Patent Publication Number: US-2020294830-A1

Title: Apparatus and method for processing substrate

Description:
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS 
     A claim for priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119 is made to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0028919 filed on Mar. 13, 2019, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Embodiments of the inventive concept described herein relate to an apparatus and method for processing a substrate. 
     To manufacture semiconductor devices, various processes such as a photolithography process, an etching process, an ashing process, an ion implantation process, a thin-film deposition process and the like are performed to form a pattern on a substrate. Among these processes, the etching process, the ion implantation process, and the thin-film deposition process are performed on the substrate in a vacuum atmosphere. When the substrate is moved from the vacuum atmosphere to an atmospheric atmosphere and exposed to oxygen, particles and fumes are formed on the substrate. Therefore, after the substrate processing processes, a process of removing the particles and the fumes is performed while the substrate is stored in a buffer unit. 
     The buffer unit includes a housing having an interior space. The interior space of the housing is provided as a space in which a plurality of substrates are received.  FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a general buffer unit. Referring to  FIG. 1 , particles and fumes remaining on substrates are removed by filling an interior space  6  of a housing  4  with a gas, evacuating the interior space  6 , and adjusting the temperature in the interior space  6 . The housing  4  has the shape of a container extending in the vertical direction, and the substrates are received in the interior space  6  so as to be arranged in the vertical direction. 
     Substrate processing throughput is improved due to the structure of the buffer unit  2  in which the plurality of substrates are simultaneously received. However, a deviation in the flow rate of gas and a temperature deviation occur depending on the positions in which the substrates are placed. Due to this, efficiency in removing the particles and the fumes may vary depending on the positions of the substrates. 
     Furthermore, in the case of removing particles and fumes in the state in which only a portion of the interior space  6  of the housing  4  is filled with substrates, there is a large difference between the area in which the substrates are received and the area in which the substrates are not received. 
     SUMMARY 
     Embodiments of the inventive concept provide an apparatus for processing a plurality of substrates received in a housing without a deviation depending on positions. 
     Embodiments of the inventive concept provide an apparatus and method for processing a substrate. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment, the apparatus for processing the substrate includes an index module and a processing module that is disposed adjacent to the index module and that processes the substrate. The index module includes one or more load ports, on each of which a carrier having the substrate received therein is placed, a side storage that stores the substrate subjected to a process in the processing module and removes fumes on the substrate, and a transfer frame having an index robot installed therein, in which the index robot transfers the substrate between the carrier placed on the load port, the side storage, and the processing module. The side storage includes a housing having an interior space, a partitioning unit that partitions the interior space into a plurality of receiving spaces independent of one another, and an exhaust unit that independently and separately evacuates the plurality of receiving spaces. 
     The partitioning unit may be provided such that the plurality of receiving spaces are stacked one above another. 
     The partitioning unit may include a partitioning plate that partitions the interior space and a first temperature adjustment member that adjusts temperature of the partitioning plate. 
     The side storage may further include a gas supply unit that supplies a gas into the plurality of receiving spaces, and the gas supply unit may include a gas supply line connected to the plurality of receiving spaces and a second temperature adjustment member installed on the gas supply line to adjust temperature of the gas. 
     The apparatus may further include a controller that controls the exhaust unit, and the controller may differently adjust amounts of gas discharged from the plurality of receiving spaces. 
     The processing module includes a plurality of process units that perform N different processes (N being an integer greater than 1), and M receiving spaces (M being an integer greater than or equal to N) may be provided. 
     According to an exemplary embodiment, a method for processing a substrate using the apparatus includes a processing step of processing the substrate in the processing module and a post-processing step of post-processing the substrate in the plurality of receiving spaces after the processing step, and the plurality of receiving spaces are independently and separately evacuated. 
     In the post-processing step, a first substrate may be received in a first space that is one of the plurality of receiving spaces, and a second substrate may be received in a second space that is another one of the plurality of receiving spaces. In the processing step, the first substrate and the second substrate may be subjected to different processes. Amounts of gas discharged from the first space and the second space may differ from each other. 
     In the post-processing step, the substrate may be received in each of the plurality of receiving spaces. The substrate received in each of the plurality of receiving spaces may be subjected to the same process in the processing step. Amounts of gas discharged from the plurality of receiving spaces may be identically adjusted. 
