Rotary table control method and processing device

Abstract

To efficiently prevent a variation in temperature of a rotary table in an idle time.SOLUTION: There is provided a method for controlling a rotary table in a processor having a chamber, the rotary table that is accommodated in the chamber, has a mounting part for mounting a plurality of substrates, and is rotatable and elevatable, a heater unit that is accommodated in the chamber and provided below the rotary table, and a temperature sensor that measures the temperature of the rotary table, and the method for controlling the rotary table includes steps of: acquiring the temperature measured by the temperature sensor; and raising or lowering the position of the rotary table in an idle time when specific processing is not performed in the chamber according to a result of comparison between the acquired temperature and a target temperature set in advance.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a method and processing device for controlling a rotary table. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses that, after processing of wafers placed on the mounting portion of a turntable is completed, if processing of wafers in the next lot is not performed consecutively, a dummy wafer is placed on the turntable and a dummy process is performed. In Patent Document 1, the dummy process is repeatedly performed until processing of wafers in the next lot begins, thereby maintaining the temperature conditions, etc., for processing wafers in the next lot. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-81952 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The present disclosure provides a technique that can efficiently suppress temperature fluctuations of a rotary table during idle time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a method for controlling a turntable in a processing apparatus having a chamber, a turntable housed in the chamber and having a mounting portion for mounting a plurality of substrates thereon, which is rotatable and capable of being raised and lowered, a heater unit housed in the chamber and provided below the turntable, and a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the turntable, the method comprising the steps of: acquiring a temperature measured by the temperature sensor; heating the turntable with the heater unit during an idle time when no substrates are housed in the chamber and a process recipe is not being executed, while raising and lowering the position of the turntable in accordance with a result of comparing the acquired temperature with a preset target temperature; controlling a pressure in the chamber during the idle time to be higher than a pressure in the chamber while processing the process recipe is being performed; A method for controlling a rotary table is provided, comprising: [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to one aspect, it is possible to efficiently suppress temperature fluctuations of the turntable during idle time. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a cross-sectional view schematically illustrating an example of a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the structure inside a chamber according to an embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a hardware configuration of a control unit according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for controlling a rotary table according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining a method for controlling the rotary table according to the embodiment. [Figure 6] 5A and 5B are diagrams for explaining a method for controlling the rotary table according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the drawings, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations may be omitted.

[0009] [Film forming equipment] First, a film forming apparatus according to an embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The film forming apparatus in Fig. 1 is an example of a processing apparatus that executes the method for controlling a rotary table according to the present disclosure.

[0010] The film forming apparatus of the present disclosure includes a chamber 1 having a substantially circular planar shape, and a rotary table 2 provided inside the chamber 1 and having a rotation center at the center of the chamber 1. The chamber 1 includes a cylindrical container body 12 with a bottom, and a top plate 11 that is detachably and airtightly arranged on the top surface of the container body 12 via a sealing member 13 such as an O-ring.

[0011] The rotary table 2 is fixed at its center to a cylindrical core 21, and the core 21 is rotatably fixed to the upper end of a rotary shaft 22 extending in the vertical direction. The rotary shaft 22 penetrates the bottom 14 of the chamber 1, and its lower end is attached to a drive unit 23 that rotates the rotary shaft 22 around the vertical axis. The rotary shaft 22 and drive unit 23 are housed in a cylindrical case body 20 with an open top. A bellows 16 is provided between the bottom 14 of the container main body 12 and the case body 20. As a result, the case body 20 is airtightly attached to the underside of the bottom 14 of the chamber 1, and the internal atmosphere of the case body 20 is isolated from the external atmosphere. The drive unit 23 may be a motor.

[0012] Further, outside the bellows 16, there is provided an elevating mechanism 17 that can raise and lower the turntable 2 and change the height of the turntable 2. The elevating mechanism 17 raises and lowers the turntable 2, and is configured to change the distance between the ceiling surface 45 and the wafer W in response to the raising and lowering of the turntable 2. The elevating mechanism 17 may be realized by various configurations as long as it can raise and lower the turntable 2, and may, for example, have a structure in which the length of the rotation shaft 22 is extended or shortened by a gear or the like.

[0013] A first exhaust port 610 is provided at the outer edge of the chamber 1 and communicates with an exhaust pipe 630. The exhaust pipe 630 is connected to a vacuum pump 640 via a pressure regulator 650, and the chamber 1 can be evacuated from the first exhaust port 610.

