Substrate processing system and substrate processing method

Abstract

This technology provides a way to increase the throughput of substrate processing in substrate processing systems. [Solution] The disclosed substrate processing system includes a vacuum transfer chamber, a plurality of process modules, a plurality of transfer devices, and a control unit. The plurality of process modules are connected to the vacuum transfer chamber and configured to process substrates inside it. The plurality of transfer devices are arranged within the vacuum transfer space of the vacuum transfer chamber. The control unit is configured to control at least two of the plurality of transfer devices to transport substrates in parallel between the vacuum transfer chamber and at least two of the plurality of process modules.

Description

Technical Field

[0005] ,

[0001] Exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a substrate processing system and a substrate processing method.

Background Art

[0002] A substrate processing system is used in substrate processing. The substrate processing system includes a plurality of process modules and a transfer module. The transfer module has a transfer chamber and a transfer robot. The plurality of process modules are connected to the transfer chamber. The transfer robot loads a substrate into a selected process module among the plurality of process modules. The substrate is processed within the process module. Such a substrate processing system is described in Patent Document 1 below.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique for increasing the throughput of substrate processing in a substrate processing system.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] According to one exemplary embodiment, it is possible to increase the throughput of substrate processing in a substrate processing system. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0007] [Figure 1] This is a perspective view showing a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. [Figure 3] This figure shows a gas supply unit of a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. [Figure 4] This is a cross-sectional view showing a transport system in a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. [Figure 5] This is a perspective view showing an example of a transport device and a planar motor in a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart illustrating a substrate processing method according to one exemplary embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a block diagram of a computer (a type of circuit) capable of realizing the various control modes described herein. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0008] Various exemplary embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In each drawing, the same or corresponding parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0009] Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 is a plan view showing a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. Figure 2 shows a configuration located below the gas supply unit in a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment.

[0010] The substrate processing system 1 shown in Figures 1 and 2 includes a vacuum transfer chamber 10, a plurality of process modules 11 (PM), a plurality of transfer devices 20, and a control unit 2. The substrate processing system 1 may further include at least one gas supply unit 12, a load port 13, a loader module 14, and load lock modules 151, 152.

[0011] The load port 13 is configured to support one or more substrate carriers 16 placed on it. Each of the substrate carriers 16 is a container capable of housing multiple substrates W. Each of the substrate carriers 16 is, for example, a FOUP (Front Opening Unified Pod). The load port 13 is located along one of a pair of side walls of the atmospheric transport chamber 14c of the loader module 14.

[0012] The loader module 14 is positioned between the load port 13 and the load lock modules 151 and 152, respectively. The loader module 14 includes an atmospheric transport chamber 14c. The atmospheric transport chamber 14c has an atmospheric transport space 14s as its internal space. The pressure in the atmospheric transport space 14s is set to atmospheric pressure.

[0013] The loader module 14 further includes a transport robot 14r. The transport robot 14r is located inside the atmospheric transport chamber 14c. Under the control of the control unit 2, the transport robot 14r is configured to transport the substrate W between the substrate carrier 16 and the respective pre-depressurization chambers of the load lock modules 151 and 152, which will be described later, via the atmospheric transport space 14s.

[0014] Each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 is arranged along the other of the pair of side walls of the atmospheric transport chamber 14c. Each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 is positioned between the atmospheric transport chamber 14c and the vacuum transport chamber 10. Each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 has a pre-depressurization chamber. Each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 is connected to the atmospheric transport chamber 14c via a gate valve. The pre-depressurization chambers of each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 and the atmospheric transport chamber 14c are connected by opening the gate valve between them and isolated from each other by closing the gate valve. Each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 is also connected to the vacuum transport chamber 10 via a gate valve.

[0015] The vacuum transfer chamber 10 has a vacuum transfer space 10s as its internal space. The vacuum transfer space 10s can be set to a reduced pressure state or a vacuum state by a pump connected to the vacuum transfer chamber 10. The vacuum transfer space 10s and the respective pre-reduced pressure chambers of the load lock modules 151 and 152 are connected by opening the gate valves between them and isolated from each other by closing the gate valves.

[0016] In one embodiment, the vacuum transfer chamber 10 may have a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. That is, the vacuum transfer chamber 10 may include a pair of first side walls extending along its longitudinal direction and a pair of second side walls extending along its short side direction. One of the pair of second side walls constitutes one end of the vacuum transfer chamber 10 in the longitudinal direction. The other of the pair of second side walls constitutes the other end of the vacuum transfer chamber 10 in the longitudinal direction. The vacuum transfer chamber 10 is connected to each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 via a gate valve disposed along one of the pair of second side walls.

[0017] The substrates W disposed in the preliminary decompression chambers of each of the load lock modules 151 and 152 are transferred from the preliminary decompression chambers into the vacuum transfer space 10s by any one of the plurality of transfer devices 20. The substrates W in the vacuum transfer space 10s are transferred into the processing chamber of any one of the plurality of process modules 11 by any one of the plurality of transfer devices 20. An example of the plurality of transfer devices 20 will be described later.

[0018] Each of the plurality of process modules 11 is disposed along the vacuum transfer chamber 10. In the illustrated example, the plurality of process modules 11 includes process modules 111 to 116. Note that the number of process modules 11 in the substrate processing system 1 can be any number of two or more. In one embodiment, the process modules 111, 113, and 115 may be arranged along one of the pair of first side walls of the vacuum transfer chamber 10. Also, the process modules 112, 114, and 116 may be arranged along the other of the pair of first side walls of the vacuum transfer chamber 10.

