Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an alignment device and a substrate processing apparatus that includes the alignment device.
Description of Related Art
Substrate processing apparatuses are used to subject various types of substrates such as semiconductor substrates, substrates for liquid crystal displays, plasma displays, optical disks, magnetic disks, magneto-optical disks, and photomasks, and other substrates to various types of processing.
Alignment for a substrate is performed before processing for the substrate such that a notch formed at the substrate is aligned in a specific direction with respect to the center of the substrate. In JP 2000-77501 A, a wafer with a notch alignment mechanism that can simultaneously perform alignment for five wafers is described. This wafer with a notch alignment mechanism includes five wafer alignment units. Each wafer alignment unit has a rotation table that is rotatably provided, a motor for driving to rotate the rotation table and a notch detection sensor for detecting a notch of the wafer. In each wafer alignment unit, in a case in which the wafer is placed on the rotation table, the notch of the wafer is detected by the notch detection sensor while the rotation table is rotated by the motor, and the wafer is aligned such that the notch is aligned in a desired direction with respect to the center of the wafer.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds