Substrate processing system, substrate processing apparatus, method for manufacturing semiconductor device, and program

Abstract

Provided is a technique provided with: a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a storage unit capable of storing sensor data acquired by at least two sensors capable of acquiring data of the same type and having a master-slave relationship; a monitoring unit that determines that a sensor corresponding to the sensor data is abnormal when the stored sensor data satisfies a predetermined condition; a switching unit that, when the sensor determined to be abnormal is a main sensor, re-switches the auxiliary sensor to the main sensor, the main sensor being a main sensor among the sensors, and the auxiliary sensor being a sensor other than the main sensor among the sensors; a calculation unit that calculates the processing time of the substrate on the basis of the sensor data of the main sensor; and a control unit configured so as to be able to acquire the processing time calculated by the calculation unit before processing the substrate, and to control the processing of the substrate at the acquired processing time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing system, a substrate processing apparatus, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a program. Background Art

[0002] The substrate processing apparatus performs film forming processing using information indicating the steps and conditions for forming a semiconductor film on a substrate (hereinafter referred to as a "recipe"). However, sometimes the expected film forming result cannot be obtained due to external factors such as changes in gas pressure.

[0003] As a method for coping with changes in external factors, there is a method, for example, as described in the technology described in Patent Document 1 below, in which the current air pressure is measured before the process is executed, and the film forming time of the process is calculated to be the best corresponding to the measured air pressure, and then the process is executed. However, sometimes the film forming time cannot be calculated before the process starts due to a failure of a sensor that measures the state of the external factor, and it is difficult to obtain the expected film forming result.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-195566 Summary of the invention

[0007] The present disclosure provides a technology that can correct the film formation time before the start of the process even if a sensor fails, thereby obtaining the expected film formation result.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a technology is provided, which comprises: a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a storage unit capable of storing sensor data, wherein the sensor data is data acquired by at least two sensors capable of acquiring the same type of data and having a master-slave relationship; a viewing unit, which determines that a sensor corresponding to the sensor data is abnormal when the stored sensor data satisfies a specified condition; a switching unit, which switches an auxiliary sensor back to the main sensor when the sensor determined to be abnormal is a main sensor, wherein the main sensor is a main sensor among the sensors, and the auxiliary sensor is a sensor among the sensors other than the main sensor; a calculation unit, which calculates a processing time of the substrate based on the sensor data of the main sensor; and a control unit, which is configured to acquire the processing time calculated by the calculation unit before processing the substrate, and control the processing of the substrate with the acquired processing time.

[0009] Effects of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to provide a technology that can correct the film formation time before starting the process and obtain the expected film formation result even if a sensor fails. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] Figure 1 : is a block diagram showing a substrate processing system according to an embodiment.

[0012] Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A block diagram of an overview of a management server in the block diagram of FIG.

[0013] Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 A block diagram of an overview of a substrate processing apparatus in the block diagram.

[0014] Figure 4 It is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus.

[0015] Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a processing furnace in a substrate processing device.

[0016] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 A transverse cross-sectional view of a treatment furnace.

[0017] Figure 7 Detailed description of the invention is a flowchart showing an overview of sensor monitoring and substrate processing in a substrate processing system.

[0018] Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating monitoring of sensors.

[0019] Fig. 9 This is a flowchart showing the individual abnormality determination of the sensor.

[0020] Fig.10 This is a flowchart showing the first abnormality determination of the sensor.

[0021] Fig.11 This is a flowchart showing the second abnormality determination of the sensor.

[0022] Fig.12 This is a flowchart showing abnormality determination between sensors. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the drawings used in the following description are all schematic, and the relationship between the dimensions of the elements, the ratio of the elements, etc. shown in the drawings are not necessarily consistent with reality. In addition, the relationship between the dimensions of the elements, the ratio of the elements, etc. between multiple drawings are not necessarily consistent. In addition, the figure marks that appear in common in the various figures also indicate a common structure when not mentioned in the description of the various figures. In addition, the various elements mentioned in the following description are not limited to one, and multiple elements may exist unless otherwise specified.

[0024] (1) Substrate processing system

[0025] Figure 1 : is a block diagram showing a substrate processing system according to this embodiment. Figure 2 It is shown Figure 1 A block diagram of an overview of a management server in the block diagram of FIG. Figure 3 It is shown Figure 1 A block diagram of an overview of a substrate processing apparatus in the block diagram. Figure 4 It is a perspective view schematically showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus. Figure 5 yes Figure 4 A schematic diagram of the structure of a processing furnace in a substrate processing device. Figure 6 yes Figure 5 It should be noted that the same reference numerals shown in the various figures are substantially the same elements, and therefore, the description of the element is only performed once, and the description is omitted in other figures.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, the substrate processing system 1 is composed of at least one substrate processing device 2, a management server 400, and two or more barometers 500, which are connected to each other via a network. One of the barometers 500 functions as a main sensor, and the other functions as an auxiliary sensor (slave sensor). That is, the management server 400 controls at least one substrate processing device 2 using a group management system.

[0027] like Figure 2As shown in FIG. 1 , the management server 400 includes a control unit 410, a storage unit 420, a monitoring unit 430, an external communication unit 450 for communicating with the main controller 300 described later, an I / O port 440 for connecting an external device, a switching unit 460, a calculation unit 470, an external storage unit 480, and an operation unit 490 including a display unit 492. The management server 400 is connected to the barometer 500 via the I / O port 440. The control unit 410 is composed of a CPU 412 and a RAM 414, and executes a control program of the management server 400 stored in the storage unit 420. In addition to the control program of the management server 400, the storage unit 420 also stores a program for executing abnormality judgment described later. The storage unit 420 stores these programs together with atmospheric pressure data input from the barometer 500 as a main sensor and an auxiliary sensor via the I / O port 440 as sensor data, and the sensor data is used to calculate the processing time as the processing condition of the substrate. The monitoring unit 430 determines that the barometer 500 corresponding to the sensor data is abnormal when the sensor data stored in the storage unit 420 meets a predetermined condition. The switching unit 460 switches the barometer 500 as the auxiliary sensor to the main sensor again when the barometer 500 determined to be abnormal is the main sensor. The calculation unit 470 calculates the processing time of the substrate based on the sensor data of the barometer 500 as the main sensor. The external communication unit 450 sends the processing time of the substrate adjusted by the calculation unit 470 to the main controller 300. The external storage unit 480 stores a part of the sensor data instead of the storage unit 420, thereby substantially expanding the capacity of the storage unit 420. The operation unit 490 is a part for the operator to perform input related to the operation of the management server 400, and is equipped with a display unit 492, which can display the processing status of the substrate by the substrate processing device 2 and the abnormality judgment result of the monitoring unit 430. It should be noted that the processing time in this specification refers to the time for the processing to continue. This also applies to the following description.

