Method for setting process formulas for substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing apparatus

Abstract

The objective of this invention is to enable simple editing of the process recipe when setting the process recipe for a device that processes a substrate. The process includes a process of displaying a process recipe setting table on the screen while accepting the compilation of setting values ​​from the recipe setting table, and a process of storing the process recipe with the compiled setting values ​​in the memory unit. The process switches between a full display state and a brief display state according to a display switching command and displays them on the screen. The full display state displays the setting values ​​corresponding to all setting items in the recipe setting table, while the brief display state displays the setting values ​​corresponding to only the setting items that have been edited in the past.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This disclosure relates to a method for setting the process formula of a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing apparatus. [Previous Technology]

[0002] In the manufacturing process of FPD (Flat Panel Display) or semiconductor devices, there are processes such as applying film-forming treatment or etching treatment to the substrate (glass substrate or semiconductor wafer). In the equipment that performs these processes (the equipment that processes the substrate), the processing is carried out according to the pre-set process formula and according to the instructions of the control computer.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which, in a display program used for computer processing, items corresponding to unselected operation parts are not displayed. Furthermore, Patent Document 2 discloses a technology in which, in an operator information registration screen, item names can be specified for display or concealment using display flags. Further, Patent Document 3 discloses a technology in a printing setting processing program that allows frequently used function settings to be concealed.

[0004] [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-201854 Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-117489 Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2006-285968 [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] This disclosure provides a technique for easily editing the process recipe when setting the process recipe of the device that processes the substrate.

[0006] This disclosure discloses a method for setting a process recipe for a substrate processing apparatus, which is a method for setting a process recipe for an apparatus that processes a substrate; it includes the following steps: Regarding multiple setting items of the process recipe, the control computer of the apparatus reads multiple setting values ​​from the memory unit, each corresponding to a multiple step defined as being performed over time, and displays them as a recipe setting table on the display unit of a screen connected to the control computer, wherein the recipe setting table is configured to specify the setting value corresponding to the setting item and the step; while displaying the recipe setting table performed in the process shown on the display unit, the step and the setting item are specified through the input unit connected to the control computer, and the selected setting value is edited; and the process recipe after the setting value has been edited is stored in the memory unit; During the process of editing the settings using the control computer, the recipe setting table is switched between full display mode and brief display mode via the display switching command input through the input section. The full display mode displays the settings corresponding to all the settings in the recipe setting table, while the brief display mode displays only the settings corresponding to the settings that have been edited in the past.

[0007] According to this disclosure, when setting the process recipe of the device that processes the substrate, the process recipe can be easily edited.

Implementation Method

[0009] <Substrate Processing Apparatus> Hereinafter, an embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus (hereinafter referred to as "substrate processing apparatus") disclosed herein will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The substrate processing apparatus of this example is configured to perform etching processing on a substrate (i.e., a glass substrate G, hereinafter referred to as "substrate G"). The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes an atmospheric transport chamber 11 equipped with an atmospheric transport mechanism 111 and a vacuum transport chamber 12 equipped with a vacuum transport mechanism 121. The atmospheric transport chamber 11 and the vacuum transport chamber 12 are interconnected through a loading interlock chamber 13.

[0010] The atmospheric transport chamber 11 is equipped with a transport port 14, which is used for transporting in and out of the transport container 10 containing a plurality of substrates G. The substrates G in the transport container 10 are configured to be removed by the atmospheric transport mechanism 111 and transported to the loading interlock chamber 13. The substrates G in the loading interlock chamber 13 are configured to be collected into the vacuum transport chamber 12 by the vacuum transport mechanism 121. In addition, in the substrate processing apparatus disclosed herein, the atmospheric transport chamber 11, the atmospheric transport mechanism 111, the transport container 10 and the transport port 14 are not necessarily essential components. Other mechanisms for transporting substrates G between the loading interlock chamber 13 and the atmospheric environment can also be connected to the loading interlock chamber 13.

