Work assistance method and work assistance system

Abstract

The purpose of this invention is to provide a work support method and system that allows an operator to efficiently perform work while viewing a work sequence book. As a preparatory step, the location information of the parts included in the board processing device is recorded, and a work sequence book is pre-registered for each part. The operator wears smart glasses to perform maintenance work on the board processing device. At this time, the work sequence book, which is associated with the specific work target part through the smart glasses, is displayed as a stereoscopic image. Furthermore, the smart glasses emphasize displaying the recording locations particularly related to the work target part. Moreover, by tracking the operator's gaze through the smart glasses, a completion confirmation mark is displayed only when the operator's gaze is directed towards the displayed work sequence book for a predetermined time, and the next page can be displayed.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] This invention relates to a work support method and work support system for supporting a predetermined operation performed on an industrial machine such as a substrate processing apparatus that performs predetermined processing on a substrate. The substrate that is processed by the substrate processing apparatus includes, for example, semiconductor substrates, substrates for liquid crystal display devices, substrates for flat panel displays (FPDs), substrates for optical discs, substrates for magnetic disks, or substrates for solar cells. [Previous Technology]

[0002] Since then, in the manufacturing process of semiconductor devices, substrate processing apparatuses have been used to perform various processes on substrates such as semiconductor substrates. Substrate processing apparatuses include, for example, substrate cleaning apparatuses, heat treatment apparatuses, and inspection apparatuses. Typically, multiple substrate processing apparatuses are neatly arranged in a relatively large cleanroom. These substrate processing apparatuses are maintained at appropriate times. Patent Document 1 describes the arrangement of multiple substrate processing apparatuses at a high density in a cleanroom, and the maintenance of the substrate processing apparatuses.

[0003] During maintenance, the operator typically follows a pre-determined work sequence sheet. This work sequence sheet specifies the tools and sequence of operations. By following the work sequence sheet and using the designated tools, the operator can perform safe and effective maintenance checks regardless of their experience. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-4866 [Summary of the Invention]

[0005] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention] However, since work sequence books are generally paper books, it is difficult to perform the work while the work sequence book is open in the operator's field of vision. Specifically, the operator opens the work sequence book with their hand, thus hindering the work because the operator's hand is not free. Furthermore, although it is possible to start the work after temporarily closing the work sequence book that the operator is reading, in this situation, it is impossible to look at the work sequence book while performing the work, so the work efficiency decreases and there is also a risk of performing the work incorrectly.

[0006] Furthermore, when operators unfold the work sequence book, they also need to search for the corresponding location of the part to be worked on, which is also a major reason for the decrease in work efficiency. Moreover, the substrate processing device also has a complex mechanism, and operators sometimes cannot immediately find the part that corresponds to the content recorded in the work sequence book.

[0007] Furthermore, even if the operator performs the work according to the work sequence book, there is still a risk of continuing to perform the incorrect work because there is no mechanism to confirm whether the work is performed in accordance with the sequence book. For example, the operator may sometimes continue to work with the wrong tools.

[0008] The present invention was made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and its first objective is to provide a work support method and work support system in which an operator can efficiently perform work while viewing a work sequence book.

[0009] Furthermore, a second objective of the present invention is to provide a work support method and system that can reduce tool errors. [Technical Means for Solving the Problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above problems, the invention of technical solution 1 is characterized in that it is a work support method for performing predetermined work on an industrial machine; and includes: a sequence book registration process, which registers a work sequence book associated with at least one part included in the industrial machine and that part in an association; an object-specific process, which specifies the part that becomes the work object by means of a portable terminal equipped with a camera unit and a communication unit; and a display process, which causes the portable terminal to display the work sequence book associated with the work object part specified by the object-specific process.

[0011] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 2 is a work support method of the invention of technical solution 1, wherein in the above-mentioned sequence book registration process, together with the above-mentioned work sequence book associated with the above-mentioned work object part, the recording location in the above-mentioned work sequence book associated with the above-mentioned work object part is registered in a table in association with the above-mentioned work object part.

[0012] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 3 is an operation support method of the invention of technical solution 2, wherein in the above-mentioned display process, the portable terminal is made to highlight the above-mentioned recorded location.

[0013] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 4 is a work support method of the invention of technical solution 2, wherein the tool associated with the above-mentioned work object part is further registered in the above-mentioned table.

[0014] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 5 is a work support method of any one of technical solutions 1 to 4, which further includes: a determination step, in which the portable terminal tracks the operator's gaze and determines whether the operator's gaze is directed toward the displayed work sequence book for a predetermined time or more; and a confirmation step, in which when the operator's gaze is directed toward the work sequence book for the predetermined time or more, the portable terminal displays a confirmation completion mark.

[0015] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 6 is characterized in that it is a work support method for performing predetermined operations on industrial machinery; and includes: a tool registration process, which registers the tool used for the operation of at least one part of the industrial machinery in a table in association with that part; an object designation process, which accepts the operator's designation of the object part; a tool specification process, which specifies the tool held by the operator by means of a portable terminal equipped with a camera unit and a communication unit; a calibration process, which calibrates the specified tool registered in the table in association with the object part with the holding tool specified in the tool specification process; and a warning process, which causes the portable terminal to display a warning when the specified tool and the holding tool are inconsistent.

[0016] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 7 is an operation support method of the invention of technical solution 6, wherein when the aforementioned specified tool and the aforementioned holding tool are inconsistent, the aforementioned portable terminal displays information related to the aforementioned specified tool.

[0017] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 8 is a work support method of the invention of technical solution 6 or technical solution 7, wherein in a specific process of the above-mentioned tool, a specific operator holds the tool based on a machine learning model that has learned from a plurality of video data of the tool.

[0018] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 9 is characterized in that it is a work support method for performing predetermined operations on industrial machinery; and includes: a sequence book registration process, which registers a work sequence book associated with at least one part included in the industrial machinery and that part in an association; a sequence book display process, which enables a portable terminal equipped with a camera unit and a communication unit to display the work sequence book associated with the part that is the work target; and a part display process, which enables the portable terminal to highlight the work target part recorded in the work sequence book.

[0019] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 10 is a work support method as described in the invention of technical solution 9, and further includes: a determination step, in which the portable terminal tracks the operator's gaze and determines whether the operator's gaze is directed toward the work object for a predetermined time or more; and a confirmation step, in which the portable terminal displays a confirmation completion mark when the operator's gaze is directed toward the work object for a predetermined time or more.

[0020] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 11 is an operation support method of any of the inventions of technical solutions 1 to 10, wherein the aforementioned industrial machine is a substrate processing apparatus for performing predetermined processing on a substrate.

[0021] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 12 is an operation support method of any one of technical solutions 1 to 11, wherein the aforementioned portable terminal is a smart glasses.

[0022] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 13 is characterized in that it is a work support system for performing predetermined operations on industrial machinery; and includes: a portable terminal having a display unit, a camera unit and a communication unit; and a sequence book registration unit that registers a work sequence book associated with at least one part included in the industrial machinery and that part in association; the display unit displays the work sequence book associated with the work target part that is specified by the portable terminal as the work target.

[0023] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 14 is a work support system of the invention of technical solution 13, wherein the above-mentioned sequence registration unit further includes a memory unit, which stores the above-mentioned work sequence book associated with the above-mentioned work object part, and establishes a table that associates the recording location in the above-mentioned work sequence book associated with the above-mentioned work object part with the above-mentioned work object part.

[0024] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 15 is an operation support system of the invention of technical solution 14, wherein the above-mentioned display unit emphasizes displaying the above-mentioned recorded location.

[0025] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 16 is a work support system of the invention of technical solution 14, wherein the tools associated with the above-mentioned work object parts are further registered in the above-mentioned table.

