JP2007258632A - Board processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To confirm soundness of a device by comparing using data which is not affected by disturbance. <P>SOLUTION: A board processing device 11 which performs prescribed processing to a board 15 by performing two or more time-series steps has a dividing means for dividing data collected at each step based on a prescribed condition; an integration means which calculates a value obtained by integrating the divided data; and a comparing means which compares the integrated value with a previously set reference value. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2008,JPO&INPIT

Description

The present invention acquires information representing the operating state of the substrate processing apparatus, accumulates it in a database, performs mathematical processing such as graph display, average, maximum, and minimum on the accumulated data, and stores past data and ideals. The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus having a system that compares data with various data and analyzes whether the apparatus is operating correctly.
The information indicating the operating state includes information on sensors, actuators, etc. that detect temperature, gas flow rate, valve state, etc., information on temperature, gas flow rate, valve state, etc., instructed by the substrate processing apparatus to the actuator, etc. It is represented by a set of events and their occurrences over a number of times such as the IDs of the wafers, carriers, recipes, etc., step transitions at the time of recipe execution. In the case of continuous data such as temperature, the data is periodically read out at intervals of several seconds to 1 second or earlier, and new data is stored as it is or when there is a change from the previously acquired data.

  Conventionally, in order to determine whether a substrate processing apparatus is operating normally, a process of comparing a certain characteristic value (for example, temperature, etc.) when operating normally with a value actually measured is performed. By doing so, the soundness was judged by these differences being within a specified range.

FIG. 12 shows an example in which a temperature monitor is overlaid and compared.
This graph shows a change in temperature with respect to time, and the reference data a and the monitored temperature data b are plotted so as to correspond to the time.

As a method for determining an abnormality from the graph of FIG.
That is, since the plots that are repeatedly executed under the same conditions, such as the same set value and timing, are substantially the same plot, it is possible to determine abnormality by superimposing these.

  As another method, there is a method of checking in an ideal plot ± range, and when it is within this range, it is determined to be normal, and when it is above the range, it is determined to be abnormal. This range is preferably increased or decreased depending on the time. In the figure, the time (middle) B in which the temperature change is large is increased, and the times A and C in which the temperature change is small (first and second half) are decreased.

  As another method, there is a method of obtaining a deviation (σ) from a similar plot in the past and analyzing the deviation.

  However, when the temperature is overlapped as in the conventional case, the measured value may differ from the actual value due to a failure of the sensor or the reading device, a drift due to aging, or the like. In this case, there is a possibility of making an incorrect determination if the determination is made using the characteristic value.

  An object of the present invention is to determine the soundness of a substrate processing apparatus by an overlay process, not a characteristic value of a temperature whose value largely fluctuates due to a small disturbance, but a heater output instruction value or actual heater output which is data for generating a temperature. An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus that uses a value, divides based on a predetermined condition, and determines abnormality based on an integrated value obtained by integrating the divided data.

In order to solve the above-described problems, a substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate through a plurality of time-series steps,
Dividing means for dividing the data collected in each step based on a predetermined condition; integrating means for calculating an integrated value of the divided data; and comparing means for comparing the integrated value with a preset reference value It is characterized by having.

Further, the substrate processing apparatus of the present invention is a step of carrying in and loading a substrate holder on which a plurality of substrates are placed into a reaction tube;
Raising the temperature of the inside of the reaction tube to a predetermined process temperature with a predetermined temperature gradient;
Applying a predetermined treatment to the substrate while maintaining the process temperature;
Lowering the inside of the reaction tube with a predetermined temperature gradient from the process temperature;
Unloading the substrate holder from the reaction tube, and a substrate processing apparatus comprising:
The temperature data detected in each step may be divided for each step to calculate an integral value, and comparison means for comparing the integral value with a preset reference value may be provided.

  The substrate processing method of the present invention is a substrate processing method for performing predetermined processing on a substrate through a plurality of time-series steps, and divides data collected in each step based on predetermined conditions. A value obtained by integrating the divided data can be calculated, and the integrated value can be compared with a preset reference value.

