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

Abstract

This technology provides the ability to improve the productivity of substrate processing. [Solution] A technology is provided comprising: a processing chamber for processing substrates; a raw material supply unit having a plurality of interchangeable containers for storing raw materials and supplying raw materials to the processing chamber; a determination unit that checks the remaining amount of raw materials in the currently used container during substrate processing and determines whether it is necessary to switch the supply of raw materials from the currently used container to a standby container based on the remaining amount; and a control unit configured to control the system to switch the currently used container to a standby container and continue the supply of raw materials based on the determination result made by the determination unit.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] When forming a thin film on the surface of a semiconductor wafer, a substrate processing apparatus having a reactor provided with a wafer placement portion inside is used. A pipe for introducing a raw material gas or the like is connected to the reactor, and the raw material gas is introduced into the reactor from a raw material supply tank storing the raw material via the pipe.

[0003] Conventionally, when using a substance that is solid at room temperature, such as AlCl3, as a raw material in thin film formation by a substrate processing apparatus and supplying it into the reactor from the outside, a tank that is a container storing the solid raw material is provided, and the raw material is sublimated in the tank and supplied as a raw material gas to the reactor through a pipe. When the raw material is solid, there may be no means for replenishing the raw material into the raw material supply tank.

[0004] Therefore, when the solid raw material in the raw material supply tank runs out, the empty raw material supply tank is removed from the apparatus and replaced with a raw material supply tank filled sufficiently with the solid raw material. As an invention related to a substrate processing apparatus capable of supplying a raw material gas into a reactor from the outside to form a film on the wafer surface, for example, there is one described in Patent Document 1.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] However, conventionally, the raw material supply tank could only be replaced when the execution of the processing recipe in substrate processing was stopped, which leaves room for improvement.

[0007] This disclosure provides a technology that can improve the productivity of substrate processing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a technology is provided comprising: a processing chamber for processing substrates; a raw material supply unit having a plurality of interchangeable containers for storing raw materials and supplying the raw materials to the processing chamber; a determination unit that checks the remaining amount of the raw materials in the currently used container during processing of the substrates and determines from the remaining amount whether it is necessary to switch the supply of the raw materials from the currently used container to a standby container; and a control unit configured to control the system to switch the currently used container to a standby container and continue supplying the raw materials based on the determination result determined by the determination unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to this disclosure, it will be possible to improve the productivity of substrate processing. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0010] [Figure 1] This is a longitudinal cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of a vertical processing furnace of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the controller of a substrate processing apparatus according to one embodiment of the present disclosure, and shows the controller's control system in block diagram form. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart of a substrate processing step according to one embodiment of the present disclosure. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0011] <Structure of substrate processing apparatus> Figures 1 and 2 show a vertical processing furnace 29 used in a substrate processing apparatus 100, which is an example of a processing apparatus to which this disclosure is implemented. The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a processing chamber 2, a raw material supply unit 70, a determination unit 50, and a controller 41 as an example of a control unit. First, the general operation of the substrate processing apparatus 100 to which this disclosure is applied will be explained with reference to Figure 1. Note that the drawings used in the following explanation are all schematic, and the dimensional relationships and ratios of each element shown in the drawings do not necessarily correspond to reality. Furthermore, the dimensional relationships and ratios of each element do not necessarily correspond between multiple drawings.

[0012] Once a predetermined number of wafers 31, which serve as substrates, are transferred and loaded onto the boat 32, which acts as a holder, the boat 32 is raised by the boat elevator and brought into the processing furnace 29. When the boat 32 is fully brought in, the processing furnace 29 is hermetically sealed by the seal cap 35. Inside the hermetically sealed processing furnace 29, the wafers 31 are heated according to the selected processing recipe, and processing gas is supplied into the processing furnace 29. The atmosphere of the processing chamber 2 is discharged from the gas exhaust pipe 66 by an exhaust device (not shown) while the wafers 31 are processed. The processing chamber 2 is a space for processing the wafers 31.

