Particle removal system and method for controlling particle removal system

Abstract

A particle removal system (100) comprises a particle clamping jig (10) that, by having static electricity accumulated thereon, clamps particles by the accumulated static electricity. The particle removal system (100) also comprises a charging device (20), a robot (150), and a control unit (160). The control unit (160) controls operation of the robot (150) to cause static electricity to accumulate on the particle clamping jig (10) by means of the charging device (20).

Description

PARTICLE REMOVAL SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING PARTICLE REMOVAL SYSTEM

[0001] TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates to particle removal systems and methods for controlling particle removal systems.

[0002] Conventionally, jigs that attract particles such as dust in semiconductor manufacturing equipment have been known. JP 11-224895 A discloses a disk-shaped particle removal jig that is electrostatically charged. In JP 11-224895 A, the disk-shaped particle removal jig is held by a hand of a robot arm disposed in a substrate transport device, similar to a wafer. As a result, the particle removal jig comes into contact with the hand, and particles adhering to the hand are attracted to the charged particle removal jig. As a result, particles adhering to the hand are removed from the hand.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 11-224895

[0004] Here, when particles are removed using a particle removal jig that is charged with static electricity, as in JP 11-224895 A, the particle removal jig must be charged in advance. Furthermore, when particles are removed from inside a device such as a substrate transport device using a particle removal jig, as in JP 11-224895 A, the interior of the device, which is the area to be removed, must be opened and the particle removal jig must be manually charged. However, once the interior of the device is opened, particles such as dust can enter the area to be removed. Therefore, it is desirable to charge the particle removal jig without opening the area to be removed.

[0005] This disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and one object of this disclosure is to provide a particle removal system that is capable of charging a particle adsorption jig without opening an area that is the target of particle removal, and a method for controlling a particle removal system.

[0006] A particle removal system according to a first aspect of this disclosure includes a particle adsorption jig that is charged with static electricity and adsorbs particles using the charged static electricity; a charging device that charges the particle adsorption jig with static electricity; a robot that includes a hand that holds the particle adsorption jig; and a control unit that controls the operation of the robot to charge the particle adsorption jig with static electricity using the charging device.

[0007] As described above, the particle removal system according to a first aspect of this disclosure includes a control unit that controls the operation of the robot to cause the charging device to charge static electricity on the particle adsorption jig. Thus, the control unit controls the operation of the robot to cause the charging device to charge static electricity on the particle adsorption jig, so that the particle adsorption jig can be charged by the charging device within the area that is the target of particle removal. As a result, the particle adsorption jig can be charged without opening the area that is the target of particle removal. Furthermore, the control unit controls the operation of the robot to cause the charging device to charge static electricity on the particle adsorption jig, so that the particle adsorption jig can be automatically charged without manual intervention.

[0008] A control method for a particle removal system according to a second aspect of this disclosure includes holding a particle adsorption jig, which is charged with static electricity and adsorbs particles by the charged static electricity, with a hand included in a robot; operating the robot to charge the particle adsorption jig with static electricity using a charging device; and adsorbing particles with the statically charged particle adsorption jig.

[0009] A control method for a particle removal system according to a second aspect of this disclosure includes, as described above, operating a robot to cause a charging device to charge static electricity on a particle adsorption jig. Thus, by operating the robot, the charging device can charge the particle adsorption jig within a target area for particle removal. As a result, a control method for a particle removal system can be provided that can charge the particle adsorption jig without opening the target area for particle removal. Furthermore, by operating the robot, the charging device can charge the particle adsorption jig, thereby automatically charging the particle adsorption jig without manual intervention.

[0010] According to the particle removal system and the control method for the particle removal system of the present disclosure, the particle adsorption jig can be charged without opening the device.

[0011] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to a first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a block diagram of a particle removal system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a particle adsorption jig according to a first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view taken along line IV-IV in FIG. 3. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining application of a voltage to the particle adsorption jig according to the first embodiment. FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the storage container according to the first embodiment as seen from the side. FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the arrangement of the particle adsorption jig with respect to the substrate transport device. FIG. 11 is a flow chart of a control method for the particle removal system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing a state in which the particle adsorption jig is held by a hand. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which particles from an aligner are removed by the particle adsorption jig. FIG. 14 is a diagram showing a state in which the particle adsorption jig is cleaned by a cleaning device. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing a particle adsorption jig stored in a storage container according to a second embodiment. FIG. 16 is a flow chart of a control method for the particle removal system according to the second embodiment.

[0012] First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present disclosure will now be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] A particle removal system 100 according to a first embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 11. In this specification, the vertical direction is referred to as the Z direction. The upper side is referred to as the Z1 side, and the lower side is referred to as the Z2 side. The direction perpendicular to the Z direction is referred to as the X direction. One side of the X direction is referred to as the X1 side, and the other side is referred to as the X2 side. The direction perpendicular to the Z direction and the X direction is referred to as the Y direction. One side of the Y direction is referred to as the Y1 side, and the other side is referred to as the Y2 side.

[0014] (Semiconductor Manufacturing Apparatus) First, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 500 will be described. As shown in Fig. 1, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 500 is an apparatus for processing a substrate 1 made of a semiconductor such as a wafer. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 500 includes a substrate transfer apparatus 200 and a substrate processing apparatus 300. The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 500 is disposed, for example, in a clean room.

[0015] (Substrate Transfer Apparatus) The substrate transfer apparatus 200 will be described. The substrate transfer apparatus 200 is, for example, an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module). The substrate transfer apparatus 200 includes a FOUP 110, a housing 120, a FOUP opener 130, an aligner 140, a robot 150, and a control unit 160 shown in FIG. 2. The aligner 140 is an example of a position adjustment unit.

[0016] (FOUP) The FOUP 110 accommodates a plurality of substrates 1 before and after processing. The interior of the FOUP 110 is maintained in a clean state similar to that of a clean room. The FOUP 110 includes a housing 111 and an opening / closing unit 112. The housing 111 has a box shape including an opening 111a that opens into the substrate transfer device 200. The opening / closing unit 112 covers the opening 111a of the housing 111. For example, four FOUPs 110 are arranged.

[0017] (Housing) The housing 120 includes an internal space 121. The internal space 121 is filled with a highly clean ambient gas. The robot 150 is disposed in the internal space 121 of the housing 120. The housing 120 has, for example, a rectangular parallelepiped shape. An opening 122a connected to the internal space 113 of the FOUP 110 is formed in a wall 122 on the Y1 side of the housing 120. The opening 122a allows the substrate 1 to move between the FOUP 110 and the substrate transfer device 200. An opening 123a connected to the internal space 311 of the substrate processing apparatus 300 is formed in a wall 123 on the Y2 side of the housing 120. The opening 123a allows the substrate 1 to move between the substrate processing apparatus 300 and the substrate transfer device 200.