[0026] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 17 is a work support system of any one of technical solutions 13 to 16, wherein the portable terminal further includes a gaze tracking unit that tracks the gaze of the operator; and further includes: a determination unit that determines whether the gaze of the operator tracked by the gaze tracking unit is directed toward the displayed work sequence book for a predetermined time or more; and a confirmation unit that causes the display unit to display a confirmation completion mark when the operator's gaze is directed toward the work sequence book for the predetermined time or more.

[0027] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 18 is characterized in that it is a work support system for performing predetermined operations on industrial machinery; and includes: a portable terminal having a display unit, a camera unit and a communication unit; a memory unit that stores a form that associates the tools used for operations on at least one part of the industrial machinery with that part; a designation unit that accepts the operator's designation of the work target part; and a verification unit that verifies the specified tools that are associated with the work target part in the form with the tool held by the operator of the portable terminal; the display unit displays a warning when the specified tools and the tool held are inconsistent.

[0028] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 19 is an operation support system of the invention of technical solution 18, wherein the display unit displays information related to the specified tool when the specified tool and the holding tool are inconsistent.

[0029] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 20 is a work support system of the invention of technical solution 18 or technical solution 19, wherein the tool is held by a specific operator and is based on a machine learning model that has learned from multiple video data of the tool.

[0030] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 21 is characterized in that it is a work support system for performing predetermined operations on industrial machinery; and it includes: a portable terminal having a display unit, a camera unit and a communication unit; and a sequence book registration unit that registers a work sequence book associated with at least one part included in the industrial machinery and that part in an association; the display unit displays the work sequence book associated with the part that becomes the work target, and emphasizes the work target part recorded in the work sequence book.

[0031] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 22 is a work support system of the invention of technical solution 21, wherein the portable terminal further includes a gaze tracking unit that tracks the gaze of the operator; and includes: a determination unit that determines whether the gaze of the operator tracked by the gaze tracking unit is directed toward the work object for a predetermined time or more; and a confirmation unit that causes the display unit to display a confirmation completion mark when the operator's gaze is directed toward the work object for the predetermined time or more.

[0032] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 23 is an operation support system of any of the inventions of technical solutions 13 to 22, wherein the aforementioned industrial machine is a substrate processing device for performing predetermined processing on a substrate.

[0033] Furthermore, the invention of technical solution 24 is an operational support system of any of the inventions of technical solutions 13 to 23, wherein the aforementioned portable terminal is smart glasses. [Effects of the Invention]

[0034] According to the invention of technical solutions 1 to 5, since the portable terminal displays a work sequence book that is associated with a specific work object part of the portable terminal, the operator's hands are not freed up because of the work sequence book, and the operator can efficiently perform the work while looking at the work sequence book.

[0035] In particular, according to the invention of technical solution 5, since the portable terminal tracks the operator's gaze and displays a confirmation completion mark when the operator's gaze is directed toward the work sequence book for a predetermined time, it can reliably prevent the operator from missing the confirmation of the work sequence book.

[0036] According to the invention of technical solutions 6 to 8, when the specified tool registered in the table that is associated with the work object is inconsistent with the tool held by the operator, the portable terminal displays a warning. Therefore, even if the operator accidentally uses the wrong tool, a warning will be displayed, which can reduce tool errors.

[0037] According to the invention of technical solutions 9 to 12, since the portable terminal emphasizes the work object part recorded in the work sequence book, the operator can easily and quickly identify the work object part, and the operator can perform the work efficiently while looking at the work sequence book.

[0038] In particular, according to the invention of technical solution 10, since the portable terminal tracks the operator's line of sight and displays a confirmation mark when the operator's line of sight is directed toward the work object for a predetermined time, it can reliably prevent the operator from missing visual confirmation of the work object.

[0039] According to the invention of technical solutions 13 to 17, since the display unit of the portable terminal displays a work sequence book that is associated with the work object part that is a specific work object of the portable terminal, the operator's hands are not freed up because of the work sequence book, and the operator can efficiently perform the work while looking at the work sequence book.

[0040] In particular, according to the invention of technical solution 17, since the portable terminal tracks the operator's gaze and displays a confirmation completion mark when the operator's gaze is directed toward the work sequence book for a predetermined time, it can reliably prevent the operator from missing the confirmation of the work sequence book.

[0041] According to the invention of technical solutions 18 to 20, since the specified tool registered in the table that is associated with the work object is inconsistent with the tool held by the specific operator of the portable terminal, a warning is displayed. Therefore, even if the operator accidentally uses the wrong tool, a warning is displayed, which can reduce tool errors.

[0042] According to the invention of technical solutions 21 to 24, since the work sequence book is displayed and associated with the part that becomes the work object, and the work object part recorded in the work sequence book is highlighted, the operator can easily and quickly identify the work object part, and the operator can perform the work efficiently while looking at the work sequence book.

[0043] In particular, according to the invention of technical solution 22, since the portable terminal tracks the operator's line of sight and displays a confirmation mark when the operator's line of sight is directed toward the work object for a predetermined time or more, it can reliably prevent the operator from missing visual confirmation of the work object.

Implementation Method

[0045] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Hereinafter, expressions indicating relative or absolute positional relationships (e.g., "in a direction," "along a direction," "parallel," "orthogonal," "center," "concentric," "coaxial," etc.) unless otherwise specified, not only strictly represent their positional relationship, but also represent the state of relative displacement of angles or distances within the tolerance range or the range where the same level of function can be obtained. Furthermore, expressions indicating equal states (e.g., "same," "equal," "homogeneous," etc.) unless otherwise specified, not only represent a state of strictly equal quantitative equality, but also represent a state where there is a difference in tolerance or the range where the same level of function can be obtained. Furthermore, expressions indicating shapes (e.g., "circular shape," "quadrilateral shape," "cylindrical shape," etc.) unless otherwise specified, not only strictly represent their shape geometrically, but also represent the range of shapes within which the same level of effect can be obtained, for example, they may have concave or convex shapes or chamfers. Furthermore, the expressions of the constituent elements "possessing," "equipped with," "provided with," "included," and "have" are not exclusive expressions that exclude the existence of other constituent elements. Also, the expression "at least one of A, B, and C" includes "only A," "only B," "only C," "any two of A, B, and C," and "all of A, B, and C."

[0046] <First Embodiment> Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of the job support system of the present invention. The job support system of the present invention includes a plurality of board processing devices 50, smart glasses 10, servers 70, and job support terminals 80. The controllers of the smart glasses 10 and the board processing devices 50 are wirelessly connected to an information communication network 5 (e.g., the Internet). Furthermore, the job support terminal 80 and the servers 70 are wiredly connected to the information communication network 5. Machines connected to the information communication network 5 can send and receive information, for example, information can be exchanged between the smart glasses 10 and the job support terminal 80. However, the connection between the machines and the information communication network 5 is not limited to the above example; any suitable configuration can be used (e.g., the job support terminal 80 can also be wirelessly connected to the information communication network 5).

[0047] Figure 2 is a top view showing an example of the layout of a plurality of substrate processing devices 50. As shown in Figure 2, a plurality of substrate processing devices 50 are arranged regularly at constant intervals within a cleanroom 40. The cleanroom 40, for example, is located in a semiconductor device manufacturing plant and is a room that ensures constant air cleanliness and manages temperature and humidity. In the first embodiment, a plurality of substrate processing devices 50 of the same type and form are arranged within a larger cleanroom 40. Therefore, it is difficult for operators to distinguish the substrate processing devices 50 arranged within the cleanroom 40 solely by their appearance.

[0048] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 50. In the first embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 50 is, for example, a single-wafer substrate cleaning apparatus that cleans substrates one by one. The substrate processing apparatus 50 has a transfer unit 51 and a plurality of processing units 52. A carrier C containing a plurality of substrates is placed on the transfer unit 51. The transfer unit 51 removes unprocessed substrates from the carrier C by a transfer robot (not shown). Furthermore, the transfer unit 51 stores the processed substrates in the carrier C by the transfer robot. The carrier C is, for example, a FOUP (front opening unified pod) that stores substrates in a closed space.

