Substrate processing system

Abstract

To provide a technology for improving substrate transport accuracy.SOLUTION: Provided is a substrate processing system comprising a substrate processing chamber, a transport chamber comprising a transport robot, and a control section. The control section executes a reference data acquisition sequence. The sequence includes (a) acquiring a temperature state of the substrate processing chamber, (b) detecting an edge of a substrate support surface of the substrate processing chamber using a displacement sensor of the transport robot and calculating the center position of the substrate support surface on the basis of the detected edge, and (c) associating the acquired temperature state with the calculated center position of the substrate support surface before storing them as reference data.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure relates to a substrate processing system. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for aligning the center of an end effector with the center of an object on the end effector. Patent Document 2 discloses a technique for correcting the position of a substrate relative to a reference position using two or more cameras. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] US Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0111529 [Patent Document 2] US Patent Application Publication No. 2022 / 0126454 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique for improving the accuracy of substrate transport. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] In one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a substrate processing system including: a substrate processing chamber having a substrate support portion, the substrate support portion having a substrate support surface configured to place a substrate thereon, and a ring support surface arranged to surround the substrate support surface and configured to place a ring member thereon; a transfer chamber having a transfer robot, the transfer robot being configured to transfer a substrate from the transfer chamber to the substrate processing chamber in accordance with teaching data and having an end effector configured to hold the substrate, the end effector having a displacement sensor; and a control unit configured to execute a reference data acquisition sequence, the reference data acquisition sequence including: (a1) acquiring a temperature state of the substrate processing chamber; (a2) detecting an edge of the substrate support surface using the displacement sensor and calculating a center position of the substrate support surface based on the detected edge; and (a3) ​​correlating the temperature state acquired in (a1) with the center position of the substrate support surface calculated in (a2) and storing the result as reference data. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a technique for improving the accuracy of substrate transportation can be provided. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of the configuration of a substrate processing system. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a plasma processing system. [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of an end effector. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of a method MT. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of step ST11. [Figure 7A]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of edge detection. [Figure 7B] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of edge detection. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of step ST12. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a method MT2. [Figure 10A] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of a detected edge. [Figure 10B] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining another example of an edge to be detected. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a method MT3. [Figure 12A] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating method MT3. [Figure 12B] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating method MT3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0009] In one exemplary embodiment, a substrate processing system is provided, comprising: a substrate processing chamber having a substrate support, the substrate support having a substrate support surface configured to place a substrate thereon, and a ring support surface arranged to surround the substrate support surface and configured to place a ring member thereon; a transfer chamber having a transfer robot, the transfer robot being configured to transfer a substrate from the transfer chamber to the substrate processing chamber according to teaching data and having an end effector configured to hold the substrate, the end effector having a displacement sensor; and a control unit configured to execute a reference data acquisition sequence, the reference data acquisition sequence including: (a1) acquiring a temperature state of the substrate processing chamber; (a2) detecting an edge of the substrate support surface using the displacement sensor and calculating a center position of the substrate support surface based on the detected edge; and (a3) ​​correlating the temperature state acquired in (a1) with the center position of the substrate support surface calculated in (a2) and storing the result as reference data.

[0010] In one exemplary embodiment, the control unit is further configured to execute a substrate transfer sequence, which includes (b1) acquiring a temperature state of a substrate processing chamber, and (b2) if the temperature state acquired in (b1) is identical to the temperature state of the reference data, positioning the substrate above the substrate support surface by the end effector in accordance with the teaching data.

[0011] In one exemplary embodiment, the substrate transport sequence further includes (b3) detecting an edge of the substrate support surface using a displacement sensor if the temperature state acquired in (b1) is different from the temperature state of the reference data, and calculating the center position of the substrate support surface based on the detected edge.

[0012] In one exemplary embodiment, the substrate transfer sequence further includes (b4) positioning the substrate above the substrate support surface by the end effector in accordance with the teaching data if the difference between the center position calculated in (b3) and the center position of the reference data is less than or equal to a specified value.

[0013] In one exemplary embodiment, the substrate transfer sequence further includes: (b5) if the difference between the center position calculated in (b3) and the center position of the reference data is greater than a specified value, correcting the teaching data based on the difference; and (b6) positioning the substrate above the substrate support surface by the end effector in accordance with the corrected teaching data.

[0014] In one exemplary embodiment, there is provided a substrate processing chamber including a substrate support, the substrate support including a substrate support surface configured to place a substrate thereon, and a ring support surface arranged to surround the substrate support surface and configured to place a ring member thereon; a transfer chamber including a transfer robot, the transfer robot being configured to transfer a substrate from the transfer chamber to the substrate processing chamber according to teaching data and including an end effector configured to hold the substrate, the end effector including a displacement sensor; and a control unit configured to execute a substrate relocation sequence. and a control unit, wherein the substrate relocation sequence includes: (c1) using a displacement sensor to detect an edge of a substrate placed on the substrate support surface and an edge of a ring member placed on the ring support surface; (c2) calculating an amount of deviation between the center position of the substrate and the center position of the ring member based on the edge of the substrate and the edge of the ring member detected in (c1); (c3) if the amount of deviation is greater than a specified value, correcting teaching data based on the amount of deviation; and (c4) using an end effector to relocate the substrate above the substrate support surface in accordance with the teaching data corrected in (c3).

[0015] In one exemplary embodiment, a substrate processing system is provided, comprising: a substrate processing chamber having a substrate support, the substrate support comprising a substrate support surface configured to place a substrate, a ring support surface arranged to surround the substrate support surface and configured to place a ring member thereon, and a plurality of displacement sensors; a transfer chamber having a transfer robot, the transfer robot being configured to transfer an object to be transferred from the transfer chamber to the substrate processing chamber in accordance with teaching data and comprising an end effector configured to hold the object to be transferred; and a control unit configured to execute a position correction sequence, the position correction sequence including: (d1) positioning the object to be transferred above the substrate support surface by the end effector in accordance with the teaching data; (d2) detecting edges of the object to be transferred held by the end effector using the plurality of displacement sensors and calculating a center position of the object to be transferred based on the edges; and (d3) correcting the position of the object to be transferred above the substrate support surface by the end effector so that the center position of the object to be transferred calculated in (d2) coincides with the center position of the substrate support surface.