[0011] The vacuum transfer chamber 12 is connected to, for example, two substrate processing units 2A and 2B and one vacuum processing unit 15. In this example, the substrate processing units 2A and 2B are configured as etching processing units that perform etching processing on the substrate, and the vacuum processing unit 15 is configured as, for example, a post-processing unit that performs finishing processing after etching. In Figure 1, symbols GV1 to GV3 indicate gate valves.

[0012] <Substrate Processing Unit> An example of substrate processing units 2A and 2B constituting the etching processing unit will be briefly described with reference to FIG2. In this example, substrate processing units 2A and 2B are configured to place a substrate G on a stage 3 inside a vacuum container 21 for plasma processing. The vacuum container 21 is configured to transport the substrate G through a transport port 22 that is opened and closed by a gate valve 16, and to evacuate the internal space of the vacuum container 21 through an exhaust path 231 and a vacuum exhaust mechanism 23. The exhaust path 231 includes a pressure adjustment unit 232, such as an APC (Automatic Pressure Control) valve.

[0013] The mounting stage 3 also serves as an electrode for plasma generation. For example, it is connected to a high-frequency power supply 31 for plasma generation and a high-frequency power supply 32 for supplying bias voltage power for ion attraction via matching devices 311 and 321, respectively. In this example, the mounting stage 3 is configured to have a built-in temperature-controlled medium flow channel 33 that forms a temperature control section to maintain the substrate G at a set temperature. The mounting stage 3 is supported by an insulating component 34 and has a lifting pin 35 that can be raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism 351 and used for the transfer of the substrate G.

[0014] The top of the vacuum container 21 is provided with an upper electrode 4 facing the stage 3. The upper electrode 4 also serves as a gas spray head and is hollow in shape, with a gas ejection hole 41 disposed below it. The upper electrode 4 is connected to the gas supply source 44 for processing gas through a gas supply channel 42 equipped with a valve V1 and a flow adjustment unit 43.

[0015] Here, the processing of a substrate using the substrate processing apparatus 1 with the above-described configuration will be briefly described. The substrate G is taken out from the transfer container 10 and transferred to the loading interlock chamber 13 with an atmospheric pressure atmosphere by means of the atmospheric transfer mechanism 111, and the loading interlock chamber 13 is adjusted to a vacuum atmosphere. Next, the substrate G in the loading interlock chamber 13 is transferred to the mounting stage 3 of the substrate processing units 2A and 2B through the vacuum transfer chamber 12 by means of the vacuum transfer mechanism 121. In the substrate processing units 2A and 2B, the substrate G is placed on the mounting stage 3, and the vacuum container 21 is evacuated by means of the vacuum degassing mechanism 23 to maintain a predetermined vacuum level, and then the etching gas, which is the processing gas, is supplied.

[0016] On the other hand, a high frequency for plasma generation and a high frequency for ion attraction are applied to the mounting stage 3, and the substrate G is etched using the plasma formed in the space above the substrate G. Here, since ions in the plasma are attracted to the mounting stage 3 by the high frequency of the bias voltage, a highly vertical etching process is performed. The substrate G, after being etched in the substrate processing sections 2A and 2B, is transported to the vacuum processing section 15 through the vacuum transport chamber 12 by the vacuum transport mechanism 121 for post-etching finishing. Next, the substrate G is transported to the loading interlock chamber 13 in a vacuum atmosphere by the vacuum transport mechanism 121. After the loading interlock chamber 13 is adjusted to atmospheric pressure, it is collected by the atmospheric transport mechanism 111 and returned to the transport container 10 through the atmospheric transport chamber 11. Furthermore, the above embodiment is described as a capacitively coupled plasma generation mechanism that generates plasma by making the mounting stage 3 and the upper electrode 4 parallel electrodes facing each other. However, it is not limited to this. For example, plasma can also be generated by an inductively coupled plasma generation mechanism.

