Processing module and processing method

Abstract

To sense positional deviation of a wafer at transportation time in a processing container.SOLUTION: A processing module comprises: a processing container; a rotation arm; and a sensor. The processing container internally has a plurality of processing spaces that has centers of the respective spaces positioned on a same circumference, and in which respective mounting tables are arranged. The rotation arm has a plurality of holding parts that can hold wafers which are mounted on each of mounting tables of the plurality of processing spaces, and is provided to be able to rotate around a center of the circumference as a rotation axis. The sensor is positioned between adjacent processing spaces, and can sense a position of a wafer held by the rotation arm at rotation operation time of the rotation arm.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a processing module and a processing method. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art As a processing module for processing substrates (hereinafter also referred to as wafers) in a substrate processing system, a processing module that processes a plurality of wafers simultaneously in one processing chamber is known (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-220509 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a processing module and a processing method capable of detecting misalignment of a wafer during transfer within a processing vessel. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A processing module according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a processing vessel having multiple processing spaces therein whose centers are located on the same circumference and each of which has a mounting table disposed therein, a rotating arm having multiple holding portions capable of holding wafers to be placed on each of the mounting tables of the multiple processing spaces and rotatably arranged around the center of the circumference as a rotation axis, and a sensor located between adjacent processing spaces and capable of detecting the position of the wafer held by the rotating arm when the rotating arm rotates. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to detect the positional deviation of a wafer during transfer within a processing chamber. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of a configuration of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the processing space and the rotating arm at the standby position. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the processing space and the rotating arm at the wafer holding position. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a moving path of a wafer in the substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement positions of the sensors. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an exhaust path of the substrate processing apparatus in this embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to this embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure of processing executed by the substrate processing apparatus in the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of a processing module and a processing method will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that the disclosed technology is not limited to the following embodiments.

[0009] In a processing module in which multiple wafers are processed simultaneously in one processing vessel, multiple processing spaces are provided in the processing vessel, and different processes may be performed on the wafers in two or more of the multiple processing spaces. In such a case, the processing module transfers the wafers between the two or more processing spaces. The transfer of the wafers between the two or more processing spaces is generally performed using a wafer transfer mechanism that loads and unloads the wafers into the processing vessel. This may complicate the transfer process using the wafer transfer mechanism.

[0010] In response to this, a technology has been proposed in which a rotating arm is provided inside a processing vessel, and the rotating arm is used to transport substrates between two or more processing spaces. However, when the rotating arm transports a wafer inside the processing vessel, the wafer may deviate from a predetermined reference position (e.g., the center position of the processing space to which the wafer is transported) due to misalignment during wafer transfer and vibration of the rotating arm. The misalignment of the wafer is a factor that reduces the uniformity of processing on the wafer. Therefore, it is desirable to detect the misalignment of the wafer during transportation inside the processing vessel.

[0011] (Embodiment) [Substrate processing system configuration] Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The substrate processing system 1 shown in Fig. 1 includes a loading / unloading port 11, a loading / unloading module 12, vacuum transfer modules 13a and 13b, and substrate processing apparatuses 2, 2a and 2b. In Fig. 1, the X direction is the left-right direction, the Y direction is the front-rear direction, the Z direction is the up-down direction (height direction), and the loading / unloading port 11 is the front side in the front-rear direction. The loading / unloading port 11 is connected to the front side of the loading / unloading module 12, and the vacuum transfer module 13a is connected to the rear side of the loading / unloading module 12, and they are connected to each other in the front-rear direction.

[0012] A carrier, which is a transfer container accommodating a substrate to be processed, is placed in the transfer port 11. The substrate is a wafer W, which is a circular substrate having a diameter of, for example, 300 mm. The transfer module 12 is a module for transferring the wafer W between the carrier and the vacuum transfer module 13a. The transfer module 12 has an atmospheric pressure transfer chamber 121 in which the wafer W is transferred between the carrier and the vacuum transfer module 13a in an atmospheric pressure atmosphere by a transfer mechanism 120, and a load lock chamber 122 in which the atmosphere in which the wafer W is placed is switched between an atmospheric pressure atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere.

[0013] The vacuum transfer modules 13a and 13b each have a vacuum transfer chamber 14a and 14b in which a vacuum atmosphere is formed. Substrate transfer mechanisms 15a and 15b are disposed inside the vacuum transfer chambers 14a and 14b, respectively. Between the vacuum transfer module 13a and the vacuum transfer module 13b, a path 16 is disposed for transferring the wafer W between the vacuum transfer modules 13a and 13b. The vacuum transfer chambers 14a and 14b are each formed, for example, in a rectangular shape in a plan view. The substrate processing apparatuses 2 and 2b are connected to the four side walls of the vacuum transfer chamber 14a that face each other in the left-right direction, respectively. The substrate processing apparatuses 2a and 2b are connected to the four side walls of the vacuum transfer chamber 14b that face each other in the left-right direction, respectively.

[0014] Of the four side walls of the vacuum transfer chamber 14a, the front side is connected to a load lock chamber 122 installed in the load / unload module 12. Gate valves G are arranged between the normal pressure transfer chamber 121 and the load lock chamber 122, between the load lock chamber 122 and the vacuum transfer module 13a, and between the vacuum transfer modules 13a, 13b and the substrate processing apparatuses 2, 2a, 2b. The gate valves G open and close the load / unload ports for the wafers W provided in the modules that are connected to each other.