[0014] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the structure inside the chamber 1, showing the structure inside the chamber 1 when the film forming apparatus according to the embodiment is viewed from above, with the top plate 11 omitted. As shown in FIG. 2, circular recesses 24 are provided on the surface of the turntable 2 along the rotation direction (circumferential direction) for placing multiple (five in the illustrated example) semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as "substrates" or "wafers") W. Note that FIG. 2 shows a single recess 24. This recess 24 has an inner diameter slightly (e.g., 2 mm) larger than the diameter (e.g., 300 mm) of the wafer W and a depth approximately equal to the thickness of the wafer W, and serves as a placement portion on which the wafer W can be placed. Therefore, when the wafer W is placed in the recess 24, the surface of the wafer W and the surface of the turntable 2 (the area on which the wafer W is not placed) are flush with each other. The bottom surface of the recess 24 is formed with through-holes (none of which are shown) through which, for example, three lift pins penetrate to support the backside of the wafer W and lift the wafer W. The transfer port 15 is used for transferring the wafer W between the external transfer arm 10 and the rotary table 2 .

[0015] Above the turntable 2, a reaction gas nozzle 31, a reaction gas nozzle 32, and separation gas nozzles 41 and 42, each made of, for example, quartz, are arranged. In the illustrated example, they are spaced apart around the circumferential direction of the chamber 1 and arranged in the order of separation gas nozzle 41, reaction gas nozzle 31, separation gas nozzle 42, and reaction gas nozzle 32 clockwise (in the direction of rotation of the turntable 2) from the transfer port 15. Gas inlet ports 41 a, 31 a, 42 a, and 32 a, which are the base ends of these nozzles 41, 31, 42, and 32, are fixed to the outer peripheral wall of the vessel body 12. As a result, gas is introduced into the chamber 1 from the outer peripheral wall of the vessel body 12 and is attached so as to extend parallel to the turntable 2 along the radial direction of the vessel body 12.

[0016] A first reactive gas supply source storing a first reactive gas is connected to the reactive gas nozzle 31 via an on-off valve and a flow rate regulator (both not shown). A second reactive gas supply source storing a second reactive gas that reacts with the first reactive gas is connected to the reactive gas nozzle 32 via an on-off valve and a flow rate regulator (both not shown).

[0017] Here, the first reactive gas is preferably a gas containing a semiconductor element or a metal element, and a gas that can be used as an oxide film or a nitride film when converted into an oxide or nitride is selected. The second reactive gas is selected from an oxidizing gas or a nitriding gas that can react with a semiconductor element or a metal element to produce a semiconductor oxide or a semiconductor nitride, or a metal oxide or a metal nitride. Specifically, the first reactive gas is preferably an organic semiconductor gas or an organic metal gas that contains a semiconductor element or a metal element. Furthermore, the first reactive gas is preferably a gas that is adsorbable to the surface of the wafer W. The second reactive gas is preferably an oxidizing gas or a nitriding gas that can undergo an oxidation reaction or a nitriding reaction with the first reactive gas adsorbed to the surface of the wafer W and can deposit a reactive compound on the surface of the wafer W.

[0018] Specifically, for example, the first reactive gas is a silicon-containing reactive gas, such as an organic aminosilane, such as diisopropylaminosilane or bis(tertialbutylaminosilane) (BTBAS), which forms an oxide film of SiO2 or a nitride film of SiN. Alternatively, the first reactive gas is a hafnium-containing reactive gas, such as tetrakisdimethylaminohafnium (hereinafter referred to as "TDMAH"), which forms an oxide film of HfO. Alternatively, the first reactive gas is a titanium-containing reactive gas, such as TiCl4, which forms a nitride film of TiN. Furthermore, the second reactive gas is an oxidation gas, such as ozone gas (O3) or oxygen gas (O2). Alternatively, the second reactive gas is a nitriding gas, such as ammonia gas (NH3).

[0019] Furthermore, a supply source of a rare gas such as Ar or He or an inert gas such as nitrogen (N2) gas is connected to the separation gas nozzles 41 and 42 via an on-off valve or a flow rate regulator (both not shown). The inert gas supplied from the separation gas nozzles 41 and 42 is also referred to as a separation gas. In this embodiment, for example, N2 gas is used as the inert gas.

