Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing system, and method of detecting abnormality in transport container

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9773690-B2
Application number	US-201314649673-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 10, 2013
Priority date	Dec 10, 2012
Publication date	Sep 26, 2017
Grant date	Sep 26, 2017

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes: a load port into and out of which the transport container is carried; and an apparatus controller that controls operations in the load port. The apparatus controller includes a storage unit that stores transition data of parameter values sent from outside based on a transport container identification code. The transition data of the parameter values each comprises a usage count of the transport container and a corresponding parameter value that quantifies a result of at least one of an operation performed to remove the lid after the transport container is carried into the load port and an operation performed to carry the container out of the load port. The apparatus controller further includes a determination unit that determines, after a transport container is carried into the load port, presence or absence of an abnormality in that transport container based on a parameter value associated with at least one of carrying-in or carrying-out of that transport container, and past transition data of parameter values associated with that transport container.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus that removes substrates from a transport container and processes the substrates, the transport container having a container main body whose substrate removal opening is air-tightly closed by a lid, and the transport container being configured to contain the substrates therein for transporting the substrates, said substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a load port into and out of which the transport container is carried; and
an apparatus controller that controls operations in the load port;
wherein the apparatus controller includes:
a computing storage unit for storing transition data of parameter values sent from outside based on a transport container identification code, wherein the transition data of the parameter values each comprises a usage count of the transport container and a corresponding parameter value that quantifies a result of at least one of an operation performed to remove the lid after the transport container is carried into the load port and an operation performed to carry the container out of the load port; and
a computing determination unit for determining, after a transport container is carried into the load port, presence or absence of an abnormality in that transport container based on a parameter value associated with at least one of carrying-in or carrying-out of that transport container, and past transition data of parameter values associated with that transport container, wherein the parameter value includes the number of retrying a lid unlocking operation for lid removal.

2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the parameter value includes a value related to drive for moving the transport container to a position, where the lid is removed from the transport container, after placing the transport container on the placement part.

3. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit determines that an abnormality is present in the transport container, if the parameter value, which is obtained for the transport container whose usage count exceeds a set value, is abnormal.

4. A substrate processing system comprising:
a plurality of substrate processing apparatuses, each of the substrate processing apparatuses including: a load port into and out of which a transport container is carried, the transport container having a container main body whose substrate removal opening is air-tightly closed by a lid, and the transport container being configured to contain the substrates therein for transporting the substrates; a processing section that processes each of the substrates which is removed from the transport container having been carried into the load port; and an apparatus controller that controls operations in the load port; and
a host computer that communicates with each of the substrate processing apparatuses,
wherein the host computer includes:
a computing storage unit for storing transition data of parameter values sent from outside based on a transport container identification code, wherein the transition data of the parameter values each comprises a usage count of the transport container and a corresponding parameter value that quantifies a result of at least one of an operation performed to remove the lid after the transport container is carried into the load port and an operation performed to carry the container out of the load port; and
a computing determination unit for determining, after a transport container is carried into the load port, presence or absence of an abnormality in that transport container based on a parameter value associated with at least one of carrying-in or carrying-out of that transport container, and past transition data of parameter values associated with that transport container, wherein the parameter value includes the number of retrying a lid unlocking operation for lid removal.

5. The substrate processing system according to claim 4 , wherein the parameter value includes a value related to drive for moving the transport container to a position, where the lid is removed from the transport container, after placing the transport container on the placement part.

6. The substrate processing system according to claim 4 , wherein the determination unit determines that an abnormality is present in the transport container, if the parameter value, which is obtained for the transport container whose usage count exceeds a set value, is abnormal.

7. The substrate processing system according to claim 4 , wherein, if the parameter value for one transport container whose usage count is not more than a set value and which parameter value is obtained in the load port of one of the substrate processing apparatuses is abnormal, the determination unit determines presence or absence of an abnormality in the load port based on another parameter value which is obtained for another transport container which is carried into the same load port before said one transport container is carried into the same load port.

8. The substrate processing system according to claim 4 , wherein, if the parameter value for one transport container whose usage count is not more than a set value and which parameter value is obtained in the load port of one of the substrate processing apparatuses is abnormal, the determination unit determines presence or absence of an abnormality in the same transport container based on the parameter value which is obtained for the same transport container in another one of the substrate processing apparatuses before the same transport container is carried into said one substrate processing apparatuses.

9. A method of detecting an abnormality in a transport container, the transport container having a container main body whose substrate removal opening is air-tightly closed by a lid, and the transport container being configured to contain the substrates therein for transporting the substrates, said method comprising:
carrying the transport container into a load port of a substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus being configured to remove the substrates and process the substrates;
carrying the transport container out of the load port;
storing transition data of parameter values sent from outside based on a transport container identification code, wherein the transition data of the parameter values each comprises a usage count of the transport container and a corresponding parameter value that quantifies a result of at least one of an operation performed to remove the lid after the transport container is carried into the load port and an operation performed to carry the container out of the load port; and
determining presence or absence of an abnormality in the transport container based on the transition data of the parameter values, wherein the parameter value includes the number of retrying a lid unlocking operation for lid removal.

10. The method of detecting an abnormality in a transport container according to claim 9 , wherein the parameter value includes a value related to drive for moving the transport container to a position, where the lid is removed from the transport container, after placing the transport container on the placement part.

11. The method of detecting an abnormality in a transport container according to claim 9 , wherein it is determined that an abnormality is present in the transport container, if the parameter value which is obtained for the transport container whose usage count exceeds a set value.

12. The method of detecting an abnormality in a transport container according to claim 9 , further comprising, if the parameter value for one transport containe

Assignees

• Tokyo Electron Ltd

Inventors

• Morikawa Katsuhiro
• Sunaka Ikuo
• Enokida Suguru

Classifications

• H10P72/3411

  involving loading and unloading of wafers · CPC title

• H10P72/3408

  Docking arrangements · CPC title

• H10P72/3404

  Storage means · CPC title

• H10P72/3402

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title

• H10P72/0604

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