[0017] <Control Computer> The substrate processing apparatus 1 is configured to include a control computer 5, which outputs instructions to various parts of the substrate processing apparatus 1, such as the substrate processing units 2A, 2B, or the vacuum processing unit 15, the atmospheric conveying mechanism 111, and the vacuum conveying mechanism 121. The control computer 5 is configured to include, for example, a CPU (not shown in the figure), which performs the aforementioned substrate processing according to the process recipe of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The process recipe is a processing program that sets the processing sequence of the substrate processing apparatus 1 or the substrate processing units 2A, 2B, as well as control parameters such as the pressure or flow rate of the processing gas in the vacuum container 21 and the set temperature of the stage 3.

[0018] The process recipe is configured with multiple settings (control parameters) corresponding to multiple steps defined as being performed over time. For example, a step is configured with settings such as the step time, the processing temperature of the substrate G, and the pressure setting in the container holding the substrate G, and these settings are stored. Then, in the process recipes of substrate processing units 2A and 2B, for example, the settings (control parameters) related to all actions performed in the substrate processing units 2A and 2B are stored for multiple steps.

[0019] Further, as shown in FIG3, the control computer 5 has the functions of a screen control unit 51 and a data retrieval unit 52, and is connected to a memory unit 53 or a touch panel display 54 ("display" example). The memory unit 53 has the function of a recipe storage unit 531 storing process recipes, and the touch panel display 54 serves as both a display screen 55 ("screen" example) and an input unit 56. Therefore, the input unit 56 is connected to the control computer 5 via the touch panel display 54. Alternatively, instead of setting up a touch panel display 54, a display screen 55 and an input unit 56 independent of the display screen 55 can be separately set up, and the input unit 56 can be composed of a keyboard.

[0020] The data extraction unit 52 is configured to read data from the recipe storage unit 531, namely the setting values ​​set in the process recipe, and perform the action of extracting the setting values ​​of the briefly displayed object in accordance with the display switching command described later. Furthermore, the screen control unit 51 has the function of displaying the setting values ​​of the process recipe read and extracted by the data extraction unit 52 as the recipe setting table 7 described later on the display screen 55. Further, the screen control unit 51 is configured to accept the display switching command made by the operator through the input unit 56 and perform the processing of switching the display of the recipe setting table 7. In addition, the control computer 5 is configured to perform the action of editing the setting values ​​of the recipe setting table 7 and to save the edited process recipe with the accepted setting values ​​in the memory unit 53.

[0021] <Process Recipe Setting> Next, the method for setting the process recipe of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG4. Setting the process recipe involves setting the values ​​of control parameters, and is performed during process evaluations such as changes in operating conditions, or product switching. Generally, when operators review the process recipe settings (control parameters), many of the settings they wish to review are settings that have been edited in the past. The technology disclosed herein addresses this by having a function that only displays previously edited settings on the display screen 55. That is, the control computer 5 determines whether a setting has been edited in the past, and by inputting a display switching command, automatically hides unedited settings.

[0022] <Example 1> As the first example of setting a process recipe, this section explains the situation where an operator changes previously edited settings for a process recipe. First, the operator selects the process recipe to be edited using the touch panel display 54. As shown in FIG5, the touch panel display 54 in this example has a table display section 57 (a "display section" example) and six buttons 61-66 that form part of the input section 56 on the display screen 55. The buttons 61-66 can be displayed as images on the display screen 55 as shown in FIG5, or they can be physically pressed buttons located on the outside of the display screen 55.

[0023] Among buttons 61-66, the "Open" button 61 opens the window 67 used to select process recipes. Figure 5 shows the state when the "Open" button 61 is pressed to open the window 67. The window 67 will be launched as, for example, a pop-up window. In Figures 5-9, the buttons with gray names on the display screen 55 represent buttons that are in operation. In addition, "press" here also includes the operator touching the "Open" button 61 displayed on the display screen 55 with their finger to activate the corresponding function.

[0024] This explanation pertains to the case where the process recipe of the edited object is selected as "Recipe 1". When the control computer 5 accepts the selection of the process recipe (step 101 in Figure 4), it performs the process of reading the setting value of the selected process recipe from the recipe storage unit 531 of the memory unit 53, and displaying the recipe setting table 7 corresponding to the process recipe on the table display unit 57 in the display screen 55 of the touch panel display 54.

