrees about the rotary central axis, to replace each other in position. A transport robot on the loading side passes a substrate to a third holding mechanism or a fourth holding mechanism at a first vertical position. The substrate reversed in the reverse passing part is passed to a transport robot on the unloading side from the third holding mechanism or the fourth holding mechanism at a second vertical position. Before a reverse process on the preceding substrate is finished, the transport robot on the loading side can start the transfer of the following substrate.

1 . A substrate processing apparatus for successively processing a plurality of substrates, comprising:
 a sending side section having a first transport robot, for sending a substrate;   a receiving side section having a second transport robot, for receiving the substrate sent out from said sending side section; and   a reverse passing part provided between said sending side section and said receiving side section, for reversing a front surface and a back surface of the substrate passed from said first transport robot and passing the substrate to said second transport robot,   said reverse passing part comprising   a first holding part for holding a substrate;   a second holding part for holding a substrate; and   a rotation driving mechanism for rotating said first holding part and said second holding part about a rotary central axis along a horizontal direction,   wherein said first holding part and said second holding part are provided in a symmetrical position with respect to said rotary central axis,   said rotation driving mechanism is so configured as to rotate said first holding part and said second holding part so that these holding parts alternately replace each other between a first position and a second position,   said first transport robot is so configured as to pass a substrate to said first holding part or said second holding part at said first position, and   said second transport robot is so configured as to receive a reversed substrate from said first holding part or said second holding part at said second position.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said first transport robot comprises m transfer arms (m: an integer not less than 1), being so configured as to transfer m substrates at one time,   said second transport robot comprises n transfer arms (n: an integer not less than 1), being so configured as to transfer n substrates at one time, and   said first holding part and said second holding part each have substrate holding mechanisms as many as m or n which is larger one.   
     
     
         3 . A substrate processing apparatus for successively processing a plurality of substrates, comprising:
 a) a processing section having a transport robot and a processing part to which a substrate is transported by the transport robot;   b) an indexer section having a transfer robot, for passing an unprocessed substrate to said processing section and receiving a processed substrate from said processing section;   c) a first reverse passing part provided between said indexer section and said processing section, for reversing a front surface and a back surface of the unprocessed substrate passed from said transfer robot and passing the unprocessed substrate to said transport robot,   said first reverse passing part comprising   c-1) a first holding part for holding a substrate;   c-2) a second holding part for holding a substrate; and   c-3) a first rotation driving mechanism for rotating said first holding part and said second holding part about a first rotary central axis along a horizontal direction; and   d) a second reverse passing part provided between said indexer section and said processing section, for reversing a front surface and a back surface of the processed substrate passed from said transport robot and passing the processed substrate to said transfer robot,   said second reverse passing part comprising   d-1) a third holding part for holding a substrate;   d-2) a fourth holding part for holding a substrate; and   d-3) a second rotation driving mechanism for rotating said third holding part and said fourth holding part about a second rotary central axis along a horizontal direction,   wherein said first holding part and said second holding part are provided in a symmetrical position with respect to said first rotary central axis,   said third holding part and said fourth holding part are provided in a symmetrical position with respect to said second rotary central axis,   said first rotation driving mechanism is so configured as to rotate said first holding part and said second holding part so that these holding parts alternately replace each other between a first position and a second position,   said second rotation driving mechanism is so configured as to rotate said third holding part and said fourth holding part so that these holding parts alternately replace each other between a third position and a fourth position,   said transfer robot is so configured as to pass an unprocessed substrate to said first holding part or said second holding part at said first position and as to receive a processed substrate from said third holding part or said fourth holding part at said third position, and   said transport robot is so configured as to receive an unprocessed substrate from said first holding part or said second holding part at said second position and as to pass a processed substrate to said third holding part or said fourth holding part at said fourth position.   
     
     
         4 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 said transfer robot comprises m transfer arms (m: an integer not less than 1), being so configured as to transfer m substrates at one time,   said transport robot comprises n transfer arms (n: an integer not less than 1), being so configured as to transfer n substrates at one time, and   said first holding part, said second holding part, said third holding part and said fourth holding part each have substrate holding mechanisms as many as m or n which is larger one.   
     
