Screen Holdings Co., Ltd.

Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.

Hideki Shibata

Ichiro Mitsuyoshi

Tomoyasu Furuta

A substrate treating apparatus includes a pod storage unitbetween a substrate treating unitand a pod storage and transport unit, with a transport robottransporting FOUPsbetween a load portand a rack array. A transport robottransports the FOUPsbetween the rack array, a rack arrayand a receiver. The transportation between the load portand rack arrayand the transportation between the rack array, rack arrayand receivercan be carried out substantially in parallel. As a result, the efficiency of transporting the FOUPscan be improved to improve throughput. Moreover, an increase in apparatus size can be inhibited since only the pod storage unitis disposed between the pod storage and transport unitand substrate treating unit. The capacity for storing the FOUPscan be increased to make effective use of the high throughput of the apparatus.

Substrate treating apparatus

A substrate treating apparatus having a substrate treating unit, a load port for receiving pods for storing the substrates, and transferring the pods to and from the substrate treating unit, and a buffer between the substrate treating unit and the load port for transferring the substrates to and from the substrate treating unit and the load port, and temporarily storing the pods; a carrier transport system for transferring the pods to and from the load port; and a host computer for transporting the pods in response to conditions. A transport-related control unit, when the load port is being used by one of the pods and a vehicle of the carrier transport system approaches to transfer another of the pods to the load port, to suspends a notice of transfer disapproval until completion of the use by the one of the pods.

Substrate treating system

A control apparatus in a substrate treating system with a substrate treating apparatus having a physical load port for receiving pods for storing substrates, and a carrier transport system for transporting the pods to and from the physical load port. The control apparatus includes a virtual load port control device for allotting a virtual load port to the physical load port, and instructing the carrier transport system to perform a transporting operation to and from the virtual load port on an assumption that the virtual load port really exists.

Control apparatus, a substrate treating method, a substrate treating system, a method of operating a substrate treating system, a load port control apparatus, and a substrate treating system having the load port control apparatus

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Kyoto, Japan

Hideki Shibata