[0019] Each of the plurality of process modules 11 is connected to the vacuum transfer chamber 10 via a gate valve. Each of the plurality of process modules 11 has a processing chamber. The processing chamber of each of the plurality of process modules 11 has a processing space as its internal space. The processing space of each of the plurality of process modules 11 and the vacuum transfer space 10s communicate with each other by opening the gate valve therebetween and are blocked from each other by closing the gate valve.

[0020] Each of the plurality of process modules 11 is configured to process the substrate W within its processing space. The processing performed in each of the plurality of process modules 11, that is, the substrate processing, is a film forming process, an etching process (e.g., plasma etching process), an ashing process, a cleaning process, etc., but is not limited thereto.

[0021] At least one gas supply unit 12 is configured to supply a processing gas used in the substrate processing in each of the plurality of process modules 11 to the plurality of process modules 11. In the illustrated example, the substrate processing system 1 includes a plurality of gas supply units 12. The plurality of gas supply units 12 may include gas supply units 121 to 123. Note that the number of gas supply units in the substrate processing system 1 can be any number of one or more.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the gas supply unit of a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. Each of the plurality of gas supply units 12 includes at least one flow controller. In each of the plurality of gas supply units 12, at least one flow controller may be disposed in a box-shaped housing. Each of the plurality of gas supply units 12 is also called a gas box.

[0023] As shown in Figure 3, each of the multiple gas supply units 12 may include N flow controllers, i.e., flow controllers 1221 to 122N. Each of the multiple gas supply units 12 may further include primary valves 1211 to 121N and secondary valves 1231 to 123N. Each of the flow controllers 1221 to 122N is connected to multiple gas sources via primary valves 1211 to 121N. Each of the flow controllers 1221 to 122N joins a common gas pipe via secondary valves 1231 to 123N. The common gas pipe may be connected to one process module 11, or it may be connected to two or more process modules 11 via branch gas pipes.

[0024] In one embodiment, each of the plurality of gas supply units 12 may be connected to at least two process modules 11. In the example shown in Figures 1 and 2, gas supply unit 121 may be connected to process modules 111 and 112, and may supply process gas whose flow rate is adjusted by its flow controller to process modules 111 and 112. Gas supply unit 122 may be connected to process modules 113 and 114, and may supply process gas whose flow rate is adjusted by its flow controller to process modules 113 and 114. Gas supply unit 123 may be connected to process modules 115 and 116, and may supply process gas whose flow rate is adjusted by its flow controller to process modules 115 and 116.

[0025] In one embodiment, each of the multiple gas supply units 12 may be located above or above the vacuum transport chamber 10. In one embodiment, two process modules 11 connected to the same gas supply unit 12 may be arranged such that the vacuum transport chamber 10 is located between them. Two process modules 11 connected to the same gas supply unit 12 may be arranged along the shorter direction of the vacuum transport chamber 10 such that the vacuum transport chamber 10 is located between them. Alternatively, the same gas supply unit 12 may be located between the two process modules 11 and above or above the vacuum transport chamber 10. In this case, the lengths of the piping connecting the two process modules 11 to the same gas supply unit 12 may be the same.

[0026] In the examples shown in Figures 1 and 2, process modules 111 and 112 may be arranged such that the vacuum transfer chamber 10 is located between them. The gas supply unit 121 may also be located between process modules 111 and 112, and above or above the vacuum transfer chamber 10. In this case, the difference in length between the gas pipe connecting the gas supply unit 121 and process module 111 and the gas pipe connecting the gas supply unit 121 and process module 112 can be reduced or eliminated.

[0027] Furthermore, process modules 113 and 114 may be arranged such that the vacuum transfer chamber 10 is located between them. Also, the gas supply unit 122 may be located between process modules 113 and 114, and above or above the vacuum transfer chamber 10. In this case, the difference in length between the gas pipe connecting the gas supply unit 122 and process module 113 and the gas pipe connecting the gas supply unit 122 and process module 114 can be reduced or eliminated.

[0028] Furthermore, process modules 115 and 116 may be arranged such that the vacuum transfer chamber 10 is located between them. Also, the gas supply unit 123 may be located between process modules 115 and 116, and above or above the vacuum transfer chamber 10. In this case, the difference in length between the gas pipe connecting the gas supply unit 123 and process module 115 and the gas pipe connecting the gas supply unit 123 and process module 116 can be reduced or eliminated.

[0029] The control unit 2 is composed of circuits as described later. The control unit 2 is configured to control each part of the substrate processing system 1. The control unit 2 is configured to control at least two transport devices 20 located in the vacuum transport space 10s to transport the substrate W in parallel between the vacuum transport chamber 10 and at least two of the process modules 11 among the plurality of process modules 11. The parallel transport of the substrate W by the control unit 2 includes at least one of the following (a), (b), and (c). The transport in (a) involves transporting the substrate W from the vacuum transport chamber 10 to at least two process modules 11 in parallel. The transport in (b) involves transporting the substrate W from the vacuum transport chamber 10 to at least one process module 11, and transporting the substrate W from at least one other process module 11 to the vacuum transport chamber 10 in parallel. The transport in (c) involves transporting the substrate W from at least two process modules 11 to the vacuum transport chamber 10 in parallel.