[0020] Furthermore, in addition to the first reactive gas supply source, reactive gas nozzle 31 is connected to a second reactive gas supply source, a supply source of a rare gas such as Ar or He, or an inert gas such as nitrogen (N2) gas that is also used as a separation gas. A switching unit (not shown) is operated to switch which gas is supplied. In addition to the second reactive gas supply source, reactive gas nozzle 32 is connected to the first reactive gas supply source, and a supply source of an inert gas that is also used as a separation gas. A switching unit (not shown) is operated to switch which gas is supplied.

[0021] The area defined below the reaction gas nozzle 31 becomes a first processing area P1 for adsorbing the first reaction gas onto the wafer W. The area defined below the reaction gas nozzle 32 becomes a second processing area P2 for oxidizing or nitriding the first reaction gas adsorbed onto the wafer W in the first processing area P1.

[0022] Two convex portions 4 are attached to the underside of the top plate 11 within the chamber 1 so as to protrude toward the turntable 2. The convex portions 4, together with the separation gas nozzles 41 and 42, form a separation region D. That is, the region below the separation gas nozzles 41 and 42 separates the first processing region P1 from the second processing region P2, and serves as the separation region D, which prevents mixing of the first and second reaction gases. The convex portions 4 have a generally fan-shaped planar shape with an arc-shaped top. In the present disclosure, the inner arc is connected to a protrusion 5 (see FIG. 1) that protrudes beyond the ceiling surface 45, and the outer arc is disposed along the inner circumferential surface of the vessel body 12 of the chamber 1. As shown in FIG. 1, the protrusion 5 is provided to surround the outer periphery of the core portion 21 that secures the turntable 2.

[0023] 2 is attached to the rear surface of the top plate 11. Therefore, the lower surface of the convex portion 4 is lower than the ceiling surfaces 45 located on both sides of the lower surface in the circumferential direction.

[0024] Each of the convex portions 4 has a groove (not shown) formed in the circumferential center thereof, and accommodates separation gas nozzles 41 and 42. The separation gas nozzles 41 and 42 have gas discharge holes formed therein.

[0025] The reaction gas nozzles 31 and 32 are provided near the wafer W and spaced apart from the ceiling surface 45. The N2 gas supplied from the separation gas nozzle 42 acts as a counterflow to the first reaction gas from the first processing region P1 and the second reaction gas (oxidizing gas or nitriding gas) from the second processing region P2. Therefore, the first reaction gas from the first processing region P1 and the second reaction gas from the second processing region P2 are separated by the convex portion 4 and the N2 gas. This prevents the first reaction gas and the second reaction gas from mixing and reacting in the chamber 1.

[0026] A first exhaust port 610 and a second exhaust port 620 are formed between the turntable 2 and the inner peripheral surface of the container body 12. A pressure regulator (APC, Auto Pressure Controller) 650 is provided in an exhaust pipe 630 between the first exhaust port 610 and a vacuum pump 640 shown in FIG. 1. Similarly, the second exhaust port 620 is connected to a vacuum pump (not shown) via an exhaust pipe provided with a pressure regulator. The exhaust pressures of the first exhaust port 610 and the second exhaust port 620 are configured to be independently controllable.

[0027] 1, a heater unit 7, which is a heating means, is provided in the space between the turntable 2 and the bottom 14 of the chamber 1. The heater unit 7, which is provided below the turntable 2, heats the wafer W on the turntable 2 via the turntable 2 to a temperature (e.g., 450° C.) determined by the process recipe.

[0028] The case body 20 is provided with a purge gas supply pipe 72 for supplying N2 gas as a purge gas for purging. Furthermore, a plurality of purge gas supply pipes 73 for purging the space in which the heater unit 7 is disposed are provided in the bottom 14 of the chamber 1 at predetermined angular intervals in the circumferential direction below the heater unit 7. A ring-shaped cover member 71 is provided below the periphery of the turntable 2, and a lid member 7a for covering the heater unit 7 is provided between the heater unit 7 and the turntable 2. The lid member 7a can be made of quartz, for example. This prevents gas from entering the area in which the heater unit 7 is disposed.

