System and method for assisting in operation of substrate processing apparatus having substrate support

Abstract

A system according to a first embodiment: stores, in a storage medium, data representing a first operation condition of a substrate processing apparatus provided with a substrate support before reproduction; and performs a process for determining a second operation condition of the substrate processing apparatus provided with the substrate support after reproduction, with the first operation condition represented by the data stored in the storage medium as a starting point. A system according to a second embodiment: stores, in a storage medium, log data including measurement values of each of one or more sensors provided to a substrate support; performs analysis for identifying the cause of a failure occurring in operation of the substrate processing apparatus, or performs analysis for predicting a failure that could occur within a given period in operation of the substrate processing apparatus, by using the log data; and outputs analysis result data representing a result of the analysis.

Description

SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR SUPPORTING OPERATION OF SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS HAVING SUBSTRATE SUPPORT - Patent application

[0001] The present invention generally relates to operational support for a substrate processing apparatus having a substrate support, and relates to, for example, a novel technique for supporting the operation of a substrate processing apparatus having a refurbished substrate support (a refurbished substrate support).

[0002] As this type of substrate processing apparatus, for example, a plasma processing apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-144999 is known.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2023-112675

[0004] It is desirable to provide operational support for a substrate processing apparatus having a substrate support. As an example, it is desirable to provide support in at least one of the following respects: - Generally, a test run is performed by a control device of the substrate processing apparatus in order to operate the substrate processing apparatus. During the test run, the operating conditions (e.g., target values ​​such as heating rate and heating time for each operating item, and / or control parameters for achieving the target values) are adjusted. In other words, during the test run, the operating conditions for actual operation are adjusted. It is desirable to shorten the time required to determine the operating conditions. - Malfunctions may occur during actual operation. It is desirable to quickly address the malfunctions and / or reduce the possibility of malfunctions occurring.

[0005] For example, operational support can be provided by a system relating to at least one of the following first and second aspects.

[0006] The system according to the first aspect stores data representing first operating conditions of a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a substrate support before reconditioning in a storage medium, and performs processing to determine second operating conditions of the substrate processing apparatus equipped with a substrate support after reconditioning, starting from the first operating conditions represented by the data stored in the storage medium.

[0007] The system according to the second aspect stores log data including measurement values ​​of one or more sensors provided on the substrate support in a storage medium, performs an analysis using the log data to identify the cause of a malfunction that has occurred during operation of the substrate processing apparatus, or an analysis to predict a malfunction that may occur within a certain period of time during operation of the substrate processing apparatus, and outputs analysis result data representing the results of the analysis.

[0008] According to the present invention, it is possible to assist in the operation of a substrate processing apparatus having a substrate support.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a plasma processing system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a substrate support according to a modified example; FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the substrate mounting surface of the substrate support; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the deterioration of a ceramic surface layer; FIG. 5 is a diagram showing polishing of a ceramic surface layer; FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the configuration of a portion of the substrate support 11 after regenerative bonding; FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of an operation support system; FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a plurality of zones; FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an operation condition table; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the configuration of support management data; FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of sensing log data; FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the flow of processing performed by a control device; FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the flow of processing performed by a support management device.

[0010] In the following description, an "interface apparatus" may be one or more interface devices. The one or more interface devices may be at least one of the following: - One or more I / O (Input / Output) interface devices. The I / O (Input / Output) interface device is an interface device for at least one of an I / O device and a remote display computer. The I / O interface device for the display computer may be a communication interface device. The at least one I / O device may be a user interface device, for example, either an input device such as a keyboard and a pointing device, or an output device such as a display device. - One or more communication interface devices. The one or more communication interface devices may be one or more homogeneous communication interface devices (e.g., one or more NICs (Network Interface Cards)) or two or more heterogeneous communication interface devices (e.g., a NIC and an HBA (Host Bus Adapter)).

[0011] In the following description, the term "memory" refers to one or more memory devices, which are an example of one or more storage devices, and may typically be a primary storage device. At least one memory device in the memory may be a volatile memory device or a non-volatile memory device.

[0012] In the following description, a "persistent storage medium" may refer to one or more persistent storage devices, which are an example of one or more storage devices. A persistent storage device may typically be a non-volatile storage device (e.g., an auxiliary storage device), and more specifically, may be, for example, a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a non-volatile memory express (NVME) drive, or a storage class memory (SCM).

[0013] In the following description, the term "storage medium" may refer to at least a memory and a permanent storage medium.

[0014] In the following description, a "processor" may refer to one or more processor devices. The at least one processor device may typically be a microprocessor device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), but may also be another type of processor device such as a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The at least one processor device may be a single-core or multi-core device. The at least one processor device may also be a processor core. At least one processor device may be a processor device in a broad sense, such as a circuit that is a collection of gate arrays written in a hardware description language that performs part or all of the processing (for example, an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit)).

[0015] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] First, the plasma processing system according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1, which shows the configuration of the plasma processing system according to the present embodiment.

[0017] The plasma processing system includes a capacitively coupled plasma processing apparatus 1 , a control apparatus 2 , a condition management server 131 , and a support management apparatus 132 .

[0018] The plasma processing apparatus 1 includes a chamber 10, a gas supply 20, a power supply 30, and an exhaust system 40. The plasma processing apparatus 1 also includes a substrate support 11 and a gas inlet. The substrate support 11 is disposed within the chamber 10. The gas inlet is configured to introduce at least one process gas into the chamber 10. For example, the gas inlet includes a showerhead 13. The showerhead 13 is disposed above the substrate support 11. In one embodiment, the showerhead 13 is disposed on at least a portion of the ceiling of the chamber 10. The showerhead 13 and the substrate support 11 are electrically insulated from the chamber 10.

[0019] The substrate support 11 is typically the electrostatic chuck itself or a support that includes the electrostatic chuck. The substrate support 11 includes a body member 111 and a cooling plate 154. The substrate support 11 may or may not include a focus ring 112.

[0020] The upper surface of the main body member 111 has a central region 91 (substrate mounting surface) for supporting a substrate (wafer) W and an annular region 92 (ring support surface) for supporting a focus ring 112. The focus ring 112, supported by the annular region 92, surrounds the substrate W in a plan view (see FIG. 8 ). The focus ring 112 includes one or more annular members, at least one of which may be an edge ring. The central region 91 and the annular region 92 may be integrally formed or may be independently formed. The main body member 111 can be formed of a ceramic material, such as alumina or aluminum nitride.

