Substrate conveyance system

Abstract

A substrate conveyance system according to the present invention includes: a substrate processing module including a substrate processing chamber, a substrate supporting portion, and a first temperature sensor that measures a temperature of the substrate supporting portion; a substrate conveyance module including a substrate conveyance chamber, a substrate conveyance robot that is provided with a first end effector that is capable of holding a high-temperature substrate, a second end effector that is capable of holding a low-temperature substrate, and a deposited matter detecting sensor that is situated near at least one of the end effectors, and a temperature management system that is provided with a coolant gas supply unit that supplies a coolant gas inside of the substrate conveyance robot, a second temperature sensor that measures a temperature inside of the substrate conveyance robot, and a temperature adjustment unit that performs temperature adjustment of the coolant gas on the basis of output of the second temperature sensor; and a control unit that executes a step for deciding which of the end effectors to use to convey the substrate, on the basis of output of the first temperature sensor, and a step for deciding a timing for cleaning inside of the substrate conveyance chamber on the basis of output of the deposited matter detecting sensor.

Description

Substrate Transfer System

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a substrate transport system.

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an articulated transport device that includes a first holding arm that holds a first substrate, a second holding arm that holds a second substrate, and a drive arm that has one end connected to the first holding arm and the second holding arm via a drive unit.

[0003] Japan Patent Publication No. 2021-48242

[0004] The technology according to the present disclosure improves the accuracy of substrate transport using a transport robot.

[0005] One aspect of the present disclosure is a substrate transfer system including a substrate processing module, a substrate transfer module connected to the substrate processing module, and at least one controller, wherein the substrate processing module includes a substrate processing chamber, a substrate support disposed in the substrate processing chamber, and a first temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the substrate support, the substrate transfer module including a substrate transfer chamber, a substrate transfer robot disposed in the substrate transfer chamber, and a temperature management system, the substrate transfer robot including a first end effector having a first holding pad capable of holding a substrate processed at a high temperature in the substrate processing module, and a second end effector having a second holding pad capable of holding a substrate processed at a low temperature in the substrate processing module, and and at least one adhesion detection sensor arranged near at least one of the first end effector and the second end effector, wherein the temperature management system includes a cooling gas supply unit configured to supply cooling gas into the substrate transport robot, a second temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature inside the substrate transport robot, and a temperature adjustment unit configured to adjust a temperature of the cooling gas based on an output of the second temperature sensor, and the at least one control unit is configured to perform the steps of: determining, based on the output of the first temperature sensor, whether to transport a substrate on the substrate support by the first end effector or the second end effector; and determining, based on the output of the at least one adhesion detection sensor, the timing of cleaning inside the substrate transport chamber.

[0006] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the accuracy of substrate transport using a transport robot.

[0007] Fig. 1 is a plan view showing an outline of the configuration of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment; Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing an outline of the configuration of a transfer device according to an embodiment; Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the configuration of a transfer device according to an embodiment; Fig. 4 is an explanatory view showing an example of a measurement result by a deposit detection sensor;

[0008] In the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, a semiconductor substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as "substrate") supported on a substrate support in a processing chamber is subjected to various substrate processing such as etching, film formation, diffusion, etc. The processing chamber for performing these substrate processing is provided adjacent to a transfer chamber in which the substrate is transferred inside.

[0009] Incidentally, the substrate is transported between the processing chamber and the transfer chamber using an articulated transfer robot (see Patent Document 1) disposed in the transfer chamber. However, with this articulated transfer robot, there is a risk that the substrate transfer accuracy may deteriorate due to various factors.

[0010] For example, holding pads for holding substrates are arranged on the transfer robot, and if deposits adhere to and accumulate on these holding pads, this may cause substrate slippage (horizontal sliding of the substrate on the transfer robot). Furthermore, when a process that combines high-temperature and low-temperature processing is performed in a system, i.e., when high-temperature and low-temperature substrates are transported, if the temperature of the substrate to be transported is outside the appropriate temperature range of the holding pads, the substrate may not be transported properly. Furthermore, each axis of the articulated transfer robot described above is equipped with a drive mechanism such as a motor. If this drive mechanism generates heat during operation and the temperature of the transfer robot rises, this may cause a deterioration in transport accuracy.

[0011] The technology disclosed herein has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and improves the accuracy of substrate transport using a transport robot. Hereinafter, the configuration of a plasma processing system as a substrate transport system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that in this specification and the drawings, elements having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0012] <Plasma processing system>

[0013] In one embodiment, the plasma processing system includes a plasma processing apparatus 1 and a controller 2, as shown in FIG. 1 . The plasma processing system is an example of a substrate processing system and also an example of a substrate transfer system. The plasma processing apparatus 1 is an example of a substrate processing apparatus. A wafer is also an example of a substrate W. In the plasma processing system, a desired process, such as a film formation process or an etching process, is performed on the substrate W in a reduced pressure atmosphere (vacuum atmosphere). Note that the configuration of the plasma processing system according to the present disclosure is not limited to this and can be selected arbitrarily.

