Substrate treating apparatus

Abstract

A substrate treating method for treating substrates with a substrate treating apparatus having an indexer section, a treating section and an interface section includes performing resist film forming treatment in parallel on a plurality of stories provided in the treating section and performing developing treatment in parallel on a plurality of stories provided in the treating section.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A substrate treating apparatus comprising:
 a treating block; and   a controller;   the treating block including a first cell and a second cell;   each cell comprising:   treating units configured to treat substrates;   a single main transport mechanism disposed in a transport space and configured to transport the substrates to the treating units;   wherein the treating units include solution treating units configured to treat the substrates with solutions and heat-treating units configured to heat-treat the substrates;   the solution treating units are arranged on a first side of the transport space;   the heat-treating units are arranged on a second side of the transport space;   the transport space extends horizontally;   the main transport mechanism and the treating units are in the same layout in plan view for the first cell and the second cell;   the solution treating units are in the same layout in side view for the first cell and the second cell;   the heat-treating units are in the same layout in side view for the first cell and the second cell;   the controller includes:
 a storage medium configured to store a predetermined processing recipe; and 
 a central processing unit configured to perform the processing recipe, and control the main transport mechanisms and the treating units such that treatments of the substrates carried out in the first cell are the same as treatments of the substrates carried out in the second cell. 
   
     
     
         2 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein an arrangement of the treating units of the second cell as seen from the main transport mechanism of the second cell is the same as an arrangement of the treating units of the first cell as seen from the main transport mechanism of the first cell. 
     
     
         3 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the treating units so that treatments performed on the substrates by the treating units in the first cell be the same as treatments performed on the substrates by the treating units in the second cell. 
     
     
         4 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control the main transport mechanisms so that operation of the main transport mechanism in the second cell be the same as operation of the main transport mechanism in the first cell. 
     
     
         5 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control periods of a series of treatment carried out in the plurality of the treating units to be uniform between the substrates. 
     
     
         6 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control timing of transporting the substrates to each treating unit to be uniform between the substrates. 
     
     
         7 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to control a schedule of treatment carried out in each treating unit to be uniform between the substrates. 
     
     
         8 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising an indexer section disposed adjacent the treating block, wherein the indexer section includes:
 a cassette table configured to receive a cassette for storing a plurality of substrates; and   an indexer's transport mechanism configured to transport the substrates between the treating block and the cassette placed on the cassette table;   the controller being configured to control the indexer's transport mechanism to take the substrates out of the cassette placed on the cassette table and to transport the substrates to the treating block.   
     
     
         9 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein
 the controller is configured to control the indexer's transport mechanism to transport the substrates alternately to the first cell and second cell.   
     
     
         10 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 8 , further comprising an interface section disposed adjacent the treating block;
 wherein the interface section is disposed adjacent an exposing machine provided separately from the substrate treating apparatus;   the controller is configured to control the main transport mechanism in the first cell to receive the substrates from the indexer section and to feed the substrates to the interface section;   the controller is configured to control an order of the substrates passed from the first cell to the interface section to be the same as an order of the substrates passed from the indexer section to the first cell;   the controller is configured to control the main transport mechanism in the second cell to receive the substrates from the indexer section and to feed the substrates to the interface section; and   the controller is configured to control an order of the substrates passed from the second cell to the interface section to be the same as an order of the substrates passed from the indexer section to the second cell.   
     
     
         11 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein the controller is configured to control an order of the substrates passed to the exposing machine to be the same as an order of the substrates taken out of the cassette placed on the cassette table by the indexer's transport mechanism. 
     
     
         12 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein
 the control of the first cell by the controller and the control of the second cell by the controller are independent of each other;   the controller is inactive regarding adjustment between timing of feeding the substrates from the first cell to the interface section and timing of feeding the substrates from the second cell to the interface section; and   the controller is configured to control the interface section to adjust an order of the substrates transported from the interface section to the exposing machine.   
     
     
         13 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 10 , wherein
 the interface section includes an interface's transport mechanism configured to transport the substrates between the treating block and the exposing machine; and   the controller is configured to control the interface's transport mechanism to receive the substrates from the treating block and to transport the substrates to the exposing machine.   
     
     
         14 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein the controller is configured to control the interface's transport mechanism to receive the substrates alternately from the first cell and second cell. 
     
     
         15 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 13 , wherein
 the interface section includes a buffer configured to store the substrates temporarily; and   when a difference occurs between the order of the substrates taken by the indexer's transport mechanism out of the cassette placed on the cassette table, and the order of the substrates received by the interface's transport mechanism from the first cell and second cell, the controller is configured to control the interface's transport mechanism to transport the substrates to the buffer and to allow the first cell and second cell to feed the succeeding substrates to the interface section.   
     
     
         16 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein when one of the first cell and second cell fails to feed the substrates to the interface section and the other of the first cell and second cell feeds the substrates to the interface section, the controller is configured to control the interface's transport mechanism to transport the substrates from the other of the first cell and second cell to the buffer. 
     
     
         17 . The substrate treating apparatus of  claim 16 , wherein when one of the first cell and second cell begins to feed again the substrates to the interface section, the controller is configured to control the interface's transport mechanism to receive the substrates alternately from the buffer and the one of the first cell and second cell, and to transport the substrates to the exposing machine.