[0016] In one exemplary embodiment, the position correction sequence further includes (d4) calculating the amount of deviation between the center position of the transport object calculated in (d2) and the center position of the substrate support surface, and correcting the teaching data based on the amount of deviation.

[0017] In one exemplary embodiment, the object to be transferred is either a substrate or a ring member.

[0018] Hereinafter, each embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or similar elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. Unless otherwise specified, the positional relationships, such as up, down, left, and right, will be described based on the positional relationships shown in the drawings. The dimensional ratios in the drawings do not represent actual ratios, and the actual ratios are not limited to the ratios shown in the drawings.

[0019] <Configuration example of substrate processing system> 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a substrate processing system PS according to one embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system PS includes vacuum transfer modules TM1 and TM2, process modules PM1 to PM12, load lock modules LL1 and LL2, an atmospheric transfer module LM, an aligner AN, a storage SR, and the like.

[0020] Each of the vacuum transfer modules TM1 and TM2 has a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view. The vacuum transfer module TM1 has two opposing side surfaces to which process modules PM1 to PM6 are connected. Of the other two opposing side surfaces of the vacuum transfer module TM1, one side surface is connected to load lock modules LL1 and LL2, and the other side surface is connected to a path (not shown) for connecting to the vacuum transfer module TM2. The side surface of the vacuum transfer module TM1 to which the load lock modules LL1 and LL2 are connected is angled in accordance with the two load lock modules LL1 and LL2. The vacuum transfer module TM2 has two opposing side surfaces to which process modules PM7 to PM12 are connected. Of the other two opposing side surfaces of the vacuum transfer module TM2, one side surface is connected to a path (not shown) for connecting to the vacuum transfer module TM1. The vacuum transfer modules TM1 and TM2 have vacuum chambers with a vacuum atmosphere, in which vacuum transfer robots TR1 and TR2 are disposed, respectively. The vacuum chambers of the vacuum transfer modules TM1 and TM2 are examples of the "transfer chambers" of the present disclosure.

[0021] The vacuum transfer robots TR1 and TR2 are configured to be able to rotate, extend, and move up and down freely. The vacuum transfer robots TR1 and TR2 transfer objects based on operation instructions output by a control unit CU, which will be described later. For example, the vacuum transfer robot TR1 holds the object with end effectors EF11 and EF12 located at its tip, and transfers the object between load lock modules LL1 and LL2, process modules PM1 to PM6, and paths (not shown). For example, the vacuum transfer robot TR2 holds the object with end effectors EF21 and EF22 located at its tip, and transfers the object between process modules PM7 to PM12 and paths (not shown).

[0022] The vacuum transfer robots TR1 and TR2 may be configured to transfer a transfer object, such as a substrate, from a transfer chamber to a transfer position in a substrate processing chamber in accordance with teaching data. The teaching data includes position information regarding the transfer position of the transfer object (hereinafter also referred to as the "teaching position") and commands that specify various operations of the transfer robot to the teaching position. The teaching data may be learned and stored in the control unit CU by repeating the operation of controlling the vacuum transfer robots TR1 and TR2 to transfer the transfer object to the teaching position one or more times (hereinafter also referred to as "teaching").

[0023] The vacuum transfer robots TR1 and TR2 are examples of "transfer robots" in the present disclosure. The end effectors EF11, EF12, EF21, and EF22 are examples of "end effectors" in the present disclosure. Note that end effectors are sometimes called forks or picks.

[0024] The objects to be transferred include substrates and consumable parts. The substrates are, for example, semiconductor substrates and jig substrates for sensors. The consumable parts are components that are replaceably installed in the process modules PM1 to PM12 and are consumed by various processes such as plasma processing performed in the process modules PM1 to PM12. The consumable parts include, for example, components that constitute the ring assembly 112 and shower head 13, which will be described later.

[0025] Each of the process modules PM1 to PM12 has a processing chamber and a stage (mounting table) disposed therein. At least one of the process modules PM to PM12 may be a plasma processing system (see FIG. 2), which will be described later. For example, after a substrate is placed on the stage, at least one of the process modules PM1 to PM12 may reduce the pressure inside, introduce a processing gas, apply RF power to generate plasma, and perform plasma processing on the substrate using the plasma. The vacuum transfer modules TM1 and TM2 are separated from the process modules PM1 to PM12 by a gate valve G1 that can be opened and closed. The processing chambers of the process modules PM1 to PM12 are an example of the "substrate processing chamber" of the present disclosure.

[0026] The load-lock modules LL1 and LL2 are located between the vacuum transfer module TM1 and the atmospheric transfer module LM. The load-lock modules LL1 and LL2 have internal pressure-variable chambers whose interiors can be switched between vacuum and atmospheric pressure. The load-lock modules LL1 and LL2 have stages located inside. When transferring substrates from the atmospheric transfer module LM to the vacuum transfer module TM1, the load-lock modules LL1 and LL2 maintain atmospheric pressure inside the modules, receive the substrates from the atmospheric transfer module LM, and then depressurize the interior before transferring the substrates into the vacuum transfer module TM1. When transferring substrates from the vacuum transfer module TM1 to the atmospheric transfer module LM, the load-lock modules LL1 and LL2 maintain vacuum inside the modules, receive the substrates from the vacuum transfer module TM1, and then increase the internal pressure to atmospheric pressure before transferring the substrates into the atmospheric transfer module LM. The load-lock modules LL1 and LL2 are separated from the vacuum transfer module TM1 by a gate valve G2 that can be freely opened or closed. The load-lock modules LL1 and LL2 are separated from the atmospheric transfer module LM by a gate valve G3 that can be freely opened or closed.

[0027] The atmospheric transfer module LM is disposed opposite the vacuum transfer module TM1. The atmospheric transfer module LM may be, for example, an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module). The atmospheric transfer module LM is a rectangular parallelepiped atmospheric transfer chamber equipped with an FFU (Fan Filter Unit) and maintained at atmospheric pressure. Two load lock modules LL1 and LL2 are connected to one longitudinal side of the atmospheric transfer module LM. Load ports LP1 to LP4 are connected to the other longitudinal side of the atmospheric transfer module LM. A container C that contains multiple substrates (e.g., 25 substrates) is placed on the load ports LP1 to LP4. The container C may be, for example, a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod). An atmospheric transfer robot TR3 that transfers the transfer target is disposed within the atmospheric transfer module LM.