[0030] In one embodiment, the control unit 2 is configured to perform (a). That is, in one embodiment, the control unit 2 may be configured to control at least two transport devices 20 to transport at least two substrates W from the vacuum transport space 10s to at least two process modules 11, respectively. In (a), the at least two substrates W are transported to at least two process modules 11 simultaneously or in parallel. That is, the periods during which the at least two substrates W are transported to at least two process modules 11 may coincide with each other or partially overlap. The control unit 2 may also be configured to control at least two process modules 11 to perform substrate processing (e.g., the same substrate processing) on ​​at least two substrates W in parallel within the at least two process modules 11. That is, the periods during which the at least two substrates W undergo substrate processing in at least two process modules 11 may coincide with each other or partially overlap. Furthermore, the control unit 2 may be configured to perform (c). That is, the control unit 2 may be configured to control at least two transport devices 20 to transport substrates W from at least two process modules 11 to the vacuum transport space 10s, respectively. In (c), at least two substrates W are transported from at least two process modules 11 to the vacuum transport chamber 10 simultaneously or in parallel. That is, the periods during which at least two substrates W are transported from at least two process modules 11 to the vacuum transport chamber 10 may coincide or partially overlap.

[0031] In the examples shown in Figures 1 and 2, two substrates W may be transported to process modules 111 and 112 by two transport devices 20, and substrate processing (e.g., identical substrate processing) may be performed on the two substrates W in parallel in process modules 111 and 112. Alternatively, two substrates W may be transported to process modules 113 and 114 by two transport devices 20, and substrate processing (e.g., identical substrate processing) may be performed on the two substrates W in parallel in process modules 113 and 114. Furthermore, two substrates W may be transported to process modules 115 and 116 by two transport devices 20, and substrate processing (e.g., identical substrate processing) may be performed on the two substrates W in parallel in process modules 115 and 116.

[0032] According to the substrate processing system 1, at least two substrates W are transported simultaneously or in parallel between at least two process modules 11 and the vacuum transport chamber 10, resulting in a high substrate processing throughput. Furthermore, in one embodiment, substrate processing is performed in parallel on at least two substrates W in at least two process modules 11, resulting in an even higher substrate processing throughput.

[0033] In one embodiment, when an odd number of substrates are placed in the first substrate carrier on the load port 13 among a plurality of substrate carriers 16, the control unit 2 may transport the first substrate in the first substrate carrier and the second substrate in the second substrate carrier on the load port 13 to two process modules 11 using the loader module 14 and two transport devices 20, respectively. The first substrate may be a single substrate remaining in the first substrate carrier. The control unit 2 may then control the two process modules 11 to perform substrate processing (e.g., processing the same substrate) on the first substrate and the second substrate in parallel (or simultaneously) within the two process modules 11. In this way, the control unit 2 can control each part of the substrate processing system 1 so that substrate processing can be performed on two substrates W in parallel within the two process modules 11, even if an odd number of substrates remain in the substrate carrier 16.

[0034] Hereinafter, with reference to Figures 4 and 5, a transport system 100 of an example of a substrate processing system 1 including multiple transport devices 20 will be described. Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a transport system in a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing an example of a transport device and a planar motor in a substrate processing system according to one exemplary embodiment.

[0035] In one embodiment, the transport system 100 may be configured to move a plurality of transport devices 20 using a planar motor 30 (linear motor unit). In this case, the transport system 100 includes a plurality of transport devices 20 and a planar motor 30.

[0036] The planar motor 30 includes a main body 31, a plurality of electromagnetic coils 32, and a drive source 33. The main body 31 constitutes the bottom of the vacuum transport chamber 10. The plurality of electromagnetic coils 32 are arranged throughout the interior of the main body 31 and are located below the vacuum transport space 10s. The plurality of electromagnetic coils 32 may be arranged two-dimensionally throughout the interior of the main body 31. The drive source 33 is configured to supply current to the plurality of electromagnetic coils 32 individually. The supply and cessation of current from the drive source 33 to each of the plurality of electromagnetic coils 32, as well as the direction and magnitude of the current from the drive source 33 to each of the plurality of electromagnetic coils 32, are controlled by the control unit 2. Under the control of the control unit 2, a magnetic field is generated in the vacuum transport space 10s by supplying current from the drive source 33 to one or more selected electromagnetic coils 32.

[0037] Each of the multiple transport devices 20 includes a base 21 and an end effector 22. The base 21 includes multiple magnets 23 (e.g., permanent magnets). The multiple magnets 23 are arranged within the base 21. The multiple magnets 23 may be arranged two-dimensionally within the base 21. The end effector 22 is supported by the base 21. The end effector 22 is configured to support a substrate W placed on it. The end effector 22 may also be configured to support consumable parts such as a ring member (e.g., an edge ring used in a plasma processing device) placed on it.

[0038] In the transport system 100, by setting the direction of the current supplied from the drive source 33 to the multiple electromagnetic coils 32 (i.e., multiple electromagnets) and multiple magnets 23 so that they repel each other, the transport device 20 can be levitated from the main body 31 in the vacuum transport space 10s by the principle of magnetic levitation. Furthermore, by individually controlling the current supplied from the drive source 33 to the multiple electromagnetic coils 32 by the control unit 2, the transport device 20 can be moved along the surface of the main body 31 while levitating in the vacuum transport space 10s, thereby controlling the position of the transport device 20. In addition, the amount of levitation of the transport device 20 can be controlled by controlling the magnitude of the current.

