Information processing apparatus, transfer position correction method, and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

To provide a technology with which it is possible to autonomously control conveyance by a conveyance device of a substrate to be processed.SOLUTION: There is provided, an information processing device for controlling conveyance by a conveyance device of a substrate processing device of the substrate to be processed. The information processing device comprises: conveyance device control means for controlling, in accordance with teaching data, a first movement operation of a conveyance device that mounts the substrate to be processed in a container in which the substrate to be processed is mountable, and a second movement operation for acquiring the substrate to be processed from the container; image data acquisition means for acquiring image data in which the first and second movement operations are filmed, from an imaging device installed so as to be capable of imaging a position of the container at which the substrate to be processed is mounted; image processing means for quantifying a positional relation of the container and the substrate to be processed, on the basis of the image data; and position correction means for assessing the quantified positional relation of the container and the substrate to be processed and outputting correction data for the first and second movement operations of the conveyance device on the basis of the result of assessment.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an information processing apparatus, a transfer position correcting method, and a substrate processing apparatus. [Background technology]

[0002] A vertical heat treatment apparatus is known that has a vertical heat treatment furnace, and a wafer boat is placed in the heat treatment furnace and heat-treated to heat the wafers. In this vertical heat treatment apparatus, a wafer transfer device having multiple forks transfers multiple wafers stored in a carrier to the wafer boat at the same time (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2019-046843 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique capable of autonomously controlling the transportation of a substrate to be processed by a transportation device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is an information processing device that controls the transportation of a substrate to be processed by a transport device of a substrate processing device, and includes a transport device control means that controls a first movement operation of the transport device to place the substrate to be processed in a container capable of holding the substrate to be processed and a second movement operation to acquire the substrate to be processed from the container in accordance with teaching data, an image data acquisition means that acquires image data of the first movement operation and the second movement operation from an imaging device installed so as to be able to image the placement position of the substrate to be processed in the container, an image processing means that digitizes the positional relationship between the container and the substrate to be processed based on the image data, and a position correction means that judges the digitized positional relationship between the container and the substrate to be processed and outputs correction data for the first movement operation and the second movement operation of the transport device based on the judgment result. Effect of the Invention

[0006] According to the present disclosure, the transport of the substrate to be processed by the transport device can be autonomously controlled. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a vertical sectional view illustrating an example of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an example of a loading area. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of an example of a computer. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a functional configuration of a control device. [Diagram 5] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for controlling a moving operation of a transfer mechanism according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 11 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a position change in a movement operation of a fork when retrieving or placing a wafer W. FIG. [Figure 7] FIG. 1 is an image of an example of a boat with a fork inserted. [Figure 8] 5 is a flowchart of an example of a boat-side automatic teaching process according to the present embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 13 is an image of an example of a boat with the forks inserted into position P5. [Figure 10] 5 is a flowchart of an example of a boat-side automatic teaching process according to the present embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is an image of an example of a boat with forks inserted into positions TCH and P3. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0008] Hereinafter, non-limiting exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the accompanying drawings, the same or corresponding members or parts are denoted by the same or corresponding reference symbols, and duplicated descriptions are omitted as appropriate. In addition, in this embodiment, a heat treatment device, which is an example of a substrate treatment device, is described as an example, but the present disclosure is not limited to a heat treatment device.

[0009] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a vertical cross-sectional view of an example of a substrate processing system according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an example of a loading area. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing system includes a heat treatment apparatus 10 and a control device 100. The control device 100 may be provided in a housing of the heat treatment apparatus 10 as a part of the configuration of the heat treatment apparatus 10, or may be provided outside the housing of the heat treatment apparatus 10 separately from the configuration of the heat treatment apparatus 10. For example, the control device 100 may be realized by using a server device connected to be able to communicate data via a network, or a cloud service available via a network.

[0010] The heat treatment apparatus 10 includes a vertical heat treatment furnace 60, which will be described later, and can hold and accommodate a plurality of wafers W at predetermined intervals along the vertical direction in a boat, and can perform various heat treatments such as oxidation, diffusion, and low-pressure CVD on the wafers W. In the following, an example will be described in which the heat treatment apparatus 10 supplies a processing gas to the wafers W placed in a processing vessel 65, which will be described later, to perform an oxidation process on the surfaces of the wafers W. The wafers W are an example of a substrate to be processed. The substrate to be processed is not limited to a circular wafer W.

[0011] 1 includes a mounting table (load port) 20, a housing 30, and a control device 100. The mounting table (load port) 20 is provided at the front of the housing 30. The housing 30 includes a loading area (work area) 40 and a heat treatment furnace 60.

[0012] The loading area 40 is provided at a lower part within the housing 30. The heat treatment furnace 60 is provided above the loading area 40 within the housing 30. In addition, a base plate 31 is provided between the loading area 40 and the heat treatment furnace 60.

[0013] The mounting table (load port) 20 is used to load and unload the wafer W into the housing 30. Storage containers 21 and 22 are placed on the mounting table (load port) 20. The storage containers 21 and 22 are sealed storage containers (FOUPs) equipped with detachable lids on the front and capable of storing a plurality of wafers W (e.g., about 25 wafers) at predetermined intervals.

[0014] In addition, an alignment device (aligner) 23 may be provided below the mounting table 20 to align in one direction a cutout portion (eg, a notch) provided on the outer periphery of the wafer W transferred by a transfer mechanism 47 described later.

[0015] The loading area (work area) 40 is for transferring wafers W between the storage containers 21 and 22 and a boat 44 described below, loading the boat 44 into the processing container 65, and unloading the boat 44 from the processing container 65. In the loading area 40, a door mechanism 41, a shutter mechanism 42, a lid 43, the boat 44, a base 45a, a base 45b, a lifting mechanism 46, and a transfer mechanism 47 are provided.

