Substrate processing apparatus

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9737973-B2
Application number	US-201514682774-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 9, 2015
Priority date	Apr 10, 2014
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

A CMP apparatus includes a polishing unit 3 , a cleaning unit 4 , a load/unload unit 2 , a transfer unit, and a control section 5 configured to control transfer of a substrate in the transfer unit. When the polishing unit includes a plurality of polishing sections, or the cleaning unit includes a plurality of cleaning sections, the control section 5 can set a test mode that operates the polishing section or the cleaning section for a test to some of the plurality of polishing sections, or some of the plurality of cleaning sections, causes a substrate to be transferred to the polishing section or the cleaning section to which the test mode is not set, and causes a test substrate different from the substrate to be transferred to the polishing section or the cleaning section to which the test mode is set.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a polishing unit including at least one polishing section configured to polish a substrate;
a cleaning unit including a plurality of cleaning sections configured to clean a substrate polished by the polishing unit;
a load/unload unit configured to deliver a substrate to the polishing unit and receive a substrate from the cleaning unit;
a transfer unit configured to transfer a substrate among the polishing unit, the cleaning unit and the load/unload unit; and
a control section configured to control transfer of a substrate in the transfer unit,
wherein the control section can set a test mode that is configured to operate a first one of the plurality of cleaning sections in a test mode whereby causing the transfer unit to transfer the substrate to a second one of the plurality of cleaning sections to which the test mode is not set, and whereby causing the transfer unit to transfer a test substrate that is different from the substrate to the cleaning section to which the test mode is set.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control section can set a maintenance mode which indicates that the first one of the plurality of cleaning sections is under maintenance and causes the transfer unit to transfer the substrate to the second one of the plurality of cleaning sections to which the maintenance mode is not set.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein when a maintenance operation of the first one of the plurality of cleaning sections has ended, the control section is configured to set the first one of the plurality of cleaning sections to test mode.

4. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 ,
wherein the control section can set a normal mode to at least one of the plurality of cleaning sections to which neither the test mode nor the maintenance mode is set, and causes the transfer unit to transfer the substrate to a cleaning section which can perform cleaning processing of the substrate at the earliest time among a plurality of cleaning sections to which the normal mode is set.

5. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 ,
wherein the control section can set a normal mode to at least one of the plurality of cleaning sections to which neither the test mode nor the maintenance mode is set, and causes the transfer unit to transfer the substrate to a cleaning section which can perform cleaning processing of the substrate at the earliest time among a plurality of cleaning sections to which the normal mode is set.

6. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a polishing unit including a plurality of polishing sections configured to polish a substrate;
a cleaning unit including at least one cleaning section configured to clean a substrate polished by the polishing unit;
a load/unload unit configured to deliver a substrate to the polishing unit and receive a substrate from the cleaning unit;
a transfer unit configured to transfer a substrate among the polishing unit, the cleaning unit and the load/unload unit; and
a control section configured to control transfer of a substrate in the transfer unit,
wherein the control section can set a test mode that is configured to operate a first one of the plurality of polishing sections in a test mode, whereby causing the transfer unit to transfer the substrate to a second of the plurality of polishing sections to which the test mode is not set, and whereby causing the transfer unit to transfer a test substrate that is different from the substrate to the polishing section to which the test mode is set.

7. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the control section can set a maintenance mode which indicates that the first one of the plurality of polishing sections is under maintenance, and causes the transfer unit to transfer the substrate to the second one of the plurality of polishing sections to which the maintenance mode is not set.

8. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein when a maintenance operation of the first one of the plurality of polishing sections has ended, the control section is configured to set the first one of the plurality of polishing sections to test mode.

9. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 7 ,
wherein the control section can set a normal mode to at least one of the plurality of polishing sections to which neither the test mode nor the maintenance mode is set, and causes the transfer unit to transfer the substrate to a polishing section which can perform polishing processing of the substrate at the earliest time among a plurality of polishing sections to which the normal mode is set.

10. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 ,
wherein the control section can set a normal mode to at least one of the plurality of polishing sections to which neither the test mode nor the maintenance mode is set, and causes the transfer unit to transfer the substrate to a polishing section which can perform polishing processing of the substrate at the earliest time among a plurality of polishing sections to which the normal mode is set.

Assignees

• Ebara Corp

Inventors

• Sugiyama Mitsunori
• Matsushita Kunimasa

Classifications

• H10P72/0472

  comprising at least one polishing chamber · CPC title

• B24B49/00

  Measuring or gauging equipment for controlling the feed movement of the grinding tool or work; Arrangements of indicating or measuring equipment, e.g. for indicating the start of the grinding operation (B24B33/06, B24B37/005 take precedence; if applicable to other machine tools, B23Q15/00 - B23Q17/00 take precedence) · CPC title

• B24B27/0076

  grinding machines comprising two or more grinding tools · CPC title

• B24B51/00

  Arrangements for automatic control of a series of individual steps in grinding a workpiece (if applicable to other machine tools, G05B takes precedence) · CPC title

• B24B27/0023

  grinding machines with a plurality of working posts · CPC title