JP2009081267A - Positioning method for substrate conveyance position, substrate processing system, and computer-readable storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a method of setting a substrate conveyance position on the basis of actual operation temperature conditions of a processing device. <P>SOLUTION: A displacement sensor 39 disposed on a center axis RO of rotation of a conveyance arm unit 33 measures positions of a support pin 15, provided to a placement table 2b of a processing chamber 1b, at room temperature and in a heated state respectively to calculate the amount of displacement of the position of the support pin 15 in the heated state from the position of the support pin 15 at the room temperature. On the basis of the amount of displacement, position coordinates of the center O of the placement table 2b separately determined through teaching are corrected. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate transfer position alignment method, a substrate processing system, and a computer-readable storage medium for aligning a substrate transfer position in a substrate transfer apparatus for transferring a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer.

  In the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device, various processes such as film formation and etching are repeatedly performed on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. A semiconductor processing apparatus that performs these processes uses a substrate processing system in which a plurality of processing apparatuses are combined. In such a substrate processing system, one or a plurality of substrate transfer apparatuses are provided for transferring a substrate in a system including a plurality of processing apparatuses and transferring a substrate to and from another substrate processing system. A substrate transport system is provided.

  The substrate transfer apparatus includes a transfer arm configured to be able to perform operations such as expansion, contraction, stretching, turning, and lifting, and a holding member provided at the tip of the transfer arm. The substrate transport apparatus transports the substrate by holding the substrate with the holding member.

  In a substrate processing system, it is necessary to transport a substrate by a substrate transport device and accurately deliver the substrate to an appropriate position such as a mounting table on which the substrate is mounted in the processing device. For this purpose, a teaching process is performed in which the transfer arm remembers the delivery position of the substrate as position coordinates. Teaching is performed as follows, for example, when transferring a substrate between the substrate transport apparatus and the mounting table. First, the coordinate of a certain position in the substrate processing system is determined as a reference position, the position coordinate of the center of the mounting table with respect to this reference position is calculated based on the design value of the apparatus, and the control unit of the substrate transport apparatus is used as a temporary position coordinate. Save to. Next, the transfer arm is driven with the temporary position coordinates as a target, and the operation is switched to manual operation when the holding member approaches the mounting table. Next, fine alignment of the transfer arm is performed manually so that the substrate can be transferred from the appropriate position of the mounting table to the appropriate position of the holding member using, for example, an alignment substrate. Then, the accurately aligned state is stored in the control unit of the substrate transfer apparatus as the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table.

  The teaching is performed at room temperature because manual adjustment of the transfer arm is performed while visually confirming. On the other hand, depending on the content of the process, for example, in the case of a process involving heating of the substrate, the temperature of the wall of the processing apparatus is 150 to 200 ° C., and the temperature of the mounting table is as high as 500 ° C. Under such a high temperature condition, the center position of the mounting table shifts due to thermal expansion of the processing apparatus. For example, when aluminum is used as the material of the processing apparatus, a 500 mm long aluminum plate thermally expands by about 1 mm when the temperature rises by 200 ° C. In this case, there is a deviation of about 1 mm between the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table determined by teaching at room temperature and the center position of the mounting table in the actual processing state at a high temperature. Since the 1 mm positional deviation exceeds the transport error allowed by the substrate transport apparatus, a highly reliable transport operation becomes difficult as it is.

  Conventionally, a “deviation” due to this thermal expansion is predicted and the position coordinate of the center of the mounting table is corrected for the teaching result. However, since the correction value is not determined by measuring the deviation of the center position of the actual mounting table that occurs in a high temperature state, the corrected position coordinates are the center position of the mounting table under the actual processing conditions. There was no guarantee that it was consistent. If the correction value is inappropriate, it is not possible to perform processing by placing the substrate on an appropriate placement position on the placement table. As a result, there is a problem in that the processing accuracy for the substrate is lowered and the yield of the product is lowered. Conventionally, it was found that correction of misalignment due to thermal expansion was inappropriate only after the accuracy of processing contents and the yield of products were reduced, and teaching was performed again.

  By the way, in order to perform a highly reliable transfer operation by the substrate transfer device, for example, in Patent Document 1, the extension direction of the transfer arm unit is photographed as a still image by a camera provided in the substrate transfer device, and recorded in advance. A technique for collating with a normal still image of a transport destination is described. As in Patent Document 1, a technique for providing a substrate or the like with a detection mechanism such as a camera is known. However, no technology has been proposed so far for accurately grasping the position shift of the mounting table due to thermal expansion.

Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2005-175083 (Claims etc.)

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a method for aligning the substrate transfer position under the actual operating temperature condition of the processing apparatus.

In order to solve the above-described problem, a substrate transfer position alignment method according to the first aspect of the present invention includes:
A processing apparatus having a mounting table for mounting the substrate and performing a predetermined process on the substrate;
A substrate transfer device having a holding member for holding the substrate and performing a transfer operation of the substrate to the processing apparatus;
Position measuring means for measuring the position of a measurement target member provided on the mounting table by irradiating laser light from a predetermined measurement position toward the mounting table and detecting the reflected light;
A controller that stores the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table as a reference when the substrate is transferred between the holding member and the mounting table, and controls the transfer of the substrate by the substrate transfer device;
A substrate transport position alignment method for aligning a substrate transport position by the substrate transport apparatus in a substrate processing system comprising:
A first measurement step of measuring the position of the measurement target member by the position measurement means in a state where the mounting table is at room temperature;
A second measurement step of measuring the position of the measurement target member in a state where the mounting table is heated by the position measurement unit;
Based on the result of the first measurement step and the result of the second measurement step, calculating the displacement amount of the center of the mounting table in the heating state with respect to the center of the mounting table in the normal temperature state;
Correcting the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table stored in the control unit based on the displacement amount.

  In the substrate transfer position alignment method according to the first aspect, the measurement position is predetermined on a turning center axis of the substrate transfer apparatus or in a direction orthogonal to the irradiation direction of the laser light with reference to the turning center axis. It may be a position separated by a distance.

  In the substrate transport position alignment method according to the first aspect, the measurement target member is provided so as to be able to project and retract with respect to the surface of the mounting table in order to support the substrate when the substrate is delivered. It may be a support member. In this case, the support member may be provided with a flat reflecting surface that reflects the laser light.

  In the substrate transport position alignment method according to the first aspect, the measurement target member has a flat reflection surface that reflects the laser light, and is provided so as to be able to protrude and retract with respect to the surface of the mounting table. The position measuring member may be used.

The substrate transfer position alignment method according to the second aspect of the present invention includes:
A processing apparatus having a mounting table for mounting the substrate and performing a predetermined process on the substrate;
A substrate transfer device having a holding member for holding the substrate and performing a transfer operation of the substrate to the processing apparatus;
A distance measuring means for measuring a distance to a measurement target member provided on the mounting table by irradiating a laser beam from a predetermined measurement position toward the mounting table and detecting the reflected light;
A controller that stores the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table as a reference when the substrate is transferred between the holding member and the mounting table, and controls the transfer of the substrate by the substrate transfer device;
A substrate transport position alignment method for aligning a substrate transport position by the substrate transport apparatus in a substrate processing system comprising:
A first measurement step of measuring the distance from the measurement position to the measurement target member by the distance measurement means in a state where the mounting table is at a normal temperature;
A second measurement step of measuring the distance from the measurement position to the measurement target member in a state where the mounting table is heated by the distance measurement unit;
Based on the result of the first measurement step and the result of the second measurement step, calculating the displacement amount of the center of the mounting table in the heating state with respect to the center of the mounting table in the normal temperature state;
Correcting the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table stored in the control unit based on the displacement amount.

