Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method for successively processing a plurality of substrates
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 method for successively transferring a plurality of substrates available at a substrate carrier 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, said reverse passing having a first vertical position and a second vertical position, comprising the steps of:
a) passing a substrate to a first holding part of said reverse passing part always at said first vertical position by said first transport robot;
b) receiving a substrate from a second holding part of said reverse passing part always at said second vertical 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 vertical position and move said second holding part to said first vertical position;
d) passing a substrate to said second holding part always at said first vertical position by said first transport robot;
e) receiving a substrate from said first holding part always at said second vertical 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 vertical position and move said second holding part to said second vertical position; and g) repeating said step a) to step f),
wherein,
said first transport robot starts transport of a substrate to be passed to said second holding part of said reverse passing part in said step d) to take the substrate from the substrate carrier and move the substrate toward said reverse passing part before the reverse process of a substrate passed to said first holding part of said reverse passing part in said step a) is completed in said step c).
2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1 , 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.
3. A substrate processing method for successively transferring a plurality of substrates available at a substrate carrier 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 having a first vertical position and a second vertical position, for reversing a front surface and a back surface of a substrate always at said first vertical position by said transfer robot;
b) receiving an unprocessed substrate from a second holding part of said first reverse passing part always at said second vertical 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 vertical position and move said second holding part to said first vertical position;
d) passing an unprocessed substrate to said second holding part always at said first vertical position by said transfer robot;
e) receiving an unprocessed substrate from said first holding part always at said second vertical 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 vertical position and move said second holding part to said second vertical position; and
g) repeating said step a) to step f),
wherein,
said transfer robot starts transport of a substrate to be passed to said second holding part of said first reverse passing part in said step d) to take the substrate from the substrate carrier and move the substrate toward said reverse passing part before the reverse process of a substrate passed to said first holding part of said first reverse passing part in said step a) is completed in said step c).
4. The substrate processing method according to claim 3 , 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 always at a third vertical position of said second reverse passing part by said transfer robot;
i) passing a processed substrate to a fourth holding part of said second reverse passing part always at a fourth vertical position of said second reverse passing part 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 vertical position and move said fourth holding part to said third vertical position;
k) receiving a processed substrate from said fourth holding part at said third vertical position by said transfer robot;
l) passing a processed substrate to said third holding part at said fourth vertical 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 vertical position and move said fourth holding part to said fourth vertical position; and
n) repeating said step h) to step m).
5. The substrate processing method according to claim 4 , 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.
6. The substrate processing method according to claim 4 , wherein said processing part cleans a back surface of a substrate.