Display method and control device

Abstract

To allow a user to easily grasp the idle state of a substrate processing apparatus.SOLUTION: A display method includes the steps of: storing, in a storage unit, first history information on processes executed by a substrate processing apparatus on the basis of a recipe; storing, in the storage unit, second history information on received job execution instructions for instructing execution of the process; and calculating, on the basis of the first history information and the second history information, a first idle time indicating a time during which the process is not performed, and a second idle time indicating a time from the end of the job to the start of execution of the next job, and displaying the first idle time and the second idle time.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a display method and a control device. [Background technology]

[0002] The substrate processing apparatus performs various processes on the wafers, such as film formation, etching, oxidation / diffusion, annealing, and modification, etc. The substrate processing apparatus charges (loads) a plurality of wafers into a processing chamber, and starts substrate processing when the conditions in the processing chamber satisfy the required conditions.

[0003] It is known that in substrate processing apparatuses, the time that wafers are retained in a stocker can affect the quality of the substrates (see, for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a processing system that is capable of managing the retention time for each cassette and issuing an appropriate alarm. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-37148 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] The present disclosure provides a technique that allows a user to easily grasp the idle state of a substrate processing apparatus. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In view of the above problem, the present disclosure provides a method for manufacturing a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a step of storing, in a storage unit, first history information indicating a process performed by the substrate processing apparatus based on a recipe; 1 lot storing second history information in the storage unit, the second history information indicating the received job execution instruction; storing third history information in the storage unit, the third history information indicating a control job execution instruction for collectively executing a plurality of the jobs; The first history information To Based on The time elapsed from the end of the previous process to the start of the next process.a first idle time during which the process is not being performed; and Based on the second history information, The above 1 lot From the end of a job to the next One lot of Until the job starts Between jobs for one lot Calculate the second idle time, which indicates the time Work With calculating a third idle time indicating a time from the end of the control job to the start of execution of the next control job based on the third history information; , displaying the first idle time, the second idle time, and the third idle time in a selectable manner and accepting a selection of one or more of the idle times to be displayed; , the above A selection is accepted in the selection acceptance step. the first idle time, the second idle time, and the third idle time and displaying one or more of has. Effect of the Invention

[0007] The user can easily grasp the idle state of the substrate processing apparatus. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 illustrates a control system for a plasma processing apparatus according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a schematic example of a plasma processing apparatus according to the present disclosure. [Diagram 3] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a processing vessel of a plasma processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure viewed from a horizontal plane. [Figure 4] 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of idle time according to the present disclosure; [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a selection screen displayed by an EC according to the present disclosure. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of displaying an idle time according to the present disclosure. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a process for recording times related to processes, jobs, and control jobs by an EC according to the present disclosure. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is an example flowchart illustrating a procedure for an EC to display an idle time according to the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] Hereinafter, non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In all of the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding members or parts are designated by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and duplicated descriptions will be omitted.

[0010] [System configuration example] 1 shows a control system 70 for a plasma processing apparatus according to the present disclosure. Overall control of plasma processing apparatuses 100A to 100D (hereinafter, any of the plasma processing apparatuses may be referred to as "plasma processing apparatus 100") is performed by the control system 70. The plasma processing apparatus 100 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0011] 1, the control system 70 mainly includes four MCs (module controllers) 60A, 60B, 60C, and 60D (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "MC60") which are examples of individual control units provided corresponding to the plasma processing apparatus 100, an EC (equipment controller) 301 which controls the entire plasma processing apparatus 100, and a user interface 501 connected to the EC 301. The MC 60 is provided in the plasma processing apparatus 100. The MC 60 can also be provided in, for example, a load lock chamber (not shown), which is also controlled by the EC 301, but illustration and description thereof are omitted here. The EC 301 and the MC 60 are examples of a control device.

[0012] The EC 301 and each MC 60 are connected by a system LAN (Local Area Network) 503, and the EC 301 and each MC 60 can communicate with each other. The system LAN 503 has a switching hub (HUB) 505. This switching hub 505 switches the MC 60A to 60D as the connection destination of the EC 301 in response to a control signal from the EC 301.

[0013] The EC 301 is an overall control unit that controls each MC 60 and controls the operation of the entire plasma processing apparatus 100. The EC 301 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 303, a RAM 305 as a volatile memory, and a hard disk drive (HDD) 307 as a storage unit. Note that the storage unit is not limited to the hard disk drive 307, and other non-volatile memories can also be used.

[0014] The EC 301 is also connected to a host computer 603 as a Manufacturing Execution System (MES) that manages the manufacturing processes of the entire factory in which the plasma processing apparatus 100 is installed, via a LAN 601. The host computer 603 cooperates with the control system 70 to feed back real-time information on various processes in the factory to a core system (not shown), and makes decisions on the processes while taking into account the load of the entire factory, etc.