[0014] The plasma processing apparatus 1 has a configuration in which an atmospheric section 10 and a reduced pressure section 11 are integrally connected via load lock modules 20 a and 20 b. In the atmospheric section 10, a FOUP 31 (described later) capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates W is loaded and unloaded under atmospheric pressure, and the substrates W are further transported between the load lock modules 20 a and 20 b. In the reduced pressure section 11, the substrates W are subjected to desired processing under a reduced pressure (vacuum) atmosphere, and the substrates W are further transported between the load lock modules 20 a and 20 b.

[0015] The load lock module 20a is provided therein with a stage 21a on which a substrate W is placed. The load lock module 20a temporarily holds the substrate W on the stage 21a in order to transfer the substrate W transported from a loader module 30 (described later) in the atmospheric section 10 to a transfer module 50 (described later) in the decompression section 11.

[0016] The load lock module 20a is connected to a loader module 30 (described later) via a gate valve 22a. The load lock module 20a is also connected to a transfer module 50 (described later) via a gate valve 23a. These gate valves 22a and 23a ensure airtightness between the load lock module 20a and the loader module 30 and the transfer module 50, while also allowing communication between them.

[0017] The load lock module 20a is connected to an air supply section (not shown) that supplies gas and an exhaust section (not shown) that exhausts gas, and is configured so that the interior can be switched between atmospheric pressure and reduced pressure atmosphere by the air supply section and the exhaust section. In other words, the load lock module 20a is configured so that substrates W can be appropriately transferred between the atmospheric pressure section 10 and the reduced pressure section 11.

[0018] The load lock module 20b has the same configuration as the load lock module 20a. That is, the load lock module 20b has a stage 21b on which the substrate W is placed, a gate valve 22b on the loader module 30 side, and a gate valve 23b on the transfer module 50 side. The load lock module 20b temporarily holds the substrate W on the stage 21b in order to transfer the substrate W transported from the transfer module 50 (described later) in the reduced pressure section 11 to the loader module 30 (described later) in the atmospheric section 10.

[0019] The atmospheric section 10 has a loader module 30 equipped with a transport device 40 (described later), and a load port 32 on which a FOUP 31 is placed. The FOUP 31 is capable of storing a plurality of substrates W. The loader module 30 may be connected to an orienter module (not shown) that adjusts the horizontal orientation of the substrate W, a buffer module (not shown) that temporarily stores a plurality of substrates W, and the like.

[0020] The loader module 30 has a rectangular housing, the interior of which is maintained at atmospheric pressure. A plurality of, for example, four load ports 32 are arranged side by side on one side that constitutes the long side of the housing of the loader module 30. The load lock modules 20 a, 20 b are arranged side by side on the other side that constitutes the long side of the housing of the loader module 30.

[0021] A transport device 40 configured to be able to transport the substrate W is provided inside the housing of the loader module 30. The transport device 40 has a transport arm 41 that supports the substrate W during transport, a turntable 42 that rotatably supports the transport arm 41, and a base 43 on which the turntable 42 is mounted.

[0022] The decompression part 11 has a transfer module 50 that transports the substrate W, and a processing module 60 that performs a desired processing on the substrate W. The interiors of the transfer module 50 and the processing module 60 are each maintained in a reduced pressure atmosphere. A plurality of processing modules 60, for example, six processing modules 60, are provided for one transfer module 50. The number and arrangement of the processing modules 60 are not limited to those in this embodiment and can be set as desired, as long as at least one processing module equipped with a substrate support part 62 described below is provided.

[0023] Transfer module 50 as a substrate transfer module includes a reduced pressure transfer chamber 51 as a substrate transfer chamber having a housing with a polygonal interior, in the illustrated example a square-shaped housing in a plan view, and reduced pressure transfer chamber 51 is connected to load lock modules 20a and 20b via gate valves 23a and 23b, and is also connected to processing module 60 via gate valve 60a. In other words, transfer module 50 is disposed adjacent to load lock modules 20a and 20b and six processing modules 60.

[0024] The transfer module 50 transports the substrate W loaded into the load lock module 20a to one of the processing modules 60, and also transports the substrate W that has undergone the desired processing in the processing module 60 to the atmospheric section 10 via the load lock module 20b.

[0025] The processing module 60 includes a processing chamber 61, a substrate support 62, a first temperature sensor 63, and a plasma generation unit 64. The processing chamber 61 has a plasma processing space. The processing chamber 61 also has at least one gas supply port for supplying at least one processing gas to the plasma processing space and at least one gas exhaust port for exhausting gas from the plasma processing space. The gas supply port is connected to a gas supply unit (not shown), and the gas exhaust port is connected to an exhaust system (not shown). The substrate support 62 is disposed in the plasma processing space and has a substrate support surface for supporting a substrate. The first temperature sensor 63 measures the temperature of the substrate support 62, more preferably the temperature of the substrate W supported by the substrate support 62.

[0026] The plasma generating unit 64 is configured to generate plasma from at least one processing gas supplied into the plasma processing space. The plasma formed in the plasma processing space may be capacitively coupled plasma (CCP), inductively coupled plasma (ICP), electron-cyclotron-resonance plasma (ECR plasma), helicon wave plasma (HWP), surface wave plasma (SWP), or the like. Various types of plasma generators may be used, including alternating current (AC) plasma generators and direct current (DC) plasma generators. In one embodiment, the AC signal (AC power) used in the AC plasma generator has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 10 GHz. Thus, AC signals include radio frequency (RF) signals and microwave signals. In one embodiment, the RF signal has a frequency in the range of 100 kHz to 150 MHz.