[0016] The door mechanism 41 is for removing the lids of the storage containers 21 and 22 to open and communicate the storage containers 21, 22 with the loading area 40. The shutter mechanism 42 is provided above the loading area 40. The shutter mechanism 42 is provided to cover (or block) the furnace port 68a to suppress or prevent high-temperature heat from inside the furnace from being released into the loading area 40 through the furnace port 68a, which will be described later, when the lid body 43 is open.

[0017] The lid body 43 has an insulating cylinder 48 and a rotating mechanism 49. The insulating cylinder 48 is provided on the lid body 43. The insulating cylinder 48 is provided to prevent the boat 44 from being cooled by heat transfer to the lid body 43 side and to keep the boat 44 warm. The rotating mechanism 49 is attached to the lower part of the lid body 43. The rotating mechanism 49 is provided to rotate the boat 44. The rotating shaft of the rotating mechanism 49 passes through the lid body 43 airtightly and is provided to rotate a rotating table (not shown) arranged on the lid body 43.

[0018] The lifting mechanism 46 drives the lid body 43 to move up and down when the boat 44 is loaded into and unloaded from the loading area 40 into the processing vessel 65. When the lid body 43 lifted by the lifting mechanism 46 is loaded into the processing vessel 65, the lid body 43 is configured to abut against a furnace port 68a (described later) to seal the furnace port 68a. The boat 44 placed on the lid body 43 can hold the wafer W in the processing vessel 65 so as to be rotatable within a horizontal plane.

[0019] The heat treatment apparatus 10 may have a plurality of boats 44. In this embodiment, an example having two boats 44 will be described with reference to FIG.

[0020] The loading area 40 is provided with boats 44a and 44b. The loading area 40 is provided with a base 45a, a base 45b, and a boat transfer mechanism 45c. The bases 45a and 45b are mounting tables onto which the boats 44a and 44b are transferred, respectively, from the lid body 43. The boat transfer mechanism 45c is used to transfer the boat 44a or 44b from the lid body 43 to the base 45a or 45b.

[0021] The boats 44a and 44b are made of, for example, quartz, and are adapted to mount large-diameter wafers W, for example, 300 mm in diameter, in a horizontal state at a predetermined interval (pitch width) in the vertical direction. The boats 44a and 44b are formed, for example, by interposing a plurality of (for example, three) support columns 52 between a top plate and a bottom plate. The support columns 52 are each provided with a support portion such as a groove or a claw for supporting (holding) the wafer W. The boats 44a and 44b may also be provided with auxiliary columns as appropriate in addition to the support columns 52. The boats 44a and 44b are examples of containers on which the wafers W can be placed.

[0022] The transfer mechanism 47 is for transferring the wafer W between the storage container 21 or 22 and the boat 44a or 44b. The transfer mechanism 47 is an example of a transfer device that transfers the wafer W.

[0023] The transfer mechanism 47 has a base 57, a lifting arm 58, and a plurality of forks 59. The base 57 is provided so as to be movable up and down and rotatable. The lifting arm 58 is provided so as to be movable up and down (liftable) by a ball screw or the like. The base 57 is provided on the lifting arm 58 so as to be rotatable horizontally. The plurality of forks are an example of a transfer plate (transfer part) that supports the wafer W.

[0024] Furthermore, cameras 80a and 80b are installed in the loading area 40. The cameras 80a and 80b are an example of an imaging device. The camera 80a is installed so as to be able to capture images in the direction from the transfer mechanism 47 to the storage container 21 or 22 and in the direction from the transfer mechanism 47 to the boat 44a or 44b. The camera 80a in Figs. 1 and 2 shows an example in which it is installed on a movable part of the transfer mechanism 47.

[0025] For example, the camera 80a captures an image of the movement operation of the transfer mechanism 47 to get the wafer W from the storage container 21 or 22, and the movement operation of the transfer mechanism 47 to put the wafer W onto the boat 44a or 44b. The camera 80a also captures an image of the movement operation of the transfer mechanism 47 to get the wafer W from the boat 44a or 44b, and the movement operation of the transfer mechanism 47 to put the wafer W onto the storage container 21 or 22.

[0026] 1 and 2 is installed so as to be able to photograph the rear side of the boat 44a or 44b when viewed from the transfer mechanism 47. The camera 80b in FIGS.

[0027] For example, the camera 80b captures an image of the moving operation of the transfer mechanism 47 placing the wafer W on the boat 44a or 44b, and the camera 80b captures an image of the moving operation of the transfer mechanism 47 acquiring the wafer W from the boat 44a or 44b.

[0028] The control device 100 is a device that performs overall control of the heat treatment device 10. The control device 100 controls the operation of the heat treatment device 10 so that heat treatment is performed under various processing conditions specified in a recipe. As will be described later, the control device 100 also performs a fully automatic teaching process that automates teaching of the transfer position of the wafer W to the transfer mechanism 47, an autonomous automatic transfer process that autonomously controls (autonomous navigation control) the transportation of the wafer W by the transfer mechanism 47, anomaly sign detection process that supports preventive maintenance activities for the transfer mechanism 47, and the like.

[0029] The control device 100 is realized by, for example, a computer having a hardware configuration as shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a computer.

[0030] 3 includes an input device 501, an output device 502, an external I / F (interface) 503, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 504, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 505, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 506, a communication I / F 507, and a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 508, all of which are connected to each other via a bus B. The input device 501 and the output device 502 may be connected and used when necessary.

[0031] The input device 501 is a keyboard, mouse, touch panel, etc., and is used by an operator to input various operation signals. The output device 502 is a display, etc., and displays the results of processing by the computer 500. The communication I / F 507 is an interface that connects the computer 500 to a network. The HDD 508 is an example of a non-volatile storage device that stores programs and data.

[0032] The external I / F 503 is an interface with an external device. The computer 500 can read and / or write data from and to a recording medium 503a such as a Secure Digital (SD) memory card via the external I / F 503. The ROM 505 is an example of a non-volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) in which programs and data are stored. The RAM 504 is an example of a volatile semiconductor memory (storage device) that temporarily holds programs and data.