[0013] Next, the processing furnace 29 will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. A reaction tube 1 is provided inside a heater 42, which is a heating device (heating means). A manifold 44, made of stainless steel or the like, is connected to the lower end of the reaction tube 1 via an O-ring 46, which is an airtight seal. The lower end opening (furnace mouth) of the manifold 44 is airtightly closed by a seal cap 35, which is a lid, via an O-ring 18, which is an airtight seal. At least the reaction tube 1, manifold 44, and seal cap 35 define the processing chamber 2.

[0014] A boat 32 is erected on the seal cap 35 via a boat support base 45. The boat support base 45 serves as a holder for the boat 32.

[0015] The raw material supply unit 70 has a plurality of replaceable containers, such as a first tank 71 and a second tank 72, for storing raw materials, and is the part that supplies raw materials to the processing chamber 2. A supply pipe 47 is provided as a supply path to supply, for example, vaporized raw materials to the processing chamber 2. A nozzle 56 is provided at the tip of the supply pipe 47, extending from the bottom to the top along the inner wall of the reaction tube 1. A supply hole 57 for supplying raw materials is provided on the side of the nozzle 56. The supply holes 57 are provided at equal pitches from the bottom to the top and each has the same opening area.

[0016] The upstream side of the supply pipe 47 branches into supply pipes 47a and 47b. The first tank 71 is detachably connected to supply pipe 47a. The second tank 72 is detachably connected to supply pipe 47b. The supply pipe 47, which is provided between the raw material supply unit 70 and the processing chamber 2, is equipped with valves 73a and 73b, which supply or stop the supply of raw materials from the first tank 71 and the second tank 72 to the processing chamber 2, respectively. The first tank 71 and the second tank 72 are provided in parallel with each other, and the valves 73a and 73b allow switching between the first tank 71 and the second tank 72. Note that three-way valves can also be used instead of valves 73a and 73b.

[0017] A buffer tank 74 may be provided between the first tank 71, the second tank 72, and the processing chamber 2 as a storage unit for temporarily accumulating raw materials. The buffer tank 74 is configured to supply raw materials to the processing chamber 2 even while switching from the tank currently in use (e.g., the first tank 71) to the standby tank (e.g., the second tank 72). A valve 75 is provided downstream of the buffer tank 74 in the supply pipe 47. Note that there are not limited to two tanks, but three or more. Furthermore, the buffer tank may be configured to supply raw materials to the processing chamber 2 even while switching between the tanks currently in use. This allows substrate processing to continue without interruption even when switching tanks.

[0018] The raw material is heated and vaporized, and is supplied as a raw material gas to the processing chamber 2. The first tank 71 and the second tank 72 have a vaporizer (e.g., a heating device) for vaporizing the raw material. In order to maintain the vaporized state of the raw material, the buffer tank 74 may have, for example, a heating structure. Note that the raw material in the first tank 71 and the second tank 72 may be a liquid or a gas. The raw material in the first tank 71 and the second tank 72 is, for example, a chlorine-containing solid raw material. As the raw material gas, for example, solid raw materials such as aluminum trichloride (AlCl3) can be used. Depending on the processing conditions of the substrate, it is also possible to use solid raw materials such as hafnium tetrachloride (HfCl4), molybdenum pentachloride (MoCl5), and molybdenum dioxide dichloride (MoO2Cl2).

[0019] The processing chamber 2 is connected to a vacuum pump 68, which is an exhaust device (exhaust means) for exhausting gas, via a gas exhaust pipe 66, and is evacuated. Note that the valve 67 as a pressure adjustment valve is an on-off valve that can open and close the valve to evacuate the processing chamber 2 and stop the evacuation, and can further adjust the valve opening degree to adjust the pressure.

[0020] A boat rotation mechanism 69 is provided on the seal cap 35, and the boat rotation mechanism 69 rotates the boat 32 in order to improve the uniformity of the processing.

[0021] As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate processing apparatus 100 has a controller 41 as a control unit for controlling the operations of each part.

[0022] The controller 41, which is a control unit (control means), includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 41a and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 41b. The controller 41 may be configured as a computer further including a storage unit 41c and an I / O port 41d. The RAM 41b, the storage unit 41c, and the I / O port 41d are configured to be able to exchange data with the CPU 41a via an internal bus 41e.