[0015] The substrate transfer mechanism 15a transfers the wafer W between the load / unload module 12, the substrate processing apparatus 2, 2b, and the path 16 in a vacuum atmosphere. The substrate transfer mechanism 15b transfers the wafer W between the path 16 and the substrate processing apparatus 2a, 2b in a vacuum atmosphere. The substrate transfer mechanisms 15a, 15b are made of articulated arms and have a substrate holder for holding the wafer W. The substrate processing apparatus 2, 2a, 2b performs substrate processing using a processing gas on a plurality of wafers W (e.g., two or four) in a vacuum atmosphere at once. For this reason, the substrate holder of the substrate transfer mechanism 15a, 15b is configured to hold, for example, two wafers W at the same time so that two wafers W are delivered to the substrate processing apparatus 2, 2a, 2b at once. The substrate processing apparatus 2, 2a can transfer the wafer W received on the mounting table on the vacuum transfer module 13a, 13b side to the mounting table on the far side by a rotating arm provided inside. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 2, 2a can detect the position of the wafer W by a sensor provided inside the apparatus when the wafer W is transported by the rotating arm.

[0016] In addition, the substrate processing apparatuses 2, 2a, and 2b can be connected to any of the positions on the sides of the vacuum transfer modules 13a and 13b that face each other in the left-right direction, since the Y-direction pitch (row interval) of the mounting tables is the same as the pitch Py. In the example of FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatuses 2 and 2b are connected to the vacuum transfer module 13a, and the substrate processing apparatuses 2a and 2b are connected to the vacuum transfer module 13b. The substrate processing apparatuses 2 and 2a are substrate processing apparatuses that have different diameters of reactors (processing containers) that include a processing space corresponding to one mounting table according to a process application, and have different pitches Px1 and Px2 that are the X-direction pitches (row intervals) of the mounting tables. In addition, the pitch Px2 of the substrate processing apparatus 2a is the same value as the pitch Py. In other words, the pitch Py corresponds to the size of the largest reactor. In other words, the substrate processing apparatus 2 has a smaller reactor size than the substrate processing apparatus 2a, so the pitch Px1 can be made smaller than the pitch Px2.

[0017] The substrate processing apparatus 2b is a type of substrate processing apparatus having two mounting stages, and does not transport wafers within the substrate processing apparatus 2b; instead, two wafers are simultaneously loaded and processed, and then loaded out at the same time.

[0018] The substrate processing system 1 has a control unit 8. The control unit 8 is, for example, a computer including a processor, a storage unit, an input device, a display device, and the like. The control unit 8 controls each unit of the substrate processing system 1. The control unit 8 can use the input device to allow an operator to input commands to manage the substrate processing system 1. The control unit 8 can also use the display device to visualize and display the operating status of the substrate processing system 1. Furthermore, the storage unit of the control unit 8 stores a control program for controlling various processes performed in the substrate processing system 1 by the processor, recipe data, and the like. The processor of the control unit 8 executes the control program to control each unit of the substrate processing system 1 according to the recipe data, thereby performing a desired substrate processing in the substrate processing system 1.

[0019] [Configuration of substrate processing equipment] Next, with reference to Figs. 2 to 8, an example in which the substrate processing apparatus 2, 2a is applied to a film forming apparatus that performs plasma CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) processing on a wafer W will be described. Fig. 2 is an exploded perspective view showing an example of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus in this embodiment. The internal configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 2a is basically the same as that of the substrate processing apparatus 2, except that the pitch Px2 is different from the pitch Px1 and the position of a sensor capable of detecting the position of the wafer W. Therefore, in the following, a description of the substrate processing apparatus 2a that overlaps with the substrate processing apparatus 2 will be omitted, and the substrate processing apparatus 2 will be described as a representative example. The substrate processing apparatus 2, 2a is an example of a processing module.

[0020] As shown in FIG. 2, the substrate processing apparatus 2 includes a processing vessel (vacuum vessel) 20 that is rectangular in plan view. The processing vessel 20 is configured to be able to maintain a vacuum atmosphere inside. The processing vessel 20 is configured such that an open portion on the top surface is closed by a gas supply unit 4 and a manifold 36, which will be described later. Note that in FIG. 2, internal partition walls and the like are omitted so that the relationship between the processing spaces S1 to S4 and the rotating arm 3 can be easily understood. The processing vessel 20 has two load / unload ports 21 formed side by side in the Y direction on the side connected to the vacuum transfer chamber 14a or 14b. The load / unload port 21 is opened and closed by a gate valve G.

[0021] A plurality of processing spaces S1 to S4 are provided inside the processing vessel 20. A mounting table 22 is provided in each of the processing spaces S1 to S4. The mounting table 22 is vertically movable, moving to an upper position when processing the wafer W and moving to a lower position when transferring the wafer W. A transfer space T is provided below the processing spaces S1 to S4, connecting the processing spaces S1 to S4 and transferring the wafer W by a rotating arm 3. The transfer space T below the processing spaces S1 and S2 is connected to each of the transfer ports 21, and the wafer W is transferred between the vacuum transfer chambers 14a and 14b by the substrate transfer mechanisms 15a and 15b.

[0022] The centers of the multiple processing spaces S1 to S4 are located on the same circumference C. The center of the circumference C coincides with the center of the substrate processing apparatus 2, i.e., the center of the processing vessel 20. In other words, the multiple processing spaces S1 to S4 are disposed on the circumference C whose center coincides with the center of the processing vessel 20 when viewed from above.

[0023] The mounting tables 22 in the processing spaces S1 to S4 are laid out in two rows and two columns when viewed from above. In this layout, the row spacing and the column spacing have different dimensions. In other words, when comparing the Y-directional pitch (row spacing) of the mounting tables 22 and the X-directional pitch (column spacing) Px1, the pitch Py is greater than the pitch Px1.

[0024] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the processing space and the rotating arm at the standby position. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the positional relationship between the processing space and the rotating arm at the wafer holding position. As shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, the rotating arm 3 has four end effectors 32 capable of holding the wafers W placed on the mounting tables 22, and a base member 33 having a rotation axis located at the center position of a circumference C, and is provided to be rotatable about the center of the circumference C as the rotation axis. The four end effectors 32 are connected to the base member 33 so as to be in an X shape. The X shape of the rotating arm 3 is configured such that, at the wafer W holding position shown in FIG. 4, the dimension in the Y direction corresponding to the row spacing of the X shape is different from the dimension in the X direction corresponding to the column spacing.

