Patent ID: 6245156
Filing Date: 2001-06-12
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
A method of transporting a substrate by using a substrate transport apparatus which comprises:first, second, and third arms arranged vertically in multiple stages,a plurality of processing units each having a load/unload port for loading/unloading the substrate,the method comprising:(a) inputting data of processing conditions for processing the substrate;(b) determining whether a number of processing units required for processing the substrate is an odd number or an even number;(c1) when a determination result of the step (b) is an odd number,transporting the substrate, in accordance with the following steps (d1) to (i1):(d1) taking out the substrate by the second arm from a substrate loading/unloading section;(e1) loading the substrate by the second arm to an odd-numbered processing unit;(f1) unloading the substrate by the third arm from an odd-numbered processing unit; except for a final processing unit;(g1) loading the substrate by the third arm to an even-numbered processing unit;(h1) unloading the substrate by the second arm from an even-numbered processing unit; and(i1) unloading the substrate from the final processing unit by the first arm and loading the substrate by the first arm into the substrate loading/unloading section;and(c2) when a determination result of the step (b) is an even number,transporting the substrate, in accordance with the following steps (d2) to (i2);(d2) taking out the substrate by the third arm from the substrate loading/unloading section;(e2) loading the substrate by the third arm into an odd-numbered processing unit;(f2) unloading the substrate by the second arm from an odd-numbered processing unit;(g2) loading the substrate by the second arm into an even-numbered processing unit;(h2) unloading the substrate by the third arm from an even-numbered processing unit except for a final processing unit; and(i2) unloading the substrate by the first arm from the final processing unit and loading the substrate by the first arm into the substrate loading/unloading section.