[0018] The FOUP opener 130 will now be described. The FOUP opener 130 is disposed on the Y1 side of the substrate transfer device 200. The FOUP opener 130 includes an opening / closing unit 131 and a FOUP support unit 132. The opening / closing unit 131 is disposed in an opening 122a in a wall 122 on the Y1 side of the housing 120. An opening / closing mechanism that operates the opening / closing unit 131 and the opening / closing unit 112 opens the opening / closing unit 131 of the FOUP opener 130 and the opening / closing unit 112 of the FOUP 110, thereby connecting the internal space 113 of the FOUP 110 with the internal space 121 of the housing 120.

[0019] The aligner 140 will now be described. The substrate 1 is placed on the aligner 140. The aligner 140 aligns the substrate 1. The aligner 140 performs at least one of rotating the substrate 1 to adjust the orientation of the substrate 1 so that a notch or an orientation flat formed on the substrate 1 faces a predetermined direction, and detecting eccentricity of the substrate 1 while rotating the substrate and detecting the edge of the substrate 1. The aligner 140 is disposed in the internal space 121 of the housing 120 of the substrate transfer device 200.

[0020] The robot 150 will now be described. The robot 150 is disposed in the internal space 121 of the housing 120 of the substrate transfer device 200. The robot 150 is, for example, a horizontal articulated type. The robot 150 includes a hand 151 and a robot arm 152. The hand 151 holds the substrate 1. For example, the hand 151 has a Y-shape with a bifurcated tip. The hand 151 is also disposed at the tip of the robot arm 152. The robot arm 152 includes a plurality of link sections.

[0021] The configuration of the control unit 160 will be described. The control unit 160 is a robot controller. As shown in FIG. 2 , the control unit 160 includes a main control unit 161, a servo control unit 162, a drive circuit unit 163, and a storage unit 164. The main control unit 161 and the servo control unit 162 each include, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The main control unit 161 controls the drive unit 152a of the robot arm 152. The servo control unit 162 controls the power supplied to the drive unit 152a of the robot arm 152 based on a command from the main control unit 161. The drive circuit unit 163 supplies drive power to the drive unit 152a of the robot arm 152. A plurality of drive units 152a are arranged in the robot arm 152, and a drive circuit unit 163 is arranged for each of the drive units 152a of the robot arm 152. Alternatively, one drive circuit unit 163 may be provided in common for each of the drive units 152 a. Each drive unit 152 a includes a servo motor, an encoder, and a reducer. The storage unit 164 stores programs executed by the control unit 160.

[0022] (Substrate Processing Apparatus) The substrate processing apparatus 300 will now be described. As shown in FIG. 1 , the substrate processing apparatus 300 performs processing on a substrate 1. For example, the substrate processing apparatus 300 performs heat treatment, impurity implantation, thin film formation, lithography, cleaning, and planarization on the substrate 1. The substrate processing apparatus 300 is disposed adjacent to the substrate transfer apparatus 200. The substrate processing apparatus 300 includes a housing 310 having an internal space 311. A wall 312 on the Y1 side of the housing 310 of the substrate processing apparatus 300 is shared with a wall 123 on the Y2 side of the housing 120 of the substrate transfer apparatus 200. The internal space 311 of the substrate processing apparatus 300 also includes a mounting portion 313 on which the substrate 1 is mounted.

[0023] (Particle Removal System) The particle removal system 100 is a system for charging the particle adsorption jig 10. As shown in Fig. 2, the particle removal system 100 includes an aligner 140, a robot 150, the particle adsorption jig 10, a charging device 20, a container 30, a detection unit 50, a cleaning device 60, and a control unit 160.

[0024] (Particle Adsorption Jig) The particle adsorption jig 10 will be described. The particle adsorption jig 10 is held by a hand 151. The particle adsorption jig 10 is charged with static electricity and adsorbs particles by the charged static electricity. As shown in FIG. 3 , the particle adsorption jig 10 has, for example, a disk shape and the same diameter as the substrate 1. That is, the particle adsorption jig 10 has a disk shape that imitates the substrate 1. In the first embodiment, the hand 151 of the robot 150 holds the substrate 1 and the particle adsorption jig 10 in the substrate transport device 200.

[0025] As shown in FIG. 4 , the particle adsorption jig 10 includes, for example, a semiconductor substrate 11, a positive electrode 12, a negative electrode 13, a bias electrode 14, and an interface 15. The positive electrode 12 and the negative electrode 13 are formed by implanting impurities. The positive electrode 12, the bias electrode 14, and the negative electrode 13 are arranged in this order on one surface 11 a of the main surface of the semiconductor substrate 11. The interface 15 is arranged on the periphery of the semiconductor substrate 11 in the disk-shaped particle adsorption jig 10. The interface 15 is connected to the positive electrode 12 and the negative electrode 13. A voltage is applied to the interface 15 from a voltage application unit 21 of a charging device 20 shown in FIG. 5 . This applies a voltage to the positive electrode 12 and the negative electrode 13, thereby charging the one surface 11 a of the semiconductor substrate 11. The interface 15 is an example of a contact unit.

[0026] (Charging Device) The charging device 20 will be described. The charging device 20 is a device that charges the particle adsorptive jig 10 with static electricity. As shown in FIG. 2 , the charging device 20 includes a voltage application unit 21.

[0027] 5 , the voltage application unit 21 contacts the interface 15 of the particle adsorption jig 10 and applies a voltage to the particle adsorption jig 10. For example, the voltage application unit 21 includes a plurality of probes 21a. When the plurality of probes 21a contact the interface 15 of the particle adsorption jig 10, a voltage is applied to the positive electrode 12 and the negative electrode 13. The voltage application unit 21 is disposed on the robot 150. Specifically, the voltage application unit 21 is disposed at the tip of a robot arm 152. The robot 150 also has a movement unit 153 that moves the probes 21a of the voltage application unit 21.

[0028] The base end of the hand 151 is connected to the tip of the robot arm 152. The hand 151 has a holder 151a and claws 151b. The holder 151a moves in a direction from the base end to the tip of the hand 151 and abuts against the substrate 1 and particle suction jig 10 held by the hand 151. For example, the holder 151a moves by a driving force from an air actuator serving as a driving source. The claws 151b are disposed at each of the bifurcated tips of the Y-shaped hand 151. As the holder 151a moves, the holder 151a and the claws 151b sandwich the substrate 1 or particle suction jig 10 held by the hand 151. In other words, the hand 151 is an active-type substrate holding hand that holds the substrate 1 and particle suction jig 10 in a fixed state.

