Substrate processing apparatus, transfer method, manufacturing method of semiconductor device, and program

Abstract

To provide a technique capable of receiving a next container and improving a transfer efficiency of a container in regardless of a use state of a transporting part.SOLUTION: A substrate processing device comprises: a mounting part onto which a container which has a door and into which a substrate is housed is mounted; a storage part that stores the container; a processing part that processes the substrate; a switch part that switches the door; and a confirmation part that confirms a state of the substrate housed in the container. The substrate processing device comprises: a transporting part that transports the substrate to the processing part; a transfer part that holds the container, and transports the container to the mounting part, the storage part, and the transporting part; and a control part that makes the transporting part to hold the container mounted onto the mounting part in regardless of a use state of the transporting part, and can control so as to receive the mounting of the next container to the mounting part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] Conventionally, there is known a substrate processing apparatus that includes a storage container for storing multiple substrates as described in Patent Document 1, a placement section for placing the storage container, a storage chamber for storing the storage container, a transport device for transporting the storage container, a mapping device as a substrate state detection device, and a transfer section (opener) for inserting and removing substrates. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2009-177195 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technology that enables the next container to be accepted regardless of the usage status of a transfer section, thereby improving the efficiency of container transport. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a technology is provided that includes a mounting section on which a container having a door and containing a substrate is placed, a storage section for storing the container, a processing section for processing the substrate, an opening / closing section for opening and closing the door, and a confirmation section for checking the status of the substrate contained in the container, and includes a transfer section for transferring the substrate to the processing section, a transport section for holding the container and transporting the container to the mounting section, the storage section, and the transfer section, and a control unit that is controllable to cause the transport section to hold the container placed on the mounting section regardless of the usage state of the transfer section, and to accept the placement of the next container on the mounting section. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to accept the next container regardless of the usage status of the transfer section, thereby improving the efficiency of transporting containers. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a partially omitted perspective view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a side cross-sectional view of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 1 is a side cross-sectional view showing a main part of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a control unit included in the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 5] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a screen of a display unit included in the substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation performed by a control unit according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or equivalent components and parts are given the same reference numerals. In addition, the dimensional ratios of the drawings are exaggerated for the convenience of explanation and may differ from the actual ratios.

[0009] (composition) A substrate processing apparatus 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is, for example, a batch-type vertical diffusion / CVD apparatus, and includes, as part of a housing, a main housing 11, a sub-housing 40, and a front housing 14A, as shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3. The substrate processing apparatus 10 further includes a display unit 82D and a control unit 77. In this embodiment, a container 2 is used for storing a wafer 1 as a substrate.

[0010] The container 2 is formed in a roughly cubic box shape, and a wafer loading / unloading opening is opened on one side wall of the container 2. A door 4 serving as a lid for closing the wafer loading / unloading opening is attached so as to be able to be attached and detached. A plurality of positioning holes (not shown) are recessed in the bottom surface of the container 2.

[0011] (Main unit) 1, 2, and 3, a front wall 11a of a main housing 11 of a substrate processing apparatus 10 forms a partition wall that separates the inside and outside of the main housing 11. A container loading / unloading opening 12 that communicates with the inside and outside of the main housing 11 is opened at the middle height of this front wall 11a. A container 2 is loaded into and unloaded from the container 2 through the container loading / unloading opening 12. A front shutter 13 opens and closes the container loading / unloading opening 12.

[0012] A load port 14, which is an example of a placement section, is installed on the outside of the front wall (compartment wall) 11a of the main housing 11. The load port 14 is located approximately directly below the container loading / unloading opening 12. The load port 14 constitutes a loading / unloading section. The load port 14 aligns the placed container 2 with the container loading / unloading opening 12. Two load ports 14 are provided in parallel.

[0013] A container storage chamber 11b is formed in the front region within the main housing 11. A rotating container shelf 31, which is an example of a storage section, is provided within the container storage chamber 11b. The rotating container shelf 31 is disposed in an upper space in the approximate center in the front-to-rear direction within the container storage chamber 11b. The rotating container shelf 31 constitutes a storage shelf that stores containers within the housing.

[0014] The rotating container shelf 31 comprises a support 32 and multiple shelves 33. The support 32 is erected vertically and rotates intermittently in a horizontal plane. The multiple shelves 33 are supported radially at upper, middle and lower positions on the support 32. Multiple containers 2 can be placed on each of the multiple shelves 33.

[0015] A plurality of receiving kinematic pins 34 are provided on the upper surface of the shelf board 33 to protrude therefrom, and the receiving kinematic pins 34 can be fitted into positioning holes of the container 2 .

[0016] A container transport device 35, which is an example of a transport section, is installed in the container storage room 11b. The container transport device 35 constitutes a transport device that transports the container 2 between the load port 14 and the rotary container shelf 31 via the container loading / unloading opening 12.

[0017] The container transport device 35 is composed of a container elevator 35a as a storage container lifting mechanism and a container transport mechanism 35b as a storage container transport mechanism. The container transport mechanism 35b has a holding part (also called a holding mechanism) that holds the lower surface of the container.

[0018] The container transport device 35 transports the containers 2 between the support table 18, the rotary container shelf 31, and a mounting table 43 of a container opener 42 described later by continuous operation of the container elevator 35a and the container transport mechanism 35b.

[0019] (Front chassis) The front housing 14A is provided on the front side of the front wall 11a of the main housing 11. The front housing 14A is formed so as to surround the load port 14 and the upper space. A ceiling opening 14B is provided in the ceiling wall of the front housing 14A, and a front opening 14C is provided in the front wall of the front housing 14A. In other words, the load port 14 can receive a container 2 via the front opening 14C, and can also receive a container from the container transport mechanism (OHT) via the ceiling opening 14B.