[0049] In the first embodiment, three processing units 52 are stacked to form one stack. Four stacks are arranged around the main transport robot (not shown). That is, one substrate processing device 50 includes, for example, 12 (=3×4) processing units 52.

[0050] The main transfer robot, positioned at the center of the four stacks, moves the unprocessed substrates transferred from the aforementioned transfer robots into any of the 12 processing units 52. Furthermore, the main transfer robot removes the processed substrates from the processing unit 52 and transfers them to the transfer robot.

[0051] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 50 includes a control unit 55. The control unit 55 is a general-purpose computer that controls the operations of the aforementioned transfer robot, main transport robot, and each processing unit 52 located within the apparatus. The control unit 55 has a touch panel on the wall of the apparatus that serves as an input / output interface, and a communication unit for communicating with the outside of the apparatus.

[0052] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a processing unit 52. The processing unit 52 sprays a processing solution onto a substrate W to perform a cleaning process. The term "processing solution" refers to a concept that includes various chemical solutions and pure water. As a chemical solution, it may include solutions for etching or for removing particulates. Specifically, solutions such as SC-1 solution (a mixed solution of ammonium hydroxide, hydrogen peroxide, and pure water), SC-2 solution (a mixed solution of hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and pure water), or hydrofluoric acid may be used.

[0053] The processing unit 52 includes a processing chamber 60, a rotating holding part 61, and a processing liquid nozzle 65. The processing chamber 60 is a hollow shell. The rotating holding part 61 and the processing liquid nozzle 65 are provided inside the processing chamber 60. Furthermore, the processing chamber 60 is provided with an inlet / outlet (not shown). This inlet / outlet is opened by a baffle. When the inlet / outlet is open, the substrate W of the main transport robot is moved into and out of the processing chamber 60. The inlet / outlet is closed during the processing of the substrate W. Additionally, the processing chamber 60 is provided with an air supply mechanism and an exhaust mechanism (not shown).

[0054] The rotating holding part 61 includes a spin chuck 62 and a spin motor 63. The spin chuck 62 is a substrate holding part that holds the substrate W in a horizontal position (the normal of the main surface of the substrate W is along the vertical direction). The spin chuck 62 is, for example, a vacuum suction type chuck. The spin chuck 62 holds the central part of the lower surface of the substrate W. Alternatively, the spin chuck 62 can also be other types of chucks such as a clamping mechanical chuck.

[0055] The spin chuck 62 has a circular plate shape with a diameter smaller than that of the substrate W. When the substrate W is held by the spin chuck 62 on the lower surface, the periphery of the substrate W protrudes further outward than the outer periphery of the spin chuck 62.

[0056] The spin chuck 62 is connected to the spin motor 63 via a motor shaft. That is, the upper end of the motor shaft of the spin motor 63 is connected to the center of the lower surface of the spin chuck 62. When the spin chuck 62 holds the substrate W in an attractive position, the spin motor 63 rotates its motor shaft, causing the substrate W and the spin chuck 62 to rotate in the horizontal plane about a rotation axis along the vertical direction.

[0057] A cup 64 is provided around the spin chuck 62. The cup 64 can be raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism (not shown). The cup 64 has a cylindrical shape, and the upper part of the cup 64 is inclined so that it gets closer to the spin chuck 62 as it rises. However, the inner diameter of the upper part of the cup 64 is larger than the diameter of the substrate W. During the processing of the substrate W, the upper part of the cup 64 is higher than the height of the substrate W held in the spin chuck 62. Therefore, liquid that is scattered from the substrate W due to centrifugal force by the spin motor 63 is received and recovered by the cup 64. The liquid recovered by the cup 64 is discharged from the drain pipe provided at the bottom of the cup 64. Alternatively, the cup 64 may be a multi-segment structure with multiple recovery ports for different purposes.

[0058] The treatment fluid nozzle 65 includes a nozzle front end 66, a swing arm 67, and a swing motor 68. The treatment fluid nozzle 65 is, for example, a straight nozzle that sprays treatment fluid in a continuous flow state. The nozzle front end 66 is mounted on the front end of the swing arm 67, which extends in a generally horizontal direction. Treatment fluid is supplied to the nozzle front end 66 from a treatment fluid supply source (not shown), and a spray outlet (not shown) is formed therefrom from which the treatment fluid is sprayed. The swing arm 67 swings in a horizontal plane about an axis in the vertical direction by means of the swing motor 68. The swing motor 68 is, for example, a pulse motor.

[0059] The swing arm 67 is oscillated by the swing motor 68, and the nozzle tip 66 moves along an arc-shaped trajectory between the processing position above the substrate W held by the rotary holding part 61 and the standby position outside the cup 64. When the nozzle tip 66 is in the processing position, a cleaning solution is sprayed onto the substrate W held by the rotary holding part 61 by the processing liquid nozzle 65 to perform, for example, cleaning of the substrate W. Alternatively, pure water is sprayed onto the substrate W by the processing liquid nozzle 65 to perform pure water rinsing of the substrate W. An encoder for detecting the position of the nozzle tip 66 may also be attached to the swing motor 68.

[0060] Workers performing maintenance and inspection tasks on a plurality of substrate processing devices 50 located within a cleanroom 40 wear smart glasses 10. Smart glasses 10 is a type of wearable terminal using a head-mounted display (HMD). Smart glasses 10 is also a device for realizing AR (Augmented Reality) or MR (Mixed Reality). For example, Microsoft's "HoloLens" (registered trademark) can be used as smart glasses 10.

[0061] Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of the smart glasses 10. The smart glasses 10 includes eyepieces 11 and a headband 12. The operator wears the smart glasses 10 by putting the headband 12 on their head. The operator can adjust the length of the headband 12 to fit their head size. Furthermore, the headband 12 is equipped with a power button, a brightness button, and a volume button.

[0062] The eyepiece 11 includes various sensors and a display. The display is a see-through holographic lens. That is, the display can display stereoscopic images in the operator's field of vision through holography, and allows light from real objects to pass through in the same way as ordinary eyeglass lenses. Therefore, the operator wearing the smart glasses 10 can also see real objects and view the displayed stereoscopic images through the display.

[0063] The sensors in the eyepiece 11 mainly include, for example, a plurality of visible light cameras that capture images in front of the eyepiece 11, an infrared camera that tracks the operator's gaze, a depth sensor that measures the distance to an object, and an inertial measurement sensor. The infrared camera tracks the gaze by measuring the eye movements of the wearer of the smart glasses 10. The depth sensor measures the distance to the object, for example, using a ToF (Time of Flight) method. The inertial measurement sensor consists of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, a magnetometer, etc.

[0064] Furthermore, the smart glasses 10 have a built-in computer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), memory, and a storage unit. The smart glasses 10 also has a wireless communication mechanism, which the computer of the smart glasses 10 uses to connect to the information communication network 5. In addition, the smart glasses 10 also has a microphone, a speaker, and a battery.

[0065] Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the smart glasses 10, server 70, and work support terminal 80. The smart glasses 10 includes a camera unit 21, a communication unit 22, a display unit 23, and an eye-tracking unit 24. The camera unit 21 includes the aforementioned visible light camera installed on the eyepiece 11. The camera unit 21 includes, for example, four visible light cameras that capture images of the front and oblique front, and can capture images of the field of vision of the worker wearing the smart glasses 10.

[0066] The communication unit 22 includes the wireless communication mechanism of the smart glasses 10 described above. The communication unit 22 transmits and receives data with the operation support terminal 80 and the server 70 via the information communication network 5. Furthermore, the communication unit 22 can also transmit and receive data with the control unit 55 of the board processing device 50.

