Substrate processing apparatus, information processing apparatus, and information processing method

Abstract

To provide a technology for appropriately determining the timing for initiating the transfer of a substrate from a substrate holder in a substrate processing apparatus. [Solution] A substrate processing apparatus comprising a heat treatment container, a substrate holder, a transfer machine that moves between a measurement position and a standby position and is equipped with a temperature sensor to measure the temperature of a substrate held in the substrate holder, and a control unit that controls the operation of the transfer machine, wherein the control unit includes a measurement control unit that moves the transfer machine between the measurement position and the standby position and causes the temperature sensor to measure the change in the temperature of the substrate according to the time elapsed since the substrate holder was removed from the heat treatment container, a time characteristic calculation unit that calculates the time characteristic of the temperature of the substrate based on the measurement results, a cooling time calculation unit that calculates the cooling time after the substrate holder was removed from the heat treatment container and the temperature of the substrate falls below a threshold, and a timing determination unit that determines the timing to start transferring the substrate from the substrate holder based on the cooling time.

Description

Technical Field

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

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a vertical heat treatment apparatus having a vertically long heat treatment furnace, accommodating a plurality of wafers on a wafer boat in the heat treatment furnace, and performing heat treatment for heating the wafers is known. In the vertical heat treatment apparatus, after heat treatment is performed on the wafers, the wafer boat is carried out of the heat treatment furnace, and after a predetermined cooling time has elapsed, the transfer device transfers the wafers from the wafer boat into a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod) for recovery. The cooling time is the total time required for the wafers to be cooled to a predetermined temperature (for example, 80°C) and a predetermined waiting time (margin time).

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technique for shortening the recovery time and improving productivity in response to the problem that the time until wafer recovery becomes longer by the amount of the waiting time because the time required for wafer transfer includes a predetermined waiting time.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0007] According to this disclosure, a technology can be provided for appropriately determining the timing for initiating the transfer of a substrate from a substrate holder in a substrate processing apparatus. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of an example of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic plan view of an example of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. [Figure 3] This is a flowchart of an example of a wafer W transfer sequence in the substrate processing apparatus 1. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a non-contact operation for measuring the temperature of a wafer W during the wafer transfer sequence in a substrate processing apparatus 1. [Figure 5] This is a functional block diagram of an example of the control unit 100 according to this embodiment. [Figure 6]This is a flowchart of an example of the process by which the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment determines the timing for starting the transfer of wafer W from wafer boat 50. [Figure 7] This figure shows an example of the temperature of wafer W from the start of temperature measurement of the heat-treated wafer W until the wafer W can be removed, and the change in temperature measured by the temperature sensor 67 over time. [Figure 8] This is a functional block diagram of an example of the control unit 100 according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] This figure shows an example of the evaluation results of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. [Figure 10] This is a hardware configuration diagram of an example of Computer 500. [Figure 11] This is a configuration diagram of an example of a substrate processing system according to this embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] The following description of this embodiment will be made with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, an example in which the substrate processing apparatus is a vertical heat processing apparatus will be described.

[0010] Figure 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of an example of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 is a schematic plan view of an example of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. For the sake of explanation, Figure 2 shows a state in which no carrier C is placed on one of the load ports 14 and the FIMS port 24 in Figure 1.

[0011] The substrate processing apparatus 1 is housed in a housing 2. Inside the housing 2, a carrier transport area S1 and a wafer transport area S2 are formed. The carrier transport area S1 and the wafer transport area S2 are separated by a partition wall 4. The partition wall 4 is provided with a transport opening 6 that connects the carrier transport area S1 and the wafer transport area S2 and transports the wafer W.

[0012] The transfer port 6 is opened and closed by a door mechanism 8 that complies with the FIMS (Front-Opening Interface Mechanical Standard) specification. A drive mechanism of the lid opening / closing device 7 is connected to the door mechanism 8. By the drive mechanism, the door mechanism 8 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction and the vertical direction to open and close the transfer port 6.

[0013] Hereinafter, the arrangement direction of the carrier transfer region S1 and the wafer transfer region S2 is defined as the front-rear direction (corresponding to the second horizontal direction described later), and the horizontal direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction is defined as the left-right direction (corresponding to the first horizontal direction described later).

[0014] The carrier transfer region S1 is a region in an atmospheric environment. The carrier transfer region S1 is a region for transferring the carrier C between elements described later in the substrate processing apparatus 1, loading it from the outside into the substrate processing apparatus 1, or unloading it from the substrate processing apparatus 1 to the outside. The carrier C houses a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter referred to as "wafer W"), which is an object to be transferred. The wafer W is an example of a substrate. The carrier C may be, for example, a FOUP (Front-Opening Unified Pod). By maintaining the cleanliness inside the FOUP at a predetermined level, it is possible to prevent foreign matter from adhering to the surface of the wafer W and the formation of a natural oxide film.