[0029] By supplying N2 gas from the purge gas supply pipe 72 and the purge gas supply pipe 73, the flow of N2 gas can prevent the gases in the spaces 481 and 482 shown in FIG. 2 from mixing through the space below the center of the chamber 1 and the space below the turntable 2.

[0030] A separation gas supply pipe 51 is connected to the center of the top plate 11 of the chamber 1, and is configured to supply N2 gas, which is a separation gas, to a space 52 between the top plate 11 and the core section 21. The separation gas supplied to the space 52 is discharged toward the periphery along the surface of the turntable 2 on the wafer placement area side through a narrow space 50 between the protrusion 5 and the turntable 2. The separation gas can maintain the space 50 at a higher pressure than the spaces 481 and 482. Therefore, the space 50 prevents the first reaction gas supplied to the first processing region P1 and the second reaction gas supplied to the second processing region P2 from mixing through the space 52.

[0031] The film forming apparatus is provided with a control unit 100 that controls the operation of the film forming apparatus. The film forming apparatus is provided with various sensors. One example of the various sensors is a temperature sensor 60 that measures the temperature of the turntable 2. The temperature sensor 60 may be, for example, a radiation thermometer that is provided above the turntable 2 and uses the difference in material between the turntable 2 and the wafer W to determine detachment of the wafer W placed on the placement section or to measure the temperature of the turntable 2. The temperature sensor 60 is arranged in contact with or without contact with the turntable 2 and measures the temperature of the turntable 2.

[0032] When the temperature sensor 60 is a radiation thermometer, for example, the radiation thermometer is installed on a window outside the chamber 1, and the temperature of the object is measured by measuring the intensity of infrared rays or visible light emitted from the object. By using a radiation thermometer as the temperature sensor 60, the temperature of the turntable 2 can be measured quickly and non-contact. The temperature sensor 60 transmits the measured temperature to the control unit 100. The control unit 100 acquires the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 60 and uses it to control the elevation of the turntable 2.

[0033] Next, an example of the hardware configuration of the control unit 100 according to the embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The control unit 100 has a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 101, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 102, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 103, an I / O port 104, an operation panel 105, and an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) 106. Each unit is connected by a bus B.

[0034] The CPU 101 controls the operation of the control unit 100 based on programs stored in a storage device such as the HDD 106, process recipes for performing film formation processing and cleaning processing, and the like. For example, the programs include a program for executing a method for controlling the turntable. The CPU 101 controls the film formation processing of the wafer W placed on the turntable 2 based on the process recipe. The CPU 101 also controls the cleaning processing in the chamber 1 based on the cleaning recipe. During idle times when the film formation processing and cleaning processing are not being performed, the CPU 101 controls the elevation of the turntable 2 based on the program for executing the method for controlling the turntable.

[0035] The ROM 102 is configured by an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable ROM), a flash memory, a hard disk, etc., and is a storage medium that stores programs, recipes, etc. of the CPU 101. The RAM 103 functions as a work area for the CPU 101, etc.

[0036] The I / O port 104 acquires values ​​of various sensors that detect temperature, pressure, gas flow rate, etc. from various sensors attached to the film forming apparatus and transmits them to the CPU 101. The I / O port 104 also outputs control signals output by the CPU 101 to each part of the film forming apparatus (rotary table 2, vacuum pump 640, etc.). The I / O port 104 is also connected to an operation panel 105 that enables an operator to operate the film forming apparatus.

[0037] The HDD 106 is an auxiliary storage device, and may store process recipes, which are information that defines the procedures for film formation and cleaning processes, and programs that execute methods for controlling the rotary table during idle time.

[0038] [Rotary table control] In the film forming apparatus according to the present disclosure, a wafer W is loaded into the turntable 2 while the turntable 2 is stopped at a lower position. When loading the wafer W, first, a gate valve (not shown) is opened, and the transfer arm 10 transfers the wafer W into the recess 24 of the turntable 2 through the transfer port 15 (see FIG. 2). This transfer is performed by elevating pins (not shown) moving up and down from the bottom side of the chamber 1 through through-holes in the bottom surface of the recess 24 when the recess 24 stops at a position facing the transfer port 15. The wafer W is transferred in this manner by intermittently rotating the turntable 2, and a wafer W is placed in each of the five recesses 24 of the turntable 2.