[0033] The CPU 506 is a calculation device that reads out programs and data from storage devices such as the ROM 505 and HDD 508 onto the RAM 504 and executes processes, thereby realizing overall control and functions of the computer 500 .

[0034] The control device 100 can realize various functions described below by executing processes according to programs using a computer 500 having the hardware configuration shown in FIG.

[0035] <Functional configuration> An example of the functional configuration of the control device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 4. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device. The control device 100 has an image data acquisition unit 110, an image processing unit 120, an autonomous control unit 130, a camera control unit 140, a transport device control unit 150, a database 160, a recipe execution unit 170, and a wafer transfer control unit 180.

[0036] The image processing unit 120 has a wafer acquisition image processing unit 122 and a wafer placement image processing unit 124. The autonomous control unit 130 has a transfer teaching unit 132 and a position correction unit 134. Note that the functional configuration in FIG. 4 is omitted as appropriate for the purpose of explaining this embodiment.

[0037] The image data acquiring unit 110 acquires image data captured by the cameras 80a and 80b (hereinafter, the cameras 80a and 80b are collectively referred to as the camera 80 as appropriate). For example, the image data acquiring unit 110 acquires image data of the movement operation in which the transfer mechanism 47 acquires the wafer W from the storage container 21 or 22 and the movement operation in which the transfer mechanism 47 places the wafer W on the boat 44a or 44b. In addition, for example, the image data acquiring unit 110 acquires image data of the movement operation in which the transfer mechanism 47 acquires the wafer W from the boat 44a or 44b and the movement operation in which the transfer mechanism 47 places the wafer W on the boat 44a or 44b.

[0038] The image processing unit 120 processes the image data acquired by the image data acquisition unit 110 to analyze (measure) the required distances (dimensions) from the positions of the support parts such as grooves and claws of the storage container 21 or 22, the positions of the forks 59 of the transfer mechanism 47, and the position of the wafer W, and digitizes the positional relationships. In the following, an example in which the support parts of the storage container 21 or 22 are grooves will be described.

[0039] Furthermore, the image processing unit 120 performs image processing on the image data acquired by the image data acquiring unit 110 to analyze (measure) the positions of the support parts such as grooves and claws of the boat 44a or 44b, the positions of the forks 59 of the transfer mechanism 47, and the required distances (dimensions) from the position of the wafer W, and quantifies the positional relationships. In the following, an example in which the support parts of the boat 44a or 44b are grooves will be described.

[0040] The wafer acquisition image processing unit 122 of the image processing unit 120 processes image data of the movement movement to acquire the wafer W from the storage container 21 or 22, thereby analyzing the required distance from the position of the groove in the storage container 21 or 22, the position of the fork 59 of the transfer mechanism 47, and the position of the wafer W, and quantifies the positional relationship.

[0041] In addition, the wafer acquisition image processing unit 122 of the image processing unit 120 processes image data of the movement operation for acquiring the wafer W from the boat 44a or 44b, thereby analyzing the required distance from the position of the groove in the boat 44a or 44b, the position of the fork 59 of the transfer mechanism 47, and the position of the wafer W, and quantifies the positional relationship.

[0042] The wafer placement image processing unit 124 of the image processing unit 120 processes image data of the movement operation of placing the wafer W on the boat 44a or 44b, thereby analyzing the required distance from the position of the groove in the boat 44a or 44b, the position of the fork 59 of the transfer mechanism 47, and the position of the wafer W, and quantifies the positional relationship.

[0043] In addition, the wafer placement image processing unit 124 of the image processing unit 120 processes image data of the movement operation of placing the wafer W in the storage container 21 or 22, thereby analyzing the required distance from the position of the groove in the storage container 21 or 22, the position of the fork 59 of the transfer mechanism 47, and the position of the wafer W, and quantifies the positional relationship.

[0044] The autonomous control unit 130 calculates corrected teaching data for the placement position of the wafer W in the storage container 21 or 22 based on the digitized positions of the grooves in the storage container 21 or 22, the position of the forks 59 of the transfer mechanism 47, and the positional relationship of the wafer W, and teaches the transfer mechanism 47 the transfer position of the wafer W. For example, the corrected teaching data for the placement position of the wafer W in the storage container 21 or 22 is used to correct initial teaching data for the movement operation in which the forks 59 of the transfer mechanism 47 retrieve the wafer W from the storage container 21 or 22 or the movement operation in which the wafer W is placed in the storage container 21 or 22.

[0045] The autonomous control unit 130 calculates corrected teaching data for the placement position of the wafer W in the boat 44a or 44b based on the digitized positions of the grooves in the boat 44a or 44b, the positions of the forks 59 of the transfer mechanism 47, and the positional relationship of the wafer W, and teaches the transfer mechanism 47 the transfer position of the wafer W. For example, the corrected teaching data for the placement position of the wafer W in the boat 44a or 44b is used to correct initial teaching data for a moving operation in which the forks 59 of the transfer mechanism 47 acquire the wafer W from the boat 44a or 44b or a moving operation in which the wafer W is placed on the boat 44a or 44b.

[0046] In addition, the autonomous control unit 130 measures the transfer position of the wafer W transferred between the storage container 21 or 22 and the boat 44a or 44b at predetermined intervals in accordance with the correction teaching data, and when a positional deviation occurs, performs a position correction as described below, thereby enabling autonomous navigation processing.

[0047] The transfer instruction unit 132 of the autonomous control unit 130 calculates correction instruction data for the placement position of the wafer W in the storage container 21 or 22 based on the position of the groove in the storage container 21 or 22, the position of the fork 59 of the transfer mechanism 47, and the positional relationship of the wafer W, which are digitized by image processing the image data of the movement operation to obtain the wafer W from the storage container 21 or 22.

