Substrate Transfer Scheduling for Higher Chamber Throughput
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Solution Overview
Problem
In substrate processing apparatuses, the occurrence of substrate stagnation in transfer chambers and unused time in process chambers leads to reduced throughput and film-forming uniformity due to varying processing times in different process chambers.
Innovation Solution
A substrate processing apparatus with a controller that calculates the shortest substrate transferable time and optimizes the transfer path to minimize stagnation, adjusts process chamber conditions, and manages load lock chamber vacancies to improve throughput.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a parallel operation of processing substrates in multiple process chambers is performed, then productivity is improved, but substrate stagnation occurs in transfer chambers leading to reduced throughput
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts substrate transfer timing based on real-time processing status in each process chamber. The controller continuously monitors processing completion times and adapts the transfer schedule to prevent stagnation, making the transfer operation flexible rather than fixed
Solution Approach 2:
The controller receives feedback on the processing status and completion timing from each process chamber, and uses this information to optimize substrate transfer timing. This closed-loop control ensures that substrates are transferred at the optimal moment to avoid both stagnation and chamber idle time
2Productivity
If substrate transfer timing is not optimized, then device complexity is reduced, but unused time in process chambers increases reducing productivity
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses its own processing status information to automatically determine optimal transfer timing. The controller leverages data already available from the process chambers (processing completion times) to make transfer decisions, eliminating the need for external complex scheduling systems
Data Source
AI summary
There is provided a technique capable of improving the throughput by suppressing stagnation of a substrate in a transfer chamber and by reducing unused time. According to one aspect thereof, a substrate processing apparatus includes: a plurality of process chambers in which a substrate among a plurality of substrates is capable of being processed; a transfer chamber provided with a transfer structure capable of transferring the substrate; and a controller configured to be capable of: (a) calculating a substrate transferable time during which the substrate is capable of being transferred to each of the plurality of process chambers; (b) selecting a substrate transfer path to a process chamber among the plurality of process chambers such that the substrate transferable time is the shortest among those calculated in (a); and (c) performing a control of the transfer structure based on the substrate transfer path selected in (b).