Method for handling abnormalities, and substrate processing apparatus.

Abstract

This technology provides a way to continue substrate processing smoothly even if an abnormality occurs in some zones. [Solution] The substrate processing apparatus includes a processing container, a rotary table rotatably provided inside the processing container, a mounting platform rotatably provided integrally with the rotary table and rotatably provided relative to the rotary table at a position away from the rotation center of the rotary table for placing substrates, and a heating unit having a plurality of zones divided radially in the rotary table, and capable of independently heating each of the plurality of zones on which the substrate placed on the mounting platform is placed. The abnormality handling method includes (A) a step of determining whether an abnormality has occurred in any of the plurality of zones of the heating unit, and (B) a step of heating the zones in the heating unit that are not abnormal, based on the abnormality handling data held, if an abnormality has been determined in the zones where the abnormality has occurred.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an abnormality handling method and a substrate processing apparatus.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a substrate processing apparatus (film forming apparatus) that performs film forming processing, which is substrate processing, while rotating and revolving a plurality of substrates placed on a rotary table. This substrate processing apparatus includes a heating unit (a plurality of heaters) below the rotary table and is configured to heat the plurality of substrates that are rotating and revolving.

[0003] Further, the substrate processing apparatus may improve the in-plane uniformity of the temperature of each substrate by dividing a plurality of heaters into a plurality of zones and performing heating independently. However, when an abnormality such as a disconnection occurs in any of the heaters in the plurality of zones, the in-plane uniformity of the temperature of the substrate will decrease. For this reason, the conventional substrate processing apparatus performs control to stop the substrate processing when an abnormality occurs in a part of the zones.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique that can continue substrate processing well even when an abnormality occurs in a part of the zones.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for dealing with an abnormality in a substrate processing apparatus is provided, which includes a processing container, a rotary table rotatably provided inside the processing container, a mounting base rotatably provided integrally with the rotary table and rotatably provided relative to the rotary table at a position away from the rotation center of the rotary table for mounting a substrate, and a heating unit having a plurality of zones divided radially in the rotary table, and capable of independently heating the substrate mounted on the mounting base in each of the plurality of zones, the method comprising: (A) determining whether an abnormality has occurred in any of the plurality of zones of the heating unit; and (B) if a zone in which an abnormality has occurred has been determined in step (A), heating the zone in which no abnormality has occurred in the heating unit based on the abnormality dealing data held. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to one embodiment, even if an abnormality occurs in some zones, substrate processing can be continued smoothly. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 1 is a plan view showing the configuration inside the processing container of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 3] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the rotary table and mounting platform of the substrate processing apparatus. [Figure 4] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the heating element and its surrounding area. [Figure 5] This table shows normal operating data for controlling the temperature of the heating section, as well as data for handling abnormalities in each zone. [Figure 6] This flowchart shows a method for handling abnormalities in a substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following describes embodiments for implementing this disclosure with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same reference numerals are used for identical components, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0010] [Configuration of substrate processing apparatus 1] The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. Figure 1 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment. Figure 2 is a plan view showing the configuration inside the processing container 11 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of Figure 1. Note that in Figure 2, for the sake of explanation, the top plate 112 of the processing container 11 is not shown. Figure 3 is a perspective view showing the configuration of the rotary table 21 and the mounting table 211 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of Figure 1.

[0011] The substrate processing apparatus 1 performs a film deposition process on the surface of the substrate W by atomic layer deposition (ALD) or molecular layer deposition (MLD) as a substrate processing method. The substrate processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 is not limited to film deposition, but may also include etching or cleaning processes, for example. Specifically, the substrate processing apparatus 1 comprises a processing unit 10, a rotary drive unit 20, and a control unit 90.

[0012] The processing unit 10 actually deposits a film onto the substrate W. This processing unit 10 includes a processing container 11, a gas introduction unit 12, a gas exhaust unit 13, a transport port 14, a heating unit 15, and a cooling unit 16.

[0013] The processing container 11 is a vacuum container that can be switched to a vacuum atmosphere by reducing the pressure of the internal space. The processing container 11 is formed as a flat housing having a substantially circular planar shape and is configured to accommodate a plurality of substrates W in the internal space. The substrates W may be, for example, semiconductor wafers. The processing container 11 includes a main body 111, a top plate 112, side walls 113 and a bottom plate 114 (Figure 1). The main body 111 has a cylindrical shape. The top plate 112 is detachably attached to the upper surface of the main body 111. The main body 111 and the top plate 112 are airtightly sealed together by a seal portion 115. The side walls 113 have a cylindrical shape and are airtightly connected to the lower surface of the main body 111. The bottom plate 114 is airtightly connected to the bottom surface of the side walls 113.

[0014] The gas introduction section 12 includes a raw material gas supply section 121, a reaction gas supply section 122, and separation gas supply sections 123 and 124 (Figure 2). The raw material gas supply section 121, the reaction gas supply section 122, and the separation gas supply sections 123 and 124 are arranged above the rotary table 21 (described later) along the circumferential direction of the processing container 11, spaced apart from each other. In the illustrated example, the separation gas supply section 123, the raw material gas supply section 121, the separation gas supply section 124, and the reaction gas supply section 122 are arranged in this order, clockwise from the transport port 14 (the direction of rotation of the rotary table 21).

