EA043461B1 - PROCESSING INSTALLATION, PROCESSING DEVICE WITH RECEIVER BOARD, AS WELL AS DEVICE FOR TRANSPORTING SUBSTRATE AND METHOD FOR PROCESSING SUBSTRATE USING THIS DEVICE - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a processing installation, a processing device with a receiving plate of a device for transporting a substrate, with which a flat substrate or an entire circuit of several flat substrates can be introduced into or removed from the processing device, and in which the substrate or substrates are located during processing in a horizontal position, and the processing a device that has a receiving plate that is designed to receive a substrate carrier transported by the substrate transport device and hold it, as well as the substrate or substrates located on the substrate carrier, during processing of the substrate. In this case, the receiving board is designed in such a way that the receiving board and the substrate carrier interact with each other in the processing device during processing of the substrate. The invention further relates to a method for treating a substrate or multiple substrates using such a substrate transport device and a corresponding processing unit.

In the manufacture of solar cells, microelectronics, or when enhancing the surface of a substrate (eg glass), various methods are used to separate or remove layers or particles, to dope layers, or to clean or activate the surface of the substrate. Further, all these processes are referred to as substrate processing. Often several such processes are also carried out directly one after the other without interruption or with interruption of the vacuum, whereby a correspondingly separate processing device is often used for each of the processes. The set of necessary steps for processing the substrate, such as, for example, introducing the substrate into the processing device, the actual processing of the substrate and the removal of the substrate from the processing device, as well as in this case, transporting the substrate between several processing devices is hereinafter referred to as the substrate processing process.

More often, flat substrates are processed that have a large surface area on one plane and, in contrast, little thickness or height perpendicular to this plane. Thus, for example, solar cell substrates have an area of (156x156) mm ² with a substrate thickness of between 140 and 200 μm.

For substrate processing, in which only one of the surfaces of the substrate, hereinafter referred to as the substrate surface, is processed, the substrate of the other of both flat surfaces, hereinafter referred to as the back side of the substrate, is often applied horizontally to the receiving plate inside the processing device. This receiving board can be heated to create optimal conditions, for example, for the gas separation phase, in particular for the chemical gas separation (CVD) phase. Alternatively or additionally, an electrical voltage may be applied to the receiving board such that the receiving board serves as a plate capacitor electrode in a reactor of parallel plate capacitors, between the electrodes of which plasma is produced. In both cases, it is of particular importance that the back surface of the substrate is applied uniformly and flatly to the receiving plate for homogeneous processing of the substrate.

Various methods and devices, hereinafter referred to as processing systems, are known for placing or receiving a substrate on a receiving board or receiving board. On the one hand, the substrate can be received into the processing system by the front surface of the substrate. For this purpose, the Bernoulli effect is often used, in which, in principle, non-contact retention of the substrate is possible. It is also possible to use the magnetic effect of corresponding substrates or additional substrate carriers. However, in particular, Bernoulli grippers have a large structural height, which, on the other hand, makes it difficult to use receiving boards with a small vertical distance in the structural elements located above them in processing devices, or they lead, in the case of large substrate surfaces, to an uneven load on the substrate, which can cause destruction of the substrate. In addition, most of these non-contact grippers have contact elements that must ensure that the top surface of the substrate is spaced from the gripper and that contact is made with the top surface of the substrate. As a result, damage to the upper surface of the substrate may occur. Such grips are described, for example, in patent DE 10 2010 026 209 A1.

Another possibility of placing or receiving the substrate exists through the use of a side gripper, which grips the substrate in several places along the edge of the substrate. Such grips are described, for example, in patents EP 0 189 279 A2 and DE 100 47 983 A1. Here too, in particular in the case of thin substrates with a large surface area, destruction of the substrate can occur.

It is further possible to process the substrate on a substrate carrier, which grips the substrate on the lower surface of the substrate, that is, to move it, transfer it or transport it. Such a substrate carrier has one or more support arms, which are arranged in a fork-shaped manner, on which the substrate rests with its lower surface during processing.

In order to remove such a substrate from the receiving board or to place it on it, the receiving board has, for example, recesses into which one or more support arms are inserted. This is described in patent DE 3214256 C2. Another option is to have an additional lifting mechanism, which consists, for example, of pins passing through the receiving board. It lifts the substrate from

- 1 043461 of the support arm or support arms or from the receiving board and allows the process to be carried out with the support arm or support arms under the bottom surface of the substrate, so that the substrate can be lifted from the receiving board and laid on the support arm or support arms or lifted from the support arm or support arms and placed on the receiving board. Such a lifting mechanism is described, for example, in patent EP 0843340 A2. In both cases, the substrate carrier is located completely outside the processing device during processing of the substrate. These systems have the disadvantage that the receiving board is not constantly in the contact area of the substrate during processing of the substrate and, therefore, uniform heating of the substrate or a uniform load on the receiving board cannot be realized, which negatively affects the homogeneous processing of the substrate.

In all the described processing methods and systems, the substrate is placed on the receiving plate by means of the processing system and, after processing, is again removed from it, while the processing system itself is located outside the processing device during processing of the substrate. In addition, it seems impossible, or at least very difficult, to ensure that substrates that are destroyed during processing are completely removed from the receiving board. Since in the case of thin substrates and in the case of substrates that have a multi-crystalline structure, such destruction occurs relatively often (between one and a hundred plate failures in one processing device during the day), this is a huge disadvantage of the known processing systems. In addition, there are stationary processing systems, such as a robot arm located between the loading point and the processing chamber, only a limited path of movement of the substrate, in particular only a limited number of processing devices that the processing system can reach.

In order to increase the throughput of substrates during their processing, batch systems are used in which several substrates are processed simultaneously. In this case, substrates with processed surfaces can be located next to each other or above each other on one or several receiving boards. For example, the substrates may be arranged on receiving boards arranged one above the other in the vertical direction and correspondingly moved in the horizontal direction, which serve as electrodes of a parallel plate capacitor reactor.

In this case, the substrates can be introduced individually sequentially one after another using the processing systems described above or simultaneously using several processing systems described above into the processing device and placed on the corresponding receiving plates. This is described, for example, in publication WO 2013/115957 A1. This requires, for example, a very long time for individual loading or unloading of a substrate, during which the processing device is not available for one treatment, during which combined processing systems designed for a large number of substrates transported at the same time turn out to be very cumbersome.

As a consequence, substrates in batch systems are often loaded outside the processing chamber in which the processing device is located, and loading is carried out under atmospheric conditions, i.e. in air, in a device for holding the substrate, for example, on a loading or processing substrate and together with the processing device fed into the processing chamber. This is used, for example, in plasma processes in which each substrate is electrically contacted with a receiving board acting as the electrode of a parallel plate capacitor reactor. For this purpose, a large part of the processing device, namely an electrode block having electrodes, is loaded outside the processing chamber with substrates and is then sent to the processing chamber for processing the substrate. This is described, for example, in patent DE 102008019023 A1 and patent DE 102010026209 A1.

The downside to this batch system is that the substrate holding device must generally be heated or cooled in order to reach the temperature required to process the substrate, usually at a high temperature (200°C to 450°C for the plasma process and up to 1000°C for CVD process) of substrates or for further transport of substrates to a subsequent processing plant or storage plant, in this case to achieve the required low temperature of the substrates. In particular, for large substrates, for which the substrate holding device itself is similarly large and, in order to ensure mechanical stability, the thickness of the individual elements of the substrate holding device is correspondingly large, the substrate holding device therefore represents a large thermal mass, which Based on longer heating and cooling, it prolongs the processing process and causes a greater thermal load (thermal costs) on the substrates, which, in the presence of doped layers or zones, turns out to be unfavorable, which generally increases energy costs for the process.

If a substrate holding device is used with substrates loaded therein for various successive substrate treatments in different processing devices

- 2 043461 tions, then the entire substrate holding device is transported to the subsequent second processing device on the production line. This prevents the process of transferring the substrates to another substrate holding device with the necessary cooling of the substrates and heating of the substrates and the use of another substrate holding device. However, the parasitic layers that have formed on the substrate holding device in the first processing device are simultaneously fed into the second processing device, as a result of which large contaminations (cross contamination) can occur between the two processing devices with different effects on the processing of the substrate. In particular, negative effects appear in the sequence of the process with a doping process, for example, of semiconductor layers and followed by another doping process or with another process of separating the undoped layer. But also, interruption of the vacuum in which the substrate holding device is transported under normal atmospheric conditions can lead to the penetration of unwanted particles and the absorption of contaminated gases from the air into the second processing device and thereby cause increased costs for the removal of these particles and gases. Such large fouling effects increase as the size of the free surfaces of the substrate holding device increases.

Therefore, the object of the claimed invention is a device for transporting a substrate, with the help of which a flat substrate can be fed into or out of a processing device of a processing installation and can be placed on a receiving board in the processing device in a horizontal position, a processing device with a receiving board that designed to receive a board and hold a substrate while it is processed, and a method for processing a substrate in a processing apparatus, as well as a processing apparatus that eliminates or reduces the disadvantages of the existing art.

This problem is solved thanks to a device for transporting the substrate according to the features of claim 18 of the formula, thanks to a processing device according to the features of claim 9 of the formula, thanks to a method according to the features of claim 29 of the formula and thanks to a processing installation according to the features of claim 1 of the formula. Preferred embodiments of the invention are described in the dependent claims.

The inventive substrate transport device is intended, on the one hand, to transport the substrate to or from a processing device, wherein the processing device has a receiving plate extending horizontally, and, on the other hand, to position and hold the substrate on a first plane reception fee. In this case, the device is suitable for holding the substrate on the receiving board while it is being processed in the processing device. For this purpose, a substrate carrier is provided, which has a holding surface and one or more gripping arms.

The holding surface extends in the horizontal direction and is structurally made on the first plane facing the substrate, flat and of the same shape as it. This means that the holding surface, at least on its first upper plane on which the substrate is located, is made of the same material and has no recesses or holes, nor any holes filled with material, and no bumps. In other words, the holding surface, at least on its first upper plane, is a monolithic structure with a flat plane. In this case, the holding surface has a shape and plane that basically corresponds to the shape and plane of the substrate. Basically means that minor deviations from the shape and dimensions of the substrate plane must also represent the corresponding shape and plane. Thus, the plane of the holding surface is, for example, 5% smaller or larger than the plane of the substrate. Similarly, planes of basically the same size are obtained when the longitudinal deviation of the edge of the holding surface from the edge of the substrate is less than or exactly 4 mm. Advantageously, the plane of the holding surface is within specified limits or at most the same size as the plane of the substrate. The substrate is held by its back plane only due to its weight, which is the unprocessed flat plane of the substrate on which the substrate is held by the holding surface. No other active forces are applied to the substrate, such as suction, pinching or the like.

The gripping arm or gripping arms are connected to the holding surface and extend above it in a horizontal direction. The gripping arm or gripping arms may be coupled at an edge of the holding surface or at a back plane of the holding surface that is located opposite the first upper plane of the holding surface to the holding surface. In this case, they can, for example, be glued, welded or connected by another detachable connection or permanent connection with the holding surface. A single design of the gripping arms and the holding surface is also possible, whereby the holding surface and the gripping arms can, for example, be manufactured by cutting or etching from a single piece of material or by a general manufacturing method using

- 3 043461 example, casting, The gripping arm or gripping arms serve to connect the holding surface to the manipulator for moving the substrate carrier. Each arm has a length and a width, with the length measured along the horizontal measurement line of the arm holding surface and the width measured vertical to the length but in the same horizontal plane. The dimensions of the gripping arms, as well as their number, are determined in such a way that a stable, reliable grip and movement of the holding surface with the substrate placed on it is ensured and, thus, depend on the shape and plane, as well as on the weight of the holding surface with the substrate placed on it. In areas in which the gripping arms are in contact with the receiving plate of the processing device and are not covered by the placed substrate during processing of the substrate, the gripping arms are subjected to treatment, thereby being processed in the same way as the substrate itself. At least in these areas, the width of the gripping arms is as small as possible to ensure mechanical stability and function as a substrate carrier. Thus, the sum of the widths of all gripping arms turns out to be significantly less than the maximum extension of the holding surface in the horizontal plane. Advantageously, the sum of the widths of all gripping arms is several times, for example 10 times, less than the maximum length of the holding surface.

The substrate carrier in accordance with the claimed device allows you to obtain several advantages when processing the substrate: making the holding surface in the form of a uniform, flat plane, basically the same shape and size as the substrate itself, on which the substrate is held under its own weight, prevents any applying non-uniform or additional forces to the substrate, so that the risk of destruction is reduced and allows for improved uniformity of processing of the substrate. In addition, the substrate, which is damaged and, for example, destroyed during its processing, can be removed without any difficulty from the processing device and transported. Since the substrate remains on the substrate carrier during processing and is not removed from the substrate carrier before processing and must again be placed on the substrate carrier after processing, two critical steps are eliminated, as a result of which the risk of damage to the substrate is reduced and time is saved. Since the holding surface has basically its own shape and plane, like the substrate, the dimensions of the gripping arms in the processing zone, that is, where the substrate does not overlap the gripping arms and the gripping arms are in contact with the receiving board, are, if possible, , small, it turns out that the areas of the substrate carrier, which are also subject to processing, like the substrate, are limited to a minimum. In this way, large contamination between different processing devices in which the substrate is held on the same substrate carrier or overloading onto another substrate carrier for transport to another processing device becomes unnecessary, and thus possible damage to the substrate resulting from this is prevented.

