Substrate processing device and substrate processing method

Abstract

The present invention provides a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method. The substrate processing device of the present invention includes a loading unit, a conveying unit, a detection unit and a correction unit. A carrier can be loaded on the loading unit, and the carrier has a plurality of slots that can accommodate a plurality of substrates. The conveying unit feeds substrates into and out of the slots based on a reference storage position set in the loading unit. The detection unit detects the position of the substrate stored in the slot. The correction unit corrects the reference storage position based on port accumulation information, and the port storage information accumulates the detection results of the detection unit in a plurality of carriers previously loaded on the loading unit. The present invention can achieve efficient position detection processing.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a substrate processing device and a substrate processing method. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, substrate processing apparatuses for processing substrates such as semiconductor wafers and glass substrates are known that sequentially take out substrates from a storage cassette storing a plurality of substrates, transport the substrates to a processing section, and process each substrate in the processing section.

[0003] In such a substrate processing apparatus, before taking out a substrate from a cassette, a position detection process (mapping process) is performed to detect the presence or absence of a substrate in the cassette and the storage state of the substrate, such as the storage position (see Patent Document 1).

[0004] Existing patent literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-145244 Summary of the Invention

[0007] Technical problem to be solved by the invention

[0008] The present invention provides a technique capable of improving the efficiency of position detection processing.

[0009] Technical solutions to technical problems

[0010] A substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a loading unit, a conveying unit, a detection unit, and a correction unit. The loading unit can load a carrier having multiple slots capable of accommodating multiple substrates. The conveying unit delivers substrates to and from the slots based on a reference storage position set in the loading unit. The detection unit detects the position of the substrates accommodated in the slots. The correction unit corrects the reference storage position based on port storage information, which accumulates the detection results of the detection unit on multiple carriers previously loaded on the loading unit.

[0011] Effects of the Invention

[0012] According to the present invention, it is possible to improve the efficiency of position detection processing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing the configuration of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment.

[0014] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing the structure of a processing unit according to an embodiment.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of a substrate processing system.

[0016] Figure 4 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a cover opening and closing mechanism and a substrate detection unit.

[0017] Figure 5 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a cover opening and closing mechanism and a substrate detection unit.

[0018] Figure 6 It is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the substrate detection unit.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device.

[0020] Figure 8 It is a diagram showing an example of reference storage position information.

[0021] Figure 9 This is an example of a graph in which first slot positions detected from a plurality of carriers previously placed on a certain load port are plotted in chronological order.

[0022] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing an example of correction processing performed by the correction unit.

[0023] Figure 11 This is a diagram showing an example of temporal changes in the offset amount of the first slot position of a certain carrier.

[0024] Description of Reference Numerals

[0025] W chip

[0026] C carrier

[0027] C1 cover

[0028] P1~P4 loading port

[0029] 1. Substrate processing system

[0030] 5. Cover opening and closing mechanism

[0031] 7. Substrate Inspection Department

[0032] 11 Carrier loading platform

[0033] 13. First conveying device

[0034] 16 processing units

[0035] 18 Control Department

[0036] 18a Opening and closing control unit

[0037] 18b Position detection control unit

[0038] 18c Abnormality Judgment Unit

[0039] 18d Conveyance Control Unit

[0040] 18e Revision Department

[0041] 18f Degradation Prediction Department

[0042] 18g Notification Department

[0043] 19 Storage

[0044] 19a Port cumulative information

[0045] 19b Loader abnormality accumulation information

[0046] 19c Cumulative information of substrate position on carrier

[0047] 19d Reference storage position information DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] Below, with reference to the accompanying drawings, a detailed description is given of the embodiments (hereinafter referred to as "embodiments") for implementing the substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method of the present invention are limited by these embodiments. Furthermore, the various embodiments can be combined as appropriate to the extent that the processing contents do not conflict. In the following embodiments, identical parts are denoted by the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0049] In the following figures, to facilitate understanding, a rectangular coordinate system is sometimes used, defining mutually orthogonal X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions, with the positive Z-axis direction being the vertically upward direction. Furthermore, the direction of rotation about the vertical axis is sometimes referred to as the θ direction.

[0050] Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing the structure of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment. Figure 1 As shown, the substrate processing system 1 includes a feeding station 2 and a processing station 3. The feeding station 2 and the processing station 3 are arranged adjacent to each other.

[0051] The loading and unloading station 2 includes a carrier stage 11 and a conveyor 12. A plurality of carriers C are mounted on the carrier stage 11. The carriers C accommodate a plurality of substrates (semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as wafers W) in this embodiment) in a horizontal state.

[0052] The carrier placement table 11 has a plurality of loading ports P1 to P4 arranged side by side adjacent to the conveyor unit 12. Each of the loading ports P1 to P4 is loaded with a single carrier C. Multiple (e.g., three) pins (not shown) are provided on the top surface of each of the loading ports P1 to P4, and the carrier C is placed on top of these pins.