[0025] As shown in Figures 6-9, the recipe setting table 7 in this example displays the setting values ​​for the multiple setting items 71 corresponding to the process recipe and the multiple steps 72 defined to be performed over time. Regarding the substrate processing units 2A and 2B, the setting items 71 are control parameters such as the pressure of the vacuum container 21, the flow rate of the processing gas, the plasma power, the bias power, and the set temperature of the stage 3, which are controlled during the processing in the substrate processing units 2A and 2B. In the recipe setting table 7 of this example, these setting items 71 are listed in the first row.

[0026] Furthermore, step 72 corresponds to the step number displayed in the first column of the recipe setting table 7 and preset in the process recipe, and records steps 72 that will cause steps 1 to n (n is an integer greater than or equal to 1) to be performed over time. The recipe setting table 7 is configured to specify the setting value of setting item 71 corresponding to each step 72.

[0027] Furthermore, the display screen 55 of the touch panel display 54 displays scrolls 73 and 74 as needed. The control computer 5 can use the movement instructions of the display range of these scrolls 73 and 74 to move the scrolls to display the area of ​​the recipe setting table 7 that extends beyond the table display section 57 on the table display section 57. During the process of displaying the recipe setting table 7 on the table display section 57, the scroll 73 moves vertically to display the display area related to the setting item 71 that extends beyond the table display section 57 on the table display section 57. Similarly, the scroll 74 moves horizontally to display the display area related to step 72 that extends beyond the table display section 57 on the table display section 57.

[0028] Returning to Figure 4, the operator will determine whether to select the "Brief Display" button 63 (step 102). The "Brief Display" button 63 is used to set the recipe setting table 7 to "Brief Display state". The brief display state means that only the setting values ​​corresponding to the setting items in the recipe setting table 7 that have been edited in the past will be displayed. That is, in any step 72, setting items whose setting values ​​have not been edited in the past will not be displayed.

[0029] Here, the "Full Display" button 64 will also be explained. The "Full Display" button 64 is the button that sets the recipe setting table 7 to "Full Display State". Full Display State means that the setting values ​​corresponding to all setting items in the recipe setting table 7 will be displayed. That is, in any step 72, regardless of whether the setting values ​​have been edited in the past, all setting items will be displayed. The "Brief Display" button 63 and the "Full Display" button 64 are buttons that output display switching commands. The display switching commands will switch the display state of the setting values ​​between the full display state and the brief display state and display them in the table display section 57. Therefore, if the "Brief Display" button 63 is pressed (selected), the display switching command for the brief display state will be entered, and if the "Full Display" button 64 is pressed, the display switching command for the full display state will be entered.

[0030] If the "Brief Display" button 63 is selected in step 102 of Figure 4, the control computer 5 will determine whether all the settings of the process recipe read from the recipe storage unit 531 are initial values ​​(step 103). In step 103, the control computer 5 will determine whether the settings of the process recipe have been edited in the past. Then, when it is determined that all settings are initial values, it will proceed to step 105, and when it is determined that at least some of the settings are not initial values, it will proceed to step 104.

[0031] Here, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this example, all settings of the process recipe are preset to initial values. Figure 6 shows a recipe setting table 7 where all settings of the process recipe are initial values. In this example, the recipe setting table 7 displayed on the table display unit 57 of the display screen 55 is set with various initial values, such as the setting item "0" for inputting setting values ​​by numbers and the setting item "OFF" for inputting whether control is implemented by ON / OFF.

[0032] The data extraction unit 52 of the control computer 5 is configured as described above to determine that setting items containing setting values ​​that are not consistent with the initial values ​​have been edited in the past. Therefore, setting items with a value other than "0" and setting items with "ON" input will be determined as setting items that have been edited in the past.

[0033] The recipe setting table 7 of recipe 1 is displayed on the display screen 55 of the table display unit 57 in full display mode, as shown in FIG7. This recipe setting table 7 contains previously edited settings, and the above situation can be identified by displaying the cells that display the previously edited settings (the cells are colored gray in FIG7 and FIG8).