[0067] The display unit 23 includes a display of the eyepiece 11 described above. The display unit 23 has a holographic processing device, which displays a stereoscopic image at a predetermined spatial position using holographic technology. Furthermore, the stereoscopic image displayed by the display unit 23 is not limited to a three-dimensional shape, but can also be a two-dimensional image like a document.

[0068] The eye-tracking unit 24 includes two infrared cameras that measure the movement of the operator's eyes. The eye-tracking unit 24 has an eye-tracking function that tracks the operator's gaze using the two infrared cameras. Operators wearing smart glasses 10 can also use the eye-tracking function to operate by means of their gaze.

[0069] Furthermore, the smart glasses 10 includes a determination unit 31, a confirmation unit 32, and a calibration unit 33. These determination units 31, confirmation units 32, and calibration units 33 are functional processing units implemented by the CPU of the smart glasses 10 executing a predetermined processing program. The processing content of the determination unit 31, confirmation unit 32, and calibration unit 33 will be further described later.

[0070] The operation support terminal 80 and server 70 are installed in, for example, the factory of a supplier that manufactures the substrate processing device 50 and undertakes its maintenance and inspection. The operation support terminal 80 and server 70 can communicate with the smart glasses 10 via the information communication network 5. Furthermore, the operation support terminal 80 and server 70 can communicate with each other via the information communication network 5.

[0071] The operating support terminal 80 and the server 70 are general computer systems. That is, the operating support terminal 80 and the server 70 have circuitry for performing various arithmetic operations, namely a CPU; dedicated memory for reading and storing basic programs, namely ROM (Read Only Memory); memory that can freely read and write various information, namely RAM (Random Access Memory); a memory unit (such as a magnetic disk or SSD (Solid State Drive)) for pre-storing control software or data; and a communication unit for communicating with the information communication network 5.

[0072] The operation support terminal 80 is, for example, a computer used by a supplier-side operation support operator to support the work of the operator in the cleanroom 40. The operation support operator can send various information from the operation support terminal 80 to the smart glasses 10 worn by the operator in the cleanroom 40. The operation support terminal 80 has a sequence book registration unit 85. The sequence book registration unit 85 is a function processing unit implemented by the CPU of the operation support terminal 80 executing a predetermined processing program.

[0073] The server 70 is a computer in the job support system of the present invention that performs predetermined processing according to requests from the smart glasses 10 and the job support terminal 80. The server 70 has a large-capacity memory unit 74. Large-sized data generated by the smart glasses 10 and the job support terminal 80 can also be stored in the memory unit 74. In addition, the server 70 is not a necessary component.

[0074] Next, a work support method using a work support system having the above-described configuration will be described. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the sequence of the work support method in the first embodiment. Steps S11 and S12 in the process shown in Figure 7 are preliminary preparation processes.

[0075] First, the positions of the parts included in the substrate processing device 50 are registered (step S11). This processing is performed using the VPS (Visual Positioning System) function of the smart glasses 10.

[0076] In the following description, it is sometimes described that the operator uses the stereoscopic image displayed by the display unit 23 of the smart glasses 10 to perform operations such as selection or input. This means that when the operator performs operations such as selection or input on the stereoscopic image displayed by the display unit 23 by hand gestures, the camera unit 21 captures and examines the hand gestures, and the computer of the smart glasses 10 recognizes the examination result and performs a predetermined operation. Alternatively, when the operator performs operations such as selection or input on the stereoscopic image displayed by the display unit 23 by eye movements, the eye tracking unit 24 tracks and examines the eye movements, and the computer of the smart glasses 10 can also recognize the examination result and perform a predetermined operation.

[0077] As a preparatory step, a portion of the cleanroom 40 is photographed using smart glasses 10, and the photographed image is then spatially meshed. This process is performed, for example, by an operator wearing smart glasses 10 inside the cleanroom 40 using the smart glasses 10.

[0078] The operator activates the pre-set scanning mode on the smart glasses 10. For example, the operator can select and activate the scanning mode by gesturing with their hand, as displayed on the menu screen (showing a stereoscopic image) on the free display unit 23. The camera unit 21 captures and verifies the hand gesture, and the computer on the smart glasses 10 recognizes the selected scanning mode from the verification result. Alternatively, the operator can also activate the scanning mode by pressing a predetermined button on the smart glasses 10.

[0079] When the scanning mode is enabled, the operator uses the camera unit 21 to capture images of one or more of the plurality of substrate processing devices 50 disposed in the cleanroom 40. The images captured when the scanning mode is enabled are scanned by the smart glasses 10 and spatially gridded, and the display unit 23 displays the grid pattern superimposed on the captured images.

[0080] Figure 8 shows an example of a spatially gridded photographic image. By using the camera unit 21 to capture an image of the substrate processing apparatus 50, scanning the image, and performing spatial gridding, the grid pattern represented by a grid of multiple triangles is displayed superimposed on the image of the substrate processing apparatus 50. Even when multiple substrate processing apparatuses 50 of the same type and form (i.e., the same appearance) are arranged in the cleanroom 40, the grid patterns produced are different due to subtle differences in the periphery of each substrate processing apparatus 50 (e.g., differences in passage conditions) when capturing images of these multiple substrate processing apparatuses 50 and performing spatial gridding. Therefore, the photographic images of the multiple substrate processing apparatuses 50 in the cleanroom 40 can be identified by the differences in the grid patterns.

[0081] After the operator spatially meshes the image captured by the substrate processing device 50, a virtual target object is set on the spatial grid within the image. The virtual target object is a virtual marker displayed as a stereoscopic image by the display unit 23. For example, the operator can set the virtual target object at any position around the substrate processing device 50 by hand gestures within the meshed image shown in FIG8. Furthermore, the operator can subsequently use a remote control screen displayed as a stereoscopic image by the display unit 23 to finely adjust the position of the virtual target object. The position of the virtual target object can also overlap with that of the substrate processing device 50.

[0082] By setting a virtual target object based on the camera image of the substrate processing device 50, the smart glasses 10 sets the position of the virtual target object to a reference position relative to the substrate processing device 50. Furthermore, by setting the virtual target object on a spatial grid within the camera image, the smart glasses 10 uses the feature portion of the spatial grid to identify the position of the virtual target object itself. The feature portion of the spatial grid refers to a portion that, for example, becomes a characteristic grid shape during scanning, such as a corner of the substrate processing device 50.

[0083] Next, based on the reference position set by setting a virtual target object, the position of the part of the substrate processing device 50 is calculated and recorded. The operator, for example, makes the CAD (Computer Aided Design) drawing of the substrate processing device 50 coincide with the area of ​​the substrate processing device 50 in the camera image. At this time, it is preferable to make the 3D (3 Dimension) CAD drawing coincide with the substrate processing device 50. The CAD drawing of the substrate processing device 50 is created in advance during the device design stage, and its data is stored, for example, in the memory unit 74 of the server 70. The smart glasses 10 reads the data of the CAD drawing of the substrate processing device 50 from the server 70, and the display unit 23 displays the CAD drawing in the camera image. The operator moves the displayed CAD drawing by hand gestures to make it coincide with the area of ​​the substrate processing device 50. At this time, the operator can also use the remote control screen displayed as a stereoscopic image on the display unit 23 to make fine adjustments to the position of the CAD drawing.

[0084] By correctly aligning the area of ​​the substrate processing device 50 within the camera image with the CAD drawing of the substrate processing device 50, the smart glasses 10 calculates and registers the relative positional relationship between the aforementioned reference position (the position of the virtual target object) and the parts contained within the substrate processing device 50. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the relative positional relationship between the reference position and the parts of the substrate processing device 50. By setting a virtual target object SA, its position is registered as the reference position RP. Furthermore, the position of the parts contained within the substrate processing device 50 can be obtained from the coordinate information contained in the CAD data. Based on the positional information of the reference position RP and the coordinate information of the CAD drawing data that overlaps with the substrate processing device 50, the smart glasses 10 calculates and registers the relative positional relationship between the reference position RP and any part of the substrate processing device 50 (e.g., the corner of the substrate processing device 50).

