JP7611289B2 - SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING METHOD - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that sequentially performs pre-processing of an exposure process and post-processing of an exposure process on a plurality of substrates included in a lot. Substrates to be processed include, for example, glass substrates for liquid crystal display devices, glass substrates for organic electroluminescence displays, glass substrates for PDPs, and glass substrates for photomasks.

Conventionally, substrate processing apparatuses have been known that take substrates transported from an apparatus (also called an indexer apparatus) that has a transport device and a loading table for loading a cassette that contains multiple substrates, and sequentially perform processes such as forming a photoresist coating film, vacuum drying, heat drying, transporting the substrate to an exposure apparatus, transporting the substrate from the exposure apparatus, developing the photoresist film after exposure, rinsing, and drying, and then transporting the substrate to the indexer apparatus (e.g., Patent Documents 1 and 2, etc.).

In the substrate processing apparatus disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2, two exposure devices are connected to the substrate processing apparatus in order to avoid speed limitations in the exposure device, which has a relatively long processing time. If two exposure devices are provided, even if one exposure device is in processing, the other free exposure device can perform exposure processing of the substrate, preventing unexposed substrates from remaining in the substrate processing apparatus.

JP 2006-24643 A JP 2006-24642 A

When connecting two exposure devices, depending on the operational convenience of the user of the substrate processing apparatus, it is possible to connect two exposure devices (equipped with the same mask) that perform the same processing, or two exposure devices (equipped with different masks) that perform different processing. When connecting two exposure devices that perform different processing, the substrate is often transported to both exposure devices in turn and exposure processing is performed twice using different masks. On the other hand, when connecting two exposure devices that perform the same processing, the substrate is transported to only one of the exposure devices and exposure processing is performed once.

When two exposure tools performing the same processing are connected and substrates are transported to only one of the exposure tools, the transport path for the substrate will differ depending on the exposure tool used. In other words, there are two types of transport paths in the interface section, which handles loading and unloading to the exposure tools. Typically, multiple substrates in a lot are transported alternately along one of the two types of transport paths. Normally, substrates are not allowed to overtake one another in the interface section, and multiple substrates must be transported out of the interface section in the same order as they were input into the interface section.

However, the lengths of the two types of transport paths mentioned above often differ depending on the layout of the interface section. The time required to transport a substrate along a long transport path is necessarily longer than the time required to transport a substrate along a short transport path. As a result, if the substrate is not allowed to overtake, the substrate transported along the short transport path will need to wait. If the substrate waits after the exposure process, the time from exposure process to development process will be uneven for each substrate, which may result in variation in the processing results. Furthermore, if the transport robot goes into a standby state while holding a substrate transported along the short transport path, the transport robot will not be able to transport the substrate transported along the long transport path, resulting in transport stagnation at the interface section.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above problems, and aims to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method that can reduce the number of times substrate transport is put into a waiting state.

In order to solve the above problem, a first aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus that sequentially processes a pre-process of an exposure process on a plurality of substrates included in a lot, and processes a post-process of the exposure process, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: a pre-processing section that performs the processing of the pre-process; a post-processing section that performs the processing of the post-process; an interface section that connects the pre-processing section and the post-processing section to a first exposure apparatus and a second exposure apparatus, and that has a plurality of transport robots and a plurality of modules that transport substrates; and a control section that controls the plurality of transport robots and the plurality of modules, wherein a second transport path from the pre-processing section to the post-processing section via the second exposure apparatus is longer than a first transport path from the pre-processing section to the post-processing section via the first exposure apparatus, the plurality of substrates included in the lot are transported alternately along the first transport path or the second transport path, and the control section extends the processing time of the substrate in a specific module included in the first transport path by a predetermined delay time.

In a second aspect, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the first aspect, the delay time is set so that the elapsed time required for the substrate to be transported along the first transport path is equal to the elapsed time required for the substrate to be transported along the second transport path.

In a third aspect, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect, the specific module is a temperature control module that controls the temperature of the substrate.

In a fourth aspect, in the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the plurality of modules includes an input buffer provided upstream of the first exposure device and the second exposure device, the plurality of modules includes a first output buffer provided downstream of the first exposure device on the first transport path and dedicated to the first exposure device, the plurality of modules includes a second output buffer provided downstream of the second exposure device on the second transport path and dedicated to the second exposure device, and the control unit controls the plurality of transport robots such that the number of substrates present downstream of the input buffer on the first transport path is equal to or less than the number of substrates that can be accommodated by the first output buffer.

In a fifth aspect, in the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects, the plurality of modules includes an input buffer provided upstream of the first exposure device and the second exposure device, and the plurality of modules includes an output buffer provided downstream of the first exposure device and the second exposure device and common to the first exposure device and the second exposure device, and the control unit controls the plurality of transport robots such that the number of substrates present downstream of the input buffer on the first transport path is equal to or less than the number of substrates that can be accommodated in the output buffer minus one.

In a sixth aspect, in the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, the control unit controls the multiple transport robots to transport the first substrate of the lot along the second transport path.

In addition, the seventh aspect is a substrate processing method for sequentially performing a pre-processing of an exposure process on a plurality of substrates included in a lot and performing a post-processing of the exposure process, comprising a transport step of transporting the substrates subjected to the pre-processing to the first exposure apparatus and/or the second exposure apparatus and transporting the substrates subjected to the exposure process to the post-processing at an interface unit connecting a pre-processing unit that performs the pre-processing and a post-processing unit that performs the post-processing with a first exposure apparatus and a second exposure apparatus, the interface unit having a plurality of transport robots and a plurality of modules that transport substrates, a second transport path from the pre-processing unit to the post-processing unit via the second exposure apparatus is longer than a first transport path from the pre-processing unit to the post-processing unit via the first exposure apparatus, the plurality of substrates included in the lot are transported alternately along the first transport path or the second transport path, and the processing time of the substrates in a specific module included in the first transport path is extended by a predetermined delay time.

In the eighth aspect, in the substrate processing method according to the seventh aspect, the delay time is set so that the elapsed time required for the substrate to be transported along the first transport path is equal to the elapsed time required for the substrate to be transported along the second transport path.

In addition, a ninth aspect is a substrate processing method according to the eighth aspect, in which the specific module is a temperature control module that controls the temperature of the substrate.

In a tenth aspect, in the substrate processing method according to any one of the seventh to ninth aspects, the plurality of modules includes an inlet buffer provided upstream of the first exposure device and the second exposure device, the plurality of modules includes a first outlet buffer provided downstream of the first exposure device on the first transport path and dedicated to the first exposure device, the plurality of modules includes a second outlet buffer provided downstream of the second exposure device on the second transport path and dedicated to the second exposure device, and the number of substrates present downstream of the inlet buffer on at least the first transport path is set to be equal to or less than the number that can be accommodated by the first outlet buffer.

In an eleventh aspect, in the substrate processing method according to any one of the seventh to ninth aspects, the plurality of modules includes an inlet buffer provided upstream of the first exposure device and the second exposure device, the plurality of modules includes an outlet buffer provided downstream of the first exposure device and the second exposure device and common to the first exposure device and the second exposure device, and the number of substrates present downstream of the inlet buffer on at least the first transport path is set to a number equal to or less than the number of substrates that can be accommodated in the outlet buffer minus one.

In addition, a twelfth aspect is a substrate processing method according to any one of the seventh to eleventh aspects, in which the leading substrate of the lot is transported along the second transport path.

However, "first" and "second" are used merely for the purpose of identification, and the first transport path means a transport path that is relatively shorter than the second transport path.

According to the substrate processing apparatus of the first to sixth aspects, the processing time of a substrate in a specific module included in the relatively short first transport path is extended by a predetermined delay time, so that the time required for the substrate to be transported along the first transport path and the time required for the substrate to be transported along the second transport path can be made substantially uniform, and the substrate transport on the first transport path can be reduced from being put into a waiting state.

In particular, with the substrate processing apparatus according to the fourth aspect, the number of substrates present downstream of the inlet buffer on the first transport path is equal to or less than the number that can be accommodated in the first outlet buffer, so that exposed substrates are prevented from overflowing from the first outlet buffer on the first transport path, and substrate transport can be reduced from being put into a waiting state.

In particular, with the substrate processing apparatus according to the fifth aspect, the number of substrates present downstream of the inlet buffer on the first transport path is equal to or less than the number of substrates that can be accommodated in the outlet buffer minus one, preventing substrates that have completed exposure processing from overflowing from the common outlet buffer and reducing the number of substrates that are placed in a waiting state for transport.

In particular, according to the substrate processing apparatus of the sixth aspect, the first substrate of the lot is transported along the relatively long second transport path, thereby suppressing variation in the elapsed time between the exposure process and the development process for multiple substrates included in the lot.

According to the substrate processing method of the seventh to twelfth aspects, the processing time of the substrate in a specific module included in the relatively short first transport path is extended by a predetermined delay time, so that the time required for the substrate to be transported along the first transport path and the time required for the substrate to be transported along the second transport path can be made substantially uniform, and the substrate transport on the first transport path can be reduced from being in a waiting state.

In particular, according to the substrate processing method of the tenth aspect, the number of substrates present downstream of the inlet buffer on the first transport path is set to be equal to or less than the number that can be accommodated in the first outlet buffer, so that exposed substrates are prevented from overflowing from the first outlet buffer on the first transport path, and substrate transport can be reduced from being put into a waiting state.