[0015] The raw material gas supply unit 121 supplies raw material gas into the processing container 11. The raw material gas supply unit 121 according to this embodiment includes a raw material gas nozzle 121N that extends radially into the processing container 11. The reaction gas nozzle 122N is fixed to the side wall of the main body 111 and has a gas introduction port 121p that protrudes to the outside of the main body 111. The raw material gas nozzle 121N is made of, for example, quartz and is arranged parallel to the rotary table 21 inside the processing container 11.

[0016] The raw material gas nozzle 121N is connected to the raw material gas supply path outside the processing vessel 11. The raw material gas supply path includes a flow controller, a valve, etc. (not shown) at an intermediate position and is connected to a supply source (not shown) of the raw material gas. As the raw material gas, for example, a silicon-containing gas, a metal-containing gas can be used. The raw material gas nozzle 121N has a plurality of discharge holes (not shown) that open toward the rotary table 21, which are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the raw material gas nozzle 121N. The lower region of the raw material gas nozzle 121N becomes a raw material gas processing region P1 for attaching the raw material gas to each substrate W.

[0017] The reaction gas supply unit 122 supplies the reaction gas into the processing vessel 11. The reaction gas supply unit 122 according to the embodiment includes a reaction gas nozzle 122N that extends in the radial direction of the processing vessel 11. The reaction gas nozzle 122N is fixed to the side wall portion of the main body 111 and has a gas introduction port 122p that protrudes outside the main body 111. The reaction gas nozzle 122N is formed of, for example, quartz and is arranged parallel to the rotary table 21 in the processing vessel 11.

[0018] The reaction gas nozzle 122N is connected to the reaction gas supply path outside the processing vessel 11. The reaction gas supply path includes a flow controller, a valve, etc. (not shown) at an intermediate position and is connected to a supply source (not shown) of the reaction gas. As the reaction gas, for example, an oxidation gas, a nitridation gas can be used. The reaction gas nozzle 122N has a plurality of discharge holes (not shown) that open toward the rotary table 21, which are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of the reaction gas nozzle 122N. The lower region of the reaction gas nozzle 122N becomes a reaction gas processing region P2 for oxidizing or nitriding the raw material gas adsorbed on the substrate W. In the embodiment, the processing gas for processing the substrate W corresponds to the above raw material gas and reaction gas.

[0019] The separation gas supply units 123 and 124 supply separation gas into the processing vessel 11. The separation gas supply units 123 and 124 according to the embodiment each include separation gas nozzles 123N and 124N that extend in the radial direction of the processing vessel 11. Each of the separation gas nozzles 123N and 124N is fixed to the side wall portion of the main body 111 and has gas introduction ports 123p and 124p that protrude outside the main body. Each of the separation gas nozzles 123N and 124N is formed of, for example, quartz and is arranged parallel to the rotary table 21 in the processing vessel 11.

[0020] Each of the separation gas nozzles 123N and 124N is connected to a separation gas supply path outside the processing vessel 11. Each separation gas supply path includes a flow controller, a valve, etc. (not shown) at an intermediate position and is connected to a supply source (not shown) of the separation gas. As the separation gas, for example, an inert gas such as argon (Ar) gas or nitrogen (N2) gas can be used. A plurality of discharge holes (not shown) that open toward the rotary table 21 are arranged at intervals along the axial direction of each of the separation gas nozzles 123N and 124N.

[0021] Also, as shown in FIG. 2, two convex portions 17 are provided in the processing vessel 11. The convex portions 17 are attached to the back surface of the top plate 112 so as to protrude toward the rotary table 21 in order to constitute a separation region D together with the separation gas nozzles 123N and 124N. Each convex portion 17 has a fan-shaped planar shape with a top portion cut in an arc shape, and an inner arc is connected to an annular protruding portion 18 and an outer arc is arranged along the side wall of the processing vessel 11.

[0022] The gas exhaust unit 13 includes a first exhaust port 131 and a second exhaust port 132 (FIG. 2). The first exhaust port 131 is formed at the bottom of an exhaust region E1 that communicates with the raw material gas processing region P1. The second exhaust port 132 is formed at the bottom of an exhaust region E2 that communicates with the reaction gas processing region P2. The first exhaust port 131 and the second exhaust port 132 are connected to an exhaust device (not shown) via an exhaust pipe (not shown). [[ID=​​The transport port 14 is provided on the side wall of the main body 111 (Figure 2). At the transport port 14, substrates W are transferred between the rotary table 21 inside the processing container 11 and the transport device 14a outside the processing container 11. The transport port 14 is opened and closed by a gate valve (not shown).

[0024] The heating section 15 and the cooling section 16 constitute a temperature control section in the substrate processing apparatus 1 that adjusts the temperature of each substrate W. The heating section 15 includes a fixed shaft 151, a heater support section 152, a plurality of heater wires 153, and a cover 154 (Figure 1).

[0025] The fixed shaft 151 has a cylindrical shape with the center of the processing container 11 as its central axis. The fixed shaft 151 is inside the rotating shaft 23 of the rotary drive device 20, which will be described later, and penetrates the bottom plate 114 of the processing container 11.

[0026] The heater support portion 152 has a disc shape and is fixed to the upper part of the fixed shaft 151. Multiple support members (not shown) are provided on the upper surface of the heater support portion 152. Each support member supports each heater wire 153 at a position vertically upward from the heater support portion 152.