[0027] A transport device 70 is provided inside the transfer module 50. The transport device 70, which serves as a substrate transport robot, is configured to be able to hold and transport a substrate W, and transports the substrate W between the load lock modules 20 a, 20 b and each processing module 60. In one example, the transport device 70 is mounted on a stage 71 via a base 101, which will be described later.

[0028] Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the outline of the configuration of the transport device 70 according to this embodiment, and Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the outline of the configuration of the transport device 70.

[0029] The transport device 70 has a transport arm 100 that moves while holding the substrate W, and a base 101 that supports the transport arm 100. The transport arm 100 is an articulated arm, and has a link arm structure in which multiple, for example, four arms (first to fourth arms 111 to 114) are connected.

[0030] The first arm 111 has a base end rotatably connected to the base 101 and a tip end connected to the second arm 112. The second arm 112 has a base end rotatably connected to the first arm 111 and a tip end connected to a third arm 113 and a fourth arm 114. The third arm 113 and the fourth arm 114 each have a base end rotatably connected to the second arm 112. The third arm 113 is provided below the fourth arm 114.

[0031] A first joint 121 is provided between the base end of the first arm 111 and the base 101. A drive mechanism 121a including a rotating member such as a motor is provided inside the first joint 121. The first arm 111 is configured to be rotatable (pivotable) around the first joint 121 relative to the base 101 by the drive mechanism 121a.

[0032] A second joint 122 is provided between the base end of the second arm 112 and the tip end of the first arm 111. A drive mechanism 122a including a rotating member such as a motor is provided inside the second joint 122. The second arm 112 is configured to be rotatable (pivotable) around the second joint 122 relative to the first arm 111 by the drive mechanism 122a.

[0033] Each of the first arm 111 and the second arm 112 has a hollow space (shown as a white portion in the arm in FIG. 3 ) that is filled with air. Various components are housed in each hollow space. For example, the rotating members of the drive mechanisms 121a, 122a and the drive mechanisms 123a, 124a described below are housed in this hollow space, as shown in FIG. 3 . Other components housed in the hollow space include electrical cables (not shown) connected to the drive mechanisms 121a, 122a, 123a, and 124a, electrical cables (not shown) connected to the depot detection sensors 131a, 141a described below, and an air tube 160 (described below) connected to the air cooler 150 described below. Furthermore, other components housed in the hollow space include a vibrometer (not shown) that measures the vibration of the transfer arm 100 and a second temperature sensor 161 (described below) that measures the internal temperature of the transfer arm 100. These components are not exposed to the outside of the arm.

[0034] The third arm 113 has a fork 130 (first end effector) that holds a substrate W on its upper surface, and a hand 131 that supports the fork 130. The fork 130 is arranged at the tip end of the third arm 113, and the hand 131 is arranged at the base end of the third arm 113. The third arm 113 is arranged at the same position as the fourth arm 114 in a plan view, i.e., below the fourth arm 114 so as to overlap with the fourth arm 114 in the vertical direction. In other words, the third arm 113 and the fourth arm 114 can simultaneously hold two substrates W so as to overlap with each other in the vertical direction, and the fork 130 of the third arm 113 functions as a lower pick of the transport device 70.

[0035] The fork 130, which serves as a substrate holding portion, has a base end connected to the hand 131 and a bifurcated tip end. A plurality of high-temperature pads 130a are provided on the upper surface of the fork 130, and the fork 130 uses these high-temperature pads 130a to suction and hold the substrate W. The high-temperature pads 130a are made of a material capable of maintaining its holding force for the substrate W in a temperature range of 0°C to 300°C, for example, and suction and hold the high-temperature substrate W after processing by the processing module 60. For example, fluororesin (fluororubber) such as D0270 or K8900 can be selected as the material for the high-temperature pads 130a. However, the material for the high-temperature pads 130a is not particularly limited as long as it can maintain its holding force for the substrate W in the above temperature range. The shape of the fork 130 is not limited to that described in this embodiment, and may be, for example, flat.

[0036] The hand 131, which serves as a sensor arrangement portion, has its base end connected to the tip of the second arm 112 via a third joint 123 (described later), and the fork 130 is connected to its tip end. A deposit detection sensor 131a is provided on the top surface of the tip end (fork 130 side) of the hand 131 as an adhesion detection sensor for measuring the amount of deposit (reaction product) adhered to the top surface of the substrate W held by the fork 130 or the top surface of the high-temperature pad 130a on the fork 130. In other words, the deposit detection sensor 131a is disposed on the base end side of the fork 130 (first end effector). It is desirable that the height position of the deposit detection sensor 131a's top surface approximately coincides with the height position of the top surface of the high-temperature pad 130a provided on the fork 130. As an example, a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) sensor can be used as the deposit detection sensor 131a, but it is not limited to this as long as it can detect the amount of deposits on the high-temperature pad 130a. Note that the electric cable (not shown) connected to the deposit detection sensor 131a is disposed in the hollow portion of the first arm 111 and the hollow portion of the second arm 112 as described above, and is further buried inside the third arm 113. Therefore, the electric cable is not exposed to the outside of the arms.

