Data acquisition method in substrate processing apparatus and sensor substrate

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9268739-B2
Application number	US-201113700251-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2011
Priority date	May 31, 2010
Publication date	Feb 23, 2016
Grant date	Feb 23, 2016

Abstract

A method that acquires data on a processing module of a substrate processing apparatus using a sensor substrate efficiently and highly precisely is provided. The method includes: holding a sensor substrate by a first holding member, the sensor substrate having a sensor section for acquiring data on the processing modules and a first power supply section with a rechargeable electricity storage section for supplying electric power to the sensor section; advancing the first holding member to transfer the sensor substrate to a processing module; acquiring data on the processing module by the sensor section of the sensor substrate; and causing the first holding member to receive the sensor substrate, whose electric charge is consumed, from the processing module and retract, and with that state, charging the first power supply section of the sensor substrate in a non-contact manner by a second power supply section that moves together with the base.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of acquiring data in a substrate processing apparatus including a carrier block to which a carrier storing therein a plurality of substrates is carried, a plurality of processing modules that process substrates which are carried therein from the carrier block, and a substrate transport mechanism that transports the substrates between the processing modules, the substrate transport mechanism having a base and a first holding member mounted to the base to advance and retract, said method comprising:
holding a sensor substrate by the first holding member, the sensor substrate having a sensor section for acquiring data on the processing modules and a first power supply section with a rechargeable electricity storage section for supplying electric power to the sensor section;
advancing the first holding member to transfer the sensor substrate to a processing module;
acquiring data on the processing module by the sensor section of the sensor substrate; and
causing the first holding member to receive the sensor substrate, whose electric charge is consumed, from the processing module and retract, and charging the first power supply section of the sensor substrate in a non-contact manner by a second power supply section that moves together with the base while the first holding member holding the substrate is in its retracted position.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electricity storage section is constituted by an electric double-layer capacitor.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electricity storage section is constituted by a nano-hybrid capacitor.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electricity storage section is constituted by a lithium-ion capacitor.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
the substrate transport mechanism has a second holding member provided to hold a substrate and configured to advance and retract with respect to the base; and
the second power supply section is provided in a power feeding substrate that charges the first power supply section and that is held by the second holding member.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein the charging the first power supply section of the sensor substrate includes charging the sensor substrate while the sensor substrate is positioned relative to a power feeding substrate in such a way that a power receiving coil, connected to a circuit for charging the first power supply section, provided in the sensor substrate and a power receiving coil provided in the power feeding substrate face each other.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the second power supply section is provided in the base.

8. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising judging whether the sensor substrate held by a first substrate holding part is placed at a charging position at which the sensor substrate is to be charged by the second power supply section.

9. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
judging whether an amount of charge in the first power supply section is reached a predefined set value; and
stopping charging of the first power supply section when the amount of charge in the first power supply section is reached the predefined set value.

10. The method according to claim 9 ,
wherein the sensor substrate is provided with a light emitter that emits light by using electric power of the first power supply section,
said method further comprising stopping emitting light from the light emitter when the amount of charge in the first power supply section is reached the predefined set value,
wherein the base or the power feeding substrate is provided with a light receiver and paired with the light emitter,
said method further comprising receiving light from the light emitter by the light receiver, and
wherein judgment whether or not the amount of charge in the first power supply section is reached the predefined set value is performed based on light reception of the light receiver.

11. The method according to claim 1 ,
wherein the substrate processing apparatus is provided with a charging mechanism to charge the second power supply section,
said method further comprising charging the second power supply section by the charging mechanism in a non-contact manner.

12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the sensor substrate includes a wireless transmission section that receives electric power supplied from the first power supply section, and wherein the wireless transmission section transmits data on the processing module to a receiving section of the substrate processing apparatus.

13. A sensor substrate configured to be transported by a substrate transport device, the sensor substrate comprising:
a sensor section that acquires data on a processing module;
a transmission section that wirelessly transmits the data acquired by the sensor section;
a power supply section having a rechargeable electricity storage section for supplying electric power to the sensor section and to the transmission section; and
a plurality of power receiving coils that are connected to a circuit of the power supply section to receive electric power transmitted from outside and supply the electric power to the electricity storage section,
wherein the power receiving coils are disposed along a flat surface of the sensor substrate to form a circumferential array.

14. The sensor substrate according to claim 13 , wherein the electricity storage section is constituted by an electric double-layer capacitor.

15. The sensor substrate according to claim 13 , wherein the electricity storage section is constituted by a nano-hybrid capacitor.

16. The sensor substrate according to claim 13 , wherein the electricity storage section is constituted by a lithium-ion capacitor.

17. The sensor substrate according to any one of claims 13 to 16 , further comprising:
a detection section that detects a voltage of the power supply section or an electrical current flowing from the power supply section; and
an output section that outputs a charge completion detection signal based on a detection result of by the detection section.

18. A substrate processing system comprising:
a plurality of processing modules that each processes a substrate;
a substrate transport device that transports the substrate between the processing modules, the substrate transport device having a base and a first holding member mounted to the base so as to advance and retract with respect to the base; and
a sensor substrate which is to be transported by the substrate transport device to acquire measurement data,
wherein the sensor substrate includes:
a sensor section that acquires data related to processing conditions conducted in each processing module;
a transmission section that transmits the data acquired by the sensor section in a wireless manner;
a first power supply section having a rechargeable electricity storage section for supplying electric power to the sensor section and to the transmission section; and
a plurality of power receiving coils that are connected to a circuit of the first power supply section to receive electric power transmitted in non-contact manner from a second power supply section which is moved together with the base, and to supply the received electric power to the electricity storage section,

wherein the plurality of power receiving coils are disposed along a flat surface of the sensor substrate, and
wherein the substrate transport device has a movable holding member, for holding the sensor substrate, that can be m

Assignees

• Akada Hikaru
• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Akada Hikaru

Classifications

• H10P72/0604 Primary

  Process monitoring, e.g. flow or thickness monitoring · CPC title

• H02J50/90

  involving detection or optimisation of position, e.g. alignment · CPC title

• G06F16/00

  Information retrieval; Database structures therefor; File system structures therefor · CPC title

• H02J50/10

  using inductive coupling · CPC title

• G06F17/00 Primary

  Digital computing or data processing equipment or methods, specially adapted for specific functions (information retrieval, database structures or file system structures therefor G06F16/00) · CPC title