Simulator apparatus, substrate processing apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, and recording

Abstract

Provided are a simulator apparatus, a substrate processing apparatus, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a technology for simulating a processing operation of a substrate based on an edited recipe without using a substrate processing apparatus, and capable of shortening the time taken for recipe editing. The present invention is provided with: a virtual device storage unit for storing a recipe having a plurality of steps in which processing conditions and processing time for a substrate are defined, and a device control program for controlling the processing of the substrate by a substrate processing device having the recipe; an activation unit that selects an execution speed of the apparatus control program and selects at least one of a normal transfer operation and a transfer skip operation as an operation of the substrate transfer unit; and a virtual control unit capable of activating the device control program by the execution speed selected by the activation unit and the operation of the transport unit, and controlling virtual processing of the substrate on the basis of the recipe stored in the virtual device storage unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a simulator device, a substrate processing device, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a recording medium. Background Art

[0002] In some substrate processing apparatuses, recipes for setting processing conditions for processing a substrate in each step and parameters for executing the recipes are edited, and the substrate is processed according to the edited recipes and parameters (eg, Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-138158 Summary of the Invention

[0006] When processing a substrate using edited recipes and parameters, the substrate processing operation may be verified using the previously edited recipe in the substrate processing apparatus. In this case, if the results do not match the expected substrate processing results, the recipe must be repeatedly corrected and verified. This can lead to time-consuming monopoly of the substrate processing apparatus and recipe editing.

[0007] The present invention provides a technology that can shorten the time consumed for recipe editing by simulating substrate processing actions based on edited recipes without using a substrate processing device.

[0008] According to one embodiment of the present invention, the following technology is provided, comprising: a virtual device storage unit, which stores a recipe having multiple steps that define processing conditions and processing time for a substrate, and a device control program that controls the processing of the substrate by a substrate processing device having the above recipe; a startup unit, which selects an execution speed of the above device control program and selects at least one of a normal conveying action and a conveying skip action as the action of a conveying unit for the above substrate; and a virtual control unit, which can start the above device control program according to the above execution speed selected by the above startup unit and the action of the above conveying unit, and control the virtual processing of the above substrate according to the above recipe stored in the above virtual device storage unit.

[0009] Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, the processing operation of a substrate based on an edited recipe is simulated without using a substrate processing apparatus, thereby reducing the time required for recipe editing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the simulator according to this embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 This is a diagram schematically showing an example of device information according to this embodiment.

[0013] Figure 3 It is a perspective view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment.

[0014] Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment when viewed from the side.

[0015] Figure 5 This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of a control device included in the substrate processing apparatus according to the present embodiment.

[0016] Figure 6A This is a diagram showing an example of screen transition of the display operation unit accompanying the startup process of the simulator according to the present embodiment.

[0017] Figure 6B This is a diagram showing an example of screen transition of the display operation unit accompanying the startup process of the simulator according to the present embodiment.

[0018] Figure 6C This is a diagram showing an example of screen transition of the display operation unit accompanying the startup process of the simulator according to the present embodiment.

[0019] Figure 6D This is a diagram showing an example of screen transition of the display operation unit accompanying the startup process of the simulator according to the present embodiment.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the startup process according to this embodiment.

[0021] Description of Reference Numerals

[0022] 18 wafer (substrate), 300 simulator (simulator device), 304 simulator storage unit (virtual device storage unit), 400 virtual control unit, 401 startup unit DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] <One embodiment of the present invention>

[0024] The following mainly refers to Figures 1 to 7 One embodiment of the present invention will be described. The drawings used in the following description are schematic, and the dimensional relationships and ratios of the elements shown in the drawings may not necessarily be consistent with reality. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships and ratios of the elements may not necessarily be consistent across multiple drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments and can be implemented with appropriate modifications within the scope of the present invention.

[0025] In the following description, an operator refers to a person who uses a simulator or a substrate processing apparatus, or a person who processes a substrate using the substrate processing apparatus. A substrate processing apparatus may also be referred to as an apparatus.

[0026] (Simulator)

[0027] First, refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , an overview of the simulator 300 as the simulator device of this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of the simulator 300 of this embodiment. The simulator 300 can execute the following substrate processing apparatus 1 (see Figures 3 to 5 ) as a simulation of the substrate processing process of multiple devices as a hypothetical process. Figure 1 In the figure, the blocks shown by solid lines represent the hardware structure, and the blocks shown by dotted lines represent the functional structure.

[0028] (Simulator hardware structure)

[0029] like Figure 1 As shown, the simulator 300 includes a simulator control unit 301 , a simulator storage unit 304 as a virtual device storage unit, an external communication unit 305 , an external storage unit 306 , and a display operation unit 307 as a virtual device display operation unit.

[0030] The simulator control unit 301 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 302 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 303 .

[0031] CPU 302 is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls various components. RAM 303 serves as a work area and temporarily stores programs and data. Simulator storage unit 304 stores various programs and data. Specifically, CPU 302 of simulator 300 of this embodiment functions as simulator 300 by writing programs stored in simulator storage unit 304 to RAM 303 and executing them.

[0032] For example, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash memory, etc. can be used as the simulator storage unit 304. The simulator storage unit 304 of this embodiment stores a virtual processing program 304A, device information 304B, device data 304C, and selection information 304D.

[0033] The virtual processing program 304A is a program for executing the functions of the simulator 300, including the startup process described later. The virtual processing program 304A can be pre-installed in the simulator 300, for example. Alternatively, the virtual processing program 304A can be implemented by recording it on a non-volatile recording medium or distributing it via a network and then installing it in the simulator 300 as appropriate. Examples of non-volatile recording media include CD-ROMs, magneto-optical disks, HDDs, DVD-ROMs, flash memories, memory cards, and USBs.

[0034] Figure 2 This is a diagram schematically showing an example of the device information 304B according to this embodiment.

[0035] like Figure 2 As shown, device information 304B stores information related to multiple devices. For example, device information 304B stores information related to devices 1 through n. Device 1 information, which is information related to device 1, stores the device control program, device parameters, recipes, and device configuration information possessed by device 1. Furthermore, device 2 information, which is information related to device 2, stores the device control program, device parameters, recipes, and device configuration information possessed by device 2 (hereinafter, the same applies to device n information, where n is an integer greater than or equal to 3). Furthermore, device information 304B only needs to store information related to at least one device.