[0085] The data in the CAD drawing also includes coordinate information of the processing units 52 provided in the substrate processing apparatus 50 and the locations provided on the processing units 52 (e.g., the spin chuck 62 and the processing fluid nozzle 65). Therefore, the smart glasses 10 calculates and records the relative positional relationship between each of the plurality of processing units 52 mounted on the substrate processing apparatus 50 and the reference position RP. Furthermore, the smart glasses 10 calculates and records the relative positional relationship between the locations provided on each processing unit 52 and the reference position RP. In addition, for the driving part, such as the processing fluid nozzle 65, since the coordinate information included in the data in the CAD drawing is the original position, the relative positional relationship between the driving part located at the original position (or the aforementioned standby position for the processing fluid nozzle 65) and the reference position RP is calculated.

[0086] The smart glasses 10 can register the calculated reference position RP and the relative positional relationship between the parts of the substrate processing device 50 by writing them into, for example, a table. Specifically, the smart glasses 10 registers the name of the virtual target object, the device part of the substrate processing device 50 to which it is established, and the relative positional information of the device part in a mutually associated manner in the table.

[0087] The smart glasses 10 does not need to calculate and register the relative positional relationships of all parts included in the substrate processing apparatus 50; it only needs to calculate the relative positional relationships of the necessary parts. The parts included in the substrate processing apparatus 50 include representative points of the entire substrate processing apparatus 50, a plurality of processing units 52 mounted on the substrate processing apparatus 50, and various mechanisms provided in each processing unit 52. For example, the smart glasses 10 can also calculate and register the relative positional relationship of only the processing liquid nozzle 65 of the substrate processing apparatus 50 relative to the reference position RP. That is, the smart glasses 10 only needs to calculate and register the relative positional relationship of at least one part included in the substrate processing apparatus 50 with respect to the reference position RP.

[0088] Next, a work sequence number is registered for at least one part included in the substrate processing apparatus 50 that has been registered in location (step S12). The work sequence number is registered, for example, by a work support operator using a work support terminal 80. Specifically, in response to the work support operator's input operation on the work support terminal 80, the work sequence number registration unit 85 of the work support terminal 80 establishes an association with the part of the substrate processing apparatus 50 to register the work sequence number.

[0089] "Operation sequence book" refers to a textual manual that displays the operation sequence of the various mechanisms included in the substrate processing apparatus 50. This operation sequence book data is stored, for example, in the memory unit 74 of the server 70. The sequence book registration unit 85 registers the operation sequence book corresponding to the part included in the substrate processing apparatus 50 for which position registration was performed in step S11, associating it with that part. Specifically, the sequence book registration unit 85 may, for example, register the file name of the operation sequence book data corresponding to the part included in the substrate processing apparatus 50 in the table above.

[0090] Furthermore, the sequence book registration unit 85, together with the corresponding work sequence book for a certain part, registers the record location in the work sequence book associated with that part in a table to establish an association between that part and the part. For example, for the nozzle tip 66 of the processing fluid nozzle 65, the sequence book registration unit 85 registers the record location in the work sequence book corresponding to the processing fluid nozzle 65, especially the record location associated with the nozzle tip 66, in an association with the nozzle tip 66.

[0091] In the first embodiment, as a preparatory process, steps S11 and S12 are repeated for all of the plurality of substrate processing devices 50 arranged in the cleanroom 40. That is, virtual targets are set for all of the plurality of substrate processing devices 50 arranged in the cleanroom 40, the relative positional relationship between the reference position and each part included in the substrate processing device 50 is calculated and recorded, and the operation sequence book associated with that part is recorded. A database is constructed by sequentially recording the position information and operation sequence book of each of the plurality of substrate processing devices 50 in a table. Furthermore, this preparatory process can be performed whenever the plurality of substrate processing devices 50 are set up in the cleanroom 40.

[0092] Furthermore, by repeatedly performing spatial gridding processing using the scanning mode of the smart glasses 10, spatial gridding is performed over a wider area within the cleanroom 40. In this way, the smart glasses 10 can identify the location of virtual objects over a wider area within the cleanroom 40. That is, the smart glasses 10 can identify the location of each of the plurality of virtual objects set within the cleanroom 40.

[0093] Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of a table 75 containing location information and a work order book. As shown in the figure, the parts included in the substrate processing apparatus 50 (specifically, identification symbols of the apparatus parts), location information (relative coordinates) showing the relative positional relationship of the parts with respect to the reference position RP, and the work order book (specifically, the file name of the work order book) are linked together in the table 75. Furthermore, for certain parts, the corresponding records in the work order book are also recorded. For example, for the nozzle tip 66 of the processing fluid nozzle 65, the records in the work order book of the processing fluid nozzle 65 associated with the nozzle tip 66 are also linked together. This table 75 is stored, for example, in the memory unit 74 of the server 70 (Figure 6).

[0094] Step S13 in Figure 7 is the post-maintenance process performed by the operator when performing maintenance on any substrate processing device 50. The substrate processing device 50 is maintained periodically or irregularly. Typically, irregular maintenance is performed when the substrate processing device 50 experiences a malfunction. In this embodiment, the operator wears smart glasses 10 to perform maintenance.

[0095] When an operator wearing smart glasses 10 performs maintenance work, the smart glasses 10 identifies the part that is the target of the work (step S13). The location information of the part registered in step S11 is used to identify the target part. First, the operator identifies the current position of the operator in the cleanroom 40 by spatially gridding the image of the field of view viewed through the smart glasses 10 near the board processing device 50 that is the target of the maintenance. Specifically, if the operator observes the area near the board processing device 50 that is the target of the maintenance in the cleanroom 40 through the smart glasses 10 and turns on the scanning mode, the image of the field of view is scanned and spatially gridded. The smart glasses 10 identifies the current position of the operator in the cleanroom 40 by pattern matching the spatially gridded image with a wider spatially gridded image that has been pre-processed throughout the cleanroom 40 during the pre-processing stage.

[0096] Next, the operator observes the work target area through the smart glasses 10 and performs some action on the work target area. For example, if the work target area is the nozzle tip 66 of the processing fluid nozzle 65, the operator performs actions such as bringing their hand or a tool close to the nozzle tip 66, which are recognized by the smart glasses 10. The smart glasses 10 identifies the area that is the action target from changes in the camera image and specifies the position of the action target area based on the operator's current position. Furthermore, the smart glasses 10 specifies the work target area from the specific position information based on the aforementioned table 75. In the above example, the smart glasses 10 specifies the work target area as the nozzle tip 66 of the processing fluid nozzle 65.

[0097] The specific location of the work object is not limited to the location information of the location logged in using the VPS function. For example, it can also be done through image recognition from the camera image of the smart glasses 10. During image recognition, a machine learning model of the output location can be constructed in advance from the input image data, and the specific work object location can be specified using the machine learning model. Alternatively, the operator can directly input and specify the work object location from the smart glasses 10.

[0098] After specifying the work target area, the display unit 23 of the smart glasses 10 displays the work sequence book associated with the specific work target area (step S14). The smart glasses 10 selects the work sequence book associated with the specific work target area from table 75, and the display unit 23 displays the work sequence book.

[0099] Figure 11 shows an example of the display of the work sequence book of the smart glasses 10. The display unit 23 of the smart glasses 10 displays a stereoscopic image of the work sequence book 48 related to the work object, i.e., the processing fluid nozzle 65, near the work object area. However, the display unit 23 displays the work sequence book 48 in a manner that does not overlap with the work object area, i.e., the processing fluid nozzle 65. The operator can perform maintenance work on the processing fluid nozzle 65 while viewing the work sequence book 48 displayed as a stereoscopic image.