[0037] A third joint 123 is provided between the base end of the third arm 113 and the tip of the second arm 112, more specifically, between the base end of the hand 131 and the tip of the second arm 112. A drive mechanism 123a including a rotating member such as a motor is provided inside the third joint 123. The third arm 113 is configured to be rotatable (pivotable) around the third joint 123 relative to the second arm 112 by this drive mechanism 123a.

[0038] The third arm 113 may further be provided with a substrate sensor (not shown) for detecting the position of the substrate W, a support sensor for detecting the position of the substrate support 62 in the processing module 60, or an atmosphere detection sensor (not shown) for detecting the atmospheric conditions in the transfer module 50 or the processing module 60.

[0039] The fourth arm 114 has a fork 140 (second end effector) that holds the substrate W on its upper surface, and a hand 141 that supports the fork 140. The fork 140 is disposed on the tip side of the fourth arm 114, and the hand 141 is disposed on the base end side of the fourth arm 114. As described above, the fourth arm 114 is disposed above the third arm 113 so as to overlap with the third arm 113 in the vertical direction, and functions as an upper pick of the transport device 70.

[0040] The fork 140, which serves as a substrate holding portion, has a base end connected to the hand 141 and a bifurcated tip end. A plurality of low-temperature pads 140a are provided on the upper surface of the fork 140, and the fork 140 suction-holds the substrate W using these low-temperature pads 140a. The low-temperature pads 140a are made of a material capable of maintaining its holding force for the substrate W in a temperature range of, for example, −60°C to room temperature, preferably below 0°C, and suction-hold the low-temperature substrate W after processing by the processing module 60. Silicon resin (silicone rubber) can be selected as an example of the material for the low-temperature pads 140a, but the material for the low-temperature pads 140a is not particularly limited as long as it can maintain its holding force for the substrate W in the above temperature range. The shape of the fork 140 is not limited to that described in this embodiment and may be, for example, flat.

[0041] The hand 141, which serves as the sensor placement portion, has the same configuration as the hand 131 of the third arm 113 described above. That is, the base end of the hand 141 is connected to the tip of the second arm 112, and the tip end is connected to the fork 140, and a deposit detection sensor 141a is provided on the top surface. The deposit detection sensor 141a is disposed on the base end side of the fork 140 (second end effector). As an example, a quartz crystal microbalance sensor can be selected as the deposit detection sensor 141a.

[0042] A fourth joint 124 is provided between the base end of the fourth arm 114 and the tip of the second arm 112, more specifically, between the base end of the hand 141 and the base end of the hand 131 of the third arm 113. The third joint 123 and the fourth joint 124 are provided at the same position in a plan view. A drive mechanism 124a including a rotating member such as a motor is provided inside the fourth joint 124. The fourth arm 114 is configured to be rotatable (pivotable) around the fourth joint 124 relative to the second arm 112 by this drive mechanism 124a.

[0043] The number of depot detection sensors arranged in the transport device 70 is not particularly limited, and as described above, they may be provided on each of the hands 131 and 141, or on only one of them. Furthermore, for example, in addition to the hands 131 and 141, other depot detection sensors may be further provided on the forks 130 and 140.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 3 , an air cooler 150 serving as a cooling gas supply unit is provided below the transfer device 70, more specifically, below the transfer module 50. The air cooler 150 cools dry air introduced from its inlet side and supplies the cooled air to the interior of the transfer device 70, more specifically, to the hollow spaces within the first arm 111 and the second arm 112, via an air tube 160 connected to its outlet side. The cooled air supplied to the interior of the transfer device 70 cools the transfer device 70 whose internal temperature has risen due to, for example, the operation of the drive mechanisms 121 a, 122 a, 123 a, and 124 a. The cooled air used to cool the transfer device 70 is exhausted to the outside via an exhaust port 162 formed below the transfer device 70, more specifically, below the transfer module 50, as shown in FIG. 3 .

[0045] 4 is a cross-sectional view showing an outline of the configuration of the air cooler 150. As shown in FIG. 4, the air cooler 150 has an air inlet 151, a cooling mechanism 152, a temperature control valve 153, and an air outlet 154.

[0046] As described above, the air inlet hole 151 introduces dry air into the air cooler 150. For example, factory utility air can be used as the introduced dry air. The cooling mechanism 152 cools the dry air introduced into the air cooler 150 through the air inlet hole 151. The configuration of the cooling mechanism 152 is not particularly limited as long as it can cool the dry air to a desired temperature. The temperature control valve 153, which serves as a temperature control unit, adjusts the cooling temperature of the dry air produced by the cooling mechanism 152, i.e., the temperature of the cooled air discharged through the air discharge hole 154 (described below). The operation of the temperature control valve 153 may be controlled manually or automatically by, for example, the control unit 2 (described below). For example, the operation of the temperature control valve 153 may be controlled based on the measurement result by the second temperature sensor 161 provided in the hollow portion of the transfer arm, i.e., the internal temperature of the transfer device 70. The air exhaust hole 154 is connected to the air tube 160 as described above, and supplies cooling air to the hollow portions of the first arm 111 and the second arm 112 via the air tube 160 .

[0047] As described above, the air tube 160 and the second temperature sensor 161 can be disposed in the hollow portion formed inside the transfer device 70, more specifically, inside the transfer arm 100.