[0039] When wafer processing is performed with the chamber 1 maintained at a high temperature of 400°C or higher, even if the heater unit 7 is stopped for loading and unloading of the wafer W, the chamber 1 remains at a high temperature. This can cause the wafer W to warp significantly when it is loaded into the chamber 1 and placed on the turntable 2. When placing the wafer W on the turntable 2, the turntable 2 is lowered to maintain a sufficient distance so that the wafer W will not contact the ceiling surface even if it warps. By loading and placing the wafer W on the turntable 2 with the turntable 2 lowered, damage to the wafer W due to contact with the ceiling surface can be prevented. Furthermore, even if the wafer W placed on the turntable 2 is still warped, the turntable 2 can be rotated intermittently without waiting for the warp to settle, allowing the wafer W to be sequentially placed in the multiple recesses 24, thereby improving productivity. In other words, because there is a space between the turntable 2 and the ceiling surface, after one wafer W is placed on the recessed portion 24 of the turntable 2, the next wafer W can be placed on the next recessed portion 24 before the warpage of the placed wafer W settles down. This makes it possible to shorten the overall time required to place multiple wafers W on the turntable 2, thereby improving productivity.

[0040] Next, the gate valve is closed, and the chamber 1 is evacuated to the minimum vacuum level by the vacuum pump 640. Furthermore, with the turntable 2 lowered, N2 gas, which is a separation gas, is discharged from the separation gas nozzles 41 and 42 at a predetermined flow rate. Furthermore, N2 gas is also discharged from the separation gas supply pipe 51 and the purge gas supply pipes 72 and 72 (see FIG. 1) at a predetermined flow rate. Furthermore, N2 gas is also discharged from the reaction gas nozzles 31 and 32 at a predetermined flow rate. In other words, N2 gas is discharged from all the nozzles 31, 32, 41, and 42. As a result, the atmosphere in the chamber 1 becomes an N2 atmosphere. Accordingly, the pressure in the chamber 1 is adjusted to a preset pressure by the pressure regulator 650.

[0041] In the embodiment, N2 gas is purged not only from the separation gas nozzles 41 and 42 but also from the reaction gas nozzles 31 and 32, but, for example, a rare gas such as Ar gas or He gas may be supplied from the reaction gas nozzles 31 and 32. This also applies to the separation gas nozzles 41 and 42, and a desired inert gas can be selected depending on the application.

[0042] Next, the turntable 2 is rotated clockwise at a predetermined rotation speed while the wafer W is heated by the heater unit 7. When the turntable 2 is in the lowered state, the wafer W placed in the recess 24 of the turntable 2 is closer to the heater unit 7 than when the turntable 2 is in the raised state, so the temperature of the wafer W can be higher than when the turntable 2 is in the raised state.

[0043] The temperature of the wafer W during the film formation process performed with the turntable 2 elevated is set to a predetermined temperature, for example, within a range of 50°C to 780°C, e.g., approximately 400°C. If the heater unit 7 is set so that the temperature of the wafer W during the film formation process performed with the turntable 2 elevated is approximately 400°C, the temperature of the wafer W is raised when the turntable 2 is lowered, for example, to a preset target temperature of approximately 410°C to 420°C. This puts the turntable 2 into a standby state ready to start the film formation process. The rotation speed of the turntable 2 can be varied, for example, within a range of 1 rpm to 240 rpm, depending on the application.

[0044] During the film formation process, the control unit 100 rotates the turntable 2 at the above rotation speed while raising it to the highest position. After the film formation process is completed, the control unit 100 lowers the turntable 2 while continuing to rotate. After lowering the turntable 2 to the lowest position, the control unit 100 stops the rotation and unloads the processed wafer W.

[0045] The series of operations described above, from loading wafers W → film formation processing → unloading wafers W, is also referred to as "lot processing." If the control unit 100 has received a reservation for processing the next lot, it subsequently loads wafers from the next lot and performs film formation processing continuously. This continuous wafer processing of multiple lots is also referred to as "continuous processing." In continuous processing, after the wafers W from the previous lot are unloaded, the wafers W from the next lot are immediately loaded and undergo film formation processing. Therefore, during the continuous processing of multiple lots, the temperature inside the chamber 1 is maintained at a high temperature, and the temperature of the turntable 2 is stable.

[0046] However, the temperature of the turntable 2 changes during idle time when no film formation process or the like is being performed in the chamber 1. As a result, in subsequent lot processing, treatment processing must be performed until the temperature of the turntable 2 stabilizes at a temperature appropriate for wafer processing, resulting in reduced productivity.