[0029] A voltage application unit 21 is disposed at the tip of the robot arm 152, extending from the base end of the hand 151 toward the tip. The movement unit 153 moves the probe 21a of the voltage application unit 21 from a state where it is not in contact with the particle adsorption jig 10 held by the hand 151 to a state where it is in contact with the particle adsorption jig 10 held by the hand 151. That is, the movement unit 153 moves the voltage application unit 21 along the direction from the base end of the hand 151 toward the tip, thereby bringing the voltage application unit 21 into contact with the interface 15 of the particle adsorption jig 10. When the robot 150 holds the substrate 1 on the hand 151, the movement unit 153 moves the voltage application unit 21 toward the robot arm 152, preventing the probe 21a from coming into contact with the substrate 1. The movement unit 153 may include, for example, an air actuator, a motor, or a solenoid as a driving source. A pair of interfaces 15 is disposed on the particle adsorption jig 10. A pair of probes 21a is disposed on the robot 150 so as to correspond to the pair of interfaces 15. The control unit 160 is disposed, for example, on the base of the robot 150. The control unit 160 and the voltage application unit 21 of the charging device 20 are connected to each other via wiring members disposed inside the robot arm 152. The voltage application unit 21 applies a voltage to the particle adsorption jig 10 by receiving power from the control unit 160.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3 , the disk-shaped particle suction jig 10 has a notch 10a formed on its periphery. The aligner 140 aligns the particle suction jig 10 by detecting the position of the notch 10a, similar to the substrate 1. That is, the aligner 140 positions the placed particle suction jig 10 in a predetermined direction, similar to the substrate 1. The robot 150 holds the aligned particle suction jig 10 in its hand 151 and uses the moving unit 153 to move the probe 21a closer to the aligned particle suction jig 10, bringing it into contact with the interface 15. That is, the aligner 140 adjusts the rotational position of the particle suction jig 10 so that the interface 15 contacts the voltage application unit 21 disposed on the robot arm 152.

[0031] (Storage Container) The storage container 30 will now be described. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 6 , the storage container 30 previously accommodates a particle suction jig 10. As shown in FIG. 7 , the storage container 30 is attached to the substrate transfer device 200 and disposed at a position in the substrate transfer device 200 where a FOUP 110 for accommodating the substrates 1 is disposed. As shown in FIG. 6 , the particle suction jig 10 is disposed in the internal space 33 of the storage container 30. Like the FOUP 110, the interior of the storage container 30 is maintained in a clean state similar to that of a clean room. The storage container 30 also includes a housing 34 and an opening / closing unit 35. The housing 34 has a box shape including an opening 32 that opens into the substrate transfer device 200. The opening / closing unit 35 covers the opening 32 of the housing 34. As shown in FIG. 7 , the storage container 30 is disposed in the FOUP opener 130 in the substrate transfer device 200 where the FOUP 110 is disposed. Then, by opening the opening / closing part 131 of the FOUP opener 130 and the opening / closing part 35 of the storage container 30, the internal space 33 of the storage container 30 and the internal space 121 of the housing 120 are connected. This allows the particle suction jig 10 to move back and forth between the storage container 30 and the substrate transfer device 200 via the opening 122a of the housing 120. In addition, the particle suction jig 10 can move back and forth between the substrate transfer device 200 and the substrate processing apparatus 300 via the opening 123a of the housing 120.

[0032] In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7 , the outer shape of the storage container 30 and the outer shape of the FOUP 110 are the same. Specifically, the housing 34 of the storage container 30 shown in FIG. 6 and the housing 111 of the FOUP 110 shown in FIG. 1 have the same size. Therefore, the storage container 30 can be placed in the FOUP opener 130 instead of the FOUP 110. Furthermore, the diameter of the particle adsorption jig 10 and the diameter of the substrate 1 are the same. As a result, the particle adsorption jig 10 is accommodated in the storage container 30 in the same way as the substrate 1 is accommodated in the FOUP 110. For example, the particle adsorption jig 10 is supported by a support portion 30 a of the storage container 30. With the particle adsorption jig 10 accommodated in the storage container 30, the interior of the storage container 30 is maintained clean.

[0033] (Detection Unit) In the first embodiment, the detection unit 50 detects the degree of particle attraction by the particle attraction jig 10 during a series of operations of the robot arm 152. The series of operations of the robot arm 152 will be described later. As shown in FIG. 2 , the detection unit 50 includes a charge amount detection unit 51 that detects the charge amount of the particle attraction jig 10 and an imaging unit 52 that images the particles attracted to the particle attraction jig 10. The charge amount detection unit 51 is, for example, a surface electrometer. The surface electrometer measures the amount of static electricity by utilizing the electrostatic induction phenomenon in which charged objects attract each other when brought close to a conductor. The surface electrometer measures the amount of static electricity without contacting the particle attraction jig 10. As shown in FIG. 5 , the charge amount detection unit 51 of the detection unit 50 is disposed at the tip of the robot arm 152. The charge amount detection unit 51 detects the degree of particle attraction by the particle attraction jig 10 held by the hand 151. 7 , the imaging unit 52 of the detection unit 50 is disposed in the aligner 140. The imaging unit 52 detects the degree of particle adsorption by the particle adsorption jig 10 by capturing an image of the particle adsorption jig 10 disposed in the aligner 140. In the first embodiment, particles are adsorbed with the charged surface 11 a of the particle adsorption jig 10 disposed on the lower Z2 side. The imaging unit 52 disposed in the aligner 140 captures an image of the particle adsorption jig 10 with the surface 11 a facing the Z2 side. Therefore, the imaging unit 52 is disposed in the aligner 140 so as to capture an image from the Z2 side toward the Z1 side. For example, the imaging unit 52 is a high-resolution camera capable of capturing images of particles.

[0034] In the first embodiment, the cleaning device 60 cleans the particle adsorption jig 10. As shown in Fig. 1 , the cleaning device 60 is disposed, for example, in an internal space 311 of a substrate processing apparatus 300. The substrate processing apparatus 300 is, for example, a spin dryer. The spin dryer rotates the particle adsorption jig 10 to remove particles adsorbed to the particle adsorption jig 10 by centrifugal force.

[0035] (Method of Controlling the Particle Removal System) Next, a method of controlling the particle removal system 100 in the operation of removing particles inside the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 500 by the substrate transfer apparatus 200 will be described. The operation of the substrate transfer apparatus 200 is controlled by the control unit 160. The particle adsorption jig 10 is manually placed in the storage container 30 in advance. The storage container 30 is then placed in the substrate transfer apparatus 200 with the particle adsorption jig 10 placed in the storage container 30 and the interior of the storage container 30 clean. When the particle removal operation is performed, the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 500 is not processing the substrate 1. As shown in FIG. 7 , the storage container 30 is placed in the FOUP opener 130 instead of the FOUP 110. One storage container 30 may be placed in the FOUP opener 130, or multiple storage containers 30 may be placed in the FOUP opener 130. An example in which one storage container 30 is placed in the FOUP opener 130 will be described below.

[0036] As shown in Figure 8, in step S1, the control unit 160 operates the opening and closing mechanism to open the opening and closing portion 131 of the FOUP opener 130 and the opening and closing portion 35 of the storage container 30, thereby connecting the internal space 33 of the storage container 30 with the internal space 121 of the housing 120 of the substrate transport device 200.