[0025] 3, the rotating arm 3 is positioned between the processing spaces S1 to S4, and does not impede the vertical movement of each mounting stage 22. In FIG. 3, a wafer W is placed on each mounting stage 22. The movement of the rotating arm 3 will be described when, for example, the wafers W in the first and second rows are transferred from this state so as to be interchanged, that is, when the wafers W in the processing spaces S1, S2 are transferred to the processing spaces S3, S4, and the wafers W in the processing spaces S3, S4 are transferred to the processing spaces S1, S2.

[0026] First, each mounting table 22 is moved to a transfer position in the lower transfer space T, and the lift pins 26 (described later) provided on each mounting table 22 are raised to lift the wafer W. Next, the rotating arm 3 is rotated clockwise by about 30°, and each end effector 32 is inserted between the mounting table 22 and the wafer W as shown in FIG. 4. Then, the lift pins 26 are lowered to place the wafer W on each end effector 32. Next, the rotating arm 3 is rotated clockwise by 180°, and the wafer W is transported to a holding position on each mounting table 22. When each mounting table 22 raises the lift pins 26 to receive the wafer W, the rotating arm 3 is rotated counterclockwise by about 30° to move to a standby position. In this manner, the first and second rows of wafers W can be transported in a swapped manner by the rotating arm 3. As a result, for example, when different processes (e.g., a film formation process and an annealing process) are performed in the processing spaces S1, S2 and S3, S4, the wafer W can be transported between the processing spaces S1, S2 and S3, S4 by the rotating arm 3. Therefore, for example, when different processes are repeatedly performed in the processing spaces S1, S2 and S3, S4 (e.g., a film formation process and an annealing process are repeatedly performed), the time required for transporting the wafer W can be shortened.

[0027] Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of a movement path of a wafer in the substrate processing apparatus in this embodiment. Fig. 5 illustrates a movement path when a wafer W is transferred from the vacuum transfer chamber 14a to the inside of the substrate processing apparatus 2. First, as shown by a path F1, the substrate transfer mechanism 15a in the vacuum transfer chamber 14a simultaneously loads two wafers W onto each of the mounting tables 22 at a transfer position in the transfer space T at the bottom of the processing spaces S1, S2 corresponding to the mounting tables 22 in the same row. Each of the mounting tables 22 in the processing spaces S1, S2 raises the lift pins 26 to receive the wafers W.

[0028] Next, the rotating arm 3 is rotated clockwise by about 30° from the standby position, the end effector 32 is inserted between the wafer W and the mounting table 22 at the transfer position at the bottom of the processing spaces S1 and S2, and the lift pins 26 are lowered to place the wafer W on each end effector 32. After the wafer W is placed, the rotating arm 3 is rotated clockwise by 180° as shown by the path F2, and the wafer W is transferred onto the mounting table 22 (the holding position of the rotating arm 3) at the transfer position of the transfer space T at the bottom of the processing spaces S3 and S4. When the mounting table 22 at the transfer position at the bottom of the processing spaces S3 and S4 raises the lift pins 26 to receive the wafer W, the rotating arm 3 is rotated counterclockwise by about 30° and moved to the standby position. In this state, the wafer W is not placed on the mounting table 22 in the processing spaces S1 and S2, and the wafer W is placed on the mounting table 22 in the processing spaces S3 and S4. Next, two wafers W are simultaneously loaded onto each mounting table 22 at the transfer position at the bottom of the processing spaces S1, S2 by the substrate transfer mechanism 15a in the vacuum transfer chamber 14a, as shown by path F1, and the wafers W are placed on the mounting tables 22 in the processing spaces S1, S2, so that the wafers W are placed on all of the mounting tables 22 in the processing spaces S1 to S4.

[0029] Similarly, when unloading, first, the wafer W placed on the mounting table 22 at the transfer position at the bottom of the processing spaces S1 and S2 is unloaded to the vacuum transfer chamber 14a by the substrate transfer mechanism 15a. Next, the wafer W placed on the mounting table 22 at the transfer position at the bottom of the processing spaces S3 and S4 is transferred to the mounting table 22 at the transfer position at the bottom of the processing spaces S1 and S2 by the rotating arm 3. Then, the wafer W placed on the mounting table 22 at the transfer position at the bottom of the processing spaces S1 and S2 is unloaded to the vacuum transfer chamber 14a by the substrate transfer mechanism 15a. In this way, the wafer W can be loaded and unloaded to the processing spaces S1 to S4 by using the substrate transfer mechanism 15a capable of loading and unloading two wafers W at a time and the rotating arm 3.

[0030] Incidentally, when the wafer W is transported in the processing vessel 20 by the rotating arm 3, the position of the wafer W may deviate from a predetermined reference position (e.g., the center position of the processing space S1 to S4 to which the wafer is transported) due to a positional deviation when the wafer is transferred or vibration of the rotating arm 3. The positional deviation of the wafer W can cause a decrease in the uniformity of processing in the processing spaces S1 to S4.

[0031] Therefore, in the substrate processing apparatus 2, the position of the wafer W is detected when the wafer W is transported by the rotating arm 3. Specifically, the substrate processing apparatus 2 has a sensor that is located between adjacent processing spaces S1 to S4 and is capable of detecting the position of the wafer W held by the rotating arm 3 when the rotating arm 3 rotates. In the example of Fig. 5, the substrate processing apparatus 2 has sensors 31a and 31b between adjacent processing spaces S1 and S2 and between adjacent processing spaces S3 and S4, respectively.