[0047] Therefore, in the control method of the turntable 2 of the present disclosure, the control unit 100 controls the elevation of the turntable 2 during idle times in the film forming apparatus. This makes it possible to efficiently suppress temperature fluctuations in the turntable 2. Furthermore, according to this control method, the dummy wafer is unnecessary, compared to a method in which a dummy wafer is loaded instead of a wafer W during idle times and dummy wafer processing is performed to suppress temperature changes in the turntable 2.

[0048] The control method for the turntable 2 of the present disclosure is performed during idle time. In this specification, the term "idle time" refers to the time when no specific process is being performed in the film formation apparatus. The specific process includes lot processing of wafers W, continuous processing in which lot processes are performed consecutively, and maintenance processing including cleaning and treatment processing within the chamber 1. The lot processing may also include film formation processing, etching processing, and annealing processing. When no specific process is being performed in the chamber 1, the control unit 100 determines that it is idle time and controls the elevation of the turntable 2 based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 60.

[0049] [Rotary table control method] A control method for the turntable 2 according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to Figs. 4 to 6. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a control method for the turntable 2 according to the embodiment. Figs. 5 and 6 are diagrams for explaining the control method for the turntable 2 in Fig. 4. This process is controlled by the control unit 100.

[0050] As an example, this process is started after the maintenance process is completed. However, this is not limited to this, and this process may be started when it is determined that the film forming apparatus is in an idle time. In step S1, the control unit 100 determines whether the maintenance process for the film forming apparatus has been completed, and waits until the maintenance process is completed. When the control unit 100 determines that the maintenance process has been completed, it determines that the apparatus is in an idle time in which no specific process is being performed, and proceeds to step S2, starts rotating the turntable 2, and moves the turntable 2 downward. For example, as shown in FIG. 5(A), the control unit 100 may lower the turntable 2 to the lowest position. However, the process of step S2 can be omitted.

[0051] Next, the process proceeds to step S3, where the temperature sensor 60 measures the temperature of the turntable 2 and transmits the temperature to the control unit 100. The control unit 100 acquires the temperature of the turntable 2 measured by the temperature sensor 60. Next, the process proceeds to step S4, where the control unit 100 determines whether the acquired temperature of the turntable 2 is higher than the target temperature. If the control unit 100 determines that the acquired temperature of the turntable 2 is higher than the target temperature, the process proceeds to step S5, where the position of the turntable 2 is moved upward while rotating the turntable 2, and the process proceeds to step S8.

[0052] If the control unit 100 determines in step S4 that the acquired temperature of the turntable 2 is equal to or lower than the target temperature, the process proceeds to step S6, where it determines whether the acquired temperature of the turntable 2 is lower than the target temperature. If the control unit 100 determines that the acquired temperature of the turntable 2 is lower than the target temperature, the process proceeds to step S7, where it moves the position of the turntable 2 downward while rotating the turntable 2, and then proceeds to step S8.

[0053] In step S6, if the control unit 100 determines that the acquired temperature of the turntable 2 is equal to or higher than the target temperature, the process proceeds directly to step S8.

[0054] For example, if it is determined in step S4 that the temperature of the turntable 2 is higher than the target temperature, the position of the turntable 2 is moved upward while rotating, as shown in Fig. 5(B). This moves the turntable 2 away from the heater unit 7, allowing the temperature of the turntable 2 to decrease.

[0055] In step S8, the control unit 100 determines whether the processing content has been specified. Whether the processing content has been specified is determined based on whether a recipe stored in a storage device such as the HDD 106 has been specified. That is, the control unit 100 determines whether the operator of the film forming apparatus has specified the processing content by operating the operation panel 105.

[0056] If the control unit 100 determines in step S8 that the processing content has not been specified, it determines that it is idle time, returns to step S3, acquires the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 60 again, and repeats the loop processing of steps S4 to S7. As a result, the position of the turntable 2 is moved upward or downward depending on the result of comparing the acquired temperature with the target temperature.

[0057] For example, if it is determined in step S4 that the temperature of the turntable 2 is higher than the target temperature, the control unit 100 moves the position of the turntable 2 further upward as shown in Fig. 5(C), thereby moving the position of the turntable 2 further away from the heater unit 7, and the temperature of the turntable 2 can be further reduced.