[0028] The substrate processing device 2 is as follows Figure 3 The process chamber 201 (see Figure 5) and a main controller 300 for controlling the processing of substrates in the processing furnace 202. The main controller 300 includes a control unit 310, a storage unit 320, an operation unit 330 having a display unit 332, an external storage unit 340, and an external communication unit 350. The external communication unit 350 communicates with the management server 400 via the external communication unit 450 described above. The communication also includes the processing time of the substrate received from the external communication unit 450 of the management server 400. The control unit 310 is composed of a CPU 312 and a RAM 314, and executes a control program based on various data such as process data and device parameters as processing conditions of the substrate stored in the storage unit 320 and the external storage unit 340, and the processing time of the substrate received from the management server 400. The control program is used to control the processing of the substrate in the processing furnace 202 stored in the storage unit 320. The operation unit 330 is an interface for a user to operate the main controller 300 , and information related to the operation is displayed on the display unit 332 .

[0029] Reference Figure 4 The structure of the substrate processing apparatus 2 of this embodiment is described. Figure 4 As shown, the substrate processing apparatus 2 of the present disclosure using a cassette 100 containing a plurality of wafers 200 as substrates made of silicon or the like includes a frame 101. A cassette stage (substrate container transfer stage) 105 is provided inside the frame 101 at a cassette loading and unloading port (not shown). The cassette 100 is loaded onto the cassette stage 105 and unloaded from the cassette stage 105 by an intra-process transfer device (not shown).

[0030] A cassette rack (substrate container loading rack) 109 is provided at a substantially central portion in the front-back direction of the frame 101, and the cassette rack 109 is configured to store a plurality of cassettes 100 in multiple layers and multiple columns. A transfer rack 123 storing cassettes 100 is provided on the cassette rack 109. In addition, a reserve cassette rack 110 is provided above the cassette carrier 105, and is configured to store cassettes 100 in reserve. A cassette lifter (substrate container lifting mechanism) 115 and a cassette transfer machine 114 that can be lifted and lowered while holding the cassettes 100 are arranged between the cassette carrier 105 and the cassette rack 109. The cassette lifter 115 and the cassette transfer machine 114 are configured to transfer the cassettes 100 between the cassette carrier 105, the cassette rack 109, and the reserve cassette rack 110 by continuous operation.

[0031] A substrate transfer machine 112 capable of rotating the wafer 200 in the horizontal direction and linearly moving the wafer 200 in the horizontal direction, and a transfer elevator 113 for raising and lowering the substrate transfer machine 112 are arranged at the rear of the cassette rack 109. The transfer elevator 113 is provided at the right end of the frame 101. The structure is such that the clamp (substrate holding body) 111 of the substrate transfer machine 112 is used as a wafer 200 loading portion and the wafer 200 is loaded (loaded) and unloaded (unloaded) relative to the wafer boat (substrate holding means) 217 ​​by the continuous operation of the transfer elevator 113 and the substrate transfer machine 112.

[0032] A processing furnace 202 is provided at the upper rear portion of the frame 101. The lower end portion of the processing furnace 202 is configured to be opened and closed by a furnace port gate (furnace port opening and closing mechanism) 116. A boat elevator (substrate holder lifting mechanism) 121 as a lifting mechanism for lifting a boat 217 in the processing furnace 202 is provided below the processing furnace 202. A sealing cover 219 as a cover is horizontally mounted on a lifting member 122 as a connecting tool connected to the lifting platform of the boat elevator 121. The sealing cover 219 is configured to vertically support the boat 217 and can close the lower end portion of the processing furnace 202. The boat 217 as a substrate holding means has a plurality of boat columns 221, which horizontally hold the wafers 200 in a state where a plurality of wafers 200 (for example, about 50 to 150 wafers) are arranged in the vertical direction with their centers aligned.

[0033] like Figure 4 As shown, a cleaning unit 118 including a supply fan and a dust filter is provided above the cassette holder 109 to supply clean air as ambient air by purifying the external air flowing in from the duct 124. The cleaning unit 118 is configured to circulate the clean air into the housing 101.

[0034] Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 2 of the present disclosure will be described. Figure 4 As shown, the box 100 is carried in from the box carrying port, and the box 100 is placed on the box stage 105. Next, the box 100 is automatically transported and delivered to the designated shelf positions of the box rack 109 and the reserve box rack 110 to temporarily store the box 100. After the temporary storage, the box 100 is transferred from the box rack 109 and the reserve box rack 110 to the transfer rack 123, or directly transported to the transfer rack 123.

[0035] When the cassette 100 is transferred to the transfer rack 123, the gripper 111 of the substrate transfer machine 112 picks up the wafer 200 from the cassette 100 through the substrate entrance and exit, and loads (loads) it into the wafer boat 217. The substrate transfer machine 112 that delivered the wafer 200 to the wafer boat 217 returns to the cassette 100 and loads the next wafer 200 into the wafer boat 217.