[0034] Regarding this display, for example, the data extraction unit 52 compares the setting values ​​of each step of each setting item in the selected process recipe with the initial values ​​related to the same step. If these values ​​are inconsistent, it will mark the setting value with an identification symbol indicating this situation. When the screen control unit 51 displays the recipe setting table 7, if the obtained setting value has been marked with the identification symbol, it will display the cell where the setting value is displayed in a recognizable manner. Hereinafter, there will be cases where setting items that have previously received editing of setting values ​​related to any step are recorded as "edited setting items", and setting items that have not previously received editing of setting values ​​related to any step are recorded as "unedited setting items".

[0035] When the recipe setting table 7 is displayed on the display screen 55, if the full display mode is selected, both "edited setting items" and "unedited setting items" will be displayed (Fig. 7). However, if the simplified display mode is selected, only "edited setting items" will be displayed in the recipe setting table 7, while "unedited setting items" will not be displayed. Therefore, if recipe 1 is selected in process 101 of Fig. 4, and the "simplified display" button 63 is pressed in process 102, according to the display switching command, the recipe setting table 7 will, in principle, be displayed on the display screen 55 in simplified display mode in process 104. That is, the screen control unit 51 will determine that setting items containing identification symbols indicating that the setting values ​​obtained from the extraction unit 52 are "edited setting items" and display them in the recipe setting table 7.

[0036] Figure 8 shows the recipe setting table 7 displayed in a simplified display state. In this simplified display state, setting items with input values ​​different from the initial values ​​are displayed, while unedited setting items are not displayed. For example, in the recipe setting table 7 shown in Figure 7, focusing on the "pressure" setting item, the "pressure" setting value in step 4 is the initial value "0", while in other steps 1, 2, and 5, setting values ​​different from the initial values ​​are input. Thus, in any step, for setting items with input values ​​different from the initial values, all step-related setting values ​​are displayed. In the simplified display state of the recipe setting table 7 shown in Figure 8, the parts of the setting items that are not displayed are hidden. Therefore, the table display section 57 of the display area set within the display screen 55 displays all setting items without requiring scrolling in the up-down direction using the scroll bar 73.

[0037] Thus, when the "Brief Display" button 63 is selected, the recipe setting table 7 shown in Figure 8 will be displayed on the display screen 55 of the touch panel display 54. The operator edits the recipe by inputting setting values ​​for the settings items to be edited, and the control computer 5 will accept the edited setting values ​​(step 106 in Figure 4). The editing of setting values ​​is performed as follows: in the recipe setting table 7 displayed on the display screen 55 of the touch panel display 54, the input unit 56 selects the cell that specifies step 72 and setting item 71, and then the setting values ​​are input through the keyboard (not shown in the figure).

[0038] The keyboard can be displayed on the display screen 55, or it can be set independently of the display screen 55. Furthermore, cell selection performed by the input unit 56 can be done by the operator directly touching the cells displayed on the table display unit 57 with their finger, or by displaying a window that identifies the cells. This window allows input of values ​​representing steps and values ​​representing setting items. The process of editing settings is performed in this way. When the "brief display" button 63 is selected, during the process of editing settings, the recipe setting table 7 is displayed on the touch panel display 54 in a brief display state.

[0039] Next, the operator will determine whether the editing of the settings has been completed (step 107). If the editing has not been completed, the operator will return to step 102 to perform the editing operation again. On the other hand, if the editing has been completed, the operator will press the "Register" button 62 to register the process recipe after the settings have been edited (step 108). This process of storing the edited process recipe in the recipe storage unit 531 of the memory unit 53 is carried out in this way, and the editing of the process recipe settings is completed.

[0040] Furthermore, if the "Brief Display" button 63 is not selected in step 102 and the process proceeds to step 105, the recipe setting table 7 will be displayed on the monitor screen 55 in full display mode as shown in FIG. 7. For example, if the setting value of the setting item "Processed Gas A" is changed, the recipe setting table 7 will be displayed in full display mode and the setting value will be edited. This is because, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the setting value of "Processed Gas A" is still the initial value "0" in all steps, so if the brief display mode is switched, the setting item will not be displayed. In this case, steps 106, 107, and 108 are performed in the same way as in the first example above.

