Method of manufacturing semiconductor device by determining and selecting cooling recipe based on temperature

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9870964-B1
Application number	US-201715460752-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Mar 16, 2017
Priority date	Sep 28, 2016
Publication date	Jan 16, 2018
Grant date	Jan 16, 2018

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a technique including a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, which is capable of improving a processing uniformity of a plurality of substrates. The method may include: (a) subjecting a substrate accommodated in one of a plurality of process chambers to a thermal process: (b) transferring the substrate processed in (a) by a transfer robot provided in a vacuum transfer chamber connected to the plurality of process chambers from the one of a plurality of process chambers to a loadlock chamber connected to the vacuum transfer chamber; and (c) cooling the substrate accommodated in the loadlock chamber by supplying an inert gas to the substrate accommodated in the loadlock chamber according to a cooling recipe.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising:
(a) subjecting a substrate accommodated in one of a plurality of process chambers to a thermal process;
(b) transferring the substrate processed in (a) by a transfer robot provided in a vacuum transfer chamber connected to the plurality of process chambers from the one of a plurality of process chambers to a loadlock chamber connected to the vacuum transfer chamber;
(c) measuring a temperature of the substrate processed in (a) by a temperature sensor provided at one side of a gate valve provided between the vacuum transfer chamber and the one of the plurality of process chambers; and
(d) cooling the substrate accommodated in the loadlock chamber by reading a table of flow rates stored in a memory device and selecting a flow rate of an inert gas from the table of flow rates based on the temperature measured in (c) and supplying the inert gas to the substrate accommodated in the loadlock chamber at the selected flow rate.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow rate of the inert gas selected in (d) for a first type of transfer process differ from the flow rate of the inert gas selected in (d) for a second type of transfer process, the first type of transfer process comprising: transferring the substrate processed in (a) out of the one of the plurality of process chambers by a first arm of the transfer robot; and transferring the substrate processed in (a) to the loadlock chamber after transferring an unprocessed substrate into the one of the plurality of process chambers by a second arm of the transfer robot, and the second type of transfer process comprising: transferring the substrate processed in (a) out of the one of the plurality of process chambers by the first arm; and transferring the substrate processed in (a) to the loadlock chamber without transferring the unprocessed substrate into the one of the plurality of process chambers by the second arm.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the inert gas is supplied at a first flow rate for the first type of transfer process and at a second flow rate higher than the first flow rate for the second type of transfer process.

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
(e) cooling the substrate accommodated in the loadlock chamber by reading the table of flow rates stored in the memory device and selecting a flow rate of a coolant from the table of flow rates based on the temperature measured in (c), and supplying the coolant to a cooling part provided in the loadlock chamber and facing the substrate.

5. The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
(e) cooling the substrate accommodated in the loadlock chamber by reading the table of flow rates stored in the memory device and selecting a flow rate of a coolant from the table of flow rates based on the temperature measured in (c), and supplying the coolant to a cooling part provided in the loadlock chamber and facing the substrate.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
(e) cooling the substrate accommodated in the loadlock chamber by reading the table of flow rates stored in the memory device and selecting a flow rate of a coolant from the table of flow rates based on the temperature measured in (c), and supplying the coolant to a cooling part provided in the loadlock chamber and facing the substrate.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the flow rate of the inert gas selected in (d) for a first type of transfer process differ from the flow rate of the inert gas selected in (d) for a second type of transfer process, the first type of transfer process comprising: transferring the substrate processed in (a) out of the one of the plurality of process chambers by a first arm of the transfer robot; and transferring the substrate processed in (a) to the loadlock chamber after transferring an unprocessed substrate into the one of the plurality of process chambers by a second arm of the transfer robot, and the second type of transfer process comprising: transferring the substrate processed in (a) out of the one of the plurality of process chambers by the first arm; and transferring the substrate processed in (a) to the loadlock chamber without transferring the unprocessed substrate into the one of the plurality of process chambers by the second arm.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the inert gas is supplied at a first flow rate for the first type of transfer process and at a second flow rate higher than the first flow rate for the second type of transfer process.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
(e) cooling the substrate accommodated in the loadlock chamber by reading the table of flow rates stored in the memory device and selecting a flow rate of a coolant from the table of flow rates based on the temperature measured in (c), and supplying the coolant to a cooling part provided in the loadlock chamber and facing the substrate.

10. The method of claim 7 , further comprising:
(e) cooling the substrate accommodated in the loadlock chamber by reading the table of flow rates stored in the memory device and selecting a flow rate of a coolant from the table of flow rates based on the temperature measured in (c), and supplying the coolant to a cooling part provided in the loadlock chamber and facing the substrate.

Assignees

• Hitachi Int Electric Inc
• Hitachi Int Electric Inc

Inventors

• Yoshino Teruo
• Yasui Takeshi

Classifications

• H10P74/20

  characterised by the properties tested or measured, e.g. structural or electrical properties · CPC title

• H10P72/7602

  the wafers being placed on a robot blade or gripped by a gripper for conveyance · CPC title

• H10P72/3306

  Horizontal transfer of a single workpiece · CPC title

• H10P72/3304

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

• H10P72/3302

  Mechanical parts of transfer devices · CPC title