Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method, and program for implementing the method

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus which is capable of enhancing productivity in manufacturing product substrates. In process chambers 106 and 107 of an etching apparatus 100, etching is carried out on a substrate as an object to be processed, and dummy processing is carried out on at least one non-product substrate before execution of the etching. A host computer 200 determines whether or not the dummy processing is to be executed. The host computer 200 determines whether or not the interior of each of the process chambers 106 and 107 is in a stable state, and omits the execution of the dummy processing when it is determined that it is in the stable state.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0001] 1. Field of the Invention [0002] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a program for implementing the method, and more particularly to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method which are capable of carrying out dummy processing, and a program for implementing the method. [0003] 2. Description of the Related Art [0004] In a plasma process for manufacturing semiconductor chips, etching on thin films and CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) which deposits a metal on the etched thin films are carried out, by utilizing interaction between plasma and the inner wall of a vessel. In the vessel, large energy is applied e.g. by high frequency waves, so that the interaction between plasma and the vessel inner wall causes the following serious problem: [0005] The plasma CVD grows a thin film on a substrate, but the thin film is also deposited on the vessel inner wall as well. O...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0014] With the arrangement of the first aspect of the present invention, when it is determined that the status of the interior of the process chamber is stable, execution of the dummy processing is omitted, which contributes to enhancement of productivity in manufacturing product substrates.

Problems solved by technology

As the plasma process is continued, the vessel inner wall is contaminated as described above, which adversely affects chemical reactions in plasma and degrades reproducibility of the process.

In the above-mentioned first and second methods for the automatic process, however, even when the processing atmosphere in (i.e. the status of the interior of) the process chamber is stable as in the case of the product processing being continuously executed on substrate lots under the same processing conditions, a non-product substrate is subjected to the dummy processing whenever a substrate lot is subjected to the product processing or periodically, which causes not only wasteful use of non-product substrates, but also a decrease in throughput (processing capability) and hence degraded productivity in manufacturing product substrates.

Further, when the processing atmosphere in (i.e. the status of the interior of) the process chamber is unstable, it is necessary to carry out dummy processing repeatedly.

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