[0041] <Example 2> As the second example of setting a process recipe, this section explains the situation where an operator is creating a new process recipe. First, the operator selects "New Recipe" from window 67 shown in Figure 5 using the touch panel display 54. If the selection of the process recipe is accepted (step 101), the recipe setting table 7 of the selected process recipe will be displayed on the display screen 55 of the touch panel display 54. The recipe setting table 7 for "New Recipe" is shown in Figure 6, and it is a recipe setting table 7 where all settings of the process recipe are initial values.

[0042] Next, the operator will determine whether to select the "Brief Display" button 63 (step 102 in Figure 4). When a new recipe is created, the recipe setting table 7 will be displayed in full display mode, and the setting values ​​will be entered according to setting item 71 and step 72. However, if the "Brief Display" button 63 is accidentally selected, the control computer 5 will determine whether all setting values ​​are initial values ​​(step 103). Here, the screen control unit 51 is configured such that even if the process recipe does not contain setting values ​​that have been edited in the past (all setting values ​​are not marked with identification symbols), the setting values ​​will still be displayed in full display mode even if the "Brief Display" button 63 is pressed. Therefore, even if the "Brief Display" button 63 is accidentally pressed, since all setting values ​​are initial values, the recipe setting table 7 will be displayed in full display mode (step 105), and there will be no situation where all setting items are not displayed.

[0043] Then, the operator will edit the settings while the recipe setting table 7 is displayed on the monitor screen 55 in full display mode. The control computer 5 will then execute step 106, which is the process of accepting the edited settings. Steps 107 and 108 are the same as in the first example above.

[0044] Here, the other buttons will be explained. The "Select Settings" button 65 opens the window described below, which accepts any selection of settings items displayed in Recipe Settings Table 7. After pressing this button 65, the settings selection window 68 shown in FIG9 will be opened as, for example, a pop-up window. In this window 68, settings items displayed in Recipe Settings Table 7 in full display mode can be added or deleted. The "Close Button" 66 closes the opened windows 67 and 68.

[0045] According to this embodiment, the process recipe can be easily edited when setting the process recipe of the device that processes the substrate. That is, the recipe setting table 7 can be switched between full display mode and brief display mode and displayed on the display screen 55 by simply inputting a display switching command corresponding to the edited content of the process recipe. Thus, since the required setting items can be automatically selected using the process recipe whose settings have been edited, the process recipe can be easily edited.

[0046] For example, when changing the setting value of a previously edited setting item, a display switching command is input to switch to a simplified display state, and as shown in FIG8, only the setting item to be edited is displayed. In the simplified display state, since unedited setting items are not displayed, fewer setting items are displayed on the display screen 55 and are hidden. Thus, it becomes easier to search for the input area of ​​the setting item to be edited and the setting value corresponding to the step. On the other hand, when changing the setting value of an unedited setting item, a display switching command is input to switch to a full display state, as shown in FIG7, to display all setting items, thereby editing the setting value.

[0047] Depending on the process recipe, if the simplified display mode is selected, all previously edited settings can be displayed on one screen, eliminating the need for scrolling. This makes it easier to search for the input areas corresponding to the settings of the edited object and the steps. Furthermore, if all settings of the edited object can be displayed on one screen, it is very convenient for capturing and saving images by taking screenshots. Additionally, even if the simplified display mode cannot display all settings on the process recipe on the display screen 55, the area extending beyond the table display section 57 of the display screen 55 is reduced compared to the full display mode. As a result, the load on the scrolling movement within the table display section 57 of the display screen 55 is reduced, simplifying the editing of settings.