Advantageously, the substrate carrier contains at least two holding devices that extend from the edge and/or from the first upper plane of the holding surface, at least in the vertical direction, which are connected to it by a detachable or permanent connection and are suitable for hold the substrate against longitudinal displacement, for example against slipping or turning on the holding surface, in particular during rapid movements of the substrate carrier in the horizontal direction. The holding devices extend in this case to a height above the first upper plane of the holding surface, which is preferably above zero and less than the height of the substrate or equal to the height of the substrate. In this case, the height of the holding devices is measured from the first upper plane of the holding surface. The holding devices preferably have a length and width that are significantly smaller relative to the length and width of the substrate. The processing of the substrate is thus only slightly influenced by the holding devices. Since the holding devices or their zones, which are subject to treatment in the same way as the substrate, have only minor dimensions, they are similarly almost unaffected by the large contamination caused by the substrate transport device.

In a preferred embodiment, the substrate carrier is suitable for transporting several substrates. For this purpose, it has several holding surfaces, which are located on a common horizontal plane next to each other in the longitudinal direction and are physically connected to each other. Physical bonding causes a rigid mechanical connection between different holding surfaces. The physical joint connection of the holding surfaces is again coupled to one or more gripping arms such that all of the holding surfaces can be moved simultaneously by a manipulator interacting with the one or more gripping arms. Advantageously, the substrate carrier has a closed main element, with each holding surface being implemented as the main surface of the recess, which is structurally designed in the horizontal plane of the main element. In order for the substrates, each of which is located on one of the holding surfaces, to be protected from longitudinal displacement, for example, distortion or rotation on the corresponding holding surface, holding devices are provided, which, for example, are structurally made in the form of a side frame or as a bridge between holding surfaces.

Advantageously, the constituent elements of the substrate carrier, at least in the areas that are in contact during processing of the substrate with the substrate and/or the receiving board, are made of the same material as the first plane of the receiving board. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the constituent elements of the substrate carrier in the areas that are in contact with the substrate and/or the receiving board during processing of the substrate are made of electrically conductive material, while the gripping arm or gripping arms in the areas that During processing, the substrate is not in contact with the receiving board and consists of a non-conducting material. This creates the advantage that the manipulator connected to the gripping arms can be energized, for example as a mass, independently of the potential of the receiving board and, for example, the appearance of parasitic plasma in the area of the gripping arms can be prevented.

Advantageously, the areas of the substrate carrier that are in thermal contact with the substrate or substrates and/or the receiving board during processing of the substrate have, if possible, a small thermal capacity, which is possibly small relative to the thermal capacity of the receiving board, in order to allow rapid compensation temperature of the heated receiving board. In this case, the heat capacity of these zones of the substrate carrier is minimized by selecting the appropriate material of the substrate carrier and the dimensions of the zones, that is, in particular the height of the holding surface and the gripping arms. This has the advantage that these areas of the substrate carrier and the substrate located on the holding surface can be quickly heated or cooled, with the result that the substrate quickly reaches the temperature necessary and desired for processing in the processing device and, after the processing has been carried out, can quickly reach the temperature required for successful further process.

The device advantageously has a supporting structure to which a substrate carrier with one or more gripping arms is attached. The supporting structure can be connected to a manipulator for moving the substrate carrier.

In one embodiment of the invention, the device contains several substrate carriers, which are arranged vertically above each other and connected to the supporting structure and form one block. In this case, predominantly all substrate carriers have the same design. The supporting structure is, for example, a vertical plate or rod on which the gripping arms of the individual substrate carriers are attached. Thus, with the help of such a supporting structure, a general, uniform and equivalent movement of all substrate carriers is ensured, so that several substrates can be moved into or from one processing device, which has several receiving plates located vertically above each other, moved in or out, placed on receiving boards and held during processing of substrates. In this case, the vertical distance between the individual substrate carriers relative to each other corresponds to the vertical distance between the individual receiving plates of the processing device.

Advantageously, the device has several blocks of substrate carriers arranged vertically above each other, the blocks being arranged horizontally next to each other and connected to the same supporting structure. Thus, it is possible for several substrate blocks to move simultaneously, the substrates of one specific substrate block being placed on the holding surfaces of one specific substrate carrier block, into or from several processing devices arranged next to each other in the horizontal direction, wherein several processing devices can be same or different. Of course, the processing device can also comprise several blocks of receiving boards arranged horizontally next to each other and arranged vertically one above the other.

Of course, the device can also have several substrate carriers, which are arranged horizontally next to each other, but not above each other, and are connected to the supporting structure.

The claimed processing device for processing a substrate has a receiving board on which the substrate is located during its processing. This receiving board has on the first plane, which faces the substrate during processing of the substrate, a recess which is intended to accommodate the substrate carrier in the substrate processing device when transporting the substrate during its processing. For this purpose, the dimensions and shape of the recess are made in accordance with the dimensions and shape of the substrate carrier. This means that the dimensions and shape of the holding surface, the dimensions, shape and arrangement of the gripping arms, and in this case the dimensions, shape and arrangement of the holding devices, and in this case the arrangement of several holding surfaces when making a recess in the receiving board are taken into account. In other words: the receiving board of the claimed processing device is made structurally in such a way that the substrate carrier of a certain claimed device corresponds exactly in its shape to the recess in the receiving board for transporting the substrate. The recess in the receiving board is therefore negative for the surface of the substrate carrier facing the receiving board. In this case, the recess is designed in such a way that the substrate carrier is also then, at least in the horizontal plane, completely immersed in the recess, that is, it corresponds to the recess when the substrate carrier is heated to the temperature of the receiving board during processing of the substrate, which is compared to the normal temperature often turns out to be higher. By normal temperature is meant in this case the temperature at which the substrate carrier is usually measured, for example room temperature, that is, approximately 25°C. In other words: The thermal expansion of the substrate carrier and the receiving board and the temperature of the receiving board during processing of the substrate must be taken into account when designing and executing the recess in the receiving board.

Such a design of the receiving board of the processing device together with a substrate carrier with a minimally covered surface layer makes it possible to achieve a reduction in large contamination between different processing devices in which the substrate is held on the same declared substrate carrier, since the separation of layers that influence large contamination can occur only on a minimal surface. Since in general only the substrate carrier holding devices contribute to large contamination and the surface of which may constitute, for example, only 0.1 to 1% of the total surface of the receiving board, large contamination can be reduced during two successive layering processes, e.g. by 3 to 4 orders of magnitude. It is thus, for example, possible to separate doped and undoped (without internal losses) semiconductor layers in a system with a circulating substrate carrier, with one substrate carrier used for at least two joint layer coating processes and/or with one substrate carrier, which is used for several passes through the installation without intermediate purification of the substrate carrier. In addition, such a design of the receiving board makes it possible to make full electrical and/or thermal contact of the substrate carrier with its back surface with the receiving board and, thereby, achieve a uniform distribution of electrical charge and/or temperature on the holding surface.

Advantageously, there is a recess on the first receiving board plane having a depth measured from the first receiving board plane that is sized such that the first top plane of the holding surface and the first receiving board plane form a flat surface during processing of the substrate. Thus, the receiving plate and the holding surface of the substrate carrier form a flat surface on which the substrate rests completely evenly during its processing, so that the uniformity of processing of the substrate is increased.

In one embodiment of the invention, the processing device is a plasma processing device and further has a device for applying a first voltage to the receiving board and a second voltage to a first electrode that is located vertically above and parallel to the receiving board and is electrically isolated from the receiving board. The receiving board is therefore a second electrode in the parallel plate capacitor reactor, consisting of the first electrode and the receiving board. The first and second voltages are different. Thereby, the plasma between the first electrode and the receiving board can be ignited and the substrate can be processed using the plasma. If several receiving boards are arranged vertically one above the other in a processing device, each receiving board can advantageously be loaded alternately by the voltage supply device with a first or a second voltage. Each receiving board, which is located vertically above the other receiving boards, thereby forms a first electrode inside a parallel-plate capacitor, which consists of this receiving board and the board located immediately below it. Actually, above the uppermost receiving plate of the processing device, a first additional electrode is necessary if the substrate located on the uppermost receiving plate is to be processed in the same way.

Advantageously, the receiving board of the plasma processing device consists entirely of an electrically conductive material, so that ohmic contact with the substrate carrier and the substrate is possible with the substrate carrier consisting of an electrically conductive material.

In another preferred embodiment of the invention, the receiving plate of the plasma processing device is composed, in at least one area that borders the first plane, of a structure of layers consisting of an electrically conductive material and a dielectric material, wherein the dielectric material borders the first receiving plane fees. In this way, capacitive contact can be achieved with the substrate carrier and the substrate itself.

Preferably, the receiving board contains a device for heating the receiving board, which is designed to regulate the temperature necessary, for example, for processing the substrate. Such a device is predominantly a heating device, but can also be a cooling device. In this case, the heating device can be constructed structurally, for example, as an electric heating element or as a pipe system with flowing liquid, or in the form of other devices known from the prior art.

In addition, the receiving board may also contain other devices, such as, for example, a device for supplying one or more process gases to the substrate treatment chamber. If a number of receiving boards are arranged vertically above each other in the processing device, then each receiving board, which is arranged vertically above another receiving board, preferably contains, for example, a gas distributor, which is designed to supply a gas or several gases from the reverse side receiving board from the space above the receiving board located below this receiving board. Thus, each receiving board simultaneously forms a channel for supplying gas that processes the substrate, which is placed on the receiving board located below.

Preferably it is a CVD processing device - a layer coating unit. In this case, the receiving plate in the upper zone in the vertical direction contains a surface heater, which is designed to heat the upper zone to the first temperature and in the lower zone in the vertical direction contains a gas distributor as a means for heating the lower zone to the second temperature, while the second temperature is lower than the first temperature. Between the upper and lower zones is a thermal insulation structure, which is designed to reduce or prevent heat flow from the upper zone to the lower zone.

Preferably, the recess in the first plane of the receiving board has a shape that allows independent adjustment of the substrate carrier in the recess, in particular during placement of the substrate carrier in the receiving board. Thus, for example, the recess may have its own beveled downward extending edges.

Preferably, the processing device has a plurality of stacked receiving plates, each of which is designed to receive a substrate carrier of the inventive substrate transport device, which contains a block of substrate carriers arranged vertically one above the other. In this case, the vertical distances between the receiving boards and the vertical distances between the substrate carriers are consistent with each other.

The claimed method of processing a substrate in a processing unit, which contains a processing device with a receiving board on which the substrate is held during its processing, contains the following steps in their given sequence: placing the substrate on the substrate carrier of the claimed device for transporting the substrate, moving the substrate carrier, at least in at least one horizontal direction until the substrate carrier is located in the vertical direction above the receiving board of the processing device, placing the substrate carrier on the receiving board, processing the substrate in the processing device, lifting the substrate carrier from the receiving board in the vertical direction, moving the substrate carrier at least at least in one horizontal direction from the processing device and removing the substrate from the substrate carrier. Placing the substrate on the substrate carrier and removing the substrate from the substrate carrier is accomplished by means that are known in the art. Moving the substrate carrier in the horizontal direction and in the vertical direction to place the substrate carrier on the receiving board and lifting the substrate carrier from the receiving board is performed using a manipulator, which has means known in the prior art. The predominantly horizontal and vertical movements of the substrate carrier are precisely separated in time. If there is an appropriate offer, the spaces inside the processing device can also be combined with each other, at least in part, horizontal movement and vertical movement. In this case, for example, a helical movement of the substrate carrier can also be performed.

Preferably, the processing installation has multiple processing devices and the steps of moving the substrate carrier are performed sequentially one after another repeatedly as a single process in at least one horizontal direction until the substrate carrier is positioned in the vertical direction above the receiving plate of the processing device to accommodate the media substrate on the receiving board, for processing the substrate in the processing device, for lifting the substrate carrier from the receiving board in a vertical direction, and for moving the substrate carrier in at least one horizontal direction out of the processing device, wherein the substrate is moved one after another into different processing devices devices and from them and is processed in them. Thus, during the entire technological process, the substrate is located in the processing unit on the same substrate carrier and is transported with it from one processing device to the subsequent processing device and is placed on the corresponding receiving board in each processing device and processed. This eliminates overloading of the substrate between different processing devices, which significantly reduces problems

- 7 043461 large contamination and in this case the necessary time-consuming heating of the substrate between different processing devices.

Advantageously, substrate treatments are carried out in different processing devices, as well as transfers of the substrate between different processing devices without interrupting the vacuum in the processing installation. This reduces the penetration of particles into processing devices, saving time and money.

In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the processing device is the claimed processing device as described above. That is, the receiving board has a recess corresponding to the substrate carrier. In this case, the substrate carrier is placed in the recess of the receiving plate.