[0021] The adhesive member 153 bonds the main body member 111 and the cooling plate 154. The adhesive member 153 is formed, for example, by TCB (thermal compression bonding). TCB refers to a known method in which a metal bonding material is sandwiched between two components to be bonded and the two components are pressure-bonded while heated to a temperature below the solidus temperature of the metal bonding material. The adhesive member 153 can be formed, for example, by a metal bonding layer using an Al-Mg bonding material or an Al-Si-Mg bonding material. The adhesive member 153 may also be a layer formed of solder or a metal brazing material. Furthermore, the adhesive member 153 may be formed, instead of a metal bonding layer, by a resin adhesive layer. Examples of materials for the resin adhesive layer include a silicone resin adhesive, an epoxy resin adhesive, and an acrylic resin adhesive.

[0022] A flow path is formed inside the cooling plate 154. The main body member 111 can be cooled by a cooling medium flowing through the flow path in the cooling plate 154. The cooling plate 154 may be a circular plate with good thermal conductivity (for example, a circular plate with a diameter equal to or larger than the diameter of the lower part of the main body member 111). The cooling plate 154 may be used as an RF (Radio Frequency) electrode. Examples of materials constituting the cooling plate 154 include metal materials and composite materials of metal and ceramics. Examples of metal materials include Al, Ti, Mo, W, and alloys thereof. Examples of composite materials of metal and ceramics include metal matrix composites (MMCs) and ceramic matrix composites (CMCs). Specific examples of such composite materials include materials containing Si, SiC, and Ti (also referred to as SiSiCTi), materials in which porous SiC is impregnated with Al and / or Si, and Al. ２ O ３ Examples include a composite material of SiSiC and TiC. A material in which a porous SiC body is impregnated with Al is called AlSiC, and a material in which a porous SiC body is impregnated with Si is called SiSiC. It is preferable to select a material for the cooling plate 154 that has a thermal expansion coefficient close to that of the material of the main body member 111. For example, if the main body member 111 is made of alumina, it is preferable that the cooling plate be made of SiSiCTi or AlSiC.

[0023] The main body member 111 may be a flat plate-shaped member made of sintered ceramic. An adsorption electrode 151, which is an electrode for adsorbing and holding the substrate W, and a heater electrode 152, which is an electrode for heating the substrate W, are provided inside the main body member 111. A power supply terminal (not shown) is joined to each of the adsorption electrode 151 and the heater electrode 152 with solder. An external connector is connected to the power supply terminal, and power is supplied from a power source 30 via the adsorption electrode 151 and the heater electrode 152, thereby performing adsorption and heating. The heater electrode 152 may be, for example, a resistance heating element formed so as to be wired from one of a pair of terminals across the entire substrate mounting surface (described below) and to the other of the pair of terminals in a plan view.

[0024] The showerhead 13 is configured to introduce at least one process gas from the gas supply 20 into the chamber 10. In addition to the showerhead 13, the gas introduction may include one or more side gas injections attached to one or more openings formed in the sidewall of the chamber 10.

[0025] The power supply 30 includes an RF power supply coupled to the chamber 10 via at least one impedance matching circuit. The RF power supply is configured to supply at least one RF signal (RF power), such as a source RF signal and a bias RF signal, to a conductive member (lower electrode) of the substrate support 11 and / or a conductive member (upper electrode) of the showerhead 13. This causes a plasma to be formed from at least one process gas supplied into the chamber 10. By supplying a bias RF signal to the lower electrode, a bias potential is generated on the substrate W, thereby attracting ion components in the formed plasma to the substrate W. The power supply 30 may also include a DC power supply coupled to the chamber 10. The DC power supply is connected to the lower electrode, and a DC signal is applied to the lower electrode. In one embodiment, the DC signal may be applied to an attraction electrode 151 in the body member 111. A second DC signal may be applied to the upper electrode.

[0026] The exhaust system 40 may be connected to, for example, a gas exhaust port 110 provided at the bottom of the chamber 10. The exhaust system 40 may include a pressure regulating valve and a vacuum pump. The pressure regulating valve regulates the internal pressure in the chamber 10. The vacuum pump may include a turbomolecular pump, a dry pump, or a combination thereof.

[0027] The control device 2 processes computer-executable instructions that cause the plasma processing device 1 to execute various processes. The control device 2 controls the operation (test run and actual run) of the plasma processing device 1. Some or all of the elements (e.g., functions) of the control device 2 may be included in the plasma processing device 1. Also, some or all of the elements (e.g., functions) of the control device 2 may be provided in the power supply 30, and the control device 2 may also serve as a power supply controller.

[0028] One or more sensors 34 are provided on the substrate support 11. The multiple sensors 34 may include multiple types of sensors. The sensors 34 may include, for example, a temperature sensor 34T and a wear sensor (wear sensor) 34W. The sensors 34 may be provided at any position. For example, the one or more temperature sensors 34T may be provided on the rear surface of the body member 111 or in the annular region 92. One or more wear sensors 34W (e.g., multiple wear sensors 34W arranged at equal intervals) may be provided in the annular region 92. The wear sensors 34W provided in the annular region 92 may contact the focus ring 112.

[0029] The substrate support 11 is provided with a memory module 191. The memory module 191 stores sensing log data, which is data representing a sensing log including values ​​measured by each sensor 34. For example, communication (e.g., wireless communication) may be possible between the sensors 34 and the memory module 191, and the measured values ​​of each sensor 34 may be stored in the memory module 191 during this communication. The memory module 191 may be located at any position. For example, a recess in which the memory module 191 is located together with the wear amount sensor 34W (or separately from the wear amount sensor 34W) may be provided in the annular region 92, and the memory module 191 may be located in the recess. Alternatively, the memory module 191 may be located near the position of the temperature sensor 34T.

[0030] The condition management server 131 communicates with the control device 2 via, for example, a communication network. The communication network may be, for example, the Internet, a WAN (Wide Area Network), or a LAN (Local Area Network). The condition management server 131 stores condition management data, which is data representing the operating conditions of the substrate support 11 for each individual identifier (e.g., individual number) of the substrate support 11. The control device 2 acquires operating conditions corresponding to the individual identifier of the substrate support 11 in the plasma processing apparatus 1 from the condition management server 131 and uses the acquired operating conditions for control of operation. For example, the operating conditions acquired from the management server 131 may be used as initial operating conditions for a trial run, and the operating conditions for actual operation may be adjusted based on the acquired operating conditions. Furthermore, for example, the operating conditions acquired from the management server 131 may be used as operating conditions for actual operation.