[0023] The storage unit 41c is composed of, for example, flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), etc. The storage unit 41c contains, in a readable format, control programs for controlling the operation of the substrate processing apparatus, process recipes describing the procedures and conditions for substrate processing (described later), and correction recipes. The process recipes and correction recipes are combined to allow the controller 41 to execute each procedure in the substrate processing process and characteristic verification process performed in substrate processing mode, thereby obtaining predetermined results; they function as programs. In this specification, the term "program" may include only process recipes or correction recipes, only the control program, or both. The RAM 41b is configured as a memory area (work area) where programs and data read by the CPU 41a are temporarily held.

[0024] The controller 41 is configured to be connectable to, for example, an external communication unit 411, an external storage unit 412, an operation unit 413 configured as a touch panel, and a notification unit 414. The controller 41 can send and receive information with other devices via the external communication unit 411 and the network. The notification unit 414 has the function of notifying the processing status of the wafer 31, and upon receiving a notification from the controller 41, it issues a notification prompting the replacement of the tank currently in use. This notification can be made understandable to the operator by any mechanism such as displaying a message, lighting or flashing a lamp, or sounding a buzzer. By clearly indicating the instruction to replace the tank, the operator can be made aware that a tank replacement is necessary. The controller 41 may also include a process control unit 51, a transport control unit 52, etc.

[0025] I / O port 41d is connected to, for example, a process control unit 51 that controls substrate processing and a transport control unit 52 that controls the transport of wafers 31. The process control unit 51 controls, for example, a temperature control unit 511, a gas flow rate control unit 512, and a pressure control unit 513. The transport control unit 52 controls a transport control unit 521 (in the narrow sense) for loading and unloading wafers 31, a rotation control unit 522, and a lifting control unit 523.

[0026] The controller 41 is not limited to being configured as a dedicated computer; it may also be configured as a general-purpose computer. For example, the controller 41 according to this embodiment can be configured by providing an external storage unit (e.g., a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory or memory card) 412 that stores the above-mentioned program, and installing the program on a general-purpose computer using the external storage unit 412. The means for supplying the program to the computer is not limited to supplying it via the external storage unit 412. For example, the program may be supplied without going through the external storage unit 412 by using communication means such as the internet or a dedicated line. The storage unit 41c and the external storage unit 412 are configured as computer-readable recording media. Hereinafter, these will be collectively referred to simply as recording media. In this specification, when the term recording media is used, it may include only the storage unit 41c, only the external storage unit 412, or both.

[0027] The determination unit 50 checks the remaining amount of raw material in the tank currently in use during substrate processing and determines, based on the remaining amount, whether or not it is necessary to switch the raw material supply from the tank currently in use to a standby tank.

[0028] The determination unit 50 may compare the remaining amount in the currently used tank with a predetermined threshold to determine whether or not a tank switch is necessary. The determination unit 50 compares the remaining amount in the currently used tank with the threshold at intervals of, for example, 100ms and notifies the controller 41 of the result. This allows the controller 41 to recognize the need to switch to the second tank 72 without depleting the remaining amount in the first tank 71, for example.

[0029] The determination unit 50 may notify the controller 41 of a determination result indicating that the tank currently in use should be switched to a standby tank if the remaining amount in the tank currently in use is less than a threshold.

[0030] Specifically, as shown in the flowchart in Figure 3, in step S1, the remaining amount of raw material in the currently used tank is obtained. In step S2, the remaining amount in the tank is compared with a threshold. In step S3, if the comparison result indicates that replacement is necessary, in step S4, a notification is sent to the controller 41 to switch tanks. In step S3, if the comparison result indicates that replacement is not necessary, the process returns to step S1. In this way, the determination unit 50 notifies the controller 41 when it determines that tank switching is necessary. By sending a notification only when tank replacement is necessary, the communication load can be reduced.

[0031] The determination unit 50 may notify the control unit of the determination result that it will not switch the currently used tank if the remaining amount in the currently used tank is greater than or equal to the threshold. For example, by including the remaining amount in the tank in the notification at this time, the change in the remaining amount in the tank becomes clear, and it becomes possible to display the remaining amount in the tank in real time, for example, on the notification unit 414.