[0032] Each of the sensors 31a and 31b is a set of, for example, two unit sensors, and is arranged on a straight line in the X direction passing through the center of the substrate processing apparatus 2 (processing vessel 20), i.e., the center position of the circumference C. The two unit sensors of each of the sensors 31a and 31b are arranged on a straight line in the X direction passing through the center position of the circumference C, at positions sandwiching an arc of the circumference C. This is to reduce detection errors due to changes in the positional relationship of the two unit sensors during thermal expansion by making the expansion direction of the processing vessel 20 the same as the arrangement direction of the two unit sensors of each of the sensors 31a and 31b. For example, optical sensors or millimeter wave sensors can be used as the two unit sensors of each of the sensors 31a and 31b.

[0033] The arrangement positions of the sensors 31a and 31b are not limited to the X direction, as long as they are on a straight line passing through the center of the substrate processing apparatus 2. In the substrate processing apparatus 2a in which the pitch Py of the Y direction pitch (row interval) of the mounting tables 22 is the same as the pitch Px2 of the X direction pitch (column interval), the sensors may be arranged on a straight line in the X direction and a straight line in the Y direction passing through the center of the substrate processing apparatus 2a. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the arrangement positions of the sensors. The substrate processing apparatus 2a shown in FIG. 6 has sensors 31a to 31d between adjacent processing spaces S1 and S2, between adjacent processing spaces S3 and S4, between adjacent processing spaces S2 and S3, and between adjacent processing spaces S4 and S1, respectively. The sensors 31a and 31b are arranged on a straight line in the X direction passing through the center of the substrate processing apparatus 2 (processing vessel 20), that is, the center position of the circumference C. The sensors 31c and 31d are arranged on a straight line in the Y direction passing through the center position of the circumference C. This is to reduce detection errors due to changes in the positional relationship between the two unit sensors during thermal expansion by making the expansion direction of the processing vessel 20 the same as the arrangement direction of the two unit sensors of each of the sensors 31a to 31d.

[0034] Returning to the description of FIG. 5, the substrate processing apparatus 2 can detect the amount of misalignment of the wafer W in the processing spaces S1 to S4 to which the wafer W is transferred by detecting the position of the wafer W with the sensors 31a and 31b. For example, the substrate processing apparatus 2 calculates the amount of misalignment of the wafer W based on the front and rear edge positions of the wafer W detected by the sensors 31a and 31b and the output result (rotation angle of the wafer W) of an encoder (not shown) provided on the rotating arm 3. The amount of misalignment of the wafer W can be calculated using, for example, a mathematical model capable of calculating the amount of misalignment from the front and rear edge positions of the wafer W and the rotation angle of the wafer W.

[0035] In the example of FIG. 5, position P24 indicates a state where the rear edge of the wafer W passes the sensor 31b when being transferred from the processing space S2 to S4, and position P42 indicates a state where the rear edge of the wafer W passes the sensor 31a when being transferred from the processing space S4 to S2. For example, when the rear edge of the wafer W passes the sensor 31b, the substrate processing apparatus 2 calculates the amount of misalignment of the wafer W in the processing space S4, which is the destination, from the rear edge position of the wafer W detected by the sensor 31b and the output result of the encoder. Also, for example, when the front edge of the wafer W passes the sensor 31b, the substrate processing apparatus 2 may calculate the amount of misalignment of the wafer W in the processing space S4, which is the destination, from the front edge position of the wafer W detected by the sensor 31b and the output result of the encoder. Also, for example, the substrate processing apparatus 2 may calculate the average value of the amount of misalignment of the wafer W detected when the rear edge of the wafer W passes the sensor 31b and the amount of misalignment of the wafer W detected when the front edge of the wafer W passes the sensor 31b.

[0036] Furthermore, when the wafer W is transported by the rotary arm 3, the substrate processing apparatus 2 can correct the positional misalignment of the wafer W by moving the mounting table 22 at least within the XY plane in the processing spaces S1 to S4 to which the wafer W is transported according to the detected amount of misalignment of the wafer W. Specifically, the substrate processing apparatus 2 has an adjustment mechanism 700 capable of adjusting the position of the mounting table 22, and can correct the positional misalignment of the wafer W by controlling the adjustment mechanism 700 to move the mounting table 22 according to the detected amount of misalignment. In other words, the substrate processing apparatus 2 adjusts the positional misalignment so that the wafer W is located at the center of the processing spaces S1 to S4 when the mounting table 22 is raised.

[0037] The adjustment mechanism 700 and the sensors 31a, 31b are fixed to the outer surface of the bottom 27 (see FIG. 8) of the processing vessel 20. This is because by fixing the adjustment mechanism 700 and the sensors 31a, 31b to the processing vessel 20, which is a common member, a change in the positional relationship between the adjustment mechanism 700 and the sensors 31a, 31b due to thermal expansion of the processing vessel 20 is suppressed.

[0038] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of an exhaust path of the substrate processing apparatus in this embodiment. FIG. 7 shows the processing vessel 20 viewed from above with a gas supply unit 4 described later removed. As shown in FIG. 7, a manifold 36 is disposed at the center of the substrate processing apparatus 2. The manifold 36 has a plurality of exhaust paths 361 connected to the processing spaces S1 to S4. Each exhaust path 361 is connected to a hole 351 of a thrust nut 35 described later at a lower center of the manifold 36. Each exhaust path 361 is connected to an annular flow path 363 in each guide member 362 provided at the upper part of the processing spaces S1 to S4. That is, gas in the processing spaces S1 to S4 is exhausted to a joint exhaust port 205 described later through the flow path 363, the exhaust path 361, and the hole 351.