[0020] The container 2 is carried into and out of the load port by an in-process transfer device (also referred to as an inter-process transfer device) located outside the substrate processing apparatus (ie, outside the housing).

[0021] As the in-process transport device, there are a floor-running in-plant transport vehicle (hereinafter referred to as AGV) 9 shown in FIG. 1, an overhead-running in-plant transport device, etc., and any of them can be applied.

[0022] The method of transporting the container 2 is not limited to the above description, and a container transport device that handles the container by gripping its upper portion may be used. In this case, the container 2 is carried into the load port 14 mainly via the ceiling opening 14B.

[0023] As shown in FIG. 1, a control unit 77, which will be described later, is installed inside the front housing 14A.

[0024] (Sub-chassis) As shown in FIG. 2, in the lower part of the approximate center in the front-rear direction inside the main housing 11, the sub-housing 40 is constructed extending to the rear end, and has a transfer portion 86.

[0025] A pair of wafer loading / unloading openings 41, 41 are provided vertically in two tiers on the front wall 40a of the sub-housing 40, and container openers 42, 42 are provided at the upper and lower wafer loading / unloading openings 41, 41, respectively. The wafer loading / unloading opening 41 allows the wafer 1 to be loaded into the sub-housing 40 and unloaded from the sub-housing 40.

[0026] The sub-housing 40 constitutes an auxiliary chamber 45, and the auxiliary chamber 45 is fluidly isolated from the container storage chamber 11b in which the container transport device 35 and the rotary container shelf 31 are installed.

[0027] A wafer transfer mechanism 46 is installed in the front area of ​​the auxiliary chamber 45. The wafer transfer mechanism 46 includes a wafer transfer device 46a, a wafer transfer device elevator 46b, and tweezers 46c. The tweezers 46c form a placement section for the wafer 1. The wafer transfer device 46a rotates or moves the tweezers 46c holding the wafer 1 in a horizontal plane. The wafer transfer device elevator 46b is installed at the right end of the front area in the auxiliary chamber 45. The wafer transfer device elevator 46b raises and lowers the wafer transfer device 46a.

[0028] The transfer and loading section 86 according to the present disclosure includes a mapping device 27, a container opener 42, and a wafer transfer and loading mechanism 46. In the transfer and loading section 86, the container opener 42, the mapping device 27, and the wafer transfer and loading mechanism 46 are arranged in this order from the front side of the substrate processing apparatus 10.

[0029] The container opener 42 is an example of an opening / closing section in this embodiment, and includes a mounting table 43 on which the container 2 is mounted, and an attachment / detachment mechanism 44 for attaching and detaching the door 4 of the container 2. The container opener 42 opens and closes the wafer loading / unloading opening of the container 2 by using the attachment / detachment mechanism 44 to attach and detach the door 4 of the container 2 mounted on the mounting table 43.

[0030] The container opener 42 constitutes a sealed case that can be filled and maintained with an inert gas, such as nitrogen gas. The container opener 42 is configured to be capable of supplying nitrogen gas via a nitrogen gas supply device (not shown) and exhausting nitrogen gas via an exhaust device (not shown).

[0031] The mapping device 27 is an example of a confirmation unit in this embodiment, and includes a linear actuator as a drive source, a holder, and multiple detectors. The holder is moved in the forward and backward directions relative to the wafer loading / unloading opening of the container 2 by the linear actuator. The multiple detectors are held by the holder. Using the multiple detectors, the mapping device 27 detects whether or not a single wafer 1 is held in each of the multiple slots in the container 2.

[0032] The wafer transfer mechanism 46 transfers the wafer 1 held by the tweezers 46c from the container 2 to the boat 47 by successive operations of the wafer transfer device elevator 46b and the wafer transfer device 46a, and loads the transferred wafer 1 into the boat 47.

[0033] Furthermore, the wafer transfer mechanism 46 detaches the wafers 1 from the boat 47 by holding them with the tweezers 46c, transports them from the boat 47 to the container 2, and returns them to the container 2.

[0034] A boat elevator 48 for raising and lowering a boat 47 is provided in the rear area of ​​the auxiliary chamber 45 .

[0035] A seal cap 50 is installed horizontally on an arm 49 serving as a connector connected to the lifting platform of the boat elevator 48. The seal cap 50 supports the boat 47 vertically and can close the lower end of a processing furnace 51, which is an example of a processing section.

[0036] The boat 47 includes a plurality of holding members and holds a plurality of wafers 1 (for example, about 50 to 125 wafers) horizontally with their centers aligned vertically.

[0037] Although not shown for convenience, a clean gas supply unit (hereinafter referred to as a clean unit) is installed at the left end of the preliminary chamber 45, which is opposite to the wafer transfer device elevator 46b and the boat elevator 48. The clean unit is composed of a supply fan and a dust filter. The clean unit supplies a purified atmosphere or clean air, which is an inert gas.

[0038] A notch alignment device is provided between the wafer transfer device 46a and the clean unit. The notch alignment device constitutes a substrate alignment device that aligns the circumferential position of the wafer.

[0039] The clean air blown out from the clean unit is circulated to the notch alignment device, the wafer transfer device 46a, and the boat 47, and then sucked in by a duct (not shown). The sucked in clean air is either exhausted to the outside of the main housing 11, or circulated to the primary side (i.e., the supply side), which is the suction side of the clean unit, and blown out again into the preliminary chamber 45 by the clean unit.

[0040] A processing furnace 51 shown in Fig. 3 is installed on the sub-housing 40. As shown in Fig. 3, the processing furnace 51 has a heater 52 as a heating mechanism.

