SUBSTRATE CARRYING DEVICE, SUBSTRATE CARRYING METHOD AND COMPUTER-READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM

Abstract

A substrate carrying device capable of causing a substrate to float by a gas can be manufactured at a low manufacturing cost and can suppress the consumption of a gas for carrying the substrate. The substrate carrying device includes a carrying passage forming member forming a carrying passage along which a substrate is carried, exhaust grooves extending parallel to the carrying passage in the upper surface of the carrying passage forming member, a plurality of pairs each of right and left carrying gas flow grooves formed in the upper surface of the carrying passage forming member, inclined to a substrate carrying direction so as to approach the exhaust grooves from the right-hand side and the left-hand side of the exhaust grooves, respectively, and having inner ends joined to the exhaust grooves, respectively, and gas spouting pores formed near outer ends of the carrying gas flow grooves to spout a gas for causing the substrate to float and for creating substrate carrying gas flows flowing from the outer ends of the carrying gas flow grooves toward the inner ends of the carrying gas flow grooves. The gas spouted through the gas spouting pores causes the substrate to float and creates gas flows in the carrying gas flow grooves to propel the substrate in a carrying direction. The carrying passage is divided with respect to the carrying direction into passage sections, and the spouting of the gas through groups of the gas spouting pores assigned respectively to the passage sections is controlled to suppress the consumption of the gas.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a substrate carrying device in a first embodiment according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the substrate carrying device in the first embodiment;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of the substrate carrying device in the first embodiment;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view of the substrate carrying device in the first embodiment;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a surface of a carrying passage forming member, provided with a carrying passage, included in the substrate carrying device in the first embodiment;

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal sectional view of the carrying passage forming member shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is plan view showing a wafer being carried along the carrying passage;

FIG. 8 is a plan view of a carrying gas flow groove and an exhaust groove formed in the carrying passage forming member;

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of an end part of the carrying passage;

FIG. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view of opposite end parts of the carrying passage;

FIG. 11 is a schematic side elevation of assistance in explaining a method of measuring the floating height of a substrate;

FIG. 12 is a diagrammatic view of assistance in explaining the successive starting and stopping of spouting the gas through the groups of gas spouting pores;

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal sectional view of a substrate carrying device in a second embodiment according to the present invention in a substrate carrying operation;

FIG. 14 is a plan view of nozzles included in the substrate carrying device in the second embodiment;

FIG. 15 is a plan view of a coating and developing system including a substrate carrying device according to the present invention;

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the coating and developing system shown in FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is longitudinal sectional view of the coating and developing system shown in FIG. 15;

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of a coating unit, a shelf unit, a main arm and an exhaust unit include in a DEV layer in the coating and developing system shown in FIG. 15; and

FIG. 19 is a view showing a known substrate carrying device.

Claims

1. A substrate carrying device comprising: a carrying passage forming member forming a carrying passage along which a substrate is carried;exhaust grooves extending parallel to the carrying passage in the upper surface of the carrying passage forming member;a plurality of pairs each of right and left carrying gas flow grooves formed in the upper surface of the carrying passage forming member, inclined to a substrate carrying direction so as to approach the exhaust grooves from the right-hand side and the left-hand side of the exhaust grooves, respectively, and having inner ends joined to the exhaust grooves, respectively; andgas spouting pores formed near outer ends of the carrying gas flow grooves to spout a gas for floating a substrate and for creating substrate carrying air flows flowing from the outer ends of the carrying gas flow grooves toward the inner ends of the carrying gas flow grooves.

2. The substrate carrying device according to claim 1 further comprising: gas supply control means for controlling starting and stopping supplying the gas to groups of the gas spouting pores assigned to passage sections defined by longitudinally dividing the carrying passage such that the groups of the gas spouting pores start spouting the gas and stop spouting the gas independently;position measuring means for measuring a position of the substrate on the carrying passage; anda control unit for controlling opening and closing operations of the gas supply control means for controlling starting and stopping supplying the gas to the groups of the spouting pores on the basis of measured data provided by the position sensing means.

3. The substrate carrying device according to claim 1 further comprising: floating height measuring means for measuring a floating height of the substrate from the carrying passage; anda decision means for deciding whether or not the substrate is at a predetermined floating height on the basis of a floating height measured by the floating height measuring means.

4. A substrate carrying device comprising: a carrying passage forming member forming a carrying passage;gas spouting pores formed in the carrying passage forming member and arranged along the carrying passage to spout a gas for causing a substrate to float; anda gas spouting unit disposed above the carrying passage, provided with gas spouting pores for spouting a carrying gas obliquely downward toward the substrate to produce gas flows flowing in a substrate carrying direction on the carrying passage to carry the substrate.

5. The substrate carrying device according to claim 4 further comprising: gas supply control means for controlling starting and stopping supplying the gas to groups of the gas spouting pores assigned to passage sections defined by longitudinally dividing the carrying passage such that the groups of the gas spouting pores start spouting the gas and stop spouting the gas independently;position measuring means for measuring a position of the substrate on the carrying passage; anda control unit for controlling opening and closing operations of the gas supply control means for controlling starting and stopping supplying the gas to the groups of the spouting pores on the basis of measured data provided by the position sensing means.