The substrate transfer position alignment method according to the third aspect of the present invention includes:
A processing apparatus having a mounting table for mounting the substrate and performing a predetermined process on the substrate;
A substrate transfer device having a holding member for holding the substrate and performing a transfer operation of the substrate to the processing apparatus;
A distance measuring means for measuring a distance to a measurement target member provided on the mounting table by irradiating a laser beam from a predetermined measurement position toward the mounting table and detecting the reflected light;
A control unit that stores the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table as a reference when the substrate is transferred between the holding member and the mounting table, and controls conveyance of the substrate by the holding member;
A substrate transport position alignment method for aligning a substrate transport position by the substrate transport apparatus in a substrate processing system comprising:
A step of measuring the distance from the measurement position to the measurement target member by the distance measurement unit in a state where the mounting table is heated;
Based on the measurement results, determining the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table in the heating state,
And storing the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table in the control unit based on the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table in the heating state.

  In the alignment method of the substrate transfer position according to the third aspect, the measurement target member includes a plurality of protrusions that are provided so as to protrude and retract with respect to the surface of the mounting table in order to support the substrate when the substrate is transferred. It may be a support member.

A substrate processing system according to a fourth aspect of the present invention includes:
A processing apparatus having a mounting table for mounting the substrate and performing a predetermined process on the substrate;
A substrate transfer device having a holding member for holding the substrate and performing a transfer operation of the substrate to the processing apparatus;
Position measuring means for measuring the position of a measurement target member provided on the mounting table by irradiating laser light from a predetermined measurement position toward the mounting table and detecting the reflected light;
While storing the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table as a reference when the substrate is transferred between the holding member and the mounting table, the mounting table measured by the position measuring means is in a room temperature state. Based on the measurement result of the position of the measurement target member in the heated state, the displacement amount of the center of the mounting table in the heating state with respect to the center of the mounting table in the normal temperature state is calculated, and stored by teaching based on the displacement amount A controller that corrects the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table and controls the substrate transport by the substrate transport device;
It has.

A computer-readable storage medium according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is provided.
A storage medium storing a control program that operates on a computer, wherein the control program includes:
A processing apparatus having a mounting table for mounting the substrate and performing a predetermined process on the substrate;
A substrate transfer device having a holding member for holding the substrate and performing a transfer operation of the substrate to the processing apparatus;
Position measuring means for measuring the position of a measurement target member provided on the mounting table by irradiating laser light from a predetermined measurement position toward the mounting table and detecting the reflected light;
A controller that stores the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table as a reference when the substrate is transferred between the holding member and the mounting table, and controls the transfer of the substrate by the substrate transfer device;
In a substrate processing system comprising: a substrate transfer position is controlled so as to be performed by the substrate transfer apparatus;
The substrate transfer position alignment method is as follows:
A first measurement step of measuring the position of the measurement target member by the position measurement means in a state where the mounting table is at room temperature;
A second measurement step of measuring the position of the measurement target member in a state where the mounting table is heated by the position measurement unit;
Based on the result of the first measurement step and the result of the second measurement step, calculating the displacement amount of the center of the mounting table in the heating state with respect to the center of the mounting table in the normal temperature state;
Correcting the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table stored in the control unit based on the amount of displacement;
It is equipped with.

  According to the present invention, the mounting table under a process temperature condition that is actually performed in the processing apparatus by measuring the position of the measurement target member in a state where the mounting table is at room temperature and a state where the mounting table is heated, respectively. The position of the center of can be accurately determined. Therefore, the substrate transfer operation by the substrate transfer device, for example, the substrate transfer operation from the holding member to the mounting table and the substrate receiving operation from the mounting table to the holding member can be performed with high reliability.

  Further, the measurement of the position of the measurement target member in the present invention has an advantage that it can be performed in a short time without releasing the atmospheric pressure in a vacuum state. For this reason, prior to processing such as film formation and etching, the alignment can be easily performed by performing the substrate transfer position alignment method of the present invention. Therefore, even when various temperature conditions are adopted depending on the processing contents, there is an effect that the accuracy of the processing performed in the processing apparatus can be improved according to the individual processing conditions.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. First, a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. 1 and FIG. FIG. 1 schematically shows a substrate processing system 100 configured to perform various processes such as a film forming process and an etching process on a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter simply referred to as “wafer”) W as a substrate, for example. It is a block diagram. FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the main part showing the internal configuration of the substrate processing system 100 of FIG. The substrate processing system 100 is configured as a cluster tool having a multi-chamber structure.

  The substrate processing system 100 includes, as main components, four processing chambers 1a, 1b, 1c, and 1d that perform various processes on the wafer W, and gate valves G1 and G1 for the processing chambers 1a to 1d, respectively. Vacuum-side transfer chamber 3 connected via G1, G1, G1, two load-lock chambers 5a, 5b connected to the vacuum-side transfer chamber 3 via gate valves G2, G2, and these 2 A loader unit 7 connected to the two load lock chambers 5a and 5b via gate valves G3 and G3 is provided.

  The four processing chambers 1a to 1d are processing apparatuses that perform processing such as plasma CVD processing, plasma etching processing, and plasma ashing processing on the wafer W, for example. The processing chambers 1a to 1d may perform the same processing on the wafer W, or may perform different processing. In each of the processing chambers 1a to 1d, mounting tables 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d for mounting the wafer W are provided. The symbol O indicates the center of each mounting table 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d.

  Here, the schematic configuration of the processing chamber 1b will be described as a representative of the processing chambers 1a to 1d with reference to FIG. The processing chamber 1b is configured to be airtight, and a mounting table 2b for horizontally supporting the wafer W is provided therein. The mounting table 2b is arranged in a state where it is supported by a cylindrical support member 11 provided at the center lower part thereof. A resistance heater 13 is embedded in the mounting table 2b. The resistance heater 13 heats the wafer W mounted on the mounting table 2b to a predetermined temperature by being supplied with power from a power source (not shown). As a heating method, for example, lamp heating may be employed.

  In addition, on the mounting table 2b, three support pins (support members) 15 for supporting the wafer W to be moved up and down can be projected and retracted with respect to the mounting surface S of the mounting table 2b. Is provided. These support pins 15 are fixed to the connection support plate 17. Each support pin 15 is moved up and down in synchronization by a drive mechanism 19 such as an air cylinder via a connection support plate 17. Then, the wafer W is transferred with the support pins 15 protruding from the mounting surface S of the mounting table 2b.

  Further, the processing chamber 1b is provided with a gas introduction member and an exhaust port (not shown), both of which are not shown, and are connected to a gas supply source and a vacuum pump, respectively.

  A loading / unloading port 21 for loading / unloading the wafer W to / from the vacuum-side transfer chamber 3 is formed on the side wall of the processing chamber 1b. Via this loading / unloading port 21, the gate valve G1 is opened and closed to load / unload the wafer W.