     The plurality of receiving spaces may be partitioned from one another by a temperature-adjustable partitioning plate, and temperatures of the plurality of receiving spaces may be identically adjusted by the partitioning plate. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
       The above and other objects and features will become apparent from the following description with reference to the following figures, wherein like reference numerals refer to like parts throughout the various figures unless otherwise specified, and wherein: 
         FIG. 1  is a perspective view illustrating a general buffer unit; 
         FIG. 2  is a schematic plan view illustrating substrate processing equipment according to an embodiment of the inventive concept; 
         FIG. 3  is a sectional view of a gas processing apparatus of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating a buffer unit of  FIG. 2 ; 
         FIG. 5  is a plan view illustrating the buffer unit of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating a substrate support unit and a partitioning unit of  FIG. 4 ; 
         FIG. 8  is a plan view illustrating a partitioning plate and a first temperature adjustment member of  FIG. 7 ; 
         FIG. 9  is a view illustrating a state in which substrates subjected to different processes are received in the buffer unit of  FIG. 4 ; and 
         FIG. 10  is a view illustrating a state in which substrates subjected to the same process are received in the buffer unit of  FIG. 4 . 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     Various modifications and variations can be made to embodiments of the inventive concept, and the scope of the inventive concept should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. These embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the inventive concept to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, in the drawings, the shapes of components are exaggerated for clarity of illustration. 
     Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus for etching a substrate using plasma according to an embodiment of the inventive concept will be described. Without being limited thereto, however, the inventive concept is applicable to various types of apparatuses for processing a substrate using a gas. 
       FIG. 2  is a schematic plan view illustrating substrate processing equipment according to an embodiment of the inventive concept. 
     Referring to  FIG. 2 , the substrate processing equipment  1  has an index module  10 , a loading module  30 , and a processing module  20 , and the index module  10  has load ports  120 , a transfer frame  140 , and a buffer unit  2000 . The load ports  120 , the transfer frame  140 , the loading module  30 , and the processing module  20  are sequentially arranged in a row. Hereinafter, the direction in which the load ports  120 , the transfer frame  140 , the loading module  30 , and the processing module  20  are arranged is referred to as the first direction  12 , the direction perpendicular to the first direction  12  when viewed from above is referred to as the second direction  14 , and the direction perpendicular to the plane including the first direction  12  and the second direction  14  is referred to as the third direction  16 . 
     Carriers  18 , each of which has a plurality of substrates W received therein, are placed on the load ports  120 . The load ports  120  are arranged in a row along the second direction  14 .  FIG. 2  illustrates one example that the index module  10  has three load ports  120 . However, the number of load ports  120  may be increased or decreased depending on conditions such as the process efficiency and footprint of the processing module  20 . Slots (not illustrated) that support the edges of the substrates W are formed in each of the carriers  18 . The slots are arranged along the third direction  16 , and the substrates W are stacked one above another with a spacing gap therebetween in the carrier  18  along the third direction  16 . A front opening unified pod (FOUP) may be used as the carrier  18 . 
     The transfer frame  140  transfers the substrates W between the carriers  18  placed on the load ports  120 , the buffer unit  2000 , and the loading module  30 . An index rail  142  and an index robot  144  are provided in the transfer frame  140 . The index rail  142  is arranged such that the lengthwise direction thereof is parallel to the second direction  14 . The index robot  144  is installed on the index rail  142  and rectilinearly moves along the index rail  142  in the second direction  14 . The index robot  144  includes a base  144   a,  a body  144   b,  and index arms  144   c.  The base  144   a  is installed so as to be movable along the index rail  142 . The body  144   b  is coupled to the base  144   a.  The body  144   b  is movable on the base  144   a  along the third direction  16 . Furthermore, the body  144   b  is rotatable on the base  144   a.  The index arms  144   c  are coupled to the body  144   b  and are movable forward and backward relative to the body  144   b.  The index arms  144   c  are individually driven. The index arms  144   c  are stacked one above another with a spacing gap therebetween along the third direction  16 . Some of the index arms  144   c  may be used to transfer the substrates W from the processing module  20  to the carriers  18 , and the other index arms  144   c  may be used to transfer the substrates W from the carriers  18  to the processing module  20 . Accordingly, particles generated from the substrates W that are to be processed may be prevented from adhering to the processed substrates W in the process in which the index robot  144  transfers the substrates W between the carriers  18  and the processing module  20 . 