[0036] When a predetermined number of wafers 200 are loaded into the wafer boat 217, the lower end of the processing furnace 202 closed by the furnace gate 116 is opened by the furnace gate 116. Next, the sealing cover 219 is raised by the wafer boat lifter 121, thereby carrying (loading) the wafer boat 217 holding the wafer group 200 into the processing furnace 202.

[0037] After loading, the wafer 200 is subjected to any processing in the processing furnace 202. After the processing, the wafer 200 and the cassette 100 are unloaded to the outside of the housing 101 in the reverse steps described above.

[0038] Next, based on Figure 5 as well as Figure 6 The processing furnace 202 will be described in detail. Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vertical substrate processing furnace preferably used in the embodiment of the present disclosure, and a processing furnace 202 portion is shown in a longitudinal cross section. Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a vertical substrate processing furnace preferably used in the embodiment of the present disclosure, and a processing furnace 202 portion is shown in a transverse cross section.

[0039] The substrate processing apparatus 2 used in this embodiment includes a control unit 310 (see Figure 2 ) is a main controller 300. The main controller 300 controls the operation of each part constituting the substrate processing apparatus 2 and the processing furnace 202.

[0040] Inside the heater 207 as a heating device (heating means), a reaction tube 203 is provided as a reaction container for processing the wafer 200. The lower end opening of the reaction tube 203 is hermetically sealed by a sealing cover 219 as a cover body with the aid of an O-ring 220 as an airtight member. At least the reaction tube 203 and the sealing cover 219 form a processing chamber 201. On the sealing cover 219, a wafer boat 217 as a substrate holding means is vertically provided via a wafer boat support 218, and the wafer boat support 218 serves as a holding body for holding the wafer boat 217. Then, the wafer boat 217 is inserted into the processing chamber 201. On the wafer boat column 221 of the wafer boat 217, a plurality of wafers 200 to be processed in batches are loaded in multiple layers in a horizontal posture along the tube axis direction. The heater 207 heats the wafers 200 inserted into the processing chamber 201 to a predetermined temperature.

[0041] Two gas supply pipes 232a and 232b are provided as supply paths for supplying a plurality of (here, two) gases to the processing chamber 201. Here, the reaction gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201 from the first gas supply pipe 232a via a first mass flow controller (MFC) 241a as a flow control device (flow control means) and a first valve 243a as an on-off valve, and further via a buffer chamber 237 formed in a reaction tube 203 described later, and the reaction gas is supplied to the processing chamber 201 from the second gas supply pipe 232b via a second MFC 241b as a flow control device (flow control means), a second valve 243b as an on-off valve, a gas storage unit 247, and a third valve 243c as an on-off valve, and further via a gas supply unit 249 described later.

[0042] The processing chamber 201 is connected to a vacuum pump 246 as an exhaust device (exhaust means) via a fourth valve 243d using a gas exhaust pipe 231 for exhausting gas, and is configured to be vacuum exhausted. In addition, the fourth valve 243d is an on-off valve, which opens and closes the valve to perform vacuum exhaust of the processing chamber 201 and stop vacuum exhaust, and can further adjust the valve opening to adjust the pressure.

[0043] In the arc-shaped space between the inner wall of the reaction tube 203 constituting the processing chamber 201 and the wafer 200, a buffer chamber 237 as a gas dispersion space is provided on the inner wall of the reaction tube 203 from the bottom to the top along the loading direction of the wafer 200. In addition, a first gas supply hole 248a as a supply hole for supplying gas is provided at the end of the wall of the buffer chamber 237 adjacent to the wafer 200. The first gas supply hole 248a opens toward the center of the reaction tube 203. The first gas supply holes 248a have the same opening area from the bottom to the top, and are also provided at the same opening pitch.

[0044] Furthermore, at the end of the buffer chamber 237 opposite to the end where the first gas supply hole 248a is provided, a nozzle 233 is provided from the bottom to the top of the reaction tube 203 along the loading direction of the wafer 200. Furthermore, the nozzle 233 is provided with a second gas supply hole 248b as a supply hole for supplying a plurality of gases. When the pressure difference between the buffer chamber 237 and the processing chamber 201 is small, the opening area of ​​the second gas supply hole 248b can be the same from the upstream side to the downstream side of the gas and the same opening spacing can be used. On the other hand, when the pressure difference is large, the opening area can be increased from the upstream side to the downstream side, or the opening spacing can be reduced.

[0045] In this embodiment, the opening area of ​​the second gas supply hole 248b is gradually increased from the upstream side toward the downstream side. By configuring in this way, even if there is a difference in the flow rate of the gas from each second gas supply hole 248b, the gas with substantially the same flow rate is ejected to the buffer chamber 237. Moreover, in the buffer chamber 237, after the particle velocity difference of the gas ejected from each second gas supply hole 248b is alleviated, it is ejected from the first gas supply hole 248a to the processing chamber 201. Therefore, the gas ejected from each second gas supply hole 248b can become a gas with a uniform flow rate and flow rate when ejected from each first gas supply hole 248a.

[0046] In addition, in the buffer chamber 237, a first rod-shaped electrode 269 as a first electrode and a second rod-shaped electrode 270 as a second electrode having an elongated structure are provided from top to bottom and protected by an electrode protection tube 275, which is a protection tube for protecting the electrodes. One of the first rod-shaped electrode 269 or the second rod-shaped electrode 270 is connected to a high-frequency power source 273 via an adapter 272, and the other is connected to a ground terminal as a reference potential. As a result, plasma is generated in a plasma generation region 224 between the first rod-shaped electrode 269 and the second rod-shaped electrode 270.

[0047] The electrode protection tube 275 is structured so that each of the first rod-shaped electrode 269 and the second rod-shaped electrode 270 can be inserted into the buffer chamber 237 in a state of being isolated from the atmosphere of the buffer chamber 237. Here, if the interior of the electrode protection tube 275 is the same atmosphere as the outside air (atmosphere), the first rod-shaped electrode 269 and the second rod-shaped electrode 270 respectively inserted into the electrode protection tube 275 will be oxidized by the heating of the heater 207. Therefore, an inert gas purge mechanism is provided, which is used to fill or purge an inert gas such as nitrogen into the interior of the electrode protection tube 275, and suppress the oxygen concentration to a sufficiently low level to prevent the oxidation of the first rod-shaped electrode 269 or the second rod-shaped electrode 270.