[0041] The heater 52 has a cylindrical shape and is installed vertically by being supported by a heater base 53 serving as a holding plate.

[0042] A process tube 54 serving as a reaction tube is disposed inside the heater 52 concentrically with the heater 52. The process tube 54 is composed of an outer tube 55 serving as an outer reaction tube and an inner tube 56 serving as an inner reaction tube disposed inside the outer tube 55.

[0043] The outer tube 55 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO2) or silicon carbide (SiC). The outer tube 55 has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube 56, and is formed in a cylindrical shape with a closed upper end and an open lower end. The outer tube 55 is provided concentrically with the inner tube 56.

[0044] The inner tube 56 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide. The inner tube 56 is formed in a cylindrical shape with an open upper end and a lower end. The cylindrical hollow portion of the inner tube 56 forms a processing chamber 57. The processing chamber 57 can accommodate the boat 47 that holds the wafers 1 in a horizontal position and aligned in multiple stages in the vertical direction.

[0045] The gap between the outer tube 55 and the inner tube 56 forms a cylindrical space 58 .

[0046] A manifold 59 is disposed below the outer tube 55 and concentrically with the outer tube 55. The manifold 59 is made of, for example, stainless steel. The manifold 59 is formed in a cylindrical shape with open upper and lower ends. The manifold 59 engages with the outer tube 55 and the inner tube 56 and supports them.

[0047] The manifold 59 is supported by the heater base 53, so that the process tube 54 is installed vertically.

[0048] Process tube 54 and manifold 59 form a reaction vessel.

[0049] Between the manifold 59 and the outer tube 55, an O-ring 59a is provided as a sealing member.

[0050] A nozzle 60 serving as a gas introduction section is connected to the seal cap 50, and the nozzle 60 communicates with the inside of the processing chamber 57. A gas supply pipe 61 is connected to the nozzle 60.

[0051] A gas supply source (not shown) is connected to the gas supply pipe 61 on the opposite side (i.e., upstream side) to the side connected to the nozzle 60 via a mass flow controller (MFC) 62. The MFC 62 constitutes a gas flow rate controller. The gas supply source (not shown) supplies desired gases such as a process gas and an inert gas.

[0052] A drive control unit 72 is electrically connected by electrical wiring to the rotation mechanism 70 and the boat elevator 48. The drive control unit 72 controls the rotation mechanism 70 and the boat elevator 48 at desired timing so as to perform desired operations.

[0053] The boat 47 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz, silicon carbide, etc. The boat 47 holds a plurality of wafers 1 in multiple stages in a horizontal position with their centers aligned with each other.

[0054] A plurality of heat insulating plates 73 are arranged in multiple stages in a horizontal position below the boat 47. The heat insulating plates 73 are made of a heat resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide, and are formed in a disk shape. The heat insulating plates 73 constitute a heat insulating member. The heat insulating plates 73 make it difficult for heat from the heater 52 to be transmitted to the manifold 59 side.

[0055] A temperature sensor 74 is installed in the process tube 54. The temperature sensor 74 constitutes a temperature detector. A temperature control unit 75 is electrically connected to the heater 52 and the temperature sensor 74 by electrical wiring.

[0056] Nitrogen gas as clean air is filled in the auxiliary chamber 45. In this state, the oxygen concentration in the auxiliary chamber 45 is, for example, 20 ppm or less, which is far lower than the oxygen concentration in the air atmosphere inside the main housing 11.

[0057] In addition, the container 2 carried into the main housing 11 from the container loading / unloading opening 12 by the container transport mechanism 35b may be directly transported to a container opener 42 installed at the wafer loading / unloading opening 41.

[0058] (Control unit) As shown in FIG. 4, the control unit 77 has a CPU 80A, a RAM 80B, a storage unit 80C, and an input / output unit (I / O port) 80D. The I / O port 80D is connected to the temperature control unit 75, the gas flow control unit 64, the pressure control unit 69, and the drive control unit 72. The control unit is also connected to an external communication unit 82A, an external storage unit 82B, an operation unit 82C, and a display unit 82D. Through the I / O port 80D, the control unit 77 controls all operations in the substrate processing apparatus, such as the load port 14, the mapping device 27, the rotary container shelf 31, the container transport device 35, the container opener 42, and the wafer transfer mechanism 46. That is, the control unit 77 is capable of controlling the container 2 to be transported to any one of the rotary container shelf 31, the transfer unit 86, and the load port 14. The control unit 77 also controls a nitrogen gas supply unit (not shown) and an exhaust unit (not shown).

[0059] A gas flow rate control unit 64 is electrically connected to the MFC 62 by electrical wiring, and the gas flow rate control unit 64 controls the MFC 62 at a desired timing so that the flow rate of the gas to be supplied is a desired amount.

[0060] The manifold 59 is provided with an exhaust pipe 65 for exhausting the atmosphere inside the processing chamber 57. The exhaust pipe 65 is disposed at the lower end of the cylindrical space 58 and communicates with the cylindrical space 58.

[0061] An exhaust device (not shown) is connected to the exhaust pipe 65 on the side opposite to the side connected to the manifold 59 (i.e., the downstream side) via a pressure sensor (not shown) and a pressure regulator (not shown). The pressure sensor (not shown) constitutes a pressure detector. The exhaust device is composed of a vacuum pump or the like. The pressure sensor (not shown), the pressure regulator (not shown), and the exhaust device exhaust the inside of the processing chamber 57 to a predetermined pressure (i.e., a predetermined degree of vacuum).

[0062] A pressure control unit 69 is electrically connected to a pressure adjustment device (not shown) and a pressure sensor (not shown) by electrical wiring. The pressure control unit 69 controls the pressure adjustment device (not shown) at a desired timing based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor (not shown) so that the pressure inside the processing chamber 57 becomes a desired pressure.