[0100] The display unit 23 of the smart glasses 10 can also emphasize the locations in the work sequence book 48 that are particularly closely related to the work target area. For example, if the work target area is the nozzle tip 66 of the processing fluid nozzle 65, the display unit 23 will emphasize the locations in the work sequence book 48 related to the processing fluid nozzle 65 that are particularly related to the nozzle tip 66. As a method of emphasis, for example, the display unit 23 can highlight the location in the work sequence book 48. Alternatively, the display unit 23 can display the location in bold or red text. In this way, the operator can immediately identify the locations in the work sequence book 48 displayed as a stereoscopic image that are related to the nozzle tip 66.

[0101] After the work sequence book 48 is displayed, the determination unit 31 of the smart glasses 10 determines at an appropriate time whether the operator's gaze is directed toward the displayed work sequence book 48 for a set time or more (step S15). The appropriate time may be triggered by, for example, a change in the image captured by the smart glasses 10 due to a tool such as a screwdriver leaving the work object.

[0102] The gaze tracking unit 24 installed in the smart glasses 10 can track the operator's gaze and identify where the gaze is directed. The determination unit 31 times the time when the operator's gaze, tracked by the gaze tracking unit 24, is directed toward the work sequence book 48, and determines whether the time has exceeded a preset time. Furthermore, when the time when the operator's gaze is directed toward the work sequence book 48 has exceeded the preset time, the process proceeds from step S15 to step S16. The confirmation unit 32 of the smart glasses 10, recognizing that the operator has completed the confirmation of the work sequence book 48, causes the display unit 23 to display a confirmation completion mark.

[0103] Figure 12 is an example of a display showing a confirmation completion mark. When the operator's gaze is directed toward the work sequence book 48 for a period of time or longer, for example, the confirmation unit 32 causes the display unit 23 to display a checkmark 49 at the bottom of the page of the work sequence book 48 as a confirmation completion mark. In this way, the operator can identify that the confirmation of the work sequence book 48 associated with the work object has been completed.

[0104] Furthermore, by displaying the completion confirmation mark 49, the next page of the work sequence book 48 can be displayed using the display unit 23 (step S17). By displaying the next page of the work sequence book 48 using the display unit 23, the operator can view the subsequent pages of the work sequence book 48.

[0105] On the other hand, during step S15, if the operator's gaze is not directed towards the work sequence book 48 for the set time, i.e., during the period when the operator is looking at the work sequence book 48 for the set time, the display unit 23 does not display the confirmation completion mark. Furthermore, if the operator's gaze is not directed towards the work sequence book 48 for the set time, the display unit 23 also does not display the next page of the work sequence book 48. This effectively prevents the operator from missing the confirmation of the work sequence book 48.

[0106] In the first embodiment, when an operator is performing maintenance work, the smart glasses 10 display a 3D image of a work sequence book that is associated with a specific work object part through the smart glasses 10. Therefore, the operator's hands are not confined by the work sequence book, and the operator can use both hands to perform work on the work object part while the necessary work sequence book is displayed in their field of vision. Thus, the operator can efficiently perform work while viewing the work sequence book.

[0107] Furthermore, the smart glasses 10 emphasize displaying recording locations that are particularly relevant to the work object. This allows the operator to immediately identify recording locations in the displayed work sequence that are strongly related to the work object, thereby further improving work efficiency.

[0108] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the smart glasses 10 track the operator's gaze, displaying a completion confirmation mark 49 only when the operator's gaze is directed towards the displayed work sequence book for a predetermined time, and then proceeding to the next page. Conversely, if the operator's gaze is directed towards the work sequence book for less than the predetermined time, the completion confirmation mark 49 is not displayed, and the next page is not displayed. This effectively prevents the operator from missing any confirmation of the work sequence book, improving the safety and reliability of the operation.

[0109] <Second Embodiment> Next, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The overall configuration of the work support system and the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 50 in the second embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, a work sequence book associated with the work target area is shown, but in the second embodiment, the work target area recorded in the work sequence book is emphasized.

[0110] Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the sequence of the operation support method in the second embodiment. Steps S21 and S22 in Figure 13 are pre-processing steps, identical to steps S11 and S12 in Figure 7. Specifically, first, the location of the parts included in the board processing device 50 is registered using the VPS function of the smart glasses 10 (step S21). Next, the operation sequence is registered for the parts included in the board processing device 50 whose locations have been registered (step S22). This constructs Table 75 as shown in Figure 10. Table 75 is stored, for example, in the memory unit 74 of the server 70.

[0111] Step S23 in Figure 13 is followed by post-maintenance processing when an operator performs maintenance work on any substrate processing device 50. Similar to the first embodiment, the operator wears smart glasses 10 to perform maintenance work.

[0112] In the second embodiment, for example, by having an operator input and specify the device number and part name of the substrate processing device 50 to be the target of the operation through the smart glasses 10, the display unit 23 of the smart glasses 10 displays a work sequence sheet associated with the specified target part (step S23). As a specific specification method, for example, the operator may have the display unit 23 of the smart glasses 10 display a virtual keyboard as a stereoscopic image, and input the device number and part name of the target substrate processing device 50 through hand gestures. Alternatively, the operator may have the display unit 23 of the smart glasses 10 display a list of multiple substrate processing devices 50 and the parts included in the substrate processing devices 50 arranged in the cleanroom 40, and select the target substrate processing device 50 and part from the list. Alternatively, the smart glasses 10 may also be equipped with a microphone, allowing the operator to specify the target substrate processing device 50 and part through voice input.

[0113] When, for example, the processing fluid nozzle 65 is designated as the work target area, the display unit 23 of the smart glasses 10 displays a stereoscopic image of the work sequence book 48 related to the processing fluid nozzle 65 near the processing fluid nozzle 65 (see Figure 11). Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the smart glasses 10 emphasizes the work target area recorded in the work sequence book 48 in the image of the actual processing unit 52 viewed by the operator through the smart glasses 10 (step S24). Specifically, the smart glasses 10 obtains the position information of the work target area recorded in the work sequence book 48 based on the aforementioned table 75. Furthermore, based on this position information, the smart glasses 10 emphasizes the area where the work target area recorded in the work sequence book 48 exists on the display unit 23. In the above example, the display unit 23 of the smart glasses 10 emphasizes the work target area, i.e., the area where the processing fluid nozzle 65 exists. For example, methods include brightening or coloring the area, or displaying an arrow in the area, to emphasize the area.

[0114] When emphasizing a specific part of the work, such as when the work sequence book 48 urges visual inspection of the work object, the display unit 23 of the smart glasses 10 can also emphasize that work object part. Figure 14 is an example of emphasizing the work object part. In this example, the work sequence book 48 emphasizes the work object part that is urged to be visually inspected, namely the nozzle tip 66 of the treatment fluid nozzle 65 (shaded in Figure 14).

[0115] Thus, by highlighting the work object part recorded in the work sequence book 48 through the smart glasses 10, the operator can easily identify the work object part and perform maintenance work on the work object part while viewing the work sequence book 48 displayed as a stereoscopic image.

[0116] After highlighting the work target area, the determination unit 31 of the smart glasses 10 determines whether the operator's gaze has been directed toward the work target area for a set time or more (step S25). The gaze tracking unit 24 of the smart glasses 10 can track the operator's gaze and identify where the gaze is directed. The determination unit 31 times the time that the operator's gaze, tracked by the gaze tracking unit 24, is directed toward the work target area recorded in the work sequence book 48, and determines whether the time is more than the preset time. Furthermore, when the time that the operator's gaze is directed toward the work target area is more than the preset time, the process proceeds from step S25 to step S26. The confirmation unit 32 of the smart glasses 10 considers that the operator's visual observation of the work target area has been completed, and the display unit 23 displays a confirmation completion mark (see Figure 12).

