Substrate processing apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor device and non-transitory computer-readable recording medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9911635-B2
Application number	US-201514852046-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 11, 2015
Priority date	Mar 15, 2013
Publication date	Mar 6, 2018
Grant date	Mar 6, 2018

Abstract

Provided is a substrate processing apparatus including a substrate container transfer device configured to transfer a substrate container accommodating a substrate and purge an inside of the substrate container; a purge gas supply unit installed at the substrate container transfer device and configured to supply a purge gas into the substrate container; a substrate container standby unit configured to accommodate the substrate container; a contact preventing unit installed at the substrate container standby unit and configured to prevent a contact between the purge gas supply unit and the substrate container standby unit when the substrate container is transferred to the substrate container standby unit by the substrate container transfer device; and a control unit configured to control the substrate container transfer device and the purge gas supply unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a substrate container transfer device configured to transfer a substrate container accommodating a substrate and purge an inside of the substrate container;
a purge gas supply unit installed at the substrate container transfer device and configured to supply a purge gas into the substrate container;
a substrate container standby unit configured to accommodate the substrate container;
a contact preventing unit installed at the substrate container standby unit and configured to prevent a contact between the purge gas supply unit and the substrate container standby unit when the substrate container is transferred to the substrate container standby unit by the substrate container transfer device; and
a control unit configured to control the substrate container transfer device and the purge gas supply unit so as to purge an inside of the substrate container when the substrate container is being transferred.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a second purge gas supply unit installed at the substrate container standby unit and configured to supply the purge gas into the substrate container.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a loading port configured to receive the substrate container; and
a pod opener configured to open/close the substrate container;
wherein the substrate container transfer device is configured to move in the vertical and horizontal directions and transfer the substrate container among the loading port, the substrate container standby unit and the pod opener.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 , further comprising:
a second purge gas supply unit installed at the pod opener and configured to supply the purge gas into the substrate container when a processed substrate is accommodated in the substrate container.

5. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a substrate container transfer device configured to transfer a substrate container accommodating a substrate and purge an inside of the substrate container;
a purge gas supply unit installed at the substrate container transfer device and configured to supply a purge gas into the substrate container;
a second purge gas supply unit installed at the substrate container standby unit and configured to supply the purge gas into the substrate container;
a substrate container standby unit configured to accommodate the substrate container;
a contact preventing unit installed at the substrate container standby unit and configured to prevent a contact between the purge gas supply unit and the substrate container standby unit when the substrate container is transferred to the substrate container standby unit by the substrate container transfer device; and
a control unit configured to control the substrate container transfer device and the purge gas supply unit,
wherein the control unit is further configured to control the purge gas supply unit and the second purge gas supply unit in a manner that an oxygen concentration in the substrate container when the substrate container is placed on the substrate container standby unit is higher than that of the substrate container when the substrate container is being transferred by the substrate container transfer device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the control unit is configured to control the substrate container transfer device and the purge gas supply unit so as to purge the inside of the substrate container when the substrate container is being transferred.

7. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:
a substrate container transfer device configured to transfer a substrate container accommodating a substrate and purge an inside of the substrate container;
a purge gas supply unit installed at the substrate container transfer device and configured to supply a purge gas into the substrate container;
a second purge gas supply unit installed at the substrate container standby unit and configured to supply the purge gas into the substrate container;
a substrate container standby unit configured to accommodate the substrate container;
a contact preventing unit installed at the substrate container standby unit and configured to prevent a contact between the purge gas supply unit and the substrate container standby unit when the substrate container is transferred to the substrate container standby unit by the substrate container transfer device; and
a control unit configured to control the substrate container transfer device and the purge gas supply unit.

Assignees

• Hitachi Int Electric Inc
• Hitachi Int Electric Inc

Inventors

• Hirano Makoto

Classifications

• H10P72/3408

  Docking arrangements · CPC title

• H10P72/1926

  characterised by the presence of atmosphere modifying elements inside or attached to the closed carrier · CPC title

• H10P72/1918 Primary

  characterised by coupling elements, kinematic members, handles or elements to be externally gripped · CPC title

• H10P72/1924 Primary

  characterised by atmosphere control · CPC title

• C23C16/52

  Controlling or regulating the coating process {(C23C16/45557, C23C16/279 take precedence)} · CPC title