[0063] The temperature control unit 75 adjusts the power supply to the heater 52 based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 74, thereby controlling the heater 52 at a desired timing so that the temperature distribution inside the processing chamber 57 is as desired.

[0064] The seal cap 50 abuts vertically from below against the lower end of the manifold 59. The seal cap 50 constitutes a furnace port cover body capable of air-tightly closing the lower end opening of the manifold 59.

[0065] The seal cap 50 is made of a metal such as stainless steel and is formed in a disk shape. An O-ring 50a serving as a seal member is provided on the upper surface of the seal cap 50. The O-ring 50a abuts against the lower end of the manifold 59.

[0066] A rotation mechanism 70 for rotating the boat is installed on the seal cap 50 on the opposite side to the processing chamber 57. A rotation shaft 71 of the rotation mechanism 70 passes through the seal cap 50 and is connected to the boat 47. The rotation shaft 71 rotates the boat 47, thereby rotating the wafers 1.

[0067] Furthermore, the control unit 77 of the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment is connected to external equipment (not shown) via the external communication unit 82A. The external equipment is capable of communicating with the control unit 77 via the external communication unit 82A, and various pieces of information are reported to the external equipment by the control unit 77. Furthermore, when information is reported from the control unit 77, the external equipment returns response information.

[0068] (Display section 82D) 1, the display unit 82D is attached to the upper part of the front opening 14C. The display unit 82D is, for example, a liquid crystal display, and the display content is controlled by the control unit 77.

[0069] In addition, the CPU 80A in this embodiment can further execute an operation to control the screen display of the display unit 82D, thereby causing the number and status of the containers 2 stored inside the main housing 11 to be displayed on the display unit 82D, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0070] More specifically, the CPU 80A displays a load port object 92A, a storage shelf object 92B, and an opener object 92C on the screen of the display unit 82D, as shown in Fig. 5. The load port object 92A, the storage shelf object 92B, and the opener object 92C display icons 94 corresponding to the presence and state of a container 2 inside the housing.

[0071] More specifically, an icon 94 is displayed on the load port object 92A when a container 2 is placed on the load port 14. Moreover, an icon 94 is displayed on the storage shelf object 92B when a container 2 is placed on the load port 14. Moreover, an icon 94 is displayed on the opener object 92C when a container 2 is placed on the placement stand 43.

[0072] 5, the icons 94 display, as an example, the type of the wafer 1 accommodated in the container 2, the state of the wafer 1 accommodated in the container 2, and whether or not the substrate processing of the wafer 1 can be performed. More specifically, the type of the wafer 1 in the icon 94 indicates whether the substrate accommodated in the container 2 is used as a raw material for a semiconductor device or is a dummy used in the substrate processing. The state of the wafer 1 in the icon 94 indicates whether the substrate processing of the wafer 1 has been completed or not. The icon 94 indicates whether or not the substrate processing of the wafer 1 can be performed or not, indicating whether mapping has been completed or not. In other words, in this embodiment, the icon 94 displays the state information of the container 2. In this embodiment, the icon 94 is not displayed at the locations where the container 2 is not arranged in the load port 14, the rotary container shelf 31, and the transfer unit 86, indicating that the container 2 is not arranged.

[0073] As shown in Fig. 5, the load port object 92A has different displayed items than the storage shelf object 92B and the opener object 92C. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 5, when the load port 14 is in use, the load port object 92A further displays a mark 92D indicating that the load port 14 is in use. In other words, the load port 14 on which the mark 92D is displayed does not accept the placement of a container 2.

[0074] Next, a manner in which the container 2 is mapped in the transfer unit 86 will be described. When the container 2 is placed on the placement table 43 of the transfer unit 86, the container opener 42 opens the wafer loading / unloading opening of the container 2. Then, the mapping device 27 is inserted into the wafer loading / unloading opening of the container 2, and the mapping device 27 maps the wafer 1 in the container 2.

[0075] When the predetermined mapping is completed, the mapping device 27 is returned from the wafer loading / unloading opening to its original standby position, after which the container opener 42 closes the wafer loading / unloading opening.

[0076] If there is a difference between the mapping information read by the mapping device 27 and the mapping information previously provided for the container 2 (the container being read), the container 2 for which the difference was found is transported to the load port 14. Then, the container 2 is immediately transported from the load port 14 to the wafer organization process or the immediately preceding process by an in-process transport device, for example, the AGV 9 shown in FIG.

[0077] Next, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described using the substrate processing apparatus 10 having the above configuration. The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device according to this embodiment includes a procedure for placing a container 2 on a placement unit, a procedure for transporting the container 2 to the rotary container shelf 31 or the transfer unit 38, and a method for forming a thin film by a CVD method. In the following description, the operation of each unit constituting the substrate processing apparatus is controlled by a control unit 77.

[0078] (Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device) (Procedure for placing a container on a placement section) As shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, when the in-process transfer device carries the container 2 into the load port 14 via the front opening 14C or the ceiling opening 14B, the container 2 is placed on the support table 18.

[0079] At this time, the receiving kinematic pins of the holder 18 are fitted into positioning holes in the lower surface of the container 2 , so that the container 2 is positioned on the holder 18 .

[0080] The container loading / unloading opening 12 is opened by a front shutter 13 .

[0081] Next, container transport mechanism 35b passes under container loading / unloading opening 12, and container 2 supported by holder 18 is scooped up from below by container transport mechanism 35b of container transport device 35. That is, container 2 is handed over between holder 18 and the container transport mechanism.

[0082] The container 2 scooped up by the container transport mechanism 35b is carried into the main housing 11 through the container carry-in / out opening 12.