[0031] The support management device 132 acquires sensing log data from the memory module 191 provided in the substrate support 11 at predetermined timing or periodically, and analyzes the sensing log data. This process may be performed, for example, as so-called troubleshooting when some abnormality is detected by the control device 2 (for example, when the control device 2 is unable to identify the cause of the abnormality). For example, the sensing log data may be read from the memory module 191 during communication (for example, wireless communication) between the support management device 132 and the memory module 191. The condition management server 131 may also function as the support management device 132.

[0032] It should be noted that the memory module 191 is not necessarily required. The sensing log data may be accumulated in the condition management server 131 (or another server) through a device that communicates with each sensor 34 (or without going through such a device). Furthermore, the sensing log data does not necessarily have to be accumulated.

[0033] Furthermore, the individual information including the individual identifier of the substrate support 11 may be read from the memory module 191. Alternatively, as illustrated in FIG. 2 , a printed medium 200 representing the individual information of the substrate support 11 may be provided (e.g., attached) at a visible position on the substrate support 11 (or the plasma processing apparatus 1). The printed medium 200 may be a printed medium (e.g., a sticker) representing the individual information such as the individual identifier in alphanumeric characters or the like in a visible manner, or may be a printed medium displaying a two-dimensional barcode including a link (typically a URL) to the condition management server 131. A user (e.g., a person in charge) of the plasma processing apparatus 1 operates a UI (User Interface) device to acquire the individual information from the memory module 191 or the printed medium 200. The UI device may be an input / output device of the control apparatus 2 or an information processing terminal such as a personal computer or a smartphone. An individual identifier in the acquired individual information may be input from the UI device to the condition management server 131, and operating conditions corresponding to the individual identifier and acquired from the condition management server 131 may be displayed on the UI device. A user may operate the control device 2 to operate the plasma processing apparatus 1 based on the operating conditions. Alternatively, the operating conditions corresponding to the individual identifier may be acquired from the condition management server 131 by the control device 2 via or without the UI device, and the control device 2 may operate the plasma processing apparatus 1 using the operating conditions.

[0034] FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of a portion of the substrate mounting surface of the substrate support 11. As shown in FIG.

[0035] The substrate support 11 has a substrate mounting surface on which a substrate W is mounted. The substrate W is typically a semiconductor substrate, for example, a Si substrate. The plasma processing apparatus 1 may also be called a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus.

[0036] The substrate mounting surface is the entire surface or a portion thereof (e.g., the surface serving as the central region 91) of the substrate support 11. A plurality of protrusions 301 are provided over the entire surface of the substrate mounting surface. The protrusions 301 may be small protrusions having a circular cross section (horizontal cross section), for example. The height of the protrusions 301 may be, for example, several μm to several tens of μm (e.g., 50 μm). The diameter of the cross section of the protrusions 301 may be, for example, several hundreds of μm (e.g., 800 μm). The height of each protrusion 301 may be the same, and therefore the substrate W can be positioned horizontally. When a DC voltage is applied to the attraction electrode 151, the substrate W is attracted and fixed to the substrate mounting surface 36 (specifically, the upper surfaces of the protrusions 301) by electrostatic attraction force. When the application of the DC voltage is stopped, the substrate W is released from being attracted and fixed to the substrate mounting surface.

[0037] Thermal expansion of the substrate W can cause it to slide against the protrusions 301 on the substrate support surface (see arrow 300). This sliding and other factors (e.g., etching and film formation processes) can cause the ceramic surface layer on the substrate support 11 to deteriorate (e.g., corrosion or grain shedding), as illustrated in FIG. 4 . Deterioration of the ceramic surface layer can result in a loss of expected performance, potentially necessitating replacement of the substrate support 11. To reduce the frequency of replacement, one method is to scrape off one side of the surface layer to expose a fresh surface. However, this method reduces the thickness of the dielectric layer, increasing the adhesive force and requiring a lower applied voltage. Therefore, there is a limit to the number of times one side of the ceramic surface layer can be scraped off, or such scraping is impossible.

[0038] Therefore, in this embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 5 , the surface of the ceramic surface layer is polished and planarized by a polishing device 511, and then, as illustrated in FIG. 6 , a ceramic of the same material as the remaining ceramic of the substrate support 11 is bonded. This type of bonding can be called "regeneration bonding." For example, the regeneration bonding may be performed as follows: That is, the lower surface of the first ceramic layer 601 (e.g., the first ceramic plate) is polished and planarized to form a first altered layer, and the upper surface of the second ceramic layer 602 (e.g., the second ceramic plate) is polished to form a second altered layer. A fast atom beam (FAB) is irradiated under high vacuum onto the surface (polished surface) of the first ceramic layer 601 on which the first altered layer is formed, and the FAB is also irradiated under high vacuum onto the surface (polished surface) of the second ceramic layer 602 (e.g., the second ceramic plate) on which the second altered layer is formed. The FAB conditions are set, for example, as follows: voltage 0.5 to 2 kV, current 50 to 200 mA, and irradiation time 30 to 300 seconds. This removes oxides and adsorbed molecules from the surface of the first ceramic layer 601 on which the first altered layer is formed and the surface of the second ceramic layer 602 on which the second altered layer is formed, resulting in amorphization (activation). The first ceramic layer 601 and the second ceramic layer 602 are then overlapped so that the surface on which the first altered layer is formed faces the surface on which the second altered layer is formed, and are bonded while applying pressure. The load applied during pressing is set, for example, to 0.1 to 20 kN. This results in a substrate support 11 in which the first ceramic layer 601 and the second ceramic layer 602 are rebonded, i.e., a regenerated support 11 (regenerated substrate support 11). The regeneration support 11 has a bonding layer 600 of a first ceramic layer 601 and a second ceramic layer 602. Regeneration bonding can be performed at room temperature. The ceramic sintered body for each of the first ceramic layer 601 and the second ceramic layer 602 may be, for example, an alumina, AlN, or SiC sintered body. The first ceramic layer 601 and the second ceramic layer 602 may be made of the same material or different materials.

[0039] The structure of the recycled support 11 is as shown in Figure 6. When the ceramic surface layer on the surface of the recycled support 11 deteriorates, the regeneration bonding described with reference to Figures 5 and 6 is performed again to construct the recycled support 11. That is, the first ceramic layer 601 having the deteriorated ceramic surface layer is removed by polishing or the like, and a new first ceramic layer 601 is bonded to the second ceramic layer 602.