6. The substrate carrying device according to claim 4 further comprising: floating height measuring means for measuring a floating height of the substrate from the carrying passage; anda decision means for deciding whether or not the substrate is at a predetermined floating height on the basis of a floating height measured by the floating height measuring means.

7. A substrate carrying device comprising: a carrying passage forming member forming a carrying passage extending in a substrate carrying direction;flotation gas spouting pores formed in the carrying passage forming member and arranged along the carrying passage to spout a flotation gas for causing a substrate to float;carrying gas spouting pores formed in the carrying passage forming member to create gas flows for carrying the floating substrate along the carrying passage;gas supply control means for controlling starting and stopping supplying the gas to groups of the gas spouting pores assigned to passage sections defined by longitudinally dividing the carrying passage such that the groups of the gas spouting pores start spouting the gas and stop spouting the gas independently;position measuring means for measuring the position of the substrate on the carrying passage; anda control unit for controlling opening and closing operations of the gas supply control means for controlling starting and stopping supplying the gas to the groups of the spouting pores on the basis of measured data provided by the position measuring means.

8. The substrate carrying device according to claim 7, wherein the position measuring means are substrate detectors disposed in the passage sections, respectively, to detect a substrate.

9. The substrate carrying device according to claim 7 further comprising: floating height measuring means for measuring a floating height of the substrate from the carrying passage; anda decision means for deciding whether or not the substrate is at a predetermined floating height on the basis of a floating height measured by the floating height measuring means.

10. A substrate carrying method comprising the steps of: placing a substrate on a carrying passage forming member forming a carrying passage;floating the substrate by spouting a gas through gas spouting pores formed in the upper surface of the carrying passage forming member, near outer ends of carrying gas flow grooves inclined to a substrate carrying direction so as to approach exhaust grooves from the right-hand side and the left-hand side of the exhaust grooves extending parallel to the carrying passage in the upper surface of the carrying passage forming member, respectively, and having inner ends joined to the exhaust grooves; andcreating gas flows flowing from outer ends toward the inner ends of the carrying gas flow grooves to carry the substrate.

11. The substrate carrying method according to claim 10 further comprising the steps of: measuring a floating height of the substrate from the carrying passage; anddeciding whether or not the substrate is at a predetermined floating height on the basis of a measured floating height.

12. A computer-readable storage medium capable of being read by a computer employed in a substrate carrying device for causing a substrate to float above a carrying passage forming member and carrying the floating wafer along a carrying passage, said computer-readable storage medium storing a programs for accomplishing the steps of the substrate carrying method according to claim 10.

13. A substrate carrying method comprising the steps of: spouting a flotation gas for causing a substrate to float through gas spouting pores formed in a carrying passage forming member extending in a substrate carrying direction, and arranged along a carrying passage; andcreating gas flows flowing in the substrate carrying direction and capable of moving the substrate in the substrate carrying direction by spouting a carrying gas obliquely downward by a gas spouting unit disposed above the carrying passage

14. The substrate carrying method according to claim 13 further comprising the steps of: measuring a floating height of the substrate from the carrying passage; anddeciding whether or not the substrate is at a predetermined floating height on the basis of a measured floating height.

15. A computer-readable storage medium capable of being read by a computer employed in a substrate carrying device for causing a substrate to float above a carrying passage forming member and carrying the floating wafer along a carrying passage, said computer-readable storage medium storing a programs for accomplishing the steps of the substrate carrying method according to claim 13.

16. A substrate carrying method comprising the steps of: spouting a flotation gas through flotation gas spouting pores formed in a carrying passage forming member extending in a substrate carrying direction and arranged along a carrying passage to cause a substrate to float;spouting a carrying gas through carrying gas spouting pores to create gas flows for carrying the substrate along the carrying passage;making groups of the gas spouting pores assigned to passage sections defined by longitudinally dividing the carrying passage start and stop supplying the gas independently by gas supply control means;measuring a position of the substrate on the carrying passage by position sensing means; andcontrolling opening and closing operations of the gas supply control means for controlling starting and stopping supplying the gas to the groups of the spouting pores on the basis of measured data provided by the position sensing means.

17. The substrate carrying method according to claim 16 further comprising the steps of: measuring a position of the substrate on the carrying passage by position sensing means; andcontrolling opening and closing operations of the gas supply control means for controlling starting and stopping supplying the gas to the groups of the spouting pores on the basis of measured data provided by the position sensing means.

18. The substrate carrying method according to claim 16 further comprising the steps of: measuring a floating height of the substrate from the carrying passage; anddeciding whether or not the substrate is at a predetermined floating height on the basis of the measured floating height.

19. A computer-readable storage medium capable of being read by a computer employed in a substrate carrying device for causing a substrate to float above a carrying passage forming member and carrying the floating wafer along a carrying passage, said computer-readable storage medium storing a programs for accomplishing the steps of the substrate carrying method according to claim 16