[0015] The carrier transfer region S1 includes a first transfer region 10 and a second transfer region 12 located behind the first transfer region 10 (on the side of the wafer transfer region S2).

[0016] As an example, the first transfer region 10 is provided with two levels vertically and two load ports 14 on each level on the left and right. The load port 14 is a mounting table for receiving the carrier C when the carrier C is loaded into the substrate processing apparatus 1. The load port 14 is provided at a location where the wall of the housing 2 is open. The load port 14 enables access from the outside to the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0017] Specifically, a carrier C can be carried in and placed on the load port 14 and carried out from the load port 14 to the outside by a transfer device (not shown) provided outside the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0018] Also, since there are two load ports 14 arranged vertically, it is possible to carry in and out the carrier C at both of them. A stocker 16 may be provided at the lower stage of the load port to store the carrier C. On the surface of the load port 14 where the carrier C is placed, positioning pins 18 for positioning the carrier C are provided, for example, at three positions. Also, the load port 14 may be configured to be movable in the front-rear direction when the carrier C is placed on the load port 14.

[0019] Two FIMS ports 24 are arranged vertically in the lower part of the second transfer area 12. The FIMS port 24 is a holding table for holding the carrier C when loading and unloading the wafer W in the carrier C to and from a heat treatment furnace 80 described later in the wafer transfer area S2. The FIMS port 24 is configured to be movable in the front-rear direction. On the surface of the FIMS port 24 where the carrier C is placed, positioning pins 18 for positioning the carrier C are provided at three positions, similar to the load port 14.

[0020] A stocker 16 for storing the carrier C may be provided in the upper part of the second transfer area The stocker 16 is composed of one or more shelves. Two or more carriers C can be placed on each shelf in the left-right direction. Also, a stocker 16 may be provided in the lower part of the second transfer area 12 in an area where the FIMS port 24 is not arranged.

[0021] Between the first transport area 10 and the second transport area 12, a carrier transport mechanism 30 is provided for transporting the carrier C between the load port 14, the stocker 16, and the FIMS port 24. The carrier transport mechanism 30 comprises a first guide 31, a second guide 32, a moving part 33, an arm part 34, and a hand part 35. The first guide 31 is configured to extend in the vertical direction. The second guide 32 is connected to the first guide 31 and is configured to extend in the left-right direction (first horizontal direction). The moving part 33 is configured to move in the left-right direction while being guided by the second guide 32. The arm part 34 has one joint and two arm parts and is provided on the moving part 33. The hand part 35 is provided at the tip of the arm part 34. The hand part 35 is provided with three pins 18 for positioning the carrier C.

[0022] The wafer transport area S2 is the area where wafers W are removed from carrier C and subjected to various processing. The wafer transport area S2 is maintained in an inert gas atmosphere, such as a nitrogen (N2) gas atmosphere, to prevent the formation of an oxide film on wafers W. A vertical heat treatment furnace 80, with its lower end open as a furnace opening, is provided in the wafer transport area S2.

[0023] The heat treatment furnace 80 has a cylindrical heat treatment container 82 made of quartz that can accommodate a wafer W and is used for heat treatment of the wafer W. A cylindrical heater 81 is arranged around the heat treatment container 82. The heat treatment furnace 80 heats the contained wafer W by heating it with the heater 81. A shutter (not shown) is provided below the heat treatment container 82.

[0024] The shutter is a door that covers the lower end of the heat treatment furnace 80 from the time a wafer boat 50 is removed from the heat treatment furnace 80 until the next wafer boat 50 is brought in. Below the heat treatment furnace 80, the wafer boat 50, which is a substrate holder, is placed on the lid 54 via a heat-insulating cylinder 52.

[0025] The wafer boat 50 is made of, for example, quartz and is configured to hold multiple wafers W in a substantially horizontal position with predetermined spacing in the vertical direction. The lid 54 is supported by a lifting mechanism (not shown), and the wafer boat 50 is loaded into or unloaded from the heat treatment furnace 80 by the lifting mechanism.

[0026] A wafer transfer device 60 is provided between the wafer boat 50 and the transfer port 6. The wafer transfer device 60 transfers wafers W between the carrier C held on the FIMS port 24 and the wafer boat 50.

[0027] The wafer transfer device 60 includes a guide mechanism 61, a movable body 62, a fork 63, a lifting mechanism 64, and a rotating mechanism 65. The guide mechanism 61 is attached to the lifting mechanism 64 which extends vertically, and is capable of moving vertically by the lifting mechanism 64 and rotating by the rotating mechanism 65. The movable body 62 is mounted on the guide mechanism 61 so as to be able to move forward and backward along its longitudinal direction. The fork 63 is a transfer device attached via the movable body 62, and multiple forks (for example, five) are provided. By having multiple forks 63, the wafer transfer device 60 can transfer multiple wafers W simultaneously. Note that there may be only one fork 63.

