CN112740393A - Substrate processing apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, and recording medium - Google Patents

Substrate processing apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, and recording medium Download PDF

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Publication number
CN112740393A
CN112740393A CN201980061353.3A CN201980061353A CN112740393A CN 112740393 A CN112740393 A CN 112740393A CN 201980061353 A CN201980061353 A CN 201980061353A CN 112740393 A CN112740393 A CN 112740393A
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substrate
transfer
wafer
arm
transfer arm
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CN112740393B (en
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冈崎太洋
高桥哲
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Kokusai Electric Corp
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Kokusai Electric Corp
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    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B25—HAND TOOLS; PORTABLE POWER-DRIVEN TOOLS; MANIPULATORS
    • B25J—MANIPULATORS; CHAMBERS PROVIDED WITH MANIPULATION DEVICES
    • B25J13/00—Controls for manipulators
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
    • H01L21/677—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere for conveying, e.g. between different workstations
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
    • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
    • H01L21/26—Bombardment with radiation

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Robotics (AREA)
  • Mechanical Engineering (AREA)
  • Container, Conveyance, Adherence, Positioning, Of Wafer (AREA)

Abstract

A control part of the substrate processing apparatus controls a 1 st substrate transfer arm to perform a 1 st transfer process of transferring a substrate in a load lock chamber into a substrate processing chamber and a 3 rd transfer process of transferring a substrate placed on a substrate cooling unit provided in the transfer chamber into the load lock chamber, controls a 2 nd substrate transfer arm to perform a 2 nd transfer process of transferring a substrate in the substrate processing chamber into the substrate cooling unit and placing the substrate on the substrate cooling unit, and controls the 1 st substrate transfer arm and the 2 nd substrate transfer arm such that a maximum value of acceleration applied to the substrate in the 1 st transfer process and the 3 rd transfer process is larger than a maximum value of acceleration applied to the substrate in the 2 nd transfer process.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus, method of manufacturing semiconductor device, and recording medium
Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a recording medium.
Background
A substrate processing apparatus used in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device includes a processing chamber for processing a substrate such as a wafer, and a transfer device for carrying in and out the substrate in the processing chamber. For example, japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2012-82071 discloses a transfer device and a substrate holder (tweezer) provided in the transfer device.
Disclosure of Invention
Problems to be solved by the invention
Since the substrate transfer capability (transfer throughput) of the transfer device greatly affects the substrate processing capability of the entire substrate processing apparatus including the transfer device, improvement of the substrate transfer capability of the transfer device is required.
The present disclosure provides a technique for improving the substrate transfer capability of a substrate transfer apparatus and improving the processing capability of a substrate processing apparatus.
Means for solving the problems
According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a technique of:
a substrate processing apparatus, comprising:
a substrate transfer device configured to transfer a substrate by driving the 1 st substrate transfer arm and the 2 nd substrate transfer arm, respectively;
a transfer chamber in which a substrate cooling unit configured to cool the substrate and the substrate transfer apparatus are arranged;
at least 1 substrate processing chamber disposed adjacent to the transfer chamber and configured to perform a process of heating the substrate;
a load-lock chamber disposed adjacent to the transfer chamber; and
a control unit for controlling the substrate transfer device,
the control unit is configured to control the operation of the motor,
the 1 st substrate transfer arm is controlled to perform a 1 st transfer process of transferring the substrate in the load lock chamber into the substrate processing chamber and a 3 rd transfer process of transferring the substrate placed (loaded) on the substrate cooling unit into the load lock chamber,
controlling the 2 nd substrate transfer arm to perform a 2 nd transfer process of transferring the substrate in the substrate processing chamber to the substrate cooling unit and placing the substrate on the substrate cooling unit,
the 1 st substrate transfer arm and the 2 nd substrate transfer arm are controlled so that a maximum value of acceleration applied to the substrate in the 1 st transfer process and the 3 rd transfer process is larger than a maximum value of acceleration applied to the substrate in the 2 nd transfer process.
ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION
According to the technology of the present disclosure, the substrate transfer capability of the substrate transfer apparatus can be improved, and the processing capability of the substrate processing apparatus can be improved.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a substrate processing apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.
Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of a portion of the substrate processing apparatus shown in fig. 1.
Fig. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of another portion of the substrate processing apparatus shown in fig. 1.
Fig. 4 is a configuration diagram of the substrate cooling unit according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure as viewed from above.
Fig. 5 is a sectional configuration view of the substrate cooling unit according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure as viewed from the side.
Fig. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram of a substrate transport apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.
Fig. 7 is a perspective view showing an example of the jaw according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.
Fig. 8 is a perspective view showing an example of another jaw according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.
Fig. 9 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a controller of the substrate processing apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.
Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing an outline of a substrate processing process according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.
Fig. 11 is a timing chart comparing the timing of substrate transfer by the substrate transfer apparatus according to embodiment 1 of the present disclosure with the timing of substrate transfer by the substrate transfer apparatus according to the comparative example.
Fig. 12 is a cross-sectional view showing an example of a state when a thermally deformed substrate is conveyed on the jaw of embodiment 1 of the present disclosure.
Fig. 13 is a perspective view showing an example of a jaw according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
Detailed Description
< embodiment 1 of the present disclosure >
Hereinafter, embodiment 1 of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.
(1) Constitution of substrate processing apparatus
First, a configuration example of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to fig. 1 to 7. In this embodiment, a case where the substrate processing apparatus is an annealing apparatus for annealing a substrate will be described as an example. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus shown in fig. 1 cut along the Y-axis direction. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus shown in fig. 1 cut along the X-axis direction.
As shown in fig. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes a housing 11 and a controller 121 that controls each component of the substrate processing apparatus 10.
In the housing 11, 2 load-lock chambers 14a and 14b, a 1 st processing chamber group 116, and a 2 nd processing chamber group 117 are arranged centering on the transfer chamber 12. Gate valves 361a and 361b are provided between the transfer chamber 12 and the load-lock chambers 14a and 14b, respectively. Is composed in the following way: by opening the gate valves 361a and 361b, the transfer chamber 12 and the load-lock chambers 14a and 14b can communicate with each other. Gate valves 351a and 351b are provided between the transfer chamber 12 and the 1 st processing chamber group 116 and the 2 nd processing chamber group 117, respectively. Is composed in the following way: when the gate valves 351a and 351b are opened, the transfer chamber 12 can communicate with the 1 st processing chamber group 116 and the 2 nd processing chamber group 117. The transfer chamber 12, the load-lock chambers 14a and 14b, the 1 st processing chamber group 116, and the 2 nd processing chamber group 117 are connected to a vacuum pump 118 (see fig. 9) through an exhaust passage and an exhaust valve provided in the exhaust passage, which are shown in the figure. The vacuum pump 118 and the exhaust valves are controlled by the controller 121 so that the internal pressures of the transfer chamber 12, the load-lock chambers 14a and 14b, the 1 st processing chamber group 116, and the 2 nd processing chamber group 117 become predetermined values. Further, 2 substrate cooling units 13a and 13b are disposed in the transfer chamber 12.
Outside the housing 11, an EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) 18 is disposed as a Front Module so as to face the load-lock chambers 14 and 14 b. The EFEM18 is configured to be capable of mounting a cassette (Front Open Unified Pod) in which 25 wafers 1 as substrates can be stacked, for example. Further, an atmospheric robot 19 (see fig. 9) capable of transferring the wafers 1 between the load locks 14a and 14b and the cassettes in the atmosphere is provided in the EFEM 18.