[0036] The device control program is a program installed in each device, and can display various screens displayed on the display unit of each device on the display operation unit 307 described later. The device control program is, for example, the device control program 104A described later (see Figure 5 ) The same procedure is used. Therefore, according to the simulator 300 of this embodiment, it is also possible to edit recipes in the same manner as in each device, and it is also possible to simulate substrate processing using the edited recipes. In addition, the simulator 300 has an external storage unit 306 described later, and it is also possible to expand the edited recipes to each device via the external storage unit 306, copy the recipes from each device and store them in the simulator storage unit 304. Therefore, according to the simulator 300 of this embodiment, it is possible to edit the recipes on the simulator 300, thereby enabling immediate confirmation of the operation of the edited recipes, and also helping to reduce the work of copying and using the recipes edited externally.

[0037] The device parameters are parameters indicating the equipment installed in each device. For example, the device parameters are related to the device parameters 104C (see Figure 5) are the same parameters. Device parameters are parameters that store, for example, the hardware configuration of each device (e.g., number of units, number of slices, location, etc.) and processing conditions (e.g., numerical range). Furthermore, the device parameters include connection destination information, which serves as connection conditions for real or hypothetical measurement equipment. Here, "real" refers to actual equipment, devices, etc. that are actually in operation, while "hypothetical" refers to equipment, devices, etc. that are based on data that is operating in simulation.

[0038] The recipe is information that defines the processing conditions and processing sequence used in processing the substrate in each device. The recipe is, for example, the recipe 104B described later (see Figure 5 )Same recipe.

[0039] The device configuration information indicates information for operating each device on the simulator 300. The device configuration information is information indicating, for example, the structure of folders used in each device, the device control program expanded in each folder, and the data structure of recipes.

[0040] exist Figure 1 The device data 304C stores measurement data acquired from each measuring device. Specifically, the device data 304C stores data acquired from a virtual measuring device control unit described later.

[0041] The selection information 304D stores information related to the environment setting of the startup environment of the simulator 300. The selection information 304D stores, for example, information selected by the startup unit 401 described later.

[0042] The external communication unit 305 communicates with the external communication device 500. The external communication unit 305 is connected to a network such as the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), or a WAN (Wide Area Network), enabling communication with the external device via the network. The simulator 300 is connected to a host computer that manages each device serving as the external communication device 500, for example, via the external communication unit 305. Therefore, according to the simulator 300 of this embodiment, by including the external communication unit 305, it is possible to confirm communication operation with the external communication device 500 without waiting for device assembly, thereby reducing the time required for device setup.

[0043] Furthermore, an external storage unit 306 is connected to the simulator 300 , and a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or the like, which is an example of a recording medium, is pluggable into and out of the external storage unit 306 .

[0044] The display operation unit 307 is configured to display various operation screens for operating the simulator 300. The display operation unit 307 is, for example, a touch panel. Alternatively, the display operation unit 307 may be configured by, for example, an input device such as a liquid crystal display panel, a keyboard, or a mouse.

[0045] (Functional structure of the simulator)

[0046] The simulator 300 of this embodiment functions as a virtual control unit 400, a startup unit 401, an operating environment setting unit 402, a time monitoring unit 403, a virtual I / O port 404, a virtual process control unit 405 connected to the measurement equipment of the process system, and a virtual transport control unit 406 connected to the measurement equipment of the transport system, through the CPU 302 executing a virtual processing program 304A. The virtual process control unit 405 and the virtual transport control unit 406 are collectively referred to as a virtual measurement equipment control unit. Furthermore, the simulator 300 also functions as a virtual temperature measurement unit 405A, a virtual gas flow measurement unit 405B, and a virtual pressure measurement unit 405C, which are connected to the virtual process control unit 405 in simulation and serve as measurement units of the process system. Furthermore, the simulator 300 also functions as a virtual container transport unit 406A, a virtual substrate transport unit 406B, and a virtual support transport unit 406C, which are connected to the virtual transport control unit 406 in simulation. The virtual temperature measurement unit 405A, the virtual gas flow measurement unit 405B, the virtual pressure measurement unit 405C, the virtual container transport unit 406A, the virtual substrate transport unit 406B, and the virtual support transport unit 406C are collectively referred to as virtual measurement equipment.

[0047] The virtual control unit 400 has the function of executing a simulation of a substrate processing process. For example, the virtual control unit 400 configures a simulator based on the device selected by the startup unit 401 (described later), as well as the device parameters and device configuration information stored in the device information 304B. Furthermore, the virtual control unit 400 controls the simulation of the substrate processing process based on the execution speed and transport operation mode selected by the startup unit 401, and the control device program and recipe stored in the device information 304B. For example, the virtual control unit 400 has the function of simulating the functions of the control device 100 (described later).

[0048] The startup unit 401 has a function of performing environment settings for the startup environment of the simulator 300. Specifically, the startup unit 401 of this embodiment selects the device to be started, the execution speed, and the transport action mode as the transport action of the transport unit. The device to be started is selected, for example, from a plurality of devices stored in the device information 304B. The execution speed is selected, for example, from the actual speed, 2x speed, or 4x speed as a plurality of execution speeds. In addition, the execution speed may also be a speed that slows down the execution speed, such as 1 / 2x speed or 1 / 3x speed. The transport action mode is selected, for example, from a normal transport action or a transport skip action. The transport skip action is a mode for skipping a predetermined transport process. For example, when the transport skip action is selected, the simulator 300 skips the transport process of the virtual container transport unit 406A described later and performs the simulation. The transport skipping operation may skip at least one of the transporting steps of the virtual container transport unit 406A, the virtual substrate transport unit 406B, and the virtual support transport unit 406C, which will be described later.

[0049] That is, the simulator 300 of this embodiment can select and start a plurality of devices. Therefore, according to the simulator 300 of this embodiment, the operator can select a device from a plurality of devices in one simulator and confirm the operation of various devices.

[0050] Furthermore, the simulator 300 of this embodiment allows for selection of execution speeds from actual speed, double speed, and quadruple speed. The simulator control unit 301 controls the program according to the selected execution speed. Therefore, the simulator 300 of this embodiment allows for faster simulation times by changing the execution speed, contributing to a reduction in work hours.

[0051] Furthermore, the simulator 300 of this embodiment can be activated by selecting a transport operation mode, and the simulator control unit 301 controls the device control program according to the selected transport operation mode. Therefore, according to the simulator 300 of this embodiment, when a transport skip operation is selected as a transport operation, the operation of the transport system can be skipped, allowing confirmation of substrate processing operations in a short time.

[0052] Furthermore, if the target connected to the virtual transport control unit 406 (described later) is a real-world measurement device, the launcher 401 cannot specify a transport skip action. For example, the launcher 401 is configured to not display or disable the selection of a display screen for specifying transport action modes. In other words, if the target connected to the virtual transport control unit 406 is a real-world device, only standard transport action confirmation is performed for the purpose of confirming the actual device's operation. The simulator 300 of this embodiment can suppress the impact on the transport action when operating the actual device.