[0039] According to the transport system 100, the control unit 2 controls the movement of each of the multiple transport devices 20 by controlling the drive source 33, so that each of the multiple transport devices 20 can transport the substrate W in the vacuum transport space 10s between the vacuum transport space 10s and the multiple process modules 11 or between the vacuum transport space 10s and the pre-depressurization chamber. Furthermore, multiple substrates W can be transported simultaneously or in parallel by the multiple transport devices 20.

[0040] The following describes a substrate processing method according to one exemplary embodiment. The substrate processing method may be performed using a substrate processing system 1. In the substrate processing method, each part of the substrate processing system 1 may be controlled by a control unit 2. The substrate processing method includes at least one of the following steps (a), (b), and (c). In step (a), the substrate W is transported in parallel from the vacuum transport chamber 10 to at least two process modules 11 by at least two transport devices 20 of a plurality of transport devices 20 located in the vacuum transport space 10s. In step (b), the substrate W is transported from at least one other process module 11 to the vacuum transport chamber 10 in parallel with the transport of the substrate W from the vacuum transport chamber 10 to at least one process module 11 by at least two transport devices 20 located in the vacuum transport space 10s. In step (c), the substrate W is transported in parallel from at least two process modules 11 to the vacuum transport chamber 10 by at least two transport devices 20 located in the vacuum transport space 10s. For details of each of the steps (a), (b), and (c), please refer to the above-mentioned explanation of the control by the control unit 2 of the substrate processing system 1.

[0041] The following describes a substrate processing method according to one exemplary embodiment, with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing a substrate processing method according to one exemplary embodiment. The substrate processing method shown in Figure 6 (hereinafter referred to as "Method MT") can be performed using a substrate processing system 1. In each step of Method MT, each part of the substrate processing system 1 can be controlled by a control unit 2. Method MT includes steps STa, STb, and STc. Method MT may include only one or only two of steps STa, STb, and STc.

[0042] As shown in Figure 6, method MT includes steps STa and STb. Method MT may further include step STc. In step STa, at least two substrates W are transported from the vacuum transport chamber 10 to at least two process modules 11 by at least two transport devices 20 located in the vacuum transport space 10s. The at least two substrates W may be transported simultaneously or in parallel. In one embodiment, the at least two substrates W may be transported by moving the at least two transport devices 20 using a drive source 33.

[0043] In one embodiment, in process STa, if an odd number of substrates are placed in the first substrate carrier on the load port 13 among the multiple substrate carriers 16, the first substrate in the first substrate carrier and the second substrate in the second substrate carrier on the load port 13 may be transported to two process modules 11 using the loader module 14 and two transport devices 20. The first substrate may be a single substrate remaining in the first substrate carrier.

[0044] Process STb may be performed after process STa. In process STb, substrate processing (e.g., processing the same substrate) is performed in parallel (or simultaneously) on at least two substrates W within at least two process modules 11.

[0045] In one embodiment, step STb may include supplying a processing gas used in substrate processing from one gas supply unit 12 to at least two process modules 11. The flow rate of the processing gas supplied from one gas supply unit 12 to at least two process modules 11 is controlled by at least one flow rate controller of one gas supply unit 12.

[0046] In step STb, the processing gas used in substrate processing in at least two process modules 11 may be supplied to the at least two process modules 11 from a gas supply unit 12 located above or above the vacuum transfer chamber 10. The two process modules 11 that perform substrate processing may be arranged such that the vacuum transfer chamber 10 is located between them. In step STb, the processing gas used in substrate processing in the two process modules 11 may be supplied to the two process modules 11 from a gas supply unit 12 located between these two process modules 11 and above or above the vacuum transfer chamber 10.

[0047] In one embodiment, step STb may involve substrate processing (e.g., processing the same substrate) performed in parallel with (or simultaneously with) the first and second substrates described above within two process modules 11.

[0048] Step STc may be performed after step STb. In step STc, at least two substrates W are transported from at least two process modules 11 to the vacuum transport chamber 10 by at least two transport devices 20 located in the vacuum transport space 10s. The at least two substrates W may be transported simultaneously or in parallel. In one embodiment, the at least two substrates W may be transported by moving the at least two transport devices 20 using a drive source 33. In method MT, step (b) described above may be performed at any time during the period in which method MT is performed.

[0049] The following describes an example of a circuit (control circuit) that may constitute the control unit 2 of the substrate processing system 1.

[0050] Figure 7 illustrates a block diagram of a computer (a type of circuit) capable of implementing the various control modes described herein. Furthermore, the control modes of this disclosure can be implemented as a system, method, and / or computer program product. The computer program product may include a computer-readable storage medium on which computer-readable program instructions causing one or more processing units to execute the modes of this embodiment are recorded.

[0051] A computer-readable storage medium may be a tangible device capable of storing instructions used by an instruction execution device (processor). A computer-readable storage medium may, but is not limited to, an electronic storage device, a magnetic storage device, an optical storage device, an electromagnetic storage device, a semiconductor storage device, or any suitable combination thereof. More specific examples of computer-readable storage media include, but are not exhaustive, flexible disks, hard disks, solid-state drives (SSDs), random-access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash), static random-access memory (SRAM), compact disks (CD or CD-ROM), digital multipurpose disks (DVDs), memory cards or memory sticks (and suitable combinations thereof). In this disclosure, a computer-readable storage medium should not be interpreted as, for example, a radio wave or other freely propagating electromagnetic wave, an electromagnetic wave propagating through a waveguide or other transmission medium (e.g., an optical pulse passing through an optical fiber cable), or a transient signal itself, such as an electrical signal transmitted through a wire.