[0039] Fig. 8 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus in this embodiment. The cross section of Fig. 8 corresponds to the cross section of the substrate processing apparatus 2 taken along line AA shown in Fig. 7. The four processing spaces S1 to S4 have the same configuration, and are each formed between a mounting table 22 on which a wafer W is mounted and a gas supply unit 4 arranged opposite to the mounting table 22. In other words, the mounting table 22 and the gas supply unit 4 are provided in the processing vessel 20 for each of the four processing spaces S1 to S4. Fig. 8 shows processing spaces S1 and S3. The processing space S1 will be described below as an example.

[0040] The mounting table 22 also serves as a lower electrode, and is formed into a flat cylindrical shape made of, for example, metal or aluminum nitride (AlN) with a metal mesh electrode embedded therein. The mounting table 22 is supported from below by a support member 23. The support member 23 is formed into a cylindrical shape, extends vertically downward, and penetrates a bottom 27 of the processing vessel 20. A lower end of the support member 23 is located outside the processing vessel 20 and is connected to a rotation drive mechanism 600. The support member 23 is rotated by the rotation drive mechanism 600. The mounting table 22 is configured to be rotatable in response to the rotation of the support member 23. In addition, an adjustment mechanism 700 for adjusting the position and inclination of the mounting table 22 is provided at the lower end of the support member 23. The adjustment mechanism 700 is fixed to the outer surface of the bottom 27 of the processing vessel 20 together with sensors 31a and 31b (see FIG. 5).

[0041] The mounting table 22 is configured to be movable up and down between the processing position and the transfer position via the support member 23 by the adjustment mechanism 700. In FIG. 8, the mounting table 22 at the transfer position is depicted by a solid line, and the mounting table 22 at the processing position is depicted by a dashed line. In addition, in the transfer position, the end effector 32 of the rotating arm 3 is inserted between the mounting table 22 and the wafer W to receive the wafer W from the lift pins 26. Note that the processing position is a position when a substrate process (e.g., a film forming process) is performed, and the transfer position is a position where the wafer W is transferred between the substrate transport mechanism 15a or the end effector 32. The movement path (e.g., path F2 in FIG. 5) of the wafer W held by the rotating arm 3 is located closer to the bottom 27 of the processing vessel 20 than the processing position. As a result, when the wafer W is transported by the rotating arm 3, the wafer W can be brought closer to the sensors 31a, 31b located on the outer surface of the bottom 27 of the processing vessel 20, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the sensors 31a, 31b.

[0042] A heater 24 is embedded in the mounting table 22. The heater 24 heats each wafer W mounted on the mounting table 22 to, for example, about 60° C. to 600° C. In addition, the mounting table 22 is connected to a ground potential.

[0043] Further, the mounting table 22 is provided with a plurality of (for example, three) pin through holes 26a, and the lift pins 26 are disposed inside the pin through holes 26a. The pin through holes 26a are provided so as to penetrate from the mounting surface (upper surface) of the mounting table 22 to the back surface (lower surface) opposite to the mounting surface. The lift pins 26 are slidably inserted into the pin through holes 26a. The upper ends of the lift pins 26 are suspended from the mounting surface side of the pin through holes 26a. That is, the upper ends of the lift pins 26 have a larger diameter than the pin through holes 26a, and the upper ends of the pin through holes 26a have a recessed portion formed therein that is larger in diameter and thickness than the upper end of the lift pin 26 and can accommodate the upper end of the lift pin 26. As a result, the upper ends of the lift pins 26 are engaged with the mounting table 22 and suspended from the mounting surface side of the pin through holes 26a. The lower ends of the lift pins 26 protrude from the rear surface of the mounting table 22 toward the bottom 27 of the processing vessel 20 .

[0044] When the mounting table 22 is raised to the processing position, the upper ends of the lift pins 26 are housed in the recesses on the mounting side of the pin through holes 26a. When the mounting table 22 is lowered from this state to the transfer position, the lower ends of the lift pins 26 come into contact with the bottom 27 of the processing vessel 20, and the lift pins 26 move within the pin through holes 26a until the upper ends of the lift pins 26 protrude from the mounting surface of the mounting table 22, as shown in Fig. 8. In this case, the lower ends of the lift pins 26 may come into contact with something like a lift pin contact member located on the bottom side, instead of the bottom 27 of the processing vessel 20.

[0045] The gas supply unit 4 is provided above the mounting table 22 on the ceiling of the processing vessel 20 via a guide member 362 made of an insulating member. The gas supply unit 4 functions as an upper electrode. The gas supply unit 4 includes a lid 42, a shower plate 43 that forms an opposing surface provided to face the mounting surface of the mounting table 22, and a gas flow chamber 44 formed between the lid 42 and the shower plate 43. A gas supply pipe 51 is connected to the lid 42, and the shower plate 43 has gas discharge holes 45 that penetrate the shower plate 43 in the thickness direction and are arranged, for example, vertically and horizontally, so that gas is discharged toward the mounting table 22 in a shower-like manner.

[0046] Each gas supply unit 4 is connected to a gas supply system 50 via a gas supply pipe 51. The gas supply system 50 includes supply sources of, for example, a reactive gas (film forming gas) which is a processing gas, a purge gas, and a cleaning gas, as well as piping, a valve V, and a flow rate adjustment unit M. The gas supply system 50 includes, for example, a cleaning gas supply source 53, a reactive gas supply source 54, a purge gas supply source 55, valves V1 to V3 provided in the piping of each supply source, and flow rate adjustment units M1 to M3.

[0047] The cleaning gas supply source 53 is connected to a cleaning gas supply line 532 via a flow rate regulator M1, a valve V1, and a remote plasma unit (RPU) 531. The cleaning gas supply line 532 branches into four lines downstream of the RPU 531, and each line is connected to the gas supply pipe 51. Valves V11 to V14 are provided for each branch pipe downstream of the RPU 531, and the corresponding valves V11 to V14 are opened during cleaning. For convenience, only the valves V11 and V14 are shown in FIG. 8.