[0053] The operating environment setting unit 402 expands the configuration of the device selected by the launcher 401 and various information required to operate the device. Specifically, the operating environment setting unit 402 obtains the device configuration information of the selected device from the device information 304B, creates a folder based on the device configuration information, and expands various information required to operate the device to operate the selected device. In other words, even if multiple devices have different configurations, the simulator 300 automatically expands the configuration of the selected device after the device is selected, allowing the operator to simulate the device without having to configure the configuration corresponding to the device. Therefore, according to the simulator 300 of this embodiment, it can help shorten the setup time of the simulator 300.

[0054] Furthermore, the operating environment setting unit 402 acquires the device parameters of the selected device from the device information 304B and expands them into the generated folder. Specifically, by expanding the device parameters that define the device configuration of the selected device, the operating environment setting unit 402 can construct the operating environment of the simulator 300 without the operator having to configure the configuration of a real device or a virtual measurement device. Therefore, the simulator 300 of this embodiment can help reduce the time required to set up the simulator 300 environment.

[0055] The time monitoring unit 403 switches the time reporting cycle according to the execution speed selected by the startup unit 401. For example, the time monitoring unit 403 reports the time in units of 1 second at the actual speed, 0.5 seconds at 2x speed, and 0.25 seconds at 4x speed. Therefore, according to the simulator 300 of this embodiment, the time monitoring unit 403 monitors the time of the simulator 300, making it possible to uniformly manage the time monitoring of various structures according to the specified execution speed.

[0056] The virtual I / O port 404 has a function of simulating connections for transmitting and receiving data and downloading and uploading files. That is, the simulator 300 is connected to the virtual process control unit 405 and the virtual transport control unit 406 via the virtual I / O port 404 in simulation. For example, the virtual I / O port 404 has a function of simulating the I / O port 105 (see Figure 5 ) function to simulate the function.

[0057] Furthermore, virtual I / O port 404 is connected and controlled according to the connection destination information defined in the device parameters. For example, if an IP address is specified as the connection destination information, or a local IP address (e.g., 127.0.0.1) is specified, the target device is a virtual measurement device. If a regular IP address (e.g., 192.168.0.3) is specified, it is determined that a real measurement device is connected. Therefore, the device control program and device parameters installed on the device being used can be used directly in simulator 300.

[0058] The virtual process control unit 405 has the same functions as the process control unit 205 (see Figure 5 ) . Furthermore, the virtual process control unit 405 has a function of being connected in simulation to a virtual temperature measurement unit 405A, a virtual gas flow measurement unit 405B, and a virtual pressure measurement unit 405C, which serve as virtual measurement units. The virtual temperature measurement unit 405A, the virtual gas flow measurement unit 405B, and the virtual pressure measurement unit 405C each constitute a measurement device in simulation, and can transmit and receive measurement data to and from the virtual process control unit 405.

[0059] The virtual temperature measuring unit 405A is connected to a heating mechanism mainly composed of a heater and a temperature sensor. The virtual temperature measuring unit 405A is configured to measure the temperature of the heater of the processing furnace, the temperature in the processing chamber, the temperature of the substrate, etc., for example. The virtual temperature measuring unit 405A is provided with a temperature measuring unit 205A (see Figure 5 ) function to simulate the function.

[0060] The virtual gas flow measurement unit 405B is connected to a MFC (Mass Flow Controller) as a gas flow controller in simulation. The virtual gas flow measurement unit 405B is configured to measure the flow rate of the gas supplied into the processing chamber in simulation. The virtual gas flow measurement unit 405B is provided with, for example, a control unit for the gas flow measurement unit 205B (see Figure 5 ) function to simulate the function.

[0061] The virtual pressure measuring unit 405C is connected to a gas exhaust mechanism consisting mainly of a pressure sensor and an APC (automatic pressure control) valve as a pressure valve. The virtual pressure measuring unit 405C is configured to measure the pressure in the processing chamber in a simulated manner. The virtual pressure measuring unit 405C is provided with, for example, a pressure measuring unit 205C (see Figure 5 ) function to simulate the function.

[0062] The virtual process control unit 405 is also connected to a temperature measurement unit 205A, a gas flow measurement unit 205B, and a pressure measurement unit 205C, which are measurement units of the process system described later. The temperature measurement unit 205A, the gas flow measurement unit 205B, and the pressure measurement unit 205C are collectively referred to as actual measurement equipment.

[0063] The virtual transport control unit 406 has the same functions as the transport control unit 206 (see Figure 5 ) . Furthermore, the virtual transport control unit 406 has a function of being connected in simulation to the virtual container transport unit 406A, virtual substrate transport unit 406B, and virtual support transport unit 406C, which serve as virtual transport units. The virtual container transport unit 406A, virtual substrate transport unit 406B, and virtual support transport unit 406C each constitute a virtual measurement device, and can transmit and receive measurement data to and from the virtual transport control unit 406.

[0064] The virtual container transport unit 406A is composed of a rotary wafer cassette rack and a wafer cassette transport mechanism on the simulation of transporting FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod). The virtual container transport unit 406A has, for example, a container transport unit 206A (see Figure 5 ) function to simulate the function.

[0065] The virtual substrate transport unit 406B is composed of a wafer transfer mechanism and a notch alignment device for loading and unloading wafers (substrates) relative to a boat (substrate holder). The virtual substrate transport unit 406B is provided with, for example, a substrate transport unit 206B (see Figure 5 ) function to simulate the function.

[0066] The virtual support transport unit 406C is composed of a boat elevator on a simulation of transporting a boat and an arm connected to the lifting platform of the boat elevator. The virtual support transport unit 406C has, for example, a support transport unit 206C (see Figure 5 ) function to simulate the function.

[0067] The virtual transport control unit 406 may also be connected to the container transport unit 206A, substrate transport unit 206B, and support transport unit 206C, which are transport units described later. The container transport unit 206A, substrate transport unit 206B, and support transport unit 206C are collectively referred to as a measuring device for an actual machine.

[0068] Furthermore, the actual or virtual measuring equipment may include a manual controller (teaching pendant) capable of controlling the teaching process, which is one of the initial settings of the device, and an I / O reader for downloading control programs from an external recording medium.

[0069] Here, the measuring device connected to the simulator 300 of this embodiment can select a real machine or a virtual machine. For example, the operation confirmation of the measuring device of the real machine can be performed when the measuring device of the real machine is connected. Therefore, according to the simulator 300 of this embodiment, when the measuring device is replaced, the operation confirmation of the measuring device to be replaced is performed using the simulator 300 before the measuring device to be replaced is installed in the substrate processing device, thereby helping to reduce the exclusive time and operation confirmation time of the substrate processing device. Moreover, the selection of the real machine or the virtual machine of the measuring device connected to the simulator 300 of this embodiment can be achieved by setting the connection target information of the measuring device of the device parameters. Therefore, according to the simulator 300 of this embodiment, the device parameters entered in the substrate processing device can be used as they are, which can shorten the time of preparing the parameters dedicated to the simulator. In addition, the measuring device connected to the simulator 300 of this embodiment can be a mixture of real machine and virtual measuring devices.