  As described above, according to the present invention, by integrating the data collected in each step, the total value in that step can be obtained. However, since the integral value does not fluctuate greatly, it is possible to quickly detect an abnormality in the apparatus even if the data is varied by comparing the integral values.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a data collection system of the present embodiment.
Furnace temperature data representing the operating state of the substrate processing apparatus 11 is periodically measured at intervals of several seconds to one second or earlier, and is combined with the measured time as it is or when there is a change from the previous time. Stored in the database 13. Then, the data collection device 12 retrieves necessary data from the database 13 and controls the semiconductor manufacturing device 11.

  FIG. 2 shows a basic configuration for controlling the furnace temperature. As shown in this figure, for example, a plurality of temperature sensors 16 are provided in the furnace in order to measure the temperature of the object 15 such as a wafer, and each temperature sensor 16 detects the temperature in the furnace. Input to the controller 10. The controller 10 outputs a heater output instruction value to each heater 14 and the actual heater output value of each heater 14 is monitored.

  Here, the control of the furnace temperature will be described in more detail with reference to FIG. 3. The controller 10 is instructed to set the temperature of the heater 14 and the temperature in the furnace, and the temperature of the heater 14 acquired by the sensor. And the furnace temperature acquired by the temperature sensor 16 shown by FIG. 2 is input. While monitoring the temperature of the heater 14 and the temperature in the furnace, the controller 10 outputs an instruction to control the heater output instruction value to the heater controller 18 so that these temperatures become the temperature set values. The heater controller 18 sends an output to the heater 14 to heat the heater 14 at a specified rate in accordance with the heater output instruction value input from the controller 10. This output is typically power.

  The heater 14 warms the furnace with the applied electric power, and the heater actual output value which is the power actually applied to the heater 14 is monitored by the controller 10. The heater actual output value and the heater output instruction value are generally not equal to each other, because the heater controller 18 cannot physically output the instructed output value 100%, an error, or the like. It is. The heater temperature and the furnace temperature change depending on the degree of warming by the heater 14, and by performing closed loop control, the heater 14 and furnace temperature (set value) finally becomes the monitored heater 14 and furnace temperature. .

FIG. 4 is a temperature characteristic diagram showing an example of a 1RUN temperature control pattern in the substrate processing apparatus 11 shown in FIG. Here, step 1 is a process of raising the substrate holder on which the substrate is placed and loading the substrate into the reaction tube, and step 2 is for increasing the inside of the reaction tube to a predetermined process temperature with a predetermined temperature gradient. This is a process of heating. Step 3 is a process of heat-treating the substrate by stably maintaining the process temperature, and Step 4 is a process of lowering the temperature from the process temperature with a predetermined temperature gradient. Finally, step 5 is a process for carrying the substrate holder out of the reaction tube.
The process from the start of step 1 to the end of step 5 is referred to as 1RUN.

  Next, FIG. 5 shows an example of comparing heater output instruction values. In the section of Step 1, the heater output instruction value is small, and in the section of Step 2, since the temperature inside the reaction tube is increased, the heater output value becomes large, and Step 3 is a section in which the process temperature is stably maintained. Therefore, the heater output instruction value becomes small. Since the heater output instruction value is generally reproducible and can be compared in the same manner as the temperature, it can be compared in the same manner as the method shown in the above-mentioned prior art.

  Even if there is no problem in the conventional temperature comparison, if there is a problem in the heater output indication value, it should be judged that there is a tendency to abnormal, this is due to temperature sensor failure or drift, temperature control Possible causes include machine malfunction and heater deterioration. Anomalies can be avoided by finding the cause automatically or manually based on these factors and taking countermeasures.

As described above, the method for confirming the soundness by directly comparing the heater output instruction values is generally effective in a high temperature range where resistance to disturbance is small and particularly at a stable time. However, depending on the low temperature range and the heater type that are susceptible to disturbances, the fluctuations may become severe and comparison may not be possible. Therefore, analysis using an integral value described later is effective.
In FIG. 5, the heater output instruction value is used as a comparison reference, but the heater actual output value can be used in the same manner.