     The buffer unit  2000  temporarily stores the substrates W processed in the processing module  20 . The buffer unit  2000  removes process by-products remaining on the substrates W. The removal of the process by-products in the buffer unit  2000  may be performed by raising or lowering the pressure in the buffer unit  2000 . A plurality of buffer units  2000  may be provided. For example, two buffer units  2000  may be provided. The two buffer units  2000  may be provided as side storages  2000  located on opposite sides of the transfer frame  140 . The two buffer units  2000  may be located to face each other, with the transfer frame  140  therebetween. Alternatively, only one buffer unit  2000  may be provided on one side of the transfer frame  140 . 
     The loading module  30  is disposed between the transfer frame  140  and a transfer chamber  242 . The loading module  30  provides a space in which the substrates W stay before transferred between the transfer chamber  242  and the transfer frame  140 . The loading module  30  includes a load-lock chamber  32  and an unload-lock chamber  34 . The load-lock chamber  32  and the unload-lock chamber  34  are provided such that the insides thereof can be switched between a vacuum atmosphere and an atmospheric atmosphere. 
     The load-lock chamber  32  provides a space in which a substrate W to be transferred from the index module  10  to the processing module  20  temporarily stays. When the substrate W is placed in the load-lock chamber  32 , the interior space of the load-lock chamber  32  is sealed from the index module  10  and the processing module  20 . Thereafter, the interior space of the load-lock chamber  32  is switched from an atmospheric atmosphere to a vacuum atmosphere, and the load-lock chamber  32  is open to the processing module  20  in the state of being sealed from the index module  10 . 
     The unload-lock chamber  34  provides a space in which a substrate W to be transferred from the processing module  20  to the index module  10  temporarily stays. When the substrate W is placed in the unload-lock chamber  34 , the interior space of the unload-lock chamber  34  is sealed from the index module  10  and the processing module  20 . Thereafter, the interior space of the unload-lock chamber  34  is switched from a vacuum atmosphere to an atmospheric atmosphere, and the unload-lock chamber  34  is open to the index module  10  in the state of being sealed from the processing module  20 . 
     The processing module  20  includes the transfer chamber  242  and a plurality of process units  260 . 
     The transfer chamber  242  transfers substrates W between the load-lock chamber  32 , the unload-lock chamber  34 , and the plurality of process units  260 . The transfer chamber  242  may have a hexagonal shape when viewed from above. 
     Alternatively, the transfer chamber  242  may have a rectangular or pentagonal shape. The load-lock chamber  32 , the unload-lock chamber  34 , and the plurality of process units  260  are located around the transfer chamber  242 . A transfer robot  250  is provided in the transfer chamber  242 . The transfer robot  250  may be located in the center of the transfer chamber  242 . The transfer robot  250  may have a plurality of hands  252  that are movable in the horizontal and vertical directions and are movable forward or backward or rotatable on the horizontal plane. The hands  252  may be independently driven, and substrates W may be seated on the hands  252  in a horizontal state. 
     Gas processing apparatuses  1000  provided in the process units  260  will be described below. The gas processing apparatuses  1000  perform an etching or deposition process on a substrate W. According to an embodiment, the gas processing apparatuses  1000  may perform different processes. Among the gas processing apparatuses  1000 , a first apparatus may perform a first process of supplying a first gas, and a second apparatus may perform a second process of supplying a second gas. The first gas may include fluorine (F), chlorine (Cl), or bromine (Br), and the second gas may include ammonia (NH 3 ). 
       FIG. 3  is a sectional view of the gas processing apparatus of  FIG. 2 . Referring to  FIG. 3 , the gas processing apparatus  1000  includes a chamber  1100 , a substrate support unit  1200 , a gas supply unit  1300 , a plasma source  1400 , and an exhaust baffle  1500 . 
     The chamber  1100  has a processing space  1106  in which a substrate W is processed. The chamber  1100  has a cylindrical shape. The chamber  1100  is formed of a metallic material. For example, the chamber  1100  may be formed of an aluminum material. The chamber  1100  has an opening formed in a sidewall  1102 . 