[0052] The computer-readable program instructions described in this disclosure can be downloaded from a computer-readable storage medium to a suitable computing device or processing device, or they can be downloaded to an external computer or external storage device via a global network (i.e., the Internet), a local area network, a wide area network, and / or a wireless network. Networks include transmission copper wires, optical fiber, wireless communications, routers, firewalls, switches, gateway computers, and / or edge servers. The network adapter card or network interface of each computing device or processing device can receive computer-readable program instructions from the network, transfer those computer-readable program instructions, and store them in a computer-readable storage medium within the computing device or processing device.

[0053] Computer-readable program instructions for performing the operations of the Disclosure may include machine language instructions and / or microcode. These instructions can be compiled or interpreted from source code written in any combination of one or more programming languages, including assembly language, Basic, Fortran, Java®, Python, R, C, C++, C#, etc. Computer-readable program instructions can be fully executed on a user's personal computer, notebook computer, tablet, or smartphone, or may be fully executed on a remote computer or computer server, or any combination of these computing devices. A remote computer or computer server may be connected to one or more of the user's devices via a computer network, including a local area network, a wide area network, or a global network (i.e., the Internet). Alternatively, electronic circuits, including, for example, programmable logic circuits, field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), or programmable logic arrays (PLAs), may be configured or customized to execute computer-readable program instructions using information from the computer-readable program instructions and implement embodiments of the Disclosure.

[0054] This specification will describe aspects of the present disclosure with reference to flowcharts and block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems), and computer program products according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Those skilled in the art will understand that each block in the flowcharts and block diagrams, as well as combinations of blocks in the flowcharts and block diagrams, can be implemented by computer-readable program instructions.

[0055] Computer-readable program instructions capable of implementing the systems and methods described herein may be supplied to one or more processors (and / or one or more cores within a processor) of a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or other programmable device. This makes it possible to generate a machine that constructs a system for implementing the functions specifically shown in the flowcharts and block diagrams of this disclosure, through instructions executed via the processors of the computer or other programmable device. These computer-readable program instructions may also be stored in a computer-readable storage medium that can instruct the computer, programmable device, and / or other device to function in a particular manner. The computer-readable storage medium storing the instructions is a product containing instructions that implement the embodiments of the functions specifically shown in the flowcharts and block diagrams of this disclosure.

[0056] Furthermore, computer-readable program instructions can be loaded into a computer, another programmable device, or other device, and a series of operations can be executed on that computer, other programmable device, or other device to realize a computer implementation process. Therefore, the functions specifically shown in the flowcharts and block diagrams of this disclosure can be realized by instructions executed on a computer, another programmable device, or other device.

[0057] Figure 7 is a functional block diagram showing a network system 800 in which one or more computers and servers are connected to a network. In one embodiment, the hardware and software environments illustrated in Figure 7 may serve as an exemplary platform for implementing the software and / or methods relating to this disclosure.

[0058] Referring to Figure 7, the network system 800 may include, but is not limited to, a computer 805, a network 810, a remote computer 815, a web server 820, a cloud storage server 825, and a computer server 830. In some embodiments, one or more examples of the functional blocks illustrated in Figure 7 may be used.

[0059] Further details of computer 805 are shown in Figure 7. The functional blocks illustrated within computer 805 are merely illustrative examples for constructing exemplary functions and do not encompass all of its capabilities. Details of the remote computer 815, web server 820, cloud storage server 825, and computer server 830 are not shown, but these computers and devices may also include functions similar to those shown for computer 805.

[0060] Computer 805 may be a personal computer (PC), desktop computer, laptop computer, tablet computer, netbook computer, personal data assistant (PDA), smartphone, or other programmable electronic device capable of communicating with other devices on network 810.

[0061] The computer 805 may include a processing unit 835, a bus 837, memory 840, a non-volatile storage device 845, a network interface 850, a peripheral device interface 855, and a display device interface 865. In some embodiments, these functions may be implemented as individual electronic subsystems (integrated circuit chips or combinations of chips and associated devices), while in other embodiments, some of the combinations of functions may be implemented on a single chip (also known as a system-on-a-chip or SoC).

[0062] The processing unit 835 may be one or more single-chip or multi-chip microprocessors designed and / or manufactured by Intel Corporation, Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), Arm Holdings, Apple Computer, etc. Examples of microprocessors include Intel Corporation's Celeron, Pentium®, Core i3, Core i5, Core i7, AMD's Opteron, Phenom, Athlon, Turion, Ryzen, and Arm's Cortex-A, Cortex-R, Cortex-M, etc.

[0063] Bus 837 may be a proprietary or industry-standard high-speed parallel or serial peripheral interconnect bus such as ISA, PCI, PCI Express (PCI-e), or AGP.

[0064] The memory 840 and the non-volatile storage device 845 may be computer-readable storage media. The memory 840 may include any suitable volatile storage device such as dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and static random access memory (SRAM). The non-volatile storage device 845 may include one or more of the following: flexible disk, hard disk, solid-state drive (SSD), read-only memory (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash), compact disk (CD or CD-ROM), digital multipurpose disk (DVD), memory card, or memory stick.