(load-lock chamber)
As shown in fig. 2, substrate support bodies (boat) 20 for storing, for example, 25 wafers 1 are provided in the load-lock chambers 14a and 14b at predetermined intervals in the longitudinal direction. With the substrate support 20, the wafer 1 is held in each of the load-lock chambers 14a, 14 b. The substrate support 20 is made of, for example, silicon carbide (SiC) or aluminum. Further, the substrate support 20 is configured to: the load-lock chambers 14a and 14b move in the vertical direction (vertical direction) and rotate about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction (see the arrow in fig. 2).
(group of 1 st and 2 nd treatment chambers)
As shown in fig. 1, the 1 st processing chamber group 116 includes processing chambers 16a and 16b as substrate processing chambers, and the 2 nd processing chamber group 117 includes processing chambers 17a and 17b as examples of the substrate processing chambers. Further, in the 1 st processing chamber group 116 and the 2 nd processing chamber group 117, substrate holding tables 36a and 36b and a robot arm 40 are provided, respectively. The processing chamber 16a and the processing chamber 16b communicate via the connecting space 48. The connection space 48 is provided between the process chambers 16a and 16 b. In addition, a partition member (see fig. 2) is provided in the connection space 48.
The robot arm 40 is configured to receive a wafer 1 conveyed by a robot 30 (see fig. 2) described later and to place the wafer on the substrate holding tables 36a and 36b, respectively. The robot arm 40 is configured to transfer the processed wafer 1 placed on the substrate holding tables 36a and 36b onto a clamp (twezer) of the robot 30.
As shown in fig. 2, 2 wafers 1 placed on the substrate holding tables 36a and 36b are simultaneously processed in the processing chambers 16a and 16 b. The substrate holding tables 36a and 36b respectively have heaters 37a and 37b as heating portions. The heaters 37a, 37b can heat the wafer 1 up to 450 ℃. In the present embodiment, the annealing process for the wafer 1 is performed by raising the temperature (heating) of the wafer 1 by the heaters 37a and 37b in the processing chambers 16a and 16 b.
In the present embodiment, the temperature of the wafer 1 can be raised to 450 ℃. However, the present embodiment may be configured to be able to raise the temperature of the wafer 1 to a higher temperature depending on the type of process performed on the wafer 1. For example, by further installing heating lamps in the processing chambers 16a and 16b, the temperature of the wafer 1 may be raised to about 1000 ℃.
(substrate Cooling Unit)
Substrate cooling units 13a and 13b are provided in the transfer chamber 12. The substrate cooling unit 13b has the same configuration as the substrate cooling unit 13 a. As shown in fig. 4 and 5, the substrate cooling unit 13a includes a substrate cooling plate 131a as a substrate cooling member.
The substrate cooling plate 131a is provided with 4 spacers 152a as substrate holders. The 4 spacers 152a are configured to support the wafer 1 above the substrate cooling plate 131 a. In the present embodiment, the spacer 152a constitutes a substrate holding portion. However, the substrate holding portion is not limited to the spacer 152 a. The substrate holding unit may be configured to be capable of supporting the wafer 1 above or below each substrate cooling plate at a predetermined interval from the upper surface or the lower surface of the substrate cooling plate. For example, the substrate holding portion may be constituted by a support pin formed in a projection shape or a rod shape. The substrate holding portion may be constituted by a holder or the like extending from the outside of the substrate cooling plate 131a so as to support the outer edge of the wafer 1. Further, a driving device for vertically moving the plurality of substrate holders may be provided in the substrate cooling unit 13a, and the plurality of substrate holders and the wafer 1 supported by the plurality of substrate holders may be configured to be movable up and down.
A coolant flow field 153a through which a coolant flows is provided inside the substrate cooling plate 131 a. The coolant flowing through the coolant flow path 153a cools the upper surface side and the lower surface side of the substrate cooling plate 131 a. Thereby, the wafer 1 supported by the spacers 152a is cooled. The substrate cooling plate 131a may be understood as a structure including a plate-shaped structure constituting the main body and a coolant passage 153a provided in the plate-shaped structure. The plate-like structure is made of metal such as stainless steel.
As shown in fig. 5, the substrate cooling unit 13a further includes a coolant supply unit (coolant supply unit) 155 that supplies a coolant to the coolant flow path 153 a. The refrigerant cooled in the refrigerant supply unit 155 circulates so as to be supplied to one end of the refrigerant flow path 153a and return to the refrigerant supply unit 155 from the other end of the refrigerant flow path 153 a. The refrigerant supply unit 155 is configured to be capable of individually adjusting the temperature and the flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the refrigerant passage 153 a.
In the present embodiment, water is used as the refrigerant. However, other liquids (cooling solvents) may be used as the refrigerant. In addition, a gas may be used as the refrigerant. Instead of the coolant flow path 153a, the wafer 1 may be cooled by a thermoelectric element such as a peltier element.
As shown in fig. 4, the substrate cooling plate 131a is provided with a finger 321a (see fig. 7) of the later-described clamp 32a and a notch having the same shape as the finger 321b of the clamp 32 b. Thus, the finger plates 321a and 321b are provided so as to be movable in the vertical direction inside the notches. Fig. 4 shows the finger plate 321b inserted into the notch.
In the present embodiment, the wafer 1 heated in the processing chambers 16a and 16b is placed on the upper surface of the substrate cooling plate 131a, and the wafer 1 can be rapidly cooled to, for example, room temperature. However, the temperature of the coolant flowing through the coolant flow path 153a may be further reduced, and the wafer 1 may be cooled to a temperature lower than room temperature. In the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b, it is not always necessary to cool the temperature of the wafer 1 to room temperature. In consideration of the process throughput and the like, the wafer 1 may be placed on the substrate cooling plates 131a and 131b and cooled until the temperature of the wafer 1 becomes a predetermined temperature (for example, 100 to 300 ℃) higher than the room temperature and lower than the temperature before being carried into the substrate cooling units 13a and 13 b.
Further, substrate cooling units 13a and 13b are provided in the transfer chamber 12. The wafer 1 transferred to the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b is cooled in the same atmosphere as the transfer chamber 12. That is, a gate valve or the like is not provided between the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b and the transfer chamber 12 to separate them.
(robot (substrate transport device))
As shown in fig. 1, a robot 30 as an example of a substrate transfer device for transferring the wafer 1 between the load-lock chambers 14a and 14b, the 1 st processing chamber group 116, and the 2 nd processing chamber group 117, and the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b is provided in the transfer chamber 12. As shown in fig. 6, the robot 30 includes a clamp as an example of a substrate holder for holding the wafer 1 (see fig. 4) so as to support the wafer from the lower surface, and an arm as an example of a substrate transfer arm for moving the clamp.
The clamp is composed of a clamp 32a as an example of the 1 st substrate holder and a clamp 32b as an example of the 2 nd substrate holder. The arm is composed of an arm 34a having a jaw 32a at the tip and an arm 34b having a jaw 32b at the tip. The jaw 32a and the jaw 32b each have a bifurcated shape and are separated from each other at a predetermined interval in the vertical direction. The jaw 32a and the jaw 32b extend substantially horizontally and in the same direction from the arm 34a and the arm 34b, respectively. The clamp 32a and the clamp 32b are configured to support the wafer 1 as a transfer target, respectively. The detailed structure of the pincer 32a and the pincer 32b will be described later.