[0040] It is preferable that even if the regeneration bonding is performed (even if the regeneration support 11 is constructed), the individual identifier of the substrate support 11 is not changed. That is, even if the regeneration bonding is performed, the individual identifier assigned to the new support 11 (the substrate support 11 as a new product) is maintained.

[0041] The following describes operation assistance for the plasma processing apparatus 1. In this embodiment, operation assistance can be achieved for at least one of the plasma processing apparatus 1 having a new support 11 and the plasma processing apparatus 1 having a refurbished support 11, with respect to at least one of the viewpoints of adjusting operating conditions and the viewpoint of malfunctions. In the following description, functions are sometimes described using the expression "yyy unit." However, the function may be realized by one or more computer programs executed by a processor, by one or more hardware circuits (e.g., FPGAs or ASICs), or by a combination thereof. When a function is realized by a program executed by a processor, the specified processing is performed using a storage medium and / or an interface device, as appropriate, and therefore the function may be considered to be at least a part of the processor. Processing described using a function as the subject may also be processing performed by a processor or a device having the processor. A program may be installed from a program source. The program source may be, for example, a program distribution computer or a computer-readable storage medium (e.g., a non-transitory storage medium). The description of each function is merely an example; multiple functions may be combined into one function, or one function may be divided into multiple functions.

[0042] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing the configuration of the operation support system.

[0043] The operation support system includes some elements of the plasma processing system, such as a condition management server 131, a memory module 191, and a support management device 132.

[0044] The condition management server 131 may be a physical computer system (e.g., one or more physical computers) or a logical computer system based on a physical computer system (e.g., a cloud computing system). The condition management server 131 stores condition management data 710. The condition management data 710 includes data representing operating conditions for each individual identifier of the substrate support 11. The substrate mounting surface (e.g., the central region) of the substrate support 11 may be logically divided into multiple zones, and operation control based on operating conditions may be performed for each zone. For example, as shown in FIG. 8 , the substrate mounting surface may be divided into a central circular zone 60A and concentric zones 60B and 60C surrounding zone 60A, and operating conditions may be defined for each of zones 60A to 60C. The number, shape, area, etc. of the zones are not limited to the example shown in FIG. 8 . Any zone division may be used. Furthermore, the substrate mounting surface does not necessarily have to be divided into zones.

[0045] The memory module 191 includes a memory controller 791 and a memory 792 connected to the memory controller 791. Sensing log data 722, which is log data including measurement values ​​from all of the sensors 34 provided on the substrate support 11, is stored in the memory 792 via the memory controller 791. Operating condition data 780 representing operating conditions of the plasma processing apparatus 1 may be stored in the memory 792. The memory module 191 may be a module that is powered by a memory power supply (e.g., a battery) (not shown), or may be a module that is powered without power. Similarly, the sensor 34 may be a sensor that is powered by a sensor power supply (e.g., a battery), or may be a sensor that is powered without power.

[0046] The control device 122 includes an interface device 711, a storage medium 712, and a processor 713 connected thereto.

[0047] The interface device 711 communicates with the condition management server 131, the UI device 750, and a predetermined sensor 34 (e.g., temperature sensor 34T) of the substrate support 11. The UI device 750 may be an input / output device (e.g., a keyboard, a pointing device, and a display device) or an information processing terminal. When the UI device 750 is an information processing terminal, for example, the UI device 750 may read individual information from the print medium 200 of the substrate support 11 and obtain and display operating conditions corresponding to the individual identifier in the individual information from the condition management server 131 via a communication network. The plasma processing apparatus 1 may be operated (test run or actual operation) by the control device 122 using the displayed operating conditions.

[0048] The storage medium 712 stores computer programs and data. For example, the storage medium 712 stores log management data 770, operating condition data 780, and support management data 790. The log management data 770 includes various log data, such as operation log data and sensing log data including measurement values ​​of predetermined sensors 34. The operating condition data 780 is data representing operating conditions determined in a test run. The support management data 790 includes data related to the characteristics of the substrate support 11. All of the data 770, 780, and 790 may be stored in a non-volatile area, or the data 770 and 790 may be stored in a non-volatile area and the data 780 may be stored in a volatile area.

[0049] The processor 713 executes a computer program stored in the storage medium 712 to realize functions such as an operation support unit 720 and an actual operation unit 730. The operation support unit 720 controls a test run of the plasma processing apparatus 1. During the test run, operating conditions are determined, and operating condition data 780 representing the determined operating conditions is stored in the condition management server 131 (or the memory module 191). The actual operation unit 730 controls the actual operation of the plasma processing apparatus 1 using the operating conditions represented by the operating condition data 780. During the test run or actual operation, the log management data 770 and the support management data 790 may be referenced or updated as appropriate.

[0050] The support management device 132 includes an interface device 731, a storage medium 732, and a processor 733 connected thereto.

[0051] The interface device 731 communicates with the UI device 760, each of all the sensors 34 of the substrate support 11, and the memory module 191. The UI device 760 may be an input / output device or an information processing terminal, similar to the UI device 750. When both the UI devices 760 and 750 are information processing terminals, the UI device 750 may be the UI device 760.

[0052] The storage medium 732 stores computer programs and data, for example, the storage medium 732 stores the sensing log data 722 acquired from the memory module 191.

[0053] The processor 733 executes a computer program stored in the storage medium 732 to realize functions such as a log acquisition unit 751 and a log analysis unit 752. The log acquisition unit 751 acquires sensing log data 722 from the memory module 191 and stores it in the storage medium 732. The log analysis unit 752 analyzes the sensing log data 722.

[0054] Some of the elements shown in FIG. 7 will now be described in more detail.

[0055] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an operating condition table.

[0056] The operation condition table exists for each zone and is included in the operation condition data 780. For each operation item, the operation condition table includes a target value for the operation item (e.g., a temperature increase rate or a temperature decrease rate in heating the substrate support 11) and / or a control parameter for realizing the target value.

[0057] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the structure of the support management data 790. As shown in FIG.

[0058] The support management data 790 includes pre-playback support data 1001 , post-playback support data 1002 , and zone management data 1003 .