  The vacuum-side transfer chamber 3 configured to be evacuated is provided with a transfer device 31 as a first substrate transfer device that delivers the wafer W to the processing chambers 1a to 1d and the load lock chambers 5a and 5b. It has been. The transport device 31 includes a base 32 and a pair of transport arm portions 33 and 33 that are connected to the base 32 and arranged to face each other. Each of the transfer arm portions 33, 33 is configured to be able to bend and stretch and turn around the same rotation shaft 32a. Further, forks 35 and 35 as holding members for mounting and holding the wafer W are provided at the tips of the transfer arm portions 33 and 33, respectively. The transfer device 31 transfers the wafer W between the process chambers 1a to 1d or between the process chambers 1a to 1d and the load lock chambers 5a and 5b in a state where the wafer W is placed on the forks 35 and 35. I do. Further, an exhaust port for evacuating the inside of the vacuum-side transfer chamber 3 is provided at the bottom of the vacuum-side transfer chamber 3, and this exhaust port is connected to a vacuum pump (all not shown). . In addition, loading / unloading ports 36 are formed at positions corresponding to the surrounding processing chambers 1a to 1d and the load lock chambers 5a and 5b on the side of the vacuum-side transfer chamber 3, respectively. Through the loading / unloading ports 36, the gate valves G1 and G2 are opened and closed to load and unload the wafer W.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the top plate 3a of the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side is provided with a transmission window (viewport) 37 made of, for example, quartz so that the state of the transfer arm unit 33 can be visually recognized from the outside. ing. A displacement sensor 39 as a position measuring means (or distance measuring means) is provided outside the top plate 3a. A schematic configuration of the displacement sensor 39 is shown in FIG. The displacement sensor 39 includes, for example, a light emitting element 101 such as a semiconductor laser, an optical position detecting element 103, and a calculation unit 105. The laser beam 200 emitted from the light emitting element 101 is condensed through a light projecting lens (not shown) and applied to the measurement object 300. Part of the reflected light 201 that is specularly reflected or diffusely reflected from the measurement object 300 forms a spot SP on the optical position detecting element 103 through a light receiving lens (not shown). Since the position of the spot SP moves when the position of the measurement object 300 changes, the displacement of the measurement object 300 can be calculated by the calculation unit 105 from the movement position of the spot SP.

  The displacement sensor 39 is installed on the turning center axis (indicated by reference sign RO in FIG. 2) of the transfer arm unit 33 of the transfer device 31. A reference position in the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side of the substrate processing system 100 is determined on the turning center axis RO. That is, the displacement sensor 39 is arranged so that measurement can be performed by irradiating laser light into the processing chamber 1b from the rotation center axis RO where the reference position exists through the transmission window 37. The irradiated laser light passes through the loading / unloading port 36, the opened gate valve G1, and the loading / unloading port 21, and reaches the measurement object 300. The displacement sensor 39 is installed so as to be slidable in the y direction in the figure by a slide mechanism (not shown).

  As shown in FIG. 1, in the load lock chambers 5a and 5b, mounting tables 6a and 6b for mounting the wafers W are provided, respectively. The load lock chambers 5a and 5b are configured to be switched between a vacuum state and an atmospheric pressure release state. The wafers W are transferred between the vacuum-side transfer chamber 3 and a transfer chamber 53 (described later) opened to atmospheric pressure via the loading tables 6a and 6b of the load lock chambers 5a and 5b.

  The loader unit 7 is disposed adjacent to the transfer chamber 53 opened to the atmospheric pressure, three load ports LP disposed adjacent to the transfer chamber 53, and the other side surface of the transfer chamber 53, and measures the position of the wafer W. And an orienter 55 as a position measuring device to be performed. In the transfer chamber 53, a transfer device 51 as a second substrate transfer device for transferring the wafer W is provided.

  The transfer chamber 53 opened to the atmospheric pressure has a rectangular shape in plan view provided with a circulation facility (not shown) such as nitrogen gas or clean air, and a guide rail 57 is provided along the longitudinal direction thereof. Yes. The conveying device 51 is supported on the guide rail 57 so as to be slidable. That is, the transport device 51 is configured to be movable along the guide rail 57 in the direction indicated by the arrow in FIG. The transfer device 51 has a pair of transfer arm portions 59 and 59 arranged in two upper and lower stages. Each conveyance arm part 59 and 59 is comprised so that bending and extension and rotation are possible. Forks 61 and 61 as holding members for mounting and holding the wafer W are provided at the tips of the transfer arm portions 59 and 59, respectively. The transfer device 51 transfers the wafer W between the wafer cassette CR of the load port LP, the load lock chambers 5a and 5b, and the orienter 55 in a state where the wafer W is placed on the forks 61 and 61. Do.

  The load port LP can mount the wafer cassette CR. The wafer cassette CR is configured so that a plurality of wafers W can be placed and accommodated in multiple stages at the same interval.

  The orienter 55 includes a rotating plate 63 that is rotated by a driving motor (not shown), and an optical sensor 65 that is provided at the outer peripheral position of the rotating plate 63 and detects the peripheral edge of the wafer W. The optical sensor 65 irradiates a belt-shaped laser beam from the light source unit (not shown) toward the peripheral edge of the wafer W while rotating the rotating plate 63 with the wafer W placed thereon. Then, a laser beam partially blocked by the wafer W is detected by a detection unit (not shown). Based on the detection result of the laser light, the eccentric amount and the eccentric direction of the wafer W with respect to the center of the rotating plate 63 are calculated. The optical sensor 65 can detect the orientation of the wafer W by recognizing a notch (notch or orientation flat) formed in the rotating wafer W, and change the wafer W to a predetermined orientation. it can. Then, the transfer device 51 receives the wafer W on the rotating plate 63 by the fork 61 so as to correct the eccentric amount and the eccentric direction of the wafer W calculated by the optical sensor 65.

  Each component of the substrate processing system 100 is connected to and controlled by the control unit 70. The control unit 70 includes a controller 71 having a CPU, a user interface 72 connected to the controller 71, and a storage unit 73. In the substrate processing system 100, the controller 71 controls, for example, the processing chambers 1a to 1d, the transfer device 31, the transfer device 51, and the like. The control unit 70 is also connected to the calculation unit 105 of the displacement sensor 39 so that the controller 71 can refer to the position data and distance data of the measurement target member measured by the displacement sensor 39.

  The user interface 72 includes a keyboard on which a process manager manages command input in order to manage the substrate processing system 100, a display that visualizes and displays the operation status of the substrate processing system 100, and the like. The storage unit 73 stores a recipe in which a control program (software) for implementing various processes executed by the substrate processing system 100 under the control of the controller 71 and processing condition data are recorded. If necessary, an arbitrary control program or recipe is called from the storage unit 73 by an instruction from the user interface 72 and is executed by the controller 71, so that the processing chamber of the substrate processing system 100 is controlled under the control of the controller 71. A desired process or a predetermined transfer operation in the substrate processing system 100 is performed in 1a to 1d. The recipes such as the control program and the processing condition data can be used by installing the recipe stored in the computer-readable storage medium 74 in the storage unit 73. As the computer-readable storage medium 74, for example, a CD-ROM, a hard disk, a flexible disk, a flash memory, a DVD, or the like can be used. Further, the recipe can be transmitted from other devices as needed via, for example, a dedicated line and used online.