[0053] The transport unit 12 is disposed adjacent to the carrier stage 11 and includes a substrate transport device 13 and an interface 14 therein. The substrate transport device 13 includes a wafer holding mechanism for holding a wafer W. Furthermore, the substrate transport device 13 is movable in the horizontal and vertical directions and rotatable about a vertical axis, and uses the wafer holding mechanism to transport wafers W between the carrier C and the interface 14.

[0054] The processing station 3 is disposed adjacent to the conveying portion 12. The processing station 3 includes a conveying portion 15 and a plurality of processing units 16. The plurality of processing units 16 are disposed side by side on both sides of the conveying portion 15.

[0055] The transport unit 15 is internally provided with a substrate transport device 17. The substrate transport device 17 includes a wafer holding mechanism for holding the wafer W. The substrate transport device 17 is movable in the horizontal and vertical directions and rotatable about a vertical axis, and uses the wafer holding mechanism to transport the wafer W between the interface 14 and the processing unit 16.

[0056] The processing unit 16 performs predetermined substrate processing on the wafer W transported by the substrate transport device 17 .

[0057] The substrate processing system 1 also includes a control device 4. The control device 4 is, for example, a computer and includes a control unit 18 and a storage unit 19. The storage unit 19 stores programs for controlling various processes performed in the substrate processing system 1. The control unit 18 controls the operation of the substrate processing system 1 by reading and executing the programs stored in the storage unit 19.

[0058] Furthermore, the above-mentioned program may be recorded in a computer-readable storage medium and installed from the storage medium into the storage unit 19 of the control device 4. Examples of computer-readable storage media include a hard disk (HD), a floppy disk (FD), a compact disk (CD), a magneto-optical disk (MO), and a memory card.

[0059] In the substrate processing system 1 configured as described above, the substrate transport device 13 of the transport station 2 first removes a wafer W from the carrier C mounted on the carrier stage 11 and places the removed wafer W on the interface 14. The wafer W placed on the interface 14 is then removed from the interface 14 by the substrate transport device 17 of the processing station 3 and transported to the processing unit 16.

[0060] After being processed by the processing unit 16, the wafer W is transported out of the processing unit 16 by the substrate transport device 17 and placed on the delivery interface 14. The processed wafer W placed on the delivery interface 14 is then returned to the carrier C on the carrier stage 11 by the substrate transport device 13.

[0061] Next, refer to Figure 2 , describing the processing unit 16. Figure 2 It is a diagram showing the configuration of the processing unit 16 according to the embodiment.

[0062] like Figure 2 As shown, the processing unit 16 includes a chamber 20 , a substrate holding mechanism 30 , a processing fluid supply 40 , and a recovery cup 50 .

[0063] The chamber 20 houses a substrate holding mechanism 30 , a processing fluid supply unit 40 , and a recovery cup 50 . A fan filter unit (FFU) 21 is provided on the top of the chamber 20 . The FFU 21 creates a downward flow in the chamber 20 .

[0064] The substrate holding mechanism 30 includes a holding portion 31, a support portion 32, and a drive portion 33. The holding portion 31 horizontally holds the wafer W. The support portion 32 is a member extending in the vertical direction. Its base end is rotatably supported by the drive portion 33, and its tip end horizontally supports the holding portion 31. The drive portion 33 rotates the support portion 32 about a vertical axis. This substrate holding mechanism 30 rotates the support portion 32 by rotating the support portion 32 using the drive portion 33, thereby rotating the holding portion 31 supported by the support portion 32, thereby rotating the wafer W held by the holding portion 31.

[0065] The processing fluid supply unit 40 supplies the processing fluid to the wafer W. The processing fluid supply unit 40 is connected to a processing fluid supply source 70 .

[0066] The recovery cup 50 is arranged to surround the holding portion 31 and collects the processing liquid splashed from the wafer W due to the rotation of the holding portion 31. A drain port 51 is formed at the bottom of the recovery cup 50, and the processing liquid collected by the recovery cup 50 is discharged from the drain port 51 to the outside of the processing unit 16. In addition, an exhaust port 52 is formed at the bottom of the recovery cup 50 to discharge the gas supplied from the FFU 21 to the outside of the processing unit 16.

[0067] Next, refer to Figures 3 to 6 , illustrating the internal structure of the substrate processing system 1. Figure 3 1 is a diagram showing an example of the internal structure of the substrate processing system 1 . Figure 4 and Figure 5 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a cover opening and closing mechanism and a substrate detection unit. Figure 6 It is a diagram showing an example of the structure of the substrate detection unit.

[0068] in addition, Figure 3 and Figure 4 The figure shows a simplified side view of the substrate processing system 1 as viewed from the negative direction of the Y axis. In the following description, the substrate transporting devices 13 and 17 are referred to as the "first transporting device 13" and the substrate transporting device 17 are referred to as the "second transporting device 17".

[0069] First, the structure of the delivery station 2 is described. Figure 3 As shown, the conveying section 12 of the delivery station 2 includes a delivery chamber 12a and a transfer chamber 12b.

[0070] The loading and unloading chamber 12a is located adjacent to the carrier stage 11 and contains a first transport device 13, multiple cover opening and closing mechanisms 5, and multiple substrate detection units 7. The multiple cover opening and closing mechanisms 5 and multiple substrate detection units 7 are located corresponding to the multiple load ports P1 to P4.