[0048] Furthermore, a gas supply unit 249 is provided on the inner wall of the reaction tube 203 at a rotation angle of about 120° from the first gas supply hole 248a. The gas supply unit 249 is a supply unit that shares the gas supply type with the buffer chamber 237 when each of a plurality of gases is alternately supplied to the wafer 200 during the film formation process based on the ALD method.

[0049] The gas supply unit 249 also has third gas supply holes 248 c as supply holes for supplying gas at the same pitch at positions adjacent to the wafer 200 similarly to the buffer chamber 237 , and is connected to the second gas supply pipe 232 b at the lower portion.

[0050] When the pressure difference between the gas supply unit 249 and the processing chamber 201 is small, the opening area of ​​the third gas supply hole 248c can be the same from the upstream side to the downstream side of the gas and the same opening distance can be used. On the other hand, when the pressure difference is large, the opening area can be increased from the upstream side to the downstream side or the opening distance can be reduced. In this embodiment, it gradually increases from the upstream side to the downstream side.

[0051] A wafer boat 217 is provided in the center of the reaction tube 203. The wafer boat 217 has a wafer boat column 221 for placing a plurality of wafers 200 at the same intervals in multiple layers. The wafer boat 217 is configured to be able to move in and out of the reaction tube 203 by a wafer boat lift mechanism (not shown). In addition, a wafer boat rotating mechanism 267 is provided as a rotating device (rotating means) for rotating the wafer boat 217 in order to improve the uniformity of the processing. The wafer boat 217 held by the wafer boat support 218 is rotated by rotating the wafer boat rotating mechanism 267.

[0052] The main controller 300 as a control means is connected to the first and second MFCs 241a, 241b, the first to fourth valves 243a, 243b, 243c, 243d, the heater 207, the vacuum pump 246, the boat rotating mechanism 267, the boat lifting mechanism (not shown), the high-frequency power supply 273, and the adapter 272. With this configuration, the main controller 300 performs flow rate adjustment of the first and second MFCs 241a, 241b, opening and closing operations of the first to third valves 243a, 243b, 243c, opening and closing and pressure adjustment operations of the fourth valve 243d, temperature adjustment of the heater 207, start and stop of the vacuum pump 246, rotation speed adjustment of the boat rotating mechanism 267, lifting and lowering operation control of the boat lifting mechanism, power supply control of the high-frequency power supply 273, and impedance control by the adapter 272.

[0053] As described above, the substrate processing system 1 of the present embodiment comprises: a processing chamber 201 for processing a wafer 200; a storage unit 420 capable of storing sensor data, the sensor data being data acquired using at least two sensors (air pressure measuring devices 500) capable of acquiring the same type of data and having a master-slave relationship; a monitoring unit 430, which determines that the sensor corresponding to the sensor data is abnormal when the stored sensor data satisfies a prescribed condition; a switching unit 460, which switches the auxiliary sensor back to the main sensor when the sensor determined to be abnormal is the main sensor, the main sensor being the main sensor among the sensors, and the auxiliary sensor being the sensor other than the main sensor among the sensors; a calculating unit 470, which calculates the processing time of the substrate based on the sensor data of the main sensor; and a control unit 410, which is configured to acquire the processing time calculated by the calculating unit 470 before processing the substrate, and control the processing of the substrate using the acquired processing time.

[0054] With this configuration, even if the main sensor as one of the sensors fails, by continuously acquiring sensor data from the auxiliary sensor as the other sensor, the processing time of the substrate can be adjusted using the acquired sensor data. Thus, the film forming conditions can be adjusted immediately in response to changes in the environment that affect film formation, and the substrate can be processed with a constant quality.

[0055] It should be noted that the sensor data acquired by the auxiliary sensor includes, for example, the atmospheric pressure outside the processing furnace 202. However, the sensor data is not limited thereto, and other data, for example, the external temperature of the processing furnace 202, the flow rate of the gas flowing into the processing furnace 202, or the pressure inside the processing furnace 202 may also be acquired as the sensor data.

[0056] In addition, in the substrate processing system 1, when the sensor data does not satisfy the specified condition, the monitoring unit 430 preferably determines that the state of the sensor corresponding to the sensor data is normal. In this case, as a result, the switching unit 460 does not perform any processing, thereby reducing the processing burden of the control unit 410.

[0057] Furthermore, in the substrate processing system 1, when the sensor determined to be abnormal is the auxiliary sensor, the switching unit 460 preferably continues to maintain the master-slave relationship of the sensor. In this case, since the main sensor currently acquiring sensor data is determined to be normal, there is no influence on the adjustment of the processing time. In this case, as a result, the switching unit 460 also does not perform any processing, thereby reducing the processing burden of the control unit 410.

[0058] According to the above-mentioned substrate processing system 1, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device can be executed, and the method for manufacturing a semiconductor device has the following steps: storing sensor data, wherein the sensor data is data acquired by at least two sensors that can acquire the same type of data and have a master-slave relationship; determining that the sensor corresponding to the sensor data is abnormal when the stored sensor data meets specified conditions; switching the auxiliary sensor back to the main sensor when the sensor determined to be abnormal is the main sensor, wherein the main sensor is the main sensor among the sensors, and the auxiliary sensor is a sensor other than the main sensor among the sensors; calculating the processing time of the substrate based on the sensor data of the main sensor; and processing the substrate using the processing time.