However, the claimed device for transporting the substrate can also be combined with a processing device for technological processing of the substrate, the receiving plate of which does not have such a recess. In this case, the gripping arms of the substrate carrier are located predominantly only on the side surfaces or on the edge of the holding surface, that is, they are made structurally or secured in such a way that the reverse side of the substrate carrier, which is placed on the receiving board of the processing device, is flat and does not have any protruding parts or recesses. Thus, the holding surface of the substrate carrier is located exactly on the flat plane of the receiving board during processing of the substrate. Also in this embodiment, a reduction in large contamination is achieved, as well as complete electrical contact and/or thermal contact of the substrate carrier with its reverse side and, thus, a uniform distribution of the electrical potential and/or uniform heating of the holding surface.

The claimed processing plant for technological processing of a substrate has a loading chamber, at least one processing chamber with at least one processing device and one unloading chamber, as well as a moving structure. The processing device has a receiving plate on which the substrate is held during processing. The transfer structure is designed to receive the inventive substrate transport device and move it into and out of at least one processing chamber, and to move the substrate carrier transported by the substrate transport device in the processing chamber in at least a horizontal direction. and vertical direction. Thus, the moving structure is intended to move the substrate carrier with the substrate located on it, at least, into and out of the processing device, as well as to lay the substrate carrier on the receiving plate of the processing device or to lift it from it. The loading chamber is designed to place the substrate on a substrate carrier transported by the inventive substrate transport device, while the unloading chamber is designed to remove the substrate from the substrate carrier. These cells are predominantly closed cells, which are enclosed on all sides by walls, but can, however, be open cells, in the sense that they can be open to the environment as loading and unloading points. The loading and unloading chambers may be equipped with or connected to a handling system known from the prior art, which implements the placement of the substrate on or removal from the substrate carrier. In addition, the loading chamber and the unloading chamber may be configured as a single chamber, which will be designed to place the substrate on the substrate carrier, as well as remove the substrate from the substrate carrier.

Advantageously, the at least one processing device is a claimed processing device as described above. This means that the receiving board has one recess corresponding to the substrate carrier.

The at least one processing chamber is preferably a closed chamber in which certain process conditions for processing the substrate can be established. If there are several processing chambers, then the chambers can be designed differently.

The various chambers can have any arrangement as long as they provide the functionality and movement of the substrate transport device. Preferably, the individual chambers are arranged on the same line sequentially one after another, preferably as an installation with continuous operation. However, it is also possible to arrange several processing chambers not in a linear manner, but around one central chamber, the central chamber being a combined loading and unloading chamber or a separate handling chamber.

Preferably, at least one of the processing chambers is a vacuum chamber that is separated from the adjacent chamber by a gas-tight spool valve, the spool valve having a cross-section sufficient to allow passage of the substrate transport device. The chambers adjacent to this vacuum chamber can be chambers in which a vacuum can also exist, so that these adjacent chambers can be used as an inlet chamber in which the normal pressure environment changes to

- 8 043461 vacuum atmosphere, or outlet chamber, in which a normal pressure environment is produced from the vacuum atmosphere. Also, the loading and unloading chambers can be used as similar inlet and outlet chambers.

In one preferred embodiment of the invention, the processing plant has several processing chambers, which are respectively vacuum chambers and are connected to each other by means of gas-tight spool valves. In this case, the moving structure is intended to move the device for transporting the substrate through the processing chamber without interrupting the vacuum. Thereby, there is no need to carry out pumping and pumping processes between the individual processing steps in different processing chambers and thus the associated disadvantages are eliminated.

Preferably, at least one chamber, at least as a processing chamber, is disposed in conjunction with a straight vertical wall that is positioned perpendicular to a wall or spool valve that is adjacent to an adjacent chamber or a loading chamber and/or a discharge chamber. In this embodiment, the moving structure comprises a load-bearing element, at least one guide system extending horizontally or vertically and several guide elements. The guide system is located on the support element on the side facing the side wall, while the guide elements are located on the vertical side wall of the loading chamber and are designed to cooperate with the guide system so that the support element can be guided along the guide elements in horizontal or vertical direction along the side wall and hold. The support element is connected, with its surface facing the side wall of the loading chamber, mechanically to the device for transporting the substrate, in particular to the gripping arms or the gripping arm of the substrate carrier or to the supporting structure. It is designed to move the substrate carrier transported by the substrate transport device at least in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the guide system extends. For this purpose, it has electrically, pneumatically, hydraulically or otherwise driven and controlled push devices or push rods, which are known from the prior art.

Advantageously, the carrier element is designed to move the substrate carrier in a horizontal direction that extends perpendicular to the surface of the carrier element facing the substrate transport device.

In a variant of the design, the guide system extends vertically along the load-bearing element and the guide elements extend vertically along the side wall of the processing chamber. Adjacent chambers are located in a vertical direction above or below the processing chamber. In this case, the vertical movement of the device for transporting the substrate is realized using a guide system in interaction with the guide elements, while the horizontal movement of the device for transporting the substrate is realized using the supporting element.

In another embodiment, the guide system extends horizontally along the supporting element and the guide elements horizontally along the side wall of the processing chamber. Adjacent chambers are located horizontally next to the processing chamber. In this case, the movement of the substrate transport device is realized in the horizontal direction, which runs along the vertical side wall of the processing unit, using a guide system in cooperation with the guide elements, while the vertical movement of the substrate transport device, and also in this case the movement a device for transporting a substrate along a horizontal direction that runs perpendicular to a surface of the support element that faces the device for transporting a substrate is implemented by the support element. In this embodiment, the guide system contains a beam, which is located on the supporting element in the horizontal direction, while the guide elements mainly contain rollers, which are located in the horizontal direction in succession one after another on the side wall with the possibility of rotation. In this case, the rollers are arranged at a distance from each other, which is of such small dimensions that the beam at each point inside the processing installation is in contact with at least two rollers and is held by them. The dimensions of the gas-tight spool valve in the direction of movement of the support element must therefore be smaller than the distance between the rollers.

Advantageously, the claimed device for transporting the substrate is integrated as an integral part of the processing plant. That is, the device can only be used in this processing installation and cannot be used in other processing installations and is matched to the specific features of the processing installation.

In one embodiment of the processing plant, a loading chamber, at least one processing chamber, and an unloading chamber are arranged in a linear sequence one behind the other. This

- 9 043461 means that the cameras are located sequentially one after another along one line. The transfer structure is therefore designed to move the substrate transport device only in a straight line from the loading chamber through at least one processing chamber to the discharge chamber. In this way, the substrate is moved linearly through the various chambers and processed. Such a processing plant is therefore a continuous operation plant, in which the loading and unloading chambers are separate chambers, which are often spaced at a large distance from each other. The transfer structure further includes a return feed system that is configured to move the substrate transport device from an unloading chamber to a loading chamber outside of the at least one processing chamber. Thus, the empty substrate transport device, that is, the device in which the substrate is no longer located on the substrate carrier, can be returned from the unloading chamber to the loading chamber, so that it is again made available for carrying out the process with the substrate in the processing chamber.

Below, the claimed invention is explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. At the same time, the sizes of individual elements, as well as their relationships with each other, do not correspond to a certain scale, but are made schematically. Identical reference numbers designate respectively identical structural elements. The drawings show:

in fig. 1A is a schematic top view of a first embodiment of the claimed device for transporting a substrate with a first embodiment of a substrate carrier;

in fig. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the first embodiment along line AA according to FIG. 1A;

in fig. 1C is a schematic top view of the substrate carrier according to FIG. 1A with a substrate located on it;

in fig. 1D is a schematic cross-sectional view along a substrate carrier according to FIG. 1C with the substrate located on it along line B-B according to FIG. 1C;

in fig. 2A is a schematic top view of a second embodiment of a substrate carrier;

in fig. 2B is a schematic top view of a third embodiment of a substrate carrier;

in fig. 3A is a schematic top view of a fourth embodiment of a substrate carrier with a substrate disposed thereon;

in fig. 3B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a fourth embodiment of a substrate carrier along line CC according to FIG. 3A;

in fig. 3C is a cross-sectional view of FIG. 3B without substrate;

in fig. 4A is a side view of a second embodiment of a substrate transport device that has a stack of multiple substrate carriers arranged one above the other;

in fig. 4B is a front view of a third embodiment of a substrate transport device that has two adjacent blocks with multiple substrate carriers arranged one above the other;

in fig. 5A shows a perspective view of the first embodiment of the receiving board of the claimed processing device;

in fig. 5B is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a receiving board along line D-D'-D according to FIG. 5A;

in fig. 5C is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a receiving board along line D-D'-D according to FIG. 5A with substrate carriers and substrate located thereon;

in fig. 5D is a schematic cross-sectional view of a first embodiment of a receiving board along line E-E' according to FIG. 5A with substrate carriers and substrate located thereon;

in fig. 6 shows a schematic cross-section of an embodiment of the receiving board of the claimed processing device and an embodiment of the claimed substrate carrier, in which a capacitive connection is implemented between the receiving board or substrate carrier and the substrate;

in fig. 7A shows a schematic cross-section of a second embodiment of the receiving board of the inventive processing device, wherein the recess in the receiving board is shown only in a simplified form;

in fig. 7B shows a schematic cross-section of a third embodiment of the receiving board of the inventive processing device, wherein the recess in the receiving board is shown only in a simplified form;

in fig. 8A schematically shows the inventive processing device with several receiving boards configured as plasma electrodes;

in fig. 8B is a schematic view of the inventive processing apparatus with multiple receiving boards which are configured as a combination of a gas distributor and a substrate heater for CVD applications;

- 10 043461 in Fig. 9 shows a diagram of an embodiment of the claimed method for technological processing of a substrate in a processing unit when using the claimed device for transporting the substrate;

in fig. 10A shows schematically the first embodiment of the movement of the substrate according to the claimed method of its technological processing;

in fig. 10B schematically shows a second embodiment of moving the substrate according to the claimed method of processing it;

in fig. 10C shows schematically the third embodiment of moving the substrate according to the claimed method of its technological processing;

in fig. 11 is a schematic top view of an embodiment of the inventive processing plant;

in fig. 12A is a schematic top view of a processing chamber with one processing device and a substrate transport device with multiple substrate carrier units;

in fig. 12B is a schematic top view of a processing chamber with three processing devices and a substrate transport device with several substrate carrier units;

in fig. 13 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the inventive substrate transport device and a moving structure for moving the inventive substrate transport device along the line F-F', according to FIG. eleven.

In fig. 1A is a schematic top view of the inventive substrate transport device 1 in a first embodiment with a substrate carrier 10 also in a first embodiment. The substrate transport device 1 includes a substrate carrier 10 and a support structure 14. The substrate carrier 10 has a holding surface 11, two gripping arms 121 and 122, and seven holding devices 13a to 13g.

The holding surface 11 extends in a horizontal plane that extends in a first horizontal direction along the x-axis and in a second horizontal direction along the y-axis, the first and second horizontal directions being perpendicular to each other. The holding surface 11 has a quadrangular shape and is designed structurally as a solid element, that is, without recesses, holes or protruding parts. As a material for the holding surface, all materials are applicable that satisfy all the necessary requirements for holding the substrate located on the holding surface 11, and also in this case for the implementation of electrical and thermal contact with the substrate, and the conditions for technological processing of the substrate. For example, the holding surface 11 is made of aluminum, graphite, copper, silicon, silicon carbide, or several layers containing these materials. If the holding surface 11 reaches a temperature greater than or equal to 400° C. during processing, the holding surface 11 consists of one or more suitably heat-resistant materials, such as ceramics or quartz glass and other materials. Advantageously, the holding surface 11 is formed as a single unit from only one material.

The gripping arms 121 and 122 are connected to the holding surface 11 and are made primarily of the same material as the holding surface 11, but may have different sections that are made of different materials. This is illustrated by the gripping arm 121. This gripping arm has a first portion 121a which borders the holding surface 11 and is made of the same material as the holding surface 11, and a second portion 121b which borders at one end the first portion 121a and at its other end it is adjacent to the supporting structure 14. The second section 121b is made of a different material than the first section 121a. For example, the first portion 121a is made of an electrically conductive material, such as aluminum, while the second portion 121b is made of an electrically insulating material, such as ceramic. Thus, the second section 121b isolates the first section 121a and the holding surface 11 electrically from the supporting structure 14. The gripping arms 121, 122 in the top view protrude beyond the holding surface 11 and thus allow the holding surface to be connected to the supporting structure 14, which can be connected with a manipulator for moving the substrate carrier 10. The gripping arms 121, 122 are preferably of the same design. Of course, also when selecting the material of the individual sections of the gripping arms, the required heat resistance must be taken into account, as described in relation to the holding surface 11.

The holding devices 13a to 13g are designed to hold the substrate located on the holding surface 11 against longitudinal displacement, for example, against sliding or rotation of the substrate on the holding surface 11 during the movement of the substrate carrier 10. They are made, advantageously, at least in part, from the same material as the holding surface 11 and are connected to the holding surface 11. In doing so, they extend from the edge 111 of the holding surface in the horizontal direction, that is, in the same plane as

- 11 043461 and the holding surface 11 and in the vertical direction, as can be seen in FIG. 1B. Advantageously, all holding devices 13a to 13g have the same design.