[0028] The atmospheric transfer robot TR3 is configured to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the atmospheric transfer module LM, and is also configured to be able to rotate, extend, and move up and down freely. The atmospheric transfer robot TR3 transfers an object to be transferred based on operation instructions output by a control unit CU, which will be described later. For example, the atmospheric transfer robot TR3 holds the object to be transferred with an end effector EF31 located at its tip, and transfers the object between the load ports LP1 to LP4, the load lock modules LL1 and LL2, the aligner AN, and the storage SR.

[0029] The aligner AN is connected to one side surface of the atmospheric transfer module LM along the short side. However, the aligner AN may also be connected to a side surface of the atmospheric transfer module LM along the long side. The aligner AN may also be provided inside the atmospheric transfer module LM. The aligner AN includes a support base, an optical sensor (neither of which are shown), and the like. The aligner here is a device that detects the position of the transfer target object.

[0030] The support table is a table that can rotate around an axis extending in the vertical direction and is configured to support a substrate thereon. The support table is rotated by a drive unit (not shown). The drive unit is controlled by a control unit CU, which will be described later. When the support table is rotated by the power from the drive unit, the substrate placed on the support table also rotates.

[0031] The optical sensor detects the edge of the substrate while it is rotating. Based on the edge detection result, the optical sensor detects the amount of deviation of the angular position of the substrate's notch (or another marker) relative to a reference angular position and the amount of deviation of the substrate's center position relative to the reference position. The optical sensor outputs the amount of deviation of the notch's angular position and the amount of deviation of the substrate's center position to the control unit CU (described later). Based on the amount of deviation of the notch's angular position, the control unit CU calculates the amount of rotation of the rotary support table to correct the notch's angular position to the reference angular position. The control unit CU controls a drive device (not shown) to rotate the rotary support table by this amount. This allows the notch's angular position to be corrected to the reference angular position. Furthermore, the control unit CU controls the position of the end effector EF31 of the atmospheric transfer robot TR3 when receiving the substrate from the aligner AN, based on the amount of deviation of the substrate's center position, so that the center position of the substrate coincides with a predetermined position on the end effector EF31 of the atmospheric transfer robot TR3.

[0032] The storage SR is connected to a side surface along the longitudinal direction of the atmospheric transfer module LM. However, the storage SR may be connected to a side surface along the lateral direction of the atmospheric transfer module LM. The storage SR may also be provided inside the atmospheric transfer module LM. The storage SR stores objects to be transferred.

[0033] The substrate processing system PS is connected to the control unit CU via a communication interface. In one embodiment, part or all of the control unit CU may be included in the substrate processing system PS. The control unit CU may be, for example, a computer. The control unit CU includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), an auxiliary storage device, etc. The CPU operates based on programs stored in the ROM or the auxiliary storage device, and controls each part of the substrate processing system PS. For example, the control unit CU may be configured to control each part of the substrate processing system PS to execute a reference data acquisition sequence, a substrate transfer sequence, a substrate relocation sequence, and a position correction sequence, which will be described later.

[0034] <Configuration example of plasma processing system> An example of a plasma processing system that can be employed as at least one of the process modules PM1 to PM12 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of the plasma processing system. In one embodiment, the plasma processing system includes a plasma processing apparatus 1 and a control unit 2.

[0035] In one embodiment, the plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a plasma processing chamber 10, a substrate support 11, and a plasma generation unit 12. The plasma processing chamber 10 has a plasma processing space. The plasma processing chamber 10 also has at least one gas supply port for supplying at least one processing gas to the plasma processing space and at least one gas exhaust port for exhausting gas from the plasma processing space. The gas supply port is connected to a gas supply unit 20 (described later), and the gas exhaust port is connected to an exhaust system 40 (described later). The substrate support 11 is disposed within the plasma processing space and has a substrate support surface for supporting a substrate.

[0036] The plasma generating unit 12 is configured to generate plasma from at least one processing gas supplied into the plasma processing space. The plasma formed in the plasma processing space may be capacitively coupled plasma (CCP), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), electron-cyclotron-resonance plasma (ECR plasma), helicon wave plasma (HWP), or surface wave plasma (SWP). Various types of plasma generating units may be used, including alternating current (AC) plasma generating units and direct current (DC) plasma generating units. In one embodiment, the AC signal (AC power) used in the AC plasma generating unit has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 10 GHz. Therefore, the AC signal includes a radio frequency (RF) signal and a microwave signal. In one embodiment, the RF signal has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 150 MHz.

[0037] The control unit 2 processes computer-executable instructions that cause the plasma processing apparatus 1 to perform various processes described in this disclosure. The control unit 2 may be configured to control each element of the plasma processing apparatus 1 to perform various processes described herein. In one embodiment, part or all of the control unit 2 may be included in the plasma processing apparatus 1. The control unit 2 may include a processing unit 2a1, a storage unit 2a2, and a communication interface 2a3. The control unit 2 may be implemented by, for example, a computer 2a. The processing unit 2a1 may be configured to read a program from the storage unit 2a2 and execute the read program to perform various control operations. The program may be stored in the storage unit 2a2 in advance or may be acquired via a medium when needed. The acquired program is stored in the storage unit 2a2 and read from the storage unit 2a2 by the processing unit 2a1 for execution. The medium may be various storage media readable by the computer 2a or a communication line connected to the communication interface 2a3. The processing unit 2a1 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit 2a2 may include a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a combination thereof. The communication interface 2a3 may communicate with the plasma processing apparatus 1 via a communication line such as a local area network (LAN). The control unit CU in FIG. 1 may also perform some or all of the functions of the control unit 2. The control unit 2 may also perform some of the functions of the control unit CU in FIG. 1. The control unit CU and / or the control unit 2 are examples of the "control unit" in the present disclosure.

[0038] 3, a configuration example of a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus will be described as an example of the plasma processing apparatus 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining the configuration example of a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus.

[0039] The capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a plasma processing chamber 10, a gas supply 20, a power supply 30, and an exhaust system 40. The plasma processing apparatus 1 also includes a substrate support 11 and a gas inlet. The gas inlet is configured to introduce at least one process gas into the plasma processing chamber 10. The gas inlet includes a showerhead 13. The substrate support 11 is disposed within the plasma processing chamber 10. The showerhead 13 is disposed above the substrate support 11. In one embodiment, the showerhead 13 forms at least a portion of the ceiling of the plasma processing chamber 10. The plasma processing chamber 10 has a plasma processing space 10s defined by the showerhead 13, a sidewall 10a of the plasma processing chamber 10, and the substrate support 11. The plasma processing chamber 10 is grounded. The showerhead 13 and the substrate support 11 are electrically insulated from the housing of the plasma processing chamber 10.

