Abstract: Provided is a coating and developing apparatus composed of an assembly of plural unit blocks. A first unit-block stack and a second unit-block stack are arranged at different positions with respect to front-and-rear direction. Unit blocks for development, each of which comprises plural processing units including a developing unit that performs developing process after exposure and a transfer device that transfers a substrate among the processing units, are arranged at the lowermost level. Unit blocks for application, or coating, each of which comprises plural processing units including a coating unit that performs application process before exposure and a transfer device that transfers a substrate among the processing units, are arranged above the unit blocks for development. Unit blocks for application are arranged in both the first and second unit-block stacks.

Abstract: A coating and developing system that includes two rotating members having parallel horizontal axes of rotation and disposed longitudinally opposite to each other, a carrying passage forming mechanism extended between the rotating members to form a carrying passage, and capable of moving along an orbital path to carry a wafer supported thereon, a sending-in transfer unit disposed at the upstream end of the carrying passage, a sending-out transfer unit disposed at the downstream end of the carrying passage, a developer pouring nozzle for pouring a developer onto the wafer, a cleaning nozzle for pouring a cleaning liquid onto the wafer, and a gas nozzle for blowing a gas against the wafer. The developer pouring nozzle, the cleaning nozzle, and the gas nozzle are arranged in a direction in which the wafer is carried along the carrying passage between the upstream and the downstream end of the carrying passage.

Abstract: A transfer schedule SA and a transfer schedule SB for an A lot and a B lot different from each other are generated on a transfer control table, the succeeding transfer schedule SB is moved ahead in the direction of a time axis within a range over which it does not interfere with the transfer schedule SA for the preceding A lot to make the start timing for the succeeding transfer schedule SB become earlier than the end timing for the transfer schedule for the preceding A lot, so that the transfer schedule SA and the transfer schedule SB are executed in parallel, thereby improving the throughput a wafer transfer process.

Abstract: A coating apparatus has a stage module, a temperature regulating module which adjusts a temperature of a substrate to a set temperature, a coating module which applies a coating liquid to the temperature-regulated substrate, and a heating module which heats the coating-liquid applied substrate, arranged in a process section in order from an upstream end of transfer along a transfer path of the substrate, and has a dummy stage placed between the coating module and the heating module so that when by means of a substrate transfer mechanism which has an upper arm and a lower arm, provided one on the other and advanceable and retreatable independently of each other, substrates are transferred one by one from an upstream module to a downstream module in order by alternately operating the upper arm and the lower arm, that arm which performs transfer from the temperature regulating module to the coating module differ from that arm which receives a substrate from the heating module, that numbers are sequentially assig

Abstract: A substrate processing system processes a plurality of substrates in a single-substrate processing mode by a plurality of processes and provided with a plurality of modules respectively for carrying out processes. When a defect is found in a substrate, a defective processing unit that caused the defect can be easily found out. The substrate processing system and a substrate processing method to be carried out by the substrate processing system can suppress the reduction of throughput when a large number of substrates are to be processed. The substrate processing system is provided with a plurality of modules for processing a plurality of substrates (W) in a single-substrate processing mode by a plurality of processes and includes a substrate carrying means (A4) for carrying a substrate (W) from a sending module to a receiving module, and a control means (6) for controlling the substrate carrying means (A4) on the basis of one of at least two carrying modes each assigning receiving modules to sending modules.

Abstract: Techniques can curtail time for which a substrate is held to no purpose and improves the throughput of a coating and developing system. An inspection station through which a substrate processed in a processing station is transferred to a carrier station includes a plurality of different inspection modules respectively taking different inspection times, a buffer unit for temporarily holding a substrate and a substrate carrying means controlled by a controller. When the inspection module is engaged in inspecting a substrate, the substrate carrying means carries another substrate to be inspected by the same inspection module to the buffer unit and the substrate is held in the buffer unit. Thus, holding the wafers W in the inspection modules can be suppressed and the throughput can be improved.

