Substrate processing apparatus and control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11060190-B2
Application number	US-201916362356-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 22, 2019
Priority date	Mar 29, 2018
Publication date	Jul 13, 2021
Grant date	Jul 13, 2021

Abstract

A controller that processes a substrate by executing a process recipe for supplying at least a source gas to a process chamber to form a film on the substrate, and a pressure controller that controls the degree of opening of a pressure control valve on the basis of a pressure value detected by a pressure sensor that detects a pressure in a furnace during execution of the recipe and maintains the process chamber to a predetermined pressure. The pressure controller includes a memory that accumulates data acquired from the pressure sensor and pressure control valve, and measures a valve full close time to full close of the pressure control valve during execution of the process recipe and holds the valve full close time in the memory, and the controller acquires the stored valve full close time and confirms whether the acquired valve full close time falls within a threshold range.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a controller configured to process a substrate by executing a process recipe for supplying at least a source gas to a process chamber to form a film on the substrate; and
a pressure controller configured to control the degree of opening of a pressure control valve on the basis of a pressure value detected by a pressure sensor that detects a pressure in the process chamber,

wherein the pressure controller includes a memory region in which data acquired from the pressure sensor and the pressure control valve is accumulated, and is configured to measure a valve full close time to full close of the pressure control valve during execution of the process recipe and hold the valve full close time in the memory region, and
the controller is configured to acquire the valve full close time held in the memory region, and confirm whether the acquired valve full close time falls within a threshold range.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to execute the process recipe including supplying the source gas to the process chamber and exhausting the source gas from the process chamber.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a main controller configured to cause the controller to execute the process recipe, wherein
the controller is configured to report the valve full close time to the main controller at a predetermined cycle, and
the main controller is configured to compare the valve full close time with a threshold value held in advance.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a host controller connected to the main controller, wherein
the main controller is configured to report the valve full close time acquired from the pressure controller to the host controller.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4 , wherein the host controller is provided at a position separated from the controller and the pressure controller.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to periodically output a data request instruction to the pressure controller.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the pressure controller is configured to report data including the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor and data of the degree of opening of the pressure control valve to the controller in addition to the valve full close time of the pressure control valve.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein a data acquisition cycle of the pressure controller is set to be shorter than a data request instruction cycle of the controller.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to acquire a time to when the degree of opening of the pressure control valve becomes 0% from the pressure controller as the valve full close time.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the process recipe further includes a step of supplying the source gas, and
the process recipe is configured to have a period in which at least the pressure control valve is fully closed during execution of the step of supplying the source gas.

11. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the process recipe further includes a step of supplying the source gas,
the step of supplying the source gas includes a step of fully closing the pressure control valve, and
the threshold value is configured to be set to during a step time of the step of fully closing the pressure control valve.

12. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising a valve configured to supply the source gas,
wherein the valve is configured to be opened after the pressure control valve is fully closed.

13. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the process recipe further includes a step of fully closing the pressure control valve before supplying the source gas, and
the pressure control valve is configured to be fully closed during supply of the source gas.

14. A control system comprising:
a controller configured to process a substrate by executing a process recipe for supplying at least a source gas to a process chamber to form a film on the substrate; and
a pressure controller configured to control the degree of opening of a pressure control valve on the basis of a pressure value detected by a pressure sensor that detects a pressure in the process chamber, wherein
the pressure controller includes a memory region in which data acquired from the pressure sensor and the pressure control valve is accumulated, and is configured to measure a valve full close time to full close of the pressure control valve during execution of the process recipe and hold the valve full close time in the memory region, and the controller is configured to acquire the valve full close time held in the memory region, and confirm whether the acquired valve full close time falls within a threshold range.

Assignees

• Kokusai Electric Corp

Inventors

• Nakaya Kazuo
• Okamiya Hiroki

Classifications

• H10P72/3412

  Batch transfer of wafers · CPC title

• H10P72/3408

  Docking arrangements · CPC title

• H10P72/3406

  involving removal of lid, door or cover · CPC title

• H10P72/3402

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/19

  closed carriers · CPC title