[0040] The substrate support 11 includes a main body 111 and a ring assembly 112. The main body 111 has a central region 111a for supporting a substrate W and an annular region 111b for supporting the ring assembly 112. A wafer is an example of a substrate W. The annular region 111b of the main body 111 surrounds the central region 111a of the main body 111 in a plan view. The substrate W is disposed on the central region 111a of the main body 111, and the ring assembly 112 is disposed on the annular region 111b of the main body 111 so as to surround the substrate W on the central region 111a of the main body 111. Therefore, the central region 111a is also called a substrate support surface for supporting the substrate W, and the annular region 111b is also called a ring support surface for supporting the ring assembly 112.

[0041] In one embodiment, the main body 111 includes a base 1110 and an electrostatic chuck 1111. The base 1110 includes a conductive member. The conductive member of the base 1110 can function as a lower electrode. The electrostatic chuck 1111 is disposed on the base 1110. The electrostatic chuck 1111 includes a ceramic member 1111a and an electrostatic electrode 1111b disposed within the ceramic member 1111a. The ceramic member 1111a has a central region 111a. In one embodiment, the ceramic member 1111a also has an annular region 111b. Note that the annular region 111b may also be provided by another member surrounding the electrostatic chuck 1111, such as an annular electrostatic chuck or an annular insulating member. In this case, the ring assembly 112 may be disposed on the annular electrostatic chuck or the annular insulating member, or may be disposed on both the electrostatic chuck 1111 and the annular insulating member. Furthermore, at least one RF / DC electrode coupled to an RF power supply 31 and / or a DC power supply 32, which will be described later, may be disposed within the ceramic member 1111a. In this case, the at least one RF / DC electrode functions as a lower electrode. When a bias RF signal and / or a DC signal, which will be described later, is supplied to the at least one RF / DC electrode, the RF / DC electrode is also called a bias electrode. Note that the conductive member of the base 1110 and the at least one RF / DC electrode may function as multiple lower electrodes. Alternatively, the electrostatic electrode 1111b may function as a lower electrode. Therefore, the substrate support 11 includes at least one lower electrode.

[0042] The ring assembly 112 includes one or more annular members. In one embodiment, the one or more annular members include one or more edge rings and at least one cover ring. The edge rings are formed of a conductive or insulating material, and the cover rings are formed of an insulating material.

[0043] The substrate support 11 may also include a temperature adjustment module configured to adjust at least one of the electrostatic chuck 1111, the ring assembly 112, and the substrate to a target temperature. The temperature adjustment module may include a heater, a heat transfer medium, a flow passage 1110a, or a combination thereof. A heat transfer fluid such as brine or a gas flows through the flow passage 1110a. In one embodiment, the flow passage 1110a is formed in the base 1110, and one or more heaters are disposed in the ceramic member 1111a of the electrostatic chuck 1111. The substrate support 11 may also include a heat transfer gas supply configured to supply a heat transfer gas to a gap between the backside of the substrate W and the central region 111a.

[0044] The showerhead 13 is configured to introduce at least one processing gas from the gas supply unit 20 into the plasma processing space 10s. The showerhead 13 has at least one gas supply port 13a, at least one gas diffusion chamber 13b, and multiple gas inlets 13c. The processing gas supplied to the gas supply port 13a passes through the gas diffusion chamber 13b and is introduced into the plasma processing space 10s from the multiple gas inlets 13c. The showerhead 13 also includes at least one upper electrode. In addition to the showerhead 13, the gas introduction unit may also include one or more side gas injectors (SGIs) attached to one or more openings formed in the sidewall 10a.

[0045] The gas supply unit 20 may include at least one gas source 21 and at least one flow controller 22. In one embodiment, the gas supply unit 20 is configured to supply at least one process gas from a corresponding gas source 21 to the showerhead 13 via a corresponding flow controller 22. Each flow controller 22 may include, for example, a mass flow controller or a pressure-controlled flow controller. Additionally, the gas supply unit 20 may include at least one flow modulation device that modulates or pulses the flow rate of the at least one process gas.

[0046] The power supply 30 includes an RF power supply 31 coupled to the plasma processing chamber 10 via at least one impedance matching circuit. The RF power supply 31 is configured to supply at least one RF signal (RF power) to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode. This generates a plasma from at least one processing gas supplied to the plasma processing space 10s. Therefore, the RF power supply 31 can function as at least a part of the plasma generation unit 12. Furthermore, by supplying a bias RF signal to the at least one lower electrode, a bias potential is generated on the substrate W, and ion components in the formed plasma can be attracted to the substrate W.

[0047] In one embodiment, the RF power supply 31 includes a first RF generating unit 31a and a second RF generating unit 31b. The first RF generating unit 31a is coupled to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode via at least one impedance matching circuit and is configured to generate a source RF signal (source RF power) for plasma generation. In one embodiment, the source RF signal has a frequency in the range of 10 MHz to 150 MHz. In one embodiment, the first RF generating unit 31a may be configured to generate multiple source RF signals having different frequencies. The generated one or more source RF signals are supplied to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode.

[0048] The second RF generating unit 31b is coupled to at least one lower electrode via at least one impedance matching circuit and configured to generate a bias RF signal (bias RF power). The frequency of the bias RF signal may be the same as or different from the frequency of the source RF signal. In one embodiment, the bias RF signal has a frequency lower than the frequency of the source RF signal. In one embodiment, the bias RF signal has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 60 MHz. In one embodiment, the second RF generating unit 31b may be configured to generate multiple bias RF signals having different frequencies. The generated one or more bias RF signals are supplied to at least one lower electrode. In various embodiments, at least one of the source RF signal and the bias RF signal may be pulsed.

[0049] The power supply 30 may also include a DC power supply 32 coupled to the plasma processing chamber 10. The DC power supply 32 includes a first DC generator 32a and a second DC generator 32b. In one embodiment, the first DC generator 32a is connected to at least one lower electrode and configured to generate a first DC signal. The generated first DC signal is applied to the at least one lower electrode. In one embodiment, the second DC generator 32b is connected to at least one upper electrode and configured to generate a second DC signal. The generated second DC signal is applied to the at least one upper electrode.

