Method for transporting substrates and a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus using the method

Abstract

A method for transporting a substrate between a carrier, which holds the substrate, and a semiconductor manufacturing unit, which receives the substrate. The method includes steps of applying the carrier, which holds the substrate, to a chamber, which houses the semiconductor manufacturing unit, in which chamber the environment of the semiconductor manufacturing unit is controlled, rotatably removing, by an opener, a door of the carrier and a door of the chamber, as a unit, from the carrier and the chamber, and transferring the substrate from the carrier and to the carrier, when the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber have been rotatably removed as a unit by the opener in the removing step. Also disclosed are semiconductor manufacturing apparatus utilizing such a method.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A method for transporting a substrate between a carrier, which holds the substrate, and a semiconductor manufacturing unit, which receives the substrate, the method comprising the steps of: 
 applying the carrier, which holds the substrate, to a chamber, which houses the semiconductor manufacturing unit, in which chamber the environment of the semiconductor manufacturing unit is controlled;    rotatably removing, by an opener, a door of the carrier and a door of the chamber, as a unit, from the carrier and the chamber; and    transferring the substrate from the carrier and to the carrier, when the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber have been rotatably removed as a unit by the opener in said removing step.    
     
     
         2 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 releasing a lock of the door of the carrier by lock releasing means provided in the door of the chamber.    
     
     
         3 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 1 , further comprising the step of: 
 supporting the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber as a unit by supporting means provided in the door of the chamber.    
     
     
         4 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 1 , wherein said removing step comprises horizontally removing the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber as a unit from the carrier and the chamber by the opener, and then rotating the unit around a rotation axis by the opener.  
     
     
         5 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 1 , wherein a rotation axis around which the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber rotate as a unit, while being removed, is disposed on a plane extending from an interface between the chamber and the door thereof, which is sealed.  
     
     
         6 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 1 , wherein said removing step comprises rotating, by the opener, the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber downwardly around the rotation axis, as a unit.  
     
     
         7 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 1 , further comprising providing the opener on an inner wall of the chamber.  
     
     
         8 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 1 , further comprising providing a plurality of the openers and a plurality of loading ports for receiving the carriers in the chamber.  
     
     
         9 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 8 , wherein the loading ports are provided overlapping each other in the vertical direction.  
     
     
         10 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 1 , further comprising providing a library in the vicinity of the semiconductor manufacturing unit, for storing a plurality of the substrates.  
     
     
         11 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 1 , wherein the carrier receives one of the substrates.  
     
     
         12 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 11 , wherein the substrate is a reticle.  
     
     
         13 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: 
 a semiconductor manufacturing unit housed in a chamber, in which the environment of the semiconductor manufacturing unit is controlled;    applying means for applying a carrier, which holds a substrate, to the chamber;    an opener for rotatably removing a door of the carrier and a door of the chamber, as a unit, from the carrier and the chamber; and    transporting means for transferring the substrate from the carrier and to the carrier when the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber have been rotatably removed as a unit by said opener, and for transporting the substrate between the carrier and the semiconductor manufacturing unit.    
     
     
         14 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 13 , further comprising lock releasing means, provided on the chamber, for releasing a lock of the door of the carrier.  
     
     
         15 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 13 , further comprising supporting means on the door of the chamber, for supporting the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber as a unit.  
     
     
         16 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein said opener horizontally removes the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber, as a unit, from the carrier and the chamber, and then rotates the unit around a rotation axis.  
     
     
         17 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the rotation axis around which the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber rotate as a unit, while being removed, is disposed on a plane extending from an interface between the chamber and the door thereof, which is sealed.  
     
     
         18 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein said opener downwardly rotates the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber around the rotation axis, as a unit.  
     
     
         19 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the opener is provided on an inner wall of the chamber.  
     
     
         20 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of loading ports for receiving the carriers; and    a plurality of the openers.    
     
     
         21 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 20 , wherein the loading ports are provided overlapping each other in a vertical direction.  
     
     
         22 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 13 , further comprising: 
 a library for storing a plurality of the substrates in the vicinity of the semiconductor manufacturing unit.    
     
     
         23 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 13 , wherein the carrier receives one of the substrates.  
     
     
         24 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 23 , wherein the substrate is a reticle.  
     
     
         25 . A method for transporting a substrate between a carrier, which holds the substrate, and a semiconductor manufacturing unit, which receives the substrate, the method comprising the steps of: 
 applying the carrier, which holds the substrate, to a chamber, which houses the semiconductor manufacturing unit, in which chamber the environment of the semiconductor manufacturing unit is controlled;    removing a door of the carrier and a door of the chamber, as a unit, from the carrier and the chamber, by an opener provided on a transporting robot for transporting the substrate; and    transferring the substrate from the carrier and to the carrier by the transporting robot when the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber have been removed as a unit by the opener in said removing step.    
     