The arms 34a and 34b are configured to be individually horizontally movable in the horizontal direction (X1 and X2 directions in fig. 6). The arms 34a and 34b are configured to be individually rotatable in the R direction in fig. 6. Further, the arms 34a and 34b are configured to be individually movable up and down in the Z direction in fig. 6. The arms 34a and 34b are arranged so as to be individually movable without interfering with each other. In the present embodiment, the configuration is such that: in a state where the jaw 32a is located on the upper side and the jaw 32b is located on the lower side, the jaws can move independently without interfering with each other.
(Upper jaw)
As shown in FIG. 7, the clamp 32a is an example of a substrate holder for supporting a wafer 1, which is a disk-shaped substrate having a diameter of 300mm, for example. The pincer 32a includes a finger plate 321a as an example of the 1 st plate-like body serving as a support base for the wafer 1. The finger plate 321a is formed into a two-strand fork shape from, for example, an oxide-based ceramic material (alumina ceramic or the like) or SiC. In addition, the finger plate 321a has a pair of belt-shaped portions. Each band-shaped portion is arranged to overlap a part of the wafer 1 in a state where the wafer 1 is supported by the clamp 32 a. The tip of each band-shaped portion extends to a position outside the outer peripheral edge of the wafer 1 in a state where the wafer 1 is supported by the pincer 32 a.
The fingerboard 321a is provided with a 1 st support portion 322a formed of a plurality of projections. The 1 st support portion 322a is provided on the circumference of a circle having a diameter smaller than that of the wafer 1 and having a center located at the same position as that of the wafer 1 (i.e., on the circumference of a concentric circle having a diameter smaller than that of the wafer 1). In a region on the finger plate 321a surrounded by a guide sidewall 324a described later, a 1 st support portion 322a formed of a plurality of projections projecting from the upper surface of the finger plate 321a toward the wafer 1 side is formed. Here, the plurality of convex portions constituting the 1 st supporting portion 322a are each formed of a columnar pad portion (pad).
[ 1 st support part ]
Each of the plurality of columnar pad portions is formed of a rubber material (a polymer material having rubber elasticity at room temperature). Further, the top surfaces of the pad portions protruding from the upper surface of the finger plate 321a are brought into contact with the lower surface (the surface opposite to the surface to be processed) of the wafer 1. These disk pad portions constitute a 1 st support portion 322a for supporting the lower surface of the wafer 1. In the present embodiment, since the 1 st support portion 322a is formed of a pad portion formed of a rubber material, the friction coefficient (frictional force) between the 1 st support portion 322a (particularly, the contact surface with the lower surface of the wafer 1) and the lower surface of the wafer 1 can be increased as compared with the case where the 1 st support portion 322a is formed of a pad portion formed of the same material as the finger plate 321a or the like.
As the rubber material, synthetic rubber having excellent characteristics such as heat resistance and abrasion resistance is particularly preferably used. As the rubber material, for example, synthetic rubber such as fluororubber, silicone rubber, or Perfluoroelastomer (Perfluoroelastomer) can be used. The heat-resistant temperature of these synthetic rubbers is generally about 200 to 350 ℃.
In the present embodiment, the diameter of the pad portion is preferably 5.0mm or more in order to obtain a sufficient frictional force between the 1 st supporting portion 322a and the lower surface of the wafer 1. In order to prevent the pad portion from sticking to the lower surface of the wafer 1, the diameter of the pad portion is preferably set to 20.0mm or less. In the present embodiment, the diameter of the pad portion is set to be φ 10.0 mm.
The columnar pad portions constituting the 1 st support portion 322a are disposed in a distributed manner at a plurality of positions on one circumference of the surface (upper surface) of the finger plate 321a, the plurality of positions being capable of uniformly supporting the wafer 1. Examples of the plurality of portions capable of supporting the wafer 1 uniformly include a plurality of portions that are point-symmetric with respect to a center point (center of figure) of the upper surface of the wafer 1, and a plurality of portions that are line-symmetric with respect to a line segment passing through the center point of the upper surface of the wafer 1 (a plurality of portions that are uniform from left to right). The columnar pad portions constituting the 1 st support portion 322a are arranged at 4 locations separated from each other in a dispersed manner on one circumference of the upper surface of the fingerboard 321 a.
By thus distributing the pad portions to 4 positions of the fingerboard 321a, 4 support portions (pad portions) are present on one circumference of the upper surface of the fingerboard 321 a. The 4 support portions (pad portions) support, for example, 4 portions in the vicinity of the peripheral edge of the wafer 1 uniformly. These 4 support portions constitute a support portion for the wafer 1. Here, an example is given in which pad portions are distributed to 4 positions of the fingerboard 321 a. However, the arrangement of the pad portions is not limited to the 4-position of the finger plate 321 a. The disc pad portions may be disposed in a distributed manner at less than 4 or at least 5 positions of the finger plate 321a, for example. It is desirable that the plurality of columnar pad portions constituting the 1 st support portion 322a, which are symmetrical to each other, be configured so that the support areas for the wafer 1 are equal to each other.
[ guide side wall ]
At the tip of each strip-shaped portion of the finger plate 321a, an arc-shaped guide sidewall 324a corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the wafer 1 is provided. Further, an arc-shaped guide side wall 324a corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the wafer 1 is provided also on the side of each band-shaped portion facing the tip end portion (i.e., the root side of the pincer 32 a). These guide side walls 324a are formed higher than the pad portion, which is a convex portion constituting the 1 st support portion 322 a.
(lower jaw)
As shown in fig. 8, the clamp 32b is an example of a substrate holder for supporting the wafer 1, similar to the clamp 32 a. The pincer 32b has a finger plate 321b as an example of a bifilar fork-shaped 2 nd plate member serving as a support base for the wafer 1.
The 2 nd support portion 322b is provided on the finger plate 321 b. The 2 nd support portion 322b is formed of a plurality of convex portions arranged on the circumference of a concentric circle smaller than the diameter of the wafer 1 in the region surrounded by the guide sidewall 324 b. The plurality of convex portions constituting the 2 nd support portion 322b are formed to protrude from the upper surface of the finger plate 321b toward the wafer 1 side. The finger 321b and the guide side wall 324b have the same structure as the finger 321a and the guide side wall 324a of the pincer 32 a. The guide side walls 324b are formed higher than the convex portions constituting the 2 nd support portion 322 b.
(the 2 nd support part)
The 2 nd support portion 322b is formed of a plurality of projections each formed in an arc shape (hereinafter referred to as "arc-shaped projection"). The plurality of arcuate projections are each formed of the same material as the finger plate 321 b. Further, the top surfaces of the plurality of arcuate projections projecting from the upper surface of the finger plate 321b are in contact with the lower surface of the wafer 1. These arc-shaped projections constitute a 2 nd support portion 322b for supporting the lower surface of the wafer 1.
(comparison of Upper and lower pincers)
Here, a difference in the configuration between the jaw 32a and the jaw 32b will be described. As described above, the 1 st supporting portion 322a of the pincer 32a is formed of the plurality of pad portions formed of the rubber material. Similarly, the 2 nd support portion 322b of the pincer 32b is formed of a plurality of arcuate projections formed of the same material as the finger plate 321 b. Due to the difference in this configuration, the jaw 32a and the jaw 32b have the following difference.