  Next, a substrate transfer position alignment method according to the first embodiment of the present invention that is performed in the substrate processing system 100 will be described. First, prior to the description of the alignment method of the substrate transfer position, an outline of teaching for the transfer device 31 in the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side will be described. Here, a case where the fork 35 of the transfer arm unit 33 is aligned with the mounting table 2b of the processing chamber 1b is taken as an example.

Teaching is performed in a state where the processing chamber 1b and the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side are opened to atmospheric pressure, and lid portions (not shown) provided on the respective ceiling portions are opened. First, a certain position on the turning center axis RO (see FIG. 2) of the transfer arm unit 33 is set as a reference position (x ₀ , y ₀ , z ₀ , θ ₀ in the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side of the substrate processing system 100. ). In the following description, the position coordinates x ₀ , x ₁ ..., The position coordinates y ₀ , y ₁ ... And the position coordinates z ₀ , z ₁ ... are the x-axis direction, y-axis direction, and z shown in FIG. The position coordinates θ ₀ , θ ₁ ... Are the coordinates in the turning direction of the transfer arm unit.

Next, the position coordinate of the center O of the mounting table 2 b of the processing chamber 1 b with respect to the reference position is calculated based on the design value of the substrate processing system 100. Coordinates based on this design value are stored in the storage unit 73 of the control unit 70 as temporary position coordinates (x ₁ , y ₁ , z ₁ , θ ₁ ) of the center O of the mounting table 2b.

Next, the transport arm unit 33 is driven with the temporary position coordinates as a target, and the fork 35 is moved to a position closest to the mounting table 2b. Here, after the substrate is accurately placed in advance so that the center of the alignment substrate overlaps the center O of the mounting table 2b, the support pin 15 is raised to raise the alignment substrate to the delivery position with the fork 35. Let me. Next, the transfer arm unit 33 is switched to manual operation, and fine alignment is performed so that the alignment substrate is placed at the normal position of the fork 35. This alignment operation is performed until the contour line of the fork 35 formed on the alignment substrate matches the actual contour of the fork 33 by the operator's visual observation. Then, the position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , θ ₂ ) in the state of being accurately aligned are determined as the position coordinates of the center O of the mounting table 2b. The temporary position coordinates (x ₁ , y ₁ , z ₁ , θ ₁ ) are rewritten by the position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , θ ₂ ), and the teaching position is stored in the storage unit 73 of the control unit 70. Remember as coordinates.

  The above teaching is performed at atmospheric pressure and at room temperature. However, when a process such as film formation is actually performed in the processing chamber 1b, the temperature of the mounting table 2b reaches 500 ° C. to 700 ° C. by the resistance heater 13 embedded in the mounting table 2b. Further, the temperature of the side wall of the processing chamber 1b also rises to about 150 ° C. to 200 ° C. For this reason, due to the thermal expansion of the members constituting the processing chamber 1b, a “deviation” occurs in the position coordinates of the mounting table 2b determined by the teaching. The present embodiment relates to a method for aligning the substrate transfer position for correcting this “deviation”.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining an outline of the procedure of the substrate transfer position alignment method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the position of the support pin 15 as a measurement target member is measured using the displacement sensor 39. In the present embodiment, first, in step S1, the position P1 of any of the support pins 15 provided on the mounting table 2b of the processing chamber 1b is measured by the displacement sensor 39 at room temperature. That is, as shown in FIG. 5, the laser beam is transmitted from the displacement sensor 39 installed on the turning center axis RO of the transfer arm portion 33 where the reference position in the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side exists to the side portion of the arbitrary support pin 15. 200 is irradiated and measurement is performed. Prior to measurement, the connection support plate 17 is raised by the drive mechanism 19 and set so that the support pin 15 protrudes a predetermined amount with respect to the mounting surface S of the mounting table 2b. The measured position P1 of the support pin 15 is stored in the storage unit 73 of the control unit 70. Note that the measurement in step S1 can be performed in a state where the processing chamber 1b and the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side are maintained in vacuum.

  Next, in step S2, power is supplied to the resistance heater 13 of the mounting table 2b, and the mounting table 2b is heated to a temperature condition corresponding to a process that is actually performed in the processing chamber 1b.

  Next, in step S3, in the state where the mounting table 2b is heated to the set temperature in step S2, the support pin 15 (measured in step S1) is again measured by the displacement sensor 39 provided on the turning center axis RO of the transfer arm unit 33. The position P2 of the target) is measured. The measurement in step S3 can be performed in a state where the processing chamber 1b and the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side are maintained in vacuum. The measured position P2 is stored in the storage unit 73 of the control unit 70.

  Next, in step S4, the controller 71 of the controller 70 determines the position of the support pin 15 in the normal temperature state based on the position P1 of the support pin 15 measured in step S1 and the position P2 measured in step S3. A displacement amount D of the position of the support pin 15 in a heated state is calculated. This displacement amount D is stored in the storage unit 73 of the control unit 70.

Next, in step S5, based on the displacement amount D, the position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , θ ₂ ) of the center O of the mounting table 2b determined separately by teaching are corrected. In this step, the controller 71 reads the displacement amount D stored in the storage unit 73 and the teaching position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , θ ₂ ) of the center O of the mounting table 2b, and these are also stored. And calculating new position coordinates. The displacement amount D indicates a displacement of the position of the support pin 15 in the x direction or the like caused by thermal expansion. On the other hand, the positional relationship between the support pin 15 to be measured and the center O of the mounting table 2b is determined by the design value. Therefore, when the displacement amount D of the support pin 15 is clarified, the teaching position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , θ ₂ ) of the center O of the mounting table 2b are converted into the center O of the mounting table 2b by thermal expansion. It can be corrected to the position coordinates (x ₃ , y ₃ , z ₃ , θ ₃ ) in the heating state generated by the position shift. For example, in a simple model, when it is assumed that the support pin 15 is displaced by a distance α1 in the x direction due to thermal expansion, the displacement sensor 39 measures α1 as a displacement amount. Accordingly, the x coordinate of the center O of the mounting table 2b in the heated state is x ₃ = x ₂ + α1. In the above case, y ₃ = y ₂ , z ₃ = z ₂ , θ ₃ = θ ₂ . Further, since it is empirically known that the positional shift due to thermal expansion mainly occurs in the x direction, the displacement amount D may be calculated only in the x direction in step S4.

As described above, the substrate transport position alignment method according to the present embodiment uses the displacement sensor 39 as the position measurement means, and supports the mounting table 2b in the normal temperature state and the mounting table 2b in the heated state. A step of measuring the position of the pin 15 (steps S1 and S3), and a step of calculating a displacement D of the center O of the mounting table 2b in a heated state with respect to the center O of the mounting table 2b in a normal temperature state (steps S1 and S3) S4), based on the displacement D, the teaching position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , θ ₂ ) of the center O of the mounting table 2b stored in the control unit 70 are converted into the accurate position coordinates (x ₃ , y ₃ , z ₃ , θ ₃ ).