[0048] The reactive gas supply source 54 and the purge gas supply source 55 are connected to a gas supply line 52 via flow rate adjusters M2 and M3 and valves V1 and V2, respectively. The gas supply line 52 is connected to a gas supply line 51 via a gas supply line 510. Note that in FIG. 8, the gas supply line 52 and the gas supply line 510 are a collective representation of the supply lines and supply lines corresponding to the gas supply units 4.

[0049] A high-frequency power supply 41 is connected to the shower plate 43 via a matching box 40. The shower plate 43 functions as an upper electrode facing the mounting table 22. When high-frequency power is applied between the shower plate 43 as the upper electrode and the mounting table 22 as the lower electrode, the gas (reactive gas in this example) supplied from the shower plate 43 to the processing space S1 can be turned into plasma by capacitive coupling.

[0050] Next, the exhaust path from the processing spaces S1 to S4 to the joint exhaust port 205 will be described. As shown in Fig. 7 and Fig. 8, the exhaust path runs from annular flow paths 363 in each guide member 362 provided at the upper part of the processing spaces S1 to S4 through each exhaust path 361, via a joint part at the center lower part of the manifold 36 and hole 351, to the joint exhaust port 205. Note that the cross section of the exhaust path 361 is formed to be, for example, circular.

[0051] Around each of the processing spaces S1 to S4, an exhaust guide member 362 is provided so as to surround each of the processing spaces S1 to S4. The guide member 362 is, for example, an annular body provided so as to surround the area around the mounting table 22 at the processing position with a gap therebetween. The guide member 362 is configured to form an internal flow path 363 having, for example, a rectangular vertical cross section and an annular shape in plan view. In FIG. 7, the processing spaces S1 to S4, the guide member 362, the exhaust path 361, and the manifold 36 are shown in schematic form.

[0052] The guide member 362 forms a slit-shaped slit exhaust port 364 that opens toward the processing spaces S1 to S4. In this way, the slit exhaust port 364 is formed along the circumferential direction on the side periphery of each of the processing spaces S1 to S4. An exhaust path 361 is connected to the flow path 363, and the processing gas exhausted from the slit exhaust port 364 is caused to flow toward the junction at the center lower part of the manifold 36 and the hole 351.

[0053] 7, the sets of processing spaces S1-S2, S3-S4 are arranged with 180° rotational symmetry around the manifold 36 when viewed from the top. As a result, the flow paths of the processing gas from each of the processing spaces S1 to S4 through the slit exhaust port 364, the flow path 363 of the guide member 362, and the exhaust path 361 to the hole 351 are formed with 180° rotational symmetry around the hole 351.

[0054] The hole 351 is connected to an exhaust pipe 61 via a joint exhaust port 205 inside a thrust pipe 341 of a two-axis vacuum seal 34 arranged in the center of the processing vessel 20. The exhaust pipe 61 is connected to a vacuum pump 62 constituting a vacuum exhaust mechanism via a valve mechanism 7. One vacuum pump 62 is provided for each processing vessel 20, for example, and exhaust pipes downstream of the vacuum pumps 62 are joined together and connected to, for example, a factory exhaust system.

[0055] The valve mechanism 7 opens and closes a flow path for the process gas formed in the exhaust pipe 61, and has, for example, a casing 71 and an opening / closing unit 72. A first opening 73 connected to the upstream exhaust pipe 61 is formed on the top surface of the casing 71, and a second opening 74 connected to the downstream exhaust pipe is formed on the side surface of the casing 71.

[0056] The opening / closing unit 72 includes an opening / closing valve 721 formed to a size for closing the first opening 73, and a lifting mechanism 722 provided outside the casing 71 for lifting the opening / closing valve 721 in the casing 71. The opening / closing valve 721 is configured to be freely raised and lowered between a closed position for closing the first opening 73 shown by a dashed line in FIG. 8 and an open position for retreating below the first and second openings 73 and 74 shown by a solid line in FIG. 8. When the opening / closing valve 721 is in the closed position, the downstream end of the joint exhaust port 205 is closed, and exhausting of the inside of the processing vessel 20 is stopped. When the opening / closing valve 721 is in the open position, the downstream end of the joint exhaust port 205 is opened, and exhausting of the inside of the processing vessel 20 is performed.

[0057] Next, a description will be given of the biaxial vacuum seal 34 and the thrust nut 35. The biaxial vacuum seal 34 has a thrust pipe 341, bearings 342 and 344, a rotor 343, a main body 345, magnetic fluid seals 346 and 347, and a direct drive motor 348.

[0058] The thrust pipe 341 is a non-rotating central shaft, and receives a thrust load applied to the central upper part of the substrate processing apparatus 2 via the thrust nut 35. That is, when the processing spaces S1 to S4 are made into a vacuum atmosphere, the thrust pipe 341 receives a vacuum load applied to the central part of the substrate processing apparatus 2, thereby suppressing deformation of the upper part of the substrate processing apparatus 2. The thrust pipe 341 has a hollow structure, and its inside is the joint exhaust port 205. The upper surface of the thrust pipe 341 abuts against the lower surface of the thrust nut 35. The gap between the inner surface of the upper part of the thrust pipe 341 and the outer surface of the convex part on the inner periphery side of the thrust nut 35 is sealed by an O-ring (not shown).

[0059] The outer peripheral side of thrust nut 35 has a threaded structure, and thrust nut 35 is screwed into a partition wall at the center of processing vessel 20. Manifold 36 is provided on the upper part of the center of processing vessel 20. The thrust load is received by manifold 36, the partition wall at the center of processing vessel 20, thrust nut 35, and thrust piping 341.

[0060] The bearing 342 is a radial bearing that holds the rotor 343 on the thrust pipe 341 side. The bearing 344 is a radial bearing that holds the rotor 343 on the main body 345 side. The rotor 343 is disposed concentrically with the thrust pipe 341 and is a rotation shaft at the center of the rotating arm 3. In addition, the base member 33 is connected to the rotor 343. When the rotor 343 rotates, the rotating arm 3, that is, the end effector 32 and the base member 33 rotate.