The gripping arms 121, 122 and/or the holding devices 13a to 13g may be connected to the holding surface 11 by a releasable or permanent connection, a force-lock connection, or be formed as a single material. They can, for example, be glued or welded. However, the gripping arms 121, 122 and/or the holding devices 13a to 13g can be formed in one piece with a holding surface 11, for example by milling or etching from one initial piece of material.

In fig. 1B is a schematic cross-sectional view of the device 1 according to FIG. 1A along the line .A-.A, that is, along the holding device 13c, the holding surface 11, the gripping arm 121 and the supporting structure 14. The holding surface 11 has a first upper plane 112 on which the substrate to be processed can be placed, and a second upper plane 113 , which is located opposite the first upper plane 112. The first upper plane 112 and the second upper plane 113 respectively extend horizontally, which are parallel to each other. From the vertically extending edge 111, the holding device 13c extends first in a second horizontal direction (y-axis) away from the holding surface 11 and then in the vertical direction, that is, along the z-axis, so that the upper surface of the holding device 13c is located in a plane that is located higher than the surface of the first upper plane 112. The gripping arm 121 is located partially on the second upper plane 113 of the holding surface 11, that is, on the reverse side of the holding surface 11 and here connects with the holding surface 11. It extends beyond the holding surface 11 and protrudes, thereby, in the second horizontal direction (y-axis) beyond the holding surface 11. Advantageously, the gripping arm 121 also covers the edge 111 of the holding surface 11 in the longitudinal zones in which it protrudes beyond the holding surface 11. Next is the upper surface of the gripping arm 121 in areas where it projects beyond the holding surface 11, in the same horizontal plane as the first upper plane 112 of the holding surface 11. As already described with reference to FIG. 1A, the gripping arm 121 is composed of a first portion 121a and a second portion 121b. The first portion 121a covers at least all areas of the gripping arm that are in contact with the holding surface 11, and extends advantageously some further distance from the edge 111 of the holding surface 11 in the horizontal direction, that is, along the y-axis . This distance, which means the boundaries between the first and second portions 121a, 121b, corresponds advantageously exactly to the distance between the edge of the recess in the receiving plate of the processing device in which the substrate located on the holding surface 11 is processed, while the holding surface 11 of the substrate carrier 10 is placed in the recess, and the outer edge of the receiving board. This situation will be described in more detail below with reference to FIG. 5A to 5D and for the claimed processing device.

With reference to FIG. 1C and 1D explain in more detail the design of the substrate carrier 10 with the substrate 2 disposed thereon. In FIG. 1C is a schematic top view of the substrate carrier 10 according to FIG. 1A, with the substrate 2 located on it. As can be seen, the substrate 2 has a rectangular shape, which corresponds to the shape of the holding surface 11, while the holding surface 11 along its longitudinal extent, that is, in its plane, is smaller than the substrate 2. Substrate 2 has a length L1 along the second horizontal direction (y-axis), while the holding surface 11 has a length L11 along the second horizontal direction, which is smaller than the length L1. In principle, the length of L11 can also be equal to the length of L1 or be minimally longer than specified here. The gripping arms 121, 122 have a width b ₁₂ along a first horizontal direction (x-axis) and a total length L ₁₂ along a second horizontal direction (y-axis). The width b ₁₂ is equal to the total length of the gripping arms 121, 122; however, in other embodiments it can vary relative to the length of the gripping arm. The first portion 121a has a length L _12a extending beyond the holding surface 11, which corresponds to the length of the receiving board edge area, as further explained with respect to the inventive processing device. The second section 121b has a length L _12b . Retaining devices 13a to 13g, of which in FIG. 1C only the devices 13a, 13e and 13f are shown to have a length L ₁₃ which is substantially less than the length L1 of the substrate 2. The length L ₁₃ is measured for each holding device 13a to 13g along the corresponding edge of the substrate 2, which is adjacent to the corresponding holding device 13a to 13g. This means that the length L ₁₃ of the holding device 13a to 13g is not always defined as the extension of the corresponding holding device along the second horizontal direction (y-axis), as shown for the holding device 13e in FIG. 1C, but is defined as the extent of the holding device along the first horizontal direction (x-axis) when the corresponding holding device holds an edge of the substrate 2 that extends along the first horizontal direction.

In fig. 1D shows a schematic cross-section along the substrate carrier 10, according to FIG. 1C, with the substrate 2 placed on it along the line B-B' according to FIG. 1C. Substrate 2 has a width

- 12 043461 b1 along the first horizontal direction (x-axis), while the holding surface 11 has a width b12 along the first horizontal direction, which is slightly smaller than the width bp. In principle, the width bc can also be equal to or slightly larger than the width b1 . The substrate 2 has a first plane 201, which is the surface of the substrate to be processed, and a second plane 202, which is located opposite the first plane 201, as well as an edge 203 that connects the first plane 201 and the second plane 202 in the vertical direction (along the z-axis). The substrate 2 is located with at least a portion of its second plane 202 on the first upper plane 112 of the holding surface 11. The edge 203 of the substrate 2 has a height h1 along the vertical direction (z-axis), while other portions of the substrate 2 may have other heights. The holding surface 11 has a height h11, which is equal along the entire longitudinal plane of the holding surface 11. The gripping arms 121, 122 have a height h 12 in the area where they are in contact with the second upper plane 113 of the holding surface ₁₁ , and in other areas have a height h ₁₂ , which corresponds to the sum of the heights h ₁₂ ' and h11 of the holding surface. The height h ₁₂ ' as well as the height h ₁₂ are equal throughout the respective sections of the gripping arms 121, 122, but can, however, in other embodiments vary within the respective sections. Retaining devices 13a to 13g, of which in FIG. 1D only the holding devices 13a and 13f are shown to have a height h ₁₃ measured from the first upper plane 112 of the holding surface 11 that is greater than zero and advantageously smaller than the height h ₁ of the substrate 2. As shown in the first embodiment in FIG. 1A to 1D, the holding devices 13a to 13g can extend from the edge 111 of the holding surface 11, so that their lower surface is respectively at a height with the second upper plane 113 of the holding surface 11. However, the holding devices 13a to 13g can also border the second upper plane 113 of the holding surface 11, as described for the gripping arms 121, 122, or may extend from the first upper plane 112 of the holding surface 11 upward in the vertical direction if the length L11 and width b11 of the holding surface 11 are greater than the length L1 or width b1 of the substrate 2. The holding devices 13a to 13g have a width b ₁₃ , which is significantly smaller than the width b1 of the substrate 2. Moreover, for each holding device 13a to 13g, the width b ₁₃ is measured in a direction running perpendicular to the edge of the substrate 2, which it borders corresponding holding device 13a to 13g. This means that the width b ₁₃ of the holding device 13a to 13g is not always defined as the extension of the corresponding holding device in the first horizontal direction (x-axis), as shown for the holding device 13f in FIG. 1, but is the extent of the holding device along the second horizontal direction (y-axis) if, when the corresponding holding device holds the edge of the substrate 2, which extends along the first horizontal direction. The width b ₁₃ , the height h ₁₃ and the length L ₁₃ of the holding device 13a to 13g define the surface of the holding device 13a to 13g, which during processing of the substrate 2 in the processing device is similarly processed, in particular in the surrounding atmosphere of the processing device and thus similarly can be coated, alloyed or subjected to a combination of processing. As a consequence, these dimensions are so small that they are absolutely necessary to perform the holding function so that the soiled surface is kept as minimal as possible.

The dimensions of the holding surface 11, the gripping arms 121, 122 and the holding devices 13a to 13g are such that overall reliable retention of the substrate carrier 10 and the substrate 2 is ensured. The dimensions of the gripping arms 121, 122 and their sections, as well as the dimensions of the holding devices 13a to 13g are essentially the same for gripping arms or holding devices, but may be different for several or for each gripping arm or for some or all holding devices.

Approximate dimensions for the components of the substrate carrier 10 and for the substrate 2 are given in the following table.

- 13 043461

Table 1 Element Length Width Height Substrate 2 Li = 156 mm bi - 156 mm .hi = 0.2 mm Holding surface 11 Lu = 150 mm bn = 150 mm hi 1 = 1 mm Grab arm 121, 122 Ln = 70 mm b1 ₂ = 10 mm hi2 = 3 mm Li2a = 20 MM hi2> = 2 mm Li2b ⁼ 20 mm Retaining L13 - 10 mm b1z = 1 mm hi3 = 0.5 mm

device 13a to 13g

In fig. 2A and 2B are schematic views; on top of the second or third embodiment of the substrate carrier 10' or 10, in which the shape of the holding surface 11' or 11 differs from the shape of the holding surface 11 of the first embodiment of the substrate carrier 10 shown in FIG. 1A to 1D. Thus, the holding surface 11' of the substrate carrier 10' has a circular shape, which is optimal for transporting a round substrate, while the holding surface I of the substrate carrier 10 has a regular hexagon shape, which is optimal for transporting a substrate of a corresponding shape. However, any other shape of the holding surface is also possible, such as oval, triangular, octagonal or other various shapes, which are suitably adapted to the shape of the substrate. Depending on the size and shape of the substrate, the number, dimensions and design of the gripping arms can be adjusted, For example, in FIG. 2A shows the gripping arm 121 and FIG. 2B illustrates two arms 121, 122. The number, shape and dimensions of the holding devices are consistent with the corresponding shape of the holding surface such that longitudinal movement, such as sliding or rotation of the substrate on the holding surface in any horizontal direction, is prevented. For example, shown in FIG. 2A three holding devices 13a to 13sina of FIG. 2B shows five holding devices 13a to 13e.

If the above-described embodiments of the substrate carrier were only suitable for holding and transporting only one substrate, it is possible for the substrate carrier to also have several holding surfaces and thus simultaneously hold and transport several substrates at the same time. This is described below with reference to FIG. FOR before 3S and for the fourth embodiment of the substrate carrier. In fig. 3A shows a schematic top view of the substrate carrier 100 with the substrates 2a to 2d arranged thereon, while in FIG. The CB is shown schematically as a cross-section along the substrate carrier 100 along the line CC according to FIG. BEHIND. The substrates 2a to 2d are arranged in a structure consisting of columns and shelves located next to each other in the horizontal plane, while any other longitudinal arrangement of the substrates is possible, optimizing for the shape of the substrate, thus it is also possible to arrange the substrates in an offset shape substrates, in honeycomb or round shape. Each holding surface has a shape and dimensions that correspond to the shape of the substrate located thereon, with the holding surfaces being structurally configured as recesses in the main software element of the substrate carrier 100. In this case, the longitudinal dimensions of the holding surface are of such dimensions that the corresponding substrate is completely located on the holding surface with its reverse plane. The individual substrates 2a to 2d are separated from adjacent substrates 2a to 2d, as well as from the edge of the main element by 110 vertically located sections of the main element PO. The substrate carrier 100 has two gripping arms 121, 122, which, as described with reference to the first embodiment, are located on the substrate carrier 10, the number, dimensions and location of the gripping arms being consistent with the dimensions of the main software element and the overall weight of the substrate carrier 100 being consistent with placed substrates 2a to 2d.

In fig. 3S is a cross-sectional view of the substrate carrier 100 shown in FIG. ZV, without the substrate itself. In the main element of the software, recesses 110a and 110d are structurally made, the main surface of which forms, respectively, a holding surface 11 a or 11 d for placing the substrate. These recesses are limited by the side portions of the main element of the software, which at the outer edge of the main element are structurally configured as a side frame 114a and between the recesses 110a and 110d as a jumper 114b. The side frame 114a, which extends along the entire edge of the main element of the software, as well as the bridge 114b serve as holding devices for the longitudinal

- 14043461 holding the respective substrate on the respective holding surfaces 11a and 11d. Preferably, the side frame as well as the webs formed between the various holding surfaces are continuous, that is, without any breaks. However, it is also possible for the side frame and webs to be constructed as separate, longitudinally separated structures that extend from the substrate carrier main element 110 upward in the vertical direction (z-axis). Advantageously, the height of the side frame 114a and the web 114b are less than the height of the substrates, the heights being respectively measured from the holding surface 11a, 11d in the vertical direction. Preferably, all of the holding surfaces 11a, 11d, all of the webs 114b and all of the portions of the side frame 114a are of the same design.

With reference to FIG. 4A and 4B explain in more detail other embodiments of the claimed device for transporting a substrate. In this case, shown in Fig. 4A is a side view of the inventive substrate transport device 1' in a second embodiment, which is similarly suitable for simultaneously holding and transporting multiple substrates. In this case, the device 1' has a block 101 of several substrate carriers 10a to 10d arranged one above the other, each substrate carrier 10a to 10d can be configured according to one of the embodiments described with reference to FIG. 1A to 3C. Advantageously, the carriers 10a to 10d are made identical and are located above each other in the vertical direction (along the z-axis), covering each other, with each substrate carrier 10a to 10d having the same distance in the vertical direction relative to the adjacent substrate carrier 10a to 10d. All substrate carriers 10a to 10d are mounted on the same support structure 14, which provides overall support and movement of the substrate carriers 10a to 10d.

