Substrate transport method and apparatus
First Claim
1. A process for transporting substrates between a processing unit, a buffer section and an exposure unit, said exposure unit performing an exposing process on said substrates, said processing unit performing various substrate treatments before and after said exposing process, said buffer section having a plurality of storage racks, said method comprising:
- sequentially transferring a plurality of unexposed substrates from said processing unit to said buffer section, each substrate of each consecutive pair of substrates transferred from said processing unit to said buffer section being placed on respective storage racks which are separated from one another by at least one empty intervening storage rack; and
sequentially transferring a plurality of exposed substrates from said exposure unit to said buffer section, each substrate of each consecutive pair of substrates transferred from said exposure unit to said buffer section being placed on respective storage racks which are separated from one another by at least one empty intervening storage rack.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A substrate transport method includes the steps of depositing a first substrate in a buffer section having a plurality of storages for temporarily storing substrates to transfer the substrates between a processing unit for performing various substrate treatments before and after an exposing process and an exposure unit for performing the exposing process, by actuating a first substrate transport device for transporting the substrates between the buffer section and the exposure unit and/or a second substrate transport device for transporting the substrates between the buffer section and the exposure unit; and depositing a second substrate on one of the storages next but at least one to a storage on which the first substrate is stored.
61 Citations
36 Claims
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1. A process for transporting substrates between a processing unit, a buffer section and an exposure unit, said exposure unit performing an exposing process on said substrates, said processing unit performing various substrate treatments before and after said exposing process, said buffer section having a plurality of storage racks, said method comprising:
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sequentially transferring a plurality of unexposed substrates from said processing unit to said buffer section, each substrate of each consecutive pair of substrates transferred from said processing unit to said buffer section being placed on respective storage racks which are separated from one another by at least one empty intervening storage rack; and
sequentially transferring a plurality of exposed substrates from said exposure unit to said buffer section, each substrate of each consecutive pair of substrates transferred from said exposure unit to said buffer section being placed on respective storage racks which are separated from one another by at least one empty intervening storage rack. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A process for transporting substrates between a processing unit, a buffer section and an exposure unit, said exposure unit performing an exposing process on said substrates, said processing unit performing various substrate treatments before and after said exposing process, said buffer section having a plurality of storage racks, said method comprising:
sequentially transferring a plurality of exposed substrates from said exposure unit to said buffer section, each substrate of each consecutive pair of exposed substrates transferred from said exposure unit to said buffer section being placed on respective storage racks which are separated from one another by at least one empty intervening storage rack. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20)
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21. Apparatus comprising:
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a processing unit for performing various treatments on said substrates;
an exposure unit for exposing substrates;
a buffer section having a plurality of storage racks;
a first robot for consecutively transferring a plurality of unexposed substrates from said processing unit to said buffer section, each substrate of each consecutive pair of substrates transferred from said processing unit to said buffer section being placed on respective storage racks which are separated from one another by at least one empty intervening storage rack; and
a second robot for consecutively transferring a plurality of exposed substrates from said exposure unit to said buffer section, each substrate of each consecutive pair of substrates transferred from said exposure unit to said buffer section being placed on respective storage racks which are separated from one another by at least one empty intervening storage rack. - View Dependent Claims (22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32)
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33. Apparatus comprising:
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a processing unit for performing various treatments on said substrates;
an exposure unit for exposing substrates;
a buffer section having a plurality of storage racks;
a first robot for sequentially transferring a plurality of exposed substrates from said exposure unit to said buffer section, each substrate of each consecutive pair of exposed substrates transferred from said exposure unit to said buffer section being placed on respective storage racks which are separated from one another by at least one empty intervening storage rack. - View Dependent Claims (34, 35, 36)
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Specification