In particular, according to the substrate processing method of the eleventh aspect, the number of substrates present downstream of the inlet buffer on the first transport path is set to a number equal to or less than the number of substrates that can be accommodated in the outlet buffer minus one, thereby preventing substrates that have completed exposure processing from overflowing from the common outlet buffer and reducing the number of substrates that are placed in a waiting state for transport.

In particular, according to the substrate processing method of the twelfth aspect, the first substrate of the lot is transported along the relatively long second transport path, which makes it possible to suppress variation in the elapsed time between the exposure process and the development process for multiple substrates included in the lot.

1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a control unit. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a configuration of an interface unit. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a stacked arrangement of modules. 4 is a diagram showing a transport path for transporting a substrate to both a first exposure apparatus and a second exposure apparatus in the interface section of FIG. 3. 4 is a diagram showing a transport path for transporting a substrate only to a first exposure device in the interface section of FIG. 3. 4 is a diagram showing a transport path for transporting the substrate only to the second exposure device in the interface section in FIG. 3; FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another example of the configuration of the interface unit. 9 is a diagram showing a transport path for transporting a substrate to both the first exposure apparatus and the second exposure apparatus in the interface section of FIG. 8 . 9 is a diagram showing a transport path for transporting the substrate only to the first exposure device in the interface section of FIG. 8 . 9 is a diagram showing a transport path for transporting the substrate only to the second exposure device in the interface section of FIG. 8 . FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an extension of a processing time of a module included in a short transport path.

Hereinafter, the embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following, expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships (e.g., "in one direction," "along one direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," "coaxial," etc.) not only strictly indicate the positional relationship, but also indicate a state in which the angle or distance is relatively displaced within a range in which a tolerance or similar function is obtained, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, expressions indicating an equal state (e.g., "same," "equal," "homogeneous," etc.) not only indicate a state in which the two are quantitatively strictly equal, but also indicate a state in which there is a difference in which a tolerance or similar function is obtained, unless otherwise specified. Furthermore, expressions indicating a shape (e.g., "circular," "square," "cylindrical," etc.) not only strictly indicate the shape, but also indicate a shape within a range in which a similar effect is obtained, and may have, for example, unevenness or chamfering. Furthermore, each expression such as "comprises," "has," "equips," "includes," and "has" is not an exclusive expression that excludes the existence of other components. Additionally, the expression "at least one of A, B, and C" includes "only A," "only B," "only C," "any two of A, B, and C," and "all of A, B, and C."

First Embodiment
<1-1. Overall configuration of substrate processing apparatus>
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that performs a pre-processing of an exposure process on a substrate G and a post-processing of the exposure process. The pre-processing of the exposure process includes, for example, cleaning, application of a processing liquid, drying of the processing liquid, and formation of a coating film by heating. On the other hand, the post-processing of the exposure process includes development, drying by heating after development, and cooling. The substrate G to be processed is, for example, a flat glass substrate. The substrate G has a first surface (also called an upper surface) as a first main surface, and a second surface (also called a lower surface) as a second main surface opposite to the first surface. In FIG. 1 and the following figures, the dimensions and numbers of each part are exaggerated or simplified as necessary for easy understanding.

An indexer device 2 is connected to one end of the substrate processing apparatus 1, and a first exposure device 3a and a second exposure device 3b are connected to the other end. That is, in this embodiment, two exposure devices 3a and 3b are connected to one line of substrate processing apparatus 1. Note that when there is no particular distinction between the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b, they are collectively referred to simply as the exposure device 3.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a pre-processing section 11 that performs processing before the exposure process, a post-processing section 12 that performs processing after the exposure process, and an interface section 20. In the transport path of the substrate G in the entire substrate processing apparatus 1, the pre-processing section 11 forms the outgoing path from the indexer device 2 to the interface section 20. Meanwhile, the post-processing section 12 forms the return path from the interface section 20 to the indexer device 2. The first interface section 20a and the second interface section 20b described below are collectively referred to simply as the interface section 20.

The indexer device 2 has a mounting table on which a cassette containing multiple substrates G is placed, and a transfer mechanism for transferring the substrates G. As the transfer mechanism, for example, a transfer robot is used that transfers the substrates G between the cassette on the mounting table and the pre-processing unit 11 and the post-processing unit 12. The transfer mechanism takes out unprocessed substrates G from the cassette on the mounting table and passes them to the pre-processing unit 11. The transfer mechanism also receives processed substrates G from the post-processing unit 12 and stores them in the cassette.

The pretreatment section 11 has a number of treatment sections: a cleaning section 111, a coating section 112, a reduced pressure drying section 113, and a pre-baking section 114. The treatment sections of the pretreatment section 11 are arranged in the order of the treatment sections described above. The substrate G is transported by a transport robot or conveyor or the like to each treatment section in the order of the treatment sections described above as the treatment progresses, as indicated by the arrows drawn with dashed double-dashed lines in FIG. 1.

The cleaning section 111 performs a cleaning process on the substrate G carried in from the indexer device 2. The cleaning process includes, for example, processes for removing fine particles, organic contamination, metal contamination, oils and greases, natural oxide films, and the like. In the cleaning section 111, for example, organic matter adhering to the surface of the substrate G is removed by irradiating it with ultraviolet light, the surface of the substrate G is cleaned by supplying a cleaning liquid such as deionized water and using a cleaning member such as a brush, and the substrate G is dried by a blower or the like. Drying the substrate G by a blower or the like includes, for example, removing the cleaning liquid from the substrate G by an air knife, and the like.

The coating unit 112 applies the treatment liquid onto the substrate G cleaned by the cleaning unit 111. For example, a slit coater is used for the coating unit 112. The slit coater can apply the treatment liquid onto the substrate G by moving a slit nozzle that discharges the treatment liquid from an outlet relative to the substrate G. Here, in the coating unit 112, in an area (also called a coating area) where the treatment liquid is applied onto the substrate G, the substrate G is transported horizontally by a floating transport mechanism with its upper and lower surfaces in a horizontal position (also called a horizontal position). The floating transport mechanism supports or holds both ends of the substrate G in the width direction perpendicular to the transport direction (also called the substrate transport direction) from below, and blows compressed air from below toward the substrate G to hold the substrate G with its upper and lower surfaces in a horizontal position while moving the substrate G in the horizontal direction. In the coating section 112, for example, the substrate G is transported by a conveyor in each of a portion located on the upstream side of the coating area (also referred to as an entrance portion) and a portion located on the downstream side of the coating area (also referred to as an exit portion). The conveyor moves the substrate G in a horizontal position in the horizontal direction by rotating multiple rollers arranged along the substrate transport direction of the substrate G by a drive mechanism (not shown). Coating devices using other coating methods may also be applied to the coating section 112.

The processing liquid applied by the application unit 112 is, for example, a liquid for application (also called a coating liquid) such as a resist liquid or a liquid containing a polyimide precursor and a solvent (also called a PI liquid). For example, polyamic acid is applied as the polyimide precursor. For example, NMP (N-Methyl-2-Pyrrolidone) is applied as the solvent.

The reduced pressure drying section 113 performs a process of drying the processing liquid applied onto the substrate G by reducing pressure (also called reduced pressure drying process). Here, the solvent of the processing liquid applied onto the surface of the substrate G is vaporized (evaporated) by reducing pressure, thereby drying the substrate G.

The pre-baking section 114 heats the substrate G dried in the reduced pressure drying section 113, and solidifies the components contained in the treatment liquid on the surface of the substrate G. As a result, a film related to the treatment liquid is formed on the substrate G. For example, when the treatment liquid is a resist, a heat treatment is applied to the coating film of the resist to form a resist film. For example, when the treatment liquid is a polyimide precursor, a heat treatment is applied to the coating film of the polyimide precursor to form a polyimide film by imidizing the polyimide precursor. The pre-baking section 114 may be a sheet-type heating processing section that heats a single substrate G, or a batch-type heating processing section that heats multiple substrates G at once. Here, the processing time of the reduced pressure drying process in the reduced pressure drying section 113 and the processing time of the heating process in the pre-baking section 114 are significantly different, and it is assumed that the pre-baking section 114 has a sheet-type heating processing section. In this case, the pre-baking section 114 may have, for example, multiple sheet-type heating processing sections that perform heating processes in parallel. For example, multiple heating processing units are arranged in a vertically stacked state.

The interface unit 20 connects the pre-treatment unit 11 and the post-treatment unit 12 to the first exposure apparatus 3a and the second exposure apparatus 3b. The interface unit 20 transports the substrate G received from the pre-treatment unit 11 to the first exposure apparatus 3a and/or the second exposure apparatus 3b. The interface unit 20 also transports the exposed substrate G received from the first exposure apparatus 3a and/or the second exposure apparatus 3b to the post-treatment unit 12. The interface unit 20 is equipped with multiple transport robots and multiple modules that transport the substrate G, and the detailed configuration of the interface unit 20 will be described further below.

The first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b perform an exposure process on the film related to the processing liquid formed on the substrate G in the pretreatment section 11. Specifically, the exposure device 3 irradiates light of a specific wavelength, such as far ultraviolet light, through a mask on which a circuit pattern is drawn, and transfers the pattern to the film related to the processing liquid. The exposure device 3 may include, for example, a peripheral exposure section and a titler. The peripheral exposure section is a section that performs an exposure process to remove the peripheral portion of the film related to the processing liquid on the substrate G. The titler section is, for example, a section that writes predetermined information on the substrate G. The peripheral exposure section and the titler section may have a turn mechanism that changes the orientation of the substrate G.