[0083] As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the carried container 2 is automatically transported and handed over to a designated shelf 33 of a rotating container shelf 31 by a container transport device 35 .

[0084] At this time, the receiving kinematic pins 34 of the shelf plate 33 are fitted into positioning holes in the lower surface of the container 2 , so that the container 2 is positioned and held by the shelf plate 33 .

[0085] Here, the operation of transporting the container 2 placed on the placement unit to the rotary container shelf 31 or the transfer unit 86 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0086] (Procedure for transporting containers to the rotating container rack or transfer area) The CPU 80A of the control unit 77 loads the program stored in the memory unit 80C into the RAM 80B and executes various control operations. Next, the operation performed by the CPU 80A when a container 2 is placed on the load port 14 in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 6. The CPU 80A executes the procedure after confirming that there is a shelf among the rotating container shelf 31 on which a container 2 is not placed. That is, this procedure is started in a state in which there are portions of the port object 92A and the storage shelf object 92B where the icon 94 is not displayed, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0087] First, in step S102, when the CPU 80A recognizes that a container 2 has been placed on the load port 14, it restricts the opening of the front opening 14C on the front side of the load port 14. Then, it drives the container conveying device 35 to hold the container 2 placed on the load port 14. Then, the load port 14 pulls the held container 2 into the inside of the main housing 11. In other words, when the CPU 80A recognizes that a container 2 has been placed on the load port 14, it causes the container 2 to be held by the container conveying device 35, thereby creating a space on the load port 14. Furthermore, the CPU 80A displays an icon 94 in a portion of the port object 92A on the display unit 82D that corresponds to the load port 14 on which the container 2 has been placed. The CPU 80A then proceeds to step S104.

[0088] In step S104, the CPU 80A allows the load port 14 to accept the container 2. More specifically, the CPU 80A executes a process of holding the container 2 placed on the load port 14 in the container transport device 35 and accepting the placement of the next container 2 on the placement table 43, regardless of the usage state of the transfer unit 86. Then, the CPU 80A, as an example, allows the operator to open the front opening 14C and connects to external equipment (not shown) via the external communication unit 82A. The CPU 80A reports to the external equipment that the load port 14 is able to accept the container 2. This allows the operator to place a new container 2 on the load port 14 in succession. The CPU 80A also makes the icon 94 of the port object 92A on the display unit 82D non-display, which corresponds to the load port 14 on which the transported container 2 was placed. The CPU 80A then proceeds to step S106.

[0089] In step S106, the CPU 80A checks whether the transfer unit 86 is empty for the container 2, i.e., whether the transfer unit 86 can transport the container 2. If the CPU 80A judges in step S106 as positive, i.e., that the transfer unit 86 is available for use, the CPU 80A proceeds to step S108. On the other hand, if the CPU 80A judges in step S106 as negative, i.e., that the transfer unit 86 is unavailable, the CPU 80A proceeds to step S114. In this embodiment, the CPU 80A reports the usage status of the transfer unit 86 to an external device (not shown) via the external communication unit 82A, regardless of whether the CPU 80A judges in step S106 as positive or negative, the CPU 80A then proceeds to step S108 or step S114 without waiting for a response from the external device to the report of the usage status of the transfer unit 86.

[0090] Furthermore, in step S108, the CPU 80A causes the container transport device 35 to transport the held container 2 to an empty mounting table 43 among the multiple mounting tables 43 of the transfer unit 86. In other words, the CPU 80A executes a process of transporting the container 2, which is placed on the load port 14 and has a door and contains the wafers 1, to the transfer unit 86, which opens and closes the door to check the state of the contained wafers 1. Furthermore, the CPU 80A causes the opener object 92C on the display unit 82D to display an icon 94 at a location corresponding to the mounting table 43 on which the transported container 2 is placed. Thereafter, the CPU 80A proceeds to step S110.

[0091] Furthermore, in step S110, the CPU 80A checks the state of the substrate in the container 2. More specifically, the CPU 80A controls the container opener 42 to have the container opener 42 open the door of the container 2. The CPU 80A also controls the mapping device 27 to have the mapping device 27 check the state of the wafer 1 contained in the container 2. Then, the CPU 80A receives the state of the wafer 1 contained in the container 2 from the mapping device 27, and has the container opener 42 open the door of the container 2. After that, the CPU 80A proceeds to step S112.

[0092] A sensor 46d serving as a confirmation unit may be provided at the tip of the tweezers 46c of the wafer transfer mechanism 46, and the CPU 80A may check the state of the wafer 1 accommodated in the container 2 by the sensor 46d.

[0093] Furthermore, in step S112, the CPU 80A causes the container transport device 35 to transport the container 2, for which the state of the wafer 1 has been confirmed, from the transfer unit 86 to an available shelf 33 of the rotary container shelf 31. The CPU 80A also causes the opener object 92C on the display unit 82D to hide the icon 94 at a location corresponding to the mounting table 43 on which the transported container 2 was placed. The CPU 80A also causes the storage shelf object 92B on the display unit 82D to display the icon 94 at a location corresponding to the shelf 33 on which the transported container 2 was placed. Thereafter, the CPU 80A ends the transport flow for the container 2.

[0094] In step S114, the CPU 80A causes the container transport device 35 to transport the container 2 pulled in from the load port 14 from the transfer section 86 to an available shelf 33 on the rotary container shelf 31. The CPU 80A also causes the icon 94 of the port object 92A on the display unit 82D to be hidden, the icon 94 corresponding to the load port 14 on which the transported container 2 was placed. The CPU 80A also causes the icon 94 of the storage shelf object 92B on the display unit 82D to be displayed, the icon 94 corresponding to the shelf 33 on which the transported container 2 was placed. The CPU 80A then ends the transport flow for the container 2.