[0048] The air tube 160 is routed within the hollow portion of the transfer arm 100 so that one end is connected to the air outlet 154 of the air cooler 150 and the other end is located near the tip of the transfer arm 100, for example, near the fourth joint 124. In other words, the air tube 160 introduces cooled air from the air cooler 150 into the hollow portion of the transfer arm 100 from near the tip of the transfer arm 100. The position from which the cooled air is supplied is not particularly limited. For example, the cooled air may be supplied toward the tip of the transfer arm 100 as described above, or may be supplied toward each joint (first to fourth joints 121 to 124) of the transfer arm 100 so that the cooled air is supplied directly toward each of the heat-generating drive mechanisms 121 a to 124 a.

[0049] 3, the second temperature sensors 161 are disposed on each axis of the transfer arm 100 (the first to fourth joints 121 to 124 described above). The second temperature sensors 161 monitor the temperature rise of the transfer device 70 caused by the drive mechanisms 121a to 124a disposed in the hollow portion described above, more specifically, the rise in the internal temperature of the transfer arm 100 over time. The internal temperature of the transfer arm 100 is used to control the temperature of the cooling air output from the air cooler 150, for example.

[0050] In the plasma processing apparatus 1 according to this embodiment, the air cooler 150 and the second temperature sensor 161 constitute a "temperature control system" according to the technique of the present disclosure.

[0051] Returning to the description of FIG. 1 , as described above, the plasma processing system includes a controller 2. The controller 2 processes computer-executable instructions that cause the plasma processing apparatus 1 to perform the various processes described herein. The controller 2 may be configured to control each element of the plasma processing apparatus 1 to perform the various processes described herein. In one embodiment, part or all of the controller 2 may be included in the plasma processing apparatus 1. The controller 2 may include a processor 2a1, a memory 2a2, and a communication interface 2a3. The controller 2 may be implemented by, for example, a computer 2a. The processor 2a1 may be configured to read a program from the memory 2a2 and execute the read program to perform various control operations. The program may be stored in the memory 2a2 in advance or may be acquired via a medium when needed. The acquired program is stored in the memory 2a2 and is read from the memory 2a2 by the processor 2a1 for execution. The medium may be a variety of storage media readable by the computer 2a, or a communication line connected to the communication interface 2a3. The processing unit 2a1 may be a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The storage unit 2a2 may include a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a SSD (Solid State Drive), or a combination thereof. The communication interface 2a3 may communicate with the plasma processing apparatus 1 via a communication line such as a LAN (Local Area Network). The storage medium may be temporary or non-temporary.

[0052] Although various exemplary embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments, and various additions, omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made. Furthermore, elements in different embodiments may be combined to form other embodiments.

[0053] <Wafer Processing in Plasma Processing Apparatus 1> Next, wafer processing performed using the plasma processing apparatus 1 configured as above will be described.

[0054] First, the transport device 40 removes the substrate W from the desired FOUP 31 and loads it into the load lock module 20a. Then, the inside of the load lock module 20a is sealed and depressurized. Then, the inside of the load lock module 20a and the inside of the transfer module 50 are connected to each other.

[0055] Next, the substrate W is held by the transport device 70 and transported from the load lock module 20a to the transfer module 50. At this time, since the temperature of the unprocessed substrate W transported from the load lock module 20a is room temperature, the substrate W may be held by either the forks 130, 140 of the transport device 70, i.e., the high temperature pad 130a or the low temperature pad 140a.

[0056] Next, the gate valve 60a of one of the processing modules 60 is opened, and the transport device 70 loads the substrate W into that processing module 60. Thereafter, the gate valve 60a is closed, and the substrate W is subjected to a desired processing in the processing module 60.

[0057] After the desired processing of the substrate W is completed, the gate valve 60a is opened and the substrate W is unloaded from the processing module 60 by the transport device 70. Thereafter, the gate valve 60a is closed.

[0058] Here, when a high-temperature process is performed on a substrate W in the processing module 60, the temperature of the substrate W unloaded from the processing module 60 may be, for example, 200°C or higher. Furthermore, when a low-temperature process is performed on the substrate W, the temperature of the substrate W unloaded from the processing module 60 may be, for example, below 0°C. Thus, the temperature of the substrate W unloaded from the processing module 60 varies significantly depending on the type and conditions of the process performed in the processing module 60. If the temperature of the processed substrate W to be transported falls outside the appropriate temperature range of the holding pads provided on the forks of the transport device 70, the substrate cannot be transported properly, as described above. Specifically, for example, if the temperature of the substrate W is lower than the appropriate temperature range of the holding pads, the holding pads cannot secure the necessary holding force for the substrate W, and the substrate may slip, making it necessary to reduce the movement speed of the transport arm. On the other hand, for example, if the temperature of the substrate W is higher than the appropriate temperature range of the holding pads, the holding pads may be damaged, making it difficult to hold the substrate W in the first place.

