Substrate Recovery Method for Semiconductor Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current substrate processing apparatus recovery methods are labor-intensive and time-consuming, requiring manual intervention to correct abnormalities and salvage partially processed wafers, which can become unsalvageable when exposed to the atmosphere.
Innovation Solution
A recovery processing method that automatically detects and salvages substrates based on their processing state, executing optimal salvage processing to minimize labor and time, and includes a program to restore the apparatus' internal state by retrieving substrates to their storage containers after correcting abnormalities, ensuring further processing is completed before exposure.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If manual recovery processing is performed to salvage substrates, then substrate integrity can be maintained, but recovery time and labor requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of substrate processing states before the abnormality fully manifests, and automatically executes salvage processing procedures in advance. The control unit monitors processing states continuously and prepares recovery actions beforehand, so when an abnormality occurs, the substrate is already in a state ready for automated salvage, reducing both time and manual labor requirements while maintaining integrity.
2Loss of time
If automated recovery processing is implemented, then recovery time is reduced, but the complexity of the control system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit is designed to autonomously detect abnormality states, determine substrate processing statuses, and execute appropriate salvage processing without external intervention. The system serves itself by automatically monitoring its own operational state and initiating recovery procedures, which reduces recovery time while the modular design of the control logic keeps the added complexity manageable through self-diagnosis and self-correction capabilities.
3Ease of operation
If substrates are retrieved immediately after abnormality detection, then recovery processing is simplified, but substrates may become unsalvageable due to atmospheric exposure
Solution Approach 1:
The control unit continuously monitors substrate processing states and provides feedback to determine the optimal retrieval timing. Based on real-time feedback about processing completion status, the system decides whether to retrieve substrates immediately or continue processing, ensuring substrates are only exposed to atmosphere when appropriate. This feedback mechanism simplifies operations by providing clear decision criteria while maintaining substrate salvageability through intelligent timing.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention provides a recovery processing method to restore the substrate processing apparatus to an operating state after correcting an abnormality having occurred in the substrate processing apparatus in operation and having resulted in a stop in the operation, comprising a substrate retrieval step in which substrate salvage processing is first executed for a wafer W left in a chamber in the substrate processing apparatus in correspondence to the extent to which the wafer has been processed at the time of the operation stop and the substrate having undergone the substrate salvage processing is then retrieved into the cassette storage container and an apparatus internal state restoration step in which the states inside the individual chambers of the substrate processing apparatus are restored.