[0095] In the above procedure, the CPU 80A is described as being in a case where there is a vacant container on the rotating container shelf 31, but if there is no vacant container on the rotating container shelf 31, the CPU 80A may not execute the above procedure. That is, the CPU 80A may execute the above procedure only if there is one or more vacant containers on the rotating container shelf 31. In this case, when a container 2 is placed on the load port 14, the CPU 80A does not execute the procedure of allowing reception of the container 2, as in step S104, after pulling the container 2 inside the housing. The other procedures are the same as those described above.

[0096] In the above-mentioned procedure, the CPU 80A stores in the memory unit 80C, as an example, the position of the container 2 that was not transferred to the transfer unit 86 but was directly transferred to the rotating container shelf 31. In other words, the CPU 80A stores in the memory unit 80C the position of the container 2 whose state of the wafer 1 has not been confirmed. In this case, when the CPU 80A confirms, in a procedure separate from the above-mentioned procedure, that a vacant space has become available in the transfer unit 86, it transfers the container 2 whose state of the wafer 1 has not been confirmed from the rotating container shelf 31 to the transfer unit 86 in the same manner as in step S108 described above. Then, the CPU 80A executes the subsequent steps S110 and S112 to confirm the state of the wafer 1.

[0097] In this manner, the container 2 is temporarily stored on the shelf 33 and waits on the shelf 33 until the wafers 1 contained in the container 2 are subjected to processing.

[0098] The container 2 is transported from the shelf 33 to one of the container openers 42 by the container transport device 35 and placed on the placement table 43 .

[0099] At this time, the wafer loading / unloading opening 41 of the container opener 42 is closed by the attachment / detachment mechanism 44, and the spare chamber 45 is filled with clean air.

[0100] The opening end face of the container 2 placed on the placement table 43 is pressed against the opening edge portion of the front wall 40a of the wafer loading / unloading opening 41. Next, the door 4 is removed by the attachment / detachment mechanism 44, and the wafer loading / unloading opening of the container 2 is opened.

[0101] When the container 2 is opened by the container opener 42, the wafer transfer device 46a picks up the wafer 1 from the container 2 through the wafer loading / unloading opening with the tweezers 46c. After picking up the wafer 1 with the tweezers 46c, the wafer transfer device 46a transports the wafer 1 to a notch alignment device (not shown). The notch alignment device aligns the wafer 1. After the alignment, the wafer transfer device 46a picks up the wafer 1 from the notch alignment device with the tweezers 46c and transports it to the boat 47. The wafer transfer device 46a loads the transported wafer 1 into the boat 47.

[0102] After transferring the wafer 1 to the boat 47 , the wafer transfer device 46 a returns to the container 2 and loads the next wafer 1 into the boat 47 .

[0103] During the loading operation of wafers 1 into boat 47 by wafer transfer mechanism 46 in one (upper or lower) container opener 42, another container 2 is transported from the rotary container shelf 31 and transferred to the other (upper or lower) container opener 42 by container transport device 35. In this other container opener 42, the container opener 42 simultaneously performs the operation of opening the container 2.

[0104] When a predesignated number of wafers 1 are loaded into the boat 47, the lower end of the processing furnace 51, which has been closed by a furnace port shutter (not shown), is opened by the furnace port shutter.

[0105] Next, the boat 47 holding the group of wafers 1 is carried into the processing furnace 51 as the seal cap 50 is raised by the boat elevator 48 .

[0106] Here, a method for forming a thin film on the wafer 1 by a CVD method using the processing furnace 51 will be described. In the following description, the operation of each part constituting the processing furnace 51 is controlled by the control unit 77.

[0107] (Method of forming a thin film by CVD) When the plurality of wafers 1 are loaded into the boat 47, the boat 47 holding the plurality of wafers 1 is lifted by the boat elevator 48 and carried into the processing chamber 57, as shown in FIG.

[0108] In this state, the seal cap 50 seals the lower end of the manifold 59 via the O-ring 50a.

[0109] The inside of the processing chamber 57 is evacuated by the exhaust device 68 to a desired pressure. At this time, the pressure inside the processing chamber 57 is measured by a pressure sensor (not shown), and a pressure adjustment device (not shown) is feedback-controlled based on the measured pressure.

[0110] The inside of the processing chamber 57 is heated by the heater 52 so as to reach a desired temperature. At this time, the state of power supply to the heater 52 is feedback-controlled based on temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 74 so that the inside of the processing chamber 57 has a desired temperature distribution.

[0111] Then, the boat 47 is rotated by the rotating mechanism 70, whereby the wafers 1 are rotated.

[0112] Next, gas is supplied from the gas supply source 63 and controlled to a desired flow rate by the MFC 62 , and then flows through the gas supply pipe 61 and is introduced into the processing chamber 57 from the nozzle 60 .

[0113] The introduced gas rises within the processing chamber 57 , flows out from the upper end opening of the inner tube 56 into the cylindrical space 58 , and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 65 .

[0114] The gas comes into contact with the surface of the wafer 1 as it passes through the processing chamber 57. During this process, a thin film is deposited on the surface of the wafer 1 by a thermal CVD reaction.

[0115] When a preset processing time has elapsed, an inert gas is supplied from the gas supply source 63 through the gas supply pipe 61, the inside of the processing chamber 57 is replaced with the inert gas, and the pressure inside the processing chamber 57 is returned to normal pressure. Note that the processing time in this specification means the time the processing continues. This also applies to the following explanations.

[0116] Thereafter, the seal cap 50 is lowered by the boat elevator 48 to open the lower end of the manifold 59, and the processed wafer 1 held in the boat 47 is transported from the lower end of the manifold 59 to the outside of the process tube 54.