     
         26 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 25 , further comprising the step of: 
 releasing a lock of the door of the carrier by lock releasing means provided on the door of the chamber.    
     
     
         27 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 25 , further comprising the step of: 
 supporting the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber as a unit by supporting means provided on the door of the chamber.    
     
     
         28 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 25 , further comprising providing a plurality of the openers and a plurality of loading ports for receiving the carriers in the chamber.  
     
     
         29 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 28 , wherein the plurality of the loading ports are provided overlapping each other in a vertical direction.  
     
     
         30 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 29 , further comprising disposing the openers such that a distance therebetween is the same as a distance between each of the loading ports.  
     
     
         31 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 25 , further comprising providing a library for storing a plurality of the substrates in the vicinity of the semiconductor manufacturing unit.  
     
     
         32 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 25 , wherein the carrier receives one of the substrates.  
     
     
         33 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 32 , wherein the substrate is a reticle.  
     
     
         34 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: 
 a semiconductor manufacturing unit provided in a chamber, in which the environment of the semiconductor manufacturing unit is controlled;    applying means for applying a carrier, which holds a substrate, to the chamber;    an opener for removing a door of the carrier and a door of the chamber, as a unit, from the carrier and the chamber; and    a transporting robot for transferring the substrate from the carrier and to the carrier when the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber have been removed as a unit by the opener,    wherein said opener is provided in said manufacturing apparatus on a side of the transporting robot.    
     
     
         35 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 34 , further comprising lock releasing means on the door of the chamber, for releasing a lock of the door of the carrier.  
     
     
         36 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 34 , further comprising supporting means on the door of the chamber, for supporting the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber, as a unit.  
     
     
         37 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 34 , further comprising: 
 a plurality of loading ports for receiving the carriers; and    a plurality of the openers.    
     
     
         38 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 37 , wherein the loading ports are provided overlapping each other in a vertical direction.  
     
     
         39 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 38 , wherein said openers are disposed such that a distance therebetween is the same as a distance between each of said loading ports.  
     
     
         40 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 34 , further comprising: 
 a library for storing a plurality of the substrates in the vicinity of said semiconductor manufacturing unit.    
     
     
         41 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 34 , wherein the carrier receives one of the substrates.  
     
     
         42 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 41 , wherein the substrate is a reticle.  
     
     
         43 . A method for transporting a substrate between a carrier, which holds the substrate, and a semiconductor manufacturing unit, which receives the substrate, the method comprising the steps of: 
 applying the carrier, which holds the substrate, to a chamber, which houses the semiconductor manufacturing unit, in which chamber the environment of the semiconductor manufacturing unit is controlled;    removing a door of the carrier and a door of the chamber, as a unit, from the carrier and the chamber by an opener;    transferring the substrate from the carrier and to the carrier by a transporting robot for transporting the substrate when the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber have been removed as a unit by the opener in said removing step; and    applying air to the substrate by an air-blower provided on the transporting robot when the transporting robot supports, at least when transporting, the substrate by handling means provided on the transporting robot.    
     
     
         44 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 43 , further comprising temperature controlling the air applied by the air-blower.  
     
     
         45 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 43 , further comprising providing the transporting robot with a cover for covering the substrate held by the handling means of the transporting robot.  
     
     
         46 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 43 , wherein the air-blower applies air to the substrate while the substrate is transferred from the carrier.  
     
     
         47 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 43 , wherein the carrier receives one of the substrates.  
     
     
         48 . A method for transporting a substrate according to  claim 47 , wherein the substrate is a reticle.  
     
     
         49 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus comprising: 
 a semiconductor manufacturing unit provided in a chamber, in which the environment of the semiconductor manufacturing unit is controlled;    applying means for applying a carrier, which holds a substrate, to the chamber;    an opener for removing a door of the carrier and a door of the chamber, as a unit, from the carrier and the chamber;    a transporting robot for transferring the substrate from the carrier and to the carrier when the door of the carrier and the door of the chamber have been removed as a unit by said opener; and    an air-blower, provided on the transporting robot, for applying air to the substrate when the transporting robot supports, at least when transporting, the substrate by handling means provided on said transporting robot.    
     
     
         50 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 49 , wherein the air applied by said air-blower is temperature-controlled.  
     
     
         51 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 49 , wherein said transporting robot includes a cover for covering the substrate held by the handling means.  
     
     
         52 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 49 , wherein said air-blower applies air to the substrate while the substrate is transferred from the carrier.  
     
     
         53 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 49 , wherein the carrier receives one of the substrates.  
     
     
         54 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 49 , wherein the substrate is a reticle.