Next, a method of confirming the soundness of the substrate processing apparatus 11 by comparing the integrated values of data, which is a technique of the present invention, will be described.
If the actual temperature of the object 15 is equal to the reference temperature data, the amount of heat applied to the object 15 is substantially equal to the reference amount of heat, and this amount of heat is proportional to the integral value (ie, heater power) of the actual heater output value. Therefore, the integrated value of the heater actual output value is compared. Moreover, since it is necessary to consider the temperature change of the target object 15 at the time of integration, the low temperature stabilization part that is the process of step 1 in 1 RUN of the substrate processing apparatus 11, the temperature increase part that is the process of step 2, Integration is performed by dividing into three sections of the high temperature stable part which is the process. The point to be divided into three sections is for comparison in sections having similar characteristics. Since the temperature of the object 15 cannot be directly measured, the temperature is detected based on the temperature data detected by the temperature sensor 16 instead of the temperature of the object 15.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the plot B of the temperature sensor 16 from step 1 to step 3 is superimposed on the plot A of the heater actual output value from step 1 to step 3 shown in FIG. Based on the above, a point to be divided into three sections is detected and three sections are determined. FIG. 8 shows an example in which values obtained by integrating the actual heater output values in the determined three sections are plotted. Although not shown, each of these data is compared with reference data. Further, in the same state (or step), the power required for stabilizing the temperature or raising the temperature is the same between the RUNs, so by comparing the integral values between multiple RUNs. Detect anomalies. In the embodiment of the present invention, for example, the stable part after the temperature rise (step 3) is checked in one section, but the initial stage after the temperature rise (for example, after 10 minutes), and thereafter (for example, after 10 minutes) 30 minutes later), and the respective integrated values of the divided data may be compared. The same applies to other steps.

  In the embodiment of the present invention, as an example, the substrate processing apparatus 11 is configured as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that performs processing steps in a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device (IC). In the following description, a case where a vertical apparatus (hereinafter simply referred to as a processing apparatus) that performs oxidation, diffusion processing, CVD processing, or the like is applied to the substrate 15 as the substrate processing apparatus 11 will be described. FIG. 9 is a perspective view of the substrate processing apparatus 11 of the present embodiment. FIG. 10 is a side perspective view of the substrate processing apparatus 11 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the processing apparatus 100 of the present invention uses a hoop (substrate container; hereinafter referred to as a pod) 110 as a wafer carrier that stores a wafer (substrate) 200 made of silicon or the like. Includes a casing 111. A front maintenance port 103 serving as an opening provided for maintenance is opened at the front front portion of the front wall 111a of the casing 111, and front maintenance doors 104 and 104 for opening and closing the front maintenance port 103 are respectively constructed. It is attached.
A pod loading / unloading port (substrate container loading / unloading port) 112 is opened on the front wall 111a of the casing 111 so as to communicate between the inside and the outside of the casing 111. The pod loading / unloading port 112 has a front shutter (substrate container loading / unloading port). The loading / unloading opening / closing mechanism 113 is opened and closed.
A load port (substrate container delivery table) 114 is installed in front of the front side of the pod loading / unloading port 112, and the load port 114 is configured so that the pod 110 is placed and aligned. The pod 110 is loaded onto the load port 114 by an in-process transfer device (not shown), and is also unloaded from the load port 114.

A rotary pod shelf (substrate container mounting shelf) 105 is installed at an upper portion of the casing 111 in a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction. The rotary pod shelf 105 stores a plurality of pods 110. It is configured. In other words, the rotary pod shelf 105 is vertically arranged and intermittently rotated in a horizontal plane, and a plurality of shelf boards (supported by a substrate container) that are radially supported by the support 116 at each of the upper, middle, and lower positions. And a plurality of shelf plates 117 are configured to hold the pods 110 in a state where a plurality of pods 110 are respectively placed.
A pod transfer device (substrate container transfer device) 118 is installed between the load port 114 and the rotary pod shelf 105 in the housing 111, and the pod transfer device 118 moves up and down while holding the pod 110. A pod elevator (substrate container lifting mechanism) 118a and a pod transfer mechanism (substrate container transfer mechanism) 118b as a transfer mechanism are configured. The pod transfer device 118 includes a pod elevator 118a and a pod transfer mechanism 118b. The pod 110 is transported between the load port 114, the rotary pod shelf 105, and the pod opener (substrate container lid opening / closing mechanism) 121 by continuous operation.