[0117] Displaying a confirmation completion mark indicates that the operator has visually confirmed that the work object has been completed. Therefore, the next page of the work sequence book 48 can be displayed using the display unit 23 (step S27). By displaying the next page of the work sequence book 48 using the display unit 23, the operator can view the subsequent steps of the work sequence book 48.

[0118] On the other hand, during step S25, if the operator's gaze is directed towards the work object section recorded in the work sequence book 48 for less than the set time has elapsed, i.e., during the period when the operator's gaze is directed towards the work object section for less than the set time has elapsed, the display unit 23 will not display the confirmation completion mark. Furthermore, if the operator's gaze is directed towards the work object section for less than the set time has elapsed, the display unit 23 will also not display the next page of the work sequence book 48. This effectively prevents the operator from overlooking visual confirmation of the work object section.

[0119] In the second embodiment, when the operator is performing maintenance work, the smart glasses 10 emphasizes displaying the work object parts recorded in the work sequence book, which is displayed as a stereoscopic image through the smart glasses 10. Therefore, similar to the first embodiment, the operator's hands are not kept free due to the work sequence book, and the operator can use both hands to perform work on the work object parts while the necessary work sequence book is unfolded in their field of vision. Therefore, the operator can perform work efficiently while viewing the work sequence book.

[0120] Furthermore, since the smart glasses 10 emphasizes displaying the work object parts recorded in the work sequence book, even if the board processing device 50 has a complex device structure, the operator can easily and quickly identify the work object parts, which can further improve work efficiency.

[0121] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, the smart glasses 10 track the operator's gaze, displaying a completion confirmation mark only when the operator's gaze is directed towards the work object area recorded in the work sequence book for a predetermined time, and then proceeding to the next page. Conversely, if the operator's gaze is directed towards the work object area for less than the predetermined time, the completion confirmation mark is not displayed, and the next page is not displayed. This effectively prevents the operator from overlooking visual confirmation of the work object area, improving the safety and reliability of the operation.

[0122] <Third Embodiment> Next, the third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The overall configuration of the work support system and the configuration of the substrate processing device 50 in the third embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment. In the first and second embodiments, a work sequence book is displayed and the eye-tracking function of the smart glasses 10 is used to visually confirm any omissions, but in the third embodiment, the tools used for the work are checked.

[0123] Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the sequence of the operation support method in the third embodiment. Step S31 in Figure 15 is the preparatory process. First, similar to the first and second embodiments, the tools used for the operation on the part included in the board processing apparatus 50 are registered along with the location of the part and the operation sequence book for that part (step S31). The tool registration is performed, for example, by the operation support operator using the operation support terminal 80. Specifically, similar to the first and second embodiments, the operation sequence book is registered in the operation support terminal 80 in association with the part of the board processing apparatus 50, and the tools used for the operation on that part are registered in a table in association with that part.

[0124] Figure 16 shows an example of a table 175 containing tool information. In addition to table 75 (Figure 10) of the first and second embodiments, tool information is also associated with the locations of the substrate processing apparatus 50. Thus, the locations included in the substrate processing apparatus 50, their location information, the work sequence, and tool information are associated with each other in table 175. For example, the name of the tool is recorded as tool information. In the example of Figure 16, for example, a "size 2 screwdriver" is associated with the processing fluid nozzle 65 as a tool used for operating the processing fluid nozzle 65. This table 175 is stored, for example, in the memory unit 74 of the server 70.

[0125] Step S32 in Figure 15 is followed by post-processing when an operator performs maintenance work on any of the substrate processing devices 50. Similar to the first and second embodiments, the operator wears smart glasses 10 to perform maintenance work.

[0126] In the third embodiment, for example, the operator inputs and specifies the device number and part name of the substrate processing device 50 to be the target of the operation through the smart glasses 10 (step S32). As a specific method for specifying the target part, for example, the operator displays a virtual keyboard as a stereoscopic image on the display unit 23 of the smart glasses 10, and inputs the device number and part name of the target substrate processing device 50 through hand gestures. Alternatively, the operator can display a list of multiple substrate processing devices 50 and the parts included in the substrate processing devices 50 arranged in the cleanroom 40 on the display unit 23 of the smart glasses 10, and select the target substrate processing device 50 and part from the list. Alternatively, the smart glasses 10 is also equipped with a microphone, allowing the operator to specify the target substrate processing device 50 and part through voice input. In the third embodiment, for example, the processing liquid nozzle 65 is specified as the target part.

[0127] Next, when the operator holds the tool to begin working on the work target area, the smart glasses 10 identifies the tool (step S33). Specifically, the camera unit 21 of the smart glasses 10 captures the tool held by the operator. At this time, because the tool held by the operator is being captured, a portion of the tool is hidden by the hand during the capture. Figure 17 shows the state in which the operator holds the tool. In the example of Figure 17, a portion of the screwdriver's handheld part is captured during the capture while hidden by the operator's hand.

[0128] The smart glasses 10 use a self-portrait image to identify the tool held by the operator. When identifying a tool using a self-portrait image, if pre-captured image data is input, a machine learning model is pre-constructed to output the name of the tool. The machine learning model is pre-learned to capture a large amount of image data of multiple tools under various conditions (various angles and lighting conditions) and 3D CAD data of the tools (deep learning). It can also learn to capture image data of only a part of the tool (e.g., the tip of a screwdriver). When image data captured by the camera unit 21 is input into the fully learned machine learning model, the machine learning model analyzes the image data and outputs the tool held by the operator.

[0129] Tool specificity can also be achieved by using well-known pattern matching instead of machine learning models. However, as shown in Figure 17, it is difficult to specify a tool by pattern matching because the tool held by the operator is photographed with part of it hidden. If a machine learning model is used, even if part of the tool is hidden when photographed, regardless of the shooting angle or lighting conditions, the tool held by the operator can be specified by analyzing the image data through the machine learning model.

[0130] Next, the verification unit 33 verifies the tools (specified tools) registered in Table 175 that are associated with the work target area against the tools (handling tools) held by the specific operator in step S33 (step S34). For example, in the third embodiment, the processing fluid nozzle 65 is designated as the work target area in step S32. The tool registered in Table 175 that is associated with the processing fluid nozzle 65 is a "size 2 screwdriver". The verification unit 33 verifies whether the tool held by the operator specified by the smart glasses 10 in step S33 is a "size 2 screwdriver" (step S35).

[0131] If the result of the verification is that the tool registered in Form 175 matches the tool held by the operator, proceed to step S36, and the operator continues to perform the work. At this time, the display unit 23 can also display the appropriate tool information.

[0132] On the other hand, when the tool registered in Form 175 is inconsistent with the tool held by the operator, step S37 is entered, and the display unit 23 displays a warning of tool error. Furthermore, in this case, the display unit 23 also displays information related to the correct tool (step S38). Figure 18 is an example of a warning message displayed by the display unit 23.

[0133] For example, in the above example, if the tool associated with the treatment fluid nozzle 65 in Table 175 is a "size 2 screwdriver", but the operator is holding a "size 4 screwdriver", the display unit 23 displays a warning message as shown in Figure 18 because of the inconsistency. As shown in the figure, in addition to displaying the warning of the incorrect tool, the display unit 23 also displays information related to the correct tool. The information related to the correct tool includes the name of the correct tool and the storage location of the correct tool. For the storage location of the correct tool, in addition to Table 175 in Figure 16, there is also a tool table that associates tools with storage locations, from which the correct tool can be selected. Furthermore, the display unit 23 of the smart glasses 10 displays the warning message as a stereoscopic image as shown in Figure 18.

[0134] In the third embodiment, the correct tools and the tools held by the specific operator are pre-registered in Form 175, and the correct tools are verified. Furthermore, when the operator picks up the wrong tool, the smart glasses 10 displays a warning message. Therefore, unintentional tool errors by the operator can be reduced.

