Substrate processing apparatus

{
  "publication_number": "US9666463B2",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B2",
  "title": "Substrate processing apparatus",
  "abstract": "A throughput can be improved. A substrate processing apparatus includes processing units arranged in a vertical direction and configured to process substrates; and a substrate transfer device configured to be moved in the vertical direction and perform loading/unloading of the substrates into/from the processing units. Further, the substrate transfer device comprises a first transfer arm and a second transfer arm which are arranged in the vertical direction and configured to be moved in the vertical direction independently, and movement ranges of the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm in the vertical direction are overlapped with each other.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: processing units arranged in a vertical direction and configured to process substrates; a substrate transfer device configured to be moved in the vertical direction and perform loading/unloading of the substrates into/from the processing units; a control unit configured to control the substrate transfer device; and an abnormality detection unit configured to detect an abnormality of the substrate transfer device, wherein the substrate transfer device comprises a first transfer arm and a second transfer arm which are arranged in the vertical direction and configured to be moved in the vertical direction independently, and movement ranges of the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm in the vertical direction are overlapped with each other, the substrate transfer device further comprises: a pair of supporting column members provided such that the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm are positioned between the pair of supporting column members; and a pair of guide rails provided at the pair of supporting column members, respectively, and configured to guide vertically moving motions of the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm, and wherein the pair of supporting column members are shared by the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm, retreat spaces, in which the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm are allowed to be accommodated, are provided above the uppermost processing unit and below the lowermost processing unit, respectively, when the abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality in an extending/contracting motion or a rotating motion of the first transfer arm or the second transfer arm, the control unit controls the substrate transfer device to move one of the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm, in which the abnormality is detected, into the retreat space, and controls the other of the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm to perform the loading/unloading of the substrates into/from the processing units, which is originally scheduled to be performed by the one of the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm, and when the abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality in a vertically moving motion of the first transfer arm or the second transfer arm, the control unit controls one of the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm, in which the abnormality is not detected, to perform the loading/unloading of the substrates into/from processing units located below or above a current position of the other of the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm, in which the abnormality is detected.",
    "2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the substrate transfer device further comprises: a first elevating device provided at one of the pair of supporting column members, and configured to move the first transfer arm in the vertical direction; and a second elevating device provided at the other of the pair of supporting column members, and configured to move the second transfer arm in the vertical direction.",
    "3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the total number of the processing units is larger than the total number of the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm.",
    "4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm perform the loading/unloading of the substrates into/from the processing units assigned thereto, and the processing units located at the same height position are assigned to the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm, respectively.",
    "5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first transfer arm and the second transfer arm perform the loading/unloading of the substrates into/from the processing units assigned thereto, and the number of the processing units assigned to the first transfer arm is set to be different from the number of the processing units assigned to the second transfer arm.",
    "6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, comprising: processing blocks, each having the processing units and the substrate transfer device, allowed to be connected with each other."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The embodiments described herein pertain generally to a substrate processing apparatus.\n\nConventionally, there is known a substrate processing apparatus that performs various processes such as a cleaning or a film formation on a substrate such, e.g., a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate.\n\nAs an example, Patent Document 1 describes a substrate processing apparatus including a multiple number of liquid processing units vertically arranged in two levels; an upper transfer arm configured to load or unload a substrate into/from upper processing units; and a lower transfer arm configured to load or unload a substrate into/from lower processing units.\n\nPatent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2011-082279\n\nThe technique described in Patent document 1, however, is required to improve a throughput.\n\nFor example, in the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, a movement range of the upper transfer arm is limited within the height range of the upper processing units, and, likewise, a movement range of the lower transfer arm is limited within the height range of the lower processing units. Thus, when a problem occurs in the upper transfer arm, for example, all of the upper processing units cannot be used, so that the throughput may be deteriorated.\n\nIn view of the foregoing problem, example embodiments provide a substrate processing apparatus capable of improving a throughput.",
  "cpc": [
    "H10P 72/3302",
    "H01L 21/67178",
    "H01L 21/67742",
    "H01L 21/67754",
    "H01L 21/67757",
    "H10P 72/00",
    "H10P 72/0458",
    "H10P 72/30",
    "H10P 72/3211",
    "H10P 72/33",
    "H10P 72/3311",
    "H10P 72/3312"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H10P 72/00",
    "H10P 72/30"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Tokyo Electron Ltd"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Katsuhiro Morikawa",
    "Issei Ueda",
    "Akira Murata",
    "Junya Minamida"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2014-12-23",
  "publication_date": "2017-05-30",
  "grant_date": "2017-05-30",
  "priority_date": "2013-12-27",
  "application_number": "US-201414580703-A",
  "family_id": "53482650",
  "cited_by_count": 1,
  "citations": [
    "US8911193B2",
    "US8267634B2",
    "JP2009008227A",
    "JP2011082279A",
    "JP2013069874A",
    "JP2013162111A",
    "US20150112481A1"
  ]
}