[0070] In addition, the virtual measuring device connected to the simulator 300 of this embodiment notifies the virtual measuring device control unit of the measurement data in a specific cycle, similar to the real machine. In this case, the virtual measuring device notifies in a cycle according to the execution speed. The virtual measuring device control unit notifies the simulator control unit 301 of the measurement data received from each measuring device, and the simulator control unit 301 stores the measurement data in the simulator storage unit 304 and further notifies the display operation unit 307. Therefore, according to the simulator 300 of this embodiment, by making the structure of the simulator 300 (for example, the virtual process control unit 405 and the virtual transport control unit 406) the same as the structure of the device (for example, the process control unit 205 and the transport control unit 206), the device control program and device parameters installed in the device can be used as they are, and it can be used without preparing the control program and device parameters for the simulator 300.

[0071] Furthermore, the virtual measurement equipment control unit includes a virtual process control unit 405 and a virtual transport control unit 406. The virtual process control unit 405 is connected to the measurement equipment of the virtual or real substrate process system. In addition, the virtual transport control unit 406 is connected to the measurement equipment of the virtual or real substrate transport system. The virtual process control unit 405 and the virtual transport control unit 406 obtain their respective connection targets from the device parameters, connect to the real or virtual measurement equipment, and obtain measurement data from the connected measurement equipment. Therefore, according to the simulator 300 of this embodiment, it is possible to use the virtual process control unit 405 and the virtual transport control unit 406 to connect to the measurement equipment defined by the device parameters to perform simulation, and it is possible to use the device control program and device parameters installed in the substrate processing device as they are. In addition, the operator can perform simulation without being aware of the real or virtual measurement equipment.

[0072] (Substrate processing equipment)

[0073] Next, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 The following describes an overview of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is an example of an apparatus simulated by the simulator 300 .

[0074] Figure 3 1 is a perspective view showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 4 It is a cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment when viewed from the side. Figure 3 and Figure 4 As an example of a substrate processing apparatus, a vertical substrate processing apparatus 1 is shown. In addition, as an example of a substrate processed in the substrate processing apparatus 1, a semiconductor wafer made of silicon or the like is shown.

[0075] like Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a housing 2 , and a front maintenance port 4 serving as an opening for maintenance is formed at a lower portion of a front wall 3 of the housing 2 . The front maintenance port 4 is opened and closed by a front maintenance door 5 .

[0076] A wafer cassette loading / unloading port 6 is formed in the front wall 3 of the housing 2, connecting the inside and outside of the housing 2. The wafer cassette loading / unloading port 6 is opened and closed by a front gate (loading / unloading port opening and closing mechanism) 7. A loading port (substrate transfer container transfer station) 8 is provided on the front front side of the wafer cassette loading / unloading port 6. The loading port 8 is configured to align the wafer cassette 9 to be placed thereon.

[0077] The wafer cassette 9 is a sealed substrate transport container, and is transported to or from the load port 8 by an intra-process transport device (not shown).

[0078] A rotary cassette rack (substrate transport container storage rack) 11 is provided at an upper portion substantially in the center in the front-back direction of the housing 2 . The rotary cassette rack 11 is configured to store a plurality of wafer cassettes 9 .

[0079] The rotary wafer cassette rack 11 includes vertically erected and intermittently rotating support columns 12, and multi-layered shelf plates (substrate transport container mounting racks) 13 radially supported at the upper, middle, and lower levels of the support columns 12. The shelf plates 13 are configured to hold at least one wafer cassette 9.

[0080] A pod opener (substrate transport container lid opening and closing mechanism) 14 is provided below the rotary pod rack 11 . The pod opener 14 has a structure for placing the pod 9 and opening and closing the lid of the pod 9 .

[0081] A pod transfer mechanism (container transfer mechanism) 15 is provided between the load port 8, the rotary pod rack 11, and the pod opener 14. The pod transfer mechanism 15 can hold the pod 9 and move it up and down, as well as forward and backward in the horizontal direction. It is configured to transfer the pod 9 between the load port 8, the rotary pod rack 11, and the pod opener 14.

[0082] A sub-housing 16 is provided at the rear end of the lower, approximately central portion of the housing 2 in the front-to-back direction. A pair of wafer loading / unloading ports (substrate loading / unloading ports) 19 for loading and unloading wafers (substrates) 18 into and out of the sub-housing 16 are vertically arranged in two layers, one above the other. Wafer cassette openers 14 are provided for each of the upper and lower wafer loading / unloading ports 19.

[0083] The wafer pod opener 14 includes a mounting table 21 on which the wafer pod 9 is mounted, and an opening / closing mechanism 22 for opening and closing the lid of the wafer pod 9. The wafer pod opener 14 is configured to open and close the lid of the wafer pod 9 mounted on the mounting table 21 via the opening / closing mechanism 22, thereby opening and closing the wafer inlet and outlet of the wafer pod 9.

[0084] The sub-housing 16 forms an airtight transfer chamber 23 relative to the space (wafer cassette transfer space) where the wafer cassette transfer mechanism 15 and the rotary wafer cassette rack 11 are located. A wafer transfer mechanism (substrate transfer mechanism) 24 is located in the front area of ​​the transfer chamber 23. The wafer transfer mechanism 24 includes wafer mounting plates 25 capable of translating, rotating, or raising and lowering horizontally to accommodate the desired number of wafers 18 (e.g., five in the illustration). The wafer mounting plates 25 are capable of horizontal translation, horizontal rotation, and elevation. The wafer transfer mechanism 24 is configured to load and unload wafers 18 from a boat (substrate holder) 26.

[0085] A standby section 27 is formed in the rear area of ​​the transfer chamber 23 to accommodate and hold the boats 26. A vertical processing furnace 28 is provided above the standby section 27. The processing furnace 28 has a processing chamber 29 formed therein. The lower end of the processing chamber 29 forms a furnace opening, which is opened and closed by a furnace opening gate (furnace opening opening and closing mechanism) 31. The processing chamber 29 is also called a processing container and is an example of a processing unit.

[0086] A boat elevator (substrate holder elevator mechanism) 32 is provided between the right end of the housing 2 and the right end of the standby portion 27 of the sub-housing 16 for raising and lowering the boat 26. A sealing cap 34 serving as a cover is horizontally mounted on an arm 33 connected to the lifting platform of the boat elevator 32. The sealing cap 34 vertically supports the boat 26 and hermetically seals the furnace opening when the boat 26 is loaded into the processing chamber 29.