[0059] In this regard, in the transfer device 70 according to this embodiment, as described above, the high-temperature pad 130a and the low-temperature pad 140a are respectively arranged on the two forks 130 and 140 of the transfer device 70. In other words, the forks 130 and 140 are respectively used as a transfer arm for high-temperature substrates (the fork 130 in the embodiment) and an arm for transfer of low-temperature substrates (the fork 140 in the embodiment). This allows the transfer conditions for the transfer device 70 to be preset so that the high-temperature arm (the third arm 113 equipped with the fork 130) is used when transferring the substrate W from the processing module 60 performing a high-temperature process, and the low-temperature arm (the fourth arm 114 equipped with the fork 140) is used when transferring the substrate W from the processing module 60 performing a low-temperature process. This allows the substrate W to be appropriately transferred from the processing module 60 regardless of the temperature of the processed substrate W.

[0060] The selection of the transport fork for holding the substrate W may be determined in advance, for example, according to the type of process performed in the processing module 60, i.e., according to the process recipe. In this case, however, if the process content in the same processing module 60 changes, it is necessary to manually change the settings related to the fork selection in the recipe. In view of this, the selection of the transport fork for holding the substrate W may be performed based on the measurement results of the first temperature sensor 63 in the processing module 60. In other words, the transport fork may be automatically selected based on the temperature of the substrate support part 62 supporting the substrate W, preferably the temperature of the substrate W to be transported. In this way, the transport fork can be automatically selected based on the actually measured temperature of the substrate W to be transported, regardless of the type and conditions of the substrate processing performed in the processing module 60. Therefore, there is no need to manually change the settings even if the process content changes.

[0061] In this embodiment, the transport device 70 is provided with a total of two arms, one high-temperature arm for transporting high-temperature substrates W and one low-temperature arm for transporting low-temperature substrates W, but the number of these arms is not limited to this. For example, in the above embodiment, one high-temperature arm and one low-temperature arm are provided to transport substrates W one by one in the reduced pressure section 11 of the plasma processing apparatus 1, but two or more high-temperature arms and two or more low-temperature arms may be provided to transport two or more substrates W simultaneously.

[0062] After the substrate W is unloaded from the processing module 60, the transport device 70 loads the substrate W into the load lock module 20b. Once the substrate W is loaded into the load lock module 20b, the inside of the load lock module 20b is sealed and opened to the atmosphere. The substrate W, which has been heated or cooled by processing in the processing module 60, is temporarily held in the load lock module 20b, where its temperature is adjusted to approximately room temperature. Once the temperature of the substrate W has been adjusted to approximately room temperature, the inside of the load lock module 20b and the inside of the loader module 30 are then connected to each other.

[0063] Next, the substrate W is held by the transfer device 40, and is returned from the load lock module 20b to the desired FOUP 31 via the loader module 30 and accommodated therein. This completes the series of wafer processing steps in the plasma processing apparatus 1.

[0064] <Effects, etc.> As described above, according to this embodiment, by appropriately selecting the high-temperature arm (fork 130) and the low-temperature arm (fork 140) provided in the transport device 70, it is possible to appropriately transport the substrate W regardless of the temperature of the substrate W after processing in the processing module 60, in other words, regardless of the type and conditions of substrate processing in the processing module 60. More specifically, by holding the high-temperature substrate W after processing with the fork 130 via the high-temperature pad 130a, damage to the holding pad when holding the high-temperature substrate is suppressed, and as a result, the high-temperature substrate can be appropriately transported. Furthermore, by holding the low-temperature substrate W after processing with the fork 140 via the low-temperature pad 140a, it is possible to suppress substrate slippage when holding the low-temperature substrate, and as a result, it is not necessary to reduce the movement speed of the transport arm as in the conventional method.

[0065] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, the temperature of the substrate W to be transported can be measured in advance by the first temperature sensor 63 before the substrate W is unloaded from the processing module 60. This makes it possible to automatically and appropriately select whether the high-temperature arm or the low-temperature arm should be used to unload the substrate W in the transport device 70, regardless of the type and conditions of the substrate processing being performed in the processing module 60, in other words, regardless of the temperature of the substrate W to be transported. In this case, even if the process content in the processing module 60 is changed, the high-temperature arm or the low-temperature arm can be selected automatically, so there is no need for a manual recipe change by, for example, an operator.

[0066] As described above, the temperature of the transport device 70 having a multi-joint structure rises due to heat generated by the operation of the drive mechanisms 121 a to 124 a provided in each axis (first to fourth joints 121 to 124) of the transport device 70. If the temperature of the transport device 70 rises in this way, as described above, this may result in a deterioration in the transport accuracy of the substrates W. Conventionally, to prevent this deterioration in transport accuracy due to temperature rise, dry air for cooling the transport device has been supplied to the interior of the transport device, more specifically, to the interior of the transport arm. However, when dry air is supplied to the interior of the transport device in this way, while it is required to reduce the amount of dry air consumed (flow rate) from an environmental perspective, there has been a problem in that reducing the flow rate results in insufficient cooling capacity, resulting in a rise in the temperature of the transport device.

[0067] In this regard, according to the above embodiment, as shown in Fig. 3, an air cooler 150 for cooling dry air is arranged on the supply path of dry air for cooling the transport device. In other words, instead of supplying dry air at approximately room temperature as in the conventional method, cooled air cooled by the air cooler 150 is supplied into the transport arm 100 of the transport device 70. According to this embodiment, it is possible to cool the transport device 70 with a smaller flow rate of air than in the conventional method, and as a result, it is possible to reduce the amount of dry air consumed and suppress deterioration in transport accuracy of the substrate W due to temperature rise.