[0032] The determination unit 50 does not need to notify the controller 41 of its determination result that the currently used tank will not be switched if the remaining amount in the tank currently in use is greater than or equal to the threshold. In other words, if the determination unit 50 determines that tank switching is unnecessary, it does not need to notify the controller 41, and only when it determines that tank switching is necessary does it notify the controller 41. By notifying only when necessary, the communication load can be reduced.

[0033] The controller 41 can control the system to switch the currently used tank to a standby tank based on the determination result made by the determination unit 50, thereby continuing the supply of raw materials. This switching control is performed, for example, by the process control unit 51 (Figure 2). This makes it possible to continue substrate processing without stopping the process when switching tanks, thereby improving the productivity of substrate processing.

[0034] The controller 41 may be capable of controlling the opening or closing of valve 73a of the first tank 71 and valve 73b of the second tank 72, respectively, based on the determination result. By providing valves 73a and 73b in this way, switching between the first tank 71 and the second tank 72 becomes easy. If a three-way valve is used instead of valves 73a and 73b, the same control as opening and closing valves 73a and 73b can be achieved by switching the valve of the three-way valve.

[0035] The controller 41 may be able to control the system to close a valve (e.g., valve 73a) in a tank currently in use (e.g., the first tank 71) based on the determination result of the determination unit 50. The controller 41 may also be able to control the system to open a valve in a standby tank based on the determination result of the determination unit 50. For example, if the controller 41 determines that the remaining amount in the first tank 71 is low, it will control the system to open valve 73b on the second tank 72 side. By allowing the controller 41 (specifically, the process control unit 51) to independently control the opening and closing of valves 73a and 73b, valve management becomes easier and valve control can be reliably performed.

[0036] The controller 41 may be capable of controlling the process to continue processing the wafer 31 even while switching between the currently used tank and the standby tank is taking place. Even if a switchover between the first tank 71 and the second tank 72 occurs during wafer 31 processing, the substrate processing can continue without being stopped. By having the controller 41 control the tank switching independently of the substrate processing, operation can be performed without affecting the substrate processing.

[0037] The determination unit 50 may determine whether to switch tanks at a period that allows for appropriate tank switching determination, for example, a period of 0.1 to 1 s. A more preferable period is 0.1 s. If the period is less than 0.1 s, the number of determinations performed by the determination unit 50 will increase, which may increase the load on the substrate processing device 100 and affect the processing of the substrate. If the period is greater than 1 s, the tank switching determination period will be longer, which may reduce the accuracy of the tank switching timing. By performing the determination at an appropriate period in this way, it is possible to reliably determine whether or not tank switching is necessary.

[0038] In this specification, numerical ranges such as "0.1~1s" mean that the lower and upper limits are included within that range. Therefore, for example, "0.1~1s" means "0.1s or more and 1s or less." The same applies to other numerical ranges.

[0039] The determination unit 50 may determine whether or not to switch tanks at the start or end of a recipe. This allows for tank switching without affecting the substrate processing.

[0040] The remaining amount may be calculated from the difference between the cumulative amount, which is calculated by accumulating the flow rate of the raw material per unit time reported during substrate processing, and the predefined capacity of the raw material in the tank. The controller 41 acquires the tank capacity when the tank is replaced. For example, there is an item for inputting the tank capacity on the screen to which the notification unit 414 notifies, and the tank capacity is entered when the tank is replaced. The determination unit 50 acquires the entered tank capacity as the remaining amount, updates the remaining amount by subtracting the flow rate reported by a mass flow controller (MFC) (not shown), and compares it with a threshold. Since the tank capacity is clearly defined in advance, the management of the remaining amount becomes easier.

[0041] The system may be equipped with pressure sensors for measuring the pressure inside multiple tanks. The determination unit 50 may then measure the remaining amount based on the pressure value measured by the pressure sensor in the currently used tank, and determine whether or not to switch the currently used tank based on the measured remaining amount. For example, although not shown, a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure inside the tank may be installed on the top of the tank to measure the pressure inside the tank, and the remaining amount may be calculated from the measured pressure. Alternatively, the threshold value may be set to pressure instead of remaining amount, and the pressure inside the tank may be compared with the threshold value. By determining whether or not to switch tanks based on the pressure inside the tank, an accurate determination can be made.