If in the processing process the temperature reaches a value higher than or equal to 400°C, as is the case, for example, during the MOCVD process, then the supporting structure 14 consists of one or more heat-resistant materials, such as ceramics or quartz glass, or several layers of these materials and other materials. Alternatively or additionally, a thermal insulation structure may also be provided on the surface of the support structure 14 facing the substrate support surfaces 10a to 10d. Such a thermal insulation structure may comprise, for example, one or more thermal insulation sheets or a corresponding gold plating layer or several heat reflective sheets, or it may also be actively cooled by a coolant.

In fig. 4B is a front view of the inventive substrate transport device 1'' in the third embodiment. The device 1 has two blocks 101a and 101b of substrate carriers arranged one above the other, as described with reference to FIG. 4A. Each substrate carrier is configured, for example, as a substrate carrier as has been described with reference to FIG. 1A to 1D and has a holding surface 11, one or more gripping arms 121, 122, and holding devices, of which here shown are holding devices 13c and 13d according to FIG. 1A. This is shown as an example for the substrate carrier 10a. However, other embodiments of the substrate carrier can also be implemented structurally. The blocks 101a, 101b are located along the first horizontal direction (x-axis) adjacent to each other and connected to the same support structure 14. The support structure 14 is, for example, a flat triangular, preferably quadrangular plate extending parallel to the y-z plane, on which the separate substrate carriers. However, the supporting structure 14 can also have any other shape, as long as it can ensure the mechanical stability of all substrate carriers and the overall and simultaneous movement of all substrate carriers. Thus, the supporting structure can, for example, also have a continuous frame structure, which has corresponding trusses and holders for substrate carriers. The number of blocks 101 of substrate carriers located one above the other and connected to the supporting structure 14, located next to each other and connected to the supporting structure 14, can be any and is not limited to the blocks 101a and 101b shown in this case. For example, up to ten blocks 101 can be located next to each other.

The vertical distances between the individual substrate carriers 10a to 10d, according to FIG. 4A correspond to the distance between the individual receiving boards of the processing device, with one substrate carrier being placed on one of the receiving boards during the substrate processing process. The horizontal distance (along the x-axis) between the blocks 101a and 101b according to FIG. 4B relative to each other corresponds to the horizontal distance between individual processing devices that are located next to each other, with substrates that are placed on the substrate carriers of one block 101a being processed in one of the processing devices, and substrates that are located on the substrate carriers of another block 101b , are processed in another processing device, at least partially simultaneously.

With reference to FIG. 5A to 5D explain in more detail the first embodiment of the claimed processing device. Moreover, in FIG. 5A shows a perspective view of the receiving board 30, FIG. 5B shows a schematic cross-section along the receiving board 30 along line D-D'-D

- 15 043461 according to Fig. 5D and FIG. 5A is a schematic cross-sectional view of the receiving board 30 along line E-E' according to FIG. 5A, while in FIG. 5C and 5D show a substrate carrier 10 located on the board and a substrate 2 located thereon.

The receiving board 30 is composed of a main member 300 with a first plane 301 that extends in a horizontal plane (x-y plane). On the first plane 301 there is a recess 31 in the receiving plate 30, the shape and dimensions of which are designed to accommodate the substrate carrier transported by the substrate transport device. Thus, the one shown in FIG. 5A is an embodiment of the receiving board 30, which corresponds to the embodiment of the substrate carrier 10 shown in FIG. 1A to 1D, the following portions of the recess 31 include a recess 311 for accommodating the substrate carrier holding surface, recesses 312a and 312b for accommodating the substrate carrier gripping arms, and recesses 131a to 313g for accommodating the substrate carrier holding devices.

As can be seen in FIG. 5B, extends a holding surface receiving recess 311 and a holding surface receiving recess 313a to 313g, of which in FIG. 5B shows only the recess 313a, up to a height h ₃₁₃ in the vertical direction, while the recesses 312a, 312b for accommodating the gripping arms extend to a height h ₃₁₂ from the first plane 301. The difference between the height h ₃₁₂ and the height h ₃₁₁ corresponds to the height h ₁₂ gripping arm portions adjacent to the second plane of the holding surface, as shown in FIG. 1D. In the cross section shown in FIG. 5B, there is no distinction between the holding device receiving recess 313a and the holding surface receiving recess 311 since both recesses have the same height h ₃₁₁ . The overall height of the receiving board 300 is, for example, 10 mm, while the height h ₃₁₁ is, for example, 1 mm and corresponds to the height h11 of the substrate carrier holding surface, as shown in FIG. 1D. Since the placed substrate has, for example, a height h1 (shown in Fig. 1D) of 0.2 mm, as indicated in the table. 1, there is a rapid transfer of heat from the receiving board 300 to the substrate carrier and to the substrate, while the temperature of the receiving board 300 itself remains almost unchanged due to the placement of the substrate carrier.

It should be noted that the longitudinal dimensions as well as the heights of the recesses 311, 312a, 312b and 313a to 313g are measured in such a way that the constituent elements of the substrate carrier at the required temperature of the receiving board 30 during processing of the substrate can be placed in the recesses of the receiving board without a large gap. In other words: the thermal expansion of the receiving board 30 and the constituent elements of the substrate carrier at the required temperature of the receiving board 30 during processing of the substrate, while the substrate carrier should be at approximately the same temperature, must be taken into account when determining the dimensions of the recesses. The expression without large gap means that between a certain substrate carrier element and the edge of the corresponding recess in the receiving board 30 at the temperature during processing of the substrate there is a maximum distance in the longitudinal direction, that is, in the horizontal direction is a maximum of 0.5 mm.

In fig. 5C shows the receiving board 30 according to FIG. 5A, with the claimed substrate carrier 10 placed thereon and the substrate 2 placed thereon in the same cross-section as in FIG. 5V. As can be seen, the constituent elements of the substrate carrier 10 fill the entire area shown in FIG. 5B, there is a recess 31 in the receiving board 30 so that there is no distance between the substrate carrier 10 and the main member 300 of the receiving board 30, also in the horizontal direction. This ensures optimal thermal and electrical contact between the receiving board 30 and the substrate carrier 10 and thus with the substrate 2. The holding surface 11 is completely located (shown in FIG. 5B) in the recess 311, holding devices 13a to 13g, of which in fig. 5C, only the holding device 13a can be seen fully housed in recesses 313a to 313g (as shown in FIG. 5B), and the gripping arms 121 and 122 are housed entirely in recesses 312a and 312b (as shown in FIG. 5B), so that the first top plane 112 of the holding surface 11, the working planes of the holding devices 13a to 13g on which the substrate 2 is placed, and the first plane 301 of the receiving board 30 form a flat, continuous surface. In other words: the receiving board 30 and the substrate carrier 10 placed on it form a monolithic block on which the substrate 2 is located and from which the actual holding devices 13a to 13g protrude. B vertical direction. Thus, the substrate 2 is located completely evenly and evenly on the first upper plane 112 of the holding surface 11, on the holding devices 13a to 13g and on the first plane 301 of the receiving board and can be processed evenly without contaminating the substrate carrier 10 over a large area.

Advantageously, the receiving board 30 consists of an electrically conductive material, such as aluminum, copper or graphite, so that the substrate carrier 10 can be loaded with a uniformly defined electrical voltage. However, the receiving board 30 may also in certain areas, for example, in areas that border the substrate carrier 10, as well as in areas of the first plane 301, be composed of electrically conductive material, while other areas may be composed of non-electrically conductive material. Similarly, it is also possible to use

- 16 043461 one or more insulating materials for the common main element 300 of the receiving board

30, if there is no need to load the substrate 2 with a certain voltage. Also in this case, when choosing a material, it is necessary to take into account their heat resistance at the temperatures existing during the processing process.

With reference to FIG. 5D, it is necessary to once again explain the interaction between the various sections 121a and 121b of the gripping arms 121 or 122 of the substrate carrier 10 and the receiving board 30. As can be seen, the first section 121a of the gripping arm 121 extends from the holding surface 11 exactly to the edge of the main element 300 along the second horizontal direction (axis) in which the gripping arm 121 extends beyond the holding surface 11 and the receiving board 30. In the first portion 121a, the gripping arm 121 is made of substantially the same material as the main member 300 of the receiving board 30, so that, for example, the electrical voltage U, which is supplied externally to the main element 300 of the receiving board 30, also exists in the first gripping arm section 121. Thus, similar electric potentials also operate in those areas in which the main element 300 does not border the surface that borders the space, in which the substrate is processed, for example, with a plasma space, such as in areas where the first receiving board plane 301 defines this surface. This increases the uniformity of substrate processing. In the second portion 121b, which extends beyond the receiving board 30, a gripping arm 121 is formed, preferably of an insulating material, so that the receiving board 30 and the space in which the substrate is processed is electrically isolated from other elements of the substrate transport device, e.g. supporting structure 14 shown in FIG. 1A.

The designs of the receiving board 30 and the substrate carrier 10, as described above and shown in the drawings, make it possible to obtain ohmic contact between the receiving board 30, the substrate carrier 10 and the substrate 2 if the individual components themselves consist of electrically conductive material. With reference to FIG. 6 describes design options for components that allow capacitive connection of the substrate to the receiving board 30. In this case, the main element 300 can again be loaded from the outside with voltage U. However, the substrate carrier 10, at least in areas that directly border the substrate 2, then is present on the first section 115a of the holding surface 11 and on the first section 13aa of the holding device 13a, as for example shown for all holding devices 13a to 13g, as well as on the first sections of the gripping arms 121, 122, which are in direct contact with the substrate 2, made of dielectric material. In other sections, that is, in the second sections 115b of the holding surface 11 and in the second sections 13ab of the holding device 13a, as well as in the second sections of the gripping arms 121, 122, the substrate carrier 10 is made of an electrically conductive material. Also, the main element 300 of the receiving board 30 has a first portion 300a in which it is adjacent to the substrate 2, and a second portion 300b in which it is not adjacent to the substrate 2, and the first portion 300a may also extend further beyond the substrate 2, as shown. in fig. 6. The first portion 300a is composed of a dielectric material, preferably the same dielectric material as the first portions 115a of the holding surface 11 and the first portions 13aa of the holding device 13a, as well as the first portions of the gripping arms 121, 122, while the second portion 300b is made of an electrically conductive material, preferably the same material as the second portions 115b of the holding surface and the second portions 13ab of the holding device 13a, as well as the first portions of the gripping arms 121, 122. Thus, the substrate 2 is permanently adjacent to the dielectric material, so that capacitive contact is achieved between the receiving board 30 and the substrate 2. As the dielectric material, for example, aluminum oxide, silicon oxide, silicon nitride or other suitable materials are used as compounds or layer structures of these materials.

Along with mechanically holding the substrate carrier and the substrate during processing of the substrate and in this case applying a certain voltage to the substrate, as shown in FIG. 5D, the receiving board can also perform other functions and also perform accordingly.

Thus, the receiving board 30' in the second embodiment is provided with a device 32 for heating the receiving board, as shown in FIG. 7A. The device 32 may be a heating or cooling device and, for example, consist of an electrical heater or a liquid cooling system through which hot or cooling fluid can flow. In this case, the device 32 can be located in the main element 300 of the receiving board 30' and adjacent to the second plane 302 of the receiving board 30', as shown in FIG. 7A, or completely enclose the main element 300, as shown in FIG. 7B. In addition, it is also possible that this device is not located in the main element 300, but only borders the second plane 302. The second plane 302 is that plane of the receiving board 30', which is located opposite the first plane 301, in which the recess 31 is made. If When heating the receiving board 30', high temperatures will be reached, that is, temperatures greater than or equal to 400°C, then when choosing materials for the receiving board 30', their heat resistance must be taken into account. For example, a 30' receiving board may consist

- 17 043461 then made of ceramics or quartz glass.

In the third embodiment, the receiving board 30' is used not only to heat the receiving board (as described with reference to FIG. 7A), but also has a device for supplying gas or gases. This is advantageous in particular for processing devices in which several receiving plates 30' are arranged vertically above each other and in which substrates are processed that require a specific gas composition in the processing chamber. The device for supplying the process gas or process gases is, for example, a gas distributor 33, as shown in FIG. 7B. The gas distributor 33 has a gas reserve in a chamber 331, which is filled, for example, from the outside with gas through a gas pipeline, and several gas channels 332, which connect the chamber 331, which has a gas reserve, with the second plane 302 of the receiving board 30'. Thus, gas can be supplied from the chamber 331 having a gas reserve through the gas channels 332 into the substrate processing chamber, which is located in the vertical direction under the receiving board 30 and under the substrate, which is placed on another receiving board located in the vertical direction under the receiving board. fee 30.