[0065] The program 848 may be a collection of machine-readable instructions and / or machine-readable data used to create, manage, and control specific software functions as described in detail and illustrated in the drawings herein. In some embodiments, the memory 840 may be much faster than the non-volatile storage device 845. In that case, the program 848 may be transferred from the non-volatile storage device 845 to the memory 840 and then executed by the processing unit 835. The program 848 includes computer program code. In one implementation, the memory storing the computer program code comprises at least one processing unit (such as a processing circuit described later) for carrying out the control process and claimed advanced embodiments of the disclosure.

[0066] Computer 805 may communicate and interact with other computers via network 810 using network interface 850. Network 810 may be, for example, a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, or a combination thereof, and may include wired, wireless, or fiber optic connections. In general, network 810 can be any combination of connections and protocols that support communication between two or more computers and associated devices.

[0067] The peripheral interface 855 may enable data input and output via other devices that can be locally connected to the computer 805. For example, the peripheral interface 855 may enable connection to an external device 860. The external device 860 may include devices such as a keyboard, mouse, keypad, touchscreen, and / or other suitable input devices. The external device 860 may also include portable computer-readable storage media such as a thumb drive, portable optical or magnetic disk, and memory card. Software and data used to implement embodiments of the present disclosure (e.g., program 848) may be stored on such portable computer-readable storage media. In this case, the software may be loaded into the non-volatile storage device 845, or it may be loaded directly into memory 840 via the peripheral interface 855. The peripheral interface 855 may use industry-standard connections such as RS-232 or Universal Serial Bus (USB) to connect to the external device 860.

[0068] The computer 805 may be connected to the display device 870 via the display device interface 865. In one embodiment, the display device 870 may be used to present a command line or a graphical user interface to the user of the computer 805. The display device interface 865 may be connected to the display device 870 using one or more proprietary or industry standard connections such as VGA, DVI, DisplayPort, HDMI®, etc.

[0069] As described above, the network interface 850 enables communication with other computing systems or storage systems or computing devices or storage devices outside of computer 805. The software programs and data described herein may be downloaded to the non-volatile storage device 845 via the network interface 850 and network 810 from, for example, a remote computer 815, a web server 820, a cloud storage server 825, or a computer server 830. Furthermore, the systems and methods described herein may be implemented by one or more computers connected to computer 805 via the network interface 850 and network 810. For example, in one embodiment, the systems and methods described herein may be implemented by a combination of remote computer 815, computer server 830, or computers interconnected on network 810.

[0070] The data, datasets, and / or databases used in the embodiments of the systems and methods described herein may be stored in or downloaded from a remote computer 815, a web server 820, a cloud storage server 825, or a computer server 830.

[0071] The circuits used in this application can be defined as one or more of the following: electronic components (such as semiconductor devices), a plurality of electronic components directly connected to each other or interconnected via electronic communication, a computer, a network of computer devices, a remote computer, a web server, a cloud storage server, or a computer server. For example, each of the one or more of the computer, remote computer, web server, cloud storage server, and computer server may be included as a component of the circuit or may include the circuit. In some embodiments, one or more examples of these components may be used, and each of the one or more examples of these components may also be included in the circuit or include the circuit. In some embodiments, a circuit represented by a network system may include a serverless computing system that corresponds to virtualized hardware resources. A circuit represented by a computer may be a personal computer (PC), a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a netbook computer, a personal data assistant (PDA), a smartphone, or other programmable electronic device capable of communicating with other devices on a network. The circuit may be a general-purpose computer, a dedicated computer, or other programmable device described herein that includes one or more processing units. Each processing unit may be one or more single-chip microprocessors or multi-chip microprocessors. One or more processing units are considered processing circuits or circuits because they incorporate transistors and other circuits. The circuits can implement the systems and methods described in this disclosure based on computer-readable program instructions. These program instructions are supplied to one or more processing units (and / or one or more cores within processing units) of one or more general-purpose computers, dedicated computers, or other programmable devices described herein. This makes it possible to generate a machine that constructs a system for implementing the functions specifically shown in the flowcharts and block diagrams of this disclosure, through instructions contained within the circuits or executed via one or more processing units of a programmable device containing the circuits.Alternatively, a circuit may be a pre-programmed structure, such as a programmable logic device or an application-specific integrated circuit. A circuit is considered a circuit whether it is used alone or in combination with other programmable circuits or other pre-programmed circuits.

[0072] In light of the above teachings, it is clear that numerous modifications and variations of the present invention are possible. Therefore, it should be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the present invention can be implemented in forms other than those specifically described herein.

[0073] Although various exemplary embodiments have been described above, the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above, and various additions, omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made. Furthermore, it is possible to combine elements from different embodiments to form other embodiments.

[0074] Herein, various exemplary embodiments included in this disclosure are described in [E1] to [E14] below.

[0075] [E1] A vacuum transfer chamber having a vacuum transfer space, Multiple process modules connected to the vacuum transfer chamber and configured to process substrates inside it, Multiple transport devices arranged within the vacuum transport space, Control unit and Equipped with, The control unit, Controlling at least two of the aforementioned multiple transport devices, (a) Transporting substrates from the vacuum transport chamber to at least two of the plurality of process modules in parallel, (b) Transporting a substrate from at least one other process module among the plurality of process modules to the vacuum transport chamber in parallel with transporting a substrate from the vacuum transport chamber to at least one process module among the plurality of process modules, and (c) Transporting substrates in parallel to the vacuum transport chamber from at least two of the plurality of process modules, It is configured to perform at least one of the following: PCB processing system.