[0042] Although not shown in the diagram, each of the multiple tanks may be equipped with a weight sensor (load cell) to measure its weight. The determination unit 50 may then measure the remaining amount based on the weight measured by the weight sensor installed in the currently used tank, and determine whether or not to switch the currently used tank based on the measured remaining amount. For example, a weight sensor may be installed at the bottom of the tank to measure the weight of the tank. By using weight instead of remaining amount as the threshold, the need to switch tanks can be determined based on weight. Determining whether or not to switch tanks based on the weight of the tank allows for accurate determination.

[0043] The controller 41 may also notify the operator to replace the used tank after the tank switchover. When switching from the first tank 71 to the second tank 72, the first tank 71 needs to be replaced, so the controller 41 sends a notification indicating that the tank needs to be replaced. The notification may be sent to, for example, the notification unit 414, or to an information terminal connected to the external communication unit via the network, such as the email address of a pre-registered worker or administrator. By sending a tank replacement notification, the operator can be made aware that a tank replacement is necessary.

[0044] The system may further include a notification unit 414 for notifying the processing status of the wafer 31. When the notification unit 414 receives a notification from the controller 41, it may issue a notification prompting the operator to replace the tank currently in use. By issuing such a notification, the operator can be made aware that a tank replacement is necessary.

[0045] According to this embodiment, one or more of the above-described effects can be obtained.

[0046] Here, we will describe an example of substrate processing. When a predetermined number of wafers 31 are loaded into the boat 32 by a substrate transport device (not shown), a furnace opening shutter (not shown) opens, and the lower end of the processing furnace 29, which had been closed by the furnace opening shutter, is opened. Subsequently, the boat 32 holding the group of wafers 31 is loaded into the processing furnace 29 by a boat elevator (not shown) which raises the seal cap 35.

[0047] After loading, the wafer 31, which has been brought into the processing furnace 29, is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater 42. Then, a predetermined process such as film deposition is performed on the wafer 31 by the processing gas supplied from the nozzle 56. After processing, the wafer 31 is discharged in the reverse order of the above procedure.

[0048] During substrate processing, the determination unit 50 checks the remaining amount in the currently used tank (for example, the first tank 71), compares the remaining amount of raw material in the first tank 71 with a predetermined threshold, checks whether a tank switch is necessary, and if it is determined that a tank switch is necessary, it notifies the control unit 41.

[0049] Upon receiving notification from the determination unit 50, the control unit 41 determines that tank replacement is necessary and notifies the process control unit 51 to switch tanks.

[0050] Upon receiving notification from the control unit 41, the process control unit 51 controls the closing of valve 73a, which is located between the currently used first tank 71 and the buffer tank 74. It also controls the opening of valve 73b, which is located between the currently air-filled second tank 72 and the buffer tank 74.

[0051] The control unit 41 receives notification of tank switching from the determination unit 50 and controls the notification unit 414 to notify it of tank replacement.

[0052] The notification unit 414 receives a notification from the control unit 41 and notifies the user of a tank replacement message.

[0053] (Substrate processing method) The substrate processing method is: A process for processing wafer 31, A process of supplying raw materials from replaceable first tank 71 and second tank 72 (multiple tanks) in which raw materials are stored, The process involves checking the remaining amount of raw material in the currently used tank during substrate processing, and determining whether it is necessary to switch from the currently used tank to a standby tank based on the remaining amount. Based on the judgment result in the process of determining whether to switch, the process of switching the currently used tank to a standby tank to continue the supply of raw materials, It is equipped with.

[0054] (Method of manufacturing semiconductor devices) The method for manufacturing a semiconductor device is: A process for processing wafer 31, A process of supplying raw materials from replaceable first tank 71 and second tank 72 (multiple tanks) in which raw materials are stored, During the processing of the substrate, the remaining amount of raw material in the currently used tank is periodically checked, and based on the remaining amount, a process is determined to determine whether it is necessary to switch from the currently used tank to a standby tank. Based on the judgment result in the process of determining whether to switch, the process of switching the currently used tank to a standby tank to continue the supply of raw materials, It is equipped with.