[0015] In addition, a user interface 501 is connected to EC 301. User interface 501 has a keyboard for a process manager to input commands to manage plasma processing apparatus 100, a display that visualizes and displays the operating status of plasma processing apparatus 100, a mechanical switch that issues commands to EC 301, and the like.

[0016] The EC 301 is capable of recording information in a computer-readable storage medium (hereinafter simply referred to as the storage medium) 507 and reading information from the storage medium 507. The control programs and recipes used by the EC 301 for substrate processing can be used, for example, by installing the programs and recipes stored in the storage medium 507 into the hard disk drive 307 serving as a storage unit. The recipes store procedures for manufacturing semiconductors. In particular, a recipe that stores conditions (temperature, pressure, type of gas, gas flow rate, time, etc.) for performing a desired process in the plasma processing device 100 is called a "process recipe."

[0017] As the storage medium 507, for example, a CD-ROM, a hard disk, a flexible disk, a flash memory, a DVD, etc. Also, the above recipes can be downloaded by the EC 301 from another device such as a server via a network for use.

[0018] In the EC 301, the CPU 303 reads out a program (software) including a recipe and a process recipe showing procedures for charging, processing (e.g., film formation), and discharging (including cooling) from the hard disk device 307 or the storage medium 507. Then, the EC 301 causes each MC 60 to control each part of the plasma processing apparatuses 100A to 100D based on the read recipe and the process recipe.

[0019] MC 60 is provided as an individual control unit for controlling the operation of each of the plasma processing apparatuses 100A to 100D. MC 60A individually controls the plasma processing apparatus 100A, MC 60B individually controls the plasma processing apparatus 100B, MC 60C individually controls the plasma processing apparatus 100C, and MC 60D individually controls the plasma processing apparatus 100D.

[0020] [Plasma processing equipment] A configuration example of the plasma processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to Figures 2 and 3. Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view that typically illustrates an example of the plasma processing apparatus 100 according to the present disclosure.

[0021] The plasma processing apparatus 100 has a cylindrical processing vessel 1 with a ceiling and an open lower end. The entire processing vessel 1 is made of, for example, quartz. A ceiling plate 2 made of quartz is provided near the upper end of the processing vessel 1, and the area below the ceiling plate 2 is sealed. A metallic manifold 3 formed into a cylindrical shape is connected to the opening at the lower end of the processing vessel 1 via a seal member 4 such as an O-ring.

[0022] Manifold 3 supports the lower end of processing vessel 1, and boat 5 carrying a large number of wafers W (e.g., 25 to 150 wafers W) in multiple stages is inserted into processing vessel 1 from below manifold 3. In this manner, a large number of wafers W are accommodated substantially horizontally in processing vessel 1 with intervals between them in the vertical direction. Boat 5 is made of, for example, quartz. Boat 5 has three rods 6 (see FIG. 3), and a large number of wafers W are supported by grooves (not shown) formed in rods 6. Wafers W may be, for example, semiconductor wafers. Wafers W may also be referred to as substrates.

[0023] The boat 5 is placed on a table 8 via a heat-insulating cylinder 7 made of quartz. The table 8 is supported on a rotating shaft 10 which penetrates a metal (stainless steel) cover 9 which opens and closes the opening at the bottom end of the manifold 3.

[0024] A magnetic fluid seal 11 is provided at the penetration portion of the rotating shaft 10 to hermetically seal and rotatably support the rotating shaft 10. A seal member 12 is provided between the peripheral portion of the lid 9 and the lower end of the manifold 3 to maintain airtightness inside the processing vessel 1.

[0025] The rotating shaft 10 is attached to the tip of an arm 13 supported by a lifting mechanism (not shown) such as a boat elevator, and the boat 5 and the lid 9 are raised and lowered as a unit to be inserted into and removed from the processing vessel 1. Note that the table 8 may be fixed to the lid 9 side so that the wafers W can be processed without rotating the boat 5.

[0026] The plasma processing apparatus 100 includes a gas supply unit 20 that supplies predetermined gases, such as a processing gas and a purge gas, into the processing chamber 1 .

[0027] The gas supply unit 20 has gas supply pipes 21-24. The gas supply pipes 21-23 are made of, for example, quartz, and penetrate the side wall of the manifold 3 inward, bent upward, and extend vertically. A plurality of gas holes 21a-23a are formed at predetermined intervals in the vertical portions of the gas supply pipes 21-23 over a vertical length corresponding to the substrate support range of the boat 5. Each of the gas holes 21a-23a discharges gas in the horizontal direction. The gas supply pipe 24 is made of, for example, quartz, and is a short quartz pipe provided so as to penetrate the side wall of the manifold 3. In the illustrated example, two gas supply pipes 21 and one each of the gas supply pipes 22-24 are provided.