The post-treatment section 12 has a plurality of treatment sections, namely a development section 121, a post-bake section 122, and a cooling section 123. The treatment sections of the post-treatment section 12 are arranged in the order of the treatment sections described above. The substrate G is transported by a transport robot or the like to each treatment section in the order of the treatment sections described above as the treatment progresses, as indicated by the arrows drawn with two-dot chain lines in FIG. 1.

The developing unit 121 performs a developing process on the film associated with the processing liquid formed in the pretreatment unit 11. The developing process includes, for example, a process of developing the film associated with the processing liquid, a process of washing away the developing liquid, and a process of drying the substrate G. In the developing unit 121, for example, a process of immersing the film associated with the processing liquid on the substrate G on which a pattern has been exposed by the exposure device 3 in the developing liquid, a process of washing away the developing liquid on the substrate G with a cleaning liquid such as deionized water, and a process of drying the substrate G with a blower or the like are performed. Drying the substrate G with a blower or the like includes, for example, removing the cleaning liquid from the substrate G with an air knife.

The post-bake section 122 heats the substrate G and evaporates the cleaning liquid that has adhered to the substrate G in the development section 121, thereby drying the substrate G.

The cooling section 123 cools the substrate G heated in the post-bake section 122. The cooling section 123 may be configured to air-cool the substrate G while transporting it using a conveyor, or may be configured to cool the substrate G by placing it on a shelf-like portion and blowing air or other gas onto it. The substrate G cooled in the cooling section 123 is transported by the indexer device 2 from the post-treatment section 12 to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

The operation of each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is controlled by a control unit 90. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the control unit 90. The hardware configuration of the control unit 90 is similar to that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 90 includes a CPU, which is a circuit that performs various arithmetic processing, a ROM, which is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM, which is a readable and writable memory that stores various information, and a storage unit 94 (e.g., a magnetic disk or SSD) that stores control software, data, etc. The processing in the substrate processing apparatus 1 proceeds as the CPU of the control unit 90 executes a predetermined processing program.

The memory unit 94 of the control unit 90 stores a processing recipe 95 that defines the procedures and conditions for processing the substrate G. The processing recipe 95 is acquired by the substrate processing apparatus 1, for example, by an operator of the apparatus inputting the processing recipe 95 via the input unit 92 described below and storing it in the memory unit 94. Alternatively, the processing recipe 95 may be transferred by communication from a host computer that manages multiple substrate processing apparatuses 1 to the substrate processing apparatus 1 and stored in the memory unit 94.

The control unit 90 is electrically connected to elements such as a transport robot provided in the interface unit 20 described below. The control unit 90 controls the transport robot, etc., according to, for example, the contents of the processing recipe 95.

The control unit 90 is also connected to a display unit 93 and an input unit 92. The display unit 93 and the input unit 92 function as a user interface for the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control unit 90 displays various information on the display unit 93. An operator of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can input various commands and parameters from the input unit 92 while checking the information displayed on the display unit 93. The input unit 92 can be, for example, a keyboard or a mouse. The display unit 93 can be, for example, a liquid crystal display. In this embodiment, a liquid crystal touch panel provided on the outer wall of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is used as the display unit 93 and the input unit 92 to combine the functions of both.

<1-2. Configuration of the first interface unit>
Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the first interface unit 20a. The interface unit 20a includes a transport mechanism and a plurality of modules for transporting the substrate G. The interface unit 20a in Fig. 3 includes five transport robots (a first transport robot 31, a second transport robot 32, a third transport robot 33, a fourth transport robot 34, and a fifth transport robot 35) as the transport mechanism.

Each of the first transport robot 31, the second transport robot 32, the third transport robot 33, the fourth transport robot 34 and the fifth transport robot 35 can move the hand holding the substrate G back and forth, as well as rotate and move up and down. This allows each of the first transport robot 31, the second transport robot 32, the third transport robot 33, the fourth transport robot 34 and the fifth transport robot 35 to transfer the substrate G to and from the surrounding modules.

The first transport robot 31, the third transport robot 33, and the fourth transport robot 34 are single-handed robots that have one hand and transport the substrate G. On the other hand, the second transport robot 32, which transports the substrate G to and from the first exposure apparatus 3a, and the fifth transport robot 35, which transports the substrate G to and from the second exposure apparatus 3b, are double-handed robots that have two hands. This allows the second transport robot 32 and the fifth transport robot 35 to exchange unexposed substrate G for exposed substrate G for the first exposure apparatus 3a and the second exposure apparatus 3b, respectively.

The interface section 20a also has the following modules: a cooling plate 51, an edge exposure machine 52, a buffer 53, a first temperature regulator 55, a second temperature regulator 56, a first path 37, a second path 38, a third path 39, a first outpath 58, and a second outpath 59. The modules are elements provided in the interface section 20a that do not have the function of transporting the substrate G, and are also the smallest control unit in the transport control within the interface section 20a. Strictly speaking, the control of the cooling plate 51 and the edge exposure machine 52 does not belong to the interface section 20a (the control of the cooling plate 51 belongs to the pre-bake section 114).

The cooling plate 51 is a plate equipped with a cooling mechanism such as a cooling water circulation mechanism or a Peltier element. The heated substrate G is placed on the cooling plate 51, whereby the substrate G is cooled. The edge exposure machine 52 exposes the peripheral portion of the substrate G on which a resist film or the like has been formed by irradiating the peripheral portion with light.

The buffer 53 has multiple (e.g., 16) stacked shelves capable of storing one substrate G each. Thus, the buffer 53 can store one or more substrates G. The buffer 53 functions as an inlet buffer provided upstream of the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b on the transport path of the substrate G.

The first temperature regulator 55 supplies gas that has been adjusted to a predetermined temperature to the substrate G to regulate the temperature of the substrate G. The second temperature regulator 56 has a configuration similar to that of the first temperature regulator 55. The first temperature regulator 55 and the second temperature regulator 56 regulate the temperature of the substrate G to, for example, 23°C, which is the standard temperature in a clean room.

Each of the first path 37, the second path 38, and the third path 39 is configured by stacking, for example, two stages of mounting tables on which one substrate G can be placed. Each of the first outpath 58 and the second outpath 59 is configured by stacking, for example, five stages of mounting tables on which one substrate G can be placed. Each of the first path 37, the second path 38, the third path 39, the first outpath 58, and the second outpath 59 is an element for transferring the substrate G between the two transport robots. Each of the first outpath 58 and the second outpath 59 also functions as an output buffer provided downstream of the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b on the transport path of the substrate G.

Of the multiple modules provided in the interface section 20a, the first temperature regulator 55, the first path 37, and the first outpath 58 are stacked in three tiers along the vertical direction. Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a stacked arrangement of modules. In the stacked structure of Figure 4, the first temperature regulator 55 is arranged in the upper tier, the first path 37 is arranged in the middle tier, and the first outpath 58 is arranged in the lower tier.

The first temperature regulator 55 at the upper stage includes a blower unit 61, a mounting table 62, and a drive mechanism 63. A plurality of support pins 65 are provided on the upper surface of the mounting table 62. One substrate G can be placed on the mounting table 62. The drive mechanism 63 moves the mounting table 62 up and down along the vertical direction and rotates the mounting table 62 around an axis along the vertical direction. That is, the first temperature regulator 55 controls the temperature of the substrate G and also functions as a turntable that rotates the substrate G in a horizontal plane. The blower unit 61 blows gas that has been adjusted to a temperature of, for example, 23°C toward the substrate G that has been placed on the mounting table 62 and raised to a predetermined temperature adjustment position by the drive mechanism 63. The first temperature regulator 55 has an opening 64 through which the first transport robot 31 can insert and remove its hand. The first temperature regulator 55 also has an opening on the front side along the direction perpendicular to the paper surface of FIG. 4 through which the second transport robot 32 can insert and remove its hand.

The middle first path 37 has two stacked stages, each capable of supporting one substrate G. The lower first outpath 58 has five stacked stages, each capable of supporting one substrate G. The first path 37 and the first outpath 58 also have openings (not shown) through which the adjacent transport robot can insert and remove its hand.

Returning to FIG. 3, the second outpath 59 and the second path 38 are stacked in two tiers along the vertical direction. The second outpath 59 is arranged in the upper tier, and the second path 38 is arranged in the lower tier. The second temperature regulator 56 and the third path 39 are also stacked in two tiers along the vertical direction. The second temperature regulator 56 is arranged in the upper tier, and the third path 39 is arranged in the lower tier. The second temperature regulator 56 has a configuration similar to the first temperature regulator 55 described above, and regulates the temperature of the substrate G and also functions as a turntable that rotates the substrate G in a horizontal plane.

As shown in FIG. 3, a stacked structure of a cooling plate 51, a buffer 53, a first temperature regulator 55, a first path 37, and a first outpath 58 is arranged around the first transport robot 31. The first transport robot 31 transfers the substrate G to and from the cooling plate 51, the buffer 53, the first temperature regulator 55, and the first path 37. The first transport robot 31 can transfer the substrate G to and from any of the multiple shelves formed in the buffer 53. The first transport robot 31 is mainly responsible for transporting substrates on the inlet side of the interface section 20a.