[0050] In various embodiments, the first and second DC signals may be pulsed. In this case, a sequence of voltage pulses is applied to at least one lower electrode and / or at least one upper electrode. The voltage pulses may have a rectangular, trapezoidal, triangular, or combination thereof. In one embodiment, a waveform generator for generating a sequence of voltage pulses from the DC signal is connected between the first DC generator 32a and at least one lower electrode. Thus, the first DC generator 32a and the waveform generator constitute a voltage pulse generator. When the second DC generator 32b and the waveform generator constitute a voltage pulse generator, the voltage pulse generator is connected to at least one upper electrode. The voltage pulses may have either positive or negative polarity. Furthermore, the sequence of voltage pulses may include one or more positive voltage pulses and one or more negative voltage pulses within one period. The first and second DC generating units 32a and 32b may be provided in addition to the RF power supply 31, or the first DC generating unit 32a may be provided instead of the second RF generating unit 31b.

[0051] The exhaust system 40 may be connected to, for example, a gas exhaust port 10e provided at the bottom of the plasma processing chamber 10. The exhaust system 40 may include a pressure regulating valve and a vacuum pump. The pressure regulating valve regulates the pressure in the plasma processing space 10s. The vacuum pump may include a turbomolecular pump, a dry pump, or a combination thereof.

[0052] <Example of end effector configuration> 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of an end effector EF according to an embodiment. In one embodiment, the end effector EF is disposed at the tip of a drive mechanism of a transfer robot. For example, the end effector EF may be used as the end effector EF11, EF12, EF21, or EF22 of the substrate processing system shown in FIG. 1. That is, the end effector EF is configured to transfer objects between the vacuum chambers of the vacuum transfer modules TM1 and TM2 shown in FIG. 1 and the processing chambers of the process modules PM1 to PM12 (including the plasma processing chamber 10 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3).

[0053] In one embodiment, the end effector EF has a proximal end 50 and a distal end 52, as shown in FIG. 4. The end effector EF may be connected at the proximal end 50 to a drive mechanism of a transfer robot (e.g., the vacuum transfer robots TR1 and TR2 in FIG. 1, etc.). In one embodiment, the drive mechanism includes an articulated arm configured to be able to move up and down, rotate, and extend and retract. In one embodiment, the drive mechanism enables the end effector EF to perform one or more of the following movements: translation (horizontal movement in the XY plane), lifting and lowering (vertical movement in the Z-axis direction), and rotation (rotation about the X, Y, and Z axes).

[0054] In one embodiment, the object to be transported is placed on the distal end 52 of the end effector EF. In one embodiment, the distal end 52 may be configured in a generally U-shape and include two ends 52A and 52B spaced apart from each other. In one embodiment, a plurality of pads PD are provided on the upper surface of the distal end 52. The plurality of pads PD contact the lower surface of the object to be transported (e.g., a substrate) and hold the object to be transported. In one embodiment, the distal end 52 may be provided with one or more suction holes. The suction holes may be connected to an exhaust device such as a vacuum pump. In this case, the object to be transported is vacuum-sucked to the end effector EF via the suction holes.

[0055] In one embodiment, the end effector EF includes one or more displacement sensors 54. The displacement sensors 54 may be provided at the distal end 52 of the end effector EF. In one embodiment, one or more displacement sensors 54 may be provided on the side and / or bottom surface of the end effector EF. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, one displacement sensor 54 may be provided on each of the side surfaces (XZ planes) of the end portions 52A and 52B.

[0056] In one embodiment, the displacement sensor 54 is an optical displacement sensor. That is, the displacement sensor 54 may be configured to irradiate a measurement object with light and measure the distance to the measurement object. In this case, the displacement sensor 54 may include an optical head that emits measurement light downward. In one example, the optical displacement sensor 54 is a confocal chromatic sensor. A confocal chromatic sensor measures the distance to the measurement object based on the wavelength of light focused on and reflected from the measurement object. Note that the displacement sensor 54 does not have to be an optical displacement sensor and can be a displacement sensor of various types, such as a capacitance type, an ultrasonic type, or an eddy current type.

[0057] <Plateau misalignment> In recent years, with the trend toward finer etching techniques, the demand for higher substrate transport accuracy has increased. To improve substrate transport accuracy, it is known to provide a measuring device (APS) along the substrate transport path to detect the positional deviation between the end effector and the substrate. The measuring device is provided, for example, in a transport chamber and is configured to detect the position of the substrate on the end effector and calculate the amount of positional deviation from a reference position. The transport robot corrects teaching data based on the calculated amount of positional deviation and transports the substrate to the transport position.

[0058] Here, depending on the temperature state of the substrate processing chamber, the position of the substrate support part in the substrate processing chamber may deviate from the teaching position. In this case, when the substrate is transported to the substrate support part by the transport robot according to the teaching data, the substrate placement position may deviate. Such a positional deviation cannot be corrected using the above-mentioned measuring instrument (APS). Below, a substrate transport method that can also deal with such a positional deviation will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0059] First Embodiment 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a transfer method according to the first embodiment (hereinafter also referred to as "method MT1"). Hereinafter, as an example of the method MT1, a case will be described in which the control unit CU shown in FIG. 1 controls vacuum transfer robots TR1 and TR2 (hereinafter also referred to as "transfer robots TR") of the substrate processing system PS to transfer a substrate W to a processing chamber of one of the process modules PM1 to PM12. In this example, the processing chamber to which the substrate W is transferred is the plasma processing chamber 10 (hereinafter also referred to as "chamber 10") shown in FIG. 3. The transfer robot TR is equipped with an end effector EF shown in FIG. 4.

[0060] 5, the method MT1 includes a step ST11 of acquiring reference data and a step ST12 of transporting a substrate. The processes in steps ST11 and ST12 may be performed by the control unit CU controlling each part of the substrate processing system PS. The process in step ST11 is an example of a "reference data acquisition sequence" in the present disclosure. The process in step ST12 is an example of a "substrate transport sequence" in the present disclosure.

[0061] First, in step ST11, reference data is acquired. In one embodiment, step ST11 is performed during teaching of the transfer robot TR or when the chamber 10 is in the same temperature state as during teaching. In one embodiment, the reference data is data that associates the temperature state of the chamber 10 with position information (e.g., coordinates) of a reference position within the chamber 10. The reference position within the chamber 10 may be set appropriately, and may be, for example, the center of the central region 111a of the substrate support 11. The following describes an example in which reference data is acquired using the center of the central region 111a as the reference position.