[0037] 9 , in the first embodiment, the control unit 160 executes a process of causing the hand 151 of the robot arm 152 to hold the particle suction jig 10, which has been previously accommodated in the accommodation container 30, in step S2. Specifically, the control unit 160 causes the hand 151 to enter the internal space 33 of the accommodation container 30 through the opening 122 a of the housing 120 of the substrate transfer device 200.

[0038] In step S3, as shown in FIG. 5 , in the first embodiment, the control unit 160 controls the operation of the robot 150 to cause the charging device 20 to charge static electricity on the particle adsorption jig 10. The control unit 160 controls the operation of the robot 150 to hold the particle adsorption jig 10, which is previously housed in the container 30, with the hand 151, and then brings the voltage application unit 21 of the charging device 20, which is disposed at the tip of the robot arm 152, into contact with the particle adsorption jig 10 held by the hand 151 in the substrate transport device 200, thereby executing a process of charging static electricity on the particle adsorption jig 10. Specifically, after holding the particle adsorption jig 10 housed in the container 30, the control unit 160 transports the particle adsorption jig 10 to the aligner 140. The control unit 160 then performs a process of aligning the particle adsorption jig 10 with the aligner 140. The control unit 160 then holds the particle suction jig 10, which has been aligned by the aligner 140, with the hand 151. The control unit 160 moves the voltage application unit 21 with the movement unit 153, thereby bringing the voltage application unit 21 into contact with the interface 15 of the disk-shaped particle suction jig 10, which is held by the hand 151 in an aligned state. The control unit 160 applies a voltage to the particle suction jig 10 by bringing the voltage application unit 21 into contact with the interface 15 through the operation of the robot 150.

[0039] In step S4, in the first embodiment, the control unit 160 performs a process of charging the particle attracting jig 10, and then moves the robot arm 152 to perform a process of attracting particles in at least one of the interior of the substrate transfer device 200 and the interior of the substrate processing apparatus 300 with the particle attracting jig 10 held by the hand 151. Specifically, the particle attracting jig 10 accommodated in the accommodation container 30 is moved to the substrate transfer device 200 or the substrate processing apparatus 300 through the openings 122a and 123a of the housing 120 of the substrate transfer device 200. Then, as shown in FIG. 10 , particles adhering to a portion of the aligner 140 arranged in the internal space 121 of the substrate transfer device 200 on which the substrate 1 is placed, or to a placement portion 313 on which the substrate 1 is placed in the internal space 311 of the substrate processing apparatus 300, are attracted by the particle attracting jig 10.

[0040] In step S5, in the first embodiment, the control unit 160 causes the detection unit 50 to detect the degree of particle adsorption by the particle adsorption jig 10. Specifically, the control unit 160 moves the particle adsorption jig 10, held by the hand 151, to a position where it can be imaged by the imaging unit 52 arranged in the aligner 140. Then, the control unit 160 causes the charge amount detection unit 51 and the imaging unit 52 of the detection unit 50 to detect the amount of particles adsorbed to the particle adsorption jig 10.

[0041] Then, in step S6, the control unit 160 determines whether or not the particle adsorption jig 10 can further adsorb particles. If the detection unit 50 is the imaging unit 52, the control unit 160 uses a technique such as image processing to detect the amount of adsorbed particles from the image of the particle adsorption jig 10 captured by the imaging unit 52. If the amount of adsorbed particles is equal to or less than a predetermined particle amount threshold, the control unit 160 determines that the particle adsorption jig 10 can further adsorb particles, and the process returns to step S4. If the amount of adsorbed particles is greater than the predetermined particle amount threshold, the control unit 160 determines that the particle adsorption jig 10 cannot further adsorb particles, and the process proceeds to step S7. If the detection unit 50 is the charge amount detection unit 51, the charge amount detection unit 51 detects the charge amount of the particle adsorption jig 10. If the particle attracting jig 10 detected by the charge amount detection unit 51 is greater than a predetermined charge amount threshold, the control unit 160 determines that the particle attracting jig 10 is capable of further attracting particles, and the process returns to step S4. On the other hand, if the particle attracting jig 10 detected by the charge amount detection unit 51 is equal to or less than the predetermined charge amount threshold, the control unit 160 determines that the particle attracting jig 10 is not capable of further attracting particles, and the process proceeds to step S7. In this way, the detection unit 50 detects the degree of particle attraction during the series of operations in which particle attraction is repeatedly performed in step S4.

[0042] 11 , in step S7, in the first embodiment, the control unit 160 executes a process of causing the particle adsorption jig 10 to adsorb particles, and then executes a process of moving the hand 151 with the robot arm 152 to move the particle adsorption jig 10 to the cleaning device 60. The cleaning device 60 executes a process of cleaning the particle adsorption jig 10 that has been moved.

[0043] Then, in step S8, similar to step S3, the control unit 160 causes the charging device 20 to charge static electricity to the particle adsorption jig 10. In step S8, similar to step S3, the control unit 160 controls the operation of the robot 150 to bring the voltage application unit 21 of the charging device 20 disposed at the tip of the robot arm 152 into contact with the particle adsorption jig 10 held by the hand 151, thereby executing a process of charging static electricity to the particle adsorption jig 10.

[0044] Then, in step S9, the control unit 160 executes a process of adsorbing particles in the same target region as in step S4 in order to confirm whether particle adsorption has been completed in the target region for particle adsorption in at least one of the interior of the substrate transfer device 200 and the interior of the substrate processing apparatus 300. For example, as in step S4, particles adhering to a portion of the aligner 140 arranged in the internal space 121 of the substrate transfer device 200 on which the substrate 1 is placed, or to the placement part 313 on which the substrate 1 is placed in the internal space 311 of the substrate processing apparatus 300, are adsorbed by the particle adsorption jig 10.

[0045] Then, in step S10, the control unit 160 detects the degree of particle adsorption by the particle adsorption jig 10 using the detection unit 50, as in step S5. Then, in step S11, it determines whether particle adsorption is sufficient in the target area to which particles are to be adsorbed. For example, if the detection unit 50 is the imaging unit 52, the control unit 160 detects the amount of particles adsorbed from the image of the particle adsorption jig 10 captured by the imaging unit 52, as in step S6. Then, if the amount of adsorbed particles is greater than a predetermined particle amount threshold, the control unit 160 determines that particle adsorption is insufficient, and returns to step S4. On the other hand, if the amount of adsorbed particles is equal to or less than the predetermined particle amount threshold, the control unit 160 determines that particle adsorption is sufficient. If it is determined that particle adsorption is sufficient, the particle removal operation inside the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 500 by the substrate transport device 200 ends, and the processing of the control method for the particle removal system 100 ends. The predetermined particle amount threshold in step S11 may be a value of a magnitude different from that in step S6.