A stacked structure of a first temperature regulator 55, a first path 37, and a first outpath 58 is arranged around the second transport robot 32. The second transport robot 32 delivers substrates G to and from the first temperature regulator 55, the first path 37, the first outpath 58, and the first exposure device 3a. The second transport robot 32 is mainly responsible for delivering substrates G to and from the first exposure device 3a.

Around the third transport robot 33, there are arranged a first temperature regulator 55, a stacked structure of the first path 37 and the first outpath 58, a stacked structure of the second outpath 59 and the second path 38, and an edge exposure machine 52. The third transport robot 33 delivers substrates G to the first path 37, the first outpath 58, the second outpath 59, the second path 38, and the edge exposure machine 52. The third transport robot 33 is mainly responsible for transporting substrates on the exit side of the interface section 20a.

A stacked structure of the second outpath 59 and the second path 38 and a stacked structure of the second temperature regulator 56 and the third path 39 are arranged around the fourth transport robot 34. The fourth transport robot 34 delivers the substrate G to the second outpath 59, the second path 38, the second temperature regulator 56, and the third path 39. The fourth transport robot 34 is responsible for relaying the substrate transport in the interface section 20a.

A stacked structure of a second temperature regulator 56 and a third path 39 is arranged around the fifth transport robot 35. The fifth transport robot 35 transfers the substrate G to and from the second temperature regulator 56, the third path 39, and the second exposure device 3b. The fifth transport robot 35 is mainly responsible for transferring the substrate G to and from the second exposure device 3b.

<1-3. Substrate processing procedure>
Next, a description will be given of a procedure for processing the substrate G in the substrate processing apparatus 1. First, a brief description will be given of the overall processing flow of the substrate G in the substrate processing apparatus 1.

The indexer device 2 takes out an unprocessed substrate G stored in a cassette and places it in the cleaning section 111 of the pre-treatment section 11. The cleaning section 111 cleans the surface of the substrate G, for example, by supplying a cleaning liquid, and dries the cleaning liquid after cleaning. The substrate G cleaned in the cleaning section 111 is transported to the coating section 112. In this embodiment, the coating section 112 applies a resist liquid to the clean surface of the substrate G after cleaning.

The substrate G coated with the resist liquid is transported from the coating section 112 to the reduced pressure drying section 113. The reduced pressure drying section 113 dries the resist liquid coated on the substrate G in a reduced pressure atmosphere. The substrate G is then transported from the reduced pressure drying section 113 to the pre-bake section 114. The pre-bake section 114 heats the substrate G to bake the resist film on the surface of the substrate G.

The substrate G on which the resist film has been formed in the pre-treatment section 11 is transported by the interface section 20 to the first exposure device 3a and/or the second exposure device 3b for exposure processing. After exposure processing, the substrate G is transported by the interface section 20 to the post-treatment section 12. The transportation of the substrate G in the interface section 20 will be described in further detail.

The developing section 121 of the post-treatment section 12 supplies a developing solution to the substrate G after the exposure process to perform a developing process of the resist film. The developing section 121 also washes the developing solution off the substrate G and dries the substrate G.

After the development process, the substrate G is transported from the development section 121 to the post-bake section 122. The post-bake section 122 heats the substrate G to evaporate and remove any developing solution or cleaning solution remaining on the substrate G. The substrate G is then transported from the post-bake section 122 to the cooling section 123. The cooling section 123 cools the substrate G, which has been heated in the post-bake section 122 and has been heated up. The substrate G cooled in the cooling section 123 is returned to the indexer device 2, and is stored in a cassette by the indexer device 2.

<1-4. Substrate transportation in the first interface section>
Continuing with the description of the transportation of the substrate G in the interface unit 20a in Fig. 3, the following modes of transportation of the substrate G in the first interface unit 20a are provided: a double exposure processing mode in which each of the multiple substrates G is transported sequentially to both the first exposure apparatus 3a and the second exposure apparatus 3b to perform two overlapping exposure processes, and a single exposure processing mode in which the multiple substrates G are transported to either the first exposure apparatus 3a or the second exposure apparatus 3b to perform one exposure process.

The control unit 90 selects either the double exposure processing mode or the single exposure processing mode. Specifically, the operator of the device may specify the double exposure processing mode or the single exposure processing mode from the input unit 92, so that the control unit 90 selects the mode. Alternatively, the control unit 90 may select the mode according to the description of the processing recipe 95 (FIG. 2). Furthermore, the control unit 90 may select the mode according to an instruction from a host computer or the like. The double exposure processing mode is adopted, for example, when the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b perform multiple exposure processing on the same substrate G using different types of masks. On the other hand, the single exposure processing mode is adopted, for example, when the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b perform exposure processing at high throughput using the same type of mask. In the single exposure processing mode, multiple substrates G may be transported alternately to the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b.

First, the transportation of the substrate G when the double exposure processing mode is selected by the control unit 90 will be described. Figure 5 is a diagram showing a transport path for transporting the substrate G to both the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b in the interface unit 20a of Figure 3. The transport of the substrate G described below is achieved by the control unit 90 controlling multiple transport robots in the interface unit 20a.

The substrate G, which has been heated in the pre-bake section 114 of the pre-treatment section 11, is first transported to the cooling plate 51 and cooled. The first transport robot 31 removes the cooled substrate G from the cooling plate 51 and transports it to the buffer 53. The first transport robot 31 then removes the substrate G from the buffer 53 and transports it to the first temperature regulator 55. Note that transporting the substrate to the buffer 53 is not essential, and if the first temperature regulator 55 is available, the first transport robot 31 may transport the substrate G removed from the cooling plate 51 directly to the first temperature regulator 55.

In the double exposure processing mode, the buffer 53 absorbs fluctuations in the processing time of the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b. The processing time of the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b is not necessarily constant. For example, the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b may perform self-maintenance irregularly, and at such times the processing time may be long. In addition, the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b require a long time for alignment, especially for the first substrate G of a lot, which also lengthens the processing time. When the processing time of the first exposure device 3a or the second exposure device 3b becomes long, the substrate G on which the resist film is formed in the pretreatment device 11 is temporarily stored in the buffer 53, thereby preventing the processing in the pretreatment device 11 from stagnating. The buffer 53 has a number of shelves that can store all the substrates G that have been coated in the pretreatment device 11 even if the first exposure device 3a or the second exposure device 3b is stopped for a long time.

The first temperature regulator 55 accurately regulates the temperature of the substrate G to a predetermined temperature (e.g., 23°C) immediately before the exposure process. While regulating the temperature of the substrate G, the first temperature regulator 55 may rotate the orientation of the substrate G in a horizontal plane as necessary. The temperature-regulated substrate G is removed from the first temperature regulator 55 by the second transport robot 32 and transported into the first exposure device 3a. At this time, the second transport robot 32 removes the previously exposed substrate G from the first exposure device 3a and transports the unexposed substrate G into the first exposure device 3a to perform substrate exchange.

The first exposure device 3a performs an exposure process on the substrate G to transfer a pattern to the resist film. After the exposure process, the substrate G is removed from the first exposure device 3a by the second transport robot 32 and transported into the first path 37. The third transport robot 33 then removes the substrate G from the first path 37 and transports it into the second path 38. The fourth transport robot 34 then removes the substrate G from the second path 38 and transports it into the second temperature regulator 56.

The second temperature regulator 56 accurately regulates the temperature of the substrate G to a predetermined temperature immediately before the second exposure process. While regulating the temperature of the substrate G, the second temperature regulator 56 may rotate the orientation of the substrate G in a horizontal plane as necessary. The temperature-regulated substrate G is removed from the second temperature regulator 56 by the fifth transport robot 35 and transported into the second exposure device 3b. At this time, the fifth transport robot 35 removes the previously exposed substrate G from the second exposure device 3b and transports the unexposed substrate G into the second exposure device 3b to perform substrate exchange.

The second exposure device 3b performs exposure processing on the substrate G using a mask different from that of the first exposure device 3a to transfer a pattern to the resist film. That is, in the double exposure processing mode, different patterns are transferred to the substrate G in an overlapping manner. The substrate G after the exposure processing is taken out of the second exposure device 3b by the fifth transport robot 35 and transported into the third path 39. Next, the fourth transport robot 34 takes out the substrate G from the third path 39 and transports it into the second outpath 59. Then, the third transport robot 33 takes out the substrate G from the second outpath 59 and transports it into the edge exposure machine 52. The second outpath 59 also functions as a buffer when the substrate G exposed by the second exposure device 3b is taken out of the interface section 20a. The edge exposure machine 52 performs exposure processing on the peripheral portion of the substrate G. The substrate G is then transported to the development section 121 of the post-processing section 12.

As described above, when the double exposure processing mode is selected, all substrates G are transported according to the same transport path and procedure. Then, in the double exposure processing mode, each of the multiple substrates G on which a resist film is formed is transported sequentially to both the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b and subjected to two exposure processes.