[0071] The first transport device 13 includes multiple wafer holders 13a and a moving mechanism 13b. The multiple wafer holders 13a can hold multiple (here, five) wafers W in layers at intervals. The moving mechanism 13b moves the multiple wafer holders 13a up and down along vertical guide rails 13c extending in the vertical direction. The moving mechanism 13b also moves the multiple wafer holders 13a horizontally and rotates them about their vertical axes.

[0072] Next, refer to Figure 4 and Figure 5 , the structure of the cover opening and closing mechanism 5 is described. Figure 4 As shown, a wafer W transfer port 12a1 is provided on the wall of the loading / unloading chamber 12a on the side where the carrier stage 11 is located. The cover opening / closing mechanism 5 includes a door 55 that closes the transfer port 12a1 from the loading / unloading chamber 12a side; a lift 56 that raises and lowers the door 55; and a horizontal moving portion 57 that moves the door 55 and lift 56 in the horizontal direction (here, the X-axis direction).

[0073] The door 55 has, for example, a latch key (not shown) that rotates about a horizontal axis. The latch key is inserted into a lock hole (not shown) provided in the cover C1 of the carrier C and rotated to engage with the cover C1. After the cover C1 and the door 55 are engaged, the cover opening and closing mechanism 5 retracts the door 55 via the horizontal moving portion 57 and then lowers the door 55 via the lifting portion 56. This removes the cover C1 from the carrier C, and the transport chamber 12a communicates with the carrier C.

[0074] Next, refer to Figures 4 to 6The structure of the substrate detection unit 7 will be described. The substrate detection unit 7 is used for position detection processing to detect the presence of wafers W in the carrier C and the storage status of the substrates, such as the storage position, before taking out a plurality of wafers W from the carrier C.

[0075] like Figure 4 and Figure 5 As shown, the substrate detection section 7 includes a lifting mechanism 71 , a rotating mechanism 72 , two support arms 73 , 73 , a light projecting section 74 , and a light receiving section 75 .

[0076] Lifting mechanism 71 raises and lowers rotating mechanism 72. Rotating mechanism 72 rotates two supporting arms 73, 73 about a horizontal axis extending in the Y-axis direction. Light projecting unit 74 is provided at the tip of one of the two supporting arms 73, 73, and light receiving unit 75 is provided at the tip of the other of the two supporting arms 73, 73.

[0077] like Figure 4 As shown in FIG. 1 , before the position detection process starts, the two support arms 73, 73 are in an upwardly extended posture. On the other hand, when the position detection process starts, the rotation mechanism 72 rotates the support arms 73, 73, thereby Figure 5 As shown in FIG. 1 , the two support arms 73 and 73 are extended horizontally. As a result, the light projecting unit 74 and the light receiving unit 75 provided at the front ends of the two support arms 73 and 73 are arranged inside the carriage C.

[0078] like Figure 6 As shown, the carrier C has a plurality of slots S therein capable of accommodating a plurality of wafers W. The plurality of slots S are arranged in multiple layers at intervals in the height direction (vertical direction).

[0079] The light projecting unit 74 and the light receiving unit 75 are arranged horizontally so as to face each other on the left and right sides of the opening of the carrier C. The substrate detection unit 7 moves the light projecting unit 74 and the light receiving unit 75 in the vertical direction using the lifting mechanism 71 while the light projecting unit 74 is irradiating light. Specifically, the substrate detection unit 7 moves the light projecting unit 74 and the light receiving unit 75 from a position below the bottommost slot S (hereinafter referred to as "first slot S1") among the plurality of slots S to a position above the topmost slot S.

[0080] When there is no wafer W between the light projecting section 74 and the light receiving section 75, the light emitted from the light projecting section 74 is received by the light receiving section 75. On the other hand, when there is a wafer W between the light projecting section 74 and the light receiving section 75, the light emitted from the light projecting section 74 is blocked by the wafer W and does not reach the light receiving section 75. Thus, the substrate detection section 7 can detect the wafer W stored in the carrier C.

[0081] return Figure 3 , the structure of the transfer chamber 12b is described. Figure 3 As shown, the delivery chamber 12b is located between the transfer chamber 12a and the processing station 3, and is provided with a plurality (here, two) of delivery ports 14. The two delivery ports 14 are arranged side by side in the height direction (Z-axis direction). Each delivery port 14 has a plurality of slots capable of holding multiple wafers W in multiple layers.

[0082] The processing station 3 includes a plurality of (two in this example) conveying units 15. The conveying units 15 are arranged side by side in the height direction (Z-axis direction).

[0083] A second transport device 17 is provided in each transport unit 15. The second transport device 17 includes a first wafer holding unit 17a, a second wafer holding unit 17b, and a moving mechanism 17c.

[0084] The first wafer holding portion 17 a and the second wafer holding portion 17 b can each hold one wafer W. For example, the first wafer holding portion 17 a holds the wafer W before being processed by the processing unit 16 , and the second wafer holding portion 17 b holds the wafer W after being processed by the processing unit 16 .

