Abstract: Provided is an apparatus that transfers a substrate inside a substrate transfer chamber by a substrate transfer module using magnetic levitation. The apparatus includes: a substrate transfer chamber having a floor portion provided with a first magnet and connected, through an opening portion, to a substrate processing chamber in which the substrate is processed; and a substrate transfer module including a substrate holder configured to hold the substrate, and a second magnet configured such that a repulsive force acts between the first magnet and the second magnet. The substrate transfer module is movable inside the substrate transfer chamber by the magnetic levitation based on the repulsive force. The substrate transfer module performs loading/unloading of the substrate by directly entering into the substrate transfer chamber via the opening portion, or delivers the substrate to and from a substrate transfer mechanism fixedly provided inside the substrate transfer chamber.

Abstract: There is provided a substrate processing apparatus comprising: a substrate transfer chamber having a floor provided with a first magnet a substrate transfer module including a stage on which a substrate is placed, a traveling plate disposed below the stage, and a second magnet having a repulsive force with respect to the first magnet, the substrate transfer module being configured to be movable in the substrate transfer chamber by magnetic levitation using the repulsive force; and a substrate processing chamber disposed on an upper surface side of the substrate transfer chamber to process the substrate, the substrate processing chamber having an opening having a size that allows at least a part of the stage on which the substrate is placed to pass therethrough, the opening being open toward the inside of the substrate transfer chamber.

Abstract: In a vacuum processing device, a loading/unloading port, a normal pressure transfer chamber and a vacuum transfer chamber are arranged in that order from a front side toward a rear side, and load-lock chambers are connected to the normal pressure transfer chamber. The position in the front-rear direction in a movement range of a wafer W in the normal pressure transfer chamber overlaps with the positions in the front-rear direction of the load-lock chambers. Three vacuum processing modules are connected to each of the left and right sides of the vacuum transfer chamber. Vacuum processing units are arranged in each of the vacuum processing modules in a front-rear direction when viewed from the vacuum transfer chamber side. Wafer mounting shelves for holding wafers W in the load-lock chambers are arranged in the front-rear direction when viewed from the vacuum transfer chamber side.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a substrate transfer apparatus for transferring a substrate to a substrate processing apparatus in a reduced pressure atmosphere. The apparatus comprises a substrate holder to hold the substrate; and a substrate measurer, provided on the substrate holder, to measure a position of the substrate with respect to the substrate holder.

Abstract: In a vacuum processing device, a loading/unloading port, a normal pressure transfer chamber and a vacuum transfer chamber are arranged in that order from a front side toward a rear side, and load-lock chambers are connected to the normal pressure transfer chamber. The position in the front-rear direction in a movement range of a wafer W in the normal pressure transfer chamber overlaps with the positions in the front-rear direction of the load-lock chambers. Three vacuum processing modules are connected to each of the left and right sides of the vacuum transfer chamber. Vacuum processing units are arranged in each of the vacuum processing modules in a front-rear direction when viewed from the vacuum transfer chamber side. Wafer mounting shelves for holding wafers W in the load-lock chambers are arranged in the front-rear direction when viewed from the vacuum transfer chamber side.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus, includes: a substrate transfer mechanism configured to advance and retreat a holding body that holds a substrate by symmetrically arranging two link mechanisms each including a driving arm and a driven arm; a processing module; a rotation angle measuring part configured to measure a rotation angle the driving arms; a holding body detection part configured to detect that a specific portion of the holding body is located at a predetermined position; and a controller configured to execute a step of acquiring a measurement value of the rotation angle of the driving arm, a step of obtaining a moving average of the measurement value of the rotation angle, and a step of obtaining a correction amount of the rotation angle so that a substrate transfer position of the holding body of the substrate transfer mechanism for the processing module becomes a reference position.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a rotation driving mechanism for rotationally driving a first linear arm and a second linear arm to move a holding part between a waiting location and a transfer location; a rotation angle detection mechanism for detecting rotation angles of the first linear arm and the second linear arm; a position detection sensor for detecting a position of the second linear arm; a calculation part for calculating a position of the holding part based on the rotation angles of the first linear arm and the second linear arm; and a control part for comparing a position information of the holding part with a position information of the second linear arm and allowing the transfer location to which the target object is transferred to be collected, based on a difference between the position information of the holding part and the position information of the second linear arm.