[0048] In addition, the transfer instruction unit 132 of the autonomous control unit 130 calculates correction instruction data for the placement position of the wafer W in the boat 44a or 44b based on the position of the groove in the boat 44a or 44b, the position of the fork 59 of the transfer mechanism 47, and the positional relationship of the wafer W, which are digitized by image processing the image data of the movement operation to obtain the wafer W from the boat 44a or 44b.

[0049] In addition, the transfer instruction unit 132 of the autonomous control unit 130 calculates correction instruction data for the placement position of the wafer W in the boat 44a or 44b based on the position of the groove in the boat 44a or 44b, the position of the fork 59 of the transfer mechanism 47, and the positional relationship of the wafer W, which are digitized by image processing the image data of the movement operation of placing the wafer W in the boat 44a or 44b.

[0050] In addition, the transfer instruction unit 132 of the autonomous control unit 130 calculates correction instruction data for the placement position of the wafer W in the storage container 21 or 22 based on the position of the groove in the storage container 21 or 22, the position of the fork 59 of the transfer mechanism 47, and the positional relationship of the wafer W, which are digitized by image processing the image data of the movement operation of placing the wafer W in the storage container 21 or 22.

[0051] In addition, the position correction unit 134 of the autonomous control unit 130 measures the transfer position of the wafer W transferred between the storage container 21 or 22 and the boat 44a or 44b at predetermined intervals in accordance with the correction teaching data, and when a positional deviation occurs, performs a position correction as described below, thereby enabling autonomous navigation processing.

[0052] The camera control unit 140 controls the timing of shooting by the camera 80 according to instructions from the autonomous control unit 130. The database 160 stores initial teaching data and correction teaching data for teaching the transfer mechanism 47 of the heat treatment apparatus 10 the placement position of the wafer W. The database 160 also stores correction data and displacement data used for position correction, which will be described later.

[0053] For example, the initial teaching data is teaching data that is preset in the heat treatment apparatus 10, and is set for each model of the heat treatment apparatus 10. The corrected teaching data is teaching data that corrects the positional deviation of the placement position of the wafer W caused by the machine difference of the heat treatment apparatus 10 or the adjustment variation by the operator. The correction data is used to continue the transfer of the wafer W by correcting the positional deviation of the placement position of the wafer W that has occurred based on the result of, for example, periodically measuring the transfer position of the wafer W transferred according to the corrected teaching data. In addition, the displacement data is data that continuously records the positional deviation of the placement position of the wafer W that has occurred, and is used for various analyses (trends, behavior, failures, anomalies, etc.).

[0054] The transfer device control unit 150 controls the movement operation of the transfer mechanism 47 under control of the autonomous control unit 130 or the wafer transfer control unit 180. The transfer device control unit 150 controls the movement operation of the transfer mechanism 47 using the initial teaching data, corrected teaching data, and corrected data stored in the database 160.

[0055] The recipe execution unit 170 controls the operation of the heat treatment apparatus 10 so that the heat treatment is performed under the processing conditions specified in the recipe. The wafer transfer control unit 180, under the control of the recipe execution unit 170, instructs the transfer device control unit 150 to transfer the wafer W between the storage container 21 or 22 and the boat 44a or 44b.

[0056] <Processing> Hereinafter, an example of a fully automatic teaching process that automates the teaching of the transfer mechanism 47 that transfers the wafer W between the storage container 21 or 22 and the boat 44a or 44b, and an autonomous transfer process that autonomously controls (autonomous navigation control) the transfer of the wafer W by the transfer mechanism 47 will be described. The control device 100 controls the movement operation of the transfer mechanism 47, for example, according to the procedure in Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart of an example of a process for controlling the movement operation of the transfer mechanism according to this embodiment.

[0057] In step S10, the control device 100 performs a pre-transfer operation confirmation process. The pre-transfer operation confirmation process in step S10 is a confirmation process before the transfer operation, in which the wafer W is not transported, but the fork 59 of the transfer mechanism 47 is moved based on the initial teaching data, and the transfer positions of the storage container 21 or 22 and the boat 44a or 44b are confirmed.

[0058] In this embodiment, the change in position during the movement of the fork 59 when retrieving the wafer W from the placement position or placing the wafer W on the placement position, and the position at which the camera 80 takes an image are defined, for example, as shown in FIG. 6.

[0059] 6A and 6B are explanatory diagrams showing an example of a position change during the movement of the fork 59 when acquiring or placing the wafer W. Fig. 6(A) shows an example of a position change during the movement of the fork 59 when acquiring the wafer W. Fig. 6(B) shows an example of a position change during the movement of the fork 59 when placing the wafer W.

[0060] For example, Fig. 6A shows an example of a movement operation in which the fork 59 moves in the order of positions P4 → P3 → P2 → P5 → P1. Position P3 in Fig. 6A is an example of the first position, and is, for example, a position immediately before the fork 59 acquires the wafer W from the boat 44a or 44b. Position TCH is, for example, a position where the fork 59 acquires the wafer W from the boat 44a or 44b. Position P2 is, for example, a position where the fork 59 has acquired the wafer W from the boat 44a or 44b.

[0061] For example, Fig. 6(B) shows an example of a moving operation in which the fork 59 moves in the order of positions P1 -> P5 -> P3 -> P4. Position P5 in Fig. 6(B) is an example of the second position, and is, for example, a position immediately before the fork 59 places the wafer W on the boat 44a or 44b. Position TCH is, for example, a position at which the fork 59 places the wafer W on the boat 44a or 44b. Position P3 is, for example, a position after the fork 59 places the wafer W on the boat 44a or 44b.

[0062] The pre-transfer operation confirmation process on the boat side is performed, for example, as follows: The autonomous control unit 130 of the control device 100 reads out the initial teaching data from the database 160. Based on the initial teaching data, the autonomous control unit 130 controls the transport device control unit 150 to insert the fork 59 into position P3 of the boat 44a.