Next, the transportation of the substrate G when the single exposure processing mode is selected by the control unit 90 will be described. In the single exposure processing mode in which multiple substrates G are transported to only one of the first exposure apparatus 3a or the second exposure apparatus 3b, the route for transporting the substrate G to the first exposure apparatus 3a is different from the route for transporting the substrate G to the second exposure apparatus 3b. Therefore, first, the route for transporting the substrate G to the first exposure apparatus 3a will be described. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the transport route for transporting the substrate G to only the first exposure apparatus 3a in the interface unit 20a of FIG. 3. As in the double exposure processing mode, the transport of the substrate G in the single exposure processing mode is also realized by the control unit 90 controlling the transport mechanism of the interface unit 20a.

The substrate G, which has been heated in the pre-bake section 114 of the pre-treatment section 11, is first loaded onto the cooling plate 51 and cooled. The first transport robot 31 removes the cooled substrate G from the cooling plate 51 and loads it into the buffer 53. The first transport robot 31 then removes the substrate G from the buffer 53 and loads it into the first temperature regulator 55. As described above, if the first temperature regulator 55 is available, the first transport robot 31 may load the substrate G removed from the cooling plate 51 directly into the first temperature regulator 55.

Even in the single exposure processing mode, the buffer 53 absorbs fluctuations in the processing time of the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b. That is, when the processing time of the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b becomes long, the buffer 53 temporarily stores the substrate G on which the resist film is formed to prevent processing in the pre-processing unit 11 from stagnating.

The first temperature regulator 55 accurately regulates the temperature of the substrate G to a predetermined temperature immediately before the exposure process. The temperature-regulated substrate G is then removed from the first temperature regulator 55 by the second transport robot 32 and loaded into the first exposure device 3a.

The first exposure device 3a performs an exposure process on the substrate G to transfer a pattern to the resist film. After the exposure process, the substrate G is removed from the first exposure device 3a by the second transport robot 32 and transported into the first outpath 58. The third transport robot 33 then removes the substrate G from the first outpath 58 and transports it into the edge exposure machine 52. The first outpath 58 also functions as a buffer when the substrate G that has been exposed by the first exposure device 3a is removed from the interface section 20a. The edge exposure machine 52 performs an exposure process on the peripheral portion of the substrate G. The substrate G is then transported to the development section 121 of the post-processing section 12.

Next, the route for transporting the substrate G to the second exposure device 3b will be described. Figure 7 is a diagram showing the transport route for transporting the substrate G only to the second exposure device 3b in the interface section 20a in Figure 3.

The substrate G, which has been heated in the pre-bake section 114 of the pre-treatment section 11, is first loaded onto the cooling plate 51 and cooled. The first transport robot 31 removes the cooled substrate G from the cooling plate 51 and loads it into the buffer 53. The first transport robot 31 then loads the substrate G out of the buffer 53 and loads it into the first path 37.

Next, the third transport robot 33 removes the substrate G from the first path 37 and carries it into the second path 38. Then, the fourth transport robot 34 removes the substrate G from the second path 38 and carries it into the second temperature regulator 56.

The second temperature regulator 56 accurately regulates the temperature of the substrate G to a predetermined temperature immediately before the exposure process. The temperature-regulated substrate G is then removed from the second temperature regulator 56 by the fifth transport robot 35 and transported into the second exposure device 3b.

The second exposure device 3b performs an exposure process on the substrate G to transfer a pattern to the resist film. After the exposure process, the substrate G is removed from the second exposure device 3b by the fifth transport robot 35 and transported into the third path 39. The fourth transport robot 34 then removes the substrate G from the third path 39 and transports it into the second outpath 59. The third transport robot 33 then removes the substrate G from the second outpath 59 and transports it into the edge exposure machine 52. The second outpath 59 also functions as a buffer when the substrate G that has been exposed by the second exposure device 3b is transported out of the interface unit 20a. The edge exposure machine 52 performs an exposure process on the peripheral portion of the substrate G. The substrate G is then transported to the development unit 121 of the post-processing unit 12.

As described above, when the single exposure processing mode is selected, the transport path (FIG. 6) for transporting the substrate G to the first exposure apparatus 3a is different from the transport path (FIG. 7) for transporting the substrate G to the second exposure apparatus 3b. In the single exposure processing mode, each of the multiple substrates G on which a resist film is formed is transported to either the first exposure apparatus 3a or the second exposure apparatus 3b for a single exposure process. By using the same mask in the first exposure apparatus 3a and the second exposure apparatus 3b and transporting the multiple substrates G alternately between the first exposure apparatus 3a and the second exposure apparatus 3b, throughput can be increased.

<1-5. Configuration of the second interface>
Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the configuration of the second interface unit 20b. In this figure, the same elements as those in Fig. 3 are given the same reference numerals. The second interface unit 20b includes a transport mechanism for transporting the substrate G and a plurality of modules. The interface unit 20b in Fig. 8 includes five transport robots (a first transport robot 31, a second transport robot 32, a third transport robot 33, a fourth transport robot 34, and a fifth transport robot 35) as the transport mechanism.

Each of the first transport robot 31, the second transport robot 32, the third transport robot 33, the fourth transport robot 34, and the fifth transport robot 35 is similar to the transport robot of the first embodiment. Therefore, each of the first transport robot 31, the second transport robot 32, the third transport robot 33, the fourth transport robot 34, and the fifth transport robot 35 can transfer the substrate G to the surrounding modules. In addition, the first transport robot 31, the third transport robot 33, and the fourth transport robot 34 are single-handed robots having one hand. On the other hand, the second transport robot 32, which transfers the substrate G to and from the first exposure device 3a, and the fifth transport robot 35, which transfers the substrate G to and from the second exposure device 3b, are double-handed robots having two hands.

The interface section 20b also has, as modules, a cooling plate 51, an edge exposure machine 52, a buffer 53, a first temperature regulator 55, a second temperature regulator 56, a first path 37, a second path 38, and an outpath 57. Among these, those with the same reference numerals as in FIG. 3 are the same elements as in the first interface section 20a. The outpath 57, like the first outpath 58 (or the second outpath 59) in FIG. 3, is configured by stacking, for example, five stages of mounting tables on which one substrate G can be placed, and is an element for transferring the substrate G between two transport robots. The outpath 57 also functions as an exit buffer provided downstream of the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b in the transport path of the substrate G. As with the first interface section 20a, strictly speaking, the control of the cooling plate 51 and the edge exposure machine 52 does not belong to the interface section 20b.

Of the multiple modules provided in the interface section 20b, the first temperature regulator 55 and the first path 37 are stacked in two tiers along the vertical direction. The first temperature regulator 55 is arranged in the upper tier, and the first path 37 is arranged in the lower tier. The second temperature regulator 56 and the second path 38 are also stacked in two tiers along the vertical direction. The second temperature regulator 56 is arranged in the upper tier, and the second path 38 is arranged in the lower tier.

In this way, the second interface unit 20b also has roughly the same elements (transport robot and modules) as the first interface unit 20a. However, as shown in FIG. 8, the layout of each element in the second interface unit 20b differs from that of the first interface unit 20a. Whereas the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b are arranged side-by-side in FIG. 3, the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b are spaced apart in FIG. 8. Accordingly, the layout of each element in the second interface unit 20b also differs from that in FIG. 3.

When multiple substrate processing apparatuses 1 are installed side by side in a factory, it is preferable to alternately provide the first interface section 20a shown in FIG. 3 and the second interface section 20b shown in FIG. 8. In this case, the first exposure device 3a in the layout of FIG. 8 is disposed between the pre-processing section 11 of a certain substrate processing apparatus 1 and the post-processing section 12 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 installed adjacent thereto. In addition, by arranging both interface sections so that the free space PA (FIG. 3) at the corner of the first interface section 20a and the free space PB (FIG. 8) at the corner of the second interface section 20b mesh with each other, the space in the factory can be used effectively without waste. In other words, by arranging both interface sections so that the fifth transport robot 35 of the first interface section 20a is located in the space PB and the second transport robot 32 of the second interface section 20b is located in the space PA, the space utilization efficiency can be improved.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the second interface section 20b, a stacked structure of a cooling plate 51, a buffer 53, a first temperature regulator 55, and a first path 37, and a stacked structure of a second temperature regulator 56 and a second path 38 are arranged around the first transport robot 31. The first transport robot 31 transfers the substrate G to and from the cooling plate 51, the buffer 53, the first temperature regulator 55, and the second temperature regulator 56.

A stacked structure of a first temperature regulator 55 and a first path 37 is arranged around the second transport robot 32. The second transport robot 32 transfers the substrate G to and from the first temperature regulator 55, the first path 37, and the first exposure device 3a.

A buffer 53, an outpath 57, and an edge exposure machine 52 are arranged around the third transport robot 33. The third transport robot 33 transfers the substrate G to and from the outpath 57 and the edge exposure machine 52.

A stacked structure of a first temperature regulator 55 and a first path 37 and a stacked structure of a second temperature regulator 56 and a second path 38 are arranged around the fourth transport robot 34. The fourth transport robot 34 transfers the substrate G to and from the first path 37, the second temperature regulator 56, and the second path 38.

A stacked structure of the second temperature regulator 56 and the second path 38, the buffer 53 and the outpath 57 are arranged around the fifth transport robot 35. The fifth transport robot 35 transfers the substrate G to and from the second temperature regulator 56, the second path 38, the outpath 57 and the second exposure device 3b.