[0062] 6 is a flowchart showing an example of step ST11. As shown in Fig. 6, step ST11 includes step ST111 of acquiring the temperature state of the chamber 10, step ST112 of detecting the edge of the central region 111a, step ST113 of calculating the center position of the central region 111a, and step ST114 of storing reference data.

[0063] In step ST111, the temperature state of the chamber 10 is acquired. In one embodiment, the control unit CU acquires, as the temperature state of the chamber 10, for example, the "temperature," "whether or not temperature control is performed," and / or the "mode of temperature control" (heating, cooling, maintaining temperature, etc.) of the chamber 10.

[0064] In step ST112, the edge of the central region 111a is detected. In one embodiment, the control unit CU detects the edge of the central region 111a using the end effector EF of the transfer robot TR.

[0065] 7A and 7B are diagrams illustrating an example of edge detection. In one embodiment, the control unit CU controls the drive mechanism of the transfer robot TR to introduce the end effector EF into the chamber 10. Then, the control unit CU moves the end effector EF above the substrate support 11. Specifically, the control unit CU moves the sensing portion (e.g., the optical head 540) of the displacement sensor 54 so that it crosses the substrate support 11 in a plan view. For example, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the control unit CU may move the end effector EF straight in the direction AM from one end (FIG. 7A) to the other end (FIG. 7B). During this movement, the displacement sensor 54 continuously measures the distance from the end effector EF to the substrate support 11 and outputs the measured value to the control unit CU. The control unit CU detects the edge of the central region 111a based on the distribution of distances (heights) input from the displacement sensor 54. 7A and 7B, four points of the edges of the central region 111a are detected by the two displacement sensors 54 of the end effector EF. Note that the number of edges detected by the control unit CU is not limited to four points, and may be three or more points.

[0066] In step ST113, the center position of the central region 111a is calculated. In one embodiment, the control unit CU calculates the position (coordinates) of the center P of the central region 111a based on the positions (coordinates) of the four edges of the central region 111a detected in step ST112.

[0067] In step ST114, the reference data is stored. In one embodiment, the control unit CU associates the temperature state acquired in step ST111 with the position of the center P of the central region 111a calculated in step ST113, and stores the result as reference data.

[0068] Fig. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of step ST12. In the example shown in Fig. 8, the control unit CU appropriately corrects the teaching data using the reference data acquired in step ST11, and transfers the substrate W into the chamber 10.

[0069] In step ST121, the temperature state of the chamber 10 is acquired. In one embodiment, the control unit CU acquires, as the temperature state of the chamber 10, for example, the "temperature," "whether or not temperature control is performed," and / or the "mode of temperature control" (heating, cooling, maintaining temperature, etc.) of the chamber 10.

[0070] In step ST122, it is determined whether the temperature state of the chamber 10 acquired in step ST121 is the same as the temperature state included in the reference data. If they are the same (step ST122: Yes), step ST127 is executed. That is, the substrate W is transported. In one embodiment, the control unit CU controls the end effector EF of the transport robot TR based on the stored teaching data to transport the substrate W to the teaching position in the chamber 10. In this case, the teaching data does not need to be corrected. This is because, if the temperature state of the chamber 10 is the same as that at the time of teaching, it is considered that the position of the central region 111a supporting the substrate W has not changed significantly since the time of teaching (no deviation has occurred that could reduce the transport accuracy).

[0071] If the temperature state of the chamber 10 acquired in step ST121 is different from the temperature state included in the reference data (step ST122: No), step ST123 is executed. That is, the edge of the central region 111a is detected. In one embodiment, the control unit CU detects the edge of the central region 111a using the end effector EF of the transfer robot TR. Step ST123 may be executed in the same manner as step ST112. Note that step ST123 may be executed in a state where the end effector EF holds the substrate W to be transferred, or may be executed in a state where the end effector EF does not hold the substrate W.

[0072] In step ST124, the center position of the central region 111a is calculated. Step ST124 may be performed in the same manner as step ST113.

[0073] The amount of misalignment is calculated in step ST125. In one embodiment, the control unit CU calculates, as the amount of misalignment, the difference between the center position of the central region 111a calculated in step ST124 and the center position of the central region 111a included in the reference data.

[0074] In step ST126, it is determined whether the calculated amount of positional deviation is greater than a specified value. The specified value may be set appropriately based on the transport accuracy required for the substrate W. If the amount of positional deviation is equal to or less than the specified value (step ST126: Yes), step ST127 is executed. That is, the substrate W is transported. In one embodiment, the control unit CU controls the end effector EF of the transport robot TR based on the teaching data to transport the substrate W to the teaching position in the chamber 10. In this case, the teaching data does not need to be corrected. This is because the position of the central region 111a supporting the substrate W has not changed significantly since teaching (no deviation has occurred that would reduce the transport accuracy).

[0075] If the amount of positional deviation is greater than the specified value (step ST126: Yes), step ST128 is executed. That is, the teaching data is corrected. In one embodiment, the control unit CU corrects the teaching position based on the amount of positional deviation, and changes or updates various operations of the transport robot TR to match the corrected teaching position. After step ST128 is executed, the substrate W is transported. In this case, the control unit CU controls the end effector EF of the transport robot TR based on the corrected teaching data to transport the substrate W to the corrected teaching position in the chamber 10. According to the method MT1, even if the temperature state of the chamber 10 is different from that at the time of teaching and the position of the central region 111a supporting the substrate W has shifted from that at the time of teaching, the amount of positional deviation can be calculated and the teaching position can be corrected. This can improve the transport accuracy of the substrate W.

[0076] <Second embodiment> 9 is a flowchart showing an example of a transfer method according to the second embodiment (hereinafter also referred to as "method MT2"). Hereinafter, as an example of method MT2, a case will be described in which the control unit CU shown in FIG. 1 transfers a substrate W to a processing chamber of one of the process modules PM1 to PM12 using a transfer robot TR of the substrate processing system PS. In this example, the processing chamber to which the substrate W is transferred is chamber 10 shown in FIG. 3. The transfer robot TR also includes an end effector EF shown in FIG. 4. Method MT2 may be executed by the control unit CU controlling each part of the substrate processing system PS. The processing in method MT2 is an example of a "substrate relocation sequence" of the present disclosure.