[0063] The autonomous control unit 130 controls the camera 80 to take images at positions P3 and P5 of the boat 44a. The image data acquisition unit 110 acquires image data taken by the camera 80 at positions P3 and P5 of the boat 44a. The image processing unit 120 processes the image data taken at positions P3 and P5 of the boat 44a to measure the distance between the top of the groove of the support 52 of the boat 44a (hereinafter referred to as the boat groove) and the wafer placement surface of the fork 59. The image processing unit 120 measures the distance between the edge of the boat groove and the edge of the fork 59.

[0064] The autonomous control unit 130 judges whether the measured distance between the top of the boat groove and the wafer placement surface of the fork 59 at positions P3 and P5 of the boat 44a, and the distance between the edge of the boat groove and the edge of the fork 59, satisfy the design standard values. If the design standard values ​​are not satisfied, the autonomous control unit 130 performs a correction operation for the error amount, and performs position correction so that the movement of the fork 59 satisfies the design standard values. The autonomous control unit 130 feeds back the correction teaching data by storing it in the database 160 according to the result of the position correction of the movement of the fork 59 performed so as to satisfy the design standard values.

[0065] After the boat side pre-transfer operation confirmation process, the control device 100 performs the storage container side pre-transfer operation confirmation process. Note that since the dimensions of the groove of the storage container 21 (hereinafter referred to as the storage container groove) are sufficiently larger than the boat groove, the storage container side pre-transfer operation confirmation process may be omitted.

[0066] The autonomous control unit 130 of the control device 100 reads out the initial teaching data from the database 160. The autonomous control unit 130 controls the transport device control unit 150 to insert the fork 59 into the position P3 of the storage container 21 based on the initial teaching data.

[0067] The autonomous control unit 130 controls the camera 80a to take images at positions P3 and P5 of the storage container 21. The image data acquisition unit 110 acquires image data taken by the camera 80a at positions P3 and P5 of the storage container 21. The image processing unit 120 processes the image data taken at positions P3 and P5 of the storage container 21 to measure the distance between the top of the storage container groove and the wafer placement surface of the fork 59. The image processing unit 120 measures the distance between the edge of the storage container groove and the edge of the fork 59.

[0068] The autonomous control unit 130 judges whether the measured distance between the top of the storage container groove and the wafer placement surface of the forks 59 at positions P3 and P5 of the storage container 21, and the distance between the edge of the storage container groove and the edge of the forks 59, satisfy the design standard values. If the measured distance does not satisfy the design standard values, the autonomous control unit 130 performs a correction operation for the error amount, and performs position correction so that the movement of the forks 59 satisfies the design standard values. The autonomous control unit 130 feeds back the correction teaching data by storing it in the database 160 according to the result of the position correction of the movement of the forks 59 performed so as to satisfy the design standard values.

[0069] In step S12, the control device 100 performs an automatic teaching process. The automatic teaching process in step S12 performs a moving operation of the fork 59 of the transfer mechanism 47 based on corrected teaching data obtained by correcting the initial teaching data in the pre-transfer operation confirmation process in step S10.

[0070] The control device 100 acquires image data capturing the movement of the forks 59 of the transfer mechanism 47 to pick up the wafer W from the storage container 21 or 22, and performs image processing to digitize the positional relationship between the grooves of the storage container 21 or 22, the forks 59, and the wafer W. The control device 100 outputs correction teaching data for correcting the placement position of the wafer W in the storage container 21 or 22 (correcting the movement of the forks 59) based on the digitized positional relationship between the grooves of the storage container 21 or 22, the forks 59, and the wafer W.

[0071] The control device 100 also acquires image data capturing an image of the movement of the fork 59 of the transfer mechanism 47 placing the wafer W on the boat 44a or 44b, and performs image processing to digitize the positional relationship between the groove of the boat 44a or 44b, the fork 59, and the wafer W. The positional relationship between the groove of the boat 44a or 44b, the fork 59, and the wafer W may also be called, for example, an interface dimension between the boat 44a or 44b and the wafer W.

[0072] The control device 100 outputs correction teaching data for correcting the placement position of the wafer W in the boat 44a or 44b (for correcting the movement of the fork 59) based on the digitized positional relationship between the grooves of the boat 44a or 44b, the fork 59, and the wafer W. Details of the automatic teaching process in step S12 will be described later.

[0073] In step S14, the control device 100 uses the corrected teaching data stored in the database 160 to control the movement operation of the transfer mechanism 47 and perform the transfer process of the wafer W, thereby operating the heat treatment device 10. In this embodiment, while the heat treatment device 10 is in operation, the processes from step S16 onwards are performed at predetermined intervals, such as regular intervals.

[0074] In step S16, the autonomous control unit 130 controls the cameras 80a and 80b to take images at positions P3 or P5 of the boat 44a. The image data acquisition unit 110 acquires image data taken by the cameras 80a and 80b at positions P3 or P5 of the boat 44a, as shown in Fig. 7 for example. Fig. 7 is an image diagram of an example of a boat with a fork inserted. As shown in Fig. 7, the cameras 80a and 80b are installed so as to be able to take images of the three boat grooves of the boat 44a.

[0075] In step S18, the image processor 120 processes the image data captured by the cameras 80a and 80b at the positions P3 and P5 of the boat 44a to digitize the positional relationship between the boat groove and the wafer W.

[0076] For example, the image processing unit 120 processes image data captured by the cameras 80a and 80b at position P5 to measure the distance a between the lower surface of the wafer W held by the forks 59 and the upper surface of the boat groove, the distance b between the support pillars 52 and the edge of the wafer W, etc. The image processing unit 120 processes image data captured by the cameras 80a and 80b at position P3 to measure the distance a between the lower surface of the wafer W held by the forks 59 and the upper surface of the boat groove, the distance b between the support pillars 52 and the edge of the wafer W, etc.

[0077] In step S20, the autonomous control unit 130 compares the quantified positional relationship between the boat groove and the wafer W with the design reference value for each of the three boat grooves. In step S22, the autonomous control unit 130 determines whether the design reference value is not satisfied for each of the three boat grooves.