[0046] In step S11, the determination of whether particle adsorption in the target area is sufficient may be performed based on the detection result of the charge amount detection unit 51. In this case, the charge amount detection unit 51 detects the charge amount of the particle adsorption jig 10. If the charge amount of the particle adsorption jig 10 detected by the charge amount detection unit 51 is equal to or less than a predetermined charge amount threshold, the control unit 160 determines that the charge amount has decreased due to particle adsorption in the same target area, and determines that a particle has been detected. In this case, the control unit 160 determines that particle adsorption is insufficient, and returns to step S4. On the other hand, if the charge amount of the particle adsorption jig 10 detected by the charge amount detection unit 51 is greater than the predetermined charge amount threshold, the control unit 160 determines that no further particle adsorption is occurring and that particle adsorption is sufficient, and terminates the control process.

[0047] Furthermore, if multiple target areas for particle adsorption are arranged, the process of adsorbing particles in step S4 may be performed for each of the multiple target areas, and by performing the processes from step S8 to step S11, it may be possible to confirm whether particle adsorption has been completed for each of the multiple target areas.

[0048] Effect of First Embodiment The particle removal system 100 includes a control unit 160 that controls the operation of the robot 150 to cause the charging device 20 to charge static electricity on the particle adsorption jig 10. As a result, the control unit 160 controls the operation of the robot 150 to cause the charging device 20 to charge static electricity on the particle adsorption jig 10, so that the particle adsorption jig 10 can be charged by the charging device 20 within the area where particles are to be removed. As a result, the particle adsorption jig 10 can be charged without opening the area where particles are to be removed. Furthermore, the control unit 160 controls the operation of the robot 150 to cause the charging device 20 to charge static electricity on the particle adsorption jig 10, so that the particle adsorption jig 10 can be automatically charged without manual intervention.

[0049] The charging device 20 includes a voltage application unit 21 that comes into contact with the particle adsorption jig 10 and applies a voltage to the particle adsorption jig 10. The control unit 160 controls the operation of the robot 150 to bring the voltage application unit 21 of the charging device 20 into contact with the particle adsorption jig 10, thereby charging static electricity to the particle adsorption jig 10. This makes it possible to easily charge static electricity to the particle adsorption jig 10 by having the robot 150 perform a relatively simple operation of simply bringing the voltage application unit 21 into contact with the particle adsorption jig 10.

[0050] The robot 150 is disposed in the substrate transport device 200. The hand 151 holds the substrate 1 and a disk-shaped particle adsorption jig 10 that resembles the substrate 1 within the substrate transport device 200. The control unit 160, by operating the robot 150, causes the voltage application unit 21 to contact the disk-shaped particle adsorption jig 10 held by the hand 151 within the substrate transport device 200, thereby charging static electricity to the particle adsorption jig 10 and causing the particle adsorption jig 10 to adsorb particles in at least one of the interior of the substrate transport device 200 and the interior of the substrate processing apparatus 300. As a result, the hand 151 that holds the substrate 1 charges the particle adsorption jig 10 with static electricity while holding the disk-shaped particle adsorption jig 10 that resembles the substrate 1. This makes it possible to prevent the configuration for charging the particle adsorption jig 10 from becoming complicated compared to a case in which a different configuration is provided for the hand 151 that holds the substrate 1. Furthermore, because the particle attracting jig 10 has a disk shape resembling the substrate 1, the particle attracting jig 10 can be easily placed at a position where the substrate 1 is to be placed in at least one of the substrate transfer device 200 and the substrate processing apparatus 300. This makes it possible to easily remove particles in at least one of the substrate transfer device 200 and the substrate processing apparatus 300. Furthermore, because the particle attracting jig 10 is charged with static electricity within the substrate transfer device 200 by the operation of the robot 150, particles can be removed from at least one of the substrate transfer device 200 and the substrate processing apparatus 300 with the particle attracting jig 10 in a more sufficiently charged state than when the particle attracting jig 10 is charged outside the substrate transfer device 200.

[0051] The voltage application unit 21 is disposed on the robot 150. As a result, the voltage application unit 21 that applies a voltage to the particle adsorption jig 10 is disposed on the robot 150, and therefore the particle adsorption jig 10 can be charged from the voltage application unit 21 by power supplied from the robot 150. Therefore, there is no need to dispose a power supply device separately from the robot 150, and the configuration of the particle removal system 100 can be prevented from becoming complicated.

[0052] The robot 150 includes a robot arm 152 having a hand 151 disposed at its tip. The voltage application unit 21 is disposed at the tip of the robot arm 152 and contacts the particle adsorption jig 10 held by the hand 151. The control unit 160 brings the voltage application unit 21 disposed at the tip of the robot arm 152 into contact with the particle adsorption jig 10 held by the hand 151, thereby charging the particle adsorption jig 10 with static electricity. This allows the particle adsorption jig 10 to be charged with static electricity by performing a relatively simple operation of holding the particle adsorption jig 10 on the hand 151. Therefore, unlike when the voltage application unit 21 is disposed separately from the robot 150, there is no need to transport the particle adsorption jig 10 to the voltage application unit 21, and the particle adsorption jig 10 can be easily charged with static electricity. Furthermore, the particle adsorption jig 10 can be charged by the operation of the robot arm 152 without manual intervention, thereby reducing the operator's workload.

[0053] The robot 150 has a moving unit 153 that moves the voltage application unit 21. The control unit 160 moves the voltage application unit 21 using the moving unit 153, thereby bringing the voltage application unit 21 into contact with the particle adsorption jig 10 held by the hand 151. By moving the voltage application unit 21 using the moving unit 153, the voltage application unit 21 can be prevented from coming into contact with the substrate 1 when holding the substrate 1, and the voltage application unit 21 can be brought into contact only when holding the particle adsorption jig 10. Therefore, the voltage application unit 21 can be easily brought into contact only with the particle adsorption jig 10.

[0054] The voltage application unit 21 contacts the interface 15, which serves as a contact unit and is arranged on the periphery of the disk-shaped particle adsorption jig 10, to apply a voltage to the particle adsorption jig 10. This makes it easier to bring the voltage application unit 21 into contact with the interface 15 from the outside of the disk-shaped particle adsorption jig 10, compared to when the voltage application unit 21 is brought into contact with the central portion of the disk-shaped particle adsorption jig 10.

[0055] The particle removal system 100 includes an aligner 140 as a position adjustment unit that aligns the substrate 1 and the disk-shaped particle adsorption jig 10. The control unit 160 holds the particle adsorption jig 10, which has been aligned by the aligner 140, with a hand 151, and applies a voltage to the particle adsorption jig 10 by bringing a voltage application unit 21 into contact with an interface 15, which serves as a contact unit, of the disk-shaped particle adsorption jig 10 held by the hand 151 in the aligned state. In this way, alignment by the aligner 140 makes it easier to bring the voltage application unit 21 into contact with the interface 15 of the particle adsorption jig 10.