[0028] The gas supply pipe 21 has a vertical portion disposed inside the processing vessel 1. For example, TSA (trisilylamine (SiH3)3N) is supplied to the gas supply pipe 21 from a source gas supply source via a gas piping. A flow rate controller and an on-off valve are provided on the gas piping. Thus, TSA is supplied from the source gas supply source into the processing vessel 1 at a predetermined flow rate via the gas piping and the gas supply pipe 21.

[0029] The gas supply pipe 22 has a vertical portion disposed in a plasma generating space described later. Ammonia (NH3) gas is supplied to the gas supply pipe 22 from an ammonia gas supply source via the gas pipe. A flow rate controller and an on-off valve are provided on the gas pipe. As a result, NH3 gas is supplied to the plasma generating space from the ammonia gas supply source via the gas pipe and the gas supply pipe 22 at a predetermined flow rate, and is turned into plasma in the plasma generating space and supplied into the processing vessel 1. In addition, hydrogen (H2) gas is supplied to the gas supply pipe 22 from a hydrogen gas supply source via the gas pipe. A flow rate controller and an on-off valve are provided on the gas pipe. As a result, H2 gas is supplied to the plasma generating space from the hydrogen gas supply source via the gas pipe and the gas supply pipe 22 at a predetermined flow rate, and is turned into plasma in the plasma generating space and supplied into the processing vessel 1.

[0030] The gas supply pipe 23 has a vertical portion disposed in a plasma generating space described later. Chlorine (Cl2) gas is supplied to the gas supply pipe 23 from a chlorine gas supply source via a gas pipe. A flow controller and an on-off valve are provided on the gas pipe. Thus, Cl2 gas is supplied from the chlorine gas supply source through the gas pipe and the gas supply pipe 23 at a predetermined flow rate to the plasma generating space, and is turned into plasma in the plasma generating space and supplied into the processing vessel 1.

[0031] A purge gas is supplied from a purge gas supply source through a gas pipe to the gas supply pipe 24. A flow rate controller and an on-off valve are provided in the gas pipe. Thus, the purge gas is supplied from the purge gas supply source through the gas pipe and the gas supply pipe 24 into the processing chamber 1 at a predetermined flow rate. As the purge gas, for example, an inert gas such as nitrogen (N2) or argon (Ar) can be used. The purge gas may be supplied from at least one of the gas supply pipes 21-23.

[0032] A plasma generation mechanism 30 is formed on a part of the sidewall of the processing vessel 1. The plasma generation mechanism 30 generates active species for nitridation by converting NH3 gas into plasma. The plasma generation mechanism 30 generates hydrogen (H) radicals by converting H2 gas into plasma. The plasma generation mechanism 30 generates chlorine (Cl) radicals by converting Cl2 gas into plasma.

[0033] The plasma generation mechanism 30 includes a plasma partition wall 32, a pair of plasma electrodes 33, a power supply line 34, an RF power supply 35, and an insulating protective cover 36.

[0034] The plasma compartment wall 32 is hermetically welded to the outer wall of the processing vessel 1. The plasma compartment wall 32 is made of, for example, quartz. The plasma compartment wall 32 has a concave cross section and covers an opening 31 formed in the side wall of the processing vessel 1. The opening 31 is formed elongated in the vertical direction so as to cover all the wafers W supported by the boat 5 in the vertical direction. In an inner space defined by the plasma compartment wall 32 and communicating with the inside of the processing vessel 1, i.e., a plasma generation space, gas supply pipes 22 and 23 are arranged. The gas supply pipe 21 is provided at a position close to the wafer W along the inner wall of the processing vessel 1 outside the plasma generation space. In the illustrated example, two gas supply pipes 21 are arranged at positions sandwiching the opening 31, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and for example, only one of the two gas supply pipes 21 may be arranged.

[0035] The pair of plasma electrodes 33 each have an elongated shape and are disposed facing each other in the vertical direction on the outer surfaces of both sides of the plasma compartment wall 32. A power supply line 34 is connected to the lower end of each plasma electrode 33.

[0036] The power supply line 34 electrically connects each plasma electrode 33 to the RF power supply 35. In the illustrated example, one end of the power supply line 34 is connected to the lower end, which is the side of the short side, of each plasma electrode 33, and the other end is connected to the RF power supply 35.

[0037] The RF power supply 35 is connected to the lower end of each plasma electrode 33 via a power supply line 34, and supplies RF power of, for example, 13.56 MHz to the pair of plasma electrodes 33. As a result, RF power is applied to the plasma generation space defined by the plasma partition wall 32. The NH3 gas discharged from the gas supply pipe 22 is turned into plasma in the plasma generation space to which the RF power is applied, and the active species for nitridation generated thereby are supplied to the inside of the processing vessel 1 through the opening 31. The H2 gas discharged from the gas supply pipe 22 is turned into plasma in the plasma generation space to which the RF power is applied, and the hydrogen radicals generated thereby are supplied to the inside of the processing vessel 1 through the opening 31. The Cl2 gas discharged from the gas supply pipe 23 is turned into plasma in the plasma generation space to which the RF power is applied, and the chlorine radicals generated thereby are supplied to the inside of the processing vessel 1 through the opening 31.