(difference in carrying speed)
The plurality of pad parts constituting the 1 st supporting part 322a are formed of a rubber material. On the other hand, the plurality of pad portions constituting the 2 nd support portion 322b are formed of a ceramic material, SiC, or the like. Therefore, the coefficient of friction (frictional force) of the 1 st support portion 322a with respect to the lower surface of the wafer 1 to be conveyed is larger than the coefficient of friction (frictional force) of the 2 nd support portion 322b with respect to the lower surface of the wafer 1. Therefore, in the case of transporting the wafer 1 using the pincer 32a, the wafer 1 is less likely to shift or slip during transportation than in the case of transporting the wafer 1 using the pincer 32 b. More specifically, for example, even when the acceleration acting on the wafer 1 during the transportation is the same, the wafer 1 is less likely to shift or slip when the wafer 1 is transported using the pincer 32a than when the wafer 1 is transported using the pincer 32 b. Therefore, when the wafer 1 is transported by using the pincer 32a, the transport speed of the wafer 1 can be made higher than that of the wafer 1 when the wafer 1 is transported by using the pincer 32b while suppressing the occurrence of misalignment and slippage of the wafer 1.
(difference in temperature of transportable wafer)
The plurality of pad parts constituting the 1 st supporting part 322a are formed of a rubber material. Therefore, the heat-resistant temperature of the 1 st supporting portion 322a is lower than that of the 2 nd supporting portion 322b formed of a ceramic material, SiC, or the like. Therefore, when the wafer 1 having a temperature higher than the heat-resistant temperature of the pincer 32a is conveyed by using the pincer 32a, deformation of the pad portion formed of the rubber material and sticking of the pad portion to the lower surface of the wafer 1 are likely to occur. That is, it is not desirable to convey the wafer 1 heated to a temperature higher than the heat-resistant temperature of the rubber material of the disk pad portion by the pincer 32 a. It is desirable to convey the wafer 1 heated to a temperature higher than the heat-resistant temperature of the rubber material of the pad portion by using the pincer 32 b.
(controller)
As shown in fig. 9, the controller 121, which is an example of a control Unit (control means), is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 121a, a RAM (random access memory) 121b, a storage device 121c, and an I/O port 121 d. The RAM121b, the storage device 121c, and the I/O port 121d are connected so as to be able to exchange data with the CPU121a via the internal bus 121 e. An input/output device 122 configured as a touch panel or the like, for example, is connected to the controller 121.
The storage device 121c is configured by, for example, a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or the like. The storage device 121c stores (stores) a control program for controlling the operation of the substrate processing apparatus and process procedures such as the order and conditions of the steps for performing substrate processing described later in a readable manner. The process flow functions as a program for causing the controller 121(CPU121a) to execute the respective sequences in the substrate processing steps described later. Hereinafter, the process, the control procedure, and the like are also collectively referred to as a procedure. In addition, the process is also referred to as a manufacturing process. The program in the present specification refers to a case where only a single process is included, a case where only a single control program is included, or a case where both a process and a control program are included. The RAM121b is a memory area configured to temporarily store programs and data read by the CPU121 a.
The I/O port 121d is connected to the robot 30, the gate valves 351a, 351b, 361a, 361b, the refrigerant supply unit 155, the robot arm 40, the heaters 37a, 37b, and the like.
The CPU121a is configured to read out and execute a control program from the storage device 121c, and read out a process from the storage device 121c in accordance with input of an operation command from the input/output device 122, and the like. The CPU121a is configured to control the substrate transfer operation of the robot 30, the opening and closing operations of the gate valves 351a, 351b, 361a, 361b, the temperature adjustment operations of the heaters 37a, 37b, the start and stop of the vacuum pump 118, the substrate transfer operation of the atmospheric robot 19, and the like, in accordance with the read process contents.
The controller 121 may be configured by installing the above-described program stored in an external storage device (for example, a magnetic disk such as a hard disk, an optical disk such as a CD, an optical magnetic disk such as an MO, or a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory) 123 in a computer. The storage device 121c and the external storage device 123 may be configured as a computer-readable recording medium. Hereinafter, the storage device 121c and the external storage device 123 are collectively referred to as a recording medium. The recording medium in this specification may include only the storage device 121c, only the external storage device 123, or both the storage device 121c and the external storage device 123. Note that the program may be provided to the computer by using a communication means such as the internet or a dedicated circuit without using the external storage device 123.
(2) Operation of substrate processing apparatus
Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described in accordance with the substrate processing flow of the substrate processing apparatus 10 shown in fig. 10.
(atmospheric side transfer step S100)
First, the CPU121a transfers unprocessed wafers 1 from the EFEM18 into the load lock chamber 14a, and closes the load lock chamber 14a in an airtight manner. Thereafter, the CPU121a opens the gate valve 361a to communicate the load-lock chamber 14a with the transfer chamber 12.
(1 st transfer step S110)
Next, the CPU121a drives the arm 34a of the robot 30 to receive the wafer 1 held by the substrate support 20 in the load-lock chamber 14a with the pincer 32 a. Thereafter, the CPU121a opens the gate valve 351a or 351b to transfer the wafer 1 on the clamp 32a to either the 1 st processing chamber group 116 or the 2 nd processing chamber group 117. The 1 st processing chamber group 116 and the 2 nd processing chamber group 117 perform the same processing on the wafer 1. Therefore, the following description will be made of a case where the wafer 1 is carried into the 1 st processing chamber group 116 and the wafer 1 is processed, and a description of a case where the wafer 1 is carried into the 2 nd processing chamber group 117 and the wafer 1 is processed will be omitted.
When the processing chamber 16a carries out and processes the wafer 1 transferred to the 1 st processing chamber group 116, the robot 30 inserts the clamp 32a holding the wafer 1 into the 1 st processing chamber group 116, and places the wafer 1 on the substrate holding base 36 a. When the processing chamber 16b processes the wafer 1 transferred to the 1 st processing chamber group 116, the robot 30 inserts the clamp 32a holding the wafer 1 into the 1 st processing chamber group 116, and transfers the wafer 1 between the robot arm 40 and the clamp 32 a. The robot arm 40 operates to place the received wafer 1 on the substrate holding table 36 b.
Here, the process until the robot 30 transfers the wafer 1 from the load-lock chamber 14a or the load-lock chamber 14b into the 1 st processing chamber group 116 or the 2 nd processing chamber group 117 is referred to as a 1 st transfer process S110.
As will be described later, in the present embodiment, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121(CPU121a) such that only the arm 34a and the jaw 32a are used and the arm 34b and the jaw 32b are not used in the 1 st conveying step S110.
(substrate processing step S120)
Thereafter, the CPU121a closes the gate valve 351a, and heats the wafers 1 on the substrate holding tables 36a and 36b by the heaters 37a and 37b, respectively. Thereby, a predetermined process is performed on the wafer 1. In the present embodiment, the temperature of the wafer 1 is raised to 400 ℃, and the annealing process is performed on the wafer 1.
(the 2 nd conveying step S130)
When the process in the 1 st chamber group 116 is completed, the CPU121a opens the gate valve 351 a. Thereafter, the CPU121a drives the arm 34b of the robot 30 to insert the clamp 32b into the 1 st processing chamber group 116, and receives the wafer 1 processed on the substrate holding table 36a with the clamp 32b or receives the wafer 1 processed on the substrate holding table 36b with the clamp 32b from the robot arm 40. Next, the robot 30 transfers and loads the processed wafer 1 held by the clamp 32b from the 1 st processing chamber group 116 to one of the substrate cooling unit 13a and the substrate cooling unit 13b through the transfer chamber 12. The substrate cooling units 13a and 13b cool the wafer 1 in the same manner. Therefore, in the following, a case of cooling the wafer 1 by transferring it to the substrate cooling unit 13a will be described, and a case of cooling the wafer 1 by transferring it to the substrate cooling unit 13b will be omitted.