[0059] It should be noted that, in the storage unit 420 or the external storage unit 480 of the management server 400, the storage unit 320 or the external storage unit 340 of the main controller 300, or a recording medium that can be read by a computer, a control program of the substrate processing device is recorded, which enables the substrate processing device 2 to execute each process in the manufacturing method of the semiconductor device through a computer. That is, the control program enables the substrate processing device to execute the following steps through a computer: storing sensor data, the sensor data is data acquired by at least two sensors that can acquire the same type of data and have a master-slave relationship; when the stored sensor data meets the specified conditions, the sensor corresponding to the sensor data is judged to be abnormal; when the sensor judged to be abnormal is the main sensor, the auxiliary sensor is switched back to the main sensor, the main sensor is the main sensor among the sensors, and the auxiliary sensor is a sensor other than the main sensor among the sensors; the processing time of the substrate is calculated according to the sensor data of the main sensor; and the substrate is processed using the processing time. The control program can be recorded in a recording medium that can be read by a computer. In addition, a recording medium that can be read by a computer and records the control program can also be used.

[0060] In addition, in the substrate processing system 1, an operation unit 490 having a display unit 492 capable of displaying the processing status of the wafer 200 is provided, and the control unit 410 preferably receives a notification from the monitoring unit 430 and notifies the operation unit 490 of an abnormality. Furthermore, the operation unit 490 preferably receives a notification from the control unit 410 and instructs the display unit 492 to display the notification result. With this configuration, an operator operating the substrate processing system 1 can be notified of an abnormality in a sensor.

[0061] In addition, in the substrate processing system 1, when the main sensor is abnormal, the display unit 492 preferably displays that an abnormality has occurred and the master and slave of the sensor need to be switched. Moreover, when the auxiliary sensor is abnormal, the display unit 492 preferably displays that an abnormality has occurred and the master and slave of the sensor do not need to be switched. That is, when an abnormality occurs in the main sensor and when an abnormality occurs in the auxiliary sensor, the alarm level is differentiated, so that the operator can intuitively grasp the abnormal situation.

[0062] Here, in Figure 3 In the substrate processing apparatus 2, as a modified example, the storage unit 320 may have the functions of the storage unit 420 among the functions of the management server 400, and may also have the functions of the monitoring unit 430, the switching unit 460, and the calculating unit 470. Furthermore, a gas pressure measuring device 500 as a sensor may be connected to the substrate processing apparatus 2 via an I / O port not shown.

[0063] That is, the substrate processing device 2 may include: a processing chamber 201 for processing the wafer 200; a storage unit 320, which can store sensor data, the sensor data being data acquired by at least two sensors that can acquire the same type of data and have a master-slave relationship; a monitoring unit 430, which determines that the sensor corresponding to the sensor data is abnormal when the stored sensor data meets a specified condition; a switching unit 460, which switches the auxiliary sensor back to the main sensor when the sensor determined to be abnormal is the main sensor, the main sensor being the main sensor among the sensors, and the auxiliary sensor being the sensor other than the main sensor among the sensors; a calculation unit 470, which calculates the processing time of the substrate based on the sensor data of the main sensor; and a control unit 310, which is configured to be able to acquire the processing time calculated by the calculation unit 470 before processing the wafer 200, and control the processing of the wafer 200 using the acquired processing time.

[0064] By constituting in this way, even without constructing Figure 1 In the case of the group management system shown, in a single substrate processing device 2, if the main sensor as one sensor fails, the sensor data from the auxiliary sensor as the other sensor can be continuously acquired. Then, the processing time of the substrate can be adjusted using the acquired sensor data. Thus, the film forming conditions can be adjusted immediately in response to changes in the environment that affect the film forming, and the substrate can be processed with a constant quality.

[0065] Below, refer to Figure 7 to Figure 12, the monitoring of the sensor (gas pressure measuring device 500) in the substrate processing system 1 of this embodiment and the substrate processing based on the monitoring are described. Here, Figure 7 1 is a flowchart showing an overview of substrate processing in the substrate processing system 1 . Figure 8 is a flow chart illustrating monitoring of sensors. Fig. 9 This is a flowchart showing the individual abnormality determination of the sensor. Fig.10 This is a flowchart showing the first abnormality determination of the sensor. Fig.11 This is a flowchart showing the second abnormality determination of the sensor. Fig.12 This is a flowchart showing abnormality determination between sensors.

[0066] When starting substrate processing in the substrate processing system 1, first, Figure 7 S100 shows the stage in which the execution Figure 8 The sensor monitoring process is shown.

[0067] exist Figure 8 In the sensor monitoring process (S100) shown in the figure, first, in the stage shown in S110, regarding the first sensor (one of the multiple sensors), the monitoring unit 430 determines whether the communication status between the sensor and the management server 400 is normal. If it is determined to be normal, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S200 and executes Fig. 9 Individual abnormality judgment processing is shown.

[0068] On the other hand, if it is judged to be abnormal, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S115, and the monitoring unit 430 notifies the control unit 410 that there is a communication abnormality. The control unit 410 that receives the notification notifies the operation unit 490 of this situation, and may also use the display unit 492 to perform a prescribed alarm notification. That is, in the substrate processing system 1 of this embodiment, the monitoring unit 430 monitors the communication status between the main sensor and the auxiliary sensor, and notifies the control unit 410 when an abnormal communication status is detected. In this way, the operator can be notified that an abnormality has occurred in the communication status. After the stage shown in S115, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S120 described later.

[0069] exist Fig. 9 In the individual abnormality determination process (S200) shown in FIG. 1 , first, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S300 and executes Fig.10 The first abnormality determination process is shown.

[0070] exist Fig.10In the first abnormality judgment process (S300) shown in FIG. 1 , first, in the stage shown in S310, for the value of the air pressure detected by the sensor related to the abnormality judgment, the monitoring unit 430 calculates a first threshold value related to the normal range of the first differential data (D1), the first differential data being the difference between the most recent (latest) sensor data (specifically, the value of the air pressure) and the previous sensor data. Here, the first threshold value is specifically the lower limit value (V L ) and the upper limit value (V U ) to express.