The position coordinates (x ₃ , y ₃ , z ₃ , θ ₃ ) in the heating state obtained by the steps S1 to S5 are the teaching position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , Compared with θ ₂ ), the position of the center O of the mounting table 2b under the process temperature condition actually performed in the processing chamber 1b is accurately represented. Accordingly, in the actual transfer, the transfer operation of the wafer W by the transfer arm unit 33 of the transfer device 31, for example, the transfer operation of the wafer W from the fork 35 to the mounting table 2b, or the receiving operation of the wafer W from the mounting table 2b to the fork 35 is performed. Can be implemented with higher reliability.

  Further, the position measurement of the support pin 15 by the displacement sensor 39 can be performed in a short time in a state where the vacuum-side transfer chamber 3 and the processing chamber 1b are evacuated. For this reason, prior to processing such as film formation and etching performed in the processing chamber 1b, the alignment can be easily performed by performing the substrate transfer position alignment method of the present embodiment. Therefore, even when various temperature conditions are adopted depending on the processing contents, there is an effect that the accuracy of the processing performed in the processing chamber 1b can be improved according to the individual processing conditions.

  In the present embodiment, it is preferable to use a displacement sensor 39 that can measure the position by irradiating the side surface of the support pin 15 with laser light obliquely from above. As such a displacement sensor 39, a laser displacement sensor LK-G series (trade name) manufactured by Keyence Corporation can be used. Although not shown, for example, a conical mirror surface or a prism is provided in the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side as a refracting means for refracting the laser beam by the displacement sensor 39, and the irradiation angle of the laser beam to the support pin 15 is provided. Can also be adjusted.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the horizontal cross-sectional shape of the support pin 15 that is generally cylindrical (bar-shaped) is processed into a D shape as shown in FIG. 6, for example, and a flat reflecting surface 16 is formed on the side. It is preferable to keep it. By forming the flat reflecting surface 16 on the side portion of the support pin 15, the diffusion of the laser light emitted from the displacement sensor 39 can be suppressed and the measurement accuracy can be improved.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a substrate transfer position alignment method according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a measurement position when measuring the support pin 15 of the mounting table 2b using the displacement sensor 39 in the present embodiment. In the first embodiment, any one support pin 15 of the mounting table 2b is set as a measurement target. However, in this embodiment, the three support pins 15 are set as measurement targets separately. For convenience of explanation, in FIG. 7, the three support pins are shown separately from the reference numerals 15a, 15b, and 15c.

  In the present embodiment, the measurement position A on the turning center axis RO of the transfer arm unit 33 where the reference position in the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side exists, and the laser irradiation direction with reference to the measurement position A Measurement positions A1 and A2 slid by a predetermined distance (± Ly) in the orthogonal y direction are set as measurement positions by the displacement sensor 39. That is, the displacement sensor 39 is slid to measure the positions of the support pins 15a, 15b, and 15c provided on the mounting table 2b of the processing chamber 1b from the measurement positions A, A1, and A2. The distances (± Ly) in the y direction of the measurement positions A1, A2 with respect to the measurement position A on the turning center axis RO are set to be equal to the distances in the y direction of the support pins 15b, 15c with respect to the support pin 15a, respectively. The distance in the y direction of the support pins 15b and 15c relative to the support pin 15a can be obtained from the design value. On the turning center axis RO of the transfer arm unit 33, there is a reference position for which absolute coordinates are determined in the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side. Therefore, if the measurement position A existing on the same turning center axis RO is used as a reference, the position coordinates of the measurement positions A1 and A2 can be determined.

For each of the support pins 15a, 15b, and 15c, the positions in the normal temperature state and the heated state are measured according to the procedure of Step S1 to Step S4 (FIG. 4) of the first embodiment. About the content of each process, since it overlaps with 1st Embodiment, description is abbreviate | omitted. Each support pin 15a, 15b, for 15c, the position P2 measured in a heated state with respect to the position P1 measured by the room temperature condition, respectively displacement _{D a,} D b, calculates the _{D c.}

Then, based on the displacement amounts D _a , D _b , and D _c , the position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , θ ₂ ) of the center O of the mounting table 2b determined separately by teaching are corrected. Each displacement amount D _a , D _b , D _c indicates a positional shift in the x direction or the like of the support pins 15a, 15b, 15c caused by thermal expansion. Since the positional relationship between each of the support pins 15a, 15b, and 15c to be measured and the center O of the mounting table 2b is determined by a design value, the first is based on the displacements D _a , D _b , and D _c . Similar to step S5 in the embodiment, the controller 71 can perform arithmetic processing. In this way, the position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , θ ₂ ) of the center O of the mounting table 2b determined by teaching are changed, and the center O of the mounting table 2b is displaced due to thermal expansion. It is possible to correct the position coordinates (x ₃ , y ₃ , z ₃ , θ ₃ ) in the generated heating state.

In the present embodiment, since the three support pins 15a, 15b, and 15c are measured by the displacement sensor 39, the position coordinates (x ₃ , y ₃ , z) of the center O of the mounting table 2b at the time of heating are accurately measured. ₃ , θ ₃ ) can be calculated. The support pins 15b and 15c are accurately measured by sliding the displacement sensor 39 from the measurement position A on the turning center axis RO to the measurement positions A1 and A2 at a predetermined distance (± L _y ). It is possible to measure various positions.

  Other configurations, operations, and effects in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment. Further, similarly to the first embodiment, it is also possible to use the support pin 15 having a D-shaped cross section.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a substrate transfer position alignment method according to the third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 8 is a plan view of the mounting table 2b used in the present embodiment, and FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the main part of the mounting table 2b. In this embodiment, instead of the support pins 15, a reflection plate (position measurement member) 111 as a measurement target member is provided at the center of the mounting table 2 b.

  The reflecting plate 111 is a plate-like member having a rectangular horizontal cross section and a flat reflecting surface 111a on the side. The reflecting plate 111 is provided so as to be able to project and retract with respect to the mounting surface S of the mounting table 2b in synchronization with the support pin 15 by a driving mechanism (not shown), for example. Since the reflecting plate 111 has a flat reflecting surface 111a, it is possible to suppress the diffusion of the laser light emitted from the displacement sensor 39 and improve the measurement accuracy. In the present embodiment, the reflecting plate 111 is provided at the center of the mounting table 2b, and the position coordinates thereof are substantially matched with the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table 2b, thereby facilitating correction of the teaching position. The position where the reflecting plate 111 is provided is not limited to the central portion of the mounting table 2b as long as the position coordinates can be grasped from the design value.

  In the present embodiment, it can be carried out in the same manner as steps S1 to S5 (see FIG. 4) in the first embodiment, except that the position measurement is performed using the reflector 111 as a measurement target member instead of the support pin 15. The description is omitted.

  Other configurations, operations, and effects in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[Fourth Embodiment]
Next, a substrate transfer position alignment method according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 and 11. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining the outline of the procedure of the substrate transfer position alignment method according to the present embodiment. FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram showing a measurement position when measuring the support pin 15 of the mounting table 2b using the displacement sensor 39 in the present embodiment. In the first embodiment, the position of the support pin 15 of the mounting table 2b is measured. In the present embodiment, the measurement on the turning center axis RO of the transfer arm unit 33 having the reference position in the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side is performed. A distance from the position A to any one of the support pins 15 (support pin 15a in FIG. 11) is measured.