[0027] Each heater wire 153 generates heat based on the power supplied for heating from a temperature control power module (not shown), heating the substrate W on the vertically upper side. The cover 154 is provided facing the rotary table 21 to prevent each heater wire 153 from being exposed to the processing gas. The configuration of the heating section 15, including each heater wire 153, will be described in detail later. Note that each heater wire 153 may be provided on the main body 111 or the like, in addition to the upper surface of the heater support 152.

[0028] The cooling unit 16 includes fluid passages 161a to 164a, chiller units 161b to 164b, inlet piping 161c to 164c, and outlet piping 161d to 164d (Figure 1). Fluid passages 161a to 164a are formed inside the main body 111, top plate 112, bottom plate 114, and heater support section 152, respectively. Chiller units 161b to 164b output refrigerant. The refrigerant output from chiller units 161b to 164b circulates through the inlet piping 161c to 164c, fluid passages 161a to 164a, and outlet piping 161d to 164d in that order. This adjusts the temperature of the main body 111, top plate 112, bottom plate 114, and heater support section 152. As the temperature-controlled fluid, for example, a fluorine-based fluid or water can be used.

[0029] The rotary drive device 20 includes a rotary table 21, a housing box 22, a rotating shaft 23, a motor for revolution 24, and an outer cylinder 25.

[0030] The rotary table 21 is installed inside the processing container 11 and has a rotation center at the center of the processing container 11. The rotary table 21 is, for example, disc-shaped and made of quartz. Multiple (for example, five) mounting platforms 211 are provided on the upper surface of the rotary table 21 along the rotation direction (circumferential direction). The rotary table 21 is connected to the housing box 22 via a connecting portion 214.

[0031] Each mounting base 211 has a disc shape slightly larger than the substrate W and has a flat mounting surface 211s on its upper surface on which the substrate W is placed. Each mounting base 211 is connected to a rotation motor 213 via a rotation axis 212 and is configured to rotate relative to the rotary table 21 (Figure 1). Examples of materials that make up each mounting base 211 include opaque quartz, aluminum, or aluminum alloy. By using opaque quartz, heat is dispersed within each mounting base 211 itself, and the in-plane temperature uniformity of each substrate W can be improved. In addition, when aluminum or an aluminum alloy is used for the mounting base 211, a heat-distributing member that absorbs infrared rays may be provided on the back side. Even in this case, each mounting base 211 can improve the in-plane temperature uniformity of each substrate W.

[0032] The rotation shaft 212 connects the lower surface of the mounting base 211 to the rotation motor 213 housed in the housing box 22, and transmits the power of the rotation motor 213 to the mounting base 211. The rotation shaft 212 is configured to rotate around the center of the mounting base 211 as its center of rotation. The rotation shaft 212 is provided through the ceiling portion 222 of the housing box 22 and the rotary table 21. A sealing portion 263 is provided near the penetration point in the ceiling portion 222 of the housing box 22 to maintain an airtight state inside the housing box 22. The sealing portion 263 includes, for example, a magnetic fluid seal.

[0033] The rotation motor 213 rotates the mounting base 211 relative to the rotary table 21 via the rotation axis 212, thereby rotating the substrate W around its center. It is preferable to use a servo motor, for example, for the rotation motor 213.

[0034] The connecting portion 214 connects the lower surface of the rotary table 21 to the upper surface of the storage box 22 (Figure 3). Multiple connecting portions 214 are provided along the circumferential direction of the rotary table 21.

[0035] The storage box 22 is located below the rotary table 21 within the processing container 11. The storage box 22 is connected to the rotary table 21 via a connecting part 214 and rotates together with the rotary table 21. The storage box 22 may be configured to move up and down within the processing container 11 by a lifting mechanism (not shown). The storage box 22 has a main body 221 and a ceiling 222.

[0036] The main body 221 is formed in a concave shape in a vertical cross-sectional view and is formed in a ring shape along the rotation direction of the rotary table 21 (Figure 1).

[0037] The ceiling portion 222 is provided on the upper surface of the main body portion 221 so as to cover the opening of the main body portion 221. As a result, the main body portion 221 and the ceiling portion 222 form a rotating storage portion 223 that is isolated from the inside of the processing container 11.

[0038] The rotating housing section 223 is formed in a rectangular shape in a vertical cross-sectional view and exhibits a ring shape along the rotation direction of the rotary table 21. The rotating housing section 223 houses the rotation motor 213 (rotation source). A communication passage 224 is formed in the main body section 221, connecting the rotating housing section 223 to the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Through the communication passage 224, air is introduced into the rotating housing section 223 from the outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1, cooling the inside of the rotating housing section 223 and maintaining atmospheric pressure. In order to position the rotating housing section 223 so that it can rotate, the processing container 11 has a rotation source housing space 19 surrounded by side walls 113, a bottom plate 114, and a heating section 15.

[0039] The rotating shaft 23 is fixed to the lower part of the housing box 22. The rotating shaft 23 is installed by penetrating the bottom plate 114 of the processing container 11. The rotating shaft 23 transmits power from the orbital motor 24 to the rotary table 21 and the housing box 22, causing the rotary table 21 and the housing box 22 to rotate together. A seal portion 232 is provided between the outer wall of the fixed shaft 151 and the inner wall of the rotating shaft 23 of the rotary drive device 20. This allows the rotating shaft 23 to rotate relative to the fixed shaft 151 while maintaining an airtight state inside the processing container 11. For example, a magnetic fluid seal can be applied to the seal portion 232.