[0028] A position detection sensor 66 is provided on the inner side of the tip of the fork 63. The position detection sensor 66 is, for example, a pair of opposing photodetectors. The position detection sensor 66 can detect whether the wafer W has come out of the wafer boat 50 or whether its position has shifted while the wafer W is held in the wafer boat 50.

[0029] Furthermore, a temperature sensor 67 is provided inside the tip of the fork 63. The temperature sensor 67 measures the temperature near the fork 63. For example, the temperature sensor 67 can measure the temperature of wafers W non-contact by inserting the fork 63 between two adjacent wafers W of a plurality of wafers W held in the wafer boat 50.

[0030] Various thermocouples can be used for the temperature sensor 67, but from the viewpoint of fast response and high-precision temperature measurement, it is preferable to use an ultrafine wire thermocouple (for example, with a tip wire diameter of 25 μm). Alternatively, a resistance thermometer can be used for the temperature sensor 67. The temperature sensor 67 may be installed at a location other than the inside of the tip of the fork 63.

[0031] A fan filter unit (FFU) 91 is provided on one side wall of the wafer transport area S2, and a gas intake section 92 is provided on the other side wall opposite to the side wall where the FFU 91 is located. The FFU 91 supplies purified gas (e.g., an inert gas such as N2 gas) to the wafer transport area S2 via a filter. The gas intake section 92 draws in the purified gas supplied from the FFU 91 to the wafer transport area S2. A horizontal gas flow (see arrow in Figure 2) is formed in the wafer transport area S2. This gas flow keeps the wafer transport area S2 clean and suppresses temperature rise. In addition, this gas flow cools the heat-treated wafer W held in the wafer boat 50 as it is removed from the heat treatment furnace 80. Furthermore, the FFU 91 and the gas intake unit 92 may be used together with, or in place of, a cooling mechanism such as a water cooling unit for cooling the wafer W after heat treatment.

[0032] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the substrate processing apparatus 1 is equipped with a control unit 100 that controls the entire substrate processing apparatus 1. The control unit 100 controls the operation of various devices within the substrate processing apparatus 1 so that heat treatment is performed under various processing conditions indicated in a recipe, such as a film deposition recipe. The control unit 100 also receives signals from various sensors installed in the substrate processing apparatus 1 to determine the position of the wafer W and performs sequence control, such as the wafer W transfer sequence, to advance the process. Furthermore, the control unit 100 may perform feedback control, etc., necessary to properly perform substrate processing based on sensor values ​​measured by various sensors installed in the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0033] The control unit 100 includes a processor, memory, auxiliary storage device, and communication device, etc. The processor is a computing means such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The memory is a storage means such as a ROM (Read Only Memory) or RAM (Random Access Memory). The control unit 100 may be configured as a microcomputer that installs a program to control the board processing device 1 from a storage medium in which the program is stored, and executes the control of the board processing device 1. Alternatively, the control unit 100 may be configured as an electronic circuit such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit).

[0034] Next, the wafer transfer sequence for recovering the heat-treated wafer W into the FOUP will be explained with reference to Figures 3 and 4.

[0035] Figure 3 is a flowchart of an example of the wafer transfer sequence in the substrate processing apparatus 1. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the operation of non-contact measurement of the wafer W temperature in the wafer transfer sequence in the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0036] After the heat treatment is complete, the wafer boat 50 holding the wafer W is removed from the heat treatment furnace 80. Immediately after the heat treatment is complete, the wafer W is hot, so it is left on the wafer boat 50 to cool down (cool) the wafer W with the gas flow formed by the FFU 91 and the gas intake section 92.

[0037] In step S10, the control unit 100 determines whether a predetermined time (hereinafter referred to as the cooling time) has elapsed since the start of cooling of the wafer W. The cooling time can be determined according to the heat treatment conditions, etc., and for example, it may be set to 5 minutes.

[0038] The control unit 100 repeats the process in step S10 until it determines that the cooling time has elapsed. Once it determines that the cooling time has elapsed, the control unit 100 performs the process in step S12.

[0039] In step S12, the control unit 100 controls the operation of the wafer transport device 60 so that the fork 63 moves from the standby position P1 to the measurement position P2. The measurement position P2 is the position where the temperature of the wafer W1 to be measured is measured. The measurement position P2 may be a position between the wafer W1 to be measured and the wafer W2 one level below wafer W1 among the multiple wafers W held in the wafer boat 50, for example as shown in Figure 4. The standby position P1 is a position isolated from the measurement position P2, and may be a position to the side of the wafer boat 50, for example as shown in Figure 4, and at the same height as the measurement position P2.