[0068] As described above, the air cooler 150 can control the temperature of the cooling air supplied to the inside of the transport arm 100 based on the measurement results by the second temperature sensors 161 (see FIG. 3 ) provided on each axis of the transport device 70, i.e., the internal temperature of the transport arm 100. The temperature control of the cooling air is achieved, for example, by the temperature adjustment valve 153 of the air cooler 150. In this way, by monitoring the internal temperature of the transport device 70 with the second temperature sensors 161 and controlling the discharge temperature of the cooling air in accordance with an increase in the internal temperature of the transport device 70, it is possible to prevent the transport device 70 from being overcooled by the cooling air or from having insufficient cooling capacity, thereby optimizing the consumption of dry air while suppressing deterioration in the transport accuracy of the substrate W.

[0069] As described above, the operation of the temperature control valve 153 may be performed manually or automatically based on the measurement results of the second temperature sensor 161. However, from the viewpoint of optimizing the temperature of the cooling air and the amount of dry air consumed, it is desirable to automatically control the operation of the temperature control valve 153. In this case, the operation of the temperature control valve 153 may be controlled by, for example, the control unit 2.

[0070] In the plasma processing apparatus 1 according to the above embodiment, deposits may adhere to the holding pads (the high-temperature pad 130a and the low-temperature pad 140a) on the forks 130 and 140 due to, for example, the retraction of the gate valve 60a of the processing module 60 when the gate valve 60a is opened, or due to, for example, the substrate W being transported from the atmospheric section 10. If deposits adhere to the holding pads in this manner, as described above, this may cause substrate slippage. Conventionally, in order to prevent substrate slippage due to deposit adhesion, cleaning of the transfer module 50 and the transport device 70 (removal of deposited deposits) has been performed. However, the amount of deposits adhering to the transport device 70 varies depending on, for example, the type of substrate processing performed in the processing module 60 and the operating rate, making it difficult to appropriately determine the timing of cleaning.

[0071] 2 and 3, deposit detection sensors 131a, 141a (QCM sensors) for detecting the amount of deposits on the forks 130, 140, more specifically on the high-temperature pad 130a and the low-temperature pad 140a, are disposed on the hands 131, 141 of the third and fourth arms 113, 114. The QCM sensors as the deposit detection sensors 131a, 141a can detect the amount of deposits that have adhered to the deposit detection sensors 131a, 141a by utilizing the characteristic that the resonant frequency (vertical axis in FIG. 5) decreases when deposits adhere to the surface of the quartz plate, as shown in FIG.

[0072] According to this embodiment, the timing of cleaning the transfer module 50 (transport device 70) is controlled based on the resonance frequency (amount of deposit) detected by the deposit detection sensors 131 a, 141 a. Specifically, a threshold value (dashed line in FIG. 5 ) that serves as a reference for the timing to start cleaning can be set in advance, and the start of cleaning of the transfer module 50 (transport device 70) can be instructed when the detected resonance frequency (amount of deposit) falls below this threshold value (the dotted circle in FIG. 5 ).

[0073] As described above, according to this embodiment, the timing of cleaning can be controlled based on the amount of deposits visualized by the deposit detection sensors 131a, 141a, so cleaning can be appropriately performed at the timing when the desired amount of deposits is measured, regardless of the type of substrate processing performed in the processing module 60 or the operating rate. When cleaning the transfer module 50, substrates W cannot be transported during this time, and operation of the plasma processing apparatus 1 must be stopped. However, by configuring cleaning to be performed at the timing when the desired amount of deposits has accumulated, the number of cleanings of the transfer module 50 can be minimized, i.e., downtime of the plasma processing apparatus 1 can be minimized.

[0074] According to this embodiment, the above-described deposit detection sensors 131a, 141a are disposed on the upper surfaces of the hands 131, 141, near the forks 130, 140 on which the high-temperature pad 130a and low-temperature pad 140a are disposed. The deposit detection sensors 131a, 141a are disposed so that their upper surfaces are at approximately the same height as the high-temperature pad 130a and low-temperature pad 140a. According to this embodiment, the deposit detection sensors 131a, 141a are disposed under approximately the same conditions (installation position, height) as the high-temperature pad 130a and low-temperature pad 140a. This causes the amounts of deposits adhering to the deposit detection sensors 131a, 141a to be approximately the same as the amounts of deposits adhering to the high-temperature pad 130a and low-temperature pad 140a, and thus the amounts of deposits on the high-temperature pad 130a and low-temperature pad 140a, which may cause substrate slippage, can be more appropriately detected.

[0075] In the above embodiment, the timing of cleaning the transfer module 50 (transport device 70) is controlled based on the amount of deposits on the deposit detection sensors 131a, 141a, in other words, the contamination state on the deposit detection sensors 131a, 141a. However, instead of or in addition to this, the timing of cleaning may be controlled based on the internal state of the processing module 60. Specifically, the amount of deposits adhering to the high-temperature pad 130a and the low-temperature pad 140a may be proportional to the contamination state within the processing module 60 during the transport of the substrate W. That is, for example, if the amount of deposits adhering or floating within the processing module 60 is large, the amount of deposits adhering to the high-temperature pad 130a and the low-temperature pad 140a will be large, and if the amount of deposits within the processing module 60 is small, the amount of deposits adhering to the high-temperature pad 130a and the low-temperature pad 140a will be small. From this perspective, the contamination state (deposit amount) within the processing module 60 may be detected by another deposit detection sensor (not shown), and based on the measurement results from this other deposit detection sensor, a further determination may be made as to whether or not to perform cleaning of the transfer module 50 (transport device 70).