[0087] The boat 26 is configured to hold multiple wafers 18 (e.g., approximately 50 to 200 wafers) in a horizontal position with their centers aligned. In this specification, the term "50 to 200 wafers" indicates that both the lower and upper limits are included in the range. Thus, for example, "50 to 200 wafers" means "between 50 and 200 wafers." The same applies to other numerical ranges.

[0088] A cleaning unit 35 is disposed opposite the boat elevator 32. The cleaning unit 35 is composed of a supply fan and a dust filter, so as to supply a clean ambient gas or clean air 36 as an inert gas. As the inert gas, for example, a nitrogen (N)-containing gas can be used. As the N-containing gas, for example, nitrogen (N2) can be used. As the N-containing gas, more than one of these gases can be used. Between the wafer transfer mechanism 24 and the cleaning unit 35, a notch alignment device (not shown) is provided as a substrate matching device for matching the circumferential position of the wafer 18.

[0089] The clean air 36 blown out from the cleaning unit 35 is sucked into the pipe (not shown) after flowing through the notch alignment device (not shown) and the chip transfer mechanism 24 and the boat 26, and is discharged to the outside of the shell 2, or blown into the transfer chamber 23 through the cleaning unit 35.

[0090] Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described.

[0091] When a wafer cassette 9 is supplied to the load port 8, the wafer cassette loading / unloading port 6 is opened by the front gate 7. The wafer cassette 9 on the load port 8 is loaded into the housing 2 through the wafer cassette loading / unloading port 6 by the wafer cassette transfer mechanism 15 and placed on a designated shelf 13 of the rotary wafer cassette rack 11. After being temporarily stored by the rotary wafer cassette rack 11, the wafer cassette 9 is transferred from the shelf 13 to a cassette opener 14 on one side and then transferred to the loading table 21 by the wafer cassette transfer mechanism 15, or directly transferred to the loading table 21 from the load port 8.

[0092] At this time, the wafer loading / unloading port 19 is closed by the opening / closing mechanism 22, and clean air 36 is circulated and filled in the transfer chamber 23. For example, the transfer chamber 23 is filled with nitrogen-containing gas as the clean air 36, so that the oxygen concentration is set to 20 ppm or less, which is lower than the oxygen concentration inside the housing 2 (the atmospheric gas).

[0093] The wafer cassette 9 placed on the mounting table 21 has its opening end surface pressed against the opening edge of the wafer loading / unloading port 19 in the front wall 17 of the sub-housing 16 , and the cover is removed by the opening / closing mechanism 22 to open the wafer loading / unloading port.

[0094] When the chip box 9 is opened by the chip box opener 14, the chip 18 is taken out from the chip box 9 by the chip transfer mechanism 24 and transferred to the notch alignment device (not shown). After the chip 18 is matched using the notch alignment device, the chip transfer mechanism 24 moves the chip 18 to the standby part 27 behind the transfer chamber 23 and loads (loads) it into the boat 26.

[0095] The wafer transfer mechanism 24 , which has delivered the wafer 18 to the boat 26 , returns to the wafer cassette 9 and loads the next wafer 18 onto the boat 26 .

[0096] During the loading operation of loading the wafer 18 into the boat 26 using the wafer transfer mechanism 24 in the wafer box opener 14 on one side (the upper layer or the lower layer), the wafer box conveying mechanism 15 is used to convey and transfer other wafer boxes 9 from the rotary wafer box rack 11 to the wafer box opener 14 on the other side (the lower layer or the upper layer), so that the opening operation of the wafer box 9 based on the wafer box opener 14 on the other side is carried out simultaneously.

[0097] After a predetermined number of wafers 18 are loaded into the boat 26, the furnace port of the processing furnace 28, which has been closed by the furnace port gate 31, is opened by the furnace port gate 31. Then, the boat 26 is lifted by the boat elevator 32 and loaded into the processing chamber 29.

[0098] After loading, the furnace opening is airtightly sealed by the seal cap 34. In addition, in this embodiment, there is a purging step (pre-purging step) of replacing the processing chamber 29 with an inert gas at this point (after loading).

[0099] The processing chamber 29 is evacuated by a gas exhaust mechanism (not shown) to a desired pressure (vacuum degree) and heated to a predetermined temperature by a heater driver (not shown) to a desired temperature distribution.

[0100] Furthermore, a process gas controlled to a predetermined flow rate is supplied by a gas supply mechanism (not shown). As the process gas flows through the process chamber 29, it contacts the surface of the wafer 18 and performs a predetermined process on the surface of the wafer 18. Furthermore, the process gas after the reaction is exhausted from the process chamber 29 by the gas exhaust mechanism. The term "process gas" in this specification refers to the gas supplied into the process chamber 29. This also applies to the following description.

[0101] After the preset processing time has elapsed, an inert gas is supplied from an inert gas supply source (not shown) via a gas supply mechanism, replacing the inert gas in the processing chamber 29 with the inert gas, and the pressure in the processing chamber 29 is restored to normal pressure (post-purge process). The boat 26 is then lowered via the sealing cover 34 by the boat elevator 32. The processing time in this specification refers to the duration of the processing. This also applies to the following description.

[0102] To unload the processed wafers 18, the wafers 18 and the wafer cassette 9 are unloaded to the outside of the housing 2 in the reverse order of the above description. Unprocessed wafers 18 are then loaded onto the boat 26, and batch processing of the wafers 18 is repeated.

[0103] Here, if Figure 3 and Figure 4 As shown, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control device 100, and the control device 100 controls the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control device 100 may be built in the substrate processing apparatus 1 or provided outside the substrate processing apparatus 1 so as to be accessible.

[0104] (Control device)

[0105] Next, refer to Figure 5 , the structure of the control system of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 5 This is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 100 included in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment.

[0106] like Figure 5 As shown, the substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control device (main controller) 100 , an external communication unit 201 , an external storage unit 202 , an operation unit 203 , a display unit 204 , an input unit 207 , a process control unit 205 , and a transport control unit 206 .

[0107] The control device 100 includes a control unit 101, a storage unit 104, and an I / O port 105. The control unit 101 includes a CPU 102 and a RAM 103. Although the operation unit 203 is shown separately from the control unit 101, it may be implemented as one function of the control unit 101.

[0108] The control device 100 is connected to the operation unit 203 and is connected to the process control unit 205 and the transport control unit 206 via the I / O port 105. The control device 100 is electrically connected to the process control unit 205 and the transport control unit 206 via the I / O port 105, thereby enabling transmission and reception of various data and downloading and uploading of various files.