Abstract: A method includes a first step of vertically moving the arm or the pins from a reference position in one direction by a predetermined distance, a second step of moving the arm in a horizontal direction, a third step of vertically moving the arm or the pins moved in the one direction in the other direction by a distance equal to or greater than the predetermined distance, a fourth step of detecting a horizontal position of the substrate held by the arm with respect to the arm. The steps are repeated. Whenever the processes are performed, the reference position in the first step is shifted in the one direction by the predetermined distance, and a vertical position of the arm or the pins which is obtained when the horizontal position of the substrate detected in the fourth step is deviated from a preset position is taught as the delivery position.

Abstract: A substrate processing apparatus, includes: a substrate transfer mechanism configured to advance and retreat a holding body that holds a substrate by symmetrically arranging two link mechanisms each including a driving arm and a driven arm; a processing module; a rotation angle measuring part configured to measure a rotation angle the driving arms; a holding body detection part configured to detect that a specific portion of the holding body is located at a predetermined position; and a controller configured to execute a step of acquiring a measurement value of the rotation angle of the driving arm, a step of obtaining a moving average of the measurement value of the rotation angle, and a step of obtaining a correction amount of the rotation angle so that a substrate transfer position of the holding body of the substrate transfer mechanism for the processing module becomes a reference position.

Abstract: A substrate cooling method is for, using a load-lock mechanism for controlling a pressure therein between a first pressure close to an atmospheric pressure and a second pressure in a vacuum state, cooling a substrate transferred from the second module to the first module. The method includes maintaining a pressure in the chamber to the second pressure, allowing the chamber to communicate with a second module, and loading the substrate into the chamber; locating the substrate to a cooling position close to the cooling member; exhausting the chamber such that the pressure in the chamber becomes a third pressure where a region between a surface of the cooling member and a backside of the substrate satisfies a molecular flow condition. The method further includes introducing a purge gas into the chamber to increase the pressure in the chamber to the first pressure, and cooling the substrate by the cooling member.

Abstract: A method includes a first step of vertically moving the arm or the pins from a reference position in one direction by a predetermined distance, a second step of moving the arm in a horizontal direction, a third step of vertically moving the arm or the pins moved in the one direction in the other direction by a distance equal to or greater than the predetermined distance, a fourth step of detecting a horizontal position of the substrate held by the arm with respect to the arm. The steps are repeated. Whenever the processes are performed, the reference position in the first step is shifted in the one direction by the predetermined distance, and a vertical position of the arm or the pins which is obtained when the horizontal position of the substrate detected in the fourth step is deviated from a preset position is taught as the delivery position.

Abstract: A transfer device includes a rotation driving mechanism for rotationally driving a first linear arm and a second linear arm to move a holding part between a waiting location and a transfer location; a rotation angle detection mechanism for detecting rotation angles of the first linear arm and the second linear arm; a position detection sensor for detecting a position of the second linear arm; a calculation part for calculating a position of the holding part based on the rotation angles of the first linear arm and the second linear arm; and a control part for comparing a position information of the holding part with a position information of the second linear arm and allowing the transfer location to which the target object is transferred to be collected, based on a difference between the position information of the holding part and the position information of the second linear arm.

Abstract: A substrate cooling method is for, using a load-lock mechanism for controlling a pressure therein between a first pressure close to an atmospheric pressure and a second pressure in a vacuum state, cooling a substrate transferred from the second module to the first module. The method includes maintaining a pressure in the chamber to the second pressure, allowing the chamber to communicate with a second module, and loading the substrate into the chamber; locating the substrate to a cooling position close to the cooling member; exhausting the chamber such that the pressure in the chamber becomes a third pressure where a region between a surface of the cooling member and a backside of the substrate satisfies a molecular flow condition. The method further includes introducing a purge gas into the chamber to increase the pressure in the chamber to the first pressure, and cooling the substrate by the cooling member.

Abstract: A leakage determining method determines whether or not atmospheric air enters a vacuum transfer chamber for transferring a substrate under a vacuum atmosphere between a preliminary vacuum chamber and a processing chamber. The method includes controlling a pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber to a preset pressure by supplying a pressure control gas into the vacuum transfer chamber; performing supply control, when the substrate is not transferred, by reducing the amount of the pressure control gas supplied into the vacuum transfer chamber or stopping the supply of the pressure control gas; and measuring an oxygen concentration in the vacuum transfer chamber after the supply control of the pressure control gas and determining leakage of atmospheric air into the vacuum transfer chamber by determining whether or not atmospheric air whose amount exceeds a preset allowable level enters the vacuum transfer chamber based on temporal changes of the measured oxygen concentration.

