Substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

Any particle adhesion onto the surface of a substrate to be processed is prevented. There is provided a substrate processing apparatus characterized by including a transfer chamber for, via a gate to which a substrate accommodating container for accommodation of the substrate is set, performing transfer of the substrate between the same and the substrate accommodating container, a processing chamber for applying a specific process to the substrate, a load-lock chamber for linking the processing chamber with the transfer chamber, and a temperature control unit for at the stage of transferring the substrate into at least one of the transfer chamber and the load-lock chamber, so as for the temperature of the substrate just before the transfer thereof to be higher than the temperature of the interior of the chamber, into which the substrate will be transferred, controlling at least one of the temperature of the substrate and the temperature of the interior of the chamber.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A substrate processing apparatus, which includes a substrate accommodating container, in which a substrate to be processed is accommodated and which is set at a gate, loads the substrate from the substrate accommodating container into a transfer chamber via the gate, and performs a specific process on the substrate, comprising:
 a receiving chamber connected to the transfer chamber, to temporarily receive the substrate; and   a temperature control unit arranged in the receiving chamber, to adjust a temperature of the substrate received in the receiving chamber such that the temperature of the substrate is higher than an internal temperature of the transfer chamber.   
     
     
         3 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein:
 the receiving chamber functions as a position aligning chamber to perform position alignment on the substrate; and   the temperature control unit adjusts the temperature of the substrate placed on a mounting table arranged in the position aligning chamber.   
     
     
         4 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the temperature control unit includes a light irradiator to adjust the temperature of the substrate by irradiating light having a predetermined wavelength to the substrate placed on the mounting table. 
     
     
         5 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the temperature control unit adjusts at least one of the temperature of the substrate and an internal temperature of a target chamber, into which the substrate will be loaded, such that the temperature of the substrate just before the substrate is loaded into the target chamber is maintained to be higher than the internal temperature of the target chamber by 2 to 12° C. 
     
     
         6 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the target chamber, into which the substrate will be loaded, has an internal pressure of 200 Torr or more. 
     
     
         7 . The substrate processing apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the target chamber, into which the substrate will be loaded, has an internal pressure of 300 Torr or more.