     The opening functions as an entrance through which the substrate W is placed in or extracted from the chamber  1100 . The opening is opened or closed by a door  1120 . A lower hole  1150  is formed in the bottom of the chamber  1100 . A pressure-reducing member (not illustrated) is connected to the lower hole  1150 . The processing space  1106  of the chamber  1100  may be evacuated by the pressure-reducing member and may be maintained in an atmosphere of reduced pressure during a process. 
     The substrate support unit  1200  supports the substrate W in the processing space  1106 . The substrate support unit  1200  may be an electrostatic chuck  1200  that supports the substrate W using an electrostatic force. Alternatively, the substrate support unit  1200  may support the substrate W in various manners such as mechanical clamping. 
     The electrostatic chuck  1200  includes a dielectric plate  1210 , a base  1230 , and a focus ring  1250 . The dielectric plate  1210  may be formed of a dielectric substance. The substrate W is directly placed on an upper surface of the dielectric plate  1210 . The dielectric plate  1210  has a circular plate shape. The dielectric plate  1210  may have a smaller radius than the substrate W. An electrode  1212  for chucking is installed in the dielectric plate  1210 . A power supply (not illustrated) is connected to the electrode  1212  for chucking. Power is applied from the power supply (not illustrated) to the electrode  1212 , and the substrate W is clamped to the dielectric plate  1210  by an electrostatic force. A heater  1214  for heating the substrate 
     W is installed in the dielectric plate  1210 . The heater  1214  is located under the electrode  1212  for chucking. The heater  1214  may be implemented with a coil in a spiral shape. 
     The base  1230  supports the dielectric plate  1210 . The base  1230  is located under the dielectric plate  1210  and is fixedly coupled with the dielectric plate  1210 . An upper surface of the base  1230  has a stepped shape such that the central region is located in a higher position than the edge region. The central region of the upper surface of the base  1230  has an area corresponding to that of a bottom surface of the dielectric plate  1210 . A cooling fluid channel  1232  is formed in the base  1230 . The cooling fluid channel  232  serves as a passage through which a cooling fluid circulates. The cooling fluid channel  1232  may be provided in a spiral shape in the base  1230 . The base  1230  is connected with an RF power supply  1234  located outside. The RF power supply  1234  applies power to the base  1230 . The power applied to the base  1230  guides plasma generated in the chamber  1100  toward the base  1230 . The base  1230  may be formed of a metallic material. 
     The focus ring  1250  concentrates the plasma on the substrate W. The focus ring  1250  includes an inner ring  1252  and an outer ring  1254 . The inner ring  1252  has an annular ring shape that surrounds the dielectric plate  1210 . The inner ring  1252  is located on the edge region of the base  1230 . The inner ring  1252  has an upper surface at the same height as the upper surface of the dielectric plate  1210 . An inner portion of the upper surface of the inner ring  1252  supports the edge region of the backside of the substrate W. For example, the inner ring  1252  may be formed of a conductive material. The outer ring  1254  has an annular ring shape that surrounds the inner ring  1252 . The outer ring  1254  is located adjacent to the inner ring  1252  on the edge region of the base  1230 . The outer ring  1254  has an upper end in a higher position than an upper end of the inner ring  1252 . The outer ring  1254  may be formed of an insulating material. 
     The gas supply unit  1300  supplies a process gas onto the substrate W supported on the substrate support unit  1200 . The gas supply unit  1300  includes a gas reservoir  1350 , a gas supply line  1330 , and a gas intake port  1310 . The gas supply line  1330  connects the gas reservoir  1350  and the gas intake port  1310 . The process gas stored in the gas reservoir  1350  is supplied to the gas intake port  1310  through the gas supply line  1330 . The gas intake port  1310  is installed in an upper wall  1104  of the chamber  1100 . The gas intake port  1310  is located to face the substrate support unit  1200 . According to an embodiment, the gas intake port  1310  may be installed in the center of the upper wall  1104  of the chamber  1100 . A valve may be installed in the gas supply line  1330  to open or close the inner passage of the gas supply line  1330  or to regulate the flow rate of the process gas flowing through the inner passage of the gas supply line  1330 . For example, the process gas may be an etching gas. 
     The plasma source  1400  excites the process gas in the chamber  1100  into a plasma state. An inductively coupled plasma (ICP) source may be used as the plasma source  1400 . The plasma source  1400  includes an antenna  1410  and an external power supply  1430 . The antenna  1410  is disposed over the chamber  1100 . The antenna  1410  is provided in a spiral shape wound a plurality of times and is connected with the external power supply  1430 . The antenna  1410  receives power from the external power supply  1430 . The antenna  1410  to which the power is applied forms a discharge space in the interior space of the chamber  1100 . The process gas staying in the discharge space may be excited into a plasma state. 