[0076] Although various exemplary embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described exemplary embodiments, and various additions, omissions, substitutions, and modifications may be made. Furthermore, elements in different embodiments may be combined to form other embodiments.

[0077] For example, in the above embodiment, the transfer device 70 according to the embodiment is described as being installed in a plasma processing system as a substrate processing system. However, the type of substrate processing system is not limited to a plasma processing system, and the transfer device 70 according to the embodiment may be installed in any substrate processing system that combines high-temperature processes and low-temperature processes.

[0078] Furthermore, the module in which the transport device 70 is disposed does not have to be a vacuum transport module like the transfer module 50 described above, but may be a module that transports the substrate W in an atmospheric environment.

[0079] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 plasma processing apparatus 2 control unit 50 transfer module 51 reduced pressure transfer chamber 60 processing module 61 processing chamber 62 substrate support unit 63 first temperature sensor 70 transfer device 130 fork 130a high temperature pad 131a deposit detection sensor 140 fork 140a low temperature pad 141a deposit detection sensor 150 air cooler 152 cooling mechanism 161 second temperature sensor

Claims

1. a substrate processing module; a substrate transfer module connected to the substrate processing module; At least one control unit; The substrate processing module includes: a substrate processing chamber; a substrate support disposed within the substrate processing chamber; a first temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the substrate support; The substrate transfer module includes: a substrate transfer chamber; a substrate transfer robot disposed within the substrate transfer chamber; a temperature control system; The substrate transport robot a first end effector having a first holding pad capable of holding a substrate that has been processed at a high temperature in the substrate processing module; a second end effector having a second holding pad capable of holding a substrate processed at a low temperature in the substrate processing module; at least one adhesion detection sensor disposed near at least one of the first end effector and the second end effector; The temperature control system includes: a cooling gas supply unit configured to supply a cooling gas into the substrate transfer robot; a second temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature within the substrate transfer robot; a temperature adjusting unit configured to adjust the temperature of the cooling gas based on an output of the second temperature sensor; The at least one control unit determining whether to transport the substrate on the substrate support by the first end effector or the second end effector based on an output of the first temperature sensor; determining timing for cleaning the substrate transfer chamber based on an output of the at least one deposit detection sensor.

2. 2. The substrate transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the substrate processed at high temperature in the substrate processing module is 0° C. or higher and 300° C. or lower.

3. 3. The substrate transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the first holding pad is made of fluororesin.

4. 3. The substrate transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the temperature of the substrate processed at a low temperature in the substrate processing module is less than 0°C.

5. 3. The substrate transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the second holding pad is made of a silicone resin.

6. The substrate transport robot a substrate holding portion; a sensor arrangement portion connected to a base end of the substrate holding portion, The substrate transfer system according to claim 1 , wherein the adhesion detection sensor is disposed on the sensor arrangement portion.

7. The substrate transport robot A plurality of connected transport arms; 3. The substrate transfer system according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of actuators arranged in internal spaces of the plurality of transfer arms and configured to drive each of the plurality of transfer arms.

8. The substrate transport system of claim 7 , wherein the cooling gas supply unit is configured to supply the cooling gas to internal spaces of the transport arms to cool the actuators.

9. The substrate transfer system according to claim 7 , wherein the cooling gas supply unit is configured to supply the cooling gas to a tip portion of each of the plurality of transfer arms.

10. 3. The substrate transfer system according to claim 1, wherein the cooling gas is dry air.

11. a substrate processing module; a substrate transfer module connected to the substrate processing module; a control unit, The substrate processing module includes: a substrate processing chamber; a substrate support disposed within the substrate processing chamber; a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature of the substrate support; The substrate transfer module includes: a substrate transfer chamber; a substrate transfer robot disposed within the substrate transfer chamber; The substrate transport robot a first end effector having a first holding pad capable of holding a substrate that has been processed at a high temperature in the substrate processing module; a second end effector having a second holding pad capable of holding a substrate processed at a low temperature in the substrate processing module; The control unit A substrate transport system configured to determine whether to transport the substrate on the substrate support by the first end effector or the second end effector based on an output of the temperature sensor.

12. a substrate transfer chamber; a substrate transfer robot disposed within the substrate transfer chamber; a control unit, The substrate transport robot an end effector having a holding pad capable of holding a substrate; an adhesion detection sensor disposed near the end effector, The control unit a substrate transfer system configured to determine timing for cleaning the substrate transfer chamber based on an output of the deposit detection sensor;

13. a substrate transfer chamber; a substrate transfer robot disposed within the substrate transfer chamber; a temperature control system; The substrate transport robot A plurality of connected transport arms; a plurality of actuators disposed in the interior spaces of the plurality of transport arms and configured to drive each of the plurality of transport arms; The temperature control system includes: a gas supply unit configured to supply dry air into the substrate transport robot; a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature within the substrate transfer robot; a temperature adjusting unit configured to cool the dry air based on an output of the temperature sensor.