[0040] In step S14, the control unit 100 determines whether the temperature of the wafer W1 to be measured, obtained by measurement during a first period (e.g., 5 seconds), is below a predetermined temperature (threshold). The first period is determined according to the characteristics of the temperature sensor 67. The threshold can be determined according to the heat resistance of the materials constituting the wafer transport device 60, FOUP, etc.

[0041] When the control unit 100 determines that the temperature is below a predetermined level, it controls the operation of the wafer transport device 60 to unload multiple wafers W held in the wafer boat 50. The wafer transport device 60 uses multiple forks 63 to unload multiple wafers W at a time from the wafer boat 50 and transfer them into the FOUP.

[0042] In step S14, if it is determined that the temperature is not below a predetermined level, the control unit 100 performs the process in step S18. In step S18, the control unit 100 controls the operation of the wafer transfer device 60 so that the fork 63 moves from the measurement position P2 to the standby position P1.

[0043] In step S20, the control unit 100 determines whether the waiting time has elapsed since the fork 63 moved to the standby position P1 as a result of the processing in step S18. The waiting time is determined according to the characteristics of the temperature sensor 67. The control unit 100 repeats the processing in step S20 until it determines that the waiting time has elapsed. Once it determines that the waiting time has elapsed, the control unit 100 returns to the processing in step S12. That is, the control unit 100 controls the operation of the wafer transfer device 60 so that the fork 63 moves again from the standby position P1 to the measurement position P2.

[0044] In the wafer transfer sequence described with reference to Figures 3 and 4, there is a possibility that the temperature sensor 67 of the fork 63 may melt if it is brought close to the high-temperature wafer W immediately after the completion of heat treatment. Therefore, in step S10 of Figure 3, the fork waits until a fixed cooling time has elapsed. However, if the heat treatment temperature (film deposition temperature) is low, the cooling time may be too long, potentially reducing the productivity of the substrate processing apparatus 1. Conversely, if the heat treatment temperature is high, the cooling time may be too short, potentially causing the temperature sensor 67 of the fork 63 to malfunction. The cooling time was often set by anticipating the maximum heat treatment temperature, taking into account the risk of failure of the temperature sensor 67 of the fork 63.

[0045] Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment predicts the cooling time required for the temperature of the wafer W removed from the heat treatment furnace 80 to fall below the allowable temperature (threshold) at which the transfer of the wafer W can begin, as follows.

[0046] The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can appropriately determine the timing for starting the transfer of the wafer W, thereby suppressing a decrease in productivity due to excessively long cooling time and a failure of the temperature sensor 67 of the fork 63 due to excessively short cooling time.

[0047] The control unit 100 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is implemented by, for example, the functional block shown in Figure 5. Figure 5 is a functional block diagram of an example of the control unit 100 according to this embodiment. Note that the functional block diagram in Figure 5 omits the illustration of components that are not necessary for the explanation of this embodiment.

[0048] The control unit 100 in Figure 5 implements the measurement control unit 200, recording control unit 202, time characteristic calculation unit 204, data storage unit 206, cooling time calculation unit 208, and timing determination unit 210 by executing a program for the control unit 100.

[0049] The measurement control unit 200 moves the fork 63 between the measurement position and the standby position, and causes the temperature sensor 67 to measure the change in the temperature of the wafer W according to the time elapsed since the wafer boat 50 was removed from the heat treatment container 82.

[0050] The recording control unit 202 stores the measurement results measured by the temperature sensor 67 as measurement result information in the data storage unit 206 under the control of the measurement control unit 200. The time characteristic calculation unit 204 calculates the time characteristic of the temperature of the wafer W after the wafer boat 50 has been removed from the heat treatment container 82 (hereinafter referred to as the cooling time characteristic) based on the measurement results of the change in the temperature of the wafer W according to the time elapsed since the wafer boat 50 was removed from the heat treatment container 82. Details of the calculations performed by the time characteristic calculation unit 204 will be described later.

[0051] The data storage unit 206 stores measurement result information, cooling time characteristics, and a cooling time model. The cooling time model will be described later.

[0052] The cooling time calculation unit 208 calculates the cooling time required for the wafer W temperature to fall below a threshold after the wafer boat 50 is removed from the heat treatment container 82, based on the cooling time characteristics calculated by the time characteristics calculation unit 204.

[0053] The timing determination unit 210 determines the timing to start transferring the wafer W from the wafer boat 50 based on the cooling time calculated by the cooling time calculation unit 208. Until the cooling time is calculated by the cooling time calculation unit 208, the timing determination unit 210 causes the fork 63 to start transferring the wafer W from the wafer boat 50 when the temperature of the wafer W measured by the temperature sensor 67 falls below a threshold. After the cooling time is calculated by the cooling time calculation unit 208, the timing determination unit 210 causes the fork 63 to start transferring the wafer W from the wafer boat 50 after waiting for the cooling time.