Abstract: A substrate processing system processes a plurality of substrates in a single-substrate processing mode by a plurality of processes and provided with a plurality of modules respectively for carrying out processes. When a defect is found in a substrate, a defective processing unit that caused the defect can be easily found out. The substrate processing system and a substrate processing method to be carried out by the substrate processing system can suppress the reduction of throughput when a large number of substrates are to be processed. The substrate processing system is provided with a plurality of modules for processing a plurality of substrates (W) in a single-substrate processing mode by a plurality of processes and includes a substrate carrying means (A4) for carrying a substrate (W) from a sending module to a receiving module, and a control means (6) for controlling the substrate carrying means (A4) on the basis of one of at least two carrying modes each assigning receiving modules to sending modules.

Abstract: A buffer module is installed in a coating film forming unit block of a coating and developing system to reduce the number of interface arms needed by an interface block, and the manufacturing cost and footprint of the coating and developing system. For example, buffer modules BF31 to BF34 capable of holding a number of wafers W greater by one than the number of coating modules COT1 to COT3 of a COT layer B3 is installed in the COT layer B3, In the COT layer B3, a wafer W is carried along a carrying route passing a temperature control module CPL3, COT1 to COT3, a heating and cooling module LHP3, and the buffer modules BF31 to BF34. A main arm A3 carries wafers W such that the number of wafers W placed in the modules on the downstream side of the CPL3 is greater by one than the number of modules between the CPL3 and the buffer module when a processing rate at which an exposure system processes wafers W is lower that at which the COT layer B3 processes wafers W.

Abstract: A coater/developer is disclosed that includes a heating module having a pair of rotary bodies configured to rotate about respective horizontal axles, the rotary bodies being spaced apart from each other in a direction along the conveyance path of a substrate so that the rotational axles thereof are parallel to each other; a conveyance path member engaged with and extended between the rotary bodies so as to move along an orbit, the conveyance path member forming a part of the conveyance path of the substrate placed on the conveyance path member; a first transfer part provided at the upstream end of the conveyance path; a second transfer part provided at the downstream end of the conveyance path; and a heating part provided between the upstream end and the downstream end of the conveyance path and configured to heat the substrate.

Abstract: A hypoid gear device and a final reduction gear for a vehicle. The drive pinion (12) of the final reduction gear (10) having a hypoid gear is formed of a gear having a cylindrical outline. A drive pinion shaft (16) is projected from both sides of the drive pinion (12), and the drive pinion is supported on bearings (18) and (20) at these both projected portions. Since the outline of the drive pinion is formed in a cylindrical shape, the drive pinion can adopt a both side supporting structure. Thus, the deflection of the shaft can be suppressed and a bearing load can be lowered.

Abstract: A coating and developing system for enabling maintenance of an exposure system combined therewith. The system carries a substrate, delivered to a carrier handling block, to a processing block to form a film thereon using a coating block included in the processing block. The substrate is carried through an interface block to the exposure system, the exposed substrate is processed by a developing process using a developing block included in the processing block and the processed substrate is returned to the carrier handling block. A direct carrying means is superposed on the coating block and the developing block to carry a substrate having a surface coated with a film from the carrier handling block directly to the interface block. A test substrate can be carried to the exposure system to inspect the condition of the exposure system even where the coating and developing blocks are under maintenance work.

Abstract: A cassette waiting block is connected to a transfer in/out block of a coating and developing treatment system, and in the cassette waiting block, a cassette transfer in/out unit, a cassette waiting unit, a cassette delivery unit, and a substrate processing unit are provided. In the cassette waiting block, a cassette transfer unit for transferring the cassette between the cassette transfer in/out unit, the cassette waiting unit, and the cassette deliver unit, and a transfer unit for transferring the substrate between the cassette in the cassette waiting unit and the substrate processing unit are provided. Each cassette waiting unit has an opening mechanism for opening a port of the cassette.

Abstract: A coating and developing system includes two rotating members 131 and 132 respectively having parallel horizontal axes of rotation and disposed longitudinally opposite to each other, a carrying passage forming mechanism 130 extended between the rotating members 131 and 132 to form a carrying passage, and capable of moving along an orbital path to carry a wafer W supported thereon along the carrying passage, a sending-in transfer unit 110 disposed at the upstream end of the carrying passage, a sending-out transfer unit 111 disposed at the downstream end of the carrying passage, a developer pouring nozzle 151 for pouring a developer onto the wafer W, a cleaning nozzle 152 for pouring a cleaning liquid onto the wafer W, and a gas nozzle 154 for blowing a gas against the wafer W.