     
         5 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 e) a first rest part provided between said indexer section and said processing section, on which the unprocessed substrate passed from said transfer robot is rested to be passed to said transport robot; and   f) a second rest part provided between said indexer section and said processing section, on which the processed substrate passed from said transport robot is rested to be passed to said transfer robot.   
     
     
         6 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 said processing part comprises a back surface cleaning unit for cleaning a back surface of a substrate.   
     
     
         7 . A substrate processing method for successively transferring a plurality of substrates from a first transport robot of a sending side section which sends the substrates to a second transport robot of a receiving side section which receives the substrates via a reverse passing part for reversing a front surface and a back surface of a substrate, comprising the steps of:
 a) passing a substrate to a first holding part of said reverse passing part at a first position by said first transport robot;   b) receiving a substrate from a second holding part of said reverse passing part at a second position by said second transport robot;   c) rotating said first holding part and said second holding part of said reverse passing part 180 degrees about a rotary central axis along a horizontal direction to move said first holding part to said second position and move said second holding part to said first position;   d) passing a substrate to said second holding part at said first position by said first transport robot;   e) receiving a substrate from said first holding part at said second position by said second transport robot;   f) rotating said first holding part and said second holding part of said reverse passing part 180 degrees about said rotary central axis to move said first holding part to said first position and move said second holding part to said second position; and   g) repeating said step a) to step f).   
     
     
         8 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 7 , wherein
 said first transport robot comprises m transfer arms (m: an integer not less than 1) and transfers m substrates at one time,   said second transport robot comprises n transfer arms (n: an integer not less than 1) and transfers n substrates at one time, and   said first holding part and said second holding part each have substrate holding mechanisms as many as m or n which is larger one.   
     
     
         9 . A substrate processing method for successively transferring a plurality of substrates between a transport robot of a processing section having a processing part and a transfer robot of an indexer section, comprising the steps of:
 a) passing an unprocessed substrate to a first holding part of a first reverse passing part for reversing a front surface and a back surface of a substrate at a first position by said transfer robot;   b) receiving an unprocessed substrate from a second holding part of said first reverse passing part at a second position by said transport robot;   c) rotating said first holding part and said second holding part of said first reverse passing part 180 degrees about a first rotary central axis along a horizontal direction to move said first holding part to said second position and move said second holding part to said first position;   d) passing an unprocessed substrate to said second holding part at said first position by said transfer robot;   e) receiving an unprocessed substrate from said first holding part at said second position by said transport robot;   f) rotating said first holding part and said second holding part of said first reverse passing part 180 degrees about said first rotary central axis to move said first holding part to said first position and move said second holding part to said second position; and   g) repeating said step a) to step f).   
     
     
         10 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 9 , further comprising the steps of:
 h) receiving a processed substrate from a third holding part of a second reverse passing part for reversing a front surface and a back surface of a substrate at a third position by said transfer robot;   i) passing a processed substrate to a fourth holding part of said second reverse passing part at a fourth position by said transport robot;   j) rotating said third holding part and said fourth holding part of said second reverse passing part 180 degrees about a second rotary central axis along a horizontal direction to move said third holding part to said fourth position and move said fourth holding part to said third position;   k) receiving a processed substrate from said fourth holding part at said third position by said transfer robot;   l) passing a processed substrate to said third holding part at said fourth position by said transport robot;   m) rotating said third holding part and said fourth holding part of said second reverse passing part 180 degrees about said second rotary central axis to move said third holding part to said third position and move said fourth holding part to said fourth position; and   n) repeating said step h) to step m).   
     
     
         11 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 10 , wherein
 said transfer robot comprises m transfer arms (m: an integer not less than 1) and transfers m substrates at one time,   said transport robot comprises n transfer arms (n: an integer not less than 1) and transfers n substrates at one time, and   said first holding part, said second holding part, said third holding part and said fourth holding part each have substrate holding mechanisms as many as m or n which is larger one.   
     
     
         12 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 10 , wherein
 said processing part cleans a back surface of a substrate.