[0109] The control device 100 is connected to an external superior computer (not shown) via an external communication unit 201. Therefore, even when the substrate processing apparatus 1 is set in a clean room, the superior computer can be arranged in an office outside the clean room, etc. In addition, the control device 100 is connected to an external storage unit 202 as a mounting unit, and the mounting unit is plugged in and out of a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or the like as an example of a recording medium. The substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, for example, expands a recipe that has been confirmed to operate by the simulator 300 in the substrate processing apparatus 1 via the external storage unit 202, and can process the substrate using the recipe expanded in the substrate processing apparatus 1. According to the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this embodiment, by using a recipe that has been confirmed to operate by the simulator 300 in the apparatus, it is possible to suppress losses (substrate, energy, etc.) caused by the execution of an erroneous recipe.

[0110] The operation unit 203 as the operation control unit has a display unit 204 and an input unit 207 in an integrated manner, or is connected to the display unit 204 via a video cable, etc., and is connected to the input unit 207 via a signal cable, etc. The display unit 204 is, for example, a liquid crystal display panel. The input unit 207 is, for example, an input device such as a keyboard and a mouse. In addition, the operation unit 203, the display unit 204, and the input unit 207 can also be integrally formed by a touch panel. It is configured so that various operation screens for operating the substrate processing device 1 are displayed on the display unit 204. The operation screen has a screen for confirming the status of the substrate process system controlled by the process control unit 205 and the substrate conveying system controlled by the conveying control unit 206. In addition, the display unit 204 can also display various operation buttons and input areas as an input interface (input unit) for inputting action instructions to the substrate process system and the substrate conveying system. Each operation button is selected and pressed by the operation unit 203 based on the instructions input from the input unit 207. Furthermore, numerical values ​​and the like are input into each input area via the operation unit 203 based on instructions input from the input unit 207. The operation unit 203 displays information generated within the substrate processing apparatus 1 on the display unit 204. Furthermore, the operation unit 203 outputs information input from the input unit 207 and information displayed on the display unit 204 to a device such as a USB memory inserted into the external storage unit 202, for example. The operation unit 203 receives input data (input instructions) input by the user via the operation screen displayed on the display unit 204, and transmits the input data to the control device 100. Furthermore, the operation unit 203 receives instructions (control instructions) to execute any substrate processing recipe (also referred to as a process recipe) from among the recipes deployed in the RAM 103 or the plurality of recipes stored in the storage unit 104, via the input unit 207, and transmits the instructions to the control device 100. Here, the operation unit 203 and the display unit 204 are provided separately from the control device 100, but may also be configured to be integrally included in the control device 100.

[0111] In the processing chamber 29, the substrate is processed according to a recipe having at least one step defining the processing conditions of the substrate. That is, the recipe consists of one or more steps.

[0112] The operation unit 203 accepts editing operations from the user via the input unit 207, such as adding, deleting, changing the order, and setting repeat execution for steps included in the recipe. Furthermore, the operation unit 203 accepts editing operations for at least one setting item included in the processing conditions of the selected step. Specifically, the operation unit 203 accepts editing operations for steps included in the recipe and for at least one setting item included in the processing conditions of each step from the user via the operation screen.

[0113] The process control unit 205 includes a temperature measurement unit 205A, a gas flow measurement unit 205B, and a pressure measurement unit 205C. The temperature measurement unit 205A, the gas flow measurement unit 205B, and the pressure measurement unit 205C each constitute a sub-controller and are electrically connected to the process control unit 205, enabling data transmission and reception, file downloading and uploading, and other functions. While the process control unit 205 and the sub-controllers (the temperature measurement unit 205A, the gas flow measurement unit 205B, and the pressure measurement unit 205C) are shown separately, they can also be integrated.

[0114] A heating mechanism, primarily composed of a heater and a temperature sensor (not shown), is connected to the temperature measurement unit 205A. The temperature measurement unit 205A is configured to regulate the temperature within the processing furnace 28 by controlling the temperature of the heater in the processing furnace 28. Furthermore, the temperature measurement unit 205A is configured to control the switching (on and off) of the thyristors and thereby control the power supplied to the heater wires.

[0115] The gas flow measurement unit 205B is connected to an MFC (Mass Flow Controller) (not shown) serving as a gas flow controller, which is provided on a gas piping that supplies a predetermined gas to the processing chamber 29 and is configured to control the flow rate of the supplied gas. Alternatively, in a case where an on-off valve (valve) is provided on the gas piping in addition to the MFC, the gas flow measurement unit 205B controls the on-off valve together with the MFC. The gas flow measurement unit 205B is configured to control the valve opening of the MFC in such a way that the flow rate of the gas supplied to the processing chamber 29 becomes an indicated value. Alternatively, the MFC may be configured as the gas flow measurement unit 205B and directly connected to the process control unit 205.

[0116] The pressure measurement unit 205C is connected to a gas exhaust mechanism (not shown) primarily comprised of a pressure sensor (not shown) and an APC (Automatic Pressure Control) valve (not shown), serving as a pressure valve. A vacuum pump (not shown) may also be included in the gas exhaust mechanism. The pressure measurement unit 205C is configured to control the opening of the APC valve and the switching (on and off) of the vacuum pump based on the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor so that the pressure within the processing chamber 29 reaches the indicated pressure at the indicated time.

[0117] The transport control unit 206 includes a container transport unit 206A for transporting containers capable of storing substrates in multiple layers, a substrate transport unit 206B for transporting substrates, and a support transport unit 206C for transporting supports that support substrates. The container transport unit 206A, substrate transport unit 206B, and support transport unit 206C are configured to control the drive system, rotation system, and lift system of the substrate processing apparatus 1. For example, the transport control unit 206 is configured to control the transport operations of the rotary wafer pod 11, the boat elevator 32, the wafer pod transport mechanism 15, the wafer transfer mechanism 24, the boat 26, and the rotation mechanism (not shown).

[0118] The container transport unit 206A is configured to transport the wafer cassette 9 by controlling the rotary wafer cassette rack 11 and the wafer cassette transport mechanism 15. The substrate transport unit 206B is configured to load and unload the wafers 18 to and from the boat 26 by controlling the wafer transfer mechanism 24 and the notch alignment device. The support transport unit 206C is configured to transport the boat 26 by controlling the boat elevator 32 and the arm 33.

[0119] Furthermore, the control device 100, process control unit 205, and transport control unit 206 of this embodiment do not rely on dedicated systems and can be implemented using conventional computer systems. For example, by installing a program for executing the above-mentioned processes from a recording medium (CD-ROM, USB, etc.) storing the program onto a general-purpose computer, each controller that executes the predetermined processes can be configured.

[0120] Furthermore, the means for supplying these programs is arbitrary, and in addition to being able to supply via a predetermined recording medium as described above, they may also be supplied via, for example, a communication line, a communication network, a communication system, or the like.