A sub-housing 119 is constructed across the rear end of the lower portion of the housing 111 at a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction. A pair of wafer loading / unloading ports (substrate loading / unloading ports) 120 for loading / unloading the wafer 200 into / from the sub-casing 119 are arranged on the front wall 119a of the sub-casing 119 in two vertical stages. A pair of pod openers 121 and 121 are installed at the wafer loading / unloading ports 120 and 120 at the upper and lower stages, respectively.
The pod opener 121 includes mounting bases 122 and 122 on which the pod 110 is placed, and cap attaching / detaching mechanisms (lid attaching / detaching mechanisms) 123 and 123 for attaching and detaching caps (lids) of the pod 110. The pod opener 121 is configured to open and close the wafer loading / unloading port of the pod 110 by attaching / detaching the cap of the pod 110 placed on the placing table 122 by the cap attaching / detaching mechanism 123.

  The sub-housing 119 constitutes a transfer chamber 124 that is fluidly isolated from the installation space of the pod transfer device 118 and the rotary pod shelf 105. A wafer transfer mechanism (substrate transfer mechanism) 125 is installed in the front region of the transfer chamber 124, and the wafer transfer mechanism 125 rotates the wafer 200 in the horizontal direction or can move the wafer 200 in the horizontal direction. Substrate transfer device) 125a and wafer transfer device elevator (substrate transfer device lifting mechanism) 125b for raising and lowering wafer transfer device 125a. As schematically shown in FIG. 9, the wafer transfer apparatus elevator 125 b is installed between the right end of the pressure-resistant casing 111 and the right end of the front area of the moving chamber 124 of the sub casing 119. By the continuous operation of the wafer transfer device elevator 125b and the wafer transfer device 125a, the tweezer (substrate holder) 125c of the wafer transfer device 125a is used as a placement portion for the wafer 200 with respect to the boat (substrate holder) 217. The wafer 200 is loaded (charged) and unloaded (discharged).

  In the rear region of the transfer chamber 124, a standby unit 126 that houses and waits for the boat 217 is configured. A processing furnace 202 is provided above the standby unit 126. The lower end portion of the processing furnace 202 is configured to be opened and closed by a furnace port shutter (furnace port opening / closing mechanism) 147.

As schematically shown in FIG. 9, a boat elevator (substrate holder lifting / lowering) for raising and lowering the boat 217 is provided between the right end of the pressure-resistant casing 111 and the right end of the standby section 126 of the sub casing 119. Mechanism) 115 is installed. A seal cap 129 as a lid is horizontally installed on an arm 128 that is connected to a lifting platform of the boat elevator 115, and the seal cap 129 supports the boat 217 vertically, and a lower end of the processing furnace 202. It is comprised so that a part can be obstruct | occluded.
The boat 217 includes a plurality of holding members so that a plurality of (for example, about 50 to 125) wafers 200 are horizontally held in a state where their centers are aligned in the vertical direction. It is configured.

As schematically shown in FIG. 9, the left end of the transfer chamber 124 opposite to the wafer transfer device elevator 125b side and the boat elevator 115 side is a cleaned atmosphere or inert gas. A clean unit 134 composed of a supply fan and a dustproof filter is installed so as to supply clean air 133. Between the wafer transfer device 125a and the clean unit 134, although not shown, the circumferential direction of the wafer A notch aligning device 135 is installed as a substrate aligning device for aligning the positions.
The clean air 133 blown out from the clean unit 134 flows into the notch aligning device 135, the wafer transfer device 125a, and the boat 217 in the standby unit 126, and is then sucked in through a duct (not shown) to the outside of the casing 111. Exhaust is performed or it is circulated to the primary side (supply side) that is the suction side of the clean unit 134, and is again blown into the transfer chamber 124 by the clean unit 134.