[0078] For example, the autonomous control unit 130 compares the distance a between the bottom surface of the wafer W held by the forks 59 and the top surface of the boat groove quantified in step S18 with the distance a of the design standard value, and judges whether or not the design standard value is not met in each of the three boat grooves according to the difference. If the difference between the distance a between the bottom surface of the wafer W held by the forks 59 and the top surface of the boat groove quantified with the distance a of the design standard value is within a predetermined range (e.g., less than 200 μm), the autonomous control unit 130 judges that the distance a is a normal value that meets the design standard value.

[0079] If the difference between the quantified distance a between the bottom surface of the wafer W held by the forks 59 and the top surface of the boat groove and the design standard value of distance a is within a predetermined range (e.g., 200 μm or more and less than 400 μm), it is determined to be a recommended adjustment value that does not satisfy the design standard value. Furthermore, if the difference between the quantified distance a between the bottom surface of the wafer W held by the forks 59 and the top surface of the boat groove and the design standard value of distance a is within a predetermined range (e.g., 400 μm or more), it is determined to be an abnormal value that does not satisfy the design standard value.

[0080] Furthermore, for example, the autonomous control unit 130 compares the distance b between the edge of the wafer W held by the forks 59 and the support posts 52, which was quantified in step S18, with the distance b of the design standard value, and judges whether or not the design standard value is not met in each of the three boat grooves according to the difference. If the difference between the distance b between the edge of the wafer W held by the forks 59 and the support posts 52, which was quantified in step S18, and the distance b of the design standard value is within a predetermined range (for example, less than 200 μm), the autonomous control unit 130 judges that the distance b is a normal value that meets the design standard value.

[0081] If the difference between the quantified distance b between the edge of the wafer W held by the forks 59 and the support 52 and the design standard value of distance b is within a predetermined range (e.g., 200 μm or more and less than 400 μm), it is determined to be a recommended adjustment value that does not satisfy the design standard value. If the difference between the quantified distance b between the edge of the wafer W held by the forks 59 and the support 52 and the design standard value of distance b is within a predetermined range (e.g., 400 μm or more), it is determined to be an abnormal value that does not satisfy the design standard value.

[0082] If the design criteria are satisfied in one or more boat grooves, the autonomous control unit 130 performs the process of step S24. In step S24, the autonomous control unit 130 performs a correction operation for the difference (positional deviation), and according to the result of the position correction of the movement operation of the forks 59 that satisfies the design standard value, feedback is provided by storing correction data for correcting the correction teaching data in the database 160. Therefore, the autonomous control unit 130 can continue to operate the heat treatment device 10 while correcting the position of the movement operation of the forks 59 so that the design standard value is satisfied.

[0083] 5, the process of continuing operation of the heat treatment device 10 while correcting the position of the movement operation of the fork 59 if one or more boat grooves are normal values ​​that satisfy the design criteria is described as an example, but is not limited to this example. For example, the autonomous control unit 130 may continue operation of the heat treatment device 10 while correcting the position of the movement operation of the fork 59 until the end of the batch being processed if three boat grooves do not satisfy the design criteria but are within the range of the recommended adjustment value. Also, the autonomous control unit 130 may stop operation of the heat treatment device 10 before the end of the batch being processed if one or more boat grooves are within the range of abnormal values ​​that do not satisfy the design criteria.

[0084] If the design criteria are not met for the three boat grooves, the autonomous control unit 130 returns to the process of step S12 and performs the automatic teaching process as shown in Figs.

[0085] 8 is a flowchart of an example of the boat-side automatic teaching process according to this embodiment. The autonomous control unit 130 of the control device 100 reads out corrected teaching data from the database 160 in step S80.

[0086] In step S82, the autonomous control unit 130 controls the transport device control unit 150 based on the corrected teaching data so as to insert the fork 59 into position P5 of the boat 44a. The transport device control unit 150 controls the movement operation of the transfer mechanism 47 in accordance with the corrected teaching data so as to insert the fork 59 into position P5 of the boat 44a, for example, as shown in Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is an image diagram of an example of a boat with the fork inserted into position P5.

[0087] In step S84, the autonomous control unit 130 controls the camera 80a to capture an image at position P5 of the boat 44a. The image data acquisition unit 110 acquires image data captured by the camera 80a at position P5 of the boat 44a.

[0088] In step S86, the image processor 120 processes the image data captured by the camera 80a when the boat 44a is at position P5, to thereby digitize the positional relationship between the boat groove, the forks 59, and the wafer W.

[0089] For example, the image processing unit 120 processes image data captured by the camera 80a at position P5 to measure the distance a between the bottom surface of the wafer W held by the fork 59 and the top surface of the boat groove, the distance b between the support 52 and the edge of the wafer W, etc.

[0090] In step S88, the autonomous control unit 130 determines whether the measured distance satisfies the design standard value. If the design standard value is not satisfied, the autonomous control unit 130 performs a correction operation for the error in step S90, and repeats the position correction of the movement operation of the fork 59 until the design standard value is satisfied.

[0091] If the design criteria are satisfied, the autonomous control unit 130 proceeds to the process of step S92. The autonomous control unit 130 controls the camera 80b to capture an image at the position P5 of the boat 44a. The image data acquisition unit 110 acquires image data captured by the camera 80b at the position P5 of the boat 44a.

[0092] In step S94, the image processor 120 processes the image data captured by the camera 80b when the boat 44a is at position P5, to thereby digitize the positional relationship between the boat groove, the forks 59, and the wafer W.

[0093] For example, the image processing unit 120 processes image data captured by the camera 80b at position P5 to measure the distance a between the bottom surface of the wafer W held by the fork 59 and the top surface of the boat groove, the distance b between the support 52 and the edge of the wafer W, etc.