[0121] The control device 100 is configured as a computer having a CPU 102, a RAM 103, a storage unit 104, and an I / O port 105. The storage unit 104 stores a recipe 104B defining processing conditions and a processing sequence, a device control program 104A for executing these recipe files, device parameters 104C (setting value files) for setting processing conditions and a processing sequence, and device data 104D, which is measurement data obtained from each measuring device. Furthermore, the control device 100 uses an external communication unit 201, which is connected to a network such as the Internet, a LAN (Local Area Network), or a WAN (Wide Area Network), and is capable of communicating with external devices via the network. The device control program 104A may also be pre-installed in the substrate processing device 1, for example. Alternatively, the device control program 104A may be recorded on a non-volatile recording medium or distributed via a network, and then appropriately installed in the substrate processing device 1. Examples of nonvolatile recording media include CD-ROMs, magneto-optical disks, HDDs, DVD-ROMs, flash memories, memory cards, and USBs.

[0122] In addition, as the storage unit 104 , for example, a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a flash memory, or the like is used.

[0123] (Startup screen)

[0124] Next, refer to Figures 6A to 6D Next, an example of screen transition of the display operation unit 307 accompanying the startup process of the simulator 300 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0125] In the simulator 300, after executing the startup process described later, the CPU 302 Figure 6A The startup screen 600 is displayed on the display operation unit 307 as shown. The startup screen 600 is a screen for selecting the environment setting of the startup environment of the simulator 300. The startup screen 600 of this embodiment includes a device list 601 for selecting a device, an execution speed list 602 for selecting an execution speed, a transport condition list 603 for selecting a transport condition as a transport action, an execution button 604, and a cancel button 605. The display operation unit 307 of this embodiment is a touch panel, which is configured to enable touch operations by the operator. In addition, the startup screen 600 displayed on the display operation unit 307 can be displayed on the entire display area of ​​the display operation unit 307, or can be displayed on a part of the display area (for example, a dialog window, etc.).

[0126] The device list 601 of this embodiment is configured to allow selection of device 1, device 2, and device 3. Therefore, when the operator presses the device list 601, the display Figure 6B The screen shown. Figure 6B As shown, the selection items of "Device 1", "Device 2" and "Device 3" are displayed in a pull-down list (Pull-down list) on the startup screen 600 so that the operator can select a desired device.

[0127] Figure 6A The execution speed list 602 shown is configured to be able to select the actual speed, 2x speed and 4x speed. Therefore, when the operator presses the execution speed list 602, the display Figure 6C The screen shown. Figure 6C As shown, the start screen 600 displays "Actual Speed," "×2" indicating 2x speed, and "×4" indicating 4x speed as options in a drop-down list, allowing the operator to select a desired execution speed.

[0128] Figure 6A The transport condition list 603 shown is configured to be able to select a normal transport action and a transport skip action. Therefore, when the operator presses the transport condition list 603, the display Figure 6D The screen shown. Figure 6D As shown, a drop-down list is displayed on startup screen 600, including options such as "Normal" for normal transport operations and "Skip" for skipping transport operations, allowing the operator to select desired transport conditions. Furthermore, if the measurement device connected to simulator 300 is a real-world measurement device, transport condition list 603 can be hidden or made inert even when pressed.

[0129] Figure 6A The execute button 604 is a button for executing the simulation of the selected device at the selected execution speed and transport conditions. In addition, the cancel button 605 is a button for canceling the simulation execution.

[0130] Specifically, the display operation unit 307 displays a screen for selecting devices, execution speed, and transport operation mode when the simulator 300 is started, prompting the operator to select each option. When the execute button 604 is pressed, the display operation unit 307 notifies the simulator control unit 301 of the selected information. The simulator control unit 301 instructs the operating environment setting unit 402 to deploy the operating environment for the selected device, notifies the time monitoring unit 403 of the selected execution speed, and notifies the virtual transport control unit 406 of the selected transport conditions. The device control program for the selected device is then activated, and simulation of the selected device is initiated. The simulator 300 of this embodiment operates according to the device selection items, execution speed selection items, and transport condition selection items selected on the screen displayed on the display operation unit 307 at startup. According to this embodiment, the simulator 300 can reduce the time spent by the operator on setting the settings. Furthermore, the simulator control unit 301 activates the device control program using the activation conditions from the activation unit 401. Since the device control program is the same as the program stored in each device, the operation of each device can also be simulated in the display operation unit 307 of the simulator 300.

[0131] (flow chart)

[0132] Figure 7 This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of the startup process according to this embodiment. Figure 7 As an example, it is executed when the simulator 300 is activated.

[0133] exist Figure 7 In step S100, the CPU 302 accepts the selection of the start condition. Specifically, the CPU 302 displays the device list 601, the execution speed list 602, and the transport condition list 603 (see Figure 6A ), selection of receiving device, execution speed and transport conditions.

[0134] In step S101, CPU 302 completes the acceptance of the start condition selection. If CPU 302 accepts the press of execute button 604 (step S101: execute), the process proceeds to step S102. On the other hand, if CPU 302 accepts the press of cancel button 605 (step S101: cancel), the start process ends.

[0135] In step S102, the CPU 302 configures the simulator. Specifically, the CPU 302 sets the operating environment of the device selected in step S100 (reproducing the actual operating environment of the device). For example, the CPU 302 constructs a folder structure and expands various files.

[0136] In step S103, the CPU 302 executes the simulator. Specifically, the CPU 302 executes the device control program of the device selected in step S100 at the execution speed and transport conditions selected in step S100. The CPU 302 then terminates the startup process.

[0137] The simulator 300 of this embodiment stores the device control program mounted on the substrate processing device 1 and the device parameters that define the setting information related to the structure of the device and the substrate processing conditions in the simulator storage unit 304. In addition, the simulator storage unit 304 also stores the recipe that sets the processing conditions of the substrate. In addition, the recipe is composed of multiple steps for each processing action of the substrate, and the processing time is defined in each of the multiple steps. When the simulator control unit 301 starts the device control program, it executes the device control program in accordance with the execution speed and conveying action mode selected by the startup unit 401. Therefore, according to the simulator 300 of this embodiment, one or more of the following effects are obtained. Instead of using the substrate processing device 1, the processing action of the substrate implemented based on the edited recipe is simulated, which can shorten the time consumed by the recipe editing. In addition, by using the device control program and device parameters mounted on the substrate processing device 1, the same actions as those of the substrate processing device 1 can be performed on the simulator 300. Furthermore, by executing the device control program according to the selected execution speed and transport operation mode, the confirmation time for substrate processing operations can be adjusted, and the operation of the executed recipe can be confirmed in a shorter time. Furthermore, since the assembly and installation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is time-consuming, operation confirmation can only be performed after the installation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is complete when using a real machine. However, when using the simulator 300, operation confirmation can be performed even without the substrate processing apparatus 1. Furthermore, when the transport skip operation is selected, the transport system operation can be skipped, allowing for even shorter confirmation of substrate processing operations.