[0040] The outer cylinder 25 of the rotary drive device 20 is connected to the central lower surface of the bottom plate 114 of the processing container 11. The outer cylinder 25, together with the fixed shaft 151 of the processing container 11, supports the processing container 11. A seal portion 116 is provided between the rotary shaft 23 and the outer cylinder 25 to maintain an airtight state inside the processing container 11. For example, a magnetic fluid seal can be applied to the seal portion 116.

[0041] A passage 231 is formed inside the rotating shaft 23. The passage 231 is connected to a connecting passage 224 of the housing box 22 and functions as a fluid channel for introducing air into the housing box 22. The passage 231 also functions as a wiring duct for introducing power lines and signal lines for driving the rotation motors 213 into the housing box 22. For example, the same number of passages 231 as there are rotation motors 213 are provided.

[0042] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is equipped with a temperature sensor 30 on the top plate 112, enabling it to measure the temperature of each substrate W placed on each mounting table 211 (Figure 1). For example, a non-contact optical sensor can be used as this temperature sensor 30. Figure 1 shows an example in which a temperature sensor 30 capable of scanning the in-plane temperature distribution of the substrate W is installed at the center of the opposing surfaces of the mounting table 211. However, multiple temperature sensors 30 may be provided on the top plate 112 to individually detect the temperature of opposing substrates W.

[0043] The temperature sensor 30 transmits the detected result to the temperature control power module (or control unit 90). This allows the temperature control power module to perform feedback control to correct the power supplied to each zone Z1 to Z4 based on the detection result. The timing for measuring the temperature of the substrate W is after the substrate W is placed on the mounting table 211 and before the substrate W is rotated. However, the timing for measuring the temperature of the substrate W may be when the substrate W is rotated. Furthermore, the temperature sensor 30 that detects the temperature of the substrate W is not limited to a non-contact type; for example, it may be a contact type sensor that can detect the temperature by contacting the substrate W when it is provided inside each mounting table 211.

[0044] [Configuration of the heating section 15] Next, the configuration of the heating section 15 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described in more detail with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an enlarged view of the heating section 15 and its surrounding area. In this embodiment, the heating section 15 has multiple zones Z1 to Z4 set along the radial direction of the processing container 11 and the rotary table 21, and each zone Z1 to Z4 can be heated independently. The substrate processing apparatus 1 can improve the in-plane temperature uniformity of each substrate W on the rotary table 21 by individually adjusting the temperature for each zone Z1 to Z4.

[0045] Specifically, the heating section 15 has, in order, zones Z1 (inner), Z2 (middle), Z3 (sub-outer) adjacent to the middle, and Z4 (outer) adjacent to the first sub-outer, extending radially outward from the processing container 11. Each of zones Z1 to Z4 is heated by one or more heater wires 153. Each heater wire 153 located within the same zone Z1 constitutes a group that receives the same amount of heating power from the temperature control power supply module. The same applies to zones Z2, Z3, and Z4.

[0046] Each zone Z1 to Z4 is ring-shaped, circling the same radius position (concentrically) within the processing container 11. Each heater wire 153 is supported by multiple supports (not shown) protruding from the upper surface of the heater support portion 152. As a result, each heater wire 153 extends in an arc shape or linearly within each zone Z1 to Z4.

[0047] Furthermore, the heating section 15 is provided with partition walls 155 between zone Z1 and zone Z2, and between zone Z1 and zone Z2. Each partition wall 155 divides the internal space between the heater support section 152 and the cover 154. Therefore, zone Z1 and zone Z2 are spatially separated, and zone Z2 and zone Z3 are spatially separated. It is preferable that each partition wall 155 be made of a material with high heat-shielding properties.

[0048] Zone Z1 provides heating over a range from near the center of the rotary table 21 to near the axis of rotation 212. In a plan view, Zone Z1 partially overlaps the rotary table 21 on the central side of the mounting base 211, and also partially overlaps the mounting base 211.

[0049] Zone Z2 heats the area around (near) the rotation axis 212. Because Zone Z2 is surrounded by partition walls 155, the heat from the internal heater wires 153 is reliably transferred to the center of the mounting base 211.

[0050] Zone Z3 provides heating over a range from a position near the rotation axis 212 to a position midway along the outer circumference of the rotary table 21. In a plan view, this zone Z3 overlaps with the mounting base 211.

[0051] Zone Z4 is spatially connected to Zone Z3 due to the absence of partitions 155, etc., and heating is performed on the outer periphery of Zone Z3. In a plan view, Zone Z4 mainly overlaps the rotary table 21 outside the mounting base 211. However, Zone Z4 may partially overlap the mounting base 211.

[0052] The heating section 15 is divided into multiple zones along the radial direction of the rotary table 21, but the number and arrangement of these zones are not particularly limited. For example, the number of zones may be two, three, or five or more. However, it is more preferable to have three or more zones in order to maintain in-plane temperature uniformity of each substrate W in the event of a zone malfunction as described below. The position of each zone may also be arbitrarily set according to the number of divisions, the position of each mounting base 211, etc.

[0053] Each heater wire 153 installed in each zone Z1 to Z4 is individually connected to a temperature control power supply module (not shown) located outside the processing container 11. The temperature control power supply module receives commands from the control unit 90 and supplies heating power to each heater wire 153 based on the information regarding the heating power for each zone Z1 to Z4 included in the command.