[0054] When the timing determination unit 210 determines the timing to start transferring the wafer W from the wafer boat 50 based on the cooling time, the measurement control unit 200 does not allow the temperature sensor 67 to measure the change in the temperature of the wafer W according to the time elapsed since the wafer boat 50 was removed from the heat treatment container 82.

[0055] Figure 6 is a flowchart of an example of the process by which the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment determines the timing for starting the transfer of the wafer W from the wafer boat 50.

[0056] The measurement control unit 200 repeats the process in step S30 until the wafer boat 50 has been removed from the heat treatment container 82 after the heat treatment is complete. Once the wafer boat 50 has been removed from the heat treatment container 82 after the heat treatment is complete, the measurement control unit 200 determines whether or not the cooling time characteristics have been calculated. For example, when the measurement control unit 200 performs heat treatment according to the same recipe (hereinafter referred to as Run), if the cooling time characteristics have not been calculated in previous Runs, it determines that the cooling time characteristics have not been calculated.

[0057] If the measurement control unit 200 determines that the cooling time characteristics have not been calculated, in step S34, for example, it waits from the start of cooling of the wafer W until the cooling time has elapsed, as described in step S10 of Figure 3.

[0058] In step S36, the measurement control unit 200 controls the operation of the wafer transport device 60 so that the fork 63 moves from the standby position P1 to the measurement position P2, for example, as described in step S12 of Figure 3, and causes the temperature sensor 67 to measure the temperature of the wafer W held in the wafer boat 50.

[0059] In step S38, the measurement control unit 200 determines, for example, whether the temperature of the wafer W obtained by measurement during the first period (e.g., 5 seconds) is below a predetermined temperature (threshold), as described in step S14 of Figure 3.

[0060] The measurement control unit 200 repeats the process in step S36 until the temperature of the wafer W obtained by the measurement in step S36 falls below a threshold. By repeating the process in step S36 until the temperature of the wafer W obtained by the measurement in step S36 falls below a threshold, the measurement control unit 200 causes the temperature sensor 67 to measure the change in the temperature of the wafer W according to the time elapsed since the wafer boat 50 was removed from the heat treatment container 82. The change in the temperature of the wafer W according to the time elapsed since the wafer boat 50 was removed from the heat treatment container 82 is stored in the data storage unit 206 as measurement result information.

[0061] If the temperature of the wafer W obtained by the measurement in step S36 is below a threshold, the measurement control unit 200 performs the process in step S40. In step S40, the time characteristic calculation unit 204 calculates the cooling time characteristics based on the measurement result information stored in the data storage unit 206.

[0062] The cooling time characteristic can be calculated, for example, by fitting the measurement result information stored in the data storage unit 206 to the following equation (1). The cooling time characteristic is the value of "K" in the following equation (1).

[0063] Wafer temperature W = A * exp(-k / K) ... (1) A: Deposition temperature, k: Cooling time, K: Time constant (cooling time characteristics) In this way, the time characteristic calculation unit 204 can calculate the cooling time characteristics based on the measurement result information stored in the data storage unit 206. The time characteristic calculation unit 204 stores the cooling time characteristics in the data storage unit 206. Proceeding to step S42, the timing determination unit 210 starts transferring the wafer W from the wafer boat 50.

[0064] If the measurement control unit 200 determines in step S32 that the cooling time characteristics have been calculated, it proceeds to the process in step S42. In step S42, the cooling time calculation unit 208 calculates the cooling time after the wafer boat 50 is removed from the heat treatment container 82 until the temperature of the wafer W falls below a threshold, based on the cooling time characteristics stored in the data storage unit 206 and using the cooling time model of equation (1) described above.

[0065] For example, by inputting a threshold value for the wafer W temperature, a deposition temperature for A, and a cooling time characteristic for K in equation (1), it is possible to calculate the cooling time t at which the temperature of the wafer W falls below the threshold value after the wafer boat 50 is removed from the heat treatment container 82.

[0066] Following step S42, the process proceeds to step S44, where the timing determination unit 210 waits for the cooling time calculated in step S42. Following step S44, the process proceeds to step S46, where the timing determination unit 210 starts transferring the wafer W from the wafer boat 50.

[0067] According to the flowchart in Figure 6, in the first run, after the fixed cooling time in step S34 has elapsed, it is necessary to have the temperature sensor 67 measure the temperature of the wafer W held in the wafer boat 50. However, in subsequent runs, without having the temperature sensor 67 measure the temperature of the wafer W held in the wafer boat 50, the cooling time required to reduce the temperature of the wafer W to below a threshold can be calculated based on the cooling time characteristics calculated in the first run, after the wafer boat 50 has been removed from the heat treatment container 82.

[0068] According to this embodiment, in subsequent runs, it is not necessary to have the temperature sensor 67 measure the temperature of the wafer W held in the wafer boat 50, reducing the amount of driving required to move the fork 63 from the standby position P1 to the measurement position P2, and improving the durability of the fork 63.

