Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes a transferring unit disposed in a connecting part of a washing processing cell and an indexer cell. The transferring unit includes an inverting support portion for supporting a substrate in a horizontal posture, a feed supporting portion disposed at an interval in a vertical direction from the inverting support portion for supporting the substrate in the horizontal posture, and an interposing and inverting mechanism for inverting the substrate to be supported by the inverting support portion and bringing the inverted substrate to be supported by the inverting support portion again. A part of the substrate to be supported by a feed supporting portion is disposed in an inversion region for the substrate to be inverted by the interposing and inverting mechanism.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
 a processing block having a front surface washing portion for washing a front surface of a substrate, a back surface washing portion for washing a back surface of a substrate, and a first transport robot;   an indexer block having a second transport robot and serving to transfer an unprocessed substrate to said processing block and to receive a processed substrate from said processing block; and   a transferring unit disposed in a connecting part of said processing block and said indexer block,   said transferring unit including:
 a first supporting portion for supporting a substrate in a horizontal posture; 
 a second supporting portion disposed at an interval in a vertical direction from said first supporting portion for supporting a substrate in a horizontal posture; and 
 an inverting mechanism for inverting said substrate to be supported by said first supporting portion and bringing said inverted substrate to be supported by said first supporting portion again, 
   wherein a part of said substrate to be supported by said second supporting portion is disposed in an inversion region of said substrate to be inverted by said inverting mechanism.   
     
     
         2 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein an unprocessed substrate is transferred from said second transport robot to said first transport robot by exclusively using said first supporting portion and said second supporting portion.   
     
     
         3 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein a path for transferring an unprocessed substrate from said second transport robot to said first transport robot is selectively switched between a transferring path through said first supporting portion and a transferring path through said second supporting portion depending on a recipe set every substrate group.   
     
     
         4 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 ,
 wherein said second supporting portion is disposed on an upper side of said first supporting portion.   
     
     
         5 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 2 ,
 wherein said transferring unit includes   a third supporting portion disposed on an upper side of said second supporting portion for supporting a substrate in a horizontal posture, and   a processed substrate is transferred from said first transport robot to said second transport robot through said third supporting portion.   
     
     
         6 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , comprising
 a plurality of said first supporting portions,   wherein said inverting mechanism inverts a plurality of substrates supported by said first supporting portions at a time.   
     
     
         7 . A substrate processing method, comprising the steps of:
 a) transferring a substrate between a first transport robot disposed in a processing block and a second transport robot disposed in an indexer block;   said processing block including a front surface washing portion for washing a front surface of a substrate and a back surface washing portion for washing a back surface of said substrate;   said indexer block transferring an unprocessed substrate to said processing block and receiving a processed substrate from said processing block;   a substrate being transferred between said first transport robot and said second transport robot through a transferring unit disposed in a connecting part of said processing block and said indexer block; and   said transferring unit including a first supporting portion for supporting a substrate in a horizontal posture and a second supporting portion disposed at an interval in a vertical direction from said first supporting portion for supporting a substrate in a horizontal posture, and a substrate being transferred between said first transport robot and said second transport robot through at least one of said first supporting portion and said second supporting portion; and   b) inverting a substrate to be supported by said first supporting portion and bringing said inverted substrate to be supported by said first supporting portion again;   a part of a substrate to be supported by said second supporting portion being disposed in an inversion region for said substrate to be inverted at said step b).   
     
     
         8 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein an unprocessed substrate is transferred from said second transport robot to said first transport robot by exclusively using said first supporting portion and said second supporting portion.   
     
     
         9 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein a path for transferring an unprocessed substrate from said second transport robot to said first transport robot is selectively switched between a transferring path through said first supporting portion and a transferring path through said second supporting portion depending on a recipe set every substrate group.   
     
     
         10 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 7 ,
 wherein said second supporting portion is disposed on an upper side of said first supporting portion.   
     
     
         11 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 8 ,
 wherein said transferring unit includes a third supporting portion disposed on an upper side of said second supporting portion for supporting a substrate in a horizontal posture, and a processed substrate is transferred from said first transport robot to said second transport robot through said third supporting portion.   
     
     
         12 . The substrate processing method according to  claim 7 , comprising
 a plurality of said first supporting portions, a plurality of substrates to be supported by said first supporting portions being inverted at a time.