[0061] The main body 345 houses therein the bearings 342, 344, the rotor 343, magnetic fluid seals 346, 347, and a direct drive motor 348. The magnetic fluid seals 346, 347 are disposed on the inner and outer circumferential sides of the rotor 343, and seal the processing spaces S1 to S4 from the outside. The direct drive motor 348 is connected to the rotor 343, and drives the rotor 343 to rotate the rotating arm 3.

[0062] In this way, the two-axis vacuum seal 34 has a thrust pipe 341, which is the non-rotating central axis of the first axis, supporting the load on the upper part of the processing vessel 20 while also serving as a gas exhaust pipe, and a rotor 343, which is the second axis, serving to rotate the rotating arm 3.

[0063] [Operation of substrate processing device] Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus in the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flow chart showing the procedure of processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus in the embodiment. Fig. 9 explains a series of processing steps for transferring the wafer W in the processing spaces S1 and S2, which are the first processing spaces, to the processing spaces S3 and S4, which are the second processing spaces, and performing wafer processing in the processing spaces S3 and S4. Note that the various processing steps shown in Fig. 9 are mainly performed based on the control by the control unit 8.

[0064] First, teaching is performed to match the central positions of the processing spaces S1 to S4, the central positions of the end effectors 32 of the rotating arm 3, the central positions of the mounting tables 22 of the processing spaces S1 to S4, and the central positions of the wafers W mounted on the mounting tables 22. In teaching, for example, the central positions of the processing spaces S1 to S4 are set as reference positions. The reference positions are recorded in, for example, a storage unit of the control unit 8.

[0065] Next, the wafer W located in the processing spaces S1, S2 is placed on the rotating arm 3 (step S101). In step S101, the mounting tables 22 in the processing spaces S1, S2 are moved to the transfer position in the lower transfer space T, and each mounting table 22 raises the lift pins 26 to lift the wafer W. Then, the rotating arm 3 is rotated clockwise from the standby position by about 30° to 45°, and the end effector 32 is inserted between the mounting table 22 located at the transfer position at the bottom of the processing spaces S1, S2 and the wafer W, and the lift pins 26 are lowered to place the wafer W on the end effector 32. Note that the rotation angle of the rotating arm 3 at this time depends on the magnitude of the pitch Px and the pitch Py.

[0066] Next, the rotation of the rotary arm 3 is started to transfer the wafer W from the processing spaces S1, S2 to the processing spaces S3, S4 (step S102).

[0067] While the wafer W is being transported from the processing spaces S1, S2 to the processing spaces S3, S4 by the rotating arm 3, the amount of positional deviation of the wafer W from a reference position is detected (step S103). In step S103, for example, the control unit 8 calculates the amount of positional deviation of the wafer W based on the front and rear edge positions of the wafer W detected by the sensors 31a, 31b and the output result (rotation angle of the wafer W) of an encoder (not shown) provided on the rotating arm 3.

[0068] Next, the position of the mounting table 22 in the processing space S3, S4 of the transfer destination is adjusted by moving the mounting table 22 in the processing space S3, S4 according to the detected amount of deviation (step S104). In step S104, for example, the controller 8 controls the adjustment mechanism 700 according to the detected amount of deviation to move the mounting table 22 in the processing space S3, S4 to a position where the amount of deviation is cancelled. As a result, the position of the mounting table 22 in the processing space S3, S4 is adjusted to coincide with the center position of the wafer W.

[0069] Next, the rotating arm 3 rotates 180° clockwise from the processing spaces S1 and S2, and when the wafer W arrives at the processing space S3 or S4 (step S105), the wafer W is delivered to the mounting table 22 in the processing space S3 or S4 (step S106). In step S106, the mounting table 22 located at the delivery position at the bottom of the processing space S3 or S4 raises the lift pins 26 to receive the wafer W, and then rotates the rotating arm 3 counterclockwise by approximately 30° to 45° to move to the standby position. At this stage, the wafer W is mounted on the mounting table 22 in the processing space S3 or S4.

[0070] Next, the positions of the mounting tables 22 in the processing spaces S3 and S4 are moved to the central positions of the processing spaces S3 and S4, which serve as the reference positions (step S107). As a result, the positions of the wafer W on the mounting tables 22 in the processing spaces S3 and S4 are adjusted to coincide with the central positions of the processing spaces S3 and S4, which serve as the reference positions.

[0071] Next, wafer processing is performed in the processing spaces S3 and S4 (step S108), and thus a series of processing steps is completed.

[0072] As described above, the processing module (e.g., substrate processing apparatus 2, 2a) according to this embodiment includes a processing vessel (e.g., processing vessel 20), a rotating arm (e.g., rotating arm 3), and a sensor (e.g., sensors 31a to 31d). The processing vessel includes a plurality of processing spaces (e.g., processing spaces S1 to S4) each having a center located on the same circumference (e.g., circumference C) and each having a mounting table (e.g., mounting table 22) disposed therein. The rotating arm includes a plurality of holders (e.g., end effector 32) capable of holding a wafer (e.g., wafer W) to be mounted on each of the mounting tables of the plurality of processing spaces, and is provided rotatably around the center of the circumference as a rotation axis. The sensor is located between adjacent processing spaces, and is capable of detecting the position of the wafer held by the rotating arm when the rotating arm rotates. This makes it possible to detect the positional deviation of the wafer during transportation in the processing vessel. Furthermore, even if a wafer is misaligned when it is transported to a processing module by a wafer transport mechanism (e.g., substrate transport mechanisms 15a, 15b), such misalignment can be detected together with the misalignment of the wafer during transport within the processing vessel.

