Tokyo Electron Limited

Daisuke Aoki

Junya Minamida

Yasunori Toyoda

Tatsuya Ito

A substrate processing apparatus includes a first atmosphere control system configured to control an atmosphere inside a processing zone of a substrate processing area and a second atmosphere control system configured to control an atmosphere inside a substrate transfer zone of the substrate processing area. The first atmosphere control system supplies, when a liquid processing is performed in a liquid processing unit, an atmosphere control gas to the corresponding liquid processing unit by a first gas supply, and discharges an atmosphere inside the corresponding liquid processing unit by a first gas discharge unit. The second atmosphere control system circulates an atmosphere adjustment gas in a circulation system of the corresponding second atmosphere control system, and discharges an atmosphere inside the circulation system of the second atmosphere control system when at least one of the liquid processing unit is opened to the substrate transfer zone.

Substrate processing apparatus

A substrate processing apparatus includes a container carrying in/out section on which a substrate conveyance container accommodating a substrate is placed; a processing unit that performs a process on the substrate; a conveyance space through which the substrate is conveyed; a substrate conveyor that conveys the substrate between the container carrying in/out section and the processing unit through the conveyance space; a first gas supply passage that supplies an atmosphere adjusting gas to the processing unit; a first gas discharge passage that discharges the atmosphere adjusting gas from the processing unit; a circulation passage that returns the atmosphere adjusting gas flowing out from the conveyance space to the conveyance space; a second gas supply passage that supplies the atmosphere adjusting gas to a circulation system constituted by the conveyance space and the circulation passage; and a second gas discharge passage that discharges the atmosphere adjusting gas from the circulation system.

Particles can be suppressed from adhering to a substrate. A substrate processing apparatus includes a carry-in/out chamber, a transfer chamber, and a delivery chamber. In the carry-in/out chamber, the substrate is carried in and out with respect to a carrier, and in the transfer chamber, a transfer path for the substrate toward a substrate processing chamber, where a predetermined process is performed on the substrate, is formed. Further, the delivery chamber is arranged between the carry-in/out chamber and the transfer chamber. Moreover, an internal pressure of the delivery chamber is higher than an internal pressure of the carry-in/out chamber and an internal pressure of the transfer chamber.

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Kumamoto, Japan

Daisuke Aoki