In fig. 8A shows schematically a processing device 3a with several receiving boards 30a to 30d configured as plasma electrodes, which are, for example, designed in the first embodiment described with reference to FIG. 5A to 5D. In this case, substrate carriers 10a with the substrate arranged on them are respectively placed in the receiving boards 30a to 30d. As an example, the substrate carrier 10a and the substrate 2a are shown, which are inserted into the receiving board 30a. Each receiving board 30a to 30d is a plasma electrode of a pair of plasma electrodes. The processing device 3a contains, as the uppermost plasma electrode, that is, in the vertical direction, a plasma electrode located above all other plasma electrodes, a top electrode 34, which does not have any recess like other plasma electrodes, then a network of receiving boards 30a to 30d, and is not intended to receive substrate during processing and is not intended to do so. In this design of plasma electrodes, also called an electrode block, up to 200 electrodes are connected, which are located parallel to each other at a typical distance of 3 mm to 30 mm, with one of at least two voltage supply wires 35a, 35b, from at least one of which is connected to a generator supplying voltage, which is installed outside the plasma treatment device. One of at least two wires can also be connected to ground. The connection of the voltage supply wires 35a, 35b to the voltage source is carried out via connecting terminals K1 and K2. By applying an appropriate voltage between the plasma electrodes of a pair of plasma electrodes, volumetric plasma can thereby be produced in the plasma chamber 36, which is located between the plasma electrodes. The substrate, which forms the lower plasma electrode of the plasma electrode pair in the vertical direction, can be processed with the components produced in the plasma or contained therein.

In fig. 8B shows a schematic view of a processing device 3b with several receiving boards 30e to 30h, which allow CVD processes to be carried out in a stacked board design at process temperatures of up to 1000°C. In this case, substrate carriers with the substrate placed on them are respectively placed in the receiving boards 30e to 30h. As an example, one substrate carrier 10a and one substrate 2a are indicated, which are arranged on the receiving board 30e. Receiver boards 30e to 30g are similar to those shown in FIG. 7B, the receiving board 30 is made of two parts and consists in the upper half 303 of a corresponding heater 32a (for example, an electric heater), into which the substrate carrier can be placed with good thermal contact. The lower half 304 of each receiving board 30e to 30g is a gas distributor 33 (similar to FIG. 7b) that supplies chamber 36a with process gas. Between the heater 32a and the gas distributor 33 is another heat insulation structure 37 which prevents or at least greatly reduces heat flow from the heater 32a to the gas distributor 33. The heat insulating structure 37 may consist of, for example, several heat insulating sheets. The upper portion 303 is heated to a first temperature that corresponds to the desired temperature of the substrate and substrate carrier, for example, from 400°C to 1000°C. The lower portion 304 with the gas distributor 33 is maintained at a significantly lower second temperature than the substrate and substrate carrier, which can, for example, be achieved through internal cooling with cooling water. The CVD process can be performed under atmospheric pressure or in a vacuum at typical pressures between 1 mbar (100 Pa) and 300 mbar (30 kPa). As a result of the process gas flowing from the gas distributor 33 towards the substrate located below, the formation of a CVD layer on the substrate is achieved based on its thermal decomposition on the hot surface of the substrate. In contrast, the gas distributor 33 is only slightly coated or not coated.

Of course, the gas distributor and the corresponding receiving boards can be arranged separately, that is, made separately from the receiving board. As shown in FIG. 8B, the topmost receiving board located in the vertical direction can be replaced with a separate

- 18 043461 gas distributor 33. The lowest receiving plate located in the vertical direction

30h may instead have only a heater 32a, as shown in FIG. 8B, or only the heater 32a and the heat insulation structure 37, but not the gas distributor 33. However, all receiving boards can be constructed in the same way.

In the future, the claimed processing device can be a processing device that contains the claimed receiving board and is intended for processing the substrate. For example, such a processing device may be a heating device in which the substrate is treated for a certain time in a certain ambient atmosphere at a certain temperature.

With reference to FIG. 9 explains the claimed method of processing the substrate. First, the substrate is placed in the first step S10 using means known in the prior art on the substrate carrier of the inventive substrate transport device. Subsequently, the substrate carrier is advanced in at least one horizontal direction into the processing device, which has a receiving plate on which the substrate is held during processing, until the substrate carrier is located in the vertical direction exactly above the receiving plate of the processing device ( step S20). Next, the substrate carrier is laid on the receiving board by moving the substrate carrier downward in the vertical direction until the substrate carrier is laid (step S30). In a subsequent step S40, the substrate is processed as needed, which is placed with the substrate carrier on the receiving board. After processing of the substrate is completed, the substrate carrier is lifted from the receiving board in an upward motion in the vertical direction (step S50), and then moved in at least one horizontal direction out of the processing device (step S60). Finally, the substrate is removed from the substrate carrier using means known in the art (step S70) and submitted for further processing.

Steps S20 and S30 as well as steps S50 and S60 can be superimposed in time, for example performing a combined vertical and horizontal movement, such as a spiral movement. This is only possible when the dimensions of the processing device allow it, in particular the vertical distance between the receiving board and the processing device element located above it in the vertical direction, or the processing unit of which the processing device is a part and within which the processing device is located.

In addition, steps S20 to S60 can be repeated multiple times, wherein the substrate carrier is respectively moved back and forth into the processing device and the substrate is processed accordingly. Thus, for example, a treatment for plasma and chemical cleaning of the surface of the substrate may be performed in the first processing device, while a treatment for separating a layer on the surface of the substrate can be performed in the second processing device. In this case, it is possible to transport the substrate from one processing device to a subsequent processing device without interrupting the vacuum, which in this case is necessary for the corresponding processing.

Using the example of Fig. 10A to 10D show examples of movement of the substrate carrier in the horizontal and vertical direction. In this case, Fig. 10A and 10B, respectively, are schematic cross-sections along the receiving board 30 of the inventive processing device and along the inventive substrate carrier 10 with the substrate 2 placed thereon, while in FIG. 10C shows a top view of the receiving board 30 of the inventive processing device and of the inventive substrate carrier 10 with the substrate 2 placed thereon. Similar movements of the substrate carrier are possible, however, also of receiving boards that have a flat surface and do not have a recess corresponding to the substrate carrier.

In those shown in FIGS. 10A, the transfer steps move the substrate carrier 10 first along the first horizontal direction (x-axis) into the processing device, as shown by arrow V1, until the substrate carrier is located above the receiving board 30 and, in particular, above the recess 31 formed in the receiving board 30 The substrate carrier 10 is then moved in the vertical direction (z-axis) downwards (arrow V2) until it is placed in the recess 31 of the receiving board 30. The substrate 2 is then processed. After completion of processing, the substrate carrier 10 is moved vertically upward (arrow V3) until the substrate carrier 10 is lifted from the receiving board 30 and is vertically above the receiving board 30 at a distance from it that will allow the movement of the substrate carrier 10 in the horizontal direction without damaging the receiving board 30 or the substrate carrier 10 or the substrate 2. The substrate carrier 10 is then moved along the first horizontal direction out of the processing fixture (arrow V4). This movement step corresponds to a continuous mode method in which the substrate carrier 10 moves in the same direction into and out of the processing device. This step is particularly suitable for processing devices in which components of the processing devices, such as tension elements and/or gas pipes, are located at most on one of both sides of the receiving plate 30, which extend along

- 19 043461 in the first horizontal direction (x-axis) and are located opposite each other in the second horizontal direction (y-axis). Although these components may also be located in a small portion along both sides of the receiving board 30, which extend along the second horizontal direction (y-axis) and are located opposite each other in the first horizontal direction (x-axis), however, only if they are not interfere with or do not negatively affect the movements of V1 and V4.

Shown in FIG. 10B, the driving step is different from that shown in FIG. 10A of the movement step in that the horizontal movements V1 and V4 of the substrate carrier are performed along the second horizontal direction (y-axis), in which the gripping arms of the substrate carrier 10 also extend. Since the gripping arms of the substrate carrier 10 are connected to the manipulator, which in FIG. 10B is located, for example, to the right of the substrate carrier 10, but is not shown here, the substrate carrier 10 moves along the positive second horizontal direction into the processing device (arrow V1) and along the negative second horizontal direction again out of the processing device (arrow V4). Positive horizontal direction and negative horizontal direction are opposite. This movement step is particularly suitable for processing devices in which, on at least one of both sides of the receiving plate 30, which extend along the second horizontal direction (y-axis) and are located opposite each other in the first horizontal direction, components of the processing devices, such as tension members and/or gas pipes, which impede or have a negative effect on the movement of the substrate carrier 10 along the first horizontal direction (x-axis).

The movement steps described above only contained linear movements of the substrate carrier 10. With reference to FIG. 10C describes another stage of movement, which on the contrary contains non-rectilinear movements of the substrate carrier 10. Thus, the substrate carrier 10 is moved into the processing device by a rotational movement (arrow V1) which is performed in the horizontal plane of the receiving board 30 and is placed on the receiving board 30. The substrate carrier 10 is then placed on the receiving board 30 by a downward movement (V2) (z-axis) in the vertical direction, the substrate 2 is processed and the substrate carrier 10, thanks to an upward movement (V3) in the vertical direction, rises again from the receiving board 30. The substrate carrier 10 then, thanks to a rotational movement (arrow V4) in the horizontal plane above the receiving board 30 is moved from the processing device. Also in this case, the other components of the processing device must be positioned in such a way that they do not interfere with the movements of the substrate carrier 10, in particular the movements of V1 and V4.

In fig. 11 is a schematic top view of an embodiment of the inventive processing plant 400. The processing plant 400 has multiple chambers that are arranged one behind the other in a first horizontal direction (x-axis) and is a continuous operation plant (direct plant) in which the substrate is processed transported in the first horizontal direction from one chamber to the next chamber. Advantageously, all chambers are located on the same horizontal plane, so that the substrate only needs to move in the first horizontal direction to get from one chamber to an adjacent chamber.

Processing unit 400 includes a loading chamber 410, an inlet chamber 420, a processing chamber 430, an outlet chamber 440, and a discharge chamber 450. The loading chamber 410 and discharge chamber 450 may be closed chambers that are sealed from the surrounding atmosphere on all sides by chamber walls, spool valves, or doors, as can be seen in Fig. 11. However, the loading chamber 410 and the unloading chamber 450 may be open chambers or points that at least on one side remain open to the environment and are not restricted in any way. The loading chamber 410 is designed to allow one substrate 2 to be placed on the substrate carrier of the inventive substrate transport device. For this purpose, the loading chamber 410 may receive and hold the substrate transport device. In fig. 11 shows, for example, a device 1' for transporting multiple substrates, as described with reference to FIG. 4A, wherein the device 1' contains multiple substrate carriers and thereby multiple holding surfaces 11 and gripping arms 121 and 122, which are connected to one common support structure 14. The loading chamber itself may include means for placing the substrate on the substrate transport device . Alternatively, such substrate accommodating means can also be located outside the loading chamber and thus not be part of the processing unit 400, as shown in FIG. 11. Likewise, the discharge chamber 450 is designed to remove and retain the substrate 2 from the substrate carrier of the substrate transport device 1'. With regard to the means for removing the substrate from the substrate transport device, the same applies as was described regarding the means for placing the substrate on the substrate transport device.

The inlet chamber 420 and the outlet chamber 440 are designed to produce an atmosphere that must correspond to the atmosphere in the subsequent chamber, that is, the loading chamber 430 or the unloading chamber 450, at least in some respects (for example, pressure). Thus, the processes of evacuation and ventilation of the processing chamber 430 and/or the loading chamber and the unloading chamber 410, 450 can be minimized. However, the functions of the inlet chamber and/or the outlet chamber 420, 440 can also be implemented using the loading or unloading chamber 410 , 450 or in the processing chamber 430, so that the inlet chamber and/or outlet chamber 420, 440 may be absent.

The processing chamber 430 is intended for the actual processing of the substrate 2 and contains at least one processing device with a receiving plate on which the substrate is held during its processing. In fig. 11, also 12A and 12B respectively show the inventive processing device 3. However, the processing chamber may also include a processing device, the receiving plate of which is likewise made flat and does not have a recess corresponding to the substrate carrier transported by the inventive substrate transport device. The processing device 3 contains exactly the same number of receiving plates 30 as the device 1' of the holding surfaces 11 contains. In addition, the processing device 3 contains a feeding device 38 designed for preparing and supplying the medium necessary for processing the substrate 2, such as gases or heat flows or voltage. The feeding device 38 is located inside the processing chamber 430 in the illustrated embodiment such that the holding surface 11 of the device 1' can be moved by movement in the first horizontal direction (x-axis) into or out of the processing device 3 and located above the receiving board 30, without the need to move along the second horizontal direction (y-axis).

At least, the inlet chamber 420, the processing chamber 430 and the outlet chamber 440 are, according to the presented embodiment, vacuum chambers in which a certain atmosphere, independent of the other chambers, can be established, which is characterized by a certain pressure and a certain gas composition. All chambers 410 to 450 are connected via a spool valve 460 to a corresponding adjacent chamber or corresponding adjacent chambers. Thus, it is possible to transport the device 1', for example, from the inlet chamber 420 to the processing chamber 430 or from the processing chamber 430 to the outlet chamber 440, without interrupting the vacuum.

The processing unit 400 may also have multiple processing chambers (or multiple processing devices within a single processing chamber) and/or multiple inlet and outlet chambers, which are respectively located and equipped according to the desired parameters of the overall substrate processing process. In this case, the substrate can be processed without intermediate transfer of one substrate carrier to another substrate carrier in several processing devices, thereby reducing large contamination between different processing devices.