  In the present embodiment, first, in step S11, laser light is irradiated from the measurement position A on the turning center axis RO of the transfer arm unit 33 by the displacement sensor 39 at room temperature, and directly below the measuring position A (on the turning center axis RO). ) To a support pin 15a provided on the mounting table 2b of the processing chamber 1b. Prior to the measurement, the connection support plate 17 is raised by the drive mechanism 19 and set so that the support pin 15a protrudes from the mounting surface S of the mounting table 2b by a predetermined amount. The displacement sensor 39 directly measures the distance of the inclined optical path from the measurement position A (irradiation position of the displacement sensor 39) above the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side to the reflection portion of the support pin 15a. Based on the above, the horizontal distance L1 is calculated. The measured horizontal distance L1 is stored in the storage unit 73 of the control unit 70.

  Next, in step S12, power is supplied to the resistance heater 13 of the mounting table 2b, and the mounting table 2b is heated to a temperature condition corresponding to a process that is actually performed in the processing chamber 1b.

  Next, in step S13, in the state where the mounting table 2b is heated to the set temperature in step S12, the support provided on the mounting table 2b of the processing chamber 1b again from directly below the measurement position A using the displacement sensor 39. The horizontal distance L2 to the pin 15a is measured. The measurement in step S13 can be performed under vacuum conditions. The measured horizontal distance L2 is stored in the storage unit 73 of the control unit 70.

  Next, in step S14, the controller 71 of the control unit 70 calculates a difference L2-L1 between the horizontal distance L1 measured in step S11 and the horizontal distance L2 measured in step S13. The difference L2−L1 is stored in the storage unit 73 of the control unit 70.

Next, in step S15, based on the difference L2-L1, the position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , θ ₂ ) of the center O of the mounting table 2b determined separately by teaching are corrected. In this step, the controller 71 reads out the difference L2-L1 stored in the storage unit 73 and the teaching position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , θ ₂ ) of the center O of the mounting table 2b, and these Based on the above, a new position coordinate is calculated. The difference L2−L1 is nothing but the displacement of the position of the support pin 15a caused by thermal expansion (that is, the amount of displacement). On the other hand, the positional relationship between the support pin 15a to be measured and the center O of the mounting table 2b is determined by the design value. Therefore, based on the difference L2−L1, the teaching position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , θ ₂ ) of the center O of the mounting table 2b are generated due to the displacement of the center O of the mounting table 2b due to thermal expansion. It is possible to correct the position coordinates (x ₃ , y ₃ , z ₃ , θ ₃ ) in the heating state. For example, in a simple model, when it is assumed that the support pin 15 is displaced by a distance α2 in the x direction due to thermal expansion, the difference L2−L1 = α2 caused by thermal expansion is obtained, and the center of the mounting table 2b in the heated state The x coordinate of O is x ₃ = x ₂ + α2. In the above case, y ₃ = y ₂ , z ₃ = z ₂ , θ ₃ = θ ₂ . In the present embodiment, it is assumed that most of the displacement due to thermal expansion occurs mainly in the x direction.

As described above, the substrate transfer position alignment method according to the present embodiment uses the displacement sensor 39 as a distance measuring unit, and supports the mounting table 2b at a normal temperature and the mounting table 2b heated. A step of measuring the horizontal distances L1 and L2 to the pin 15 (steps S11 and S13), and a step of calculating a difference L2-L1 between the horizontal distance L2 in the heated state and the horizontal distance L1 in the normal temperature state based on each measurement result. (Step S14), the teaching position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , θ ₂ ) of the center O of the mounting table 2b stored in the control unit 70 based on the difference L2−L1 are more accurate in the heating state. position coordinates _{(x 3, y 3, z} 3, θ 3) has a configuration having a step of correcting (step S15).

The position coordinates (x ₃ , y ₃ , z ₃ , θ ₃ ) in the heating state obtained by the procedure of steps S11 to S15 are the teaching position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , θ ₂ ). In comparison, the position of the center O of the mounting table 2b under the temperature conditions of the process actually performed in the processing chamber 1b is accurately represented. Accordingly, the transfer operation of the wafer W by the transfer arm unit 33 of the transfer device 31, for example, the transfer operation of the wafer W from the fork 35 to the mounting table 2 b and the receiving operation of the wafer W from the mounting table 2 b to the fork 35 have higher reliability. There is an effect that it can be carried out with sex.

  Moreover, the distance measurement to the support pin 15 by the displacement sensor 39 can be performed in a short time in a state where the vacuum-side transfer chamber 3 and the processing chamber 1b are evacuated. Accordingly, prior to the processing such as film formation and etching performed in the processing chamber 1b, the accuracy of the processing performed in the processing chamber 1b is improved by performing the substrate transfer position alignment method of the present embodiment. There is an effect that can be.

  The displacement sensor 39 used in the present embodiment can measure the distance from the measurement position to the support pin 15 with high accuracy. Such a displacement sensor 39 preferably employs a laser focus method, for example, a blue laser focus displacement sensor LT-9500V series (trade name) manufactured by Keyence Corporation.

  Other configurations, operations, and effects in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment. Further, as in the first embodiment, it is possible to use a support pin having a D-shaped cross section, and the three support pins 15a, 15b, and 15c as in the second embodiment. The difference in distance may be obtained. Further, as in the third embodiment, it is also possible to measure the distance using the reflecting plate 111 as a measurement target member instead of the support pin 15.

[Fifth Embodiment]
Next, a substrate transfer position alignment method according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 12 is a flowchart for explaining the outline of the procedure of the substrate transfer position alignment method according to the present embodiment. FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram showing a measurement position when measuring the support pin 15 of the mounting table 2b using the displacement sensor 39 in the present embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, the distance is determined by measuring any one support pin 15 of the mounting table 2b as a measurement target. However, in this embodiment, the three support pins 15a, 15b, and 15c are separately provided. Measurement target.

In the present embodiment, the displacement sensor 39 is used to slide the measurement position A on the turning center axis RO of the transport arm 33 and a predetermined amount of slide movement from the measurement position A in the y direction perpendicular to the laser irradiation direction. The distances from the measured positions A1 and A2 to the support pins 15a, 15b and 15c provided on the mounting table 2b of the processing chamber 1b are measured. The distances L _y and L _{y in} the y direction of the measurement positions A1 and A2 with respect to the measurement position A are set to be equal to the distances in the y direction of the support pins 15b and 15c with respect to the support pin 15a, respectively. The distance in the y direction of the support pins 15b and 15c with respect to the support pin 15a can be obtained from the design value. On the turning center axis RO of the transfer arm unit 33, there is a reference position for which absolute coordinates are determined in the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side. Therefore, if the measurement position A existing on the same turning center axis RO is used as a reference, the position coordinates of the measurement positions A1 and A2 can be determined.

  In the present embodiment, the distance to the support pins 15a, 15b, 15c at normal temperature is not measured. First, in step S21, power is supplied to the resistance heater 13 of the mounting table 2b, and the mounting table 2b is heated to a temperature condition corresponding to a process that is actually performed in the processing chamber 1b.