Next, the operation of the processing apparatus of this embodiment will be described.
As shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, when the pod 110 is supplied to the load port 114, the pod loading / unloading port 112 is opened by the front shutter 113, and the pod 110 above the load port 114 moves to the pod transfer device 118. Is carried into the housing 111 from the pod loading / unloading port 112.
The loaded pod 110 is automatically transported and delivered by the pod transport device 118 to the designated shelf 117 of the rotary pod shelf 105, temporarily stored, and then one pod opener from the shelf 117. It is conveyed to 121 and transferred to the mounting table 122, or directly transferred to the pod opener 121 and transferred to the mounting table 122. At this time, the wafer loading / unloading port 120 of the pod opener 121 is closed by the cap attaching / detaching mechanism 123, and the transfer chamber 124 is filled with clean air 133. For example, the transfer chamber 124 is filled with nitrogen gas as clean air 133, so that the oxygen concentration is set to 20 ppm or less, which is much lower than the oxygen concentration inside the casing 111 (atmosphere).

The pod 110 mounted on the mounting table 122 is pressed against the opening edge of the wafer loading / unloading port 120 on the front wall 119a of the sub-housing 119, and the cap is removed by the cap attaching / detaching mechanism 123. The wafer loading / unloading port is opened.
When the pod 110 is opened by the pod opener 121, the wafer 200 is picked up from the pod 110 by the tweezer 125c of the wafer transfer device 125a through the wafer loading / unloading port, aligned with the notch alignment device 135, and then transferred to the transfer chamber 124. Is loaded into the standby unit 126 at the rear of the vehicle and loaded into the boat 217 (charging). The wafer transfer device 125 a that has transferred the wafer 200 to the boat 217 returns to the pod 110 and loads the next wafer 200 into the boat 217.

  During the loading operation of the wafer into the boat 217 by the wafer transfer mechanism 125 in the one (upper or lower) pod opener 121, the other (lower or upper) pod opener 121 receives another pod from the rotary pod shelf 105. 110 is transferred and transferred by the pod transfer device 118, and the opening operation of the pod 110 by the pod opener 121 is simultaneously performed.

  When a predetermined number of wafers 200 are loaded into the boat 217, the lower end portion of the processing furnace 202 closed by the furnace port shutter 147 is opened by the furnace port shutter 147. Subsequently, the boat 217 holding the group of wafers 200 is loaded into the processing furnace 202 when the seal cap 129 is lifted by the boat elevator 115.

After loading, arbitrary processing is performed on the wafer 200 in the processing furnace 202.
After the processing, the wafer 200 and the pod 110 are discharged to the outside of the casing 111 in the reverse order of the above-described procedure except for the wafer alignment process in the notch aligner 135.

  FIG. 11 shows a schematic configuration diagram of the processing furnace 202 of the substrate processing apparatus 11 used in the present embodiment as a longitudinal cross-sectional view, which will be described below.

   HYPERLINK "http://sgpat2.head.hitachi.co.jp/pat#www/fpic?AA04304128/000003.gif" \ t "right" As shown in FIG. 11, the processing furnace 202 is used as a heating mechanism. The heater 14 is provided. The heater 14 has a cylindrical shape and is vertically installed by being supported by a heater base 251 as a holding plate.

Inside the heater 14, a process tube 203 is disposed as a reaction tube concentrically with the heater 14. The process tube 203 includes an inner tube 204 as an internal reaction tube and an outer tube 205 as an external reaction tube provided on the outer side thereof. The inner tube 204 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO ₂ ) or silicon carbide (SiC), and is formed in a cylindrical shape having upper and lower ends opened. A processing chamber 201 is formed in the cylindrical hollow portion of the inner tube 204, and is configured so that wafers 200 as substrates can be accommodated in a state of being aligned in multiple stages in a horizontal posture and in a vertical direction by a boat 217 described later. The outer tube 205 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide, and is formed in a cylindrical shape having an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube 204 and closed at the upper end and opened at the lower end. It is provided in the shape.