[0048] In this way, since searching for the input location of the setting value becomes easier, the time or effort required for editing the setting value can be reduced. This not only allows for more efficient editing of the setting value but also reduces the occurrence of editing errors. Previously, when editing the setting value was done by displaying the recipe setting table 7 in full display mode, and when there were many control parameters (setting items) and many unedited setting items, multiple scrolling movements were necessary to display the setting item to be edited on the display screen 55. Furthermore, since the display screen 55 displayed many setting items, a lot of effort was spent searching for the input location of the setting value to be edited. The technology disclosed herein solves these problems.

[0049] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the control computer 5 (extraction unit 52) ​​is configured to determine that any setting item containing a setting value that is not consistent with the initial value is a setting item that has been edited in the past. In this way, since the control computer 5 automatically determines unedited setting items by comparing the initial value of the setting item with the current setting value, the operator does not need to pre-select the setting items displayed in a simplified display state. This also reduces the effort required to edit setting values ​​and suppresses operational errors, thereby enabling more efficient setting of process recipes.

[0050] Furthermore, the control computer 5 (screen control unit 51) is configured to always display the recipe setting table 7 in full display mode when all the setting values ​​of the setting items are at their initial values. Therefore, as mentioned above, when creating a new process recipe, even if the "brief display" button 63 is accidentally pressed, the recipe setting table 7 will still be displayed in full display mode. This prevents the problem of the recipe setting table 7 not being displayed at all due to accidentally pressing the "brief display" button 63, allowing for quick editing. In this respect, the technology disclosed herein also simplifies the editing of setting values.

[0051] In the above embodiment, the control computer 5 (extraction unit 52) ​​determines whether a setting item is unedited based on whether the setting value is consistent with the initial value. However, the method by which the control computer 5 determines the presence or absence of unedited setting items is not limited to this example. For example, when accepting the editing of setting values, an edited flag can be marked for the edited setting value and stored in the memory unit 53. In this example, setting items containing setting values ​​that have been marked with the edited flag and stored will be determined as having been edited in the past. In this configuration, the control computer 5 (screen control unit 51) can also determine whether there is any editing of the setting values ​​read from the memory unit 53. Therefore, a display switching command from the operator can be accepted, and the display of the recipe setting table 7 can be automatically switched to a simplified display state. In this respect, the technology disclosed herein can also simplify the editing of process recipe setting values.

[0052] Furthermore, since the display switching command is executed by pressing a button, the input of this command can be easily performed. In addition, the button for executing the display switching command is not limited to having both a "brief display" button 63 and a "full display" button 64; it can also be configured with only a "brief display" button 63 and no "full display" button 64. In this case, the recipe setting table 7 is usually displayed on the display screen 55 in full display mode, and is only displayed in brief display mode when the "brief display" button 63 is pressed. Furthermore, when the recipe setting table 7 is displayed in brief display mode, the "brief display" button 63 may not be displayed, and only the "full display" button 64 may be displayed. Additionally, the initial value of the process recipe setting is a value that can be appropriately set. Therefore, other initial values ​​can be set instead of the values ​​illustrated in the recipe setting table 7 shown in Figure 6 ("0" in the input value setting item and "OFF" in the input control presence / absence setting item).

[0053] The substrate processing apparatus to which this disclosure is applicable is not limited to the above-described configuration. The technology disclosed herein can be applied to various substrate processing apparatuses controlled by process formulations, such as coating or developing apparatuses, heating apparatuses, and film forming apparatuses that apply resist solutions to glass substrates or semiconductor wafers and then expose and develop them.

[0054] The embodiments disclosed in this specification should be considered as illustrative only and not as limiting the scope of the invention. The above embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the claims. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0008] Figure 1 is a schematic top view showing one embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus disclosed herein. Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional side view showing an example of the substrate processing section provided in the substrate processing apparatus. Figure 3 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the substrate processing apparatus. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the substrate processing apparatus. Figure 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a window displayed on a display screen. Figure 6 is a first explanatory diagram showing an example of a recipe setting table displayed on a display screen. Figure 7 is a second explanatory diagram showing an example of a recipe setting table displayed on a display screen. Figure 8 is a third explanatory diagram showing an example of a recipe setting table displayed on a display screen. Figure 9 is a fourth explanatory diagram showing an example of a recipe setting table displayed on a display screen.