[0059] The pre-recycled support data 1001 includes data representing the characteristics of one or more pre-recycled substrate supports 11. The "one or more pre-recycled substrate supports 11" may be only new supports 11, only pre-recycled substrate supports 11 immediately preceding the most recent recycle support 11 (the substrate support 11 constructed by the most recent recycle bonding), or some or all of the past pre-recycled substrate supports 11. The "characteristics of the substrate support 11" may be one or more predetermined characteristics other than the individual identifier of the substrate support 11, and may be, for example, at least one of the roughness of the surface (substrate support surface), the thickness of the first ceramic layer 601, the temperature uniformity within the substrate support surface, the insulation (e.g., the amount of leakage current to the substrate W), the height of the protrusions 301, and the outer diameter of the protrusions 301 (the diameter of the cross section of the protrusions 301).

[0060] The refurbished support data 1002 includes data representing the characteristics of the latest substrate support 11. The "latest substrate support 11" is a brand new support 11 or a latest refurbished support 11.

[0061] The zone management data 1003 includes data representing the attributes (for example, position and size) of each of the multiple zones on the substrate placement surface.

[0062] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the configuration of the sensing log data 722.

[0063] The sensing log data 722 includes log data including the measurement values ​​of the sensors 34 of the substrate support 11 .

[0064] For example, in this embodiment, it is assumed that the sensors 34 include one or more temperature sensors 34T and one or more consumption amount sensors 34W. In this case, the sensing log data 722 includes temperature log data 1101 and consumption amount log data 1102. The temperature log data 1101 includes, for each of the one or more temperature sensors 34T, measurement values ​​(e.g., time series) of the temperature sensors 34T. The temperature log data 1101 includes, for each of the one or more temperature sensors 34T, temperatures (e.g., time series) measured by the temperature sensors 34T. The consumption amount log data 1102 includes, for each of the one or more consumption amount sensors 34W, consumption amounts (e.g., time series) measured by the consumption amount sensors 34W.

[0065] An example of the processing performed in this embodiment will be described below.

[0066] FIG. 12 is a diagram showing the flow of processing performed by the control device 2.

[0067] The operation support unit 720 determines whether the substrate support 11 in the plasma processing apparatus 1 is a refurbished support 11 (S1201). For example, before the start of the trial run, the operation support unit 720 may receive information from the UI device 750 as to whether the substrate support 11 in the plasma processing apparatus 1 is a refurbished support 11 or a new support 11, and make the determination based on the information.

[0068] If the determination result in S1201 is true (S1201: YES), that is, if the substrate support 11 is a recycled support 11, the operation support unit 720 reads the operating condition data 780 of the recycled support 11 from the condition management server 131 (or the memory module 191) (S1202) and stores the operating condition data 780 in the storage medium 712. The operation support unit 720 displays the operating conditions represented by the operating condition data 780 on the UI device 750 (S1203). The operation support unit 720 adjusts the operating conditions based on the displayed operating conditions during the test run of the plasma processing apparatus 1, and determines the operating conditions (S1204). Since the operating conditions are adjusted based on the displayed operating conditions, the time required to determine the operating conditions is shortened. In S1204, the operation support unit 720 may identify support characteristics (characteristics of the substrate support 11) and zone configuration (zone configuration of the substrate support surface of the substrate support 11) from the support management data 790, and adjust and determine the operating conditions based on the support characteristics and zone configuration. For example, since the characteristics may differ depending on the substrate support 11, the operating condition adjustment may differ depending on the substrate support 11. The operating conditions between zones may be adjusted to maintain thermal uniformity across the entire substrate support surface. The operation support unit 720 stores operating condition data 780 representing the operating conditions determined in S1204 in the condition management server 131 (or memory module 191) (S1205). In other words, the operating conditions managed in the condition management server 131 (or memory module 191) are updated.

[0069] If the determination result in S1201 is false (S1201: NO), that is, if the substrate support 11 is a new support 11, S1202 and S1203 are skipped, and S1204 and S1205 are performed. Specifically, in S1204, the operating conditions are adjusted, for example, starting from an operating condition set by the user.

[0070] After S1205, actual operation is started. The actual operation unit 730 performs actual operation using the operating conditions determined during the trial operation (S1206). Specifically, for example, in S1206, the actual operation unit 730 may include, in the log management data 770, measurement values ​​from a temperature sensor 34T, which is an example of a predetermined sensor 34. The actual operation unit 730 performs actual operation based on the support characteristics and zone configuration represented by the support management data 790 and the temperature log data of the log management data 770. Specifically, for example, the actual operation unit 730 identifies, for each zone, an operating condition table corresponding to that zone from the operating condition data 780, and performs actual operation for each operation item represented by the operating condition table based on the measurement values ​​from the sensor 34 so as to maintain the target value of the operation item or to comply with the control parameter corresponding to the operation item. More specifically, for example, the temperature represented by the temperature log data is a temperature that reflects the temperature based on the heat input of the plasma and the temperature based on the heating of the support. Therefore, the actual operation unit 730 performs actual operation so that the temperature indicated by the temperature log data becomes a temperature based on the plasma heat input and support heating determined as the operating conditions. For example, the actual operation unit 730 may change the output of the heater electrode 152 in accordance with the measurement by the temperature sensor 34T (or in accordance with the control parameters).

[0071] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the flow of processing performed by the support management device 132.

[0072] During actual operation (and trial operation) of the plasma processing apparatus 1, sensing log data 722 including measurement values ​​from each sensor 34 of the substrate support 11 is stored in the memory module 191. The sensing log data 722 is updated as time passes during actual operation. In the sensing log data 722, the temperature log data 1101 and the consumption amount log data 1102 each include a time series of measurement values.

[0073] The log acquisition unit 751 acquires sensing log data 722 from the memory module 191 (S1301). The log analysis unit 752 analyzes the sensing log data 722 (S1302). The log analysis unit 752 displays the results of the analysis in S1302 on the UI device 760 (S1303). The analysis in S1302 may be an analysis for identifying the cause of a malfunction that has occurred during operation of the plasma processing apparatus 1 (e.g., a malfunction detected by the control device 2), or an analysis for predicting a malfunction that may occur during operation of the plasma processing apparatus 1 within a certain period of time (e.g., until the next maintenance of the plasma processing apparatus 1).