[0058] After being controlled to the state shown in Fig. 5(C), if it is determined in step S6 of the next loop process of S4 to S7 that the temperature of the turntable 2 is lower than the target temperature, the position of the turntable 2 is moved downward while rotating, as shown in Fig. 5(D), which brings the position of the turntable 2 closer to the heater unit 7 and allows the temperature of the turntable 2 to be increased.

[0059] The distance by which the turntable 2 is moved up or down is determined based on the absolute value of the difference between the acquired temperature and the target temperature so that the turntable 2 reaches the target temperature. However, the control unit 100 may calculate a relative value of the temperature change from the temperature previously measured by the temperature sensor 60 and the temperature currently measured, and determine the distance by which the turntable 2 is moved up or down based on the relative value so that the turntable 2 reaches the target temperature.

[0060] In step S8, if the control unit 100 determines that the processing content has been identified, it determines that it is not idle time and moves the turntable 2 to the lowest position. For example, as shown in Fig. 5(E), the turntable 2 is moved to the lowest position while rotating, and the rotation of the turntable 2 is stopped at the lower position as shown in Fig. 6(A).

[0061] In step S9, the control unit 100 loads one lot of wafers W and rotates the turntable 2, while moving the turntable 2 upward to its highest position as shown in FIG. 6B. Next, in step S10, the control unit 100 executes the process specified in the process recipe. For example, the control unit 100 executes a film formation process on the wafers W placed on the placement unit while rotating the turntable 2. When the film formation process is completed, the control unit 100 moves the turntable 2 downward to its lowest position while rotating the turntable 2, stops the turntable 2, and unloads the wafers W.

[0062] Next, the process proceeds to step S12, where the control unit 100 determines whether there is a reservation for processing the next lot. If the control unit 100 determines that there is a reservation for processing the next lot, the process returns to step S9, where the next lot of wafers W are loaded, and while rotating the turntable 2 again, the position of the turntable 2 is moved upward to the highest position as shown in FIG. 6(C). Next, in step S10, the control unit 100 performs film formation processing on the next lot of wafers. After the film formation processing on the next lot of wafers is completed, the processed wafers W are unloaded in step S11, and then the control unit 100 determines whether there is a reservation for processing the lot after that in step S12. If it determines that there is a reservation for processing the lot after that in step S9, the control unit 100 again performs the processing of steps S9 to S11, and controls the position of the turntable 2 to the highest position as shown in FIG. 6(D) to perform film formation processing. In this way, by repeating the loop processing of steps S9 to S12 multiple times, continuous processing of multiple lots is performed. When the processing of the last lot in the continuous processing is completed, the turntable 2 descends as shown in Fig. 6(E) to unload the wafers W. Between Fig. 6(B) and Fig. 6(C) and between Fig. 6(C) and Fig. 6(D), the turntable 2 also descends to unload the wafers W and load the wafers W of the next lot, but these operations are not shown in the drawings.

[0063] If the control unit 100 determines in step S12 that there is no reservation for processing the next lot, the process proceeds to step S13, where it determines whether there is a maintenance process such as a cleaning process for the chamber 1.

[0064] If the control unit 100 determines in step S13 that there is no maintenance process, it determines that an idle time has arrived in which no specific process is being performed in the chamber 1, and returns to step S3. The control unit 100 executes the processes of steps S3 to S7, and raises and lowers the position of the turntable 2 based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 60 until the next process is specified in step S8. This makes it possible to suppress temperature fluctuations of the turntable 2 during idle time.

[0065] If the control unit 100 determines in step S13 that maintenance processing is required, the process proceeds to step S14, where the control unit 100 executes the maintenance processing for the film forming apparatus. During the maintenance processing, the turntable 2 is stopped at the lowest position.

[0066] Returning to step S1, when the control unit 100 determines that the maintenance process has ended, it determines that it is an idle time in which no specific process is being performed in the chamber 1, and proceeds to step S2, where it starts rotating the turntable 2 and moves the turntable 2 downward. Then, the control unit 100 repeats the loop process of steps S3 to S7 until the next process is specified in step S8, and raises or lowers the position of the turntable 2 based on the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 60, thereby suppressing temperature fluctuations in the turntable 2 during the idle time.