[0071] The lower limit (V L ) and the upper limit value (V U ) is calculated, for example, as follows. First, for the most recent (latest) sensor data (e.g., 20 times) stored in the storage unit 420, the difference with the previous sensor data is calculated. Then, for the multiple differences, the average value (μ1) and the standard deviation (σ) are calculated, and the lower limit value (V) is calculated using the following formula: L ) and the upper limit value (V U ).

[0072] V L =μ1-3σ

[0073] V U =μ1+3σ

[0074] Here, the coefficient multiplied by σ in the above-mentioned equations is not limited to 3, and may be appropriately increased or decreased according to the accuracy of monitoring to be obtained.

[0075] Next, in the step S320, the monitoring unit 430 calculates the first difference data (D1) based on the most recent (latest) sensor data and the previous sensor data stored in the storage unit 420. Then, in the step S330, it is determined whether the first difference data (D1) is within the lower limit value (V L ) and the upper limit value (V U ). If it is determined that the first differential data (D1) is within the range, information indicating that the sensor is normal is stored in the storage unit 420 (or the external storage unit 480) at the stage shown in S340. On the other hand, if it is determined that the first differential data (D1) is not within the range, information indicating that the sensor is abnormal is stored in the storage unit 420 (or the external storage unit 480) at the stage shown in S350.

[0076] That is, in the substrate processing system 1 of the present embodiment, the monitoring unit 430 compares the first differential data with the first threshold value defined in advance to determine the abnormality of the sensor, and the first differential data is the difference between the sensor data stored in the storage unit 420 and the previous sensor data. Moreover, the first threshold value is calculated based on the average value and standard deviation of a plurality of consecutive first differential data. In this way, since the first threshold value is calculated sequentially based on a plurality of past sensor data, a more accurate and timely abnormality determination can be made.

[0077] As described above, in either case of determining that the sensor is normal (S340) or determining that the sensor is abnormal (S350), the process returns to Fig. 9 That is, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S210, and the monitoring unit 430 determines whether the sensor is normal. If the sensor is abnormal, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S220, and the determination result is stored in the storage unit 420 (or the external storage unit 480), and thus the process returns to Figure 8 On the other hand, if the sensor is normal, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S400 and executes Fig.11 The second abnormality determination process is shown.

[0078] exist Fig.11 In the second abnormality judgment process (S400) shown in FIG. 1 , first, in the stage shown in S410, the monitoring unit 430 calculates the difference between the sensor data of the last (newest) multiple (e.g., 5) times and the sensor data of the previous time, which is the second differential data (D2), for the most recent (latest) multiple (e.g., 5) times of sensor data stored in the storage unit 420 as the numerical value of the air pressure detected by the sensor related to the abnormality judgment. Then, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S420, and the monitoring unit 430 determines whether the multiple second differential data (D2) are all positive numbers. If not, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S430, and determines whether the multiple second differential data (D2) are all negative numbers.

[0079] When all the second differential data (D2) are positive numbers, the most recent sensor data has an increasing trend, and in the stage shown in S450, information indicating the abnormality of the sensor is stored in the storage unit 420 (or the external storage unit 480). In addition, when all the second differential data (D2) are negative numbers, the most recent sensor data has a decreasing trend, and similarly, in the stage shown in S450, information indicating the abnormality of the sensor is stored in the storage unit 420 (or the external storage unit 480).

[0080] On the other hand, when all the multiple second differential data (D2) are neither positive nor negative (in other words, when at least one of the multiple second differential data (D2) is positive and at least one is negative, or when at least one is zero), the most recent multiple sensor data have neither an increasing trend nor a decreasing trend, and in the stage shown in S440, information indicating that the sensor is normal is stored in the storage unit 420 (or the external storage unit 480).

[0081] That is, in the substrate processing system 1 of the present embodiment, the monitoring unit 430 determines the abnormality of the sensor based on the increase or decrease trend of the second differential data after obtaining the difference between the sensor data stored in the storage unit 420 and the previous sensor data for a predetermined number of consecutive times. Furthermore, the monitoring unit 430 determines that the sensor is abnormal when the second differential data continuously has an increase trend or a decrease trend. That is, compared with information such as atmospheric pressure that is always changing and is not easy to simply increase or decrease, the abnormality of the sensor can be determined by observing the increase or decrease trend of the sensor data.

[0082] As described above, in either case of determining that the sensor is normal (S440) or determining that the sensor is abnormal (S450), the process returns to Fig. 9 That is, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S220, and the judgment result is stored in the storage unit 420 (or the external storage unit 480), so the process returns to Figure 8 The sensor monitoring process is shown.

[0083] exist Figure 8 In the sensor monitoring process shown, in the next stage shown in S120, it is determined whether the monitoring of all sensors has been completed. If there is a sensor whose monitoring has not been completed, the process returns to the stage shown in S110 again, and if the communication status of the sensor is normal, the individual abnormality determination process shown in S200 is performed again for the sensor.

[0084] On the other hand, in the stage shown in S120, if it is determined that the monitoring of all sensors is completed, in the stage shown in S130, the monitoring unit 430 refers to the storage unit 420 (or the external storage unit 480) to determine whether the main sensor is normal. If the main sensor is normal, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S500 described later. On the other hand, if the main sensor is abnormal, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S140, and this time it is determined whether the auxiliary sensor is normal. If the auxiliary sensor is also abnormal, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S160 described later.

[0085] On the other hand, if the auxiliary sensor is normal, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S150, and the auxiliary sensor is switched back to the main sensor by the switching unit 460. That is, the sensor data stored in the storage unit (or the external storage unit 480) as the sensor data of the auxiliary sensor until now is regarded as the sensor data of the main sensor after the stage shown in S150. Then, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S160 described later.

[0086] In the above-mentioned step S130, if it is determined that the main sensor is normal, the process proceeds to the step S500 and executes Fig.12 The sensor abnormality determination process is shown.