[0056] The particle removal system 100 is attached to the substrate transfer device 200 and includes a storage container 30 in which a particle adsorption jig 10 is previously accommodated. The control unit 160 causes the hand 151 to hold the particle adsorption jig 10 previously accommodated in the storage container 30, and then causes the voltage application unit 21 to contact the particle adsorption jig 10 held by the hand 151 to statically charge the particle adsorption jig 10. As a result, since the particle adsorption jig 10 is previously accommodated in the storage container 30, the hand 151 can easily hold the particle adsorption jig 10 accommodated in the storage container 30 by operating the robot 150. Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the outer shape of the storage container 30 in which the particle adsorption jig 10 is accommodated is the same as the outer shape of the FOUP 110, so that the storage container 30 accommodating the particle adsorption jig 10 can be easily positioned in the substrate transfer device 200 at the position where the FOUP 110 is to be disposed.

[0057] The particle removal system 100 includes a detection unit 50 that detects the degree of particle adsorption by the particle adsorption jig 10. Based on the detection result of the detection unit 50, the control unit 160 determines whether or not the particle adsorption jig 10 is capable of adsorbing additional particles, thereby preventing the particle adsorption operation from continuing in a state in which the particle adsorption jig 10 is unable to adsorb particles.

[0058] The detection unit 50 includes at least one of a charge amount detection unit 51 that detects the charge amount of the particle adsorption jig 10 and an imaging unit 52 that captures an image of particles adhering to the particle adsorption jig 10. When the charge amount detection unit 51 detects that the charge amount of the particle adsorption jig 10 is relatively large, the control unit 160 can determine that the particle adsorption jig 10 is capable of adsorbing further particles. Furthermore, when the control unit 160 detects that the number of particles adhering to the particle adsorption jig 10 is relatively small based on the image of the particle adsorption jig 10 captured by the imaging unit 52, the control unit 160 can determine that the particle adsorption jig 10 is capable of adsorbing further particles.

[0059] The robot 150 includes a robot arm 152 having a hand 151 disposed at its tip. The detection unit 50 is disposed at the tip of the robot arm 152 and detects the degree of particle adsorption by the particle adsorption jig 10 held by the hand 151. This makes it possible to prevent the particle removal system 100 from becoming larger than when the detection of the degree of particle adsorption and the charging of the particle adsorption jig 10 are performed in separate locations.

[0060] The particle removal system 100 includes a cleaning device 60 that cleans the particle adsorption jig 10. After executing a process of adsorbing particles using the particle adsorption jig 10, the control unit 160 moves the hand 151 to move the particle adsorption jig 10 to the cleaning device 60. This cleans the particle adsorption jig 10 with particles attached, so that the cleaned particle adsorption jig 10 can be charged and used the next time particles are adsorbed. This eliminates the need to provide multiple particle adsorption jigs 10.

[0061] Second Embodiment A storage container 630 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0062] In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12 , a plurality of particle adsorption jigs 10 are previously accommodated in the container 630. The control unit 160 then performs a process of adsorbing particles in at least one of the interior of the substrate transport device 200 and the interior of the substrate processing device 300 while sequentially replacing the plurality of particle adsorption jigs 10. Specifically, a plurality of support parts 631 that support the particle adsorption jigs 10 are arranged inside the container 630. The plurality of particle adsorption jigs 10 are arranged on the support parts 631. Then, for example, as shown in FIG. 13 , if the control unit 160 determines in step S6 that the particle adsorption jig 10 is unable to further adsorb particles, the control unit 160 determines in step S20 whether to continue particle adsorption. If particle adsorption is to be continued, the process proceeds to step S21, where the control unit 160 performs a process of replacing the particle adsorption jig 10 it is holding with a new particle adsorption jig 10. Thereafter, the operations from step S3 to S6 shown in FIG. 13 are repeated. If the answer is no in step S20, the control unit 160 ends the particle removal operation and terminates the processing of the particle removal system control method. In this case, as in the first embodiment, before ending the particle removal operation, the control unit 160 may perform the processing from step S8 to step S11 to check whether particle adsorption has been completed.

[0063] Effect of Second Embodiment A plurality of particle adsorption jigs 10 are stored in advance in the container 630. The control unit 160 executes a process of adsorbing particles inside at least one of the interior of the substrate transport device 200 and the interior of the substrate processing device 300 while sequentially replacing the plurality of particle adsorption jigs 10. This allows particles to be adsorbed while sequentially replacing the plurality of particle adsorption jigs 10 even when there is no cleaning device 60 for cleaning the particle adsorption jigs 10.

[0064] [Modifications] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered to be illustrative and not restrictive in all respects. The scope of the present disclosure is defined by the claims, not by the description of the above-mentioned embodiments, and includes all modifications (modifications) within the meaning and scope of the claims.

[0065] In the above first and second embodiments, examples have been shown in which the outer shape of the storage containers 30 and 630 is the same as the outer shape of the FOUP 110, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the outer shape of the storage container and the outer shape of the FOUP may be different as long as the storage container can be placed on the substrate transport device.

[0066] In the first and second embodiments described above, examples have been shown in which the particle adsorption jig 10 is housed in the container 30 or 630, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the particle adsorption jig may be disposed in a substrate transport device or a substrate processing device without being housed in a container.

[0067] In the first and second embodiments described above, an example has been shown in which the voltage application unit 21 of the charging device 20 is disposed at the tip of the robot arm 152 of the robot 150, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the charging device may be disposed inside a substrate transport device or inside a substrate processing device. The charging device may also be housed in a storage container. The charging device may also be housed in a container different from the storage container in which the particle adsorption jig is housed.

[0068] In the first and second embodiments, the moving unit 153 moves the voltage application unit 21 to contact the interface 15, which serves as a contact portion, arranged on the periphery of the disk-shaped particle adsorption jig 10, thereby applying a voltage to the particle adsorption jig 10. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the voltage application unit may be brought into contact with a position other than the periphery of the particle adsorption jig to apply a voltage. For example, the voltage application unit may be brought into contact with the center of the particle adsorption jig. That is, a contact portion may be arranged at the center of the main surface of the particle adsorption jig, and the voltage application unit may be arranged at a position on the hand that contacts the center of the main surface of the particle adsorption jig. When the voltage application unit is brought into contact with the main surface of the particle adsorption jig rather than the periphery, particles may be adsorbed on the same surface of the particle adsorption jig as the contact portion that the voltage application unit contacts. Furthermore, a hand rotation mechanism that rotates the hand around a horizontal axis of rotation may be provided in the robot, thereby flipping the front and back sides of the particle suction jig held by the hand. Furthermore, when the particle suction jig is held by the hand without providing a moving unit, the particle suction jig may be kept in constant contact with the voltage application unit.