[0069] Next, with reference to Figure 7, the temperature of the wafer W from the start of temperature measurement of the heat-treated wafer W until the wafer W can be unloaded, and the change in the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 67 over time, will be described in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment.

[0070] Figure 7 shows an example of the temperature of the wafer W from the start of temperature measurement of the heat-treated wafer W until the wafer W can be removed, and the change in temperature measured by the temperature sensor 67 over time.

[0071] In Figure 7, the horizontal axis represents the elapsed time (min) from the start of removing the wafer boat 50 from the heat treatment furnace 80, and the vertical axis represents the temperature (°C). Graph line 1000 represents the temperature of the wafer W. Graph line 1002 represents the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 67. In the example in Figure 7, a fixed cooling time is set to t+10 minutes.

[0072] As shown in Figure 7, the temperatures measured by the temperature sensor 67 at measurement position P2 from the 1st to the 12th time exceed 70°C, which is an example of a threshold, so the measurement in step S36 is repeated. The temperature measured by the temperature sensor 67 at measurement position P2 for the 13th time is below 70°C, which is an example of a threshold, so the repetition of the measurement in step S36 is stopped.

[0073] Thus, in this embodiment, the temperature change of the wafer W according to the time elapsed since the wafer boat 50 was removed from the heat treatment container 82 can be measured non-contact by the temperature sensor 67. Furthermore, by setting a low threshold, the number of measurements taken by the temperature sensor 67 at the measurement position P2 can be increased, which increases the amount of measurement result information and is expected to improve the accuracy of the cooling time characteristics calculated in step S40.

[0074] In the flowchart of Figure 6, the decision of whether or not to calculate the cooling time characteristics of wafer W was made based on whether or not the cooling time characteristics had already been calculated. The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment may decide to recalculate the cooling time characteristics of wafer W when a predetermined period has elapsed since the calculation of the cooling time characteristics. Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment may decide to recalculate the cooling time characteristics of wafer W after maintenance of the substrate processing apparatus 1 or after parts replacement.

[0075] The above describes an example of calculating the cooling time characteristics for each recipe. However, the cooling time characteristics may change depending on the arrangement of the wafers W on the wafer boat 50. Therefore, as shown in Figure 8, the control unit 100 in this embodiment may pre-model the relationship between the arrangement of the wafers W on the wafer boat 50 (wafer W arrangement information) and the cooling time characteristics, and adjust the cooling time characteristics based on the wafer W arrangement information.

[0076] Figure 8 is a functional block diagram of an example of the control unit 100 according to this embodiment. The control unit 100 in Figure 8 has a configuration in which a modeling unit 212 is added to the control unit 100 in Figure 5. The modeling unit 212 in Figure 8 models the correspondence between the arrangement of wafers W held in the wafer boat 50 and the cooling time characteristics so as to adjust the cooling time characteristics when wafer arrangement information of wafers W is input. The modeling unit 212 adjusts the cooling time characteristics calculated by the time characteristic calculation unit 204 based on the wafer arrangement information of wafers W.

[0077] According to the functional block diagram in Figure 8, the cooling time can be adjusted according to the arrangement of wafers W on the wafer boat 50, so that the cooling time until the temperature of wafer W falls below a threshold can be estimated with greater accuracy.

[0078] Figure 9 shows an example of the evaluation results of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment. The graph in Figure 9 shows elapsed time (min), and the vertical axis shows temperature (°C). Figure 9(A) is the raw data measured by the temperature sensor 67 at measurement position P2. By setting the threshold to 30°C, the raw data in Figure 9(A) shows that the temperature of the wafer W can be monitored up to close to the complete cooling temperature.

[0079] Figure 9(B) shows the moving average of the raw data in Figure 9(A), which is presented as analyzable data. Figure 9(C) shows the moving average shown in Figure 9(B) with an offset correction applied, where the complete cooling temperature is set to 0°C. Figure 9(C) also shows an enlarged view of the measurement range shown in Figure 9(B).

[0080] Figure 9(C) shows the fitting result of equation (1) above to the moving average of the raw data. In Figure 9(C), for example, 1039 sec is calculated as the time constant (cooling time characteristic).

[0081] The cooling time calculated by the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment is accurate enough to be used to estimate the cooling time from when the wafer boat 50 is removed from the heat treatment container 82 until the temperature of the wafer W falls below a threshold. Therefore, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment can provide a technique for appropriately determining the timing to start transferring the wafer W from the wafer boat 50.

[0082] The control unit 100 may be implemented by a computer with the hardware configuration shown in Figure 10, for example. Figure 10 is a hardware configuration diagram of an example of a computer 500.