     The exhaust baffle  1500  uniformly releases the plasma from the processing space  1106  by region. The exhaust baffle  1500  has an annular ring shape. 
     In the processing space  1106 , the exhaust baffle  1500  is located between an inner wall of the chamber  1100  and the substrate support unit  1200 . The exhaust baffle  1500  has a plurality of exhaust holes  1502  formed therein. The exhaust holes  1502  are directed in the vertical direction. The exhaust holes  1502  extend from the top of the exhaust baffle  1500  to the bottom thereof. The exhaust holes  1502  are spaced apart from each other along the circumferential direction of the exhaust baffle  1500 . Each of the exhaust holes  1502  has a slit shape and has a lengthwise direction directed in the radial direction. 
     Next, the transfer unit  2000  mentioned above will be described in more detail.  FIG. 4  is a perspective view illustrating the buffer unit of  FIG. 2 .  FIG. 5  is a plan view illustrating the buffer unit of  FIG. 4 .  FIG. 6  is a sectional view taken along line A-A of  FIG. 4 . Referring to  FIGS. 4 to 6 , the buffer unit  2000  includes a housing  2100 , a substrate support unit  2300 , a gas supply unit  2600 , an exhaust unit  2800 , a partitioning unit  3000 , and a controller  3200 . 
     The housing  2100  has the shape of a container with a buffer space  2120  inside. The housing  2100  has a lengthwise direction directed in the third direction  16 . The buffer space  2120  is partitioned into a plurality of receiving spaces  2122  independent of one another by the partitioning unit  3000 . The receiving spaces  2122  are provided as spaces in which to receive a plurality of substrates W. The housing  2100  has an open face  2140  on one side thereof. The open face  2140  faces the transfer frame  140 . The open face  2140  functions as an entrance  2140   a  through which the substrates W are transferred between the transfer frame  140  and the buffer space  2120 . A heater (not illustrated) may be installed in a sidewall of the housing  2100  to heat the buffer space  2120 . 
     The substrate support unit  2300  supports a substrate W in the buffer space  2120 . The substrate support unit  2300  supports a plurality of substrates W. The plurality of substrates W are located to be arranged in the vertical direction by the substrate support unit  2300 . The substrate support unit  2300  includes a plurality of support slots  2330 . The support slots  2330  have seating surfaces on which the substrates W are seated, respectively. Here, the seating surfaces may be upper surfaces of the support slots  2330 . The support slots  2330  protrude from an inner surface of the housing  2100 . Two support slots  2330  located at the same height face each other when viewed from above. Furthermore, the support slots  2330  are located to be spaced apart from each other along the third direction  16 . The support slots  2330  may be spaced apart from each other at equal intervals in the third direction  16 . 
     Accordingly, the plurality of substrates W may be supported on the substrate support unit  2300  in a state of being stacked one above another. Alternatively, three or more support slots  2330  may be provided when viewed from above. 
     The gas supply unit  2600  supplies a purge gas into the buffer space  2120 . Contaminants remaining on the substrates W may be purged by the purge gas supplied from the gas supply unit  2600 . Furthermore, infiltration of external contaminants into the buffer space  2120  may be minimized by the purge gas supplied into the buffer space  2120 . The gas supply unit  2600  includes a first supply unit  2620 , a second supply unit  2640 , a gas supply line  2660 , and a heater  2680 . The first supply unit  2620  has a plurality of first gas nozzles  2622 , and the second supply unit  2640  has a plurality of second gas nozzles  2642 . 
     The first supply unit  2620  is located closer to the entrance  2140   a  than the second supply unit  2640  when viewed from above. The first gas nozzles  2622  are located on opposite sides of the entrance  2140   a  when the entrance  2140   a  is viewed from the front. The first gas nozzles  2622  located on the opposite sides may dispense the purge gas toward each other. The first gas nozzles  2622  may dispense the purge gas in the horizontal directions. The first gas nozzles  2622  may dispense the purge gas in directions parallel to the entrance  2140   a  or at acute angles with respect to the entrance  2140   a.  Accordingly, the first gas nozzles  2622  may interrupt infiltration of external contaminants into the buffer space  2120 . Furthermore, the first gas nozzles  2622  are arranged to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. For example, the interval between two first gas nozzles  2622  adjacent to each other in the vertical direction may be the same as the interval between two support slots  2330  adjacent to each other in the vertical direction. 