Next, in step S22, while the mounting table 2b is heated in step S21, the displacement sensor 39 is used to provide the mounting table 2b of the processing chamber 1b from directly below the measurement positions A, A1, A2. The horizontal distances L _xa , L _xb , and L _xc to the support pins 15a, 15b, and 15c are measured. The displacement sensor 39 directly measures the distance of the inclined optical path from the measurement positions A, A1, A2 (irradiation position of the displacement sensor 39) above the vacuum-side transfer chamber 3 to the reflection portion of the support pin 15a. Therefore, the horizontal distances L _xa , L _xb , and L _xc are calculated based on the irradiation angle. The measurement in step S22 can be performed under vacuum conditions. The horizontal distances L _xa , L _xb and L _xc measured for the support pins 15 a, 15 b and 15 c are stored in the storage unit 73 of the control unit 70.

Next, in step S23, based on the horizontal distances L _xa , L _xb , and L _xc measured for the support pins 15a, 15b, and 15c, the position coordinates of the center of the heated mounting table 2b are calculated. The positional relationship between each of the support pins 15a, 15b, and 15c to be measured and the center O of the mounting table 2b is determined by a design value. For example, in the present embodiment, the center of the triangle connecting the support pins 15a, 15b, and 15c of the mounting table 2b is designed to coincide with the center O of the mounting table 2b. Therefore, if the horizontal distances L _xa , L _xb , L _xc from the measurement positions A, A1, A2 where the position coordinates are determined to the support pins 15a, 15b, 15c are clarified, the mounting table in the heated state The position coordinates (x ₄ , y ₄ , z ₄ , θ ₄ ) of the center O of 2b can be determined.

In step S24, the position coordinates (x ₄ , y ₄ , z ₄ , θ ₄ ) in the heating state determined in steps S21 to S23 are set as the position coordinates of the center O of the mounting table 2b. That is, the position coordinates (x ₄ , y ₄ , z ₄ , θ ₄ ) in the heating state are stored in the storage unit 73 of the control unit 70 as a part of the transfer recipe, and the transfer to the mounting table 2b based on the position coordinates. The conveyance control of the arm unit 33 is performed.

  In this embodiment, the displacement sensor 39 is used to measure the distance of each of the three support pins 15a, 15b, and 15c and set the position coordinates of the center O of the mounting table 2b directly (automatic teaching), thereby conveying Manual teaching on the transfer arm unit 33 of the apparatus 31 is not necessary. Manual teaching needs to be performed by returning the mounting table 2b of the processing chamber 1b and the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side to room temperature and opening them to atmospheric pressure. In the present embodiment, manual teaching is not necessary, so that the time required for teaching can be greatly reduced.

  Further, in this embodiment, since the position of the center O of the mounting table 2b can be measured at a process temperature that is actually performed, it is not necessary to perform correction in consideration of thermal expansion, and the conveyance position is aligned with high accuracy. It can be performed.

  Other configurations, operations, and effects in the present embodiment are the same as those in the fourth embodiment. Further, similarly to the first embodiment, a support pin having a D-shaped cross section can be used.

[Sixth Embodiment]
Next, a substrate transfer position alignment method according to the sixth embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram showing the measurement position when measuring the support pin 15 of the mounting table 2b using the displacement sensor 39 in the present embodiment. In the first embodiment, an arbitrary one support pin 15 of the mounting table 2b is set as a measurement target. However, in this embodiment, a three-dimensional laser type displacement sensor is used as the displacement sensor 39. The support pins 15 were simultaneously measured. For convenience of explanation, in FIG. 14, the three support pins are shown separately from reference numerals 15a, 15b, and 15c.

  In the present embodiment, the support pins 15a and 15b provided on the mounting table 2b of the processing chamber 1b from the measurement position A on the turning central axis RO of the transfer arm unit 33 where the reference position in the transfer chamber 3 on the vacuum side exists. , 15c, the positions of the support pins 15a, 15b, 15c are simultaneously measured by irradiating the two-dimensional laser beam radially (fan-shaped).

In the present embodiment, the contents of each process are the same as those in the first embodiment except that the positions of the three support pins 15a, 15b, and 15c are measured simultaneously. Is omitted. That is, the positions of the support pins 15a, 15b, and 15c in the normal temperature state and the heated state may be measured according to the procedure of Step S1 to Step S4 (FIG. 4) of the first embodiment. Each support pin 15a, 15b, for 15c, the position P2 measured in a heated state with respect to the position P1 measured by the room temperature condition, respectively displacement _{D a,} D b, calculates the _{D c.}

Then, based on the displacement amounts D _a , D _b , and D _c , the position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , θ ₂ ) of the center O of the mounting table 2b determined separately by teaching are corrected. Each displacement amount D _a , D _b , D _c indicates a positional shift in the x direction or the like of the support pins 15a, 15b, 15c caused by thermal expansion. Since the positional relationship between each of the support pins 15a, 15b, and 15c to be measured and the center O of the mounting table 2b is determined by a design value, the first is based on the displacements D _a , D _b , and D _c . Similar to step S5 in the embodiment, the controller 71 can perform arithmetic processing. In this way, the position coordinates (x ₂ , y ₂ , z ₂ , θ ₂ ) of the center O of the mounting table 2b determined by teaching are changed, and the center O of the mounting table 2b is displaced due to thermal expansion. It is possible to correct the position coordinates (x ₃ , y ₃ , z ₃ , θ ₃ ) in the generated heating state.

  In the present embodiment, the three support pins 15a, 15b, and 15c are measured by the two-dimensional laser type displacement sensor 39, thereby enabling simultaneous measurement with high accuracy. As such a displacement sensor 39, a laser displacement sensor LJ-G series (trade name) manufactured by Keyence Corporation can be used.

  Other configurations, operations, and effects in the present embodiment are the same as those in the first embodiment. As in the first embodiment, it is also possible to use a support pin 15 having a D-shaped cross section as a measurement target.

  As mentioned above, although embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not restrict | limited to the said embodiment, A various deformation | transformation is possible. For example, in the above embodiment, the correction of the teaching position of the transfer device 31 with respect to the processing chamber 1b has been described. However, the method for aligning the substrate transfer position according to the present invention includes the transfer device 31 and the other processing chambers 1a, 1c, and 1d. This can also be applied to the correction of the teaching position of the transport device 31 with respect to the above.

  In the above embodiment, the substrate processing system including four processing chambers adjacent to the vacuum-side transfer chamber has been described as an example. However, the substrate transfer position alignment method of the present invention has a different configuration. The present invention can also be applied to a cluster tool or a substrate processing system provided with a single processing apparatus.

  The substrate transfer position alignment method of the present invention can also be applied to a substrate transfer apparatus that transfers a large glass substrate, a ceramic substrate, or the like used in a liquid crystal display device, an organic EL display, or the like.

It is a schematic block diagram of a substrate processing system. It is principal part sectional drawing which shows the internal structure of a substrate processing system. It is explanatory drawing which shows schematic structure of a displacement sensor. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the alignment method of the board | substrate conveyance position which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state which is measuring by the displacement sensor in 1st Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the cross-sectional shape of a support pin. It is explanatory drawing which shows the measurement position in 2nd Embodiment. It is a top view of the mounting base used in 3rd Embodiment. It is principal part sectional drawing of FIG. It is a flowchart explaining the outline of the procedure of the alignment method of the board | substrate conveyance position which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the measurement position of the support pin which concerns on 4th Embodiment. It is a flowchart explaining the outline of the procedure of the alignment method of the board | substrate conveyance position which concerns on 5th Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the measurement position of the support pin which concerns on 5th Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the measurement position of the support pin which concerns on 6th Embodiment.