The robot 30 transfers the wafer 1 to the substrate cooling unit 13a, and places the wafer 1 on the spacer 152 a. Specifically, the robot 30 moves the clamp 32b above the substrate cooling plate 131a in a state where the height of the lower surface of the wafer 1 supported by the clamp 32b is higher than that of the spacer 152 a. Next, the robot 30 lowers the pincer 32b downward, thereby placing the wafer 1 on the spacer 152 a.
Here, the process of transferring the wafer 1 from the 1 st processing chamber group 116 or the 2 nd processing chamber group 117 to the substrate cooling unit 13a or the substrate cooling unit 13b by the robot 30 is referred to as a 2 nd transfer process S130.
As will be described later, in the present embodiment, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121(CPU121a) such that only the arm 34b and the jaw 32b are used and the arm 34a and the jaw 32a are not used in the 2 nd conveying step S130.
(substrate Cooling step S140)
The lower surface of the wafer 1 placed on the substrate cooling plate 131a is in contact with the substrate cooling plate 131a cooled by the coolant flowing inside. Thereby, the wafer 1 is cooled until it becomes lower than a predetermined temperature. In the present embodiment, the wafer 1 is cooled until it becomes lower than 200 ℃.
(3 rd conveying step S150)
When the cooling process for cooling the wafer 1 to a temperature lower than the predetermined temperature is completed, the robot 30 drives the arm 34a to insert the clamp 32a into the substrate cooling unit 13a, and receives the cooled wafer 1 placed on the substrate cooling plate 131a with the clamp 32 a.
Next, the CPU121a opens the gate valve 361b, and transfers the wafer 1 received by the clamp 32a onto the substrate support 20 loaded in the interlock chamber 14b in an empty state.
Here, the process of transferring the wafer 1 from the substrate cooling unit 13a or the substrate cooling unit 13b to the load-lock chamber 14b by the robot 30 is referred to as a 3 rd transfer process S150.
As will be described later, in the present embodiment, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121(CPU121a) so that only the arm 34a and the jaw 32a are used and the arm 34b and the jaw 32b are not used in the 3 rd conveying step S150.
(atmospheric side carrying-out step S160)
When the substrate support 20 in the load-lock chamber 14b receives a predetermined number of processed wafers 1 by repeating the above-described processing operations, the CPU121a opens the gate valve 361b to open the load-lock chamber 14b to the atmosphere. Thereafter, the processed wafer 1 is transferred from the load lock chamber 14b to the EFEM18, and is carried out to the outside by an external carrier device not shown.
(3) Substrate transfer operation by robot 30
Next, a comparison between the present embodiment and the comparative example is made with reference to fig. 11, and the operation of the robot 30 in the above-described 1 st to 3 rd conveying steps S110, S130, and S150 will be described in detail. Sequence a in fig. 11 is an operation sequence of the robot 30 according to the present embodiment, and sequence B is an operation sequence of the robot 30 according to the comparative example. In sequence A, B, the upper stage shows the substrate transfer operation of the arm 34a, and the lower stage shows the substrate transfer operation of the arm 34 b.
One of the differences between the present embodiment and the comparative example is that the arm 34a includes the jaw 32a in the present embodiment, whereas the arm 34a includes the jaw having the same configuration as the jaw 32b in the comparative example (hereinafter, this jaw is referred to as "jaw 32 b" for convenience of description). That is, in the comparative example, the arm 34b includes the jaw 32b, and the arm 34a includes the jaw 32 b' having the same configuration as the jaw 32 b.
In the present embodiment, the maximum acceleration Va is the maximum acceleration Va of the acceleration applied to the wafer 1 when the wafer 1 is transported by using the arm 34a provided with the clamp 32 a. In the present embodiment, the maximum acceleration Vb is the maximum acceleration Vb of the acceleration applied to the wafer 1 when the wafer 1 is transported by using the arm 34b provided with the clamp 32 b. In the present embodiment, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121(CPU121a) such that the maximum acceleration Va is greater than the maximum acceleration Vb. On the other hand, in the comparative example, the maximum value Va of the acceleration applied to the wafer 1 when the wafer 1 is transported by using the arm 34a provided with the pincer 32b is set as the maximum acceleration Va'. In the comparative example, the maximum value Vb of the acceleration applied to the wafer 1 when the wafer 1 is transported by using the arm 34b having the clamp 32b is set as the maximum acceleration Vb'. In the comparative example, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121(CPU121a) so that the maximum acceleration Va and the maximum acceleration Vb become the same. This embodiment is different from the comparative example in this way. The other configurations are the same as those in the present embodiment, and therefore, the description thereof is omitted.
The term "acceleration" in the present specification mainly means an acceleration applied to the wafer 1 in the horizontal direction during the transfer of the wafer 1. In addition, the "acceleration" in the present specification also includes a total acceleration in the moving direction of the wafer 1 due to a frictional force acting between the 1 st supporting part 322a or the 2 nd supporting part 322b and the lower surface of the wafer 1.
(1 st conveying step)
In the present embodiment, as described above, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121(CPU121a) so that the 1 st conveying step S110 is performed using the arm 34a and the jaw 32a, and the 1 st conveying step S110 is performed without using the arm 34b and the jaw 32 b. At this time, the robot 30 drives the arm 34a so that the maximum acceleration Va applied to the wafer 1 during the transfer of the wafer 1 using the arm 34a becomes the acceleration vh.
In the comparative example, on the other hand, in the 1 st transfer step, the wafer 1 is transferred by the arm 34a provided with the pincer 32 b. At this time, the robot 30 drives the arm 34a so that the maximum acceleration Va applied to the wafer 1 during the transfer of the wafer 1 using the arm 34a becomes an acceleration vl smaller than the acceleration vh.
The acceleration vh is the maximum value of the acceleration that is allowed under the condition that no offset or slip occurs between the wafer 1 and the jaw 32a when the 1 st transfer step S110 and the 3 rd transfer step S150 are performed using the jaw 32 a. The acceleration vl is the maximum value of the acceleration that is allowed under the condition that no offset or slip occurs between the wafer 1 and the jaws 32b, 32b when the 2 nd transfer step S130 is performed using the jaws 32b, 32 b.
Here, the difference in the maximum values of the allowable accelerations vh and vl occurs due to the following 2-point difference between the 1 st and 3 rd conveying steps S110 and S150 and the 2 nd conveying step S130.
< difference due to thermal deformation of substrate >
First, in the 1 st and 3 rd transfer steps S110 and S150 and the 2 nd transfer step S130, the temperature of the substrate to be transferred differs. Specifically, in the 2 nd transfer step S130, the wafer 1 in a state in which the temperature thereof has been raised in a predetermined process in the process chambers 16a and 16b is transferred. On the other hand, in the 1 st transfer step S110 and the 3 rd transfer step S150, the wafer 1 before the temperature is raised in the process chambers 16a and 16b or the wafer 1 after being cooled in the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b is transferred.
Here, the wafer 1 is generally kept flat at normal temperature. However, when the wafer 1 is heated, temperature variations occur on the front and back surfaces of the wafer 1 or on the surface of the wafer 1. Due to the temperature deviation, the wafer 1 may be deformed, warped, or undulated. Therefore, the wafer 1 in a state in which the temperature is raised in the predetermined process (i.e., the wafer 1 in the 2 nd transfer step S130) is more likely to be deformed or more likely to be deformed than the wafer 1 before the temperature is raised in the process chambers 16a and 16b or the wafer 1 after being cooled in the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b (i.e., the wafer 1 in the 1 st transfer step S110 or the 3 rd transfer step S150).