[0067] According to the turntable control method of the embodiment described above, it is possible to efficiently suppress temperature fluctuations of the turntable 2 during idle times of the film formation apparatus. Furthermore, according to the turntable control method of the present disclosure, by maintaining a stable temperature of the turntable 2 during idle times, it is possible to perform specific processing of the next lot in a stable temperature state, thereby improving productivity. Furthermore, by loading a dummy wafer instead of a wafer W and processing the dummy wafer, the dummy wafer becomes unnecessary, compared to methods for suppressing temperature fluctuations of the turntable 2 during idle times.

[0068] In the turntable control method of the present disclosure, while the processes of steps S3 to S7 are being performed during idle time, the control unit 100 preferably controls the vacuum pump 640 to adjust the pressure in the chamber 1 to a pressure higher than the pressure in the chamber 1 while a specific process is being performed. This improves the heat transfer efficiency between the heater unit 7 and the turntable 2, and allows for more efficient temperature control of the turntable 2. This makes it possible to more efficiently suppress temperature fluctuations of the turntable during idle time.

[0069] In the control method for the turntable of the embodiment, the process of step 4 may move the position of the turntable 2 upward when the temperature acquired from the temperature sensor 60 is higher than the target temperature by a preset threshold or more. Similarly, the process of step 6 may move the position of the turntable 2 downward when the acquired temperature is lower than the target temperature by a preset threshold or more. In this way, when the measured temperature is close to the target temperature and the temperature difference is less than the threshold, the turntable 2 is not moved up or down, thereby reducing the processing load.

[0070] The rotary table control method and processing device according to the presently disclosed embodiments should be considered to be illustrative in all respects and not restrictive. The embodiments may be modified and improved in various ways without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. The features described in the above embodiments may be configured differently and may be combined within a consistent range. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1 chamber 2 Rotating Tables 4 Convex part 7 Heater unit 11 Top plate 12 Container body 15 Transport entrance 17 Lifting mechanism 24 Recess (wafer placement area) 31, 32 Reaction gas nozzle 41, 42 Separation gas nozzle D separation area P1 First processing area P2 Second processing area W wafer

Claims

1. a chamber; a rotary table accommodated in the chamber, having a mounting portion for mounting a plurality of substrates thereon, and capable of rotating and ascending and descending; a heater unit accommodated in the chamber and provided below the rotary table; a temperature sensor for measuring a temperature of the rotary table, acquiring the temperature measured by the temperature sensor; during an idle time when no substrate is accommodated in the chamber and no processing of a process recipe is being executed, raising and lowering the position of the turntable in accordance with a result of comparing the acquired temperature with a preset target temperature while heating the turntable with the heater unit; controlling a pressure in the chamber during the idle time to be higher than a pressure in the chamber while processing the process recipe is being performed; A method for controlling a rotary table, comprising:

2. The step of raising and lowering the position of the rotary table includes: If the acquired temperature is higher than the target temperature, the position of the turntable is moved upward, and if the acquired temperature is lower than the target temperature, the position of the turntable is moved downward. The method for controlling the rotary table according to claim 1 .

3. The step of raising and lowering the position of the rotary table includes: If the acquired temperature is higher than the target temperature by a predetermined threshold or more, the position of the turntable is moved upward, and if the acquired temperature is lower than the target temperature by a predetermined threshold or more, the position of the turntable is moved downward. The method for controlling a rotary table according to claim 2 .

4. the processing of the process recipe includes processing of one or more lots of substrates placed on the substrate placement unit, and maintenance processing including cleaning processing inside the chamber; determining that the idle time is reached when the process recipe is not being executed in the chamber; A method for controlling the rotary table according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. a chamber; a rotary table accommodated in the chamber, having a mounting portion for mounting a plurality of substrates thereon, and capable of rotating and ascending and descending; a heater unit accommodated in the chamber and provided below the rotary table; a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the rotary table; A processing device having a control unit, The control unit acquiring the temperature measured by the temperature sensor; during an idle time when no substrate is accommodated in the chamber and no process recipe is being executed, raising and lowering the position of the turntable in accordance with a result of comparing the acquired temperature with a preset target temperature while heating the turntable with the heater unit; controlling a pressure in the chamber during the idle time to be higher than a pressure in the chamber while processing the process recipe is being performed; A processing device that performs processing including the steps of:

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