[0076] [E2] The substrate processing system according to E1, wherein the control unit is configured to further control the at least two process modules after (a) to perform substrate processing in parallel within the at least two process modules.

[0077] [E3] The substrate processing system further comprises a gas supply unit including at least one flow controller, The gas supply unit is connected to the at least two process modules and is configured to supply to the at least two process modules a processing gas used in the substrate processing, the processing gas whose flow rate is adjusted by the at least one flow controller. The substrate processing system described in E2.

[0078] [E4] The substrate processing system according to E3, wherein the gas supply unit is located above or above the vacuum transfer chamber.

[0079] [E5] The two process modules, which are at least two process modules, are arranged such that the vacuum transfer chamber is located between them. The gas supply unit is located between the two process modules and above or above the vacuum transfer chamber. The substrate processing system described in E4.

[0080] [E6] Load port and, A load lock module connected to the vacuum transfer chamber, A loader module having an atmospheric transport space and positioned between the load port and the load lock module, Furthermore, The control unit, When an odd number of substrates are arranged in a first substrate carrier positioned on the load port, the first substrate in the first substrate carrier and the second substrate in the second substrate carrier positioned on the load port are respectively transported to the two process modules, which are at least two process modules, using the loader module and the two transport devices, which are at least two transport devices. The two process modules are controlled to perform the substrate processing on the first substrate and the second substrate in parallel within the two process modules. It is structured in such a way. A substrate processing system as described in any one of items E2 to E5.

[0081] [E7] The planar motor further includes a plurality of electromagnets arranged below the vacuum transport space, and a drive source configured to supply current to the plurality of electromagnets individually. Each of the aforementioned multiple transport devices is A base containing multiple magnets, An end effector is supported by the aforementioned base and configured to support the substrate, Includes, The control unit is configured to control the drive source so that the substrate is transported to each of the at least two process modules using the at least two transport devices. A substrate processing system as described in any one of items E1 to E6.

[0082] [E8] (a) In a substrate processing system, a step of transporting a substrate from the vacuum transport chamber to at least two process modules among a plurality of process modules connected to the vacuum transport chamber in parallel, using at least two transport devices among a plurality of transport devices arranged in the vacuum transport space of the vacuum transport chamber, (b) A step of transporting a substrate from at least one of the process modules to the vacuum transport chamber in parallel with transporting a substrate from the vacuum transport chamber to at least one of the process modules using at least two of the plurality of transport devices arranged in the vacuum transport space, (c) A step of transporting substrates from at least two of the process modules to the vacuum transport chamber in parallel with the vacuum transport chamber using at least two of the plurality of transport devices that are arranged in the vacuum transport space, A substrate processing method that includes at least one of the following.

[0083] [E9] (d) The substrate processing method according to E8, further comprising the step of controlling the at least two process modules after (a) to perform substrate processing in parallel within the at least two process modules.

[0084] [E10] The substrate processing system further includes a gas supply unit which includes at least one flow controller, The gas supply unit is connected to at least two process modules, The above (d) includes supplying the processing gas used in the substrate processing, which is adjusted in flow rate by the at least one flow controller, from the gas supply unit to the at least two process modules. The substrate processing method described in E9.

[0085] [E11] The substrate processing method according to E10, wherein (d) comprises supplying the processing gas to the at least two process modules from the gas supply unit located above or above the vacuum transfer chamber.

[0086] [E12] The two process modules, which are at least two process modules, are arranged such that the vacuum transfer chamber is located between them. (d) above includes supplying the processing gas to the two process modules from the gas supply unit located between the two process modules and above or above the vacuum transfer chamber, Substrate processing method as described in E11.

[0087] [E13] The substrate processing system is Load port and, A load lock module connected to the vacuum transfer chamber, A loader module having an atmospheric transport space and positioned between the load port and the load lock module, It further includes, The above (a) includes, when an odd number of substrates are arranged in a first substrate carrier arranged on the load port, transporting the first substrate in the first substrate carrier and the second substrate in the second substrate carrier arranged on the load port to the at least two process modules using the loader module and the at least two transport devices, which are the two transport devices, The (d) above includes performing the substrate processing on the first substrate and the second substrate in parallel within the two process modules, A substrate processing method described in any one of items E9 to E12.

[0088] [E14] The substrate processing system further comprises a planar motor including a plurality of electromagnets positioned below the vacuum transport space and a drive source configured to supply current to the plurality of electromagnets individually. Each of the aforementioned multiple transport devices is A base containing multiple magnets, An end effector is supported by the aforementioned base and configured to support the substrate, Includes, (a) above includes moving the at least two transport devices using the drive source to transport the substrate to the at least two process modules, respectively, using the at least two transport devices. A substrate processing method described in any one of items E8 to E13.

[0089] From the above description, it will be understood that the various embodiments of this disclosure are described herein for illustrative purposes and can be modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of this disclosure. Accordingly, the various embodiments disclosed herein are not intended to limit the scope and spirit, and the true scope and spirit are shown by the appended claims. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0090] 1...Substrate processing system, 2...Control unit, 10...Vacuum transfer chamber, 10s...Vacuum transfer space, 11...Process module, 12...Gas supply unit, 20...Transfer device, 30...Planar motor.