<1-6. Substrate transportation in the second interface section>
The description of the transport of the substrate G in the interface unit 20b in Fig. 8 will be continued. As the transport mode of the substrate G in the second interface unit 20b, a double exposure processing mode in which each of the multiple substrates G is transported sequentially to both the first exposure apparatus 3a and the second exposure apparatus 3b and subjected to two exposure processes, and a single exposure processing mode in which the multiple substrates G are transported to either the first exposure apparatus 3a or the second exposure apparatus 3b and subjected to one exposure process are prepared. Then, in the same manner as above, the control unit 90 selects either the double exposure processing mode or the single exposure processing mode.

Figure 9 is a diagram showing a transport path for transporting the substrate G to both the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b in the interface section 20b of Figure 8 (i.e., the transport path when the double exposure processing mode is selected). The transport of the substrate G described below is also achieved by the control section 90 controlling the multiple transport robots of the interface section 20b.

The substrate G, which has been heated in the pre-bake section 114 of the pre-treatment section 11, is first transported to the cooling plate 51 and cooled. The first transport robot 31 removes the cooled substrate G from the cooling plate 51 and transports it to the buffer 53. The first transport robot 31 then removes the substrate G from the buffer 53 and transports it to the first temperature regulator 55. As described above, in the double exposure processing mode, the buffer 53 plays a role in absorbing fluctuations in the processing time of the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b. Also, as described above, if the first temperature regulator 55 is available, the first transport robot 31 may transport the substrate G removed from the cooling plate 51 directly to the first temperature regulator 55.

The first temperature regulator 55 accurately regulates the temperature of the substrate G to a predetermined temperature immediately before the exposure process. While regulating the temperature of the substrate G, the first temperature regulator 55 may rotate the orientation of the substrate G in a horizontal plane as necessary. The temperature-regulated substrate G is removed from the first temperature regulator 55 by the second transport robot 32 and transported into the first exposure device 3a. At this time, the second transport robot 32 removes the previously exposed substrate G from the first exposure device 3a and transports an unexposed substrate G into the first exposure device 3a to perform substrate exchange.

The first exposure device 3a performs an exposure process on the substrate G to transfer a pattern to the resist film. After the exposure process, the substrate G is removed from the first exposure device 3a by the second transport robot 32 and transported into the first path 37. The fourth transport robot 34 then removes the substrate G from the first path 37 and transports it into the second temperature regulator 56.

The second temperature regulator 56 accurately regulates the temperature of the substrate G to a predetermined temperature immediately before the second exposure process. While regulating the temperature of the substrate G, the second temperature regulator 56 may rotate the orientation of the substrate G in a horizontal plane as necessary. The temperature-regulated substrate G is removed from the second temperature regulator 56 by the fifth transport robot 35 and transported into the second exposure device 3b. At this time, the fifth transport robot 35 removes the previously exposed substrate G from the second exposure device 3b and transports the unexposed substrate G into the second exposure device 3b to perform substrate exchange.

The second exposure apparatus 3b performs an exposure process on the substrate G using a mask different from that of the first exposure apparatus 3a, and transfers a pattern to the resist film. After the exposure process, the substrate G is transported from the second exposure apparatus 3b by the fifth transport robot 35 and transported into the outpath 57. Then, the third transport robot 33 transports the substrate G from the outpath 57 and transports it into the edge exposure machine 52. The edge exposure machine 52 performs an exposure process on the peripheral portion of the substrate G. The substrate G is then transported to the development section 121 of the post-processing section 12.

As described above, in the second interface section 20b, when the double exposure processing mode is selected, all substrates G are transported according to the same transport path and procedure. Then, in the double exposure processing mode, each of the multiple substrates G on which a resist film is formed is transported sequentially to both the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b and subjected to two exposure processes.

Next, the transportation of the substrate G when the single exposure processing mode is selected by the control unit 90 will be described. In the single exposure processing mode in which multiple substrates G are transported to only one of the first exposure apparatus 3a or the second exposure apparatus 3b in the second interface unit 20b, the route for transporting the substrate G to the first exposure apparatus 3a and the route for transporting the substrate G to the second exposure apparatus 3b are different. Therefore, the route for transporting the substrate G to the first exposure apparatus 3a will be described first. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the transport route for transporting the substrate G to only the first exposure apparatus 3a in the interface unit 20b in FIG. 8. As in the double exposure processing mode, the transport of the substrate G in the single exposure processing mode is also realized by the control unit 90 controlling the transport mechanism of the interface unit 20b.

The substrate G, which has been heated in the pre-bake section 114 of the pre-treatment section 11, is first loaded onto the cooling plate 51 and cooled. The first transport robot 31 removes the cooled substrate G from the cooling plate 51 and loads it into the buffer 53. The first transport robot 31 then removes the substrate G from the buffer 53 and loads it into the first temperature regulator 55. As described above, if the first temperature regulator 55 is available, the first transport robot 31 may load the substrate G removed from the cooling plate 51 directly into the first temperature regulator 55.

Even in the single exposure processing mode, the buffer 53 absorbs fluctuations in the processing time of the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b. That is, when the processing time of the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b becomes long, the buffer 53 temporarily stores the substrate G on which the resist film is formed to prevent processing in the pre-processing unit 11 from stagnating.

The first temperature regulator 55 accurately regulates the temperature of the substrate G to a predetermined temperature immediately before the exposure process. The temperature-regulated substrate G is then removed from the first temperature regulator 55 by the second transport robot 32 and loaded into the first exposure device 3a.

The first exposure device 3a performs an exposure process on the substrate G to transfer a pattern to the resist film. After the exposure process, the substrate G is removed from the first exposure device 3a by the second transport robot 32 and transported into the first path 57. Next, the fourth transport robot 34 removes the substrate G from the first path 37 and transports it into the second path 38. Then, the fifth transport robot 34 removes the substrate G from the second path 38 and transports it into the outpath 57. Then, the third transport robot 33 removes the substrate G from the outpath 57 and transports it into the edge exposure machine 52. The edge exposure machine 52 performs an exposure process on the peripheral portion of the substrate G. The substrate G is then transported to the development unit 121 of the post-processing unit 12.

Next, the route for transporting the substrate G to the second exposure device 3b will be described. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the transport route for transporting the substrate G only to the second exposure device 3b in the interface section 20b in FIG. 8.

The substrate G, which has been heated in the pre-bake section 114 of the pre-treatment section 11, is first loaded onto the cooling plate 51 and cooled. The first transport robot 31 removes the cooled substrate G from the cooling plate 51 and loads it into the buffer 53. The first transport robot 31 then removes the substrate G from the buffer 53 and loads it into the second temperature regulator 56. As above, if the second temperature regulator 56 is free, the first transport robot 31 may load the substrate G removed from the cooling plate 51 directly into the second temperature regulator 56.

The second temperature regulator 56 accurately regulates the temperature of the substrate G to a predetermined temperature immediately before the exposure process. The temperature-regulated substrate G is then removed from the second temperature regulator 56 by the fifth transport robot 35 and transported into the second exposure device 3b.

The second exposure device 3b performs an exposure process on the substrate G to transfer a pattern to the resist film. After the exposure process, the substrate G is removed from the second exposure device 3b by the fifth transport robot 35 and transported into the outpath 57. The third transport robot 33 then removes the substrate G from the outpath 57 and transports it into the edge exposure machine 52. The edge exposure machine 52 performs an exposure process on the peripheral portion of the substrate G. The substrate G is then transported to the development section 121 of the post-processing section 12.

As described above, in the second interface section 20b, when the single exposure processing mode is selected, the transport path (FIG. 10) for transporting the substrate G to the first exposure device 3a is different from the transport path (FIG. 11) for transporting the substrate G to the second exposure device 3b. In the single exposure processing mode, each of the multiple substrates G on which a resist film is formed is transported to either the first exposure device 3a or the second exposure device 3b and subjected to a single exposure process.

<1-7. Transport control>
In the first interface section 20a, the second transport path (transport path shown in FIG. 7) that transports the substrate G from the pre-processing section 11 to the post-processing section 12 via the second exposure device 3b is longer than the first transport path (transport path shown in FIG. 6) that transports the substrate G from the pre-processing section 11 to the post-processing section 12 via the first exposure device 3a. That is, the first transport path via the first exposure device 3a is the short transport path, and the second transport path via the second exposure device 3b is the long transport path. Therefore, in the first interface section 20a, the time required to transport the substrate G along the second transport path is longer than the time required to transport the substrate G along the first transport path.

On the other hand, in the second interface section 20b, the second transport path (transport path shown in FIG. 11) that transports the substrate G from the pre-processing section 11 to the post-processing section 12 via the second exposure device 3b is shorter than the first transport path (transport path shown in FIG. 10) that transports the substrate G from the pre-processing section 11 to the post-processing section 12 via the first exposure device 3a. That is, the first transport path via the first exposure device 3a is the long transport path, and the second transport path via the second exposure device 3b is the short transport path. Therefore, in the second interface section 20b, the time required to transport the substrate G along the second transport path is shorter than the time required to transport the substrate G along the first transport path.