[0054] Figure 5 is a table showing normal data for controlling the temperature of the heating unit 15, and abnormality handling data in case of an abnormality in each zone Z1 to Z3. The control unit 90 has a table (or function) that shows the heating power for each zone Z1 to Z4, which has been set in advance through experiments or simulations. For example, the left table in Figure 5 is an example of a table of heating power for each zone Z1 to Z4 in normal conditions when no abnormality occurs, with the target temperature for heating the substrate W set to 200°C. The heating power table sets different heating power for each zone Z1 to Z4 to improve the in-plane uniformity of the temperature of each revolving substrate W. However, some of the zones Z1 to Z4 may have the same heating power.

[0055] For example, the power in zones Z1 and Z4 of the table during normal operation is set to a higher power than the power in zones Z2 and Z3. This is because zone Z1 is close to the center of the rotary table 21, making it easier for the heat from the heater wire 153 to be distributed to various components. Also, zone Z4 is easily cooled (its temperature drops easily) because the processing gas and separation gas supplied into the processing container 11 flow into the radially outer exhaust regions E1 and E2.

[0056] In the heating section 15 of the substrate processing apparatus 1, some heater wires 153 may break due to factors such as receiving large resistive heat, being subjected to load, or deterioration over time. If some heater wires break during the substrate processing process, it becomes impossible to equalize the in-plane temperature distribution of each substrate to the target temperature, making it difficult to perform the substrate processing as planned. For this reason, conventional substrate processing apparatuses have a procedure to stop the substrate processing if any of the heater wires break. In this case, each substrate whose processing has been stopped is discarded, which reduces the efficiency of the substrate processing.

[0057] Therefore, the control unit 90 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment stores abnormality handling data in the memory 93 for when the heater wire 153 in each zone Z1 to Z4 is broken. When the control unit 90 determines that an abnormality has occurred in any of the zones Z1 to Z4, it reads appropriate abnormality handling data from the memory 93 and adjusts the heating power of another zone that is not abnormal based on the abnormality handling data. As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can maintain in-plane temperature uniformity of each substrate W even if an abnormality occurs in any of the zones Z1 to Z4.

[0058] For example, as shown in the right-hand diagram of Figure 5, the anomaly handling data is a table that shows the heating power of other zones when an anomaly occurs in any of the zones Z1 to Z4. For example, if the heater wire 153 in zone Z1 is broken, the heating power for zone Z1 becomes zero. On the other hand, for each of the zones Z2 to Z4 where no break has occurred, the heating power is increased compared to the normal heating power. By increasing the heating power of each of the zones Z2 to Z4 where no break has occurred in this way, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can continue substrate processing smoothly even if an anomaly occurs in zone Z1.

[0059] For example, if zone Z1 is disconnected, the heating power for the adjacent zone Z2 is significantly increased, while the heating power for zones Z3 and Z4, which are further away from zone Z1, is increased only slightly. This allows the heating of zones Z2 to Z4 to compensate for the heating interruption in zone Z1. Similarly, if zone Z2 is disconnected, the heating power for the adjacent zones Z1 and Z3 is significantly increased, while the heating power for zone Z4, which is further away from zone Z2, is increased only slightly. Furthermore, if zone Z3 is disconnected, the heating power for zone Z2 is significantly increased, while the heating power for zones Z1 and Z4 is increased only slightly. By providing error handling data for each of zones Z1 to Z4 in this way, the substrate processing device 1 can take appropriate action and continue substrate processing even if an error occurs in any of the zones Z1 to Z4.

[0060] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may choose to deliberately stop substrate processing by not having error handling data in a pre-set zone if an error occurs in that zone. For example, for zones among the multiple zones Z1 to Z4 where increasing the power supplied to zones where no errors occur would reduce the in-plane temperature uniformity of each substrate W, error handling data may not be stored in advance. As an example of this, Figure 5 shows an example where error handling data is not stored for the outermost zone Z4. As mentioned above, the temperature of zone Z4 tends to drop easily as processing gas and separation gas flow out into exhaust regions E1 and E2, and even if the heating power in the other zones Z1 to Z3 is increased, it is difficult to compensate for the heating stoppage in zone Z4. However, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may, of course, compensate for an error in zone Z4 by storing error handling data for zone Z4, which involves significantly increasing the heating power in the other zones Z1 to Z3 through experiments or simulations, so that heating can be compensated for in the event of an error in zone Z4.

[0061] [How to deal with abnormalities] The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is basically configured as described above, and its operation (method for handling abnormalities) will be explained below with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the method for handling abnormalities of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment.

[0062] The control unit 90 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs substrate processing on each substrate W and executes steps S101 to S110 of the abnormality handling method shown in Figure 6 to determine and address abnormalities in each zone Z1 to Z4 of the heating unit 15.

[0063] In substrate processing, the control unit 90 first controls the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the transport apparatus 14a to sequentially place the substrates W onto the five mounting tables 211 of the rotary table 21. Subsequently, the control unit 90 exhausts the gas from the processing container 11 using the gas exhaust unit 13 and heats each substrate W using the heating unit 15. At this time, the temperature control power supply module connected to the heating unit 15 supplies heating power to each zone Z1 to Z4 based on the command from the control unit 90 (normal table), thereby adjusting the temperature of each substrate W to the target temperature.

