Substrate Processing Controller Abnormality Correction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In substrate processing apparatuses, the detection of abnormalities in processing units leads to delays in restoration due to the absence of operators, particularly in unmanned factories, resulting in a deterioration of operation rates.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus with a controller that shifts processing units with detected abnormalities to a monitor mode and executes improvement processing based on correlated abnormality detection and improvement processing information, enabling autonomous correction and preventing further substrate processing until the issue is resolved.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If substrate processing is performed in multiple processing units, then productivity is improved, but reliability deteriorates due to undetected abnormalities affecting operation rates
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback mechanism where substrate surface measurement results are fed back to the controller, which then notifies operators of abnormalities in processing units. This closed-loop feedback ensures that abnormalities are detected and communicated systematically, improving reliability while maintaining high productivity across multiple processing units.
Solution Approach 2:
A database is introduced as an intermediary component that stores and manages the correlation between abnormality types and processing units. The controller queries this database to retrieve accurate abnormality information, ensuring reliable detection and notification without directly complex interactions between measurement systems and operator interfaces.
2Measurement precision
If manual abnormality checking is performed, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases due to operator absence in unmanned factories
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-service by automatically measuring substrate surfaces, detecting abnormalities, and notifying operators without requiring continuous manual inspection. The processing units autonomously execute substrate processing while the controller autonomously monitors for abnormalities, eliminating restoration delays caused by operator absence while maintaining detection accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The substrate surface measurement and abnormality detection operate continuously during substrate processing in each processing unit. Rather than periodic manual checks, the system maintains continuous monitoring, ensuring abnormalities are detected immediately and operators are notified without delay, preserving both precision and time efficiency.
3Reliability
If operator notification is implemented upon abnormality detection, then reliability is improved, but loss of time increases due to delayed operator arrival in unmanned environments
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by pre-establishing a database that correlates abnormality types with specific processing units and pre-configuring automatic notification protocols. When an abnormality is detected, the controller immediately queries the database and notifies the appropriate operator without delay, ensuring both accurate notification and rapid response even in unmanned factory environments.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is substrate processing apparatus including a plurality of processing units, each of which processes a substrate, and a controller that causes each of the processing units to execute a substrate processing. The controller is configured to cause a processing unit with a detected abnormality to execute an improvement processing based on abnormality detection information including a content of abnormality detected by a substrate surface measurement after causing the substrate processing to be performed in each of the processing units. The improvement processing is specified from improvement processing information in which the content of abnormality and the improvement processing are correlated with each other.