[0085] The moving mechanism 17c moves the first and second wafer holding portions 17a and 17b along horizontal guide rails 17d extending in the horizontal direction (X-axis direction). Furthermore, the moving mechanism 17c raises and lowers the first and second wafer holding portions 17a and 17b along vertical guide rails 17e extending in the vertical direction. Furthermore, the moving mechanism 17c moves the first and second wafer holding portions 17a and 17b in a horizontal direction (Y-axis direction) perpendicular to the direction in which the horizontal guide rails 17d extend, and rotates them about the vertical axis.

[0086] In the substrate processing system 1 , first, after the cover C1 of the carrier C is opened using the cover opening and closing mechanism 5 , position detection processing using the substrate detection unit 7 is performed.

[0087] By performing the position detection process, information such as the execution date and time, the execution timing, the identification information of the loading ports P1 to P4 (hereinafter referred to as "loading port ID"), and the identification information of the carrier C (hereinafter referred to as "carrier ID") is obtained. The execution date and time is, for example, the date and time when the position detection process is performed. The execution timing is the execution timing of the position detection process in a series of substrate processing, such as before processing (performed by the processing unit 16), when retrying before processing, after processing, and when retrying after processing. Retrying, for example, means that when an abnormality is detected by the position detection process, the cover C1 of the carrier C is temporarily closed using the cover opening and closing mechanism 5 and then opened again. By temporarily closing the cover C1 of the carrier C, the chip W can be pressed by the cover C1 and the position and posture of the chip W can return to a normal state. When the position detection process is performed again later, the abnormality detected at the beginning can be eliminated.

[0088] Furthermore, during the position detection process, information such as the number of slots, the presence of a wafer W, the position of the wafer W, the thickness of the wafer W, and an abnormality code is acquired. The abnormality code is information indicating the type of abnormality detected by the position detection process, such as positional deviation of the wafer W or abnormal thickness of the wafer W. The presence of a wafer W, the position of the wafer W, and the thickness of the wafer W are acquired for each slot S.

[0089] If no abnormality is detected during the position detection process, the first transport device 13 removes five wafers W from the carrier C at once and places them on the delivery unit 14. At this time, the first transport device 13 delivers the wafers W based on the "reference storage position" set for each load port P1 to P4.

[0090] The "reference storage position" is identified as the height position of the first slot. This first slot height position is the position relative to the top surface of load ports P1-P4 when a carrier meeting specific specifications, such as the slot height, is placed on load ports P1-P4. This reference storage position is determined by the drive position of the light projector 74 and the light receiver 75. The drive position refers to the distance between the lifting mechanism 71 and the origin of the light projector 74 and the light receiver 75. The reference storage position is manually set for each load port P1-P4 using a carrier or jig meeting these specifications and stored in the storage unit 19.

[0091] Thereafter, the second transport device 17 takes out one wafer W from the delivery portion 14 and transports it to any processing unit 16 .

[0092] Next, the processing unit 16 performs prescribed processing on the wafers W. For example, the processing unit 16 performs a chemical treatment to supply a chemical solution to the wafers W, a rinse treatment to supply a rinse solution to the wafers W, and a drying treatment to dry the wafers W. In this embodiment, the content and duration of the processing performed by each processing unit 16 are identical. When the processing by the processing unit 16 is completed, the second conveyor 17 removes the wafers W from the processing unit 16 and places them on the interface 14. Thereafter, the first conveyor 13 removes five wafers W from the interface 14 at once and stores them on the carrier C. At this time, the first conveyor 13 also delivers multiple wafers W to the carrier C based on the reference storage position.

[0093] On the other hand, if an abnormality is detected during the position detection process, processing of the plurality of wafers W stored in the carrier C where the abnormality was detected is stopped, and an alarm including information such as an abnormality code is output to a higher-level device.

[0094] Figure 7 : is a block diagram showing an example of the structure of the control device 4. Figure 7 Only some of the multiple components included in the control device 4 are shown.

[0095] like Figure 7 As shown, the control device 4 includes a control unit 18 and a storage unit 19. The control unit 18 includes, for example, a microcomputer having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), input / output ports, and various circuits. The control unit 18 includes multiple processing units, which function by having the CPU use the RAM as a work area to execute programs stored in the ROM. For example, the control unit 18 includes an opening and closing control unit 18a, a position detection control unit 18b, an abnormality determination unit 18c, a conveyance control unit 18d, a correction unit 18e, a degradation prediction unit 18f, and a notification unit 18g. Furthermore, each of these processing units may be partially or entirely constructed using hardware such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) or an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0096] The storage unit 19 is implemented, for example, by a semiconductor memory element such as RAM or flash memory, or a storage device such as a hard disk or optical disk. The storage unit 19 stores port accumulation information 19a, carrier abnormality accumulation information 19b, carrier substrate position accumulation information 19c, and reference storage position information 19d. Alternatively, this information may be stored in an external storage device.