[0064] The control unit 90 then controls the rotation motors 213 and the revolution motors 24 to rotate each mounting table 211 and the rotary table 21. The substrate processing apparatus 1 maintains the rotational and revolutionary speeds of each mounting table 211 even during substrate processing. Furthermore, the control unit 90 controls the gas introduction unit 12 to supply processing gas into the processing container 11, thereby performing a film deposition process on each rotating substrate W. As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can deposit a desired film on the surface of each substrate W.

[0065] Then, before or during the substrate processing described above, the control unit 90 monitors whether or not an abnormality such as a break has occurred in each heater wire 153 of each zone Z1 to Z4 of the heating unit 15 (step S101: (A)). For example, monitoring each heater wire 153 can be done by measuring the interruption of current supplied from the temperature control power supply module to each heater wire 153 or the cessation of voltage application using an ammeter or voltmeter (not shown) provided on the external wiring, etc. Alternatively, the temperature control power supply module itself may be configured to have an ammeter or voltmeter inside to monitor the power supply status to each heater wire 153. Or, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may measure the temperature of each substrate W with the temperature sensor 30 and determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred in each zone Z1 to Z4 based on the temperature of each substrate W. For example, by measuring the temperature distribution of each substrate W with the temperature sensor 30 before the start of substrate processing, it is possible to determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred in each zone Z1 to Z4. Furthermore, even during substrate processing, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may stop the rotation of each mounting table 211 and measure the temperature of each substrate W using the temperature sensor 30 to determine any abnormalities in each zone Z1 to Z4.

[0066] If no break occurs in any of the heater wires 153 in step S101 (step S101: NO), the process proceeds to step S102. In step S102, the control unit 90 determines whether to continue the board processing being performed on each board W and continues the board processing.

[0067] Furthermore, the control unit 90 monitors the termination conditions for substrate processing during substrate processing, and terminates the substrate processing when the termination conditions are met (step S103). If no abnormalities occur in each zone Z1 to Z4 of the heating unit 15, it is determined that the substrate processing has been performed normally for each substrate W.

[0068] On the other hand, if an abnormality occurs in any of the zones Z1 to Z4 in step S101 (step S101: YES), the process proceeds to step S104. In step S104, the control unit 90 identifies the zone where the abnormality occurred and determines whether or not there is abnormality handling data corresponding to that zone in the memory 93 (step (C)). In other words, as described above, the control unit 90 basically has abnormality handling data in advance corresponding to abnormalities in zones Z1 to Z4, but in some cases, heating in some zones cannot be fully supported by other zones. In this case, it is not necessary to have abnormality handling data. The control unit 90 is configured to change the subsequent processing flow depending on whether or not abnormality handling data is available.

[0069] If there is no abnormality handling data (step S104: NO), the process proceeds to step S105. In this case, even if the substrate processing is continued, the in-plane uniformity of the substrate W temperature will decrease, which will also decrease the in-plane uniformity of the substrate processing. Therefore, the control unit 90 controls the temperature control power supply module to stop supplying heating power to all heater wires 153 and stops heating all zones Z1 to Z4 (step S105).

[0070] Furthermore, the control unit 90 stops the operation of the gas introduction unit 12, the gas exhaust unit 13, and the rotary drive device 20, thereby stopping substrate processing for each substrate W (step S106). As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can immediately stop substrate processing when it detects an abnormality in each zone Z1 to Z4, thereby suppressing waste in substrate processing.

[0071] Furthermore, the control unit 90 stops the substrate processing due to an abnormality in the heating unit 15 and notifies the user of the abnormality in the heating unit 15 via the user interface 95 (step S107). This allows the user to easily recognize the cause when the substrate processing apparatus 1 stops substrate processing. Therefore, the user can take necessary countermeasures early.

[0072] The process returns to step S104, and if there is error handling data (step S104: YES), the process proceeds to step S108. In this case, the control unit 90 controls the heating unit 15 based on the error handling data (step S108: process (B)). Specifically, the control unit 90 reads the error handling data corresponding to the zone where the error occurred from the memory 93 and instructs the temperature control power supply module to set the heating power to the level of each zone Z1 to Z4 in this error handling data. As a result, the temperature control power supply module heats each substrate W on each mounting stage 211 using the zones where no error has occurred. At this time, the error handling data is set to a heating power that can maintain in-plane temperature uniformity for each rotating substrate W.

[0073] Furthermore, as described above, since the mounting table 211 is made of opaque quartz, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy, it is possible to promote uniform heating on the mounting table 211 in zones where no abnormalities are occurring. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can maintain good in-plane temperature uniformity for each substrate W.

[0074] Therefore, the control unit 90 continues the substrate processing by continuing the supply of processing gas or separation gas by the gas introduction unit 12 and continuing the rotation by the rotary drive unit 20 (step S109). In addition, even if an abnormality occurs in some zones and heating is performed using the zones that are not affected, the heating of each heater wire 153 in the zones that are not affected may be feedback controlled based on the detection information of the temperature sensor 30. This makes it possible for the substrate processing apparatus 1 to more reliably ensure in-plane uniformity of substrate processing for each substrate W even if an abnormality occurs in some zones.