Abstract: A coater/developer is disclosed that includes a heating module having a pair of rotary bodies configured to rotate about respective horizontal axles, the rotary bodies being spaced apart from each other in a direction along the conveyance path of a substrate so that the rotational axles thereof are parallel to each other; a conveyance path member engaged with and extended between the rotary bodies so as to move along an orbit, the conveyance path member forming a part of the conveyance path of the substrate placed on the conveyance path member; a first transfer part provided at the upstream end of the conveyance path; a second transfer part provided at the downstream end of the conveyance path; and a heating part provided between the upstream end and the downstream end of the conveyance path and configured to heat the substrate.

Abstract: A coating and developing system has a first processing block, a second processing block, and a transfer block interposed between the first and the second processing block. A first direct carrying means carries substrates from a carrier block to the transfer block. The transfer block distributes the substrates to respective film forming unit blocks of the first and the second processing block. Substrates on which films have been formed by the first and the second processing block are collected temporarily in the transfer block. A second direct carrying means carries the substrate collected in the transfer block from the transfer block to an interface block. Use of the first and the second processing block can improve the throughput of the coating and developing system. Since a carrying route from the carrier block to the first processing block, and a carrying route from the carrier block to the second processing block are the same, a carrying program is easy to create.

Abstract: A coating and developing system includes processing blocks S2 to S4 of the same construction each built by stacking up a plurality of unit blocks including a film forming unit block and a developing unit block in layers. The processing b locks are arranged longitudinally between a carrier block S1 and an interface block S6. The number of processing blocks like the processing blocks S2 to S4 arranged between the carrier block S1 and the interface block S6 is adjusted to adjust the throughput of the coating and developing system. thus a coating and developing system capable of achieving a desired throughput can be easily designed and manufactured.

Abstract: The coating and developing system carries a substrate delivered to a carrier handling block to a processing block to form a film on the substrate by a coating block included in the processing block, carries the substrate through an interface block to the exposure system, processes the substrate having the exposed film by a developing process by a developing block included in the processing block and returns the thus processed substrate to the carrier handling block. A direct carrying means is superposed on the coating block and the developing block to carry a substrate having a surface coated with a film from the carrier handling block directly to the interface block. A test substrate can be carried to the exposure system to inspect the condition of the exposure system even in a state where the coating block and the developing block are under maintenance work.

Abstract: A buffer module is installed in a coating film forming unit block of a coating and developing system to reduce the number of interface arms needed by an interface block, and the manufacturing cost and footprint of the coating and developing system. For example, buffer modules BF31 to BF34 capable of holding a number of wafers W greater by one than the number of coating modules COT1 to COT3 of a COT layer B3 is installed in the COT layer B3, In the COT layer B3, a wafer W is carried along a carrying route passing a temperature control module CPL3, COT1 to COT3, a heating and cooling module LHP3, and the buffer modules BF31 to BF34. A main arm A3 carries wafers W such that the number of wafers W placed in the modules on the downstream side of the CPL3 is greater by one than the number of modules between the CPL3 and the buffer module when a processing rate at which an exposure system processes wafers W is lower that at which the COT layer B3 processes wafers W.

Abstract: A wet-processing apparatus includes module groups each including plural processing modules and a shared nozzle device to be used in common by the processing module of the module group. The wet-processing apparatus includes plural processing modules not less than four processing modules, for example, six processing modules. The six processing modules are divided into two module groups, namely, first and second module groups each of the three processing modules. Each of the first and the second module group is provided with a nozzle device for pouring a processing solution onto a wafer. The first wafer is delivered to the first processing module, the second wafer is delivered to the processing module of the second module group, the third wafer is delivered to the processing module of the first module group. Thus the successive wafers are delivered alternately to the first and the second module groups.

Abstract: Wafers A1 to A10 of a first lot A and wafers B1 to B10 of a second lot B are processed by a second heating unit at different temperatures, respectively. A wafer W is carried in a processing block included in coating and developing system along a route passing a temperature control unit CPL2, a coating unit BCT, a heating unit LHP2, a temperature control unit CPL3, a coating unit COT, a heating unit LHP3, and a cooling unit COL in that order. The process temperature of the heating unit LHP3 is changed after the last wafer A10 of the first lot A has been processed by the heating unit LHP3.