[0069] In the above-described first and second embodiments, the particle suction jig 10 is held by the hand 151 in a state where it has been aligned by the aligner 140 serving as a position adjustment unit, and the voltage application unit 21 is brought into contact with the interface 15 serving as a contact unit of the disk-shaped particle suction jig 10 held by the hand 151 in an aligned state, thereby applying a voltage to the particle suction jig 10. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, a position adjustment unit may not be provided. In other words, the voltage application unit may be brought into contact with the particle suction jig without performing an alignment operation.

[0070] In the first and second embodiments described above, an example was shown in which the particle adsorption jig 10 was brought into contact with the voltage application unit 21 by the operation of the robot 150 and charged, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, a lift that lifts the particle adsorption jig may be provided, and the particle adsorption jig lifted by the lift may be charged by a charging device. In this case, too, the voltage application unit is brought into contact with the particle adsorption jig by operating the lift through the operation of the robot. For example, an operation unit that accepts an operation to operate the lift may be operated through the operation of the robot.

[0071] In the first and second embodiments described above, the voltage application unit 21 is brought into contact with the disk-shaped particle attraction jig 10 held by the hand 151 in the substrate transfer device 200 to charge the particle attraction jig 10 with static electricity, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the voltage application unit may be brought into contact with the particle attraction jig placed on a placement part or the like, rather than being held by a hand.

[0072] In the first and second embodiments, examples have been described in which the particle adsorption jig 10 is charged with static electricity by the operation of the robot 150 disposed in the substrate transfer device 200, and particles are adsorbed by the particle adsorption jig 10 in at least one of the interiors of the substrate transfer device 200 and the substrate processing apparatus 300. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the particle adsorption jig may be charged with static electricity by the operation of a robot disposed outside the substrate transfer device. For example, the particle adsorption jig may be charged with static electricity by the operation of a robot disposed in the substrate processing apparatus. Furthermore, particles may be adsorbed either inside the substrate transfer device 200 or inside the substrate processing apparatus 300. Furthermore, particles in a FOUP may be adsorbed.

[0073] In the first and second embodiments described above, the particle removal system 100 includes a detection unit 50 including a charge amount detection unit 51 disposed at the tip of the robot arm 152 and an imaging unit 52 disposed in the aligner 140 as a position adjustment unit. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the particle removal system does not necessarily include a detection unit. In this case, for example, the particle adsorption operation ends when a series of particle adsorption operations by the particle adsorption jig is completed once. The detection unit may also include either a charge amount detection unit or an imaging unit. The charge amount detection unit or the imaging unit may be disposed in any position of the robot, the substrate transport device, the substrate processing apparatus, or the FOUP. The detection unit may also be disposed outside the substrate transport device, the substrate processing apparatus, or the FOUP.

[0074] In the first and second embodiments, the hand 151 is an active type that holds the substrate 1 or the particle suction jig 10 by clamping it between the holding portion 151 a and the claw portion 151 b, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the hand may be an active type that uses a vacuum system. Furthermore, the hand may be a passive type that holds the substrate or the particle suction jig without fixing it.

[0075] In the first embodiment described above, an example is shown in which the robot 150 transports the particle adsorption jig 10 to the cleaning device 60 disposed in the substrate processing apparatus 300, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, the cleaning device may be disposed in the substrate transfer device. Alternatively, the cleaning device may be disposed outside the substrate processing apparatus and the substrate transfer device. Alternatively, the particle adsorption jig may be transported to the cleaning device by a transfer device other than the robot.

[0076] In the first embodiment described above, the particle removal operation is terminated after the particle adsorption jig 10 is cleaned by the cleaning device 60, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, after the particle adsorption jig is cleaned by the cleaning device, the particle adsorption jig may be charged again by the charging device through the operation of the robot, and the particle removal operation may be resumed.

[0077] In the first and second embodiments, the control unit 160, which is a robot controller, controls the operation of the robot 150, the operation of the aligner 140 as a position adjustment unit, the operation of the charging device 20, the operation of the cleaning device 60, and the detection of the degree of particle adsorption by the detection unit 50. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this. In the present disclosure, some of the control processes of the operation of the robot, the operation of the position adjustment unit, the operation of the charging device, the operation of the cleaning device, and the detection of the degree of particle adsorption by the detection unit may be performed by different hardware. For example, the operation of the position adjustment unit and the operation of the cleaning device may be controlled by a control device arranged separately from the robot controller that controls the operation of the robot.

[0078] The functions of the elements disclosed herein can be performed using circuits or processing circuits, including general-purpose processors, special-purpose processors, integrated circuits, ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), conventional circuits, and / or combinations thereof, configured or programmed to perform the disclosed functions. A processor is considered a processing circuit or circuit because it includes transistors and other circuitry. In this disclosure, a circuit, unit, or means is hardware that performs the recited functions or hardware that is programmed to perform the recited functions. The hardware may be hardware disclosed herein or other known hardware that is programmed or configured to perform the recited functions. Where the hardware is a processor, which is considered a type of circuit, the circuit, means, or unit is a combination of hardware and software, and the software is used to configure the hardware and / or processor.

[0079] Aspects It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the exemplary embodiments described above are examples of the following aspects.

[0080] (Aspect 1) A particle removal system comprising: a particle adsorption jig that is charged with static electricity and adsorbs particles using the charged static electricity; a charging device that charges the particle adsorption jig with static electricity; a robot including a hand that holds the particle adsorption jig; and a control unit that controls the operation of the robot to charge the particle adsorption jig with static electricity using the charging device.

[0081] (Aspect 2) The particle removal system according to Aspect 1, wherein the charging device includes a voltage application unit that contacts the particle adsorption jig and applies a voltage to the particle adsorption jig, and the control unit controls the operation of the robot to bring the voltage application unit of the charging device into contact with the particle adsorption jig and charge the particle adsorption jig with static electricity.

[0082] (Aspect 3) The particle removal system according to Aspect 2, wherein the robot is disposed in a substrate transport device, the hand holds a substrate within the substrate transport device and the disk-shaped particle adsorption jig that resembles the substrate, and the control unit, by operation of the robot, brings the voltage application unit into contact with the disk-shaped particle adsorption jig held by the hand within the substrate transport device to charge the particle adsorption jig with static electricity, and performs a process of using the particle adsorption jig to adsorb particles from at least one of the interior of the substrate transport device and the interior of the substrate processing apparatus.

[0083] (Aspect 4) The particle removal system according to aspect 2 or 3, wherein the voltage application unit is disposed in the robot.

[0084] (Aspect 5) The particle removal system according to Aspect 4, wherein the robot includes a robot arm having the hand disposed at its tip, the voltage application unit is disposed at the tip of the robot arm and contacts the particle adsorption jig held by the hand, and the control unit brings the voltage application unit disposed at the tip of the robot arm into contact with the particle adsorption jig held by the hand, thereby charging static electricity to the particle adsorption jig.