As shown in FIG. 11 there may be several claimed devices for transporting the substrate simultaneously in the processing installation. Thus, for example, the first device 1' can be located in the loading chamber 410 with the substrates placed therein, while the second device 1' is located in the processing chamber 430 and the substrates 2 located therein are processed. Depending on the equipment of the processing unit 400, there may be different numbers of devices for transporting the substrate in the processing unit at the same time. After removing the substrate from the substrate transport device 1' in the unloading chamber 450, the empty substrate transport device 1' outside the processing installation 400 or in the area of the processing installation 400 can return again to the loading chamber, so that it is again made available for processing the substrate. This will be explained below in more detail.

As has already been described with reference to FIG. 4B, the substrate transport device may also have several longitudinally arranged blocks of substrate carriers arranged one above the other. Thus, for example, 120 substrates, which are arranged in 6 blocks, each with 20 substrates separately in each of the substrate carriers, can be transported through the processing plant and processed therein. In this case, the processing device can contain so many adjacent blocks of receiving plates arranged one above the other, so that all substrates can be processed in the same processing device. Alternatively, there may also be several processing devices, which are of essentially the same design, in one processing chamber, with only receiving plates for accommodating the substrate carriers of one unit or several, but not all, substrate carrier units with substrates disposed thereon respectively. one of the processing devices. Examples of such processing chambers are shown schematically in FIG. 12A and 12B.

In fig. 12A is a schematic top view of a processing chamber 430' with a processing fixture 3' and a substrate transport device with six substrate carrier units 101a to 101fc, with multiple substrate carriers located in each unit 101a to 101f

- 21 043461 in a vertical direction one above the other. The substrate carriers of all blocks 101a to 101f are connected to the same support structure 14 and through it to the support element 471 and the pusher guide system 472. The processing device 3' has six receiving board units 305a to 305f, wherein the receiving boards 305 to 305f are respectively arranged vertically one above the other. In addition, the processing device 3' contains a common supply device 38, which is designed to prepare and supply the media necessary for processing substrates, such as gases or heat flows or voltages for all blocks 305a to 305f. As a result, all substrates are processed in the same processing device 3'.

In fig. 12B shows a schematic top view of a processing chamber 430' with three processing devices 3a to 3c and one substrate transport device with six substrate carrier blocks 101a to 101f, each block 101a to 101f having multiple substrate carriers arranged one above the other in vertical direction. The substrate carriers of all blocks 101a to 101f are connected to the same support structure 14 and above it to a support element 471 and a guide system 472. The substrates of each of the blocks 101a to 101f are processed in one of the processing devices 3'a to 3'c. This means that the substrates of the blocks 101a and 101b are processed in the processing device 3'a, the substrates of the block 101ci 101d are processed in the processing device 3'b, and the substrates of the block 101e and 101f are processed in the processing device 3'c. For this purpose, each of the processing devices 3a to 3c has, respectively, two blocks 305a and 305b of receiving boards, the receiving boards of the block 305 a and 305b being respectively located in the vertical direction one above the other. In addition, each of the processing devices 3a to 3c contains one supply device 38a to 38c, which is designed to prepare and supply the medium necessary for processing the substrate, such as gases or heat flows or voltage for each of the blocks 305a and 305b of one of the processing devices 3a up to 3s. Preferably, all processing devices 3a to 3c have the same design.

Of course, any number of processing devices can be located in one processing chamber, which are suitable for receiving any number of blocks of substrate carriers.

Returning to FIG. 11, it should be noted that the processing unit 400 also has a transfer structure 470, which is designed to move the device 1' within the processing unit 400 and extends along the entire length of the processing unit 400 through all chambers 410 to 450. The movement structure 470 includes, at least one support element 471, at least one guide system 472, as well as guide elements 473, one control unit 474 and one return feed system 475 in one area of the processing unit 400, which extends at least outside the processing unit chamber 430. With the help of the return feed system 475, the support element 471 and the guide system 472 connected to it, as well as in this case the free, thus connected to it, device 1' for transporting the substrate can be returned again from the unloading chamber 450 to the loading chamber 410 , so it is again provided for processing the substrate. The return feed system 475 thus forms, together with other components of the moving structure 470, a closed system for moving the substrate transport device 1'.

The return feed system 475 may be structurally similar to the elements of the transfer structure 470 within the chambers 410 to 450 and, for example, also have guide elements 473. However, the return feed system 475 may be constructed differently and may have additional devices, such as a cleaning device. The return feed system 475 can be positioned freely relative to the chambers 410 to 450 of the processing unit 400, for example above or below the chambers 410 to 450 or to the side of them, but preferably always outside the chambers 410 to 450.

Advantageously, transport devices are moved back to the processing chamber 410 by means of a return feed system 475, which respectively comprise one support element 471 and a guide system 472 with one or more devices 1' mounted thereon for transporting the substrate after unloading the substrate in the unloading chamber 450. The return feed system 475 for the transport devices can thus simultaneously serve as a buffer for the transport devices. That is, if a sufficiently large number of transport devices (usually between 5 and 15 pieces) are circulating in the processing installation, a queue of transport devices can be arranged in the return feed system 475 in front of the loading chamber 410. As a result of this, the transport devices can always be called to load the substrate from the return feed system 475 and the processing unit 400 can operate continuously.

The control unit 474 serves to control the support element 471 and the guide elements 473, as well as the return feed system 475, so that the device 1' can move in the desired direction inside the processing unit 400. Control, as well as the necessary media for this

- 22 043461 elements, such as signal wires or mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic control elements, are shown schematically by arrows, which, starting from the control unit 474, are directed to some guide elements 473, to the supporting element 471 and to the return feed system 475. The guide elements 473 are located in the respective chambers 410 to 450, while the support element 471 and the guide system 472 are connected to the device 1' and move with it through the processing unit 400. The guide system 472 cooperates with the guide elements 473 such that the device 1' is held and can definitely move along the first horizontal direction (x-axis). The individual guide elements 473 have a distance relative to each other along a first horizontal direction (x-axis), which is measured in such a way that the support element 471 is held at every point inside the processing installation 400 by at least two guide elements 473 at all times.

In fig. 13 is a cross-sectional view of the processing plant along line F-F' of FIG. 11 and serves to explain an example of the design of the transfer structure 470, in particular the support element 471, the guide system 472 and the guide elements 473. You can see a device 1' for transporting a substrate, which has several substrate carriers 10a to 10d and a support structure 14, as well as moving structure 470, while the control unit and the side wall of the chamber 411 of the loading chamber 410 are not shown. The other walls of the loading chamber 410 are not shown for the purpose of greater clarity. The support element 471 is a vertically extending plate which, on its side facing away from the wall of the chamber 411, is fixedly connected against movement in a first horizontal direction (x-axis) and movably in a vertical direction (z-axis). The connection can be made respectively detachable or permanent. The support element 471 is designed to specifically move the support structure 14 in the vertical direction, and has the necessary means for this. These means may be electrical, mechanical, hydraulic or pneumatic to effect movement of the supporting structure in the vertical direction and are known in the art. Additionally, the support element 471 may also have means that allow a certain movement of the support structure 14 along a second horizontal direction (y-axis). On the side of the support member 471 facing the wall of the chamber 411, an upper beam 472a and a lower beam 472b are fixedly located, the upper beam and the lower beam 472a, 472b together forming a guide system 472 according to FIG. 11. The upper and lower beams 472a, 472b are respectively located on the roller 476a, 476b, which in turn are located on the shaft 477a, 477b. Advantageously, at least one of the rollers 476a, 476b is firmly connected to its associated shaft 477a, 477b. Firmly means in this case that the respective components are connected to each other in such a way that they cannot move relative to each other or independently of each other, and the connection can be made removably, for example, as a bolted connection, or permanently, for example, by welding. The shafts 477a, 477b are passed through the wall of the chamber 411 and can thereby be driven externally, causing the rollers 476a, 476b to rotate and the supporting element 471 to thereby move together with the device 1' connected thereto along the first horizontal direction ( x-axis). The rollers 476a, 476b may also be rotatably located on the shafts 477a, 477b so as to support the movement of the support element 471 along the first horizontal direction only passively. The movement of the support element 471 along the first horizontal direction can then itself be carried out and controlled by other means. The roller 476a and the shaft 477a, which interact, form together an upper guide element 473a, while the roller 476b and the shaft 476b form another guide element 473b. The beams 472a, 472b extend generally rectilinearly along the first horizontal direction (x-axis), with at least the leading ends of the beams 472a, 472b, that is, the end portions of the beams 472a, 472b, which in the direction of movement of the supporting element 471 enter into the contact as the first with one roller 476a, 476b is rounded or can be bent in a vertical upward direction to achieve a smooth transition of the corresponding beams 472a, 472b to the corresponding roller 476a, 476b.

Of course, other embodiments of the individual components of the moving structure 470, in particular the support element 471, the guide system 472 and/or the guide elements 473, are also possible, as long as a secure hold and a defined movement of the device 1' can be ensured.

At high temperatures occurring in at least one of the chambers of the processing plant, such as in a processing chamber that is used for separation-MOCVD (metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, metalorganic chemical vapor deposition), if this occurs, may in this case, structures for thermal insulation of the moving structure 470 or other components of the corresponding chamber will be necessary and which exist, however, for greater clarity in FIG. 11 to 13 are not shown. The MOCVD process is carried out, for example, at substrate temperatures between 600°C and 1000°C, while supported plasma processes are carried out for the most part at substrate temperatures between 20°C and 400°C. Such structures for thermal insulation are, for example, thermal insulating sheets or coatings, which are known from the prior art.

In other embodiments of the claimed processing installation, the loading chamber and the unloading chamber can also be implemented by the same chamber, while the existing chambers, although they can be arranged linearly, however, the movement of the substrate along the first horizontal direction is necessary in both positive and negative directions.

In addition, vertical arrangements of chambers one above the other or a circular arrangement of chambers or several chambers around one central loading and unloading chamber are also possible.

The precise design of the substrate carrier and the overall substrate transport device, as well as the precise design of the receiving board and the entire processing device can be optimally matched to the processing conditions of the substrate and the movement of the substrate carrier, in particular the shape and number of holding surfaces, gripping arms and receiving plates can be selected independently regardless of the embodiments depicted and are not limited to the depicted forms and quantities. Combinations of the various components of the illustrated embodiments are also possible, as long as they are not mutually exclusive.

Likewise, different variants of the processing plant can be combined with each other, as long as they do not mutually exclude each other.

Reference numbers.

, 1', 1 - device for transporting the substrate, , 10', 10 - substrate carrier,

10a-10d. 100, 101, 101a-101f - a block of substrate carriers located vertically one above the other, , 11a, 11d - holding surface,

110 - the main element of the substrate carrier,

110a, 110d - recess in the main element,

111 - edge of the holding surface,

112 - the first upper plane of the holding surface,

113 - second upper plane of the holding surface, 114a - side frame of the holding surface,

114b - jumper between the recesses of the holding surface,

115a - first section of the holding surface,

115b - second section of the holding surface,

121, 122 - gripping levers,

121a - first section of the gripping arm, 121b - second section of the gripping arm, 13a-13g - holding device,

- Basic structure,

2, 2a-2d - substrate,

201 - first plane of the substrate,

202 - second plane of the substrate,

203 - substrate edge,

3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3c - processing device, 30', 30, 30a-30h - receiving board,

300 - the main element of the receiving board,

300a - the first section of the main element,

300b - second section of the main element,

301 - first plane of the receiving board,

302 - second plane of the receiving board,

303 - upper zone of the receiving board,

304 - lower area of the receiving board, 305a-305f - block of receiving boards, 31 - recess in the receiving board, 311 - recess for placing the holding surface, 312a, 312b - recess for receiving the gripping lever, 131a, 313g - recess for receiving the holding device , 32 - device for heating the receiving board, 32a - heater,

- gas distributor,

331 - chamber with gas reserve,

332 - gas channel,

- top electrode,

35a, 35b - wire supplying voltage,

-

Claims (32)