Abstract: A substrate processing method includes transferring unprocessed substrates to a first substrate holder by way of lowering a first substrate accommodation unit and loading the unprocessed substrates into a processing chamber in sequence while sequentially rotating a substrate mounting table at a preset angle in one direction, performing a preset process on substrates in a batch-type, and unloading processed substrates from the processing chamber by the first substrate holder after a completion of the preset process, transferring the processed substrates into the first substrate accommodation unit from the first substrate holder by way of raising the first substrate accommodation unit, transferring unprocessed substrates to a second substrate holder by way of lowering a second substrate accommodation unit and loading the unprocessed substrate into the processing chamber in sequence while sequentially rotating the substrate mounting table at the preset angle in the another direction.

Abstract: A substrate processing system includes a processing chamber that performs a preset process on a plurality of substrates in a batch-type manner; a substrate mounting table, installed within the processing chamber, configured to mount the plurality of substrates on a concentric circle and configured to be rotatable forward and backward; substrate accommodation units configured to accommodate the plurality of substrates in multi-stages in a vertical direction; substrate holders and configured to transfer the substrates between the substrate accommodation units and the processing chamber; elevating mechanisms configured to move the substrate accommodation units up and down. Unprocessed substrates are mounted on the substrate mounting table while the substrate mounting table is being rotated in one direction.

Abstract: Disclosed are an object transfer method and an object processing apparatus. The object transfer method includes: extending a first transfer arm into a processing chamber, and retracting the same after a first pick picking up an processed object accommodated in the processing chamber; rotating the first and second transfer arms to move a second pick holding an unprocessed object to a transfer position in front of the processing chamber and to move the first pick holding the processed object to a position adjacent to a transfer position in front of a load-lock chamber; extending the second transfer arm into the processing chamber, and retracting the same after accommodating the unprocessed object held by the second pick in the processing chamber; and rotating the second transfer arm to move the second pick holding no object to the transfer position in front of the load-lock chamber.

Abstract: A substrate transfer apparatus that transfers a substrate with respect to a processing apparatus includes a substrate accommodation unit for accommodating a plurality of substrates to be loaded into the processing apparatus in a vertical direction in a multi-stage; a substrate accommodation unit for accommodating a plurality of substrates unloaded from the processing apparatus in a vertical direction in a multi-stage; a substrate holder for transferring the substrates from the substrate accommodation unit to the processing apparatus; a substrate holder for transferring the substrates from the processing apparatus to the substrate accommodation unit. The substrate accommodation unit has an elevating mechanism for moving at least one of the substrate and the substrate holder in a vertical direction relative to each other and the substrate accommodation unit has an elevating mechanism for moving at least one of the substrate and the substrate holder in a vertical direction relative to each other.

Abstract: A substrate transfer device includes a pick which has positioning pins to position a substrate and holds a positioned substrate; a drive unit which drives the pick such that the substrate is loaded/unloaded to/from a vacuum processing unit by using a pick; and a transfer control unit which controls a transfer operation of the substrate using the pick. The transfer control unit obtains in advance information on a reference position of the substrate at room temperature when the substrate is loaded into the vacuum processing unit, calculates a positional deviation from the reference position of the substrate when the substrate is loaded into the vacuum processing unit in actual processing, and controls a drive unit such that the substrate is loaded into the vacuum processing unit by correcting the positional deviation.

Abstract: A target object transfer method overcomes the limits to productivity encounted even if a process time of various processes is shortened. In the transfer method, each of the load-lock chambers is configured to store target objects. First objects not having been processed are carried out into the load-lock chambers, and processed second objects are carried out at the same time from a plurality of processing chambers to a transfer chamber using a transfer device. The processed second objects are carried at the same time into the load-lock chambers from the transfer chamber, and the first objects not having been processed are carried out at the same time to the transfer chamber from the load-lock chambers using the transfer device, and the first object not having been processed are carried into the processing chambers at the same time from the transfer chamber.