[0097] The opening and closing control unit 18a controls the cover opening and closing mechanism 5 to open and close the cover C1 of the carrier C. Specifically, when unprocessed wafers W are being removed from the carrier C, the opening and closing control unit 18a controls the cover opening and closing mechanism 5 to open the cover C1 of the carrier C. Furthermore, when the carrier C is storing processed wafers W, the opening and closing control unit 18a controls the cover opening and closing mechanism 5 to close the cover C1 of the carrier C after the processed wafers W are stored in the carrier C.

[0098] During the opening process, the opening and closing control unit 18a controls the horizontal moving unit 57 to move the door 55 backward, and then controls the lifting unit 56 to lower the door 55. In addition, during the closing process, the opening and closing control unit 18a controls the lifting unit 56 to raise the door 55, and then controls the horizontal moving unit 57 to move the door 55 forward.

[0099] Furthermore, the opening and closing control unit 18a controls the cover opening and closing mechanism 5 to execute a retry process of temporarily closing the cover C1 of the carrier C and then reopening the cover C1. Specifically, the opening and closing control unit 18a closes the cover C1 by performing the same process as the above-described cover closing process, and then reopens the cover C1 by performing the same process as the above-described cover opening process.

[0100] Furthermore, when removing a wafer W from a carrier C that has been determined to have a high probability of being abnormal by the previously performed position detection process, the opening and closing control unit 18a performs a preliminary retry process of opening and closing the cover C1 before performing the above-mentioned opening process.

[0101] During the preliminary retry process, the opening and closing control unit 18a controls the horizontal moving unit 57 to retract the door 55, and then controls the horizontal moving unit 57 to advance the door 55. In this way, the preliminary retry process opens and closes the cover C1 without using the lifting unit 56 to raise or lower the door 55, thereby shortening the processing time compared to a normal retry process. The conditions for the carriers C that are subject to the preliminary retry process will be described later.

[0102] The position detection control unit 18b controls the substrate detection unit 7 to perform position detection processing. Furthermore, the position detection control unit 18b accumulates various information obtained through the position detection processing in the storage unit 19, thereby generating various types of accumulated information. For example, the position detection control unit 18b generates port accumulated information 19a, carrier abnormality accumulated information 19b, and carrier substrate position accumulated information 19c.

[0103] The port cumulative information 19a is information that chronologically accumulates the detection results of the substrate detection unit 7 for the plurality of carriers C previously loaded on load ports P1 to P4. The position detection control unit 18b generates the port cumulative information 19a by accumulating information on the height position of the first slot S1 (the position of the wafer W loaded on the first slot S1) among various information obtained through position detection processing. The port cumulative information 19a is generated for each of the load ports P1 to P4.

[0104] The carrier abnormality accumulation information 19b is information that accumulates the judgment results of the abnormality determination unit 18c for each carrier C (for each carrier ID). For example, the carrier abnormality accumulation information 19b includes the probability of the abnormality determination unit 18c determining an abnormality during the initial position detection process (hereinafter referred to as the "initial abnormality rate"). Furthermore, the carrier abnormality accumulation information 19b includes the probability of the abnormality determination unit 18c determining an abnormality during the position detection process after the retry process (hereinafter referred to as the "post-retry abnormality rate").

[0105] The above-described preliminary retry process is executed based on the carrier abnormality accumulation information 19b. Specifically, the opening / closing control unit 18a retrieves the carrier substrate position accumulation information 19c associated with the carrier ID of the corresponding carrier C from the storage unit 19. The opening / closing control unit 18a then executes the preliminary retry process if the initial abnormality rate included in the retrieved carrier substrate position accumulation information 19c exceeds a threshold value.

[0106] Alternatively, the opening and closing control unit 18a may perform a preliminary retry process when the initial abnormality rate included in the acquired carrier substrate position cumulative information 19c exceeds a first threshold and the post-retry abnormality rate included in the acquired carrier substrate position cumulative information 19c is less than a second threshold.

[0107] Thus, the opening and closing control unit 18a controls the cover opening and closing mechanism 5 to open and close the cover C1 after the carrier C is placed on the load ports P1 to P4 and before the substrate inspection unit 7 performs inspection processing based on the accumulated carrier abnormality information 19b for each carrier C. The pre-retry process can be completed in a shorter time than the retry process. Therefore, pre-retry processing can be performed on carriers C with a high probability of being judged to be abnormal and on carriers C with a high probability of having their abnormality resolved through the retry process, thereby increasing throughput.

[0108] The carrier substrate position accumulation information 19c is information that accumulates the height position of the first slot S1 (hereinafter referred to as "first slot position") detected by the substrate detection unit 7 in chronological order for each carrier C (each carrier ID).

[0109] The abnormality determination unit 18c determines an abnormality of the carrier C based on the result of the position detection process and the reference storage position information 19d. Figure 8 It is a diagram showing an example of the reference storage position information 19d.

[0110] like Figure 8 As shown, the reference storage position information 19d is information that associates the load port IDs of load ports P1 to P4 (here, "P1" to "P4") with reference storage positions. For example, load port ID "P1" is associated with reference storage position "X1," and load port ID "P2" is associated with reference storage position "X2." Thus, the reference storage position is different for each load port P1 to P4.