[0038] The insulating protective cover 36 is attached to the outside of the plasma compartment wall 32 so as to cover the plasma compartment wall 32. A coolant passage (not shown) is provided on the inside of the insulating protective cover 36, and the plasma electrode 33 is cooled by flowing a coolant such as cooled N2 gas through the coolant passage. A shield (not shown) may be provided between the plasma electrode 33 and the insulating protective cover 36 so as to cover the plasma electrode 33. The shield is made of a good conductor such as a metal, and is grounded.

[0039] An exhaust port 40 for evacuating the inside of the processing vessel 1 is provided in a sidewall portion of the processing vessel 1 facing the opening 31. The exhaust port 40 is formed vertically elongated to correspond to the boat 5. An exhaust port cover member 41 having a U-shaped cross section is attached to a portion of the processing vessel 1 corresponding to the exhaust port 40. The exhaust port cover member 41 extends upward along the sidewall of the processing vessel 1. An exhaust pipe 42 for evacuating the processing vessel 1 through the exhaust port 40 is connected to a lower portion of the exhaust port cover member 41. An exhaust device 44 including a pressure control valve 43 for controlling the pressure in the processing vessel 1 and a vacuum pump and the like is connected to the exhaust pipe 42, and the inside of the processing vessel 1 is evacuated through the exhaust pipe 42 by the exhaust device 44.

[0040] A cylindrical heating mechanism 50 is provided around the processing vessel 1. The heating mechanism 50 heats the processing vessel 1 and the wafers W therein. The boat 5 on which the wafers W are placed in multiple stages is accommodated in the processing vessel 1 by the lifting mechanism, which is called "charging". After charging, a desired gas is supplied and the wafers W are heated while being subjected to a film forming process. Thereafter, cooling is performed to cool the wafers W heated during processing, and the boat 5 is lowered by the lifting mechanism to take the wafers W out of the processing vessel 1. Cooling the wafers W (cooling) and taking the boat 5 out of the processing vessel 1 is called "discharging". The procedure of charging → executing the process recipe (processing of the wafers W) → discharging (including cooling) is preset by the recipe, and the processing of the wafers W is performed according to the procedure set in the process recipe.

[0041] In the present disclosure, a log of the start and end of each process of charging → executing the process recipe → discharging is stored as the first history information. That is, the first history information is an example of log information related to a process, and includes history information of the charging of a substrate, the processing of a substrate, and the discharging of a substrate performed in the plasma processing apparatus 100, and is stored in, for example, the EC 301.

[0042] The processing of the wafer W performed in response to an instruction to execute the process recipe is an example of the processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus, which includes all the processing performed by the plasma processing apparatus 100, such as various wafer processing such as a film forming process and an etching process, and a cleaning process inside the processing chamber 1.

[0043] In the present disclosure, the MC 60 controls the film forming process performed by the plasma processing apparatus 100, for example, by controlling the operation of each part of the plasma processing apparatus 100. The MC 60 may be, for example, a computer. A computer program for performing the operation of each part of the plasma processing apparatus 100 is stored in a storage medium. The storage medium may be, for example, a flexible disk, a compact disk, a hard disk, a flash memory, a DVD, or the like.

[0044] The MC 60 performs charging, processing, and discharging of the wafers W for one lot, based on the recipe and process recipe stored in the EC 301, for which execution has been requested by the EC 301. Hereinafter, the process recipe will also be referred to as the "recipe".

[0045] The MC 60 notifies the EC 301 of a log of processing of a plurality of wafers W placed in multiple stages on the boat 5, which is executed based on a recipe, i.e., a log of the start / end of processing of one lot, the start / end of charging, the start / end of wafer processing, and the start / end of discharging. The MC 60 also notifies the EC 301 of the device name of the plasma processing device 100, the end state (presence or absence of anomaly), the process job ID, the process recipe name, and the like. Thus, the EC 301 can record a detailed log (history information) of the operations performed in the plasma processing device 100 and the wafer W processing in a storage unit such as the RAM 305. However, the MC 60 itself may record the log in its own storage unit, or both the EC 301 and the MC 60 may record the log.

[0046] On the other hand, the EC 301 receives a "job execution instruction" transmitted from the host computer 603 to instruct the plasma processing apparatus 100 to execute a job. The job execution instruction instructs the execution of one lot of wafers W, but one lot may include one or more wafers W, and the number of wafers W processed at one time is not limited. The received job execution instruction is received by the MC 60 that controls any one of the plasma processing apparatuses 100 via the EC 301 and the HUB 505. The MC 60 that receives the job execution instruction starts the execution of one lot of the job, and in response, the plasma processing apparatus 100 executes charging, processing of the wafers W, and discharging based on the recipe. In the present disclosure, a log of the job execution instruction is stored as second history information.