Claims

1. A method for setting a process recipe for a substrate processing apparatus, comprising the following steps: For a plurality of setting items of the process recipe, a control computer of the apparatus reads from a memory unit a plurality of setting values ​​corresponding to a plurality of steps defined to be performed over time, and displays them as a recipe setting table on a display screen connected to the control computer, wherein the recipe setting table is configured to specify the setting value corresponding to the setting item and the step; while displaying the recipe setting table performed in the steps displayed on the display unit, a step is performed to specify the step and the setting item through an input unit connected to the control computer, and to accept the editing of the selected setting value; and a step is performed to store the process recipe after the setting value has been edited in the memory unit. During the process of performing the editing of the setting values ​​using the control computer, the recipe setting table is switched between full display mode and simplified display mode via the display switching command input through the input section and displayed on the display section. The full display mode displays the setting values ​​corresponding to all the setting items in the recipe setting table, while the simplified display mode displays only the setting values ​​corresponding to the setting items that have been edited in the past. When the process recipe that will form the basis of the recipe setting table displayed on the display section does not contain any of the setting values ​​that have been edited in the past, the recipe setting table will still be displayed in full display mode even if a display switching command that would perform the simplified display mode is input.

2. The method for setting a process recipe for a substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein in the process of displaying the recipe on the display section, the recipe setting table is configured to be displayed on the display section from an area extending beyond the display section by means of a scroll movement.

3. The method for setting the process recipe of the substrate processing apparatus as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein all the setting values ​​of the process recipe are preset with initial values, and the control computer determines that the setting item containing the setting value that is not consistent with the initial value has been edited in the past.

4. In the method for setting the process formula of the substrate processing apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, in the process of accepting the editing of the setting value, the control computer will mark the edited setting value with an edited flag and remember it in the memory unit. The setting item containing the setting value that has been marked with the edited flag and remembered will be determined to have been edited in the past.

5. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a substrate processing unit for processing the substrate; a control computer for controlling the operation of the substrate processing unit based on a process recipe stored in a memory unit; and a display and input unit connected to the control computer; the control computer being configured to perform the following operations: reading multiple setting values ​​corresponding to multiple steps defined to be performed over time from the memory unit storing the process recipe for multiple setting items of the process recipe, and displaying them as a recipe setting table on the screen of the display unit, the recipe setting table being configured to specify the setting value corresponding to the setting item and the step; accepting the edit of the setting value selected by specifying the step and the setting item through the input unit while displaying the recipe setting table on the display unit; and storing the process recipe after the edited setting value has been accepted in the memory unit. Furthermore, the control computer is configured to perform the following actions: during the period of performing the action of accepting the editing of the setting value, regarding the recipe setting table, corresponding to the action of switching between full display state and brief display state and displaying it on the display unit through the display switching command input through the input unit, the full display state displays the setting values ​​corresponding to all the setting items of the recipe setting table, and the brief display state displays only the setting values ​​corresponding to the setting items that have been edited in the past; when the process recipe that will become the basis of the recipe setting table displayed on the display unit does not contain any setting values ​​that have been edited in the past, the control computer will still perform the action of displaying the recipe setting table in the full display state, even if a display switching command that will perform the display in the brief display state is input.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5, wherein the control computer is configured to perform the operation of displaying the recipe setting table on the display unit by means of scroll movement in an area extending beyond the display unit.

7. In the substrate processing apparatus of claim 5 or 6, where all settings of the process recipe are preset with initial values, the control computer will determine that a setting item containing a setting value that is not consistent with the initial value has been edited in the past, and will switch the display state of the recipe setting table.

8. In the substrate processing apparatus of claim 5 or 6, when the control computer accepts the editing of the setting value, it marks the edited setting value with an edited flag and stores it in the memory unit. For the setting item that contains the setting value that has been marked with the edited flag and stored, it determines that the setting value has been edited in the past and performs the switching operation of the display state of the recipe setting table.

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