[0138] <Other aspects of the present invention>

[0139] The simulator 300 and substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment have been exemplified and described above. The embodiment may also be in the form of a program for causing a computer to execute the functions of the simulator 300 or substrate processing apparatus 1. The embodiment may also be in the form of a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium storing such a program.

[0140] In addition, the configurations of the simulator 300 and the substrate processing apparatus 1 described in the above embodiment are merely examples and may be modified according to circumstances without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0141] Furthermore, the processing flow of the program described in the above embodiment is merely an example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the processing order may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0142] In the above embodiments, the processing of the embodiments is implemented by a software configuration using a computer by executing a program, but the present invention is not limited thereto. The embodiments may also be implemented by, for example, hardware configuration or a combination of hardware and software configurations.

[0143] The above embodiment describes an example of forming a film using a batch-type substrate processing apparatus that processes multiple substrates at once. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment; for example, it is also well-suited for forming a film using a cluster-type substrate processing apparatus that processes one or more substrates at a time. Furthermore, the above embodiment describes an example of forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus with a hot-wall processing furnace. The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment; it is also well-suited for forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus with a cold-wall processing furnace.

[0144] Even when these substrate processing apparatuses are used, each process can be performed in the same processing sequence and processing conditions as those in the above-described embodiment, and the same effects as those in the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

Claims

1. A simulator device, characterized in that: have: a virtual device storage unit storing a recipe having a plurality of steps defining substrate processing conditions and processing time, and a device control program for controlling processing of the substrate by a substrate processing device having the recipe; a starter that selects an execution speed of the device control program and selects at least one of a normal transport operation and a transport skip operation as an operation of the substrate transport unit; as well as The virtual control unit can activate the device control program according to the execution speed and the operation of the transport unit selected by the activation unit, and control the virtual processing of the substrate according to the recipe stored in the virtual device storage unit.

2. The simulator device according to claim 1, wherein The conveying unit is at least one of a container conveying unit that conveys a container capable of storing the substrates in multiple layers, a substrate conveying unit that conveys the substrates, and a support conveying unit that conveys the substrates to a processing container for processing the substrates using a support that supports the substrates.

3. The simulator device according to claim 1, wherein A time monitoring unit for controlling the execution speed of the device control program is provided. The startup unit selects one execution speed from a plurality of execution speeds including actual speed and multiple speed. The time monitoring unit monitors the time according to the one execution speed selected by the starting unit.

4. The simulator device according to claim 1, wherein The virtual device storage unit further stores the recipes of the plurality of substrate processing devices and the device control programs of the plurality of substrate processing devices. The activation unit selects one of the substrate processing apparatuses from among the plurality of substrate processing apparatuses.

5. The simulator device according to claim 4, characterized in that An operating environment setting unit is provided for setting an operating environment of the selected substrate processing apparatus. The action environment setting unit obtains the device structure information corresponding to the selected substrate processing device from the virtual device storage unit and sets the action environment, wherein a folder is generated based on the obtained device structure information, and the generated folder contains the device control program of the selected substrate processing device and at least one of the recipes.

6. The simulator device according to claim 5, characterized in that The virtual device storage unit stores device parameters defining the configuration of a measurement device including the transport unit connected to the substrate processing apparatus. The operating environment setting unit acquires the device parameters of the selected substrate processing device from the virtual device storage unit and expands the acquired device parameters in the generated folder.

7. The simulator device according to claim 6, characterized in that The device parameters can set the connection conditions of the measuring device connected to the substrate processing device, The virtual control unit connects to the measuring device set by the device parameters through the device control program, executes the recipe, and controls the virtual processing of the substrate.

8. The simulator device according to claim 7, characterized in that The connection condition of the measuring device in the device parameters is specified by setting the connection destination information of the measuring device defined in the device parameters.

9. The simulator device according to claim 7, characterized in that It also includes a virtual measuring device control unit connected to the measuring device defined in the device parameters and capable of controlling communication with the measuring device. The virtual measuring device control unit notifies the virtual control unit of the measurement data reported from the measuring device.

10. The simulator device according to claim 9, characterized in that The virtual measurement equipment control unit includes a virtual process control unit connected to the measurement unit of the process system in the measurement equipment, and a virtual transport control unit connected to the transport unit in the measurement equipment.

11. The simulator device according to claim 10, characterized in that When the virtual process control unit is connected to the measuring unit, when the measuring unit is set to the virtual device parameters, the unit obtains data reported from the virtual measuring unit as a virtual measuring unit; when the measuring unit is set to the real machine with the device parameters, the unit obtains data reported from the real machine.

12. The simulator device according to claim 10, characterized in that When the virtual conveying control unit is connected to the conveying unit, when the conveying unit is set to virtual with the device parameters, it obtains data reported from the virtual conveying unit as a virtual conveying unit, and when the conveying unit is set to a real machine with the device parameters, it obtains data reported from the conveying unit as a real machine.

13. The simulator device according to claim 10, characterized in that When the transport unit connected to the virtual transport control unit is set as a real machine with the device parameter, selection of the transport skip operation as the operation of the transport unit is canceled.

14. The simulator device according to claim 1, wherein A virtual device display operation unit is provided, which displays selection information of each of the execution speed and the operation of the conveying unit. The virtual device display operation unit displays selection items for the execution speed and selection items for the operation of the transport unit, respectively.

15. The simulator device according to claim 14, characterized in that When the selection item of the execution speed and the selection item of the operation of the transport unit are determined, the virtual device display operation unit notifies the virtual control unit.

16. The simulator device according to claim 14, characterized in that The recipe can be edited, and the recipe editing operation is performed through the virtual device display operation unit.

17. The simulator device according to claim 1, wherein an external communication unit connected to an external communication device and capable of communicating with the external communication device; It is possible to confirm the communication operation with the connected external communication device.

18. A substrate processing device, characterized in that: A processing chamber for processing substrates is provided. The substrate is processed according to the recipe stored in the simulator device according to claim 1.

19. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, characterized in that: The method is implemented in the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 18, comprising: a step of transporting the substrate to the processing chamber; and The step of processing the substrate.

20. A recording medium, which is a computer-readable recording medium and has a program recorded thereon, characterized in that: The program is executed in the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 18, and causes the substrate processing apparatus to execute the following steps using a computer: a step of transporting the substrate to the processing chamber; and The step of processing the substrate.

Images