Substrate processing apparatus and purging method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11367642-B2
Application number	US-201916549418-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2019
Priority date	Sep 6, 2018
Publication date	Jun 21, 2022
Grant date	Jun 21, 2022

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a carrier storage rack configured to place and store a carrier that accommodates a substrate; a gas supply configured to supply an inert gas into the carrier placed on the carrier storage rack; and a controller configured to control whether to supply the inert gas into the carrier based on at least one of carrier information and substrate information.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a carrier storage rack configured to place and store a carrier that accommodates a substrate;
a gas supply configured to supply an inert gas into the carrier placed on the carrier storage rack; and
a controller configured to determine whether to supply the inert gas into the carrier placed on the carrier storage rack based on at least one of carrier information and substrate information, and intermittently supply the inert gas into the carrier by repeating stopping and resuming a supply of the inert gas when determined to supply the inert gas,
wherein whether to supply the inert gas into the carrier is determined based on whether a pressure difference between an inside and an outside of the carrier is a predetermined threshold value or less.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the carrier information includes at least one of a carrier type and a carrier manufacturer.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 , wherein the substrate information includes at least one of presence or absent of the substrate, number of substrates, and a usage state of the substrate in the carrier.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3 , further comprising:
a differential pressure gauge configured to measure a pressure difference between an inside of the carrier and an outside of the carrier,
wherein the controller controls the gas supply such that the inert gas is supplied into the carrier when the pressure difference measured by the differential pressure gauge is a predetermined threshold value or less.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the substrate information includes at least one of presence or absent of the substrate, number of substrates, and a usage state of the substrate in the carrier.

6. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a differential pressure gauge configured to measure a pressure difference between an inside of the carrier and an outside of the carrier,
wherein the controller is configured to control the gas supply such that the inert gas is supplied into the carrier, when the pressure difference measured by the differential pressure gauge is a predetermined threshold value or less.

7. A purging method comprising:
placing a carrier accommodating a substrate on a carrier storage rack;
determining whether to supply an inert gas into the carrier placed on the carrier storage rack based on at least one of carrier information and substrate information; and
intermittently supplying the inert gas into the carrier placed on the carrier storage rack by repeating stopping and resuming of the supplying, when determined to supply the inert gas in the determining,
wherein whether to supply the inert gas into the carrier is determined based on whether a pressure difference between an inside and an outside of the carrier is a predetermined threshold value or less.

8. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a carrier conveyance area where a carrier accommodating a substrate is carried in/carried out;
a wafer conveyance area where the substrate in the carrier carried into the carrier conveyance area is conveyed to be carried into a processing furnace; and
a controller,
wherein the carrier conveyance area includes:
a carrier storage rack configured to place and store a carrier;
a carrier stage on which the carrier is placed when the substrate in the carrier is conveyed to the wafer conveyance area; and
a gas supply configured to supply an inert gas into the carrier placed on the carrier storage rack and the carrier stage; and
the controller is configured to determine whether to supply the inert gas into the carrier placed on the carrier storage rack, based on at least one of carrier information and substrate information, and control a time for supplying the inert gas into the carrier placed on the carrier stage rack, based on whether the carrier placed on the carrier stage has been supplied with the inert gas on the carrier storage rack.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8 , wherein the controller is configured to:
control the gas supply to supply the inert gas into the carrier placed on the carrier stage for a first time when the inert gas has been supplied into the carrier placed on the carrier storage rack; and
control the gas supply to supply the inert gas into the carrier placed on the carrier stage for a second time when the inert gas has not been supplied into the carrier placed on the carrier storage rack.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9 , wherein the first time is shorter than the second time.

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Kinoshita Moriyoshi
• Sasaki Yuji
• Sato Junichi
• Asakawa Takashi

Classifications

• H10P72/3408

  Docking arrangements · CPC title

• H10P72/3404

  Storage means · CPC title

• H10P72/0618

  using identification means, e.g. labels on substrates or labels on containers · CPC title

• H10P72/0606

  Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection · CPC title

• H10P72/0434

  mainly by convection · CPC title