[0111] The abnormality determination unit 18c obtains the reference storage positions of the corresponding load ports P1-P4 from the reference storage position information 19d and calculates the standard height position of each slot S based on the obtained reference storage position. Furthermore, the abnormality determination unit 18c calculates the difference between the calculated standard height position of each slot S and the position of each wafer W detected by the substrate detection unit 7 as the offset of the wafer W in each slot S. The abnormality determination unit 18c then determines whether the calculated offset is within a threshold range centered on the reference storage position. If it exceeds the threshold range, it is determined that there is an abnormality in the carrier C.

[0112] In this manner, the abnormality determination unit 18 c determines an abnormality in the carrier C based on a comparison between the position of the wafer W detected by the substrate detection unit 7 and the reference storage position.

[0113] The transport control unit 18d controls the transport of wafers W by the first transport device 13 and the second transport device 17. Specifically, the transport control unit 18d obtains the reference storage positions corresponding to the load ports P1 to P4 on which the carriers C are placed from the reference storage position information 19d stored in the storage unit 19. The transport control unit 18d then controls the transport control unit 18d based on the obtained reference storage positions, thereby causing the transport control unit 18d to perform the operation of transferring wafers W from the carriers C and the operation of transferring wafers W into the carriers C.

[0114] The correction unit 18 e corrects the reference storage position stored in the storage unit 19 based on the port accumulation information 19 a accumulated for each of the load ports P1 to P4 .

[0115] Figure 9This is an example of a graph obtained by plotting the first slot positions detected from a plurality of carriers C previously placed on a certain load port P1 to P4 in chronological order. Figure 10 18e is a diagram showing an example of correction processing performed by the correction unit 18e.

[0116] As mentioned above, the reference storage position is the height position of each slot when a carrier that meets the specifications is placed on the loading ports P1 to P4. However, the carrier C actually used is not necessarily limited to the carrier that meets the specifications. Figure 9 As shown, even if adjustment is performed using a jig or the like that can adjust the first groove position to meet specifications, the actual first groove position obtained in the position detection process may deviate.

[0117] Figure 9 The graph shown in FIG. 1 shows a case where the first slot position is detected to be higher as a whole. As described above, the abnormality determination unit 18c detects that the deviation of the first slot position exceeds the threshold range (centered on the reference storage position) Figure 9 If the position of the first slot is shifted upward, for example, when the wafer W accommodated in the first slot S1 tilts upward, it is easily determined to be an abnormality.

[0118] Therefore, the correction unit 18e calculates the median of the offsets of the first slot positions based on the port accumulation information 19a, for example, and corrects the reference storage position using this median. For example, the calculated median is assumed to be "+b." In this case, the correction unit 18e adds "b" to the reference storage position (e.g., "X1") of the corresponding load ports P1 to P4 stored in the port accumulation information 19a in the storage unit 19, and stores the resultant "X1+b" as the new reference storage position in the storage unit 19.

[0119] Thus, by correcting the reference storage position, as Figure 10 As shown, the threshold range centered at the reference storage position can be appropriately set. This can reduce the frequency of abnormality determination by the abnormality determination unit 18c, thereby increasing the throughput.

[0120] While this example illustrates the case where correction unit 18e calculates the median value of the offset based on port accumulation information 19a, correction unit 18e may also calculate the average value of the offset. Furthermore, correction unit 18e may use a regression analysis method, for example, to calculate the value of y when the value is parallel to the x-axis, rather than using a regression line where the difference between the two variables x and y is minimized.

[0121] In this manner, the correction unit 18e may calculate the predicted value of the first slot position detected and predicted by the substrate detection unit 7 when the carrier C is placed on the load ports P1 to P4 based on the port accumulation information 19a.

[0122] The inventors of the present invention have discovered that wafers W stored in carriers C tend to tilt downward. Based on this characteristic, the correction unit 18e can correct the reference storage position by adding a predetermined correction value to the calculated predicted value. This allows for more appropriate correction of the reference storage position.

[0123] The degradation prediction section 18f predicts degradation of the carrier C based on the carrier substrate position accumulation information 19c.

[0124] Figure 11 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a time-dependent change in the offset of the first slot position in a certain carrier C. Figure 11 As shown, the slot position of the carrier C tends to decrease due to repeated use. One reason for this is that the bottom surface of the resin carrier C is worn away by the resin carrier C being repeatedly placed on the metal pins provided on the upper surfaces of the loading ports P1 to P4.

[0125] The degradation prediction unit 18f calculates the median of the offsets at the first slot position based on the accumulated carrier substrate position information 19c and determines whether the calculated median is less than a threshold. If the median of the offsets is less than the threshold, the degradation prediction unit 18f determines that carrier C is degraded. The threshold used here is, for example, a value within the threshold range (the range of ±a, the reference storage position, as described above) used by the abnormality determination unit 18c to determine an abnormality at the first slot position. In other words, the degradation prediction unit 18f predicts degradation of carrier C before the abnormality determination unit 18c determines that the first slot position is abnormal.

[0126] The degradation prediction unit 18f calculates the median value of the deviation amount of the first slot position, for example, each time the position detection process is performed on the target carrier C, that is, each time the first slot position is accumulated in the carrier substrate position accumulation information 19c.

