Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus has an indexer block and a processing block. One side of the processing block has a vertical stack of a plurality of top surface cleaning units and the other side of the processing block has a vertical stack of a plurality of back surface cleaning units. Reversing units for reversing the substrate W are provided one above the other between the indexer block and the processing block. For example, one reversing unit is used for reversing the substrate before a back surface cleaning processing by the back surface cleaning unit or for other purposes, and the other reversing unit is used for placing the substrate W after a top surface cleaning processing by the top surface cleaning unit or for other purposes.

1 . A substrate processing apparatus that performs processing on a substrate having a top surface and a back surface, comprising:
 a processing region for processing the substrate;   a carrying in and out region for carrying the substrate into and out of said processing region; and   first and second reversing devices that are provided between said processing region and said carrying in and out region and reverse said top surface and said back surface of the substrate, wherein   said carrying in and out region includes   a container platform where a storing container that stores the substrate is placed, and   a first transport device that transports the substrate between the storing container placed on said container platform and any of said first and second reversing devices,   said processing region includes   a processing unit that performs processing on the substrate, and   a second transport device that transports the substrate between any of said first and second reversing devices and said processing unit, and   said first reversing device is used in transfer of the substrate from said first transport device to said second transport device and said second reversing device is used in transfer of the substrate from said second transport device to said first transport device.   
   
   
       2 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein each of said first and second reversing devices reverses the substrate around a rotation axis that crosses a line connecting a position of said first transport device in receiving and transferring the substrate and a position of said second transport device in receiving and transferring the substrate. 
   
   
       3 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 each of said first and second reversing devices includes   a first holding mechanism that holds the substrate vertically to a first axis,   a second holding mechanism that holds the substrate vertically to said first axis,   a support member that supports said first and second holding mechanisms so that said first and second holding mechanisms overlap with each other in a direction of said first axis, and   a rotating device that integrally rotates said support member together with said first and second holding mechanisms around a second axis that is substantially vertical to said first axis.   
   
   
       4 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 3 , wherein
 said first and second holding mechanisms include a common reverse holding member having one surface and the other surface that are vertical to said first axis,   said first holding mechanism includes   a plurality of first supporters that are provided on said one surface of said common reverse holding member and support a periphery of the substrate,   a first reverse holding member provided so as to face said one surface of said common reverse holding member,   a plurality of second supporters that are provided on a surface, which faces said common reverse holding member, of said first reverse holding member and support the periphery of the substrate, and   a first driving mechanism that moves at least one of said first reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member so that said first reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are selectively shifted between a state where said first reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are spaced apart from each other in the direction of said first axis and a state where said first reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are close to each other, and   said second holding mechanism includes   a plurality of third supporters that are provided on said other surface of said common reverse holding member and support the periphery of the substrate,   a second reverse holding member provided so as to face said other surface of said common reverse holding member,   a plurality of fourth supporters that are provided on a surface, which faces said common reverse holding member, of said second reverse holding member and support the periphery of the substrate, and   a second driving mechanism that moves at least one of said second reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member so that said second reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are selectively shifted between a state where said second reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are spaced apart from each other in the direction of said first axis and a state where said second reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are close to each other.   
   
   
       5 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein
 said common reverse holding member is secured to said support member,   said first driving mechanism moves said first reverse holding member relative to said common reverse holding member so that said first reverse holding member is selectively shifted between the state where said first reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are spaced apart from each other and the state where said first reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are close to each other, and   said second driving mechanism moves said second reverse holding member relative to said common reverse holding member so that said second reverse holding member is selectively shifted between the state where said second reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are spaced apart from each other and the state where said second reverse holding member and said common reverse holding member are close to each other.   
   
   
       6 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said second transport device has first and second transport holders, and   a distance between a holding position of the substrate by said first holding mechanism and a holding position of the substrate by said second holding mechanism is substantially equal to a distance between a holding position of the substrate by said first transport holder of said second transport device and a holding position of the substrate by said second transport holder.   
   
   
       7 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein
 said processing unit includes a first cleaning processing unit that cleans the back surface of the substrate and,   said second transport device transports the substrate among said first reversing device, said second reversing device and said first cleaning processing unit.   
   
   
       8 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said first cleaning processing unit includes a plurality of first cleaning units arranged in a plurality of stages. 
   
   
       9 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein said first reversing device is used for reversing the substrate before the processing by said first cleaning processing unit. 
   
   
       10 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 7 , wherein
 said processing unit further includes a second cleaning processing unit that cleans the top surface of the substrate, and   said second transport device transports the substrate among said first reversing device, said second reversing device, said first cleaning processing unit and said second cleaning processing unit.   
   
   
       11 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 10 , wherein said second cleaning processing unit includes a plurality of second cleaning units arranged in a plurality of stages. 
   
   
       12 . The substrate processing apparatus according to  claim 11 , wherein said first reversing device is used for reversing the substrate after the processing by said first cleaning processing unit. 
   
   
       13 . A substrate processing method that subjects a substrate to processing by a substrate processing apparatus including a carrying in and out region that includes a container platform and a first transport device, a processing region that includes a plurality of processing units and a second transport device and first and second reversing devices provided between said processing region and said carrying in and out region, comprising the steps of:
 taking the substrate before the processing out of a storing container placed on said container platform and transferring the taken out substrate before the processing to said first reversing device by said first transport device;   reversing the substrate before the processing in said first reversing device;   receiving the substrate before the processing from said first reversing device and carrying the received substrate into any of said plurality of processing units by said second transport device;   carrying the substrate having been processed in any of said plurality of processing units out of the processing unit and transferring the carried out substrate after the processing to said second reversing device by said second transport device; and   receiving the substrate after the processing from said second reversing device and storing the received substrate after the processing in said storing container by said first transport device.