[0075] However, the control unit 90 notifies the user of any abnormality in the heating unit 15 via the user interface 95 (step S110). This allows the user to recognize the abnormality in the heating unit 15 early and take necessary action, even if the heating power for each zone Z1 to Z4 is changed and the substrate processing continues. Alternatively, the substrate processing device 1 may perform substrate processing on each new substrate W by controlling the heating unit 15 based on abnormality countermeasures data, even if abnormalities remain in some zones.

[0076] After step S110, the control unit 90 proceeds to step S103, where it monitors the termination conditions for substrate processing and terminates the substrate processing when the conditions are met. At this time, the control unit 90 may manage each substrate W by attaching identification information to each processed substrate W, indicating that an abnormality occurred in some zones and the substrate processing was continued. This makes it possible for the substrate processing apparatus 1 to appropriately manage the quality of each substrate W.

[0077] As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the abnormality handling method can suppress waste in substrate processing by continuing substrate processing even if an abnormality occurs in any of the zones Z1 to Z4 of the heating unit 15. In particular, the control unit 90 can adjust the temperature of each substrate W more quickly by using feedforward control of heating the heating unit 15 based on pre-held abnormality handling data, compared to correcting the temperature of the heater wire 153 by feedback control. As a result, the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the abnormality handling method can perform substrate processing well without lowering the quality of the substrate processing, even if an abnormality occurs in some zones.

[0078] It should be noted that the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the abnormality handling method according to this disclosure are not limited to the above configuration and can be modified in various ways. For example, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which heating is performed by the other zones when an abnormality occurs in one of the multiple zones Z1 to Z4. However, if the number of zone divisions is large, the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the abnormality handling method may continue substrate processing by heating by the remaining zones even if an abnormality occurs in multiple zones (for example, two).

[0079] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the abnormality handling method may adjust the in-plane temperature uniformity of each substrate W by changing the rotation speed of each mounting stage 211 while heating in the other zones when an abnormality occurs in any of the multiple zones Z1 to Z4. For example, when an abnormality occurs in a zone, the substrate processing apparatus 1 controls the rotation speed of each mounting stage 211 circulating the other zones to increase while significantly increasing the power supplied to the other zones. Even in this case, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can improve the in-plane temperature uniformity of each substrate W. Alternatively, when an abnormality occurs in a zone, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may adjust the in-plane temperature uniformity of the substrate processing by increasing the power supplied to the other zones while slowing down the rotation speed of each mounting stage 211 and further extending the substrate processing period.

[0080] [Regarding the technical concept and effects] The technical ideas and effects of this disclosure, as described in the embodiments above, are described below.

[0081] A first aspect of the present disclosure is a method for dealing with an abnormality in a substrate processing apparatus 1, which includes a processing container 11, a rotary table 21 rotatably provided inside the processing container 11, a mounting table 211 rotatably provided integrally with the rotary table 21 and rotatably provided relative to the rotary table 21 at a position away from the rotation center of the rotary table 21, and on which a substrate W is placed, and a heating unit 15 having a plurality of zones Z1 to Z4 divided radially in the rotary table 21, and capable of independently heating each of the plurality of zones Z1 to Z4 of the substrate W placed on the mounting table 211, the method comprising: (A) a step of determining whether an abnormality has occurred in any of the plurality of zones Z1 to Z4 of the heating unit 15; and (B) if a zone in which an abnormality has occurred has been determined in step (A), a step of heating the zones in the heating unit 15 that are not abnormal based on the abnormality dealing data held.

[0082] According to the above, the abnormality handling method, when an abnormality occurs in any of the multiple zones Z1 to Z4, can follow up on heating the substrate W using the zones where no abnormality has occurred, based on the information from the abnormality handling data. As a result, the abnormality handling method can continue the substrate processing of the substrate processing apparatus 1 smoothly, avoiding inconveniences such as the substrate W being discarded due to the substrate processing being stopped midway, and thereby improving the processing efficiency of the substrate W.

[0083] Furthermore, between steps (A) and (B), there is a step (C) which determines whether or not there is error handling data corresponding to the zone where the error occurred. If error handling data is found in step (C), step (B) is performed. If there is no error handling data in step (C), heating of the heating unit 15 is stopped and substrate processing is stopped. As a result, the error handling method can continue substrate processing only if error handling data is found, and the in-plane temperature uniformity of the substrate W can be improved by heating the zones where no error has occurred.

[0084] Furthermore, even if the power supplied to zones Z1 to Z4 where no abnormalities occur is increased, abnormality handling data is not pre-stored for zones where the in-plane temperature uniformity of the substrate W decreases. As a result, the abnormality handling method can eliminate waste in substrate processing by stopping the substrate processing early if the in-plane temperature uniformity of the substrate W decreases.

[0085] Furthermore, the anomaly handling data reduces the power supplied to the zone where the anomaly occurred to zero, while increasing the power supplied to the zones where no anomalies occurred compared to the power set before process (A). As a result, the anomaly handling method can maintain in-plane temperature uniformity of the substrate W even if an anomaly occurs in some zones, and the substrate processing can continue smoothly.

[0086] Furthermore, at least three zones Z1 to Z4 are provided along the radial direction of the rotary table 21. This allows the abnormality handling method to improve the in-plane temperature uniformity of the substrate W by using the remaining two zones even if an abnormality occurs in one zone.

[0087] Furthermore, the mounting base 211 is made of opaque quartz, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy. This allows the abnormality handling method to equalize the heat on the mounting base 211 on which the substrate W is placed, thereby further improving the in-plane temperature uniformity of the substrate W.