36 - plasma chamber, 36a - technological chamber, 37 - design for thermal insulation, 38, 38a-38c - power supply device, 400 - processing unit, 410 - loading chamber, 411 - chamber wall, 420 - entrance chamber, 430, 430', 430 - processing chamber, 440 - exit chamber, 450 - unloading chamber, 460 - spool valve, 470 - moving structure for moving the device for transporting the substrate, 471 - load-bearing element, 472 - guide system, 472a - upper beam, 472b - lower beam, 473 - guide element, 473a - upper guide element, 473b - lower guide element, 474 - control unit, 475 - reverse feed system, 476a, 476b - roller, 477a, 477b - shaft, K1, K2 - connecting terminal, V1-V4 - movement of the substrate from the first to the fourth stage, b ₁ - width of the substrate, bc - width of the holding surface, b ₁₂ - width of the gripping arm, b ₁₃ - width of the protruding section of the holding device, h ₁ - height of the substrate, h ₁₁ - height of the holding surface, h ₁₂ - height of the gripping arm in the areas where it comes into contact with the second plane of the holding surface, h ₁₂ ' is the height of the gripping arm in areas where it comes into contact with the second plane of the holding surface, h ₁₃ is the height of the holding device above the first plane of the holding surface, h ₃₁₁ is the depth of the recess to accommodate the holding surface, h ₃₁₂ - depth of recess for placing the gripping lever, L ₁ - substrate length, L ₁₁ - length of the holding surface, L ₁₂ - length of the gripping arm, L _12a is the length of the protruding section of the first section of the gripping lever, L _12b - length of the second section of the gripping lever, L ₁₃ - length of the holding device. CLAIM 1. A processing unit (400) for processing one or more substrates (2, 2a-2d), including a loading chamber (410), at least one processing chamber (430, 430', 430) with at least one processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3b) with a receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h), on which the substrate is held during its processing, as well as at least a device (1 , 1', 1) for transporting the substrate (2, 2a-2d) and a discharge chamber (450), characterized in that the processing unit (400) has a moving structure (470), which is designed to receive the device (1, 1', 1) to transport the substrate (2, 2a-2d) and move it into and out of at least one processing chamber (430, 430', 430), as well as the carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a- 10d, 100) of the substrate transported by the device (1, 1', 1) for transporting the substrate (2, 2a-2d) in the processing chamber (430, 430', 430) in at least one horizontal direction and in the vertical direction, and loading chamber (410) is designed to place the substrate or substrates (2, 2a-2d) on the substrate carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) of the substrate transported by the device (1, 1', 1) for transporting the substrate ( 2, 2a-2d), and the unloading chamber (450) is designed to remove the substrate or substrata (2, 2a-2d) from the substrate carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100). 2. Processing device (400) according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a -3b) is a processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3b) according to one of paragraphs 9-17. 3. The processing unit (400) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that at least one of the processing chambers (430, 430', 430) is a vacuum chamber, which is separated from the adjacent chamber by a gas-tight spool valve (460). 4. Processing unit (400) according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the processing unit (400) has several processing chambers (430, 430', 430), which are respectively vacuum chambers and are connected to each other using gas-tight spool valves (460), and that the transfer structure (470) is designed to move the device (1, 1', 1) for transporting the substrate (2, 2a-2d) through all processing chambers (430, 430', 430) without interruption vacuum. 5. Processing unit (400) according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that at least one processing chamber (430, 430', 430) is a chamber with one straight vertical side wall (411), which extends perpendicular to wall that borders the adjacent chamber, and the moving structure (470) includes a support element (471), at least one horizontally or vertically extending guide system (472) and a plurality of guide elements (473), wherein the guide elements ( 473) are located on the vertical side wall (411) of the processing chamber (430, 430', 430) and are designed to interact with a guide system (472) located on the supporting element (471) on the side facing the side wall (470 ), so that the support element (471) can be guided and supported by guide elements (473) in a horizontal or vertical direction along the side wall (411), and the support element (471) is mechanically connected to the device (1, 1', 1) for transporting the substrate (2, 2a-2d) on the side of the support element (471) facing the side wall (411) of the processing chamber (430, 430', 430), and is designed to move the carrier (10, 10 ', 10, 10a-10d, 100) of the substrate, at least in the horizontal direction perpendicular to the direction in which the guide system (472) extends. 6. Processing unit (400) according to claim 5, characterized in that the support element (471) is designed to move the substrate carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) along a horizontal direction that runs perpendicularly to the side of the supporting element (471) facing the device (1, 1', 1) for transporting the substrate (2, 2a-2d). 7. Processing installation (400) according to one of claims 5 or 6, characterized in that the guide system (472) contains a beam (472a, 472b), which is located in the horizontal direction on the supporting element (471), and guide elements (473 ) contain rollers (476a, 476b), which are located in a horizontal direction on the side wall (411) with the possibility of rotation, while the rollers (476a, 476b) are respectively located at a distance from each other that is so small that the beam (472a, 472b ) at each point within the processing unit (400) comes into contact with at least two rollers. 8. Processing unit (400) according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the processing unit (400) has a loading chamber (410) located on the same line, at least one of the processing chambers (430, 430', 430 ) and the unloading chamber (450), wherein the moving structure (470) is designed to move the device (1, 1', 1) for transporting the substrate (2, 2a-2d) directly from the loading chamber (410) at least through at least one processing chamber (430, 430', 430) into a discharge chamber (450), and the transfer structure (470) further comprises a return feed system (475) which is designed to move the device (1, 1', 1) for transport substrate (2, 2a-2d) from the unloading chamber (450) to the loading chamber (410) beyond at least one processing chamber (430, 430', 430). 9. Processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3c) for processing the substrate (2, 2a-2d), including a receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h) on which is held substrate (2, 2a-2d) during its processing, as well as a device (1, 1', 1) for transporting the substrate (2, 2a-2d), characterized in that the receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a -30h) on its first plane (301), which faces the substrate (2, 2a-2d) during its processing, has a recess (31) which is designed to accommodate the carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a10d , 100) of the substrate of the device (1, 1', 1) during processing of the substrate (2, 2a-2d). 10. Processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3c) according to claim 9, characterized in that the recess (31) in the first plane (301) of the receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30f-30h ) has a depth (h ₃₁₁ , h ₃₁₂ ) measured from the first plane (301) of the receiving plate (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h), which is such that the first upper plane (112) of the holding surface (11, 11', 11, 11a, 11d) of the substrate carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) and the first plane (301) of the receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a-30b) during - 26 043461 processing of the substrate creates a smooth surface. 11. Processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3c) according to claim 9 or 10, characterized in that the processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3c) is a device for processing plasma and further has a device for supplying a first voltage to the receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a30h) and a second voltage to the first electrode, which is located in the vertical direction above the receiving board and parallel to it and is electrically isolated from the receiving board (30, 30 ', 30, 30a-30h), and the receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h) represents the second electrode in a parallel plate capacitor reactor consisting of the first electrode and the receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a -30h). 12. The processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3-3c) according to claim 11, characterized in that the receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h) consists entirely of conductive electrical material. 13. Processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3c) according to claim 11, characterized in that the receiving plate (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h), at least in the area that borders the first plane (301), consists of a structure of layers that are made of an electrically conductive material and a dielectric material, the dielectric material bordering the first plane (301) of the receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h) . 14. Processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3c) according to one of claims 9-13, characterized in that the receiving board (30', 30) contains a device (32) for heating the receiving board (30 ', thirty). 15. Processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3c) according to claim 14, characterized in that the processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3c) is a CVD layer coating unit and the receiving board (30, 30e-30g) contains, in the upper zone in the vertical direction, a flat heater (32a), which is designed to heat the upper zone (303) to a first temperature, a gas distributor (33) in the lower zone ( 304) in the vertical direction, which has means for heating the lower zone (304) to a second temperature, and a thermal insulation structure (37) that is located between the upper and lower zones (303, 304) and is designed to reduce the heat flow from the upper zone (303) to the lower zone (304), the second temperature being lower than the first temperature. 16. Processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3c) according to one of claims 9-15, characterized in that the recess (31) in the first plane (301) of the receiving board (30, 30', 30 , 30a-30h) has a shape that allows self-regulation of the substrate carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) in the recess (31). 17. Processing device (3a-3b) according to one of claims 9-16, characterized in that the processing device (3a-3b) has several receiving boards (30a, 30h) located one above the other, each of which is designed to to accommodate the substrate carrier (10a-10d) of the substrate transport device according to claim 18. 18. A device (1, 1', 1) for transporting a substrate (2, 2a-2d) to or from a processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3c), which includes a carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) of the substrate (2, 2a-2d) and the supporting structure (14), while the processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3c) has a horizontally extending receiving plate ( 30, 30', 30, 30a-30h) and the device (1, 1', 1) has a substrate carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) and a substrate carrier (10, 10', 10a-10d , 100) is designed to place the substrate (2, 2a-2d) on the first plane (301) of the receiving board (3θ, 30', 30, 30a-30h), characterized in that the carrier (10, 10', 10 , 10a-10d, 100) of the substrate are further designed to hold the substrate (2, 2a-2d) on the receiving plate (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h) while it is processed in the processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3c) and the substrate carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) has a horizontally extending holding surface (11, 11', 11, 11a, 11d), which is made structurally flat on the first upper plane (112) facing the substrate (2, 2a-2d), and of the same shape, the shape of which corresponds generally to the shape of the substrate (2, 2a-2d) and the surface of which is the same as the surface of the substrate, while the substrate (2, 2a-2d) is held on the holding surface (11, 11', 11, 11a, 11d) only by the action of its weight on its reverse plane, and one or more gripping arms (121, 122), each of the gripping arms (121 , 122) is connected to the holding surface (11, 11', 11, 11a, 11d) and extends above it in the horizontal direction. 19. Device (1, 1', 1) according to claim 18, characterized in that from the edge (111) and/or from the first upper plane (112) the holding surface (11, 11', 11, 11a, 11d) extends at least two holding devices (13a-13g), at least in the vertical direction, which are designed to hold the substrate (2, 2a-2d) against longitudinal displacement on the holding surface (11, 11', 11, 11a , 11d). 20. Device (1, 1', 1) according to claim 19, characterized in that the holding devices (13a-13g) having a height measured from the first upper plane (112) of the holding surface (11, 11', 11, 11a , 11d), extend beyond the first upper plane (112) of the holding surface (11, 11', 11, 11a, 11d), and the height is greater than zero or equal to or less than the height of the substrate (2, 2a-2d). 21. Device (1, 1', 1) according to one of claims 18-20, characterized in that the substrate carrier (100) has several holding surfaces (11a, 11d), which are located next to each other on one common - 27 043461 horizontal plane in the longitudinal direction and are physically connected to each other. 22. Device (1, 1', 1) according to claim 21, characterized in that the substrate carrier (100) has a closed main element (110), each holding surface (11a, 11d) being the main surface of the recess (110a, 110d), which is formed on the horizontal surface of the main element (110), and holding devices, which are designed to hold the substrates (2a, 2d) against longitudinal displacement on one of the corresponding holding surfaces (11a, 11d), each of which is placed on one of the holding surfaces (11a, 11d), are designed structurally as a side frame (114a) or as a bridge between the holding surfaces (11a, 11d). 23. Device (1, 1', 1) according to one of claims 18-22, characterized in that the constituent parts of the carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) of the substrate, at least in those areas , which during processing of the substrate are in contact with the substrate (2, 2a, 2d) and/or the receiving plate (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h), consist of the same material as the first plane (301) of the receiving boards (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h). 24. Device (1, 1', 1) according to one of claims 18-23, characterized in that the component parts of the carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) of the substrate in those areas that during processing the substrate is in contact with the substrate (2, 2a-2d) and/or the receiving plate (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h), consists of electrically conductive material and the gripping arm or gripping arms (121, 122) in those areas , which are not in contact with the receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h) during processing of the substrate, consist of dielectric material. 25. Device (1, 1', 1) according to one of claims 18-24, characterized in that the areas of the carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-100d, 100) of the substrate, which are in contact during processing of the substrate with the substrate or substrates (2, 2a-2d) and/or the receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h), have a heat capacity that turns out to be less than the heat capacity of the receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a- 30h). 26. Device (1, 1', 1) according to one of claims 18-25, characterized in that the device has a supporting structure (14) on which the carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) is attached substrate with a gripping arm or multiple gripping arms (121, 122). 27. Device (1', 1) according to claim 26, characterized in that the device (1', 1) has a block (101, 101a, 101b) of several substrate carriers (10a-10d), which are located vertically above each other and connected to the supporting structure (14). 28. Device (1) according to claim 27, characterized in that the device (1) has several blocks (101a, 101b) of substrate carriers (10a-10d) vertically located one above the other, while the blocks (101a, 101b) are located horizontally next to each other and connected to the same supporting structure (14). 29. A method for treating a substrate (2, 2a-2d) in a processing unit (400) according to one of claims 1-8, wherein the processing unit (400) contains a processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a3b) with a receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h) on which the substrate (2, 2a-2d) is held during its processing according to one of claims 9-17 and a device (1, 1', 1) for transportation substrate (2, 2a-2d) according to one of paragraphs 18-28 with the following steps: a) place the substrate (2, 2a-2d) on the substrate carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) transported by the device (1, 1', 1) for transporting the substrate (2, 2a-2d) along one of paragraphs 18-28, b) moving the substrate carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) in at least one horizontal direction until the substrate carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) is located in vertical direction above the receiving plate (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h) of the processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3b), c) place the substrate carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) on the receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a30h), d) process the substrate (2, 2a-2d) in the processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3b), e) lift the substrate carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) from the receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a30h) in the vertical direction, f) moving the substrate carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) at least in the horizontal direction from the processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3α-3b), g) removing the substrate (2, 2a-2d) from the substrate carrier (10, 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100), and these steps are performed in the indicated sequence. 30. The method according to claim 29, characterized in that the processing unit (400) has several processing devices (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3b) according to one of claims 9-17 and are performed repeatedly sequentially one after another steps b)-f), wherein the substrate (2, 2a-2d) is fed one after another into the processing devices (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3a-3b) and removed from them and processed in them. 31. Method according to claim 30, characterized in that steps b)-f) performed repeatedly one after another are carried out without interrupting the vacuum in the processing unit (400). 32. Method according to one of claims 29-31, characterized in that the processing unit (400) contains a processing device (3, 3a, 3b, 3', 3-3b) according to one of claims 9-17 and a carrier (10 , 10', 10, 10a-10d, 100) of the substrate is placed in step c) into the recess (31) of the receiving board (30, 30', 30, 30a-30h). -