[0094] In step S96, the autonomous control unit 130 determines whether the measured distance satisfies the design standard value. If the design standard value is not satisfied, the autonomous control unit 130 performs a correction operation for the error in step S98, and repeats the position correction of the movement operation of the fork 59 until the design standard value is satisfied.

[0095] In step S100, the autonomous control unit 130 feeds back the corrected teaching data by storing it in the database 160 according to the result of the position correction of the moving operation of the fork 59 that satisfies the design reference value.

[0096] 10 is a flowchart of an example of the boat-side automatic teaching process according to this embodiment. The autonomous control unit 130 of the control device 100 reads out corrected teaching data from the database 160 in step S110.

[0097] In step S112, the autonomous control unit 130 controls the transport device control unit 150 to move the forks 59 to the position TCH of the boat 44a based on the corrected teaching data. The transport device control unit 150 controls the movement operation of the transfer mechanism 47 in accordance with the corrected teaching data to move the forks 59 to the position TCH of the boat 44a, for example, as shown in FIG.

[0098] Fig. 11 is an image diagram of an example of a boat with forks inserted into positions TCH and P3. As shown in Fig. 11, cameras 80a and 80b are installed so as to be able to photograph the three boat grooves of the boat 44a with the loading and unloading mechanism 47 moved to positions TCH and P3.

[0099] In step S114, the autonomous control unit 130 controls the cameras 80a and 80b to capture images at the position TCH of the boat 44a. The image data acquisition unit 110 acquires image data captured by the cameras 80a and 80b at the position TCH of the boat 44a.

[0100] In step S116, the image processor 120 processes the image data captured by the cameras 80a and 80b when the boat 44a is at position TCH, and digitizes the positional relationships among the boat groove, the fork 59, and the wafer W at the three boat grooves.

[0101] For example, the image processing unit 120 measures the distance between the bottom surface of the wafer W held by the fork 59 and the top surface of the boat groove, the distance between the support 52 and the edge of the wafer W, etc., by processing the image data captured by the cameras 80a and 80b at position TCH.

[0102] In step S118, the autonomous control unit 130 determines whether the measured distance satisfies the design standard value. If the design standard value is not satisfied, the autonomous control unit 130 performs a correction operation for the error in step S120, and repeats the position correction of the movement operation of the fork 59 until the design standard value is satisfied.

[0103] If the design criteria are satisfied, the autonomous control unit 130 proceeds to the process of step S124. The autonomous control unit 130 controls the cameras 80a and 80b to capture images at the position P3 of the boat 44a. The image data acquisition unit 110 acquires image data captured by the cameras 80a and 80b at the position P3 of the boat 44a.

[0104] In step S126, the image processor 120 processes the image data captured by the cameras 80a and 80b at the position P3 of the boat 44a, and digitizes the positional relationships among the boat groove, the fork 59, and the wafer W at the three boat grooves.

[0105] For example, the image processing unit 120 measures the distance between the underside of the wafer W held by the boat groove and the wafer placement surface of the fork 59, the distance between the support 52 and the edge of the wafer W, etc., by processing the image data captured by the cameras 80a and 80b at position P3.

[0106] In step S128, the autonomous control unit 130 determines whether the measured distance satisfies the design standard value. If the design standard value is not satisfied, the autonomous control unit 130 performs a correction operation for the error in step S130, and repeats the position correction of the movement operation of the fork 59 until the design standard value is satisfied.

[0107] In step S132, the autonomous control unit 130 feeds back the corrected teaching data by storing it in the database 160 according to the result of the position correction of the moving operation of the fork 59 that satisfies the design reference value.

[0108] The accuracy of the processing in the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 8 and 10 can be further improved by dividing the boat 44a into two or three or more areas, one above the other, depending on the height, and performing the processing for each area.

[0109] According to this embodiment, by performing the processes from step S16 onward at predetermined intervals while the heat treatment apparatus 10 is in operation, the operation of the heat treatment apparatus 10 can be continued while correcting the position of the movement operation of the fork 59 so that the design standard value is satisfied. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the MTBF (mean time between failures) can be extended, and the added value of the heat treatment apparatus 10 can be improved by improving the availability rate. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the MTTR (mean time to repair) can be shortened, and the added value of the heat treatment apparatus 10 can be improved by improving the availability rate and quality.

[0110] Moreover, according to this embodiment, by analyzing the displacement data stored in the database 160, it is possible to grasp, for example, the behavior of the transfer mechanism 47 and the boat 44. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, by analyzing the displacement data stored in the database 160, it becomes easy to detect anomalies and failures, and it is possible to improve the added value of the heat treatment apparatus 10. For example, by analyzing the displacement data stored in the database 160, it is possible to log the thermal mutation behavior of the heat treatment apparatus 10, and by predicting an excess before the mutation data exceeds the physical change amount indicated by the mechanical design, it is also possible to notify the appropriate timing for maintenance.

[0111] In this way, according to the autonomous transfer process of this embodiment, it is possible to extend the MTBF caused by the transportation of the wafer W as long as the physical limit of the transfer mechanism 47 and the film deposition distribution limit of the process are not exceeded. The film deposition distribution limit of the process may be detected from the adjustment limit by, for example, an eccentricity optimizer function.

[0112] Moreover, according to this embodiment, the time required for adjustment work at startup (installation of the device) or after replacing a quartz jig can be reduced compared to adjustment work performed by an operator, and the transfer margin can be increased by high-precision adjustment. Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the increase in the transfer margin is expected to extend the MTTF (mean time to failure), and the added value of the heat treatment device 10 can be improved.

[0113] In this embodiment, the positions of the support parts such as grooves and claws of the container 21 or 22, the positions of the support parts such as grooves and claws of the boat 44a or 44b, the position of the forks 59 of the transfer mechanism 47, and the positional relationship of the wafer W are quantified by image processing, but an optical sensor or the like may be used in combination. In this embodiment, centering of the wafer W on the boat 44a or 44b is possible, and the inclination of the boat 44a or 44b based on the transfer mechanism 47 can be analyzed by calculation. In this embodiment, the positional deviation of the wafer W held by the forks 59 may be analyzed from image data captured by the camera 80b, and the transfer of the wafer W may be continued by correcting the deviation of the positional deviation.