[0127] Before the carrier C predicted by the degradation prediction unit 18f to be degraded is placed again on the load ports P1 to P4, the notification unit 18g notifies the substrate processing system 1 of the degradation of the carrier C. For example, the notification unit 18g illuminates an indicator lamp (not shown) included in the substrate processing system 1, or outputs degradation prediction information including the carrier ID of the carrier C to a higher-level device. Furthermore, the notification unit 18g may display the degradation prediction information on a display unit (not shown) included in the substrate processing system 1.

[0128] The notification unit 18g may make the notification before the carrier C is loaded onto the load ports P1 to P4 again. For example, the notification may be made when the degradation prediction unit 18f predicts degradation of the carrier C. Alternatively, the notification unit 18g may make the notification of carrier C degradation after the processed wafers W are stored in the carrier C predicted to be degraded and are transported from the load ports P1 to P4, that is, after a series of substrate processing is completed.

[0129] By predicting and notifying the degradation of the carrier C in this manner, the use of carriers C with a high probability of being judged as abnormal can be prevented in advance, thereby suppressing a decrease in processing throughput caused by, for example, interruption of processing due to judgment of abnormality.

[0130] In addition, while the example here shows a case where the degradation prediction unit 18f calculates the median value of the offset based on the accumulated information 19c about the substrate positions of the carrier, the degradation prediction unit 18f may also calculate the average value of the offset. Furthermore, the degradation prediction unit 18f may use a regression analysis method, for example, not limited to the regression line where the difference between the two variables x and y is minimized, but may also calculate the value of y when the value is parallel to the x-axis.

[0131] Here, an example of predicting the degradation of the susceptor C based on the temporal change in the position of the first slot has been described. However, the degradation of the susceptor C can also be predicted based on, for example, the temporal change in the distance between the slots.

[0132] (Other embodiments)

[0133] Because the heights of load ports P1-P4 are determined according to specifications, the heights of the multiple load ports P1-P4 included in the substrate processing system 1 can be adjusted to the same value. Therefore, the control unit 18 may calculate an average value ((X1+X2+X3+X4) / 4) of the reference storage positions of the multiple load ports P1-P4 and determine that a load port P1-P4 with a reference storage position whose difference from the calculated average value exceeds a threshold value is poorly adjusted. Furthermore, the control unit 18 may output poorly adjusted information, including the load port ID of the load port P1-P4 determined to be poorly adjusted, to a higher-level device or display this information on a display unit (not shown) included in the substrate processing system 1.

[0134] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus of the embodiment (as an example, the processing unit 16) includes a loading section (as an example, the loading ports P1 to P4), a conveying section (as an example, the first conveying device 13), a detection section (as an example, the substrate detection section 7), and a correction section (as an example, the correction section 18e). A carrier (as an example, the carrier C) having a plurality of slots (as an example, the slots S) capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates (as an example, the wafers W) is placed on the loading section. The conveying section delivers substrates to and from the slots based on a reference storage position set on the loading section. The detection section detects the position of the substrate accommodated in the slot. The correction section corrects the reference storage position based on port accumulation information (as an example, port accumulation information 19a) that accumulates the detection results of the detection section on a plurality of carriers previously loaded on the loading section.

[0135] By correcting the reference storage position, for example, by optimizing the threshold range centered on the reference storage position, the frequency of position detection errors being determined to be abnormal is reduced, and the frequency of subsequent position detections after retrying is reduced. This improves the efficiency of the position detection process.

[0136] Alternatively, the correction unit may calculate a predicted value (for example, a median of the offset between the first slot position and the reference storage position) of the substrate position detected and predicted by the detection unit when the carrier is placed on the loading unit based on the port accumulated information, and correct the reference storage position based on this predicted value. The more detection results of the substrate positions detected by the detection unit are accumulated in the port accumulated information, the higher the accuracy of the predicted value of the substrate position, and the more accurately the reference storage position can be corrected based on this predicted value. Furthermore, after correcting the reference storage position, a predetermined amount of accumulated port accumulated information may be specified.

[0137] Alternatively, the correction unit may use a value obtained by adding a predetermined correction value to the calculated predicted value to correct the reference storage position. Substrates stored in a carrier tend to tilt downward. Therefore, by adding the predetermined correction value to the predicted value, the reference storage position can be corrected more appropriately.

[0138] Alternatively, the substrate processing system of the embodiment further includes a cover opening and closing mechanism (as an example, the cover opening and closing mechanism 5), an abnormality judgment unit (as an example, the abnormality judgment unit 18c) and an opening and closing control unit (opening and closing control unit 18a). The cover opening and closing mechanism opens and closes the cover (as an example, the cover C1) of the carrier placed on the loading portion. The abnormality judgment unit judges the abnormality of the carrier based on a comparison between the position of the substrate detected by the detection unit and the reference storage position. The opening and closing control unit controls the cover opening and closing mechanism to open and close the cover (as an example, a pre-retry process) for each carrier based on the carrier abnormality accumulation information (as an example, the carrier abnormality accumulation information 19b) that accumulates the judgment results of the abnormality judgment unit, after the carrier is placed on the loading portion and before the detection unit performs the detection process.