  A manifold 209 is disposed below the outer tube 205 concentrically with the outer tube 205. The manifold 209 is made of, for example, stainless steel and is formed in a cylindrical shape with an upper end and a lower end opened. The manifold 209 is engaged with the inner tube 204 and the outer tube 205, and is provided so as to support them. An O-ring 220a as a seal member is provided between the manifold 209 and the outer tube 205. By supporting the manifold 209 on the heater base 251, the process tube 203 is installed vertically. A reaction vessel is formed by the process tube 203 and the manifold 209.

  A nozzle 230 as a gas introduction unit is connected to a seal cap 219 described later so as to communicate with the inside of the processing chamber 201, and a gas supply pipe 232 is connected to the nozzle 230. A processing gas supply source and an inert gas supply source (not shown) are connected to an upstream side of the gas supply pipe 232 opposite to the connection side with the nozzle 230 via an MFC (mass flow controller) 241 as a gas flow rate controller. Has been. A gas flow rate control unit 235 is electrically connected to the MFC 241 and is configured to control at a desired timing so that the flow rate of the supplied gas becomes a desired amount.

  The manifold 209 is provided with an exhaust pipe 231 that exhausts the atmosphere in the processing chamber 201. The exhaust pipe 231 is disposed at the lower end portion of the cylindrical space 250 formed by the gap between the inner tube 204 and the outer tube 205 and communicates with the cylindrical space 250. A vacuum exhaust device 246 such as a vacuum pump is connected to the downstream side of the exhaust pipe 231 opposite to the connection side with the manifold 209 via a pressure sensor 245 and a pressure adjustment device 242 as a pressure detector. The chamber 201 is configured to be evacuated so that the pressure in the chamber 201 becomes a predetermined pressure (degree of vacuum). A pressure control unit 236 is electrically connected to the pressure adjustment device 242 and the pressure sensor 245, and the pressure control unit 236 is installed in the processing chamber 201 by the pressure adjustment device 242 based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 245. Control is performed at a desired timing so that the pressure becomes a desired pressure.

  Below the manifold 209, a seal cap 219 is provided as a furnace port lid that can airtightly close the lower end opening of the manifold 209. The seal cap 219 is brought into contact with the lower end of the manifold 209 from the lower side in the vertical direction. The seal cap 219 is made of a metal such as stainless steel and has a disk shape. On the upper surface of the seal cap 219, an O-ring 220b is provided as a seal member that contacts the lower end of the manifold 209. A rotation mechanism 254 for rotating the boat is installed on the side of the seal cap 219 opposite to the processing chamber 201. A rotation shaft 255 of the rotation mechanism 254 passes through the seal cap 219 and is connected to a boat 217 described later, and is configured to rotate the wafer 200 by rotating the boat 217. The seal cap 219 is configured to be lifted vertically by a boat elevator 115 as a lifting mechanism vertically installed outside the process tube 203, and thereby the boat 217 is carried into and out of the processing chamber 201. Is possible. A drive control unit 237 is electrically connected to the rotation mechanism 254 and the boat elevator 115, and is configured to control at a desired timing so as to perform a desired operation.

  The boat 217 serving as a substrate holder is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide, and is configured to hold a plurality of wafers 200 in a horizontal posture and in a state where the centers are aligned with each other and held in multiple stages. ing. In addition, a plurality of heat insulating plates 216 as a disk-shaped heat insulating member made of a heat resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide are arranged in a plurality of stages in a horizontal posture at the lower portion of the boat 217, Is difficult to be transmitted to the manifold 209 side.

  A temperature sensor 263 is installed in the process tube 203 as a temperature detector. A temperature controller 238 is electrically connected to the heater 14 and the temperature sensor 263, and the temperature in the processing chamber 201 is adjusted by adjusting the power supply to the heater 14 based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263. Is controlled at a desired timing so as to have a desired temperature distribution.

  The gas flow rate control unit 235, the pressure control unit 236, the drive control unit 237, and the temperature control unit 238 also constitute an operation unit and an input / output unit, and are electrically connected to a main control unit 239 that controls the entire substrate processing apparatus. ing. These gas flow rate control unit 235, pressure control unit 236, drive control unit 237, temperature control unit 238, and main control unit 239 are configured as a controller 240.