[0117] The processed wafers 1 unloaded from the boat 47 are taken out by the wafer transfer device 46a and returned to the empty container 2 previously transported to the container opener 42.

[0118] When a predetermined number of processed wafers 1 are stored, a door 4 is attached to the wafer loading / unloading opening of the container 2 by a container opener 42.

[0119] The container 2 with its wafer loading / unloading opening closed is automatically transported and handed over to a designated shelf 33 of the rotary container shelf 31 by the container transport device 35 .

[0120] The container 2 is temporarily stored. After that, when the front shutter 13 opens, the container transport device 35 transports the container 2 from the shelf 33 to the container loading / unloading opening 12, and the container is handed over by passing the container loading / unloading opening 12 onto the holding table 18 of the container elevator 15.

[0121] In some cases, the container 2 storing the processed wafers 1 may be directly transferred from the container opener 42 to the container loading / unloading opening 12 by the container transfer device 35.

[0122] When the container 2 is transferred onto the support table 18, the front shutter 13 is closed. Also, the shaft 17 of the container elevator 15 is lowered by the lift drive device 16 to above the load port 14.

[0123] The container 2 lowered onto the load port 14 is transported to a predetermined process by an in-process transport device, for example, the AGV 9 shown in FIG.

[0124] Next, a description will be given of the operation and effects obtained by the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment. According to this embodiment, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

[0125] (Action and effect) According to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the control unit 77 causes the container transport device 35 to hold the container 2 placed on the load port 14, regardless of the usage state of the transfer unit 86. This allows the load port 14 to accept the placement of the next container 2, thereby shortening the waiting time for the container 2 to be placed, and improving the processing efficiency of the wafers 1.

[0126] Furthermore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the state of the wafers 1 accommodated in the containers 2 stored on the rotary container shelf 31 is confirmed, so that the subsequent processing can proceed smoothly.

[0127] Furthermore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the transport route is determined in advance depending on the conditions, so that the transport of the container 2 can be smoothly performed by the single container transport device 35.

[0128] Furthermore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the container transport device 35 does not wait while holding the container 2, and therefore can smoothly move to the next process.

[0129] Furthermore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, by providing a route for transporting the container 2 from the rotating container shelf 31 to the transfer section 86 and a route for transporting the container 2 from the load port 14 to the transfer section 86, no waiting time occurs at the transfer section 86 during processing of the wafer 1.

[0130] Furthermore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, by providing a route for transporting the container 2 from the rotating container shelf 31 to the transfer section 86 and a route for transporting the container 2 from the load port 14 to the transfer section 86, no waiting time occurs at the transfer section 86 during wafer 1 processing.

[0131] Furthermore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the state of the wafers 1 accommodated in the container 2 can be checked without fail.

[0132] Furthermore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the containers 2 do not collide with each other at the load port 14.

[0133] Furthermore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the status of the load port 14 on the external equipment (not shown) can be grasped by reporting to the external equipment (not shown) whether or not a container 2 is permitted to be placed on the load port 14.

[0134] Furthermore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the status of the transfer section 86 is reported to external equipment (not shown), so that the external equipment (not shown) can instruct the next operation (such as retrieving the container 2 or starting processing of the wafer 1).

[0135] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to this embodiment can contribute to shortening process time by transporting the container 2 from the load port 14 to the rotary container shelf 31 without waiting for a response from external equipment (not shown).

[0136] Furthermore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the storage positions and states of the containers 2 are stored, so that the containers 2 stored in the rotary container shelf 31 can be easily identified.

[0137] Furthermore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the status of each container 2 in the load port 14, the rotating container shelf 31, and the transfer section 86 is displayed on the display section 84, making it possible to easily grasp the status of the wafer 1 in the container 2.

[0138] Furthermore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the status of each of the containers 2 in the load port 14, the rotating container shelf 31, and the transfer section 86 is displayed on the display section 84, allowing the status of the containers 2 to be visually confirmed.

[0139] Furthermore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the state of the load port 14 is displayed on the display unit 84, so that it is possible to easily visually know whether the load port 14 is usable or not.

[0140] Furthermore, according to the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, the state of the wafer 1 in the container 2 can be identified without fail by using different displays in comparison with the character displays.

[0141] Furthermore, according to the semiconductor device manufacturing method of this embodiment, regardless of the usage state of the transfer section 86, the control section 77 causes the container transport device 35 to hold the container 2 placed on the load port 14 and enables the next container 2 to be placed on the load port 14, thereby shortening the waiting time for the container 2 to be placed and improving the substrate processing efficiency.

[0142] Furthermore, according to the program possessed by the substrate processing apparatus 10 of this embodiment, regardless of the usage status of the transfer section 86, the control section 77 causes the container transport device 35 to hold the container 2 placed on the load port 14 and enables the next container 2 to be placed on the load port 14, thereby shortening the waiting time for the container 2 to be placed and improving the substrate processing efficiency.

[0143] (Modification) It goes without saying that the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the spirit and scope of the present disclosure.

[0144] For example, in the above description, each procedure is executed by the CPU 80A of the control unit 77 executing a program, but the program according to this embodiment may be executed by a computer included in an external device (not shown) instead of the control unit 77. In this case, the computer may execute the same procedures as described above by controlling the control unit 77 via the external communication unit 82A.

[0145] The program according to the present embodiment may be realized by recording it in a non-volatile recording medium and appropriately installing it in the substrate processing apparatus 1 via the external storage unit 82B. Examples of the non-volatile recording medium include a CD-ROM, a magneto-optical disk, a HDD, a DVD-ROM, a flash memory, a memory card, and a USB.