[0055] (program) The program is Procedure for processing wafer 31, A procedure for supplying raw materials from replaceable first tank 71 and second tank 72 (multiple tanks) in which raw materials are stored, A procedure for periodically checking the remaining amount of raw material in the currently used tank during substrate processing, and determining whether it is necessary to switch from the currently used tank to a standby tank based on the remaining amount, Based on the results of the process for determining whether to switch, the procedure involves switching the currently used tank to a standby tank to continue the supply of raw materials. The computer causes the substrate processing device 100 to execute this.

[0056] (Other embodiments) Although embodiments of this disclosure have been described in detail above, this disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and can be modified in various ways without departing from its essence.

[0057] In this specification, the term "wafer" may refer to the wafer itself or to a laminate of a wafer and a predetermined layer or film formed on its surface. In this specification, the term "surface of the wafer" may refer to the surface of the wafer itself or to the surface of a predetermined layer formed on the wafer. In this specification, when it is stated that "a predetermined layer is formed on the wafer," it may mean that the predetermined layer is formed directly on the surface of the wafer itself or that the predetermined layer is formed on a layer already formed on the wafer. In this specification, the term "substrate" has the same meaning as when it is used with the term "wafer."

[0058] Furthermore, while the embodiments described above used film deposition in semiconductor devices as an example of the processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus, this disclosure is not limited to this. The technology of this disclosure can be applied to all processing performed by exposing a substrate on which a high aspect ratio pattern (i.e., a pattern with greater depth than width) has been formed to vaporized gas. That is, in addition to film deposition, it may also be a processing to form an oxide film, a nitride film, or a film containing a metal. Moreover, the specific content of the substrate processing is not limited, and it can be suitably applied not only to film deposition but also to other substrate processing such as annealing, oxidation, nitriding, diffusion, and lithography.

[0059] Furthermore, this disclosure can be suitably applied to other substrate processing equipment, such as annealing equipment, oxidation equipment, nitriding equipment, exposure equipment, coating equipment, drying equipment, heating equipment, and plasma-based processing equipment. Moreover, this disclosure may apply to a mixture of these equipment.

[0060] The above embodiment can be applied not only to semiconductor manufacturing equipment but also to equipment that processes glass substrates, such as LCD equipment. Furthermore, the type of film is not particularly limited. For example, it can be applied to metal compounds (W, Ti, Hf, etc.), silicon compounds (SiN, Si, etc.), etc. The film formation process includes, for example, CVD, PVD, processes for forming oxide films, nitride films, and processes for forming metal-containing films.

[0061] Furthermore, although this embodiment describes a semiconductor manufacturing process, this disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, this disclosure can also be applied to substrate processing such as the manufacturing process of liquid crystal devices, solar cells, light-emitting devices, glass substrate processing, ceramic substrate processing, and conductive substrate processing.

[0062] Furthermore, although this embodiment uses a tank as an example of a storage unit, it is not limited to any other unit that can store gas; for example, instead of a tank, piping capable of storing gas may be used.

[0063] Unless otherwise specified in the specification, each element is not limited to one, and may exist in multiple forms.

[0064] The above-described embodiments illustrate an example of forming a film using a batch-type substrate processing apparatus that processes multiple substrates at once. This disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and can be suitably applied, for example, to forming a film using a single-wafer substrate processing apparatus that processes one or several substrates at once. Furthermore, the above-described embodiments illustrate an example of forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus having a hot-wall type processing furnace. This disclosure is not limited to the above embodiments and can be suitably applied to forming a film using a substrate processing apparatus having a cold-wall type processing furnace.

[0065] Even when using these substrate processing devices, each process can be carried out using the same processing procedures and conditions as described above, and the same effects as described above can be obtained.

[0066] In this specification, a program may be a program recorded on a computer-readable recording medium or a program product. Alternatively, the program may be provided as a computer-readable recording medium on which the program is recorded.