     The second gas nozzles  2642  are located to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction and are arranged to have the same interval as the first gas nozzles  2622 . The second gas nozzles  2642  dispense the purge gas toward the substrates W when viewed from above. Due to this, contaminants remaining on the substrates W may be purged and cleaned. According to an embodiment, the second gas nozzles  2642  arranged in the vertical direction may be divided into a plurality of groups, and the plurality of groups of second gas nozzles  2642  may supply the purge gas toward the substrates W at various angles. 
     The gas supply line  2660  supplies the purge gas to the first supply unit  2620  and the second supply unit  2640 . The gas supply line  2660  may supply the purge gas such that the same amount of purge gas is supplied into the receiving spaces  2122 . For example, the purge gas may be an inert gas or air. The heater  2680  is installed on the gas supply line  2660 . The heater  2680  heats the purge gas to a temperature higher than room temperature. 
     The exhaust unit  2800  evacuates the buffer space  2120 . The exhaust unit  2800  discharges particles and fumes removed from the substrates W to the outside of the buffer space  2120 . The exhaust unit  2800  includes gas exhaust lines  2820 , exhaust valves  2840 , and a pressure-reducing member  2860 . The gas exhaust lines  2820  are connected to the respective receiving spaces  2122 , and the exhaust valves  2840  are installed in the gas exhaust lines  2820  to separately regulate the amounts of gas discharged from the receiving spaces  2122 . The pressure-reducing member  2860  reduces the pressure in the gas exhaust lines  2820  to evacuate the receiving spaces  2122 . For example, the gas exhaust lines  2820  may be connected to the opposite face to the open face  2140 . 
     The partitioning unit  3000  partitions the interior space of the housing  2100  into the plurality of independent receiving spaces  2122 . The partitioning unit  3000  is located such that the plurality of receiving spaces  2122  are arranged to be stacked one above another.  FIG. 7  is a perspective view illustrating the substrate support unit and the partitioning unit of  FIG. 4 , and  FIG. 8  is a plan view illustrating a partitioning plate and a heating member of  FIG. 7 . Referring to  FIGS. 7 and 8 , a plurality of partitioning units  3000  are provided. The partitioning units  300  are located to be spaced apart from each other in the vertical direction. Each of the partitioning units  3000  includes the partitioning plate  3020  and the heating member  3040 . The partitioning plate  3020  is implemented with a plate having the same shape as the housing  2100  when viewed from above. The partitioning plate  3020  may be provided to be detachable from the housing  2100 . Due to this, the position of the partitioning plate  3020  may be changed, and the volumes of the receiving spaces  2122  may be varied. Furthermore, the number of receiving spaces  2122  may be adjusted by the number of partitioning plates  3020 . For example, the same number of partitioning plates  3020  or more partitioning plates  3020  than the process units  260  may be provided. The heating member  3040  adjusts the temperature of the partitioning plate  3020 . The heating member  3040  may be implemented with a heating wire  3040  installed in the partitioning plate  3020 . According to an embodiment, the heating member  3040  may be provided as a first temperature adjustment member for adjusting the temperature of the receiving spaces  2122  to a first temperature, and the heater  2680  may be provided as a second temperature adjustment member  2680  for adjusting the temperature of the receiving spaces  2122  to a second temperature by using the purge gas. The first temperature and the second temperature may be equal to each other. 
     The controller  3200  controls the exhaust unit  2800  to adjust the amounts of gas discharged from the receiving spaces  2122 . The controller  3200  may differently adjust the amounts of gas discharged from the receiving spaces  2122 , depending on the substrates W located in the receiving spaces  2122 . According to an embodiment, one of the plurality of receiving spaces  2122  may be provided as a first space  2122   a,  and another one may be provided as a second space  2122   b.  First substrates W 1  subjected to a first process may be placed in the first space  2122   a,  and second substrates W 2  subjected to a second process may be placed in the second space  2122   b.  The first process and the second process may differ from each other, and the amounts of gas discharged from the first space  2122   a  and the second space  2122   b  may be differently adjusted. That is, the amounts of gas discharged may be differently adjusted depending on the types of processes to which the substrates placed in the receiving spaces  2122  were subjected. Furthermore, the amounts of gas discharged may be differently adjusted depending on the types of used gases even though the substrates were subjected to the same process. 