[0077] In step ST21, the edge of the substrate W on the central region 111a and the edge of the ring assembly 112 on the annular region 111b are detected. That is, step ST21 is started in a state in which the substrate W is placed on the substrate support part 11. For example, the substrate W is transported by the end effector EF of the transport robot TR to a teaching position (e.g., above the central region 111a) in the chamber 10, and is lowered while being held by the lifter, and is held by suction on the central region 111a. Step ST21 may be started in this state.

[0078] In one embodiment, the control unit CU uses the end effector EF of the transport robot TR to detect the edges of the substrate W and the ring assembly 112. Each edge may be detected using the displacement sensor 54 of the end effector EF in the same manner as in step ST112 of the first embodiment.

[0079] Fig. 10A is a diagram for explaining an example of edges detected in step ST21. In this example, four points (e1) are detected on the edge of the ring assembly 112, and four points (e2) are detected on the edge of the substrate W. Fig. 10A shows an example in which a deviation occurs in the placement position of the substrate W.

[0080] Fig. 10B is a diagram for explaining another example of edges detected in step ST21. In this example, four points (e3) are detected on the edge of the ring assembly 112, and four points (e4) are detected on the edge of the substrate W. Fig. 10B shows an example in which there is no misalignment in the placement position of the substrate W.

[0081] In step ST22, the center positions of the substrate W and the ring assembly 112 are calculated. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 10A , the control unit CU calculates the positions (coordinates) of the center P1 of the substrate W and the center Q of the ring assembly 112 based on the positions (coordinates) of the four edges e2 of the substrate W and the four edges e1 of the ring assembly. In the example shown in FIG. 10B , the control unit CU calculates the positions (coordinates) of the center P2 of the substrate W and the center Q of the ring assembly based on the positions (coordinates) of the four edges e4 of the substrate W and the four edges e1 of the ring assembly 112. In the example shown in FIG. 10A , the center P1 of the substrate W is offset from the center Q of the ring assembly 112. In the example shown in FIG. 10B , the center P2 of the substrate W coincides with the center Q of the ring assembly 112.

[0082] In step ST23, the amount of deviation between the center position of the substrate W and the center position of the ring assembly 112 is calculated, and it is determined whether the amount of deviation is greater than a specified value. In one embodiment, the control unit CU calculates the difference between the center position of the substrate W calculated in step ST23 and the center position of the ring assembly 112 as the amount of deviation, and determines whether the amount of deviation is greater than a specified value. The specified value may be set appropriately based on the transport accuracy required for the substrate W.

[0083] 10B, if the deviation is equal to or smaller than the predetermined value (step ST23: No), step ST26 is executed, that is, the process in the chamber 10 is started.

[0084] On the other hand, in step ST23, if the amount of deviation is greater than the specified value (step ST23: Yes), as shown in FIG. 10A, for example, step ST24 is executed. The teaching data is corrected based on the amount of deviation. Next, step ST25 is executed. That is, the substrate W is repositioned based on the corrected teaching data. Specifically, for example, the substrate W is lifted above the central region 111a by a lifter. The substrate W is held by the end effector EF and transported to the corrected teaching position. The substrate W is again lowered by the lifter from the corrected teaching position and is adsorbed and held on the central region 111a. In one embodiment, as shown in FIG. 9, steps ST21 to ST23 may be executed again after step ST25 is completed. Note that step ST26 may be executed after step ST25 is completed without recalculating the amount of deviation.

[0085] According to method MT2, the amount of positional deviation of the substrate W is calculated with reference to the ring assembly 112, and if the amount of positional deviation is greater than a specified value, the teaching data is corrected and the substrate W is repositioned. Therefore, even if the position of the central region 111a deviates from the teaching time and a positional deviation occurs in the substrate W placed in the central region 111a, the positional deviation can be corrected. This can improve the transport accuracy of the substrate W.

[0086] <Third embodiment> FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of a transfer method according to the third embodiment (hereinafter also referred to as "method MT3"). FIGS. 12A and 12B are diagrams for explaining the method MT3. Hereinafter, as an example of the method MT3, a case will be described in which the control unit CU shown in FIG. 1 transfers a substrate W to a processing chamber of one of the process modules PM1 to PM12 using a transfer robot TR of the substrate processing system PS. In this example, the processing chamber to which the substrate W is transferred is the chamber 10 shown in FIG. 3, and the transfer robot TR includes an end effector EF shown in FIG. 4. In this example, the electrostatic chuck 1111 of the chamber 10 shown in FIG. 3 includes a plurality of displacement sensors 60, as shown in FIG. 12A. The plurality of displacement sensors 60 may be provided in an annular region 111b so as to surround a central region 111a. Three or more (four, for example) displacement sensors 60 may be arranged. The displacement sensors 60 may have a configuration similar to that of the displacement sensor 54 of the end effector EF. In one embodiment, the displacement sensor 54 is an optical displacement sensor. The method MT3 may be executed by the control unit CU controlling each part of the substrate processing system PS. The processing in the method MT3 is an example of a "position correction sequence" of the present disclosure.

[0087] In step ST31, the substrate W is placed above the central region 111a. In one embodiment, as shown in Figures 12A and 12B, the control unit CU controls the end effector EF of the transport robot TR in accordance with the teaching data to transport the substrate W to above the central region 111a (teaching position).

[0088] In step ST32, the edge of the substrate W held by the end effector EF is detected. In one embodiment, as shown in Fig. 12A, the control unit CU detects multiple points on the edge of the substrate W using multiple displacement sensors 60 provided on the electrostatic chuck 1111. For example, as shown in Fig. 12B, the edge of the substrate W is detected at four points (e5).

[0089] In step ST33, the center position of the substrate W held by the end effector EF is calculated. For example, in the example shown in Figures 12A and 12B, the control unit CU calculates the position (coordinates) of the center position P3 of the substrate W based on the positions (coordinates) of four edges e5 of the substrate W. Note that in this example, the center P3 of the substrate W is shifted from the center P of the central region 111a in a planar view.

[0090] In step ST34, the amount of deviation between the center position of the substrate W held by the end effector EF and the center position of the central region 111a is calculated, and it is determined whether the amount of deviation is greater than a specified value. In one embodiment, the center position of the central region 111a may be calculated using the displacement sensor 54 of the end effector EF, as in steps ST123 and ST124 of the first embodiment. The control unit CU calculates the difference between the center position of the substrate W calculated in step ST33 and the center position of the central region 111a as the amount of deviation, and determines whether the amount of deviation is greater than a specified value. The specified value may be set appropriately based on the transport accuracy of the substrate W.