[0074] 13 may be performed to identify the cause of a malfunction when the malfunction occurs during actual operation of the plasma processing apparatus 1 (for example, when the cause of the malfunction cannot be identified by the user of the control apparatus 2). Furthermore, at least steps S1301 and S1302 of the processes shown in Fig. 13 may be performed periodically, and step S1303 (or, instead of or in addition to step S1303, transmission of the analysis results to a predetermined destination) may be performed when maintenance is performed in which the chamber 10 of the plasma processing apparatus 1 is opened.

[0075] Although one embodiment has been described above, this is merely an example for explaining the present invention, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. The present invention can be implemented in various other forms.

[0076] The above-described embodiments can be summarized, for example, as follows. The following summary may include supplementary explanations and explanations of variations of the above explanations. As an operation support system for a substrate processing apparatus (e.g., plasma processing apparatus 1) that includes a substrate support (e.g., substrate support 11) in a chamber on which a substrate to be processed (e.g., substrate W) is placed, there are, for example, a system according to a first aspect and a system according to a second aspect. Systems according to both the first and second aspects may be employed.

[0077] The system according to the first aspect includes a storage medium and an operation support unit (e.g., the operation support unit 720). The storage medium stores operating condition data (e.g., the operating condition data 780) representing first operating conditions of a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a substrate support before refurbishment. The operation support unit acquires the operating condition data from the storage medium and performs a condition adjustment process (e.g., a process performed in a trial run) for determining second operating conditions of a substrate processing apparatus equipped with a refurbished substrate support, starting from the first operating conditions represented by the operating condition data. This reduces the time required to determine the second operating conditions (e.g., the operating conditions to be used in actual operation), thereby supporting the operation of the substrate processing apparatus.

[0078] For example, the operation support unit may display, on a UI device (e.g., the UI device 750), a first operating condition represented by the acquired operating condition data as the operating condition that serves as the starting point for the condition adjustment process, allowing a user (e.g., a person in charge) to operate a controller (e.g., the control device 2) of the substrate processing apparatus for the condition adjustment process, starting from the first operating condition.

[0079] Furthermore, for example, the storage medium may be a storage medium in a server, and the individual identifiers of the substrate support before and after refurbishing may be the same, and the operation support unit may acquire operating condition data corresponding to the individual identifier of the substrate support after refurbishing from the server. The individual identifier may be manually input to the server by a user via a UI device (e.g., UI device 750), or may be read from a printed medium (e.g., print medium 200) provided on the substrate support using a UI device (e.g., UI device 750) and input to the server. This eliminates the need to provide a storage medium for each substrate support for the purpose of storing operating condition data, thereby contributing to shortening the time required to determine operating conditions.

[0080] Regarding the first aspect, the storage medium may be any one of the following (1) to (4): (1) a storage medium provided in the substrate support (e.g., memory module 191); (2) a storage medium in an information processing terminal (e.g., support management device 132) provided near the substrate support and outside the chamber of the substrate processing apparatus; (3) a storage medium in a server (e.g., condition management server 131) that stores condition management data (e.g., condition management data 710) including operating condition data for each individual identifier of the substrate support; (4) a storage medium in a controller of the substrate processing apparatus (e.g., a power supply controller in power supply 30 or control device 2).

[0081] The position of "(1) the storage medium provided on the substrate support" is preferably a position other than the substrate placement surface (for example, the annular region 92 described above) in order to reduce the influence on the substrate on which film formation or etching is performed. Furthermore, "(2) the information processing terminal provided near the substrate support and outside the chamber of the substrate processing apparatus" may be an information processing terminal capable of wireless communication (for example, short-range wireless communication) with the sensor.

[0082] The system according to the second aspect includes one or more sensors (e.g., sensor 34), a storage medium, a log acquisition unit (e.g., log acquisition unit 751), and a log analysis unit (e.g., log analysis unit 752). The one or more sensors are provided on a substrate support. The storage medium stores sensing log data (e.g., sensing log data 722), which includes log data including measurement values ​​from the one or more sensors. The log acquisition unit acquires the sensing log data from the storage medium. The log analysis unit uses the acquired sensing log data to perform an analysis to identify the cause of a malfunction that has occurred during operation of the substrate processing apparatus or to predict a malfunction that may occur within a certain period of time (e.g., until the next scheduled maintenance) during operation of the substrate processing apparatus, and outputs analysis result data representing the results of the analysis (e.g., displays the analysis result on the UI device 760 or 750). This is expected to enable prompt response to malfunctions and / or reduce the likelihood of malfunctions occurring, thereby supporting the operation of the substrate processing apparatus.

[0083] For example, in the second aspect, the storage medium may be either one of the following (1) or (2): (1) a storage medium provided on a substrate support, or (2) a storage medium in an information processing terminal provided near the substrate support and outside the chamber of the substrate processing apparatus.

[0084] An apparatus (e.g., the support management apparatus 132) equipped with a log acquisition unit and a log analysis unit, and a storage medium storing the sensing log data, may be under the control of an entity providing the substrate support (e.g., a manufacturer or vendor). In this case, the cause of a defect and the occurrence of a defect can be identified more accurately and quickly on behalf of the entity providing the substrate processing apparatus or the chip (a portion of the processed substrate). Specifically, for example, if the substrate processing apparatus is controlled by a controller in the entity providing the chip, the in-plane yield may drop below a certain level or other defects may occur. Sensing log data, a log including measurement values ​​of each sensor provided on the substrate support, is stored in a storage medium under the entity providing the substrate support, and an apparatus under the entity providing the substrate support can retrieve and analyze the sensing log data from the storage medium. This makes it possible to identify the cause of a defect without disclosing the operating log, operating conditions, etc., from the entity providing the chip. From this perspective, it is preferable that the storage medium storing the sensing log data be separate from the storage medium storing the operating condition data. Specifically, for example, a first entity may be defined that can access a first storage medium in which operating condition data is stored, and a second entity may be defined that can access a second storage medium in which sensing log data is stored. The second entity may be able to read data from the second storage medium but not from the first storage medium. Similarly, the first entity may be able to read data from the first storage medium but not from the second storage medium. Such access restrictions may be realized physically (e.g., the controller of the substrate processing apparatus may not be physically connected to the second storage medium) or logically (e.g., by an access control list, etc.).

[0085] The substrate support may be refurbished after troubleshooting the failure, which may be to remove the cause of the failure, and thus refurbishment and troubleshooting may be related.