[0047] Furthermore, the EC 301 accepts a "control job execution instruction" transmitted from the host computer 603, which instructs the plasma processing apparatus 100 to execute a plurality of jobs collectively. The control job execution instruction is received by the MC 60, which controls any one of the plasma processing apparatuses 100, via the EC 301 and the HUB 505. The MC 60 that receives the control job execution instruction starts execution of the jobs for the plurality of lots, and in response, the plasma processing apparatus 100 executes charging, processing of wafers W, and discharging for the plurality of lots based on the recipe. In the present disclosure, a log of the control job execution instruction is stored as third history information.

[0048] That is, the second history information and the third history information are examples of log information related to the system, and are stored, for example, in the EC 301. The second history information includes history information in which a job execution instruction is received from an external computer such as the host computer 603, and the third history information includes history information in which a control job execution instruction is received from the external computer. The third history information does not need to be stored.

[0049] [About idle time] Next, the idle time will be described. The idle time can generally be defined as the time during which a process or a system is not operating, but multiple different idle times can be defined from various viewpoints. It is known that the idle time has a large effect on the quality of the processing of the wafer W. As an example, the state inside the processing vessel when the plasma processing apparatus 100 starts a process recipe is required to be roughly the same for the same process. However, if the idle time before wafer processing in a certain plasma processing apparatus 100 is long, the state inside the processing vessel of the apparatus may fluctuate, which may result in a decrease in the quality of the processed wafer W.

[0050] In such a case, by monitoring the idle time, the user can easily investigate the fact and the cause of the degradation in the quality of the processing of the wafer W. However, in the past, in order for the user to know the idle time, the user had to read the log of the plasma processing apparatus 100 by himself / herself using a spreadsheet software or the like and calculate the idle time by operating a computer or the like.

[0051] Therefore, this disclosure proposes a display method that defines several idle times as follows, displays the multiple idle times, and presents them to the user. It also includes a function that allows only the idle time selected by the user to be displayed. The multiple idle times can be displayed on the EC301, each MC60, or a monitor that can be connected to the EC301 or each MC60. (i) Idle time between process recipe executions (an example of a first idle time) (ii) Idle time between jobs for one lot (an example of the second idle time) (iii) Idle time between multiple jobs for N lots, i.e., between control jobs (an example of the third idle time) It should be noted that the plasma processing apparatus 100 of the present disclosure is a so-called batch processing type plasma processing apparatus 100 that processes a large number of wafers W (e.g., 25 to 150 wafers) in parallel at one time, but the idle time is defined similarly for the single-wafer type plasma processing apparatus 100.

[0052] Fig. 4 is an example of a diagram for explaining each idle time. In Fig. 4, the vertical direction represents the passage of time, and time passes from top to bottom.

[0053] (i) Idle time between process recipe runs A The idle time between process recipe executions is the elapsed time from the end to the start of one process (the time between the previous and next processes). In other words, it is the elapsed time from the end time of the previous process to the start time of the next process. As an example, it is the time from the time when one process ends under the control of the MC60 to the time when the next process starts.

[0054] According to the definition of the idle time between process recipe executions, the time marked with the symbol A in Fig. 4, excluding the time during which the process recipe is being executed, is the idle time between process recipe executions. The idle time A can be calculated from the first history information. One process may include only one step or may include multiple steps. One process may be, for example, a process for processing the wafer W, and may be one or a combination of a film formation step, a cleaning step, an etching step, an oxidation diffusion step, an annealing step, and a modification processing step.

[0055] Since the state inside the processing vessel (chamber condition) has a significant effect on substrate quality, by displaying this idle time A between execution of the process recipe to the user, the user can use the idle time A to identify the cause of a problem.

[0056] Furthermore, when the process recipe includes a process using plasma, the time from plasma excitation OFF to the next plasma excitation ON may be the idle time A. Note that "plasma excitation OFF" refers to the timing at which the supply of RF power from the RF power supply 35 to the plasma electrode 33 is stopped based on the process recipe, and "next plasma excitation ON" refers to the timing at which RF power is next supplied from the RF power supply 35 to the plasma electrode 33 based on the process recipe.

[0057] (ii) Idle time between jobs for one lot B The idle time between jobs for one lot is the idle time when one job is defined as the period from the start of charging to the end of discharging wafers W for one lot. One job includes charging, executing a process recipe, and discharging. Charging includes the time required to make the state inside the processing vessel suitable for executing the process recipe. Discharging includes cooling inside the processing vessel. Therefore, the idle time between jobs for one lot is the time from when MC60 notifies EC301 of the end of a job due to the end of discharging wafers W in the previous lot to when the next lot starts (for example, when MC60 accepts the start of a job from EC301). However, when MC60 performs the display control of the present disclosure instead of EC301, the idle time between jobs for one lot is the time from when MC60 stores the log of the end of discharging wafers W in the previous lot to when the next lot starts (for example, when MC60 accepts the start of a job from EC301).

