Unit and method for transferring substrates and apparatus and method for treating substrates with the unit

Abstract

The present invention is related to a method for transferring substrates. The method comprise simultaneously transferring two substrates, by means of a transfer unit, between first support plates disposed to be vertically spaced apart from each other and second support plates arranged abreast in a lateral direction. The transfer unit comprises a top blade and a bottom blade converted to a folded state where they are vertically disposed to face each other and an unfolded state where they rotate at a preset angle in opposite directions. The transfer unit place/take a substrate on/out of the first support plates under the folded state and place/take a substrate on/out of the second support plates under the unfolded state.

1 . The A unit for transferring substrates, comprising:
 a blade member on which a substrate is placed;   an arm member coupled with the blade member to carry the blade member; and   a driving member configured to supply a driving force to the blade member or the arm member,   wherein the blade member comprises:   a bottom blade; and   a top blade disposed over the bottom blade that can change a relative position with respect to the bottom blade.   
   
   
       2 . The unit as recited in  claim 1 , wherein each of the bottom and top blades comprises:
 a first support part on which a substrate is placed;   a second support part on which a substrate is placed; and   a connecting part configured to connect the first and second support parts.   
   
   
       3 . The unit as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the first support part extends from one end of the connecting part, and the second support part extends from the other end of the connecting part in a direction opposite to a direction in which the first support part extends from the connecting part, and
 wherein a rotation shaft connecting the bottom blade to the arm member and a rotation shaft connecting the top blade to the arm member are coupled with the connecting part.   
   
   
       4 . The unit as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the top and bottom blades are provided to change their positions between a folded state where the top blade is vertically disposed over the bottom blade and an unfolded state where the top and bottom blades rotate oppositely at a preset angle. 
   
   
       5 . The unit as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the driving member comprises:
 a blade driver configured to rotate the blade member independently of the arm member; and   a vertical mover configured to elevating the arm member and the blade member,   wherein the blade driver comprises:   a bottom blade driver configured to rotate the bottom blade; and   a top blade driver configured to rotate the top blade.   
   
   
       6 . The unit as recited in  claim 5 , wherein the bottom blade driver includes a rotation shaft extending to the inside of the arm member from a lower portion of the connecting part of the bottom blade through an aperture provided at an upper wall of the arm member, and
 wherein the top blade driver includes a rotation shaft inserted into a through-hole provided at the connecting part of the bottom blade and the rotation shaft of the bottom blade driver to extend to the inside of the arm member from a lower portion of the connecting part of the top blade.   
   
   
       7 . A unit for transferring substrates, comprising:
 a top blade including at least two support parts on which a substrate is placed; and   a bottom blade including at least two support parts on which a substrate is placed, the bottom blade being disposed below the top blade,   wherein the top and bottom blades are carried by means of one arm member, and   wherein the top and bottom blades are provided to be converted to a folded state where they vertically face each other and an unfolded state where they are widened at a preset angle.   
   
   
       8 . The unit as recited in  claim 7 , wherein the top and bottom blades have the same shape,
 wherein each of the top and bottom blades includes a rod-shaped connecting part rotatably coupled with the arm member, and   wherein the support part extends from opposite ends of the connecting part in a length direction of the connecting part.   
   
   
       9 . An apparatus for treating substrates, comprising:
 a transfer chamber;   at least one process chamber disposed at one side of the transfer chamber;   a loadlock chamber, disposed at the other side of the transfer chamber, in which substrate are placed to be vertically spaced apart from each other; and   a transfer unit provided at the transfer chamber to transfer substrates between the loadlock chamber and the process chamber,   wherein the transfer unit comprises:   a blade member on which a substrate is placed;   an arm member coupled with the blade member to carry the blade member; and   a driving member configured to supply a driving force to the blade member and the arm member, and   wherein the blade member comprises:   a bottom blade; and   a top blade disposed over the bottom blade,   wherein the bottom and top blades are provided to change their relative positions.   
   
   
       10 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the process chamber comprises:
 a housing with a sidewall where provided is an entrance through which substrates enter or exit; and   supporting members, arranged in a row inside the housing, on which a substrate is placed.   
   
   
       11 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the process chamber comprises:
 a housing with a sidewall where provided is an entrance through which substrates enter or exit; and   supporting members, arranged inside the housing, on which a substrate is placed, and the apparatus comprising:   a plurality of the process chambers, wherein at least two of the process chambers are arranged in a row.   
   
   
       12 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the top and bottom blades are provided to be converted to a folded state where they are vertically disposed to face each other and an unfolded state where they rotate at a preset angle from the folded state in opposite directions. 
   
   
       13 . The apparatus as recited in  claim 12 , wherein each of the bottom and top blades comprises:
 a first support part on which a substrate is placed;   a second support part on which a substrate is placed; and   a connecting part configured to connect the first and second support parts,   wherein the first support part extends from one end of the connecting part, and the second support part extends from the other end of the connecting part in a direction opposite to a direction in which the first support part extends from the connecting part, and   wherein a rotation shaft connecting the bottom blade to the arm member is coupled with the connecting part of the bottom blade, and a rotation shaft connecting the top blade to the arm member is coupled with the connecting part of the top blade.   
   
   
       14 . A method for transferring substrates, comprising:
 simultaneously transferring two substrates, by means of a transfer unit, between first support plates disposed to be vertically spaced apart from each other and second support plates arranged abreast in a lateral direction,   wherein the transfer unit comprises a top blade and a bottom blade converted to a folded state where they are vertically disposed to face each other and an unfolded state where they rotate at a preset angle in opposite directions to place/take a substrate on/out of the first support plates under the folded state and place/take a substrate on/out of the second support plates under the unfolded state.   
   
   
       15 . The method as recited in  claim 14 , wherein the top blade and the bottom blade comprise a first support part and a second support part disposed at their opposite ends, respectively, and a substrate is placed on each of the first and second support parts, and
 wherein one of the first and second support parts takes out substrate placed on the second support parts while substrate to be placed on the second support plates are placed on the other support parts.   
   
   
       16 . The method as recited in  claim 15 , wherein the substrate placed on the one support part is placed on the second support plates while a substrate taken out of the second substrate plates is placed on the other support part. 
   
   
       17 . A method of treating substrates, comprising:
 treating a substrate by means of a substrate treating apparatus including a transfer chamber; at least one process chamber disposed at one side of the transfer chamber; a loadlock chamber, disposed at the other side of the transfer chamber, in which substrate are placed to be vertically spaced apart from each other; and a transfer unit provided at the transfer chamber to transfer substrates between the loadlock chamber and the process chamber,   wherein substrates are placed in the loadlock chamber to be vertically spaced to face each other, and substrates are placed in the process chamber to be arranged abreast in a lateral direction,   wherein the transfer unit comprises a top blade and a bottom blade converted to a folded state where they vertically face each other and an unfolded state where they rotate at a preset angle in opposite directions, and   wherein the transfer unit puts/takes a substrate into/out of the loadlock chamber under the folded state and puts/takes a substrate into/out of the process chamber under the unfolded state.   
   
   
       18 . The method as recited in  claim 17 , wherein the top blade and the bottom blade comprise a first support part and a second support part disposed at their opposite ends, respectively, and
 wherein the transfer unit takes a processed substrate out of the process chamber by using one of the first and second support parts while the other support part contains a substrate to be processed at the process chamber.