[0086] Furthermore, for example, acquisition of sensing log data and analysis using the acquired sensing log data (particularly analysis for predicting possible future defects) may be performed periodically in the background of operation of the substrate processing apparatus. If a defect is predicted to occur within a certain period of time, the log analysis unit may output data representing the predicted defect as analysis result data in order to prevent the defect from occurring during the next scheduled maintenance in which the chamber of the substrate processing apparatus is opened (e.g., maintenance in which components are cleaned or replaced). The destination of this data may be an entity that provides the substrate support, or an entity that provides the substrate processing apparatus or chips.

[0087] The plurality of sensors may include a first sensor that measures a value to be transmitted to the controller of the substrate processing apparatus and a second sensor that measures a value that is not transmitted to the controller of the substrate processing apparatus. For example, when a substrate support is refurbished, a sensor that was not included in the pre-refurbished substrate support may be added to the refurbished substrate support. Such an added sensor is an example of a second sensor. However, if the measurement values ​​of the added sensor are to be transmitted to the controller of the substrate processing apparatus in addition to the measurement values ​​of the existing sensor (an example of a first sensor), the controller of the substrate processing apparatus would need to be modified. To avoid such modification, the second sensor may be provided that measures a value that is not transmitted to the controller of the substrate processing apparatus.

[0088] An example of the first sensor may be a temperature sensor 34T, and an example of the second sensor may be a wear sensor 34W. Specifically, the substrate support may include a body member (e.g., body member 111) having a ceramic sintered body and a substrate mounting surface on which a substrate is mounted. The body member of the refurbished substrate support may include a first ceramic layer (e.g., first ceramic layer 601) having a substrate mounting surface and replacing the ceramic layer removed from the pre-refurbished substrate support, and a second ceramic layer (e.g., second ceramic layer 602) to which the first ceramic layer is bonded. A portion of the first ceramic layer (e.g., a portion having the substrate mounting surface) may be removed to refurbish the refurbished substrate support. In other words, the body member may be reusable. The body member may include a central region constituting the substrate mounting surface and an annular region (e.g., annular region 92) located one step lower than the central region and surrounding the central region, on which a focus ring (e.g., focus ring 112) is mounted. A wear sensor and a storage medium may be provided in the annular region. For example, the focus ring is abraded by an etching gas, which is an example of a processing gas, and the etching gas enters the space between the focus ring and the annular region, abrading the ceramic. By providing the wear sensor in the annular region, the amount of wear of the ceramic can be measured.

[0089] With respect to at least one of the first and second aspects, support data representing characteristics of the substrate support may be stored in a storage medium. The "characteristics of the substrate support" may include at least one of the following: roughness of a substrate support surface on which a plurality of protrusions (e.g., protrusions 301) on which the substrate is placed are arranged, temperature uniformity within the substrate support surface, insulation properties, height of the protrusions on the substrate support surface (e.g., the height of a representative protrusion 301, or a statistical value such as the average value or distribution of the heights of the plurality of protrusions 301), and outer diameter of the protrusions on the substrate support surface. By reading the support data from the storage medium and performing the above-described condition adjustment process or analysis based on the characteristics represented by the support data, it is expected that the time required for determining operating conditions will be further shortened or more accurate analysis will be achieved.

[0090] Specifically, for example, the support data may include pre-recycled support data representing the characteristics of the substrate support before recycle and post-recycled support data representing the characteristics of the substrate support after recycle. The characteristics of the recycle-ready substrate support may include the thickness of the first ceramic layer (e.g., an example of a characteristic element of the characteristics of the recycle-ready substrate support). The "thickness of the first ceramic layer" may be the distance from the surface of the first ceramic layer to the chucking electrode (e.g., chucking electrode 151). The first ceramic layer may become thinner each time it is recycle-read, but if it becomes too thin, dielectric breakdown may occur. Therefore, a threshold value for the thickness of the first ceramic layer may be set. The threshold value may be stored in the storage medium in which the post-recycled support data is stored or in a separate storage medium. A controller of a substrate processing apparatus having a recycle-ready substrate support may read the post-recycled support data from the storage medium and determine the thickness of the first ceramic layer of the recycle-ready substrate support from the post-recycled support data. The controller (or a user viewing a UI displaying the thickness) may determine whether the thickness is equal to or greater than a threshold value. If the result of this determination is false, the controller may issue a warning of an abnormality, or the controller or the user may decide to replace the substrate support with a new one. If the result of this determination is true, the controller (or the user) may determine an chucking voltage (a voltage to be applied to the chucking electrode) according to the specified thickness. This chucking voltage may be part of the second operating condition.

[0091] The operation support unit may update the operating conditions represented by the operating condition data acquired from the storage medium based on the difference between the characteristics represented by the pre-recycled support data and the characteristics represented by the post-recycled support data, and use the updated operating conditions as a starting point. This is expected to further shorten the time required to determine the operating conditions. Furthermore, the log analysis unit may perform analysis further using the difference between the characteristics represented by the pre-recycled support data and the characteristics represented by the post-recycled support data. This is expected to result in accurate analysis. Specifically, for example, with regard to protrusions provided on the substrate mounting surface, the difference in height before and after recycle affects the difference in process resistance. Therefore, condition adjustment processing and analysis may be performed based on the difference in the height of the protrusions before and after recycle.

[0092] The characteristics of the substrate support after restoration may be measured by a sensor or the like (for example, the height of a protrusion on the substrate mounting surface may be measured by a sensor), and support data representing the substrate support characteristics including the measured values ​​may be stored in a storage medium. The storage medium for storing the support data may be a storage medium for storing operating condition data or a storage medium for storing sensing log data.

[0093] Furthermore, with respect to at least one of the first and second aspects, learning or inference of a machine learning model may be performed. For example, either of the following (A) and (B) may be applied. (A) A controller of a substrate processing apparatus at each site may have a first machine learning model that receives first operating conditions as input and outputs second operating conditions, and / or a second machine learning model that receives sensing log data as input and analysis result data as output. The controller may learn the first machine learning model using a training data set including a plurality of pairs of the first operating conditions and the second operating conditions, or may learn the second machine learning model using a training data set including a plurality of pairs of sensing log data and analysis result data. The controller may perform inference to determine the second operating conditions using the first machine learning model based on the first operating conditions, or may perform inference to output analysis result data using the second machine learning model based on the sensing log data. (B) Federated learning may be applied. For example, a server may be communicably connected to the controller of the substrate processing apparatus at each site. For example, a machine learning model trained in each controller as in (A) may be transmitted to a server, and the server may merge the machine learning models from the multiple controllers and deploy the merged machine learning model to each of the multiple controllers. Each controller may train the deployed machine learning model or perform inference using the deployed machine learning model. The machine learning model in (B) may be the first machine learning model or the second machine learning model in (A).