     Hereinafter, a process of processing a substrate W using the above-described substrate processing equipment will be described. A method of processing the substrate W includes a processing step and a post-processing step. The processing step is a step of processing the substrate W using a gas in the processing module  20 . Here, processing the substrate W in the processing module  20  includes processing the substrate W in a single process unit  260  or processing the substrate W in the plurality of process units  260 . The substrate W subjected to the processing step is transferred into the buffer unit  2000  through the unload-lock chamber  34 . The processing module  20  is in a vacuum state, whereas the index module  10  has an atmospheric pressure state. Due to this, a large amount of particles are attached to the substrate W transferred from the processing module  20  to the index module  10 . 
     The post-processing step is a step of removing contaminants remaining on the substrate W. In the post-processing step, the substrate W is processed by supplying a purge gas to the substrate W and discharging the purge gas. Referring to  FIG. 9 , the first substrates W 1  subjected to the first process are transferred into the first space  2122   a,  which is one of the receiving spaces  2122 , and the second substrates W 2  subjected to the second process are transferred into the second space  2122   b,  which is another one of the receiving spaces  2122 . The first space  2122   a  and the second space  2122   b  are heated by the partitioning unit  3000  and the gas supply unit  2600 . For example, the first space  2122   a  and the second space  2122   b  may be heated to the same temperature. Alternatively, the amounts of gas discharged from the first space  2122   a  and the second space  2122   b  may differ from each other. For example, the pressure in the first space  2122   a  may be higher than the pressure in the transfer frame  140 , and the pressure in the second space  2122   b  may be lower than the pressure in the transfer frame  140 . 
     In the above-described embodiment, it has been described that the substrates W subjected to the different processes are transferred into the first space  2122   a  and the second space  2122   b.  However, as illustrated in  FIG. 10 , the substrates W 1  subjected to the same process may be transferred into the first space  2122   a  and the second space  2122   b.  In this case, the amounts of gas discharged from the first space  2122   a  and the second space  2122   b  may be the same as each other. The first space  2122   a  and the second space  2122   b  may be adjacent to each other. The first space  2122   a  and the second space  2122   b  may be partitioned from each other by the partitioning plate  3020 . The first space  2122   a  may be an upper space, and the second space  2122   b  may be a lower space. The first space  2122   a  and the second space  2122   b  may be heated by the partitioning plate  3020 . Accordingly, a temperature difference between an upper side of the first space  2122   a  and a lower side of the second space  2122   b  may be reduced. 
     According to the embodiments of the inventive concept, the interior space of the housing is partitioned into the receiving spaces by the partitioning plate. Accordingly, a plurality of substrates may be uniformly processed. 
     Furthermore, according to the embodiments of the inventive concept, the plurality of receiving spaces are separately evacuated, and substrates subjected to different processes are received in the plurality of receiving spaces. Accordingly, the substrates may be processed by varying amounts of gas discharged from the receiving spaces, depending on the pre-processing processes. 
     In addition, according to the embodiments of the inventive concept, the temperatures of the receiving spaces are adjusted by the partitioning plate and the gas. Accordingly, the temperatures of the receiving spaces may be uniformly adjusted. 
     The above description exemplifies the inventive concept. Furthermore, the above-mentioned contents describe the exemplary embodiments of the inventive concept, and the inventive concept may be used in various other combinations, changes, and environments. That is, variations or modifications can be made to the inventive concept without departing from the scope of the inventive concept that is disclosed in the specification, the equivalent scope to the written disclosures, and/or the technical or knowledge range of those skilled in the art. The written embodiments describe the best state for implementing the technical spirit of the inventive concept, and various changes required in specific applications and purposes of the inventive concept can be made. Accordingly, the detailed description of the inventive concept is not intended to restrict the inventive concept in the disclosed embodiment state. In addition, it should be construed that the attached claims include other embodiments. 
     While the inventive concept has been described with reference to exemplary embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the inventive concept. Therefore, it should be understood that the above embodiments are not limiting, but illustrative.