[0058] In the case of the batch processing type plasma processing apparatus 100, one lot can process a large number of wafers W. Therefore, the idle time between jobs for one lot is the free time of the plasma processing apparatus 100 between lot processing.

[0059] According to the definition of the idle time between jobs for one lot, the time marked with the symbol B in Fig. 4, excluding the time during which a job is being executed, is the idle time between jobs for one lot. The idle time B can be calculated from the second history information.

[0060] In the example of Figure 4, the third idle time B is noticeably longer than the other idle times B. Therefore, by displaying idle time B to the user, the user can infer from the transition of idle time B that some kind of trouble may have occurred before or after the third idle time B.

[0061] (iii) Idle time C between multiple jobs for N lots The idle time between multiple jobs (control jobs) for N lots is the free time of the system from when the plasma processing apparatus 100 finishes processing of N lots of wafers W to when it starts processing the next N lots of wafers W. Therefore, as an example, the idle time between multiple jobs for N lots is the time from when the discharge of the last lot of wafers W in the previous N lots is finished (a job end notification from MC 60 to EC 301) to when the execution of the next N lots starts (for example, an operation by a user to start the execution of N lots).

[0062] According to the definition of the idle time between multiple jobs for N lots, the time from the end of the execution of the process for N lots to the instruction to start the execution of the next process for N lots, designated by the symbol C, is the idle time between multiple jobs for N lots. The idle time C can be calculated from the third history information.

[0063] Idle time A can be used to investigate the cause of a process trouble, such as a process being delayed due to some problem, and idle time B or idle time C can be used to investigate the cause of a system trouble, such as a job request from the host computer 603 or the EC 301 being delayed due to some problem.

[0064] In addition, the idle times B and C may be used as a guideline for throughput. For example, assume that a plasma processing apparatus 100 capable of processing 10 substrate lots per day can only process 8 lots. In order to investigate the cause of such a decrease in throughput, the idle time C between multiple jobs for N lots or the idle time B between jobs for one lot are effective.

[0065] [Select the idle time to display] A user can select an idle time to be displayed from among three idle times on a selection screen 201 as shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is an example of the selection screen 201 displayed by the EC 301. The selection screen 201 displays three types of idle times 202 to 204 together with a message saying "Please select the idle time you want to display." A check button is displayed in association with each type of idle time.

[0066] [Idle time display example] The user can input the idle time to be displayed to the E301 by selecting one or more check buttons, and the EC301 can display one or more selected idle times.

[0067] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of displaying the idle time. The screen in Fig. 6 is a log display screen. Note that time progresses from bottom to top in each row in Fig. 6. In this disclosure, EC 301 displays the idle time on log screen 210. The idle time may be displayed independently of log screen 210, or may be displayed on a different screen.

[0068] The above-described processes may be performed mainly by EC 301, or may be performed mainly by MC 60, or EC 301 may perform part of the processes and MC 60 may perform the remaining processes. Note that instead of EC 301 or MC 60 directly displaying the idle time, any terminal device may display the idle time on a Web browser or the like based on log information transmitted by EC 301 to a server or the like.

[0069] The log screen 210 has the following items: end status 211, process job ID 212, process recipe name 213, process start time 214, process end time 215, execution time 216, idle time A 217, idle time B 218, and idle time C 219. Each item will be explained.

[0070] The end status 211 indicates whether the process ended normally or not. If an error occurred, an error code, for example, may be displayed.

[0071] The process job ID 212 is identification information that identifies a job for one lot. If the process job ID is the same, the process recipe is also the same. However, even if the process recipe is the same, the process job ID may differ. In FIG. 6, jobs with process job IDs = 09, 50, and 51 are being executed. A series of jobs with the same process job ID corresponds to N lots.

[0072] The process recipe name 213 is the name of the process recipe executed by the plasma processing apparatus 100. For example, it may be the file name of the process recipe.

[0073] The process start time 214 is the time when the MC 60 starts executing the process. If the substrate processing includes processing using plasma, the time when plasma excitation is turned ON is recorded.

[0074] The processing end time 215 is the time when the MC 60 ends the process execution. If the substrate processing includes processing using plasma, the time when the plasma excitation is turned off is recorded.

[0075] Execution time 216 is the difference between the processing end time and the processing start time.

[0076] Idle time A is the above-mentioned "idle time A between process recipe executions." Idle time A is the difference between the end time of the previous process and the start time of the process.

[0077] Idle time B is the above-mentioned "idle time B between jobs for one lot." In other words, it is the difference between the end time (not shown) of one lot including the process preceding the process in question and the start time (not shown) of one lot including the process in question. It is the time from when MC60 notifies EC301 of the end of processing one lot to when the next lot starts (for example, when MC60 receives an instruction from EC301 to start processing one lot).