[0067] Furthermore, it is possible to replace parts of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add configurations from other embodiments to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace parts of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0068] 2 Processing Room 29. Vertical processing furnace (substrate processing equipment) 41 Controller (Control Unit) 50 Judgment section 70 Raw material supply department 100 Substrate Processing Equipment

Claims

1. A processing room for processing substrates, A raw material supply unit having multiple replaceable containers in which raw materials are stored, and supplying the raw materials to the processing chamber, A determination unit that checks the remaining amount of the raw material in the currently used container during the processing of the substrate, and determines whether it is necessary to switch the supply of the raw material from the currently used container to a standby container based on the remaining amount, A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a control unit configured to switch the currently used container to a standby container based on the determination result determined by the determination unit, and to control the process to continue supplying the raw material.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to compare the remaining amount in the currently used container with a predetermined threshold value and determine whether or not it is necessary to switch the container.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit is configured to notify the control unit of the determination result, which indicates that the container currently in use will be switched to a standby container when the remaining amount in the container currently in use is less than the threshold.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit is configured to notify the control unit of a determination result that the currently used container will not be switched if the remaining amount in the currently used container is greater than or equal to the threshold.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the determination unit is configured not to notify the control unit of a determination result that the currently used container will not be switched if the remaining amount in the currently used container is greater than or equal to the threshold.

6. The supply pipe provided between the raw material supply unit and the processing chamber is equipped with valves for supplying or stopping the supply of raw materials from the plurality of containers to the processing chamber, respectively. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to control the opening or closing of each of the valves based on the determination result.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is configured to control the closing of a valve provided in the container currently in use based on the determination result of the determination unit.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the control unit is configured to control the opening of a valve provided in a standby container based on the determination result of the determination unit.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to continue processing the substrate even while switching between the currently used container and the standby container is taking place.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to determine the switching of the container at a period that allows for appropriate determination of the switching of the container.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to determine whether or not it is necessary to switch the container at the start of the substrate processing recipe or at the end of the recipe.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the remaining amount is calculated from the difference between the cumulative amount calculated by accumulating the flow rate of the raw material per unit time reported during the processing of the substrate and the predetermined volume of the raw material in the container.

13. Each of the aforementioned containers is equipped with a pressure sensor for measuring the pressure inside the container, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to measure the remaining amount based on the pressure value measured by the pressure sensor provided in the currently used container, and to determine whether or not it is necessary to switch the currently used container based on the measured remaining amount.

14. Each of the aforementioned containers is equipped with a weight sensor for measuring its weight, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit is configured to measure the remaining amount based on the weight measured by the weight sensor provided in the container currently in use, and to determine whether or not it is necessary to switch the container currently in use based on the measured remaining amount.

15. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to be controllable to notify the user to replace the used container after the container has been switched.

16. The system further includes a notification unit that notifies the processing status of the aforementioned substrate, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the notification unit is configured to issue a notification prompting the replacement of the container currently in use upon receiving the notification from the control unit.

17. Between the plurality of containers and the processing chamber, there is a storage section for temporarily accumulating the raw materials, The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit is configured to supply the raw material to the processing chamber even while the currently used container is being switched.

18. The process of processing the substrate, A step of supplying the raw materials from a plurality of interchangeable containers in which the raw materials are stored, The process of checking the remaining amount of the raw material in the currently used container during the processing of the substrate, and determining whether it is necessary to switch from the currently used container to a standby container based on the remaining amount, Based on the determination result in the process for determining the switch, the process of switching the currently used container to a standby container and continuing the supply of the raw material, A substrate processing method comprising:

19. The process of processing the substrate, A step of supplying the raw materials from a plurality of interchangeable containers in which the raw materials are stored, The process includes periodically checking the remaining amount of the raw material in the currently used container during the processing of the substrate, and determining whether it is necessary to switch from the currently used container to a standby container based on the remaining amount. Based on the determination result in the process for determining the switch, the process of switching the currently used container to a standby container and continuing the supply of the raw material, A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:

20. Procedures for processing the circuit board, A procedure for supplying the raw materials from multiple interchangeable containers in which the raw materials are stored, A procedure for periodically checking the remaining amount of the raw material in the currently used container during the processing of the substrate, and determining whether it is necessary to switch from the currently used container to a standby container based on the remaining amount, Based on the determination result in the process for determining the switch, the procedure involves switching the currently used container to a standby container and continuing the supply of the raw material. A program that a computer uses to instruct a circuit board processing unit to execute.

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