In the first embodiment, multiple substrates G included in a lot are alternately transported along the first transport path or the second transport path. Multiple substrates G are sequentially fed from the pretreatment section 11 to the interface section 20 at regular intervals. However, since the time required to transport the substrate G along the first transport path is different from the time required to transport the substrate G along the second transport path, the multiple substrates G brought into the interface section 20 at regular intervals are not discharged from the interface section 20 at the same interval as the input interval. If there is no significant fluctuation in the processing time in the first exposure device 3a or the second exposure device 3b, the substrate G transported along the short transport path can usually be discharged from the interface section 20 in a shorter time than the substrate G transported along the long transport path. However, the overtaking of the substrate G in the interface section 20 is prohibited. In other words, the substrate G that is later brought into the interface section 20 and transported along the short transport path is not allowed to be discharged from the interface section 20 before the preceding substrate G transported along the long transport path. As a result, in the short transport path (the first transport path in the first interface section 20a, and the second transport path in the second interface section 20b), the transport of the substrate G may be put into a waiting state in order to wait for the preceding substrate G being transported along the long transport path.

If a substrate G transported along the short transport path is placed in a transport standby state after exposure processing, the time from exposure processing to development processing may become uneven for each substrate, resulting in variations in processing results. In addition, for example, in the first interface section 20a, if the third transport robot 33 is placed in a standby state while holding a substrate G transported along the first transport path, which is a short transport path, the third transport robot 33 will also be unable to transport substrate G transported along the second transport path. In other words, the transport of substrate G in the interface section 20 will come to a standstill.

For this reason, in the first embodiment, the control unit 90 extends the processing time of the substrate G in any of the modules included in the short transport path by a predetermined delay time. For example, in the case of the first interface unit 20a, the processing time of the substrate G in the first temperature regulator 55 included in the first transport path, which is the short transport path, is extended. FIG. 12 is a time chart that shows a schematic diagram of the extension of the processing time of the modules included in the short transport path. In the first interface unit 20a, the control unit 90 controls the processing time of the substrate G in the first temperature regulator 55, which is a module included in the first transport path, to be extended by a predetermined delay time (hatched portion in FIG. 12). Note that the processing in the first temperature regulator 55 is to supply a temperature-controlled gas to the substrate G to regulate the temperature of the substrate G, so that even if the processing time is extended, there is no risk of adversely affecting the processing result (rather, the effect of more uniform temperature regulation of the entire substrate G can be expected).

By extending the processing time of the substrate G in the first temperature regulator 55 by a predetermined delay time, the timing of the substrate G transported along the first transport path entering the first exposure device 3a is delayed, and the timing of the substrate G reaching the first outpath 58 is also delayed. This makes it possible to substantially uniformly align the timing from when the substrate G transported along the first transport path, which is the short transport path, is brought into the first interface section 20a until it is taken out, and the timing from when the substrate G transported along the second transport path, which is the long transport path, is brought into the interface section 20a until it is taken out. As a result, it is possible to reduce the waiting state in which the substrate G is transported along the first transport path, which is the short transport path, waits for the preceding substrate G transported along the second transport path, which is the long transport path.

In other words, it is preferable to set the above-mentioned predetermined delay time so that the elapsed time required for the substrate G to be transported along the first transport path, which is a short transport path, is equal to the elapsed time required for the substrate G to be transported along the second transport path, which is a long transport path. Note that, since the processing times of the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b frequently vary, it is not limited to making the time required for the substrate G to be transported along the short transport path and the time required for the substrate G to be transported along the long transport path completely equal.

In the first embodiment, the processing time of the substrate G in the first temperature regulator 55 included in the first transport path, which is the short transport path in the first interface unit 20a, is extended by a predetermined delay time. Therefore, while delaying the timing of introducing the substrate G into the first exposure device 3a, the time required for the substrate G to be transported along the first transport path and the time required for the substrate G to be transported along the second transport path can be made almost uniform, and the transport of the substrate G in the first transport path can be reduced to a standby state. And, by delaying the timing of introducing the substrate G into the first exposure device 3a while making the time required for the substrate G to be transported along the first transport path and the time required for the substrate G to be transported along the second transport path almost uniform, the elapsed time from the exposure process to the development process for multiple substrates G can also be made almost uniform. Note that, for the second interface unit 20b, the processing time of the substrate G in the second temperature regulator 56 included in the second transport path, which is the short transport path, can be extended by a predetermined delay time in the same manner as above. This can obtain the same effect as above.

Second Embodiment
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The configurations of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the interface unit 20 of the second embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. The procedure for processing one substrate G in the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the interface unit 20 of the second embodiment is also the same as that of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, a plurality of substrates G included in a lot are alternately transported along the first transport path or the second transport path. The definitions of the first transport path and the second transport path are the same as those of the first embodiment.

In both the first interface unit 20a and the second interface unit 20b, the buffer 53 functions as an inlet buffer provided upstream of the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b along the transport path of the substrate G. On the other hand, in the first interface unit 20a, the first outpath 58 is provided downstream of the first exposure device 3a along the first transport path and functions as a first outlet buffer dedicated to the first exposure device 3a. In addition, the second outpath 59 is provided downstream of the second exposure device 3b along the second transport path and functions as a second outlet buffer dedicated to the second exposure device 3b. Furthermore, in the second interface unit 20b, the outpath 57 is provided downstream of the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b along both the first transport path and the second transport path and functions as an outlet buffer common to the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b.

When multiple substrates G are alternately fed into the first transport path or the second transport path in the first interface section 20a, even if the second exposure device 3b on the long transport path side starts a long-term alignment process or the like, causing a wait on the second transport path, the transport of the substrates G along the first transport path continues. However, as described above, the substrates G are prohibited from overtaking in the first interface section 20a. In that case, the exposed substrates G will overflow from the first outpath 58 of the first transport path, and there will be no waiting space for the substrates G that have been exposed in the first exposure device 3a. If the second transport robot 32 waits while holding the exposed substrates G that have overflowed from the first outpath 58, the transport of the substrates G along the first transport path will also be in a waiting state.

For this reason, in the second embodiment, the control unit 90 controls the first transport robot 31 so that the number of substrates G present downstream of the buffer 53, which is the inlet buffer, on the first transport path is equal to or less than the number that can be accommodated in the first outpath 58, which is the first outlet buffer. Specifically, if the first outpath 58 has mounting tables stacked in, for example, five stages, the first outpath 58 can accommodate five substrates. In this case, the control unit 90 controls the first transport robot 31 to restrict the removal of substrates G from the buffer 53 so that the number of substrates G present on the first transport path between the buffer 53 and the first outpath 58 is equal to or less than five.

In this way, even if a standby occurs in the second transport path, the exposed substrate G is prevented from overflowing from the first outpath 58 in the first transport path, and the waiting state of the transport of the substrate G can be reduced. In addition to the above, the control unit 90 may control the first transport robot 31 to regulate the dispensing of the substrate G from the buffer 53 so that the number of substrates G present between the buffer 53 and the second outpath 59 in the second transport path is equal to or less than the number that the second outpath 59 can accommodate. However, in the second transport path, which is longer than the first transport path, the transport stop due to the exposed substrate G overflowing from the output buffer is relatively unlikely to occur. For this reason, the control unit 90 may control the first transport robot 31 to regulate the dispensing of the substrate G from the buffer 53 so that the number of substrates G present between the buffer 53 and the first outpath 58 in at least the first transport path is equal to or less than the number that the first outpath 58 can accommodate.

On the other hand, in the second interface section 20b, when multiple substrates G are alternately input into the first transport path or the second transport path, even if the first exposure device 3a on the long transport path side starts a long-term alignment process or the like and causes a standby on the first transport path, the transport of the substrate G along the second transport path continues. In this case, the substrate G that has been exposed by the second exposure device 3b overflows from the outpath 57, which is an output buffer common to the first and second transport paths, and there is no place to store the substrate G that has been exposed by the first exposure device 3a. If the fifth transport robot 35 waits while holding the substrate G that has been exposed by the first exposure device 3a that has no place to store it, the fifth transport robot 35 will not be able to dispense the substrate G that has been exposed by the second exposure device 3b. In other words, the transport of the substrate G is in a standby state on both the first transport path and the second transport path.

For this reason, in the second embodiment, the control unit 90 controls the first transport robot 31 so that the number of substrates G present downstream of the buffer 53, which is the inlet buffer, on the second transport path, which is the short transport path, is equal to or less than the number that can be accommodated in the outpath 57, which is the outlet buffer, minus one. Specifically, if the outpath 57 has mounting tables stacked in five stages, for example, the number that can be accommodated in the outpath 57 is five, and the number that can be accommodated by subtracting one from this is four. Therefore, the control unit 90 controls the first transport robot 31 to restrict the removal of substrates G from the buffer 53 so that the number of substrates G present on the second transport path between the buffer 53 and the outpath 57 is four or less.

In this way, even if a standby occurs on the first transport path, the outpath 57 is prevented from being overflown with substrates G that have been exposed by the second exposure device 3b, and the number of substrates G that are transported waiting can be reduced. In the first interface unit 20a, the number of substrates G discharged from the buffer 53 is set to be equal to or less than the number that the first outpath 58 can accommodate, whereas in the second interface unit 20b, the number is set to be equal to or less than the number that the outpath 57 can accommodate minus one, for the following reason. While the first outpath 58 is an output buffer dedicated to the first exposure device 3a, the outpath 57 is an output buffer common to both the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b, so it is necessary to always leave one substrate G free to accommodate a substrate G that has been exposed by the first exposure device 3a. In addition to the above, the control unit 90 may control the first transport robot 31 to restrict the dispensing of substrates G from the buffer 53 so that the number of substrates G present on the first transport path between the buffer 53 and the outpath 57 is equal to or less than the number of substrates G that the outpath 57 can accommodate minus 1. In other words, the control unit 90 may control the first transport robot 31 to restrict the dispensing of substrates G from the buffer 53 so that the number of substrates G present on at least the second transport path between the buffer 53 and the outpath 57 is equal to or less than the number of substrates G that the outpath 57 can accommodate minus 1.