Claims

1. A vacuum transfer chamber having a vacuum transfer space, Multiple process modules connected to the vacuum transfer chamber and configured to process substrates inside it, Multiple transport devices arranged within the vacuum transport space, Control unit and Equipped with, The control unit, Controlling at least two of the aforementioned multiple transport devices, (a) Transporting substrates from the vacuum transport chamber to at least two of the plurality of process modules in parallel, (b) Transporting a substrate from at least one other process module among the plurality of process modules to the vacuum transport chamber in parallel with transporting a substrate from the vacuum transport chamber to at least one of the plurality of process modules, and (c) Transporting substrates in parallel to the vacuum transport chamber from at least two of the plurality of process modules, It is configured to perform at least one of the following: PCB processing system.

2. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to further control the at least two process modules after (a) to perform substrate processing in parallel within the at least two process modules.

3. The substrate processing system further comprises a gas supply unit including at least one flow controller, The gas supply unit is connected to the at least two process modules and is configured to supply to the at least two process modules a processing gas used in the substrate processing, the processing gas whose flow rate is adjusted by the at least one flow controller. The substrate processing system according to claim 2.

4. The substrate processing system according to claim 3, wherein the gas supply unit is located above or above the vacuum transfer chamber.

5. The two process modules, which are at least two process modules, are arranged such that the vacuum transfer chamber is located between them. The gas supply unit is located between the two process modules and above or above the vacuum transfer chamber. The substrate processing system according to claim 4.

6. Load port and, A load lock module connected to the vacuum transfer chamber, A loader module having an atmospheric transport space and positioned between the load port and the load lock module, Furthermore, The control unit, When an odd number of substrates are arranged in a first substrate carrier positioned on the load port, the first substrate in the first substrate carrier and the second substrate in the second substrate carrier positioned on the load port are respectively transported to the two process modules, which are at least two process modules, using the loader module and the two transport devices, which are at least two transport devices. The two process modules are controlled to perform the substrate processing on the first substrate and the second substrate in parallel within the two process modules. It is structured in such a way. A substrate processing system according to any one of claims 2 to 5.

7. The planar motor further includes a plurality of electromagnets arranged below the vacuum transport space, and a drive source configured to supply current to the plurality of electromagnets individually. Each of the aforementioned multiple transport devices is A base containing multiple magnets, An end effector is supported by the aforementioned base and configured to support the substrate, Includes, The control unit is configured to control the drive source so that the substrate is transported to the at least two process modules using the at least two transport devices. A substrate processing system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. (a) A substrate processing system comprising the step of transporting a substrate from a vacuum transport chamber to at least two process modules among a plurality of process modules connected to the vacuum transport chamber in parallel, using at least two transport devices among a plurality of transport devices arranged in the vacuum transport space of the vacuum transport chamber, (b) A step of transporting a substrate from at least one of the process modules to the vacuum transport chamber in parallel with transporting a substrate from the vacuum transport chamber to at least one of the process modules by at least two of the plurality of transport devices arranged in the vacuum transport space, (c) A step of transporting substrates from at least two of the process modules to the vacuum transport chamber in parallel with the vacuum transport chamber using at least two of the plurality of transport devices that are arranged in the vacuum transport space, A substrate processing method that includes at least one of the following.

9. (d) The substrate processing method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of controlling the at least two process modules after (a) to perform substrate processing in parallel within the at least two process modules.

10. The substrate processing system further includes a gas supply unit which includes at least one flow controller, The gas supply unit is connected to at least two process modules, (d) above includes supplying the processing gas used in the substrate processing, which is adjusted in flow rate by the at least one flow controller, from the gas supply unit to the at least two process modules. The substrate processing method according to claim 9.

11. The substrate processing method according to claim 10, wherein (d) comprises supplying the processing gas to the at least two process modules from the gas supply unit located above or above the vacuum transfer chamber.

12. The two process modules, which are at least two process modules, are arranged such that the vacuum transfer chamber is located between them. (d) includes supplying the processing gas to the two process modules from the gas supply unit located between the two process modules and above or above the vacuum transfer chamber, The substrate processing method according to claim 11.

13. The substrate processing system is Load port and, A load lock module connected to the vacuum transfer chamber, A loader module having an atmospheric transport space and positioned between the load port and the load lock module, It further includes, The above (a) includes, when an odd number of substrates are arranged in a first substrate carrier arranged on the load port, transporting the first substrate in the first substrate carrier and the second substrate in the second substrate carrier arranged on the load port to the at least two process modules using the loader module and the at least two transport devices, which are the two transport devices, (d) includes performing the substrate processing on the first substrate and the second substrate in parallel within the two process modules. A substrate processing method according to any one of claims 9 to 12.

14. The substrate processing system further comprises a planar motor including a plurality of electromagnets positioned below the vacuum transport space and a drive source configured to supply current to the plurality of electromagnets individually. Each of the aforementioned multiple transport devices is A base containing multiple magnets, An end effector is supported by the aforementioned base and configured to support the substrate, Includes, (a) above includes moving the at least two transport devices using the drive source so as to transport the substrate to the at least two process modules, respectively, using the at least two transport devices. A substrate processing method according to any one of claims 8 to 12.

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