[0146] For example, in consideration of the airtightness of the container storage room and the prevention of particles scattering outside the device, it is better to provide a front shutter 13 and to form the container loading / unloading port 12 with a small opening size. However, the front shutter 13 is not necessarily required.

[0147] Also, container loading / unloading opening 12 may be made as large as possible, so that substantially almost the entire partition wall above sealed housing 21 is open.

[0148] For example, the container elevator 15 may raise the holding table 18 (top plate) in advance to a height position accessible by the container transport device 35, and the container may be received from the OHT at that position.The holding table 18 may then be lowered and the container transport device 35 may receive the container from the holding table 18 without opening or closing the door 4.

[0149] In the above-mentioned embodiment, an example of forming a film using a batch-type substrate processing apparatus that processes multiple substrates at a time has been described. The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be suitably applied to, for example, a case where a film is formed using a single-wafer type substrate processing apparatus that processes one or several substrates at a time. In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, an example of forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus having a hot-wall type processing furnace has been described. The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment, and can be suitably applied to a case where a film is formed using a substrate processing apparatus having a cold-wall type processing furnace. In addition, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can be applied to substrate processing apparatuses in general, such as a diffusion apparatus, an annealing apparatus, and an oxidation apparatus.

[0150] When using these substrate processing apparatuses, each process can be performed according to the same process procedures and under the same process conditions as in the above-mentioned aspects and modifications, and the same effects as in the above-mentioned aspects and modifications can be obtained.

[0151] The substrate is not limited to a wafer, but may be a photomask, a printed wiring board, a liquid crystal panel, a compact disk, a magnetic disk, or the like.

[0152] The above describes an embodiment of the present disclosure with reference to the attached drawings. However, it is clear that a person with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains can conceive of various modifications or applications within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Explanation of symbols]

[0153] 1 Wafer (an example of a substrate) 2 containers 4 Doors 10 Batch-type CVD equipment (an example of a substrate processing equipment) 14 Load port (an example of a placement section) 27 Mapping device (example of verification unit) 31 Rotating container shelf (an example of a storage area) 35 Container conveying device (an example of a conveying section) 42 Container opener (an example of an opening and closing part) 51 Processing furnace (an example of a processing section) 77 Control Unit 86 Transfer Section

Claims

1. a placement section on which a container having a door and containing a substrate is placed; A storage unit for storing the container; A processing section for processing the substrate; a transfer unit that transfers the substrate to the processing unit, the transfer unit including an opening / closing unit that opens and closes the door and a confirmation unit that confirms a state of the substrate accommodated in the container; a transport unit that holds the container and transports the container to the placement unit, the storage unit, and the transfer unit; a control unit capable of controlling the container placed on the placement unit to be held by the transport unit and to accept placement of a next container on the placement unit regardless of the usage state of the transfer placement unit; The substrate processing apparatus includes:

2. The control unit is capable of controlling, when the container is present in the transfer unit, the opening and closing of the door in the opening and closing unit, the confirmation unit to confirm the state of the substrate, and the transport unit to store the container containing the substrate whose state has been confirmed in the storage unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

3. The control unit is capable of controlling the destination of the container held by the transport unit to be transported to any one of the storage unit, the transfer unit, and the placement unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

4. The control unit is capable of controlling the transport unit to store the container placed on the placement unit in the storage unit when the transfer unit is unavailable. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 .

5. The control unit is capable of controlling the transport unit to transport the container stored in the storage unit to the transfer unit when the transfer unit is available. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 .

6. The control unit is capable of controlling the transport unit to transport the container placed on the placement unit to the transfer unit when the transfer unit is available. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 .

7. When the new container is transported to the transfer unit, the confirmation unit confirms the state of the substrates contained in the container. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 .

8. The control unit is capable of controlling the container placement unit not to accept a next container placement on the placement unit until the transport unit holds the container placed on the placement unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

9. An external communication unit capable of communicating with external equipment, The control unit is capable of controlling the control unit to connect to the external equipment via the external communication unit and to report a placement acceptance status of the container to the placement unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

10. The control unit is capable of controlling the external equipment to report the usage status of the transfer unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9 .

11. The control unit is capable of controlling the container to be transported from the placement unit to the storage unit without waiting for a response to a report of the usage status of the transfer unit from the external equipment. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9 .

12. A storage unit capable of storing the storage position of the container stored in the storage unit and status information of the container, and the control unit is capable of confirming the storage position of the container and the status information of the container stored in the storage unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

13. The container may include a display unit capable of displaying the storage position of the container and / or the state information of the container. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 .

14. The container status information includes at least one of the following items: presence or absence of the substrate in the container, the type of the substrate, a state confirmation result of the substrate, and whether or not processing can be performed; The display unit displays the item of the container. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 13 .

15. The status information of the placement unit includes at least one item of whether the placement unit is usable, a usage state, and whether the container is placed on the placement unit, and the display unit displays the item of the placement unit. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 13 .

16. the display unit displays the item of the usage state differently from other items when the placement unit is in use. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 15 .

17. A step of placing a container having a door and containing substrates on a placement unit, and a step of transporting the container to a transfer unit that opens and closes the door and checks the state of the substrates; a step of holding the container placed on the placement unit in a conveying unit and accepting placement of a next container on the placement table regardless of the usage state of the transfer placement unit; The transport method comprises:

18. A process according to claim 17; processing the substrate; The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device comprising the steps of:

19. A procedure for placing a container having a door and containing substrates on a placement unit, and a procedure for transporting the container to a transfer unit that opens and closes the door and checks the state of the substrates; a step of causing a transport unit to hold the container placed on the placement unit and accepting placement of a next container on the placement table regardless of the usage state of the transfer unit; A program for causing a computer to execute the above in a substrate processing apparatus.

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