Further, for example, as shown in fig. 12, in the 2 nd transfer step S130, when the wafer 1 is deformed so as to tilt from the center side toward the outer edge side of the wafer 1, the lower surface (back surface) of the wafer 1 is supported at a limited portion of the 2 nd support portion 322b as shown by point a in the drawing. Therefore, the contact area between the lower surface of the wafer 1 and the 2 nd support portion 322b is reduced. As a result, the frictional force between the lower surface of the wafer 1 and the 2 nd supporting portion 322b is reduced, and the holding force of the 2 nd supporting portion 322b holding the wafer 1 is lowered. Further, if the wafer 1 is displaced on the pincer 32b during the transfer of the wafer 1 due to the lowering of the holding force of the 2 nd support portion 322b holding the wafer 1, friction may occur between the lower surface of the wafer 1 and the 2 nd support portion 322b, damage may occur on the lower surface of the wafer 1, or particles may be generated.
Therefore, in order to avoid the occurrence of misalignment of the wafer 1 during transportation and friction associated with the misalignment, in the present embodiment, the maximum acceleration vl allowed in the 2 nd transportation step S130 in which the deformation of the wafer 1 is likely to occur is smaller than the maximum acceleration vh allowed in the 1 st transportation step S110 and the 3 rd transportation step S150 in which the deformation of the wafer 1 is relatively unlikely to occur. In other words, according to the present embodiment, the maximum acceleration vh in the 1 st and 3 rd transfer steps S110 and S150, at which the deformation of the wafer 1 is relatively unlikely to occur, can be made larger than the maximum acceleration vl in the 2 nd transfer step S130.
In general, the deformation caused by heating the wafer 1 tends to be more likely to occur as the temperature of the wafer 1 is higher, and the degree of the deformation tends to be larger. Therefore, the maximum acceleration vl in the 2 nd transfer step S130 may be set to be different depending on the temperature (process temperature) at which the wafer 1 is heated in the predetermined process performed in the process chambers 16a and 16 b. For example, the maximum acceleration vl may be changed so as to be increased when the process temperature is relatively low, and the maximum acceleration vl may be changed so as to be decreased when the process temperature is relatively high.
< differences due to the construction of the pincer >
As described above, in the present embodiment, by using the clamp 32a for holding the wafer 1 on the 1 st supporting portion 322a, the acceleration value at which the wafer 1 does not shift or slip can be increased as compared with the case of using the clamps 32b and 32b for holding the wafer 1 on the 2 nd supporting portion 322 b. That is, in the present embodiment, the acceleration vh > the acceleration vl can be set.
In the present embodiment, the present step (the 1 st transport step S110) is executed with the acceleration vh > the acceleration vl, and with the maximum acceleration Va ═ vh and the maximum acceleration Vb ═ vl, whereby the transport speed (transport throughput) of the wafer 1 in the present step can be maximized. On the other hand, in the comparative example, since the present step is performed with the maximum acceleration Va being Vb being vl, the present embodiment is inferior in terms of the transport speed (transport throughput) of the wafer 1. As shown in fig. 11, the time required until the completion of the present step is longer in the case of the comparative example than in the case of the present embodiment.
In other embodiments, the acceleration vh and the acceleration vl need not be maximum values under the above-described conditions, but at least the acceleration vh > the acceleration vl. However, from the viewpoint of maximizing the transfer throughput of the wafer 1, it is preferable that the accelerations vh and vl be maximum values under the above-described conditions as in the present embodiment.
Here, this step (the 1 st transfer step S110) is performed before the substrate processing step S120 in which the wafer 1 is heated. Therefore, in this step, the temperature of the wafer 1 to be conveyed is lower than the temperature after being heated in the substrate processing step S120. Therefore, in this step, even if the wafer 1 is conveyed by using the pincer 32a for holding the wafer 1 in the 1 st support portion 322a formed of the pad portion made of a rubber material, it is not necessary to consider problems such as deformation of the pad portion and sticking of the pad portion to the lower surface of the wafer 1.
In other words, in this step, only the wafer 1 having a temperature equal to or lower than the heat-resistant temperature (hereinafter, also referred to as "1 st temperature") of the rubber material constituting the pad portion of the 1 st support portion 322a is conveyed by using the arm 34a and the jaw 32 a.
(the 2 nd conveying step)
In the present embodiment, as described above, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121(CPU121a) so as to perform the 2 nd conveying step S130 using the arm 34b and the gripper 32 b. In this step, in any of the present embodiment and the comparative example, the wafer 1 is transported by the arm 34b having the clamp 32 b. Therefore, in this step, in both the present embodiment and the comparative example, the robot 30 drives the arm 34b so that the maximum acceleration Vb applied to the wafer 1 becomes the acceleration vl (that is, Vb ═ vl).
That is, as shown in fig. 11, the time required until the completion of the present step is the same in the present embodiment as in the case of the comparative example.
Here, this step (the 2 nd transfer step S130) is performed after the substrate processing step S120 in which the wafer 1 is heated. Therefore, in this step, the temperature of the wafer 1 to be transported is higher than the temperature before being heated in the substrate processing step S120. Therefore, when the wafer 1 in this step is to be transported using the pincer 32a formed of the rubber material for the pad portion constituting the 1 st support portion 322a, the temperature of the wafer 1 exceeds the heat-resistant temperature (1 st temperature) of the rubber material, and the pad portion may be deformed or the pad portion may be stuck to the lower surface of the wafer 1.
In the present embodiment, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121(CPU121a) so that it performs the present process using the arm 34b and the pincer 32b, and performs the present process without using the arm 34a and the pincer 32 a. That is, in this step, the wafer 1 having a temperature exceeding the heat-resistant temperature (1 st temperature) of the rubber material constituting the pad portion of the 1 st supporting portion 322a is conveyed by using only the arm 34b and the pincer 32 b. In this way, by controlling the robot 30 so that only the arm 34b and the jaw 32b are used in the present step, the above-described problem caused by the use of the rubber material for the jaw 32a can be avoided.
(the 3 rd conveying step)
In the present embodiment, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121(CPU121a) so that the 3 rd conveying step S150 is performed using the arm 34a and the pincer 32a, and the present step is performed without using the arm 34b and the pincer 32b, as in the 1 st conveying step S110. At this time, the robot 30 drives the arm 34a so that the maximum acceleration Va applied to the wafer 1 during the transfer of the wafer 1 using the arm 34a becomes the acceleration vh.
In the comparative example, as in the 1 st transfer step S110, in this step, the wafer 1 is transferred by the arm 34a having the clamp 32 b. At this time, the robot 30 drives the arm 34a so that the maximum acceleration Va applied to the wafer 1 during the transfer of the wafer 1 using the arm 34a becomes an acceleration vl smaller than the acceleration vh.
Therefore, in the present embodiment, similarly to the case of the 1 st transfer step S110, the present step can be executed with the acceleration vh > the acceleration vl and the maximum acceleration Va and Vb equal to vh and vl, thereby maximizing the transfer speed (transfer throughput) of the wafer 1 in the present step. As shown in fig. 11, the time required until the completion of the present step is longer in the case of the comparative example than in the case of the present embodiment.
In the present step of the present embodiment, as in the case of the 1 st transfer step S110, only the wafer 1 having the temperature of 1 st or lower is transferred using the arm 34a and the clamp 32 a.
As described above, the controller 121(CPU121a) of the present embodiment controls the robot 30 so that the arm 34a performs the 1 st transfer step S110 of transferring the wafer 1 from the load-lock chamber 14a to the 1 st process chamber group 116, and the 3 rd transfer step S150 of transferring the wafer 1 from the substrate cooling unit 13a to the load-lock chamber 14b, and so that the arm 34a does not perform the 2 nd transfer step S130 of transferring the wafer 1 from the 1 st process chamber group 116 to the substrate cooling unit 13 a. The controller 121 of the present embodiment controls the robot 30 so that the arm 34b performs the 2 nd conveying step S130, and so that the arm 34b does not perform the 1 st conveying step S110 and the 3 rd conveying step S150.