Explanation of symbols

  1a, 1b, 1c, 1d ... processing chamber, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d ... mounting table, 3 ... transfer chamber, 5a, 5b ... load lock chamber, 6a, 6b ... mounting table, 7 ... loader unit, 11 ... support Members 13, resistance heaters 15, support pins, 17, connection support plates, 19 drive mechanisms, 21 carry-in / out ports, 31 transport devices, 33 transport arms, 35 forks, 37 transmission windows, 39 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS ... Displacement sensor 51 ... Conveying device 53 ... Conveying chamber 55 ... Orientor 57 ... Guide rail 59 ... Conveying arm part 61 ... Fork 63 ... Rotating plate 65 ... Optical sensor 70 ... Control part 71 ... Controller, 72 ... User interface, 73 ... Storage section, 100 ... Substrate processing system, 101 ... Light emitting element, 103 ... Optical position detection element, 105 ... Calculation section, 200 ... Laser light, 201 It reflected light, CR ... wafer cassette, G1, G2, G3 ... gate valves, LP ... load port, Sp ... spot, W ... semiconductor wafer (substrate)

Claims (10)

A processing apparatus having a mounting table for mounting the substrate and performing a predetermined process on the substrate;
A substrate transfer device having a holding member for holding the substrate and performing a transfer operation of the substrate to the processing apparatus;
Position measuring means for measuring the position of a measurement target member provided on the mounting table by irradiating laser light from a predetermined measurement position toward the mounting table and detecting the reflected light;
A controller that stores the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table as a reference when the substrate is transferred between the holding member and the mounting table, and controls the transfer of the substrate by the substrate transfer device;
A substrate transport position alignment method for aligning a substrate transport position by the substrate transport apparatus in a substrate processing system comprising:
A first measurement step of measuring the position of the measurement target member by the position measurement means in a state where the mounting table is at room temperature;
A second measurement step of measuring the position of the measurement target member in a state where the mounting table is heated by the position measurement unit;
Based on the result of the first measurement step and the result of the second measurement step, calculating the displacement amount of the center of the mounting table in the heating state with respect to the center of the mounting table in the normal temperature state;
And a step of correcting a position coordinate of the center of the mounting table stored in the control unit based on the amount of displacement.   2. The measurement position according to claim 1, wherein the measurement position is a position on the turning center axis of the substrate transport apparatus or a predetermined distance away in a direction orthogonal to the irradiation direction of the laser light with reference to the turning center axis. 4. A method for aligning the substrate transfer position according to 1.   3. The measurement target member according to claim 1, wherein the measurement target member is a support member provided so as to protrude and retract with respect to the surface of the mounting table in order to support the substrate during delivery of the substrate. A method for aligning the substrate transfer position as described.   4. The substrate transport position alignment method according to claim 3, wherein the support member is provided with a flat reflection surface that reflects the laser light.   The measurement object member is a position measurement member that has a flat reflecting surface that reflects the laser beam and is provided so as to protrude and retract with respect to the surface of the mounting table. The alignment method of the board | substrate conveyance position of any one of Claim 3. A processing apparatus having a mounting table for mounting the substrate and performing a predetermined process on the substrate;
A substrate transfer device having a holding member for holding the substrate and performing a transfer operation of the substrate to the processing apparatus;
A distance measuring means for measuring a distance to a measurement target member provided on the mounting table by irradiating a laser beam from a predetermined measurement position toward the mounting table and detecting the reflected light;
A controller that stores the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table as a reference when the substrate is transferred between the holding member and the mounting table, and controls the transfer of the substrate by the substrate transfer device;
A substrate transport position alignment method for aligning a substrate transport position by the substrate transport apparatus in a substrate processing system comprising:
A first measurement step of measuring the distance from the measurement position to the measurement target member by the distance measurement means in a state where the mounting table is at a normal temperature;
A second measurement step of measuring the distance from the measurement position to the measurement target member in a state where the mounting table is heated by the distance measurement unit;
Based on the result of the first measurement step and the result of the second measurement step, calculating the displacement amount of the center of the mounting table in the heating state with respect to the center of the mounting table in the normal temperature state;
And a step of correcting a position coordinate of the center of the mounting table stored in the control unit based on the amount of displacement. A processing apparatus having a mounting table for mounting the substrate and performing a predetermined process on the substrate;
A substrate transfer device having a holding member for holding the substrate and performing a transfer operation of the substrate to the processing apparatus;
A distance measuring means for measuring a distance to a measurement target member provided on the mounting table by irradiating a laser beam from a predetermined measurement position toward the mounting table and detecting the reflected light;
A control unit that stores the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table as a reference when the substrate is transferred between the holding member and the mounting table, and controls conveyance of the substrate by the holding member;
A substrate transport position alignment method for aligning a substrate transport position by the substrate transport apparatus in a substrate processing system comprising:
A step of measuring the distance from the measurement position to the measurement target member by the distance measurement unit in a state where the mounting table is heated;
Based on the measurement results, determining the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table in the heating state,
And a step of storing the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table in the control unit based on the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table in the heated state.   8. The measurement object according to claim 7, wherein the measurement target members are a plurality of support members provided so as to protrude and retract with respect to the surface of the mounting table in order to support the substrate when the substrate is delivered. Method for aligning the substrate transfer position. A processing apparatus having a mounting table for mounting the substrate and performing a predetermined process on the substrate;
A substrate transfer device having a holding member for holding the substrate and performing a transfer operation of the substrate to the processing apparatus;
Position measuring means for measuring the position of a measurement target member provided on the mounting table by irradiating laser light from a predetermined measurement position toward the mounting table and detecting the reflected light;
While storing the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table as a reference when the substrate is transferred between the holding member and the mounting table, the mounting table measured by the position measuring means is in a room temperature state. Based on the measurement result of the position of the measurement target member in the heated state, the displacement amount of the center of the mounting table in the heating state with respect to the center of the mounting table in the normal temperature state is calculated, and stored by teaching based on the displacement amount A controller that corrects the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table and controls the substrate transport by the substrate transport device;
A substrate processing system comprising: A computer-readable storage medium storing a control program that runs on a computer, wherein the control program is
A processing apparatus having a mounting table for mounting the substrate and performing a predetermined process on the substrate;
A substrate transfer device having a holding member for holding the substrate and performing a transfer operation of the substrate to the processing apparatus;
Position measuring means for measuring the position of a measurement target member provided on the mounting table by irradiating laser light from a predetermined measurement position toward the mounting table and detecting the reflected light;
A controller that stores the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table as a reference when the substrate is transferred between the holding member and the mounting table, and controls the transfer of the substrate by the substrate transfer device;
In a substrate processing system comprising: a substrate transfer position is controlled so as to be performed by the substrate transfer apparatus;
The substrate transfer position alignment method is as follows:
A first measurement step of measuring the position of the measurement target member by the position measurement means in a state where the mounting table is at room temperature;
A second measurement step of measuring the position of the measurement target member in a state where the mounting table is heated by the position measurement unit;
Based on the result of the first measurement step and the result of the second measurement step, calculating the displacement amount of the center of the mounting table in the heating state with respect to the center of the mounting table in the normal temperature state;
Correcting the position coordinates of the center of the mounting table stored in the control unit based on the amount of displacement;
A computer-readable storage medium characterized by comprising:

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