[0088] Furthermore, the system includes a temperature sensor 30 that detects the temperature of the substrate W placed on the mounting table 211, and in step (A), abnormalities in multiple zones Z1 to Z4 are determined based on the detection information from the temperature sensor 30. As a result, the abnormality handling method can accurately determine abnormalities in each zone Z1 to Z4.

[0089] Furthermore, in step (A), the power supplied to the heater wires 153 provided for each of the multiple zones Z1 to Z4 is monitored, and abnormalities in the multiple zones Z1 to Z4 are determined based on the power of the heater wires 153. Even in this case, the abnormality handling method can easily and quickly determine abnormalities in each of the zones Z1 to Z4.

[0090] Furthermore, if an abnormality in the heating unit 15 is detected by step (A), the method includes a step to notify the user of the abnormality in the heating unit 15. This allows the abnormality handling method to make the user aware of the abnormality in the heating unit 15 even if the substrate processing continues, and to allow the user to take the necessary action after the substrate processing.

[0091] Furthermore, a second aspect of the present disclosure is a substrate processing apparatus 1 comprising: a processing container 11; a rotary table 21 rotatably provided inside the processing container 11; a mounting table 211 rotatably provided integrally with the rotary table 21 and rotatably provided relative to the rotary table 21 at a position away from the rotation center of the rotary table 21, on which a substrate W is placed; a heating unit 15 having a plurality of zones Z1 to Z4 divided radially in the rotary table 21, capable of independently heating each of the plurality of zones Z1 to Z4 of the substrate W placed on the mounting table 211; and a control unit 90, wherein the control unit 90 controls (A) a step of determining whether an abnormality has occurred in any of the plurality of zones Z1 to Z4 of the heating unit 15; and (B) a step of heating the zones of the heating unit 15 that are not abnormal, based on the abnormality handling data held, when a zone in which an abnormality has occurred has been determined in step (A). Even in this case, the substrate processing apparatus 1 can continue substrate processing even if an abnormality occurs in some zones.

[0092] The abnormality handling method and substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiments disclosed herein are illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The embodiments can be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. The matters described in the above embodiments can be otherwise configured and combined in a non-consistent manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0093] 1 Substrate processing device 1 11 Processing container 15 Heating section 21 Rotating Table 211 Mounting platform W board Z1~Z4 Zone

Claims

1. Processing container and A rotating table is provided inside the processing container so as to be rotatable, A mounting platform on which a substrate is placed is provided, which is rotatable integrally with the aforementioned rotating table and rotatable relative to the aforementioned rotating table at a position away from the rotation center of the aforementioned rotating table, A method for dealing with abnormalities in a substrate processing apparatus, comprising a heating unit having a plurality of zones divided radially in the rotary table, and capable of independently heating each of the plurality of zones of the substrate placed on the aforementioned mounting base, (A) A step of determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred in any of the multiple zones of the heating section, (B) When an abnormality has occurred in a zone determined by the process in (A), the process includes heating the zones in which no abnormality has occurred in the heating section based on the abnormality handling data held, Troubleshooting methods.

2. Between step (A) and step (B), there is a step (C) in which it is determined whether or not there is any abnormality handling data corresponding to the zone in which the abnormality occurred. If the abnormality handling data is available in step (C) above, then step (B) above is performed. If no abnormality handling data is available in step (C) above, the heating of the heating section is stopped and the substrate processing is stopped. The method for dealing with abnormalities as described in claim 1.

3. For zones where the in-plane temperature uniformity of the substrate decreases even if the power supplied to the zones in which no abnormality occurs is increased, the abnormality handling data is not stored in advance. The method for dealing with abnormalities as described in claim 2.

4. The aforementioned anomaly handling data reduces the power supplied to the zone where the anomaly occurred to zero, while increasing the power supplied to the zone where no anomaly occurred to a level higher than the power set before step (A). An abnormality handling method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. The aforementioned multiple zones are provided in three or more locations along the radial direction of the rotary table. An abnormality handling method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

6. The mounting platform is made of opaque quartz, aluminum, or an aluminum alloy. An abnormality handling method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

7. The mounting base is equipped with a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the substrate placed on it, In step (A) above, an abnormality in the plurality of zones is determined based on the detection information from the temperature sensor. An abnormality handling method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

8. In step (A) above, the power supplied to the heater wires provided for each of the multiple zones is monitored, and an abnormality in the multiple zones is determined based on the power of the heater wires. An abnormality handling method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

9. If an abnormality in the heating unit is determined by the process described in (A) above, the process includes a step of notifying the user of the abnormality in the heating unit. An abnormality handling method according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

10. Processing container and A rotating table is provided inside the processing container so as to be rotatable, A mounting platform on which a substrate is placed is provided, which is rotatable integrally with the aforementioned rotating table and rotatable relative to the aforementioned rotating table at a position away from the rotation center of the aforementioned rotating table, A heating unit having a plurality of zones divided radially in the rotating table, capable of independently heating the substrate placed on the aforementioned mounting base for each of the plurality of zones, A substrate processing apparatus including a control unit, The control unit, (A) A step of determining whether or not an abnormality has occurred in any of the multiple zones of the heating section, (B) When an abnormality is determined in the process of (A) above, a step of heating the zones in which no abnormality has occurred in the heating section based on the abnormality handling data held, and a control of the process Circuit board processing equipment.

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