[0094] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1... Plasma processing apparatus 2... Control device 11... Substrate support 34 (34T, 34W)... Sensor 131... Management server 132... Support management device 191... Memory module

Claims

1. An operation support system for a substrate processing apparatus having a chamber with a substrate support on which a substrate to be processed is placed, the operation support system comprising: a storage medium in which operating condition data representing first operating conditions of the substrate processing apparatus having the substrate support before refurbishment is stored; and an operation support unit that acquires the operating condition data from the storage medium and performs a condition adjustment process, starting from the first operating conditions represented by the operating condition data, to determine second operating conditions of the substrate processing apparatus having the substrate support after refurbishment.

2. An operation support system as described in claim 1, comprising: one or more sensors provided on a substrate support; a log acquisition unit; and a log analysis unit, wherein sensing log data including log data including measurement values ​​of each of the one or more sensors is stored in the storage medium, the log acquisition unit acquires the sensing log data from the storage medium, and the log analysis unit uses the acquired sensing log data to perform an analysis to identify the cause of a malfunction that has occurred during operation of the substrate processing apparatus equipped with the substrate support, or an analysis to predict a malfunction that may occur within a certain period of time during operation of the substrate processing apparatus equipped with the substrate support, and outputs analysis result data representing the results of the analysis.

3. An operation support system for a substrate processing apparatus having a chamber with a substrate support on which a substrate to be processed is placed, comprising: one or more sensors provided on the substrate support; a storage medium in which sensing log data including log data containing measurement values ​​of each of the one or more sensors is stored; a log acquisition unit that acquires the sensing log data from the storage medium; and a log analysis unit that uses the acquired sensing log data to perform an analysis to identify the cause of a malfunction that has occurred during operation of the substrate processing apparatus or to predict a malfunction that may occur within a certain period during operation of the substrate processing apparatus, and outputs analysis result data that represents the results of the analysis.

4. The operation support system according to claim 1, wherein the driving support unit displays, on a UI (User Interface) device, a first driving condition represented by the acquired driving condition data as the driving condition that serves as the starting point in the condition adjustment process.

5. The operation support system described in claim 1, wherein the storage medium is one of the following (1) to (4): (1) a storage medium provided on the substrate support; (2) a storage medium in an information processing terminal provided near the substrate support and outside the chamber; (3) a storage medium in a server that stores condition management data including operating condition data for each individual identifier of the substrate support; (4) a storage medium in a controller of the substrate processing apparatus.

6. The operation support system described in claim 5, wherein the storage medium is a storage medium within the server, the individual identifiers of the substrate support before restoration and the substrate support after restoration are the same, and the operation support unit acquires operating condition data corresponding to the individual identifier of the substrate support after restoration from the server.

7. The operation support system described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the storage medium is either (1) or (2) below: (1) a storage medium provided on the substrate support; (2) a storage medium in an information processing terminal provided near the substrate support and outside the chamber.

8. An operation support system as described in claim 2 or 3, wherein the plurality of sensors include a first sensor that measures a value transmitted to a controller of the substrate processing apparatus, and a second sensor that measures a value that is not transmitted to a controller of the substrate processing apparatus.

9. The operation support system according to claim 8, wherein the first sensor is a temperature sensor, and the second sensor is a wear sensor.

10. The operation support system described in claim 9, wherein the substrate support comprises a main body member having a ceramic sintered body and a substrate mounting surface on which the substrate is placed, the main body member of the substrate support after recycling has a first ceramic layer having the substrate mounting surface and replacing the ceramic layer removed from the substrate support before recycling, and a second ceramic layer to which the first ceramic layer is bonded, the main body member having a central region that forms the substrate mounting surface, and an annular region around the central region that is one step lower than the central region and for placing a focus ring, the wear amount sensor and the storage medium being provided in the annular region.

11. An operation support system as described in claim 1 or 3, wherein support data representing characteristics of the substrate support is stored on the storage medium, and the characteristics include at least one of the roughness of a substrate support surface on which a plurality of protrusions are arranged and on which the substrate is placed, temperature uniformity within the substrate support surface, insulation, height of the protrusions on the substrate support surface, and outer diameter of the protrusions on the substrate support surface.

12. The operation support system described in claim 11, wherein the support data stored on the storage medium include pre-recycle support data representing characteristics of the substrate support before recycle and post-recycle support data representing characteristics of the substrate support after recycle, the substrate support comprises a main body member having a surface and a ceramic sintered body, the main body member of the post-recycle substrate support has a substrate mounting surface on which the substrate is placed, a first ceramic layer replacing the ceramic layer removed from the pre-recycle substrate support, and a second ceramic layer to which the first ceramic layer is bonded, and the characteristics of the post-recycle substrate support include the thickness of the first ceramic layer.

13. The operation support system described in claim 12, wherein the driving support unit updates the first driving condition represented by the driving condition data acquired from the storage medium based on the difference between the characteristics represented by the pre-regeneration support data and the characteristics represented by the post-regeneration support data, and the updated driving condition is used as the starting point.

14. The operation support system according to claim 12, wherein the log analysis unit performs the analysis by further using a difference between the characteristics represented by the pre-regeneration support data and the characteristics represented by the post-regeneration support data.

15. An operation support method for a substrate processing apparatus having a substrate support within a chamber on which a substrate to be processed is placed, the operation support method comprising: storing operating condition data representing first operating conditions of the substrate processing apparatus having the substrate support before refurbishment in a storage medium; retrieving the operating condition data from the storage medium; and performing a condition adjustment process, which is a process for determining second operating conditions of the substrate processing apparatus having the substrate support after refurbishment, starting from the first operating conditions represented by the operating condition data.

16. An operation support method for a substrate processing apparatus having a substrate support within a chamber on which a substrate to be processed is placed, the operation support method comprising: storing sensing log data in a storage medium, the sensing log data including log data including measurement values ​​of one or more sensors provided on the substrate support; acquiring the sensing log data from the storage medium; using the acquired sensing log data, performing an analysis to identify the cause of a malfunction that has occurred during operation of the substrate processing apparatus, or an analysis to predict a malfunction that may occur within a certain period during operation of the substrate processing apparatus; and outputting analysis result data representing the results of the analysis.

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