Patent ID: 6024502
Filing Date: 2000-02-15
Classification: H01L,Y10S

Abstract:
An apparatus for processing a substrate in which a processing consisting of a plurality of process steps is applied to a substrate to be processed, comprising:a transfer zone extending in a vertical direction;a plurality of process groups arranged to surround said transfer zone for processing said substrate, each process group consisting of a plurality of process units stacked one upon the other, and each process unit having an opening communicating with the transfer zone for transferring the substrate into and out of said process unit;a main arm mechanism movably mounted in the transfer zone for transferring the substrate into and out of the process unit through said opening; anddown flow forming means for forming a down flow of a clean air within the transfer zone,wherein at least one of the plural process groups includes a plurality of thermal units for heating or cooling the substrate, a transfer unit for transferring the substrate into and out of the transfer zone, and a gas process unit for processing the substrate with a gas, the opening of said gas process unit being positioned lower than the openings of the thermal units and the transfer unit.