[0139] This reduces the frequency of subsequent position detection processes after the retry process, thereby improving the efficiency of the position detection process. Furthermore, the pre-retry process differs from the normal retry process in that the lid is opened and closed without raising or lowering the lid, allowing the process to be completed in a shorter time than the normal retry process.

[0140] The substrate processing system of another embodiment further includes a degradation prediction unit (for example, a degradation prediction unit 18f) and a notification unit (for example, a notification unit 18g). The degradation prediction unit predicts degradation of each carrier based on carrier substrate position accumulation information (for example, carrier substrate position accumulation information 19c) that accumulates detection results from the detection unit. The notification unit notifies the carrier of degradation before the carrier predicted by the degradation prediction unit is placed on the loading unit again.

[0141] By predicting and notifying carrier degradation in this manner, the use of carriers with a high probability of being judged as abnormal can be prevented in advance. This, for example, can suppress a decrease in processing throughput caused by interruptions in processing due to abnormality judgments. Furthermore, by preventing the use of carriers with a high probability of being judged as abnormal in advance, the frequency of carrier abnormality judgments can be reduced, reducing the frequency of subsequent position detection processes after retry processing, thereby achieving more efficient position detection processing.

[0142] Alternatively, the degradation prediction unit may calculate a predicted value of the position of the substrate detected and predicted by the detection unit when the carrier is placed on the placement unit based on the accumulated carrier substrate position information, and predict degradation of the carrier if the predicted value is less than a degradation determination threshold. The more detection results of the substrate positions detected by the detection unit are accumulated in the accumulated carrier substrate position information, the higher the accuracy of the predicted value of the substrate position, thereby enabling more accurate prediction of carrier degradation.

[0143] It should be understood that the embodiments of the present invention are illustrative in all respects and are not restrictive. In fact, the above-mentioned embodiments can be implemented in a variety of ways. In addition, the above-mentioned embodiments can be omitted, replaced, or modified in various ways without exceeding the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A substrate processing device, characterized in that: include: a loading portion for loading a carrier, wherein the carrier has a plurality of slots capable of receiving a plurality of substrates; a transport unit for transporting the substrate into and out of the slot based on a reference storage position set on the placement unit; a detection unit configured to detect a position of the substrate received in the groove; a correction unit for correcting the reference storage position based on port accumulation information, wherein the port accumulation information accumulates detection results of the detection unit for a plurality of the carriers previously placed on the placement unit; a cover opening and closing mechanism for opening and closing the cover of the carrier placed on the placing portion; an abnormality determination unit configured to determine an abnormality of the carrier based on a comparison between the position of the substrate detected by the detection unit and the reference storage position; and An opening and closing control unit controls the cover opening and closing mechanism for each of the carriers, based on the carrier abnormality accumulation information that accumulates the judgment results of the abnormality judgment unit, so that the cover is opened and closed without raising or lowering the cover after the carrier is placed on the placement unit and before the detection unit performs the detection process.

2. The substrate processing device according to claim 1, wherein: The correction unit calculates a predicted value of the position of the substrate detected and predicted by the detection unit when the carrier is placed on the placement unit based on the port accumulation information, and corrects the reference storage position based on the predicted value.

3. The substrate processing device according to claim 2, wherein: The correction unit corrects the reference storage position using a value obtained by adding a predetermined correction value to the calculated predicted value.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: Also includes: a degradation prediction unit configured to predict, for each of the carriers, degradation of the carrier based on accumulated information on the substrate positions of the carriers in which the detection results of the detection unit are accumulated; and A notification unit notifies the deterioration of the susceptor before the susceptor predicted to be deteriorated by the degradation prediction unit is placed on the placement unit again.

5. The substrate processing device according to claim 4, wherein: The degradation prediction unit calculates a predicted value of the position of the substrate detected and predicted by the detection unit when the carrier is placed on the placement unit based on the accumulated information of the carrier substrate position, and predicts degradation of the carrier when the predicted value is less than a degradation judgment threshold.

6. A substrate processing method, characterized in that: include: a step of placing a carrier on a placing portion, wherein the carrier has a plurality of slots capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates; a conveying step of conveying the substrate into and out of the slot based on a reference storage position set on the placement portion; a detection step of detecting a position of the substrate accommodated in the groove using a detection unit; a correction step of correcting the reference storage position based on port accumulation information, wherein the port accumulation information accumulates detection results of the detection unit for a plurality of the carriers previously placed on the placement unit; an abnormality determination step of determining an abnormality of the carrier based on a comparison between the position of the substrate detected by the detection unit and the reference storage position; and An opening and closing control step, for each of the carriers, based on the carrier abnormality accumulation information that accumulates the judgment results in the abnormality judgment step, controls the cover opening and closing mechanism to open and close the cover without raising or lowering the cover after the carrier is placed on the placement portion and before the detection process is performed by the detection portion, wherein the cover opening and closing mechanism opens and closes the cover of the carrier placed on the placement portion.

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