  Next, a method of forming a thin film on the wafer 200 by the CVD method as one step of the semiconductor device manufacturing process using the processing furnace 202 having the above configuration will be described. In the following description, the operation of each part constituting the substrate processing apparatus is controlled by the controller 240.

  When a plurality of wafers 200 are loaded into the boat 217 (wafer charge), as shown in FIG. 11, the boat 217 holding the plurality of wafers 200 is lifted by the boat elevator 115 and processed in the processing chamber 201. Is loaded (boat loading). In this state, the seal cap 219 seals the lower end of the manifold 209 via the O-ring 220b.

  The processing chamber 201 is evacuated by a vacuum evacuation device 246 so that a desired pressure (degree of vacuum) is obtained. At this time, the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is measured by the pressure sensor 245, and the pressure adjusting device 242 is feedback-controlled based on the measured pressure. Further, the processing chamber 201 is heated by the heater 14 so as to have a desired temperature. At this time, the power supply to the heater 14 is feedback-controlled based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263 so that the inside of the processing chamber 201 has a desired temperature distribution. Subsequently, the wafer 200 is rotated by rotating the boat 217 by the rotation mechanism 254.

  Next, the gas supplied from the processing gas supply source and controlled to have a desired flow rate by the MFC 241 is introduced into the processing chamber 201 from the nozzle 230 through the gas supply pipe 232. The introduced gas rises in the processing chamber 201, flows out from the upper end opening of the inner tube 204 into the cylindrical space 250, and is exhausted from the exhaust pipe 231. The gas comes into contact with the surface of the wafer 200 when passing through the processing chamber 201, and at this time, a thin film is deposited on the surface of the wafer 200 by a thermal CVD reaction.

  When a preset processing time has passed, an inert gas is supplied from an inert gas supply source, the inside of the processing chamber 201 is replaced with an inert gas, and the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is returned to normal pressure. .

  Thereafter, the seal cap 219 is lowered by the boat elevator 115, the lower end of the manifold 209 is opened, and the processed wafer 200 is carried out from the lower end of the manifold 209 to the outside of the process tube 203 while being held by the boat 217 ( Boat unloading). Thereafter, the processed wafer 200 is taken out from the boat 217 (wafer discharge).

  Note that the present invention can be applied not only to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus but also to an apparatus for processing a glass substrate such as an LCD apparatus as the substrate processing apparatus 11, and not only a vertical apparatus but also a single wafer apparatus. It can also be applied to horizontal devices.

  Further, the substrate film forming process performed in the step 3 includes, for example, a process for forming a CVD, PVD, oxide film, nitride film, a process for forming a film containing a metal, and the like, and further an annealing process. Alternatively, a treatment such as an oxidation treatment, a nitridation treatment, or a diffusion treatment may be used.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a data collection system according to an embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the basic composition which controls the furnace temperature. It is a detailed explanatory view of temperature control. It is a temperature characteristic figure which shows an example of the temperature control pattern in a substrate processing apparatus. It is a figure which compares a heater output instruction value. It is a figure which compares a heater actual output value. It is the figure which divided | segmented the heater actual output value of FIG. 6 in the area of a temperature characteristic. It is the figure which showed the value which integrated the heater actual output value in each area. It is a perspective view of the substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment. FIG. 10 is a side perspective view of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 9. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of the schematic block diagram of the processing furnace of the substrate processing apparatus used for this embodiment. It is a figure which compares the temperature monitor of a prior art.

Explanation of symbols

10 Controller 11 Substrate Processing Device 12 Data Collection Device 13 Database 15 Object (Substrate)
18 Heater controller

Claims (1)

A substrate processing apparatus that performs a predetermined process on a substrate through a plurality of time-series steps,
Dividing means for dividing the data collected in each step based on a predetermined condition; integrating means for calculating an integrated value of the divided data; and comparing means for comparing the integrated value with a preset reference value And a substrate processing apparatus.

Images