In addition, in the 1 st to 3 rd conveying steps S110, S130, and S150 of the present embodiment, the pincer 32a is configured to convey only the wafer 1 having a heat-resistant temperature (1 st temperature) of the rubber material constituting the pad portion of the 1 st support portion 322a or less, and the pincer 32b is configured to convey only the wafer 1 having a heat-resistant temperature (1 st temperature) exceeding the rubber material constituting the pad portion of the 1 st support portion 322 a. The robot 30 controls the controller 121(CPU121a) so that the arm 34a carries only the wafer 1 at the temperature no greater than 1 st and the arm 34b carries only the wafer 1 at the temperature greater than 1 st.
(4) Effects of the present embodiment
According to the present embodiment, one or more effects described below are exhibited.
According to the present embodiment, as shown in fig. 11, the time required from the start of the transfer of the wafer 1 from the load-lock chamber 14a to the 1 st processing chamber group 116 in the 1 st transfer step S110 to the completion of the transfer of the wafer 1 from the substrate cooling unit 13a to the load-lock chamber 14b in the 3 rd transfer step S150 can be shortened as compared with the case of the comparative example. That is, the transfer throughput of the wafer 1 can be improved, and the productivity of the substrate processing apparatus 10 can be improved.
In addition, according to the present embodiment, it is permissible to use a material having a low heat-resistant temperature as the material forming the 1 st support portion 322a of the pincer 32 a. Therefore, the degree of freedom in selecting the material forming the 1 st support portion 322a can be increased. For example, the 1 st supporting portion 322a may be made of a material having a large force (i.e., a large friction coefficient) for holding the wafer 1, such as a rubber material.
Further, according to the present embodiment, since deformation of the pad portion constituting the 1 st support portion 322a can be suppressed, the frequency of replacement of components such as the pad portion can be reduced.
In addition, according to the present embodiment, the pad portions constituting the 1 st supporting portion 322a can be prevented from sticking to the lower surface of the wafer 1. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a conveyance error of the wafer 1 due to the pad portions adhering to the lower surface of the wafer 1, and the deterioration of the quality of the wafer 1.
In addition, according to the present embodiment, the substrate transfer operation is performed in the substrate processing apparatus 10 including the substrate cooling units 13a and 13 b. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the frequency of performing the step of conveying the low-temperature wafer 1 is relatively greater than the frequency of performing the step of conveying the high-temperature wafer 1 such as the wafer 1 immediately after the heat treatment, compared to the case where the substrate conveying operation is performed in the substrate processing apparatus not including the substrate cooling units 13a and 13 b. Therefore, by increasing the transfer speed in the step of transferring the wafer 1 at a low temperature equal to or lower than the 1 st temperature, the transfer throughput of the wafer 1 can be more effectively improved.
By manufacturing a semiconductor device using the substrate processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment as described above, the semiconductor device can be efficiently manufactured.
In embodiment 1, a description has been given of an example in which a columnar pad portion is used as the convex portion constituting the 1 st supporting portion 322 a. However, the convex portion constituting the 1 st support portion 322a is not limited to the columnar pad portion. That is, the convex portion constituting the 1 st supporting portion 322a may be formed of a member formed in an annular shape. More specifically, the member formed in an annular shape may be formed of an O-ring. Fig. 13 shows an example in which the 1 st support portion 322a is formed of an O-ring in the jaw 32 a. The top surfaces of the O-rings are formed to be lower than the guide side walls 324a, as in the disk pad portions in the above-described embodiments.
The shape of the convex portion constituting the 1 st supporting portion 322a is not limited to a cylindrical shape, and may be various shapes such as a prismatic shape and an arc shape.
< embodiment 2 of the present disclosure >
In embodiment 2 of the present disclosure, after the 2 nd transfer step S130 in embodiment 1, a clamp cooling step S200 of cooling the clamp 32b by the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b is further performed.
(Clamp Cooling Process S200)
In embodiment 1, when the wafer 1 is placed on the spacer 152a in the 2 nd transfer step S130, the pincer 32b is lowered downward. However, in the jaw cooling step S200, the robot 30 is controlled so that the wafer 1 is placed on the spacer 152a, and then the jaw 32b is further moved to a position below the substrate cooling plate 131a, and the jaw 32b is maintained at the position for a predetermined time. Specifically, after the wafer 1 is placed on the spacer 152a, the clamp 32a is directly lowered vertically to a position lower than the lower surface of the substrate cooling plate 131a, and the clamp 32b is stopped at this position for a predetermined time. In this specification, the lower side of the substrate cooling plate 131a refers to a lower position including a notch (through which the pincer 32b provided on the substrate cooling plate 131a passes downward).
By performing this step, the wafer 1 supported by the clamp 32b can rapidly cool the clamp 32b having an increased temperature. By cooling the pincer 32b, deformation and deterioration of the pincer 32a due to heat can be suppressed.
The predetermined time for maintaining the stopped state of the jaw 32a may be any time as long as the jaw 32b can be substantially cooled. However, if the predetermined time is too long, the transfer throughput of the wafer 1 may be reduced, or a significant temperature deviation may occur in the wafer 1 due to the supercooled clamp 32b when the wafer 1 is transferred. Therefore, the predetermined time may be, for example, 5 to 60 seconds.
In the present embodiment, an example in which the clamp 32b is stopped below the substrate cooling plate 131a is described. However, depending on the configuration of the substrate cooling unit 13a, the clamp 32b may be stopped above the substrate cooling plate 131 a.
In the present embodiment, since the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b are provided in the transfer chamber 12, the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b can continuously cool the clamp 32b while cooling the wafer 1.
< embodiment 3 of the present disclosure >
In embodiment 3 of the present disclosure, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121(CPU121a) so that the robot performs the operation of transferring the wafer 1 between the inside of the 1 st processing chamber group 116 and the inside of the 2 nd processing chamber group 117 at neither of the arms 34a and 34 b. By controlling the robot 30 in this way, when the arm 34b transfers the wafers 1 having the temperature increased in the 1 st processing chamber group 116 and the 2 nd processing chamber group 117, the wafer 1 is transferred only to the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b as in the 2 nd transfer step S130, and the wafers 1 having the temperature increased are not continuously transferred by the gripper 32 b. Therefore, the pincer 32b can be prevented from being excessively heated. The 1 st processing chamber group 116 and the 2 nd processing chamber group 117 are examples of substrate processing chambers.
Other embodiments of the disclosure
In the above-described embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 10 is exemplified as an annealing apparatus. However, the substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure is not limited to the annealing apparatus. That is, the present disclosure can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus in which the temperature rise of the substrate occurs in the processing chamber, regardless of the processing contents in the processing chamber. Examples of the substrate processing apparatus include an apparatus that performs other processes such as a film formation process, an etching process, a diffusion process, an oxidation process, a nitridation process, and an ashing process.
In the above-described embodiment, the case where one jaw 32a is provided on the arm 34a and one jaw 32b is provided on the arm 34b is taken as an example. However, the number of the jaws 32a and 32b provided to the arms 34a and 34b is not limited to 1. That is, the arms 34a and 34b may be configured to have a plurality of forceps, respectively.