[0087] exist Fig.12 In the sensor-to-sensor abnormality determination process (S500) shown in FIG. 1 , first, in the stage shown in S510, the monitoring unit 430 calculates the difference between the sensor data of the main sensor and the sensor data of the auxiliary sensor, that is, the third differential data (D3), for the most recent multiple (e.g., 5) sensor data as the values ​​of the air pressure detected by the main sensor and the auxiliary sensor and stored in the storage unit 420. Next, the average value (μ2) of the multiple third differential data (D3) is calculated.

[0088] Then, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S520, and the monitoring unit 430 determines whether the average value (μ2) is greater than a prescribed threshold value, that is, a second threshold value. Here, when the sensor data is atmospheric pressure, the second threshold value can be set to a prescribed pressure value (for example, 1 hPa). When the average value (μ2) is greater than the second threshold value, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S530, and the error count (C) is increased by 1. Here, the error count (C) refers to a parameter that counts the number of times an error has occurred as a result of an affirmative judgment in S520. Figure 7 At the time when the process shown in the figure starts, the initial value of the error count (C) is zero. Then, each time the stage shown in S530 is reached, the error count is increased by 1. On the other hand, if the average value (μ2) is not greater than the second threshold value, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S540, and the error count (C) is cleared and returned to the initial value of zero. In either case, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S550.

[0089] In the stage shown in S550, the monitoring unit 430 determines whether the error count (C) is greater than the judgment threshold, that is, 3. The significance of the judgment threshold here is to be used as a benchmark to indicate how many times the error continues to be abnormal, and it is not particularly limited to 3, and can also be appropriately increased or decreased according to the accuracy of the monitoring obtained. In the case where it is judged that the error count (C) is greater than 3, in the stage shown in S560, information indicating that the sensor is abnormal is stored in the storage unit 420 (or the external storage unit 480). On the other hand, in the case where it is judged that the error count is less than 3, in the stage shown in S570, information indicating that the sensor is normal is stored in the storage unit 420 (or the external storage unit 480). In either case, it returns to Figure 8 The sensor monitoring process is shown.

[0090] That is, in the substrate processing system 1 of this embodiment, the monitoring unit 430 obtains the third differential data for a predetermined number of consecutive times, the third differential data being the difference between the sensor data of the main sensor and the sensor data of the auxiliary sensor stored in the storage unit 420, and on this basis, compares the average value calculated from the third differential data with the predefined second threshold value to determine the abnormality of the sensor. With this configuration, it is possible to know which sensor is abnormal.

[0091] exist Figure 8 In the sensor monitoring process shown in S180, the monitoring unit 430 determines whether the error count difference between the sensors is normal. If it is determined to be normal, the process proceeds to Figure 7 On the other hand, if it is determined to be abnormal, the process proceeds to the stage shown in S160.

[0092] In the stage shown in S160, when it is determined that both the main sensor and the auxiliary sensor are abnormal (S130, S140), when it is determined that the auxiliary sensor is normal but the main sensor is abnormal (S130, S140, S150), or when it is determined that one of the main sensor and the auxiliary sensor is abnormal (S180), the monitoring unit 430 notifies the control unit 410 of this situation. The control unit 410 that receives the notification notifies the operation unit 490 of the abnormality. The operation unit that receives the notification of the abnormality displays the notification result using an alarm on the display unit 492 to notify the operator, whereby, regarding this notification, in the case of an abnormality in the main sensor, a relatively high-level alarm that an abnormality requiring the switching of the master and slave sensors is generated is displayed on the display unit 492. In addition, in the case of an abnormality in only the auxiliary sensor, a relatively low-level alarm that an abnormality requiring the switching of the master and slave sensors is generated is displayed on the display unit 492. When the processing of the stage shown in S160 is completed, proceed to Figure 7The S10 shows the stage.

[0093] exist Figure 7 In the stage S10 shown in FIG. 1 , the control unit 410 determines whether the main sensor is normal. It should be noted that the main sensor in this stage includes Figure 8 In the case of the main sensor determined to be normal in the stage S130, and in the case of the main sensor switched from the original auxiliary sensor in the stage S150. When it is determined that the main sensor is normal, the process proceeds to the stage S20, and the calculation unit 470 calculates the processing time of the substrate from the latest sensor data of the main sensor stored in the storage unit 420, and then proceeds to the stage S40.

[0094] On the other hand, in the stage shown in S10, the case where it is determined that the main sensor is abnormal is that Figure 8 In the steps S130 and S140, it is determined that both the main sensor and the auxiliary sensor are abnormal. In this case, the process proceeds to the step S30, and the control unit 410 does not use the sensor data of any sensor, but obtains the predetermined substrate processing time stored in the storage unit 420, and then proceeds to the step S40.

[0095] That is, in the substrate processing system 1 of this embodiment, the control unit 410 can control the processing of the substrate using the predefined processing time when both the main sensor and the auxiliary sensor are abnormal. Thus, the substrate can be processed even when the main sensor and the auxiliary sensor cannot be used.

[0096] In the stage shown in S40, the processing time calculated in the stage shown in S20 or the processing time acquired in the stage shown in S30 is sent to the external communication unit 350 of the substrate processing apparatus 2 through the external communication unit 450. In the substrate processing apparatus 2, the control unit 310 adjusts the process data acquired from the storage unit 320 using the received processing time, and executes the processing of the wafer 200 in the processing furnace 202. Then, in the stage shown in S50, the processing after the sensor monitoring processing of S100 is repeated until it is determined that the processing of the wafer 200 is completed.

[0097] It should be noted that in the above-mentioned embodiment, an example of using a batch-type substrate processing device to process a plurality of substrates at a time to process substrates is described. The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned form, and can also be appropriately applied to the case of using a single-chip substrate processing device to process one or more substrates at a time. In addition, in the above-mentioned form, an example of using a substrate processing device with a hot-wall type processing furnace to process substrates is described. The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned calculation, and can also be appropriately applied to the case of using a substrate processing device with a cold-wall type processing furnace to process substrates.