Third Embodiment
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The configurations of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the interface unit 20 of the third embodiment are the same as those of the first embodiment. The procedure for processing one substrate G in the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the interface unit 20 of the third embodiment is also the same as that of the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, a plurality of substrates G included in a lot are alternately transported along the first transport path or the second transport path. The definitions of the first transport path and the second transport path are the same as those of the first embodiment.

In both the first interface section 20a and the second interface section 20b, there is a difference in the path length between the first and second transport paths. If the first substrate G in a lot is simply assigned alternately to the first transport path, the second substrate G to the second transport path, and the third substrate G to the first transport path, the first interface section 20a will transport the leading substrate G along the first transport path, which is a short transport path, and the second substrate G along the second transport path, which is a long transport path. In this case, only the leading substrate G will be discharged to the post-processing section 12 too early, and the difference in the elapsed time from exposure processing to development processing between the subsequent substrates G will be large.

For this reason, in the third embodiment, the control unit 90 controls the first transport robot 31 to the fifth transport robot 35 so that the leading substrate G of the lot is transported along the long transport path. Specifically, in the first interface unit 20a, the control unit 90 controls so that the leading substrate G of the lot is transported along the second transport path, which is the long transport path. That is, in the first interface unit 20a, the leading substrate G of the lot is transported along the second transport path, and the second substrate G is transported along the first transport path. Also, in the second interface unit 20b, the control unit 90 controls so that the leading substrate G of the lot is transported along the first transport path, which is the long transport path. That is, in the second interface unit 20b, the leading substrate G of the lot is transported along the first transport path, and the second substrate G is transported along the second transport path.

In this way, the second substrate G in the lot is delivered to the post-processing unit 12 in a relatively short time after the first substrate G in the lot is delivered to the post-processing unit 12, and variation in the elapsed time from exposure processing to development processing for multiple substrates G in a lot can be suppressed.

<Modification>
Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, various modifications can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the first embodiment, the processing time of the substrate G in the first temperature regulator 55 (or the second temperature regulator 56) included in the short transport path is extended by a predetermined delay time, but this is not limited to this, and the processing time of the substrate G in other modules included in the short transport path may be extended by a predetermined delay time. This makes it possible to make the time required for the substrate G to be transported along the short transport path and the time required for the substrate G to be transported along the long transport path almost uniform, thereby reducing the waiting state of the substrate G in the short transport path.

The layout of the transport mechanism and modules in the interface section is not limited to the examples shown in Figures 3 and 8. The interface section may have multiple transport robots and multiple modules. The multiple modules preferably include an inlet buffer upstream of the first exposure device 3a or the second exposure device 3b and an outlet buffer downstream of the first exposure device 3a or the second exposure device 3b. To save space, it is also preferable that some of the multiple modules are stacked. The layout of the interface section may be changed as appropriate depending on the installation positions of the first exposure device 3a and the second exposure device 3b.

The configurations of the pre-treatment section 11 and the post-treatment section 12 are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1. For example, an inspection section or the like may be disposed between the cooling section 123 and the indexer device 2. The inspection section is a unit that inspects the substrate G using an optical component such as a camera. For example, a dehydration bake section may be disposed between the cleaning section 111 and the coating section 112. The dehydration bake section is a unit that heats the substrate G after cleaning to remove moisture. Alternatively, the post-bake section 122 and the cooling section 123 may be omitted.

In addition, the substrate G to be processed may be a substrate for other precision electronic devices, such as a semiconductor wafer, a substrate for a color filter, a substrate for a recording disk, or a substrate for a solar cell, other than a glass substrate.

Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may include an indexer apparatus 2, and may include a first exposure apparatus 3a and a second exposure apparatus 3b.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Substrate processing apparatus 2 Indexer apparatus 3a First exposure apparatus 3b Second exposure apparatus 11 Pre-processing section 12 Post-processing section 20a, 20b Interface section 31 First transfer robot 32 Second transfer robot 33 Third transfer robot 34 Fourth transfer robot 35 Fifth transfer robot 37 First pass 38 Second pass 39 Third pass 51 Cooling plate 52 Edge exposure machine 53 Buffer 55 First temperature controller 56 Second temperature controller 57 Out pass 57
58 First out-path 59 Second out-path 90 Control section 111 Cleaning section 112 Coating section 113 Reduced pressure drying section 114 Pre-baking section 121 Developing section 122 Post-baking section 123 Cooling section G Substrate

Claims (12)

A substrate processing apparatus which sequentially performs a pre-processing of an exposure process and a post-processing of an exposure process on a plurality of substrates included in a lot,
A pre-processing unit that executes the pre-processing;
A post-processing unit that executes the post-processing;
an interface unit that connects the pre-processing unit and the post-processing unit with a first exposure apparatus and a second exposure apparatus, and that includes a plurality of transport robots and a plurality of modules that transport substrates;
A control unit that controls the plurality of transfer robots and the plurality of modules;
Equipped with
a second transport path from the pre-treatment unit to the post-treatment unit via the second exposure device is longer than a first transport path from the pre-treatment unit to the post-treatment unit via the first exposure device,
the plurality of substrates included in the lot are alternately transported along the first transport path or the second transport path;
The control unit extends a processing time of the substrate in a specific module included in the first transport path by a predetermined delay time. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the delay time is set so that the elapsed time required for the substrate to be transported along the first transport path is equal to the elapsed time required for the substrate to be transported along the second transport path. 3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2,
The specific module is a temperature control module for controlling the temperature of a substrate in the substrate processing apparatus. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
the plurality of modules includes an inlet buffer provided upstream of the first exposure apparatus and the second exposure apparatus;
the plurality of modules are provided on the first transport path downstream of the first exposure device, and include a first output buffer dedicated to the first exposure device;
the plurality of modules are provided on the second transport path downstream of the second exposure device, and include a second output buffer dedicated to the second exposure device;
The control unit controls the multiple transport robots so that the number of substrates present at least downstream of the inlet buffer on the first transport path is equal to or less than the capacity of the first outlet buffer. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
the plurality of modules includes an inlet buffer provided upstream of the first exposure apparatus and the second exposure apparatus;
the plurality of modules are provided downstream of the first exposure apparatus and the second exposure apparatus and include an output buffer common to the first exposure apparatus and the second exposure apparatus;
The control unit controls the multiple transport robots so that the number of substrates present downstream of the input buffer on the first transport path is equal to or less than the number of substrates that can be accommodated in the output buffer minus one. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The control unit controls the plurality of transport robots to transport the leading substrate of the lot along the second transport path. A substrate processing method for sequentially performing a pre-processing step of an exposure process and a post-processing step of the exposure process on a plurality of substrates included in a lot, comprising the steps of:
a transport step of transporting the substrate that has been subjected to the pre-processing to the first exposure apparatus and/or the second exposure apparatus, and transporting the substrate that has been subjected to the exposure processing to the post-processing, in an interface unit that connects a pre-processing unit that performs the processing of the pre-processing and a post-processing unit that performs the processing of the post-processing to a first exposure apparatus and a second exposure apparatus,
the interface unit includes a plurality of transfer robots and a plurality of modules for transferring substrates;
a second transport path from the pre-treatment unit to the post-treatment unit via the second exposure device is longer than a first transport path from the pre-treatment unit to the post-treatment unit via the first exposure device,
the plurality of substrates included in the lot are alternately transported along the first transport path or the second transport path;
A substrate processing method comprising: extending a substrate processing time in a specific module included in the first transport path by a predetermined delay time. 8. The substrate processing method according to claim 7,
A substrate processing method, wherein the delay time is set so that an elapsed time required for the substrate to be transported along the first transport path is equal to an elapsed time required for the substrate to be transported along the second transport path. 9. The substrate processing method according to claim 8,
The specific module is a temperature control module that controls a temperature of a substrate. 8. The substrate processing method according to claim 7,
the plurality of modules includes an inlet buffer provided upstream of the first exposure apparatus and the second exposure apparatus;
the plurality of modules are provided on the first transport path downstream of the first exposure device, and include a first output buffer dedicated to the first exposure device;
the plurality of modules are provided on the second transport path downstream of the second exposure device, and include a second output buffer dedicated to the second exposure device;
A substrate processing method comprising: making the number of substrates present at least downstream of the inlet buffer on the first transport path equal to or less than the maximum capacity of the first outlet buffer. 8. The substrate processing method according to claim 7,
the plurality of modules includes an inlet buffer provided upstream of the first exposure apparatus and the second exposure apparatus;
the plurality of modules are provided downstream of the first exposure apparatus and the second exposure apparatus and include an output buffer common to the first exposure apparatus and the second exposure apparatus;
A substrate processing method comprising: setting the number of substrates present at least downstream of the inlet buffer on the first transport path to a number equal to or less than the capacity of the outlet buffer minus one. 8. The substrate processing method according to claim 7,
The substrate processing method further comprises transporting the leading substrate of the lot along the second transport path.

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