[0078] Idle time C is the above-mentioned "idle time C between multiple jobs for N lots." It is the time from when MC60 notifies EC301 that processing of N lots has ended to when EC301 starts processing the next N lots (for example, when the user starts processing of N lots).

[0079] According to FIG. 6, it can be seen that the idle times A to C indicated by reference numerals 220 and 221 are exceptionally long compared to the other idle times.

[0080] Idle times A to C indicated by reference numeral 220 are the timings when the processing of N lots ends and the processing of the next N lots starts. This can be seen from the change in the process job ID. The user instructed the EC 301 to process the next N lots "29 minutes 15 seconds" after the processing of the previous N lots ended. Then, a further "33 minutes 55 seconds = 1 hour 3 minutes 10 seconds - 29 minutes 15 seconds" elapses before the first lot of the next N lots starts. This is, for example, the time required to move a cassette containing the wafers W to be processed. As a result, the idle time between process recipe executions is longer at "1 hour 50 minutes 48 seconds."

[0081] The idle times A to C indicated by the reference symbol 221 are also the timings when the processing of N lots ends and the processing of the next N lots starts. However, the user instructs EC 301 to process the next N lots immediately (at "0 hours, 0 minutes, 0 seconds") after the processing of the previous N lots ends. However, "59 minutes, 33 seconds" has passed before the first lot of the next N lots starts. As a result, the idle time between process recipe executions has become long at "1 hour, 40 minutes, 02 seconds."

[0082] Therefore, the user can refer to the idle times A to C indicated by the reference symbols 220 and 221 to determine whether a problem that may affect the quality of the board has occurred.

[0083] Furthermore, the EC 301 may output an alarm when at least one of the three idle times A to C is equal to or greater than a threshold. For example, the EC 301 may emphasize the idle time that is equal to or greater than the threshold by changing the color or brightness. Furthermore, the EC 301 may send the idle time that is equal to or greater than the threshold and its type to the person in charge by e-mail or the like.

[0084] In addition, the three idle times A to C and, for example, a Refractive Index (RI) that correlates with the film quality may be learned by a technique such as machine learning.

[0085] [Processing Procedure] FIG. 7 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a process in which an EC records times related to the processing of a process, a job, and an N lot.

[0086] The EC 301 receives an instruction to start processing N lots, i.e., an instruction to execute a control job, transmitted from the host computer 603 (S1). The EC 301 records (saves) the time 1 at which the instruction to start processing N lots was received. Note that N, which corresponds to the number of jobs, and the process recipe name may be set by the user or may be automatically set by the host computer 603.

[0087] Next, EC 301 transmits an execution instruction for each lot to MC 60. MC 60 receives the execution instruction for one lot (S2). EC 301 records (saves) the time when EC 301 transmits the execution instruction for each lot to MC 60, or the time when MC 60 receives the execution instruction for one lot (the time when MC 60 transmits a notice to EC 301 that it has received the execution instruction) as time 2.

[0088] MC 60 starts charging one lot of wafers W (S3). When charging is completed (when the condition inside the processing vessel becomes suitable for the process), MC 60 transmits a notification that charging is completed to EC 301. EC 301 instructs MC 60 to start the process recipe, and MC 60 starts executing the process recipe (S4). MC 60 transmits a notification that the process recipe has started to EC 301. As a result, EC 301 records (saves) the processing start time of the process recipe as time 3. MC 60 may start the process recipe without transmitting a notification to EC 301 that charging is completed.

[0089] The MC 60 performs substrate processing based on the process recipe. When the process (substrate processing) for one lot is completed (Yes in S5), the MC 60 transmits a message to the EC 301 indicating that the process recipe is completed. The EC 301 records (saves) the end time of the process as time 4 (S6).

[0090] The EC 301 instructs the MC 60 to start discharging, and the MC 60 performs cooling and the like, discharges one lot of wafers W, and ends the processing of one lot (one job) (S7). The MC 60 transmits a message to the EC 301 indicating that the processing of one lot has ended. The EC 301 records (saves) the time 5 when one lot has ended.

[0091] Each time the processing of one lot is completed, EC301 judges whether the processing of all N lots has been completed (S8). If the processing of N lots remains, EC301 executes the processing from step S2.

[0092] When the processing of all N lots has been completed, the EC 301 records (saves) the time 6 when the processing of N lots has been completed (S9).

[0093] Thus, times 1 to 6 are recorded for N lots. EC301 records times 1 to 6 in the same manner for the next N lots. Note that times 3 and 4 are an example of first history information, times 2 and 5 are an example of second history information, and times 1 and 6 are an example of third history information.

[0094] Then, when the user displays the log screen, EC 301 displays three idle times (0 to 3 idle times depending on the user operation). Fig. 8 is an example of a flowchart illustrating a display method in which EC 301 displays the idle times.