[0098] When these substrate processing apparatuses are used, each process can be performed using the same processing steps and processing conditions as those of the above-described embodiment or modified example, and the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment or modified example can be obtained.

[0099] The above-mentioned embodiments or modified examples can be used in combination as appropriate. The processing steps and processing conditions in this case can be the same as the processing steps and processing conditions in the above-mentioned determination or modified example, for example.

[0100] The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-208978 filed on December 26, 2022 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. All documents, patent applications, and technical standards described in this specification are incorporated herein by reference to the same extent as if each document, patent application, and technical standard were specifically and individually described as being cited by reference.

[0101] Description of Reference Numerals

[0102] 1 substrate processing system, 201 processing chamber, 410 control unit, 420 storage unit, 430 monitoring unit, 460 switching unit, 470 calculation unit, 500 air pressure measuring device (sensor).

Claims

1. A substrate processing system comprising: a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a storage unit capable of storing sensor data, wherein the sensor data is data acquired by at least two sensors capable of acquiring the same type of data and having a master-slave relationship; a monitoring unit that determines that a sensor corresponding to the stored sensor data is abnormal when the stored sensor data satisfies a predetermined condition; a switching unit for switching the auxiliary sensor back to the main sensor when the sensor determined to be abnormal is the main sensor, wherein the main sensor is a main sensor among the sensors and the auxiliary sensor is a sensor other than the main sensor among the sensors; a calculation unit that calculates a processing time of the substrate based on the sensor data of the main sensor; as well as The control unit is configured to acquire the processing time calculated by the calculation unit before processing the substrate, and control the processing of the substrate based on the acquired processing time.

2. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: When the sensor data does not satisfy the predetermined condition, the monitoring unit determines that the state of the sensor corresponding to the sensor data is normal.

3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: When the sensor determined to be abnormal is the auxiliary sensor, the switching unit continues to maintain the master-slave relationship of the sensors.

4. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: The monitoring unit compares first differential data, which is a difference between sensor data stored in the storage unit and previous sensor data, with a first threshold value defined in advance to determine abnormality of the sensor.

5. The substrate processing system according to claim 4, wherein: The first threshold is obtained based on an average value and a standard deviation of a plurality of consecutive first difference data.

6. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: The monitoring unit determines the abnormality of the sensor based on the increase and decrease trend of the second differential data after obtaining the second differential data a predetermined number of times in succession, wherein the second differential data is the difference between the sensor data stored in the storage unit and the previous sensor data.

7. The substrate processing system according to claim 6, wherein: When the second difference data has a continuous increasing trend or a decreasing trend, the monitoring unit determines that the sensor is abnormal.

8. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: After obtaining the third differential data a predetermined number of times in succession, the monitoring unit compares the average value calculated based on the third differential data with a pre-defined second threshold value to determine the abnormality of the sensor, wherein the third differential data is the difference between the sensor data of the main sensor and the sensor data of the auxiliary sensor stored in the storage unit.

9. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: An operating unit is provided, wherein the operating unit includes a display unit capable of displaying a processing status of the substrate, The control unit receives the notification from the monitoring unit and notifies the operation unit of the abnormality.

10. The substrate processing system according to claim 9, wherein: The operation unit receives the notification from the control unit and instructs the display unit to display the notification result.

11. The substrate processing system according to claim 10, wherein: When the master sensor is abnormal, the display unit displays that an abnormality has occurred and that the master and slave positions of the sensor need to be switched.

12. The substrate processing system according to claim 11, wherein: When the auxiliary sensor is abnormal, the display unit displays that an abnormality has occurred and it is unnecessary to switch the master and slave of the sensor.

13. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: The monitoring unit monitors a communication state between the main sensor and the auxiliary sensor, and notifies the control unit when an abnormality in the communication state is detected.

14. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein: When both the main sensor and the auxiliary sensor are abnormal, the control unit may control the processing of the substrate according to a processing time defined in advance.

15. A substrate processing device comprising: a processing chamber for processing a substrate; a storage unit capable of storing sensor data, wherein the sensor data is data acquired by at least two sensors capable of acquiring the same type of data and having a master-slave relationship; a monitoring unit that determines that a sensor corresponding to the stored sensor data is abnormal when the stored sensor data satisfies a predetermined condition; a switching unit for switching the auxiliary sensor back to the main sensor when the sensor determined to be abnormal is the main sensor, wherein the main sensor is a main sensor among the sensors and the auxiliary sensor is a sensor other than the main sensor among the sensors; a calculation unit that calculates a processing time of the substrate based on the sensor data of the main sensor; as well as The control unit is configured to acquire the processing time calculated by the calculation unit before processing the substrate, and control the processing of the substrate based on the acquired processing time.

16. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the following steps: storing sensor data, wherein the sensor data is data acquired by at least two sensors that are capable of acquiring the same type of data and have a master-slave relationship; When the stored sensor data satisfies a predetermined condition, determining that a sensor corresponding to the sensor data is abnormal; When the sensor determined to be abnormal is the main sensor, the auxiliary sensor is switched back to the main sensor, wherein the main sensor is the main sensor among the sensors, and the auxiliary sensor is the sensor other than the main sensor among the sensors; calculating a processing time of a substrate based on the sensor data of the main sensor; and The substrate is processed for the processing time.

17. A program that causes a substrate processing apparatus to execute the following steps through a computer: storing sensor data, wherein the sensor data is data acquired by at least two sensors that are capable of acquiring the same type of data and have a master-slave relationship; When the stored sensor data satisfies a predetermined condition, determining that a sensor corresponding to the sensor data is abnormal; In the case where the sensor determined to be abnormal is the main sensor, the auxiliary sensor among the sensors is switched back to the main sensor, wherein the main sensor is the main sensor among the sensors, and the auxiliary sensor is a sensor other than the main sensor; calculating a processing time of a substrate based on the sensor data of the main sensor; and The substrate is processed for the processing time.

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