Substrate processing system and substrate transfer method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11127615-B2
Application number	US-201916455934-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 28, 2019
Priority date	Jul 4, 2018
Publication date	Sep 21, 2021
Grant date	Sep 21, 2021

Abstract

A substrate processing system includes a processing section that includes a plurality of process modules each of which performs a predetermined processing; a carrying-in/out section that holds the plurality of substrates, and carries the substrates into/out of the processing section; a transfer unit that transfers the substrates; and a controller that controls the processing section, the carrying-in/out section, and the transfer unit. The controller performs a control such that the plurality of substrates is sequentially transferred from the carrying-in/out section to the processing section, and the transferred substrates are sequentially and serially transferred to the plurality of process modules, sets an interval until a next substrate is unloaded after a substrate is unloaded from a predetermined module of the carrying-in/out section, and performs a control such that the plurality of substrates is sequentially unloaded from the predetermined module with a setting value of the interval.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing system that performs a processing on a plurality of substrates, the substrate processing system comprising:
a processing enclosure that includes a plurality of process modules each of which performs a predetermined processing;
a carrying-in/out port including a substrate holder that holds the plurality of substrates and carries the substrates into/out of the processing enclosure;
a transfer path including a transfer arm that transfers the substrates to each of the plurality of process modules and transfers the substrates within the carrying-in/out port and between the carrying-in/out port and the processing enclosure; and
a controller that controls the processing enclosure, the carrying-in/out port, and the transfer path,
wherein the controller performs a control such that the plurality of substrates is sequentially transferred from the carrying-in/out port to the processing enclosure, and the transferred substrates are sequentially and serially transferred to the plurality of process modules, sets an interval until a next substrate is unloaded after a substrate is unloaded from a predetermined module of the carrying-in/out port, and performs a control such that the plurality of substrates is sequentially unloaded from the predetermined module with a setting value of the interval, and
the controller is configured to change the setting value of the interval according to a processing state of the substrates.

2. The substrate processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller performs a control such that, when the setting value of the interval is changed after a preceding substrate is unloaded from the predetermined module, a subsequent substrate is unloaded after a time difference between a changed setting value of the interval and an actual measurement time at that time.

3. The substrate processing system according to claim 2 , wherein when a stagnation of a substrate occurs in a predetermined process module, the controller detects the stagnation of the substrate, provides a feed-back on a result, and performs a resetting such that a remaining time of the interval is extended by a stagnation time.

4. The substrate processing system according to claim 3 , wherein when the stagnation time in the predetermined process module is equal to or longer than a predetermined time, it is determined that the stagnation has occurred.

5. The substrate processing system according to claim 4 , wherein at a timing when the stagnation has been eliminated and the substrate has started to move, the controller sets a delay time in unloading of the substrate from the predetermined process module as the stagnation time.

6. The substrate processing system according to claim 5 , wherein when the substrate stagnation has been eliminated and the plurality of substrates has started to move, the controller receives only a feedback on a substrate that has started to move first.

7. The substrate processing system according to claim 5 , wherein on a substrate for which a feedback on a stagnation result was provided once, the controller does not receive a subsequent feedback.

8. The substrate processing system according to claim 7 , wherein a maximum value of a resetting value after the remaining time of the interval is extended is the setting value of the interval.

9. The substrate processing system according to claim 8 , wherein the controller stops unloading of the substrate from the predetermined module in a case where occurrence of the stagnation of the substrate is detected in a module as a transfer destination of the substrate when the substrate is unloaded from the predetermined module due to an elapse of the set interval in the predetermined module.

10. The substrate processing system according to claim 9 , wherein, when there is no preceding substrate, the controller immediately unloads the next substrate from an interval setting module regardless of the setting value of the interval.

11. The substrate processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the carrying-in/out port includes a load port on which a container accommodating the plurality of substrates is placed, and the load port functions as the predetermined module for which the interval is set.

12. The substrate processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of process modules in the processing section perform a processing in vacuum,
the carrying-in/out port includes a load port on which a container accommodating the plurality of substrates is placed, an aligner that performs an alignment of the substrate, and a load lock chamber with a pressure variable between atmospheric pressure and vacuum, and
the predetermined module for which the interval is set is any one of the load port, the aligner, and the load lock chamber.

13. The substrate processing system according to claim 12 , wherein the controller is configured to change the predetermined module for which the interval is set.

14. The substrate processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to change the setting value of the interval according to a detected value on a stagnation of the substrate in a process module.

15. The substrate processing system according to claim 1 , wherein the processing state of the substrate includes a stagnation of the substrate in a process module.

16. A method of transferring substrates in a substrate processing system including a processing section that includes a plurality of process modules each of which performs a predetermined processing, and a carrying-in/out section that holds the plurality of substrates, and carries the substrates into/out of the processing section, the method comprising:
setting an interval until a next substrate is unloaded after a substrate held in the carrying-in/out section is unloaded from a predetermined module of the carrying-in/out section, and sequentially unloading the plurality of substrates from the predetermined module with a setting value of the interval;
transferring the substrates sequentially unloaded from the predetermined module to the processing section; and
sequentially and serially transferring the substrates transferred to the processing section, to the plurality of process modules,
wherein the setting value of the interval is changed according to a processing state of the substrates.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the processing state of the substrate includes a stagnation of the substrate in a process module.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a control program that operates on a computer and controls transfer of substrates in a substrate processing system including a processing section that includes a plurality of process modules each of which performs a predetermined processing, and a carrying-in/out section that holds the plurality of substrates and carries the substrates into/out of the processing section, the control program causing the computer to perform a process comprising:
setting an interval until a next substrate is unloaded after a substrate held in the carrying-in/out section is unloaded from a predetermined module of the carrying-in/out section, and sequentially unloading the plurality of substrates from the predetermined module with a setting value of the interval;
transferring the substrates sequentially unloaded from the predetermined module to the processing section; and
sequentially and serially transferring the substrates transferred to the processing section, to the plurality of process modules,
wherein the setting va

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Matsuhashi Takafumi
• Takano Kunio
• Hirata Toshiharu

Classifications

• H10P72/3218

  Conveying cassettes, containers or carriers · CPC title

• H10P72/3304 Primary

  characterised by movements or sequence of movements of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/57

  Mask-wafer alignment · CPC title

• H10P72/3406

  involving removal of lid, door or cover · CPC title

• H10P72/3302 Primary

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title