[0095] When displaying the log screen, the user can set the type of idle time to be displayed on the log screen on selection screen 201 in Fig. 5. EC 301 accepts the selection of the type of idle time to be displayed (S11). If the user does not set the type of idle time, a default idle time may be displayed. Then, the user instructs EC 301 to display log screen 210.

[0096] In the following, a case where the EC 301 displays three idle times on the user interface 501 will be described.

[0097] The EC 301 displays the value obtained by subtracting the time 3 of the process in the next lot from the time 4 of each process as the idle time between process recipe executions (S12).

[0098] Further, the EC 301 displays the value obtained by subtracting the time 2 of the next lot from the time 5 of each lot as the idle time between jobs for one lot (S13).

[0099] Furthermore, the EC 301 displays the value obtained by subtracting the time 1 of the next N lots from the time 6 of the N lots as the idle time between the multiple jobs for the N lots (S14).

[0100] This process allows the MC60 to display three idle times.

[0101] [Major Effects] As described above, the EC 301 of the present disclosure displays the idle time, thereby reducing the need for the user to read the log of the plasma processing apparatus 100 into a spreadsheet software or the like and to operate a computer, etc. In addition, since three different idle times are displayed, the user can examine which idle time has affected the substrate quality.

[0102] [others] Although the plasma processing apparatus 100 has been described above by the above embodiment, the plasma processing apparatus 100 according to the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications and improvements are possible within the scope of the present disclosure. The matters described in the above embodiments can be combined to the extent that they are not contradictory.

[0103] In this disclosure, a wafer W has been described as an example, but the object to be processed by plasma processing is not limited to a wafer W, and may be various substrates used in LCDs (Liquid Crystal Displays) and FPDs (Flat Panel Displays), etc.

[0104] In addition, in the present disclosure, an example has been described in which the EC 301 records the log, but the MC 60 may record some or all of the log. [Explanation of symbols]

[0105] 1 Processing vessel 60 Control section 100 Plasma treatment device 301 EC

Claims

1. storing, in a storage unit, first history information indicating processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus based on the recipe; storing, in the storage unit, second history information indicating that a job execution instruction for one lot is received, the execution instruction indicating the execution of the processing; storing third history information in the storage unit, the third history information having received an execution instruction for a control job for collectively executing a plurality of the jobs; calculating a first idle time during which no processing is being performed, which is an elapsed time from the end time of the immediately preceding process to the start time of the next process, based on the first history information, and a second idle time indicating a time between jobs of one lot, which is an elapsed time from the end of the job of one lot to the start of execution of the next job of one lot, based on the second history information; calculating a third idle time indicating a time from the end of the control job to the start of execution of the next control job based on the third history information; displaying the first idle time, the second idle time, and the third idle time in a selectable manner and receiving a selection of one or more of the idle times to be displayed; displaying one or more of the first idle time, the second idle time, and the third idle time selected in the step of receiving a selection; A display method having the following structure:

2. The display method according to claim 1, wherein when the first idle time, the second idle time, or the third idle time becomes equal to or greater than a threshold, the first idle time, the second idle time, or the third idle time that has become equal to or greater than the threshold is highlighted and displayed.

3. The display method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processing includes a step of processing or cleaning the substrate.

4. 3. The display method according to claim 1, wherein the first history information includes history information of plasma excitation ON and plasma excitation OFF, and the first idle time is a time from plasma excitation OFF to the next plasma excitation ON.

5. The display method according to claim 3 , wherein the first history information includes history information of charging, processing, and discharging of the substrate, which are performed in the substrate processing apparatus.

6. 6. The display method according to claim 1, wherein the second history information includes history information regarding acceptance of an instruction to execute the job from an external computer.

7. 3. The display method according to claim 1, wherein the third history information includes history information regarding acceptance of an instruction to execute the control job from an external computer.

8. A control device that communicates with a substrate processing apparatus that performs processing, storing, in a storage unit, first history information indicating processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus based on the recipe; storing, in the storage unit, second history information indicating that a job execution instruction for one lot is received, the execution instruction indicating the execution of the processing; storing third history information in the storage unit, the third history information having received an execution instruction for a control job for collectively executing a plurality of the jobs; calculating a first idle time during which no processing is being performed, which is an elapsed time from the end time of the immediately preceding process to the start time of the next process, based on the first history information, and a second idle time indicating a time between jobs of one lot, which is an elapsed time from the end of the job of one lot to the start of execution of the next job of one lot, based on the second history information; calculating a third idle time indicating a time from the end of the control job to the start of execution of the next control job based on the third history information; displaying the first idle time, the second idle time, and the third idle time in a selectable manner and receiving a selection of one or more of the idle times to be displayed; a step of displaying one or more of the first idle time, the second idle time, and the third idle time selected in the step of receiving the selection; A control device having the above configuration.

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