[0135] <Variations> Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, various modifications can be made to the invention beyond those described above, provided that the invention does not depart from its spirit. For example, in the embodiments described above, the work support operator uses the work support terminal 80 to register the work sequence book, but this is not a limitation. If the computing power and memory capacity of the smart glasses 10 are sufficiently high, the operator registering the location of a part can also use the smart glasses 10 to register the work sequence book. Alternatively, the work sequence book can also be registered by the server 70.

[0136] Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, although the operator's gaze is tracked by the smart glasses 10, it is also possible to use the smart glasses 10 to examine the operator's head movements and identify the operator's gaze instead.

[0137] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, virtual targets are set on a spatial grid, and alignment between virtual space and real space is performed based on camera images and scanned spatial information. This method is one of the VPS (Visual Positioning Service / System) technologies for aligning virtual space and real space, but the method for aligning virtual space and real space is not limited to the above.

[0138] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, when specifying a tool, after generally specifying the entire tool, a part of the tool can be specified in detail (two-stage specification). Specifically, for example, after specifying a screwdriver from the camera image of the entire tool, it can be specified as a No. 2 screwdriver from the image of its front end.

[0139] Furthermore, in the above embodiments, the operator uses smart glasses 10, but is not limited to this; a portable terminal such as a tablet or smartphone may also be used instead of smart glasses 10. That is, any portable terminal with a camera and a communication unit is acceptable. However, when using a tablet or similar device, the operator's hands are not free, so a wearable terminal such as smart glasses 10 is preferable.

[0140] Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus 50 is not limited to a substrate cleaning apparatus; it may be any apparatus that performs a predetermined treatment on substrates from heat treatment apparatus, exposure apparatus, coating and developing apparatus, measuring apparatus, or inspection apparatus. When the substrate processing apparatus 50 is a substrate cleaning apparatus, it may be a single-piece cleaning apparatus that cleans substrates one by one, or it may be a batch cleaning apparatus that cleans multiple substrates at once.

[0141] Furthermore, the object of the work support technology of the present invention is not limited to a substrate processing apparatus, but can be any industrial machine equipped with an actuating part that performs a certain action. Examples of such industrial machines include printing processing apparatus, film forming apparatus, medical apparatus, and appearance inspection apparatus. [Simplified Explanation of the Diagram]

[0044] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the general configuration of the operation support system of the present invention. Figure 2 is a top view showing an example of the layout of a plurality of substrate processing devices. Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of one substrate processing device. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram showing the configuration of a processing unit. Figure 5 is a perspective view showing the appearance of smart glasses. Figure 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of smart glasses, server, and operation support terminal. Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the sequence of the operation support method of the first embodiment. Figure 8 is a diagram showing an example of a spatially gridded camera image. Figure 9 is a schematic diagram showing the relative positional relationship between a reference position and a part of the substrate processing device. Figure 10 is a diagram showing an example of a table displaying location information and operation sequence book. Figure 11 is a diagram showing an example of the display of the operation sequence book of the smart glasses. Figure 12 is a diagram showing an example of the display of a confirmation completion mark. Figure 13 is a flowchart showing the sequence of the operation support method of the second embodiment. Figure 14 is an example of highlighting the work object's location. Figure 15 is a flowchart showing the sequence of the work support methods in the third implementation mode. Figure 16 is an example of a table showing logged tool information. Figure 17 shows the status of the operator holding the tool. Figure 18 is an example of a warning message displayed on the display unit.

Claims

1. A work support method, characterized in that it is a work support method for performing predetermined work on industrial machinery; and includes: a sequence book registration process, which registers a work sequence book associated with at least one part included in the industrial machinery, and the part and its location information in an association; an object-specific process, which uses a portable terminal including a camera unit and a communication unit to specify the part that becomes the work object based on the location information of the part; and a display process, which causes the portable terminal to display the work sequence book associated with the work object part specified by the object-specific process.

2. As in the work support method of request item 1, in the above-mentioned sequence book registration process, together with the above-mentioned work sequence book associated with the above-mentioned work object part, the record location in the above-mentioned work sequence book associated with the above-mentioned work object part is registered in a table in association with the above-mentioned work object part.

3. The operation support method as described in claim 2, wherein in the above-mentioned display process, the portable terminal is made to highlight the above-mentioned recorded location.

4. As requested in item 2, the tools associated with the above-mentioned work object parts are further registered in the above form.

5. The operation support method of Request 1 further includes: a determination step, in which the portable terminal tracks the operator's gaze and determines whether the operator's gaze is directed toward the displayed operation sequence book for a predetermined time or more; and a confirmation step, in which the portable terminal displays a confirmation completion mark when the operator's gaze is directed toward the operation sequence book for a predetermined time or more.

6. A work support method, characterized in that it is a work support method for performing predetermined work on industrial machinery; and includes: a sequence book registration process, which registers a work sequence book associated with at least one part of the industrial machinery, and the part and its location information in an association; a sequence book display process, which causes a portable terminal including a camera unit and a communication unit to display the work sequence book associated with the part that is the work target; and a part display process, which causes the portable terminal to highlight the work target part recorded in the work sequence book.

7. The operation support method of request item 6 further includes: a determination step, in which the portable terminal tracks the operator's gaze and determines whether the operator's gaze is directed toward the operation object for a predetermined time or more; and a confirmation step, in which the portable terminal displays a confirmation completion mark when the operator's gaze is directed toward the operation object for the predetermined time or more.

8. The operation support method of any one of the claims 1 to 7, wherein the aforementioned industrial machine is a substrate processing apparatus for performing predetermined processing on a substrate.

9. The operational support method as requested in any of items 1 to 7, wherein the aforementioned portable terminal is a smart glasses.

10. A work support system, characterized in that it is a work support system for performing predetermined work on industrial machinery; and comprising: a portable terminal including a display unit, a camera unit and a communication unit; and a sequence book registration unit that registers a work sequence book associated with at least one part included in the industrial machinery, and the part and its location information in an association; the display unit displays the work sequence book associated with the work target part that is identified by the portable terminal based on the location information as the work target part.

11. The operation support system of claim 10, wherein the sequence registration unit further includes a memory unit, which stores a table that, together with the operation sequence book associated with the operation object part, establishes an association between the record location in the operation sequence book associated with the operation object part and the operation object part.

12. The operation support system as requested in item 11, wherein the above-mentioned display unit emphasizes the display of the above-mentioned recorded location.

13. The operation support system as requested in item 11, wherein the tools associated with the above-mentioned operation object parts are further registered in the above-mentioned table.

14. The work support system of claim 10, wherein the portable terminal further includes a gaze tracking unit that tracks the gaze of the operator; and further includes: a determination unit that determines whether the gaze of the operator tracked by the gaze tracking unit is directed toward the displayed work sequence book for a predetermined time or more; and a confirmation unit that causes the display unit to display a confirmation completion mark when the operator's gaze is directed toward the work sequence book for the predetermined time or more.

15. A work support system, characterized in that it is a work support system for performing predetermined work on industrial machinery; and comprising: a portable terminal including a display unit, a camera unit and a communication unit; and a sequence book registration unit that registers a work sequence book associated with at least one part included in the industrial machinery, and the part and its location information in an association; the display unit displays the work sequence book associated with the part that becomes the work target, and emphasizes the work target part recorded in the work sequence book.

16. The work support system of claim 15, wherein the portable terminal further includes a gaze tracking unit that tracks the gaze of the operator; and includes: a determination unit that determines whether the gaze of the operator tracked by the gaze tracking unit is directed toward the work object for a predetermined time or more; and a confirmation unit that causes the display unit to display a confirmation completion mark when the operator's gaze is directed toward the work object for the predetermined time or more.

17. The operation support system of any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the aforementioned industrial machine is a substrate processing apparatus for performing predetermined processing on a substrate.

18. The operational support system of any one of claims 10 to 16, wherein the aforementioned portable terminal is a smart glasses.

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