[0114] In the above embodiment, a so-called ladder boat is used as an example, in which multiple pillars are provided between a top plate and a bottom plate arranged opposite each other, multiple grooves are formed on the inner surface of each pillar, and the peripheral portion of the wafer W is inserted into the grooves to be supported. However, the shape of the ladder boat is not limited to this.

[0115] For example, the present invention can be applied to a so-called ring boat in which a plurality of support columns are provided between a top plate and a bottom plate arranged opposite each other, a ring member having a flat support surface is provided on the plurality of support columns, and the wafer W is supported by the support surface of the ring member. The present invention can also be applied to boats of other special shapes.

[0116] The embodiments of the present disclosure should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. In addition, the above-mentioned embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various forms without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims. [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] 10 Heat treatment device 21, 22 Storage container 44, 44a, 44b Boat 47 Transfer mechanism 52 Pillar 59 Fork 80a, 80b Camera 100 Control device 110 Image data acquisition unit 120 Image Processing Unit 122 Wafer acquisition image processing section 124 Wafer-mounted image processing section 130 Autonomous control unit 132 Transfer and Instruction Department 134 Position correction section 140 Camera control unit 150 Conveyor device control section 160 Databases 170 Recipe Execution Unit 180 Wafer transfer control unit W wafer

Claims

1. An information processing device that controls transportation of a substrate to be processed by a transport device of a substrate processing device, a transport device control means for controlling a first movement operation of the transport device for placing the substrate to be processed in a container capable of receiving the substrate to be processed and a second movement operation for acquiring the substrate to be processed from the container in accordance with teaching data; an image data acquisition means for acquiring image data of the first moving operation and the second moving operation from an image capture device installed so as to be able to capture an image of the placement position of the substrate in the container; an image processing means for converting a positional relationship between the container and the substrate to be processed into a numerical value based on the image data; a position correction means for determining a numerically-quantified positional relationship between the container and the substrate to be processed, and outputting correction data for the first movement operation and the second movement operation of the transport device based on the determination result; An information processing device having the above configuration.

2. The position correction means compares the digitized positional relationship between the container and the substrate to be processed with a design reference value of the positional relationship, and if the determination result is not within an abnormal range, outputs correction data for the first movement operation and the second movement operation of the transport device based on the determination result, and if the determination result is within an abnormal range, requests a transfer teaching means that teaches the first movement operation and the second movement operation of the transport device to teach the first movement operation and the second movement operation.

2. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1,

3. a transfer teaching means for teaching the first movement operation and the second movement operation of the transport device for placing the substrate to be processed at the previously placed position of the container based on the positional relationship between the previously placed position of the container, the transport device, and the substrate to be processed that has been digitized by the image processing means; 3. The information processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

4. the image data acquisition means acquires image data capable of digitalizing a positional relationship between the substrate and at least three support portions that support the substrate in the container, by image processing; the image processing means digitizes a positional relationship between the substrate and the three support parts of the container on which the substrate is placed, for each of the three support parts; the position correction means determines a positional relationship between the substrate and the three support parts of the container on which the substrate is placed, for each of the three support parts, and outputs correction data for the first movement operation and the second movement operation of the transport device based on a result of the determination.

4. The information processing device according to claim 1, wherein:

5. the image processing means digitizes a positional relationship between the container and the substrate at the first position and the second position based on first image data taken when the transport device moves to a first position before acquiring the substrate during a second movement operation of the transport device and second image data taken when the transport device moves to a second position before placing the substrate during the first movement operation of the transport device, the position correction means determines a positional relationship between the placement position of the container and the substrate to be processed at the digitized first position and the digitized second position, and outputs correction data for the first movement operation and the second movement operation of the transport device based on a result of the determination.

5. The information processing device according to claim 1,

6. The information processing device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the photographing device has a plurality of photographing units capable of photographing the error in the up / down / left / right directions of the previously placed position of the container, among the up / down / left / right directions and the front / back directions in which the first and second moving operations of the conveying device are possible, and at least one photographing unit capable of photographing the error in the front / back direction of the previously placed position of the container.

7. The container is a boat that supports the plurality of substrates to be processed that are transported by the transport device.

7. The information processing device according to claim 1,

8. A transfer position correction method for an information processing apparatus that controls transportation of a substrate to be processed by a transport device of a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a transport device control step of controlling a first movement operation of the transport device for placing the substrate to be processed in a container capable of receiving the substrate to be processed and a second movement operation of the transport device for acquiring the substrate to be processed from the container in accordance with teaching data; an image data acquisition step of acquiring image data of the first moving operation and the second moving operation from an image capture device installed so as to be able to capture an image of the placement position of the substrate in the container; an image processing step of converting a positional relationship between the container and the substrate to be processed into a numerical value based on the image data; a position correction step of determining a numerically-quantified positional relationship between the container and the substrate to be processed, and outputting correction data for the first movement operation and the second movement operation of the transport device based on the determination result; The transfer position correction method includes the steps of:

9. A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, a transport means for placing a substrate to be processed in a container capable of receiving the substrate, or for removing the substrate from the container; an imaging means installed so as to be able to image the placement position of the substrate in the container; a transport device control means for controlling a first movement operation of the transport means for placing the substrate to be processed in the container and a second movement operation for acquiring the substrate to be processed from the container in accordance with teaching data; image data acquisition means for acquiring image data of the first movement motion and the second movement motion from the imaging means; an image processing means for converting a positional relationship between the container and the substrate to be processed into a numerical value based on the image data; a position correction means for determining a numerically-converted positional relationship between the container and the substrate to be processed, and outputting correction data for the first movement operation and the second movement operation of the transport means based on the determination result; A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

Images