[0083] The computer 500 in Figure 10 includes an input device 501, an output device 502, an external interface 503, RAM (Random Access Memory) 504, ROM (Read Only Memory) 505, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 506, a communication interface 507, and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 508, all of which are interconnected via bus B. The input device 501 and output device 502 may be connected and used only when necessary.

[0084] The input device 501 is a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc., used by operators to input operation signals. The output device 502 is a display, etc., which displays the processing results from the computer 500. The communication I / F 507 is an interface that connects the computer 500 to a data communication network. The HDD 508 is an example of a non-volatile storage device that stores programs and data.

[0085] External I / F 503 is an interface to an external device. Computer 500 can read from recording media 503a, such as an SD (Secure Digital) memory card, via External I / F 503. External I / F 503 may also be able to write to recording media 503a, such as an SD memory card, via External I / F 503.

[0086] ROM 505 is an example of a non-volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that stores programs and data. RAM 504 is an example of a volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that temporarily holds programs and data. CPU 506 is an arithmetic unit that controls and realizes the overall functions of the computer 500 by reading programs and data from storage devices such as ROM 505 or HDD 508 onto RAM 504 and executing processing.

[0087] The control unit 100 implements the various functions shown in Figures 5 and 8 by executing a program on the computer 500. At least some of the functions of the control unit 100 shown in Figures 5 and 8 may also be provided in the device controller 301, server device 302, or worker terminal 303 shown in Figure 11.

[0088] Figure 11 is a configuration diagram of an example of a substrate processing system according to this embodiment. The substrate processing system in Figure 11 includes a substrate processing apparatus 1, an apparatus controller 301, a server apparatus 302, and an operator terminal 303.

[0089] The substrate processing apparatus 1 and the apparatus controller 301 are installed in the manufacturing plant. The server apparatus 302 and the worker terminal 303 may be installed in the manufacturing plant or elsewhere. The worker terminal 303 is a PC (Personal Computer) or smartphone, etc., operated by an operator such as the apparatus operator or analysis operator of the substrate processing apparatus 1 installed in the manufacturing plant.

[0090] The substrate processing apparatus 1, the apparatus controller 301, the server apparatus 302, and the worker terminal 303 are connected to each other via networks N1 and N2, such as the Internet or a LAN (Local Area Network).

[0091] The substrate processing apparatus 1 is an apparatus that performs heat treatment such as film deposition, and processes substrates such as wafers W. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is, for example, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, a heat treatment apparatus, or a film deposition apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus 1 is a batch type or a single-wafer type, etc.

[0092] The device controller 301 receives instructions from the operator for the substrate processing apparatus 1. The device controller 301 has a man-machine interface function that provides the operator with information about the substrate processing apparatus 1. The device controller 301 may also receive information (sensor status) measured by multiple sensors provided by the substrate processing apparatus 1 and store it in storage units inside or outside the substrate processing apparatus 1.

[0093] The device controller 301 shown in Figure 1 is provided for each substrate processing device 1, but it may also be provided for multiple substrate processing devices 1. The device controller 301 may be provided inside the housing of the substrate processing device 1, or it may be provided outside the housing.

[0094] The control unit 100, device controller 301, server device 302, and worker terminal 303 are examples of information processing devices that control the substrate processing device 1. The substrate processing system shown in Figure 11 is just one example, and it goes without saying that there are various system configurations depending on the application and purpose. The classification of devices such as the device controller 301, server device 302, and worker terminal 303 shown in Figure 11 is just one example. For example, various configurations are possible, such as a configuration in which at least two of the device controller 301, server device 302, and worker terminal 303 of the substrate processing system shown in Figure 11 are integrated, or further separated.

[0095] Although preferred embodiments of this embodiment have been described in detail above, this embodiment is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and substitutions can be made to the embodiments described above without departing from the scope of this embodiment.

[0096] It goes without saying that the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this disclosure is not limited to the configuration shown in Figure 1, and there are various configuration examples depending on the application and purpose. The substrate processing apparatus 1 of this disclosure can be applied to any of the following substrate processing apparatuses: single-wafer processing that processes substrates one by one, batch processing that processes multiple substrates at once, and semi-batch processing. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0097] 1. Substrate processing apparatus 50 wafer boats 60 Wafer Transfer Equipment 63 Forks 67 Temperature sensor 80 Heat treatment furnace 82 Heat treatment containers 100 Control Unit 200 Measurement Control Unit 204 Time characteristic calculation section 208 Cooling time calculation unit 210 Timing determination unit 212 Modeling Section