[0085] (Aspect 6) A particle removal system according to aspect 5, wherein the robot has a moving unit that moves the voltage application unit, and the control unit moves the voltage application unit using the moving unit, thereby bringing the voltage application unit into contact with the particle adsorption jig held by the hand.

[0086] (Aspect 7) The particle removal system according to aspect 3, wherein the voltage application unit contacts a contact portion disposed on a periphery of the disk-shaped particle adsorption jig to apply a voltage to the particle adsorption jig.

[0087] (Aspect 8) A particle removal system according to Aspect 7, further comprising a position adjustment unit that aligns the substrate and the disk-shaped particle adsorption jig, wherein the control unit holds the particle adsorption jig in a state aligned by the position adjustment unit using the hand, and applies voltage to the particle adsorption jig by bringing the voltage application unit into contact with the contact portion of the disk-shaped particle adsorption jig held by the hand in an aligned state.

[0088] (Aspect 9) A particle removal system according to Aspect 3, further comprising a storage container attached to the substrate transport device and in which the particle adsorption jig is previously stored, wherein the control unit causes the hand to hold the particle adsorption jig previously stored in the storage container, and then brings the voltage application unit into contact with the particle adsorption jig held by the hand to charge static electricity on the particle adsorption jig.

[0089] (Aspect 10) The particle removal system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 9, further comprising a detector that detects the degree of particle adsorption by the particle adsorption jig.

[0090] (Aspect 11) The particle removal system according to aspect 10, wherein the detection unit includes at least one of a charge amount detection unit that detects a charge amount of the particle adsorption jig and an imaging unit that images particles adhering to the particle adsorption jig.

[0091] (Aspect 12) A particle removal system according to aspect 10 or aspect 11, wherein the robot includes a robot arm having the hand disposed at its tip, and the detection unit is disposed at the tip of the robot arm and detects the degree of particle adsorption by the particle adsorption jig while held by the hand.

[0092] (Aspect 13) A particle removal system according to any one of Aspects 1 to 12, further comprising a cleaning device that cleans the particle adsorption jig, wherein the control unit, after performing a process of adsorbing particles using the particle adsorption jig, moves the hand to move the particle adsorption jig to the cleaning device.

[0093] (Aspect 14) A particle removal system according to Aspect 9, wherein the container contains a plurality of particle adsorption jigs in advance, and the control unit sequentially replaces the plurality of particle adsorption jigs while performing a process of adsorbing particles from at least one of the interior of the substrate transport device and the interior of the substrate processing device.

[0094] (Aspect 15) A method for controlling a particle removal system, comprising: holding a particle adsorption jig, which is charged with static electricity and adsorbs particles by the charged static electricity, with a hand included in a robot; operating the robot to charge the particle adsorption jig with static electricity using a charging device; and adsorbing particles with the statically charged particle adsorption jig.

Claims

1. A particle removal system comprising: a particle adsorption jig that is charged with static electricity and adsorbs particles by the charged static electricity; a charging device that charges the particle adsorption jig with static electricity; a robot including a hand that holds the particle adsorption jig; and a control unit that controls the operation of the robot to charge the particle adsorption jig with static electricity by the charging device.

2. The particle removal system according to claim 1, wherein the charging device includes a voltage application unit that contacts the particle adsorption jig and applies a voltage to the particle adsorption jig, and the control unit controls the operation of the robot to contact the voltage application unit of the charging device with the particle adsorption jig to charge the particle adsorption jig with static electricity.

3. The particle removal system according to claim 2, wherein the robot is disposed in a substrate transfer device, the hand holds a substrate and a disc-shaped particle adsorption jig simulating the substrate in the substrate transfer device, and the control unit, by the operation of the robot, contacts the voltage application unit with the disc-shaped particle adsorption jig held by the hand in the substrate transfer device to charge the particle adsorption jig with static electricity and executes a process of adsorbing particles in at least one of the inside of the substrate transfer device and the inside of the substrate processing device by the particle adsorption jig.

4. The particle removal system according to claim 2, wherein the voltage application unit is disposed on the robot.

5. The particle removal system according to claim 4, wherein the robot includes a robot arm having the hand disposed at a tip thereof, the voltage application unit is disposed at the tip of the robot arm and contacts the particle adsorption jig held by the hand, and the control unit contacts the voltage application unit disposed at the tip of the robot arm with the particle adsorption jig held by the hand to charge the particle adsorption jig with static electricity.

6. The robot has a moving part that moves the voltage application part, and the control part moves the voltage application part by the moving part to bring the voltage application part into contact with the particle adsorption jig held by the hand. The particle removal system according to claim 5.

7. The voltage application part contacts a contact part arranged at the peripheral edge of the disc-shaped particle adsorption jig to apply a voltage to the particle adsorption jig. The particle removal system according to claim 3.

8. The system further includes an alignment part for aligning the substrate and the disc-shaped particle adsorption jig. The control part holds the particle adsorption jig in an aligned state by the alignment part with the hand, and contacts the voltage application part with the contact part in the disc-shaped particle adsorption jig held by the hand in the aligned state to apply a voltage to the particle adsorption jig. The particle removal system according to claim 7.

9. The system further includes a storage container attached to the substrate transfer device and pre-storing the particle adsorption jig. The control part holds the particle adsorption jig pre-stored in the storage container with the hand, and then contacts the voltage application part with the particle adsorption jig held by the hand to charge the particle adsorption jig with static electricity. The particle removal system according to claim 3.

10. The particle removal system according to claim 1 further includes a detection part for detecting the degree of particle adsorption by the particle adsorption jig.

11. The detection part includes at least one of a charge amount detection part for detecting the charge amount of the particle adsorption jig and an imaging part for imaging the particles attached to the particle adsorption jig. The particle removal system according to claim 10.

12. The robot includes a robot arm with the hand arranged at its tip. The detection part is arranged at the tip of the robot arm and detects the degree of particle adsorption by the particle adsorption jig held by the hand. The particle removal system according to claim 10.

13. The particle removal system according to claim 1, further comprising a cleaning device for cleaning the particle adsorption jig, wherein the control unit moves the hand to move the particle adsorption jig to the cleaning device after executing a process of adsorbing particles by the particle adsorption jig.

14. The particle removal system according to claim 9, wherein a plurality of the particle adsorption jigs are pre-stored in the storage container, and the control unit executes a process of adsorbing particles in at least one of the inside of the substrate transfer device and the inside of the substrate processing device while sequentially exchanging the plurality of particle adsorption jigs.

15. A control method for a particle removal system, comprising: holding a particle adsorption jig that is charged with static electricity and adsorbs particles by static electricity with a hand included in a robot; charging the particle adsorption jig with static electricity by a charging device by operating the robot; and adsorbing particles by the particle adsorption jig charged with static electricity.

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