[0091] In step ST34, if the amount of deviation is equal to or less than the specified value (step ST23: No), step ST35 is executed. That is, the substrate W is placed on the central region 111a. Specifically, the substrate W is held and lowered by the lifter, and is sucked and held on the central region 111a.

[0092] On the other hand, if the amount of deviation is greater than the specified value in step ST34 (step ST34: Yes), step ST36 is executed. That is, the teaching data is corrected based on the amount of deviation. Then, step ST31 is repeated again. That is, the control unit CU transports the substrate W on the end effector EF to a new teaching position in the central region 111a in accordance with the corrected teaching data. After the transport, the processes from step ST32 onwards may be executed again, or step ST35 may be executed immediately without going through these processes.

[0093] According to the method MT3, the displacement sensor 60 provided on the electrostatic chuck 1111 of the chamber 10 is used to calculate the amount of positional deviation of the substrate W held by the end effector EF, and if the amount of positional deviation is greater than a specified value, the teaching data is corrected and the substrate W is transported again. Therefore, even if the position of the central region 111a supporting the substrate W has deviated from the position at the time of teaching, the teaching position can be corrected based on the amount of deviation. This can improve the transport accuracy of the substrate W.

[0094] Although the method MT3 has been described using an example in which the substrate W is transported by the end effector EF, the method MT3 can also be applied to the case in which the ring assembly 112 is transported.

[0095] According to one embodiment, a technique for improving the transfer accuracy of a substrate can be provided.

[0096] The above embodiments are described for the purpose of explanation and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Various modifications can be made to the above embodiments without departing from the scope and spirit of the present disclosure. For example, some components in one embodiment can be added to other embodiments. Also, some components in one embodiment can be replaced with corresponding components in other embodiments. [Explanation of symbols]

[0097] 1... plasma processing apparatus, 2... control unit, 10... plasma processing chamber, 10s... plasma processing space, 11... substrate support, 111a... central region, 111b... annular region, 112... ring assembly, 54... displacement sensor, 60... displacement sensor, EF... end effector, PS... substrate processing system

Claims

1. a substrate processing chamber including a substrate support, the substrate support including a substrate support surface on which a substrate is placed, and a ring support surface disposed so as to surround the substrate support surface and on which a ring member is placed; a transfer chamber including a transfer robot configured to transfer a substrate from the transfer chamber to the substrate processing chamber according to teaching data, the transfer robot including an end effector configured to hold the substrate, the end effector including a displacement sensor; a controller configured to execute a reference data acquisition sequence, the reference data acquisition sequence comprising: (a1) acquiring a temperature state of the substrate processing chamber; (a2) detecting an edge of the substrate support surface using the displacement sensor, and calculating a center position of the substrate support surface based on the detected edge; (a3) a control unit that associates the temperature state acquired in (a1) with the center position of the substrate support surface calculated in (a2) and stores the result as reference data; A substrate processing system comprising:

2. the controller is further configured to execute a substrate transfer sequence; The substrate transfer sequence includes: (b1) acquiring a temperature state of the substrate processing chamber; (b2) if the temperature state acquired in (b1) is identical to the temperature state of the reference data, positioning the substrate above the substrate support surface by the end effector in accordance with the teaching data.

3. The substrate transfer sequence includes: (b3) if the temperature state acquired in (b1) differs from the temperature state of the reference data, detecting an edge of the substrate support surface using the displacement sensor, and calculating a center position of the substrate support surface based on the detected edge.

4. The substrate transfer sequence includes: (b4) if a difference between the center position calculated in (b3) and the center position of the reference data is equal to or less than a specified value, positioning the substrate above the substrate support surface by the end effector in accordance with the teaching data.

5. The substrate transfer sequence includes: (b5) if the difference between the center position calculated in (b3) and the center position of the reference data is greater than a specified value, correcting the teaching data based on the difference; The substrate processing system of claim 3 , further comprising: (b6) positioning the substrate above the substrate support surface by the end effector in accordance with the corrected teaching data.

6. a substrate processing chamber including a substrate support, the substrate support including a substrate support surface on which a substrate is placed, and a ring support surface disposed so as to surround the substrate support surface and on which a ring member is placed; a transfer chamber including a transfer robot configured to transfer a substrate from the transfer chamber to the substrate processing chamber according to teaching data, the transfer robot including an end effector configured to hold the substrate, the end effector including a displacement sensor; 1. A controller configured to perform a substrate relocation sequence, the substrate relocation sequence comprising: (c1) using the displacement sensor to detect an edge of a substrate placed on the substrate support surface and an edge of a ring member placed on the ring support surface; (c2) calculating a deviation amount between a center position of the substrate and a center position of the ring member based on the edge of the substrate and the edge of the ring member detected in (c1); (c3) if the deviation amount is greater than a specified value, correcting the teaching data based on the deviation amount; (c4) repositioning the substrate above the substrate support surface using the end effector in accordance with the teaching data corrected in (c3); A substrate processing system comprising:

7. a substrate processing chamber including a substrate support, the substrate support including: a substrate support surface on which a substrate is placed; a ring support surface arranged to surround the substrate support surface and on which a ring member is placed; and a plurality of displacement sensors; a transfer chamber including a transfer robot configured to transfer an object to be transferred from the transfer chamber to the substrate processing chamber according to teaching data, and including an end effector configured to hold the object to be transferred; a control unit configured to execute a position correction sequence, the position correction sequence comprising: (d1) placing a transfer target object above the substrate support surface by the end effector in accordance with the teaching data; (d2) detecting edges of the object held by the end effector using the plurality of displacement sensors, and calculating a center position of the object based on the edges; (d3) correcting the position of the object to be transferred above the substrate support surface by the end effector so that the center position of the object to be transferred calculated in (d2) coincides with the center position of the substrate support surface; and A substrate processing system comprising:

8. The position correction sequence includes:

8. The substrate processing system of claim 7, further comprising: (d4) calculating a deviation amount between the center position of the transport object calculated in (d2) and the center position of the substrate support surface; and correcting the teaching data based on the deviation amount.

9. 9. The substrate processing system according to claim 7, wherein the object to be transferred is either the substrate or the ring member.

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