Claims

1. Heat treatment container and A substrate holder that can be housed in the heat treatment container while holding the substrate, A transfer machine is provided, which moves between a measurement position where a temperature sensor is positioned to measure the temperature of the substrate held in the substrate holder after it has been removed from the heat treatment container, and a standby position isolated from the measurement position. A control unit that controls the operation of the transfer machine, It has, The control unit includes a measurement control unit that moves the transfer machine between the measurement position and the standby position and causes the temperature sensor to measure the change in the temperature of the substrate in accordance with the time elapsed since the substrate holder was removed from the heat treatment container, A time characteristic calculation unit calculates the time characteristic of the temperature of the substrate after the substrate holder is removed from the heat treatment container, based on the measurement results of the temperature change of the substrate over time, A cooling time calculation unit calculates the cooling time required to remove the substrate holder from the heat treatment container and then reduce the temperature of the substrate to a threshold, based on the time characteristics of the substrate temperature. A timing determination unit that determines the timing for starting the transfer of the substrate from the substrate holder based on the aforementioned cooling time, A substrate processing apparatus having

2. The timing determination unit, until the cooling time is calculated, causes the transfer machine to start transferring the substrate from the substrate holder when the temperature of the substrate measured by the temperature sensor falls below a threshold, and after the cooling time is calculated, after waiting for the cooling time, causes the transfer machine to start transferring the substrate from the substrate holder. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.

3. When the timing determination unit determines the timing for starting the transfer of the substrate from the substrate holder based on the cooling time, the measurement control unit does not allow the temperature sensor to measure the change in the temperature of the substrate in accordance with the time elapsed since the substrate holder was removed from the heat treatment container. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2.

4. The timing determination unit, when the substrate holder is removed from the heat treatment container due to an interruption of the heat treatment in the heat treatment container, causes the transfer machine to start transferring the substrate from the substrate holder after the temperature of the substrate measured by the temperature sensor falls below a threshold. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2.

5. The measurement control unit, when a predetermined period has elapsed since the calculation of the time characteristics, causes the temperature sensor to remeasure the change in the temperature of the substrate. The time characteristic calculation unit recalculates the time characteristic of the temperature of the substrate after the substrate holder is removed from the heat treatment container, based on the measurement results of the remeasurement. The cooling time calculation unit recalculates the cooling time required to remove the substrate holder from the heat treatment container and then reduce the temperature of the substrate to a threshold value, based on the recalculated time characteristics of the substrate temperature. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.

6. A modeling unit that models the correspondence between the arrangement of the substrate held in the substrate holder and the temperature characteristics of the substrate, so as to adjust the temperature characteristics of the substrate when arrangement information of the substrate held in the substrate holder is input. It further possesses, The cooling time calculation unit calculates the cooling time required to remove the substrate holder from the heat treatment container and then allow the substrate temperature to fall below a threshold, based on the time characteristics of the substrate temperature output from the modeling unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1.

7. The measurement control unit moves the transfer machine to the standby position if the measurement result of the temperature sensor at the measurement position exceeds the threshold within a first time, and after a second time has elapsed at the standby position, moves the transfer machine back to the measurement position. A substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. Heat treatment container and A substrate holder that can be housed in the heat treatment container while holding the substrate, A transfer machine is provided, which moves between a measurement position where a temperature sensor is positioned to measure the temperature of the substrate held in the substrate holder after it has been removed from the heat treatment container, and a standby position isolated from the measurement position. A control unit that controls the operation of the transfer machine, An information processing apparatus for controlling a substrate processing apparatus having, A measurement control unit moves the transfer machine between the measurement position and the standby position and causes the temperature sensor to measure the change in the temperature of the substrate in accordance with the time elapsed since the substrate holder was removed from the heat treatment container. A time characteristic calculation unit calculates the time characteristic of the temperature of the substrate after the substrate holder is removed from the heat treatment container, based on the measurement results of the temperature change of the substrate over time, A cooling time calculation unit calculates the cooling time required to remove the substrate holder from the heat treatment container and then reduce the temperature of the substrate to a threshold, based on the time characteristics of the substrate temperature. A timing determination unit that determines the timing for starting the transfer of the substrate from the substrate holder based on the aforementioned cooling time, An information processing device having

9. Heat treatment container and A substrate holder that can be housed in the heat treatment container while holding the substrate, A transfer machine is provided, which moves between a measurement position where a temperature sensor is positioned to measure the temperature of the substrate held in the substrate holder after it has been removed from the heat treatment container, and a standby position isolated from the measurement position. A control unit that controls the operation of the transfer machine, An information processing method performed by a substrate processing apparatus having, The control unit moves the transfer machine between the measurement position and the standby position, and causes the temperature sensor to measure the change in the temperature of the substrate in accordance with the time elapsed since the substrate holder was removed from the heat treatment container. Based on the measurement results of the temperature change of the substrate over time, the time characteristics of the substrate temperature after the substrate holder is removed from the heat treatment container are calculated. Based on the time characteristics of the substrate temperature, the cooling time is calculated so that the substrate temperature falls below a threshold after the substrate holder is removed from the heat treatment container. Based on the aforementioned cooling time, the timing for starting the transfer of the substrate from the substrate holder is determined, An information processing method having

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