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the robot 30 has 2 arms 34a and 34b is taken as an example. However, the number of arms provided in the robot 30 is not limited to 2. That is, the robot 30 may be configured to have an arm for substrate conveyance other than the arms 34a and 34 b.
In the above embodiment, the description has been given of an example in which the load-lock chambers 14a and 14b into which the wafer 1 is carried out in the 1 st transport step S110 are different from the load-lock chambers 14a and 14b into which the wafer 1 is carried in the 3 rd transport step S150. However, in the 1 st transport step S110 and the 3 rd transport step S150, the load-lock chambers 14a and 14b into and out of which the wafer 1 is carried in or out may be changed. That is, in the 1 st transport step S110 and the 3 rd transport step S150, the load-lock chambers 14a and 14b for carrying in and out the wafer 1 may be the same.
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the substrate as the transfer target is the wafer 1 is taken as an example. However, the substrate as the transfer target is not limited to the wafer 1. That is, the substrate serving as the transfer target in the present disclosure may be a photomask, a printed wiring board, a liquid crystal panel, or the like.
In the above-described embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 10 is exemplified to include a plurality of processing chambers 16a, 16b, 17a, and 17b as substrate processing chambers. However, the substrate processing apparatus may have at least 1 substrate processing chamber.
As described above, since the present disclosure can be implemented in various embodiments, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. For example, the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 10 described in the above embodiment (for example, the configuration of the 1 st processing chamber group 116, the 2 nd processing chamber group 117, and the like) is merely an example, and it is needless to say that various modifications can be made without departing from the scope of the invention.
Note that the disclosure of japanese patent application No. 2018-181416 filed on 27/9/2018 is incorporated in its entirety by reference into the present specification.
All documents, patent applications, and specifications described in the present specification are incorporated by reference into the present specification to the same extent as if each document, patent application, and specification were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference.

Claims (11)

1. A substrate processing apparatus includes:
a substrate transfer device configured to transfer a substrate by driving the 1 st substrate transfer arm and the 2 nd substrate transfer arm, respectively;
a transfer chamber in which a substrate cooling unit configured to cool the substrate and the substrate transfer apparatus are arranged;
at least 1 substrate processing chamber which is disposed adjacent to the transfer chamber and configured to perform a process of heating the substrate;
a load-lock chamber disposed adjacent to the transfer chamber; and
a control unit for controlling the substrate transfer device,
the control unit is configured to control the operation of the motor,
controlling the 1 st substrate transfer arm to perform a 1 st transfer process of transferring the substrate in the load lock chamber into the substrate processing chamber and a 3 rd transfer process of transferring the substrate placed on the substrate cooling unit into the load lock chamber,
controlling the 2 nd substrate transfer arm to perform a 2 nd transfer process of transferring the substrate in the substrate processing chamber to the substrate cooling unit and placing the substrate on the substrate cooling unit,
the 1 st substrate transfer arm and the 2 nd substrate transfer arm are controlled so that a maximum value of acceleration applied to the substrate in the 1 st transfer process and the 3 rd transfer process is larger than a maximum value of acceleration applied to the substrate in the 2 nd transfer process.
2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1,
the control unit is configured to control the operation of the motor,
the substrate transfer apparatus is controlled so that only the substrate having a temperature of 1 st or lower is transferred by the 1 st substrate transfer arm and only the substrate having a temperature exceeding the 1 st temperature is transferred by the 2 nd substrate transfer arm.
3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2, wherein,
the 1 st substrate transfer arm includes a 1 st substrate holder configured to support a lower surface of the substrate,
the 2 nd substrate transfer arm includes a 2 nd substrate holder configured to support a lower surface of the substrate,
the 1 st substrate holder comprises:
a 1 st plate-like body disposed under the substrate; and
a 1 st support part configured to support a lower surface of the substrate, the first support part being configured by a plurality of convex parts arranged on an upper surface of the 1 st plate-like body,
the 2 nd substrate holder has:
a 2 nd plate-like body disposed under the substrate; and
a 2 nd support portion configured to support a lower surface of the substrate, the second support portion being configured by a plurality of convex portions arranged on an upper surface of the 2 nd plate-like body,
the 1 st support part is made of a material having a friction coefficient larger than that of a material constituting the 2 nd support part.
4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein,
the 1 st support part is made of a rubber material.
5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 4, wherein,
the 2 nd support part is made of a ceramic material or silicon carbide.
6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein,
the heat resistant temperature of the material constituting the 1 st support portion is lower than the heat resistant temperature of the material constituting the 2 nd support portion.
7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 3, wherein,
the 1 st temperature is a heat-resistant temperature of a material constituting the 1 st support portion.
8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1,
the substrate cooling unit has:
a substrate cooling plate; and
a substrate holding section configured to hold the substrate above or below the substrate cooling plate,
the 2 nd substrate transfer arm has a 2 nd substrate holder configured to support a lower surface of the substrate,
the control unit is configured to:
and controlling the 2 nd substrate transfer arm so that the 2 nd substrate holding jig stops above or below the substrate cooling plate for a predetermined time after the substrate is held above or below the substrate cooling plate by the substrate holding section in the 2 nd transfer process.
9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1,
the substrate processing chamber is provided in a plurality,
the control unit is configured to:
and controlling the 1 st substrate transfer arm and the 2 nd substrate transfer arm so that the transfer of the substrate from one of the substrate processing chambers to the other substrate processing chamber is not performed.
10. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device includes:
a first transfer step of transferring the substrate in the load lock chamber into a substrate processing chamber by using a first substrate transfer arm 1 of a substrate transfer device provided in the transfer chamber and a second substrate transfer arm 2 of the substrate transfer device, and heating the substrate in the substrate processing chamber;
a 2 nd transfer step of transferring the substrate in the substrate processing chamber to a substrate cooling unit provided in the transfer chamber, placing the substrate on the substrate cooling unit, and cooling the substrate by the substrate cooling unit, using the 2 nd substrate transfer arm and without using the 1 st substrate transfer arm; and
a 3 rd transfer step of transferring the substrate placed on the substrate cooling unit into the load lock chamber using the 1 st substrate transfer arm and not using the 2 nd substrate transfer arm,
the maximum value of the acceleration applied to the substrate when the substrate is conveyed by the 1 st substrate conveying arm in the 1 st and 3 rd conveying steps is made larger than the maximum value of the acceleration applied to the substrate when the substrate is conveyed by the 2 nd substrate conveying arm in the 2 nd conveying step.
11. A recording medium which is readable by a computer and in which a program for causing a substrate processing apparatus to execute a predetermined procedure by the computer is recorded,
the prescribed steps include:
a 1 st transfer step of transferring the substrate in the load lock chamber into a substrate processing chamber that heats the substrate, using a 1 st substrate transfer arm of a substrate transfer device provided in the transfer chamber and without using a 2 nd substrate transfer arm of the substrate transfer device;
a 2 nd transfer step of transferring the substrate in the substrate processing chamber to a substrate cooling unit provided in the transfer chamber and cooling the substrate, using the 2 nd substrate transfer arm and without using the 1 st substrate transfer arm, and placing the substrate on the substrate cooling unit; and
a 3 rd transfer step of transferring the substrate placed on the substrate cooling unit into the load lock chamber using the 1 st substrate transfer arm and not using the 2 nd substrate transfer arm,
the maximum value of the acceleration applied to the substrate during the transfer of the substrate by the 1 st substrate transfer arm in the 1 st and 3 rd transfer steps is made larger than the maximum value of the acceleration applied to the substrate during the transfer of the substrate by the 2 nd substrate transfer arm in the 2 nd transfer sequence.
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