[0073] Furthermore, the sensor according to the embodiment may be a set of two unit sensors arranged on a straight line passing through the center position of the circumference. The two unit sensors may also be arranged on a straight line sandwiching an arc of the circumference therebetween. This can reduce detection errors caused by changes in the positional relationship between the two unit sensors when the processing vessel is thermally expanded.

[0074] The processing module according to the embodiment may further include an adjustment mechanism for moving the mounting table in response to an amount of misalignment of the wafer calculated from the position of the wafer detected by the sensor, thereby correcting the misalignment of the wafer during transfer within the processing chamber.

[0075] In addition, the adjustment mechanism and the sensor according to the embodiment may be fixed to an outer surface of the bottom of the processing vessel, thereby suppressing a change in the positional relationship between the adjustment mechanism and the sensor due to thermal expansion of the processing vessel.

[0076] In addition, the mounting table according to the embodiment may be capable of moving up and down between a processing position where a process is performed on the wafer mounted on the mounting table and a transfer position where the wafer is transferred between each of the holders of the rotating arm. The movement path of the wafer held by the rotating arm may be located at a position closer to the bottom of the processing vessel than the processing position. This allows the wafer to be brought closer to the sensor when the rotating arm transports the wafer, thereby improving the detection accuracy of the sensor.

[0077] Furthermore, the rotating arm according to the embodiment may transport the wafer between two or more processing spaces in which different processes are performed (for example, between the processing spaces S1, S2 and the processing spaces S3, S4) among the multiple processing spaces. This can reduce the time required for transporting the wafer when different processes are repeatedly performed between two or more processing spaces.

[0078] In addition, the processing method according to the embodiment places a wafer located in a first processing space on a rotating arm. The processing method detects an amount of deviation of a position of the wafer from a reference position while rotating the rotating arm to transport the wafer from the first processing space to the second processing space. The processing method adjusts a position of the mounting table by moving the mounting table disposed in the second processing space according to the amount of deviation. The processing method transfers the wafer from the rotating arm to the adjusted mounting table. The processing method moves the position of the mounting table to a center position of the second processing space, which is the reference position. The processing method processes the wafer in the second processing space. This allows the wafer to be processed in a state where the position deviation of the wafer during transportation in the processing vessel is corrected, and as a result, deterioration in processing uniformity for the wafer can be suppressed.

[0079] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects, and may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

[0080] For example, in the above embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 2, 2a is an apparatus that performs plasma CVD processing as substrate processing, but the disclosed technology may be applied to any apparatus that performs other substrate processing such as plasma etching.

[0081] In the above embodiment, the direct drive motor 348 is used as a method for driving the rotor 343 in the biaxial vacuum seal 34, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, the rotor 343 may be provided with a pulley and driven by a timing belt from a motor provided outside the biaxial vacuum seal 34. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1. Substrate Processing System 2, 2a, 2b Substrate processing equipment 3 Rotating Arm 4 Gas supply section 7 Valve mechanism 8. Control Unit 11 Loading / unloading port 12 Loading / unloading module 13a, 13b Vacuum transfer module 14a, 14b Vacuum transfer chamber 15a, 15b Substrate transport mechanism 16 Pass 20 Processing vessel 21 Loading / unloading gate 22 Placement table 26 Lift pin 31a, 31b Sensor 32 End effector 33 Base material 34 2-axis vacuum seal 35 Thrust nut 36 Manifold 50 Gas supply system 205 Combined exhaust port 341 Thrust piping 351 holes 361 Exhaust duct 362 Guide member 700 Adjustment mechanism C Circumference S1~S4 Processing space T Transport space W wafer

Claims

1. a processing vessel having a plurality of processing spaces therein, each of the processing spaces having a center located on the same circumference and each of the processing spaces having a mounting table disposed therein; a rotating arm having a plurality of holders capable of holding wafers to be placed on the respective mounting tables of the plurality of processing spaces, the rotating arm being rotatable about a center of the circumference as a rotation axis; a sensor located between adjacent processing spaces and capable of detecting a position of the wafer held by the rotary arm during a rotational operation of the rotary arm; an adjustment mechanism that moves the mounting table in accordance with an amount of misalignment of the wafer calculated from the position of the wafer detected by the sensor; A processing module having

2. The processing module according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a set of two unit sensors arranged on a straight line passing through a center position of the circumference.

3. The processing module according to claim 2 , wherein the two unit sensors are arranged on the straight line at positions sandwiching an arc of the circumference therebetween.

4. The process module of claim 1 , wherein the adjustment mechanism and the sensor are secured to an exterior surface of a bottom of the process vessel.

5. the mounting table is movable between a processing position where the wafer placed on the mounting table is processed and a transfer position where the wafer is transferred between the mounting table and each of the holders of the rotating arm, 5. The processing module according to claim 1, wherein a movement path of the wafer held by the rotating arm is located at a position closer to a bottom of the processing vessel than the processing position.

6. 6. The processing module according to claim 1, wherein the rotating arm transports the wafer between two or more processing spaces in which different processes are performed, among the plurality of processing spaces.

7. A processing method using a processing module having a processing vessel having a plurality of processing spaces therein, each center of which is located on the same circumference and each of which has a mounting table disposed therein, and a rotating arm having a plurality of holding parts capable of holding wafers to be mounted on each of the mounting tables of the plurality of processing spaces, the rotating arm being rotatable about the center of the circumference as a rotation axis, comprising: A wafer located in a first processing space is placed on the rotating arm; detecting an amount of deviation of the wafer from a reference position while rotating the rotary arm to transport the wafer from the first processing space to the second processing space; adjusting a position of the mounting table by moving the mounting table disposed in the second processing space in accordance with the amount of deviation; Transferring the wafer from the rotating arm to the adjusted stage; The position of the mounting table is moved to a central position of the second processing space, which is the reference position; A processing method includes processing a wafer in the second processing space.

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