JP2010027771A - Schedule generating method for substrate processing apparatus, and program thereof - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the availability of an apparatus by suppressing an unnecessary time due to a separately installed unit by determining whether a maintenance process is arranged based upon a use limit frequency. <P>SOLUTION: A control unit 25 uses a chemical unit CSB so as to perform the maintenance process continuously to use of the chemical unit CSB only when the use frequency of the chemical unit CSB reaches the use limit frequency in generating a whole schedule after generating a schedule for a single batch. Therefore, the maintenance process need not be performed each time the chemical unit CSB is used, and is performed only when necessary. Consequently, the unnecessary time due to the chemical unit CSB is suppressed to improve the availability of the substrate processing apparatus. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a method for creating a schedule of a substrate processing apparatus for performing a predetermined process on a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as a substrate) of a liquid crystal display device, and a program therefor, and more particularly, a direct process for a substrate. The present invention relates to a technique for performing a schedule of a substrate processing apparatus including a unit (separate unit) separate from a processing unit that performs the processing.

  Conventionally, as a method of this type, a plurality of processing liquid processing units that perform processing by immersing a substrate in a processing liquid, common to these processing liquid supply units, each separately from the processing liquid supply unit In a substrate processing apparatus schedule creation method for creating a schedule for processing a plurality of lots using a substrate processing apparatus having a supply unit for supplying a processing liquid to a processing liquid processing section, only a single lot is processed. There is a method in which a single batch schedule is taken into account, and thereafter, a single batch of all lots is arranged on one time axis (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

In this schedule creation method, when creating a single batch schedule, scheduling is performed so that the resources of the supply unit are used in parallel with the use of resources of the processing liquid processing unit. Therefore, when the processing liquid processing unit is arranged in a single batch, the supply unit is arranged in association with the processing liquid processing unit, so that the arrangement of the processing liquid processing unit and the arrangement of the supply unit are arranged in pairs in the entire schedule. Further, since the supply unit is used, in order to perform the maintenance process for replenishing the processing liquid to the supply unit, the maintenance process is arranged subsequent to the use for the arrangement of the processing liquid supply process in the supply unit.
JP 2003-59890 A

However, the conventional example having such a configuration has the following problems.
That is, in the conventional apparatus, when the processing liquid is supplied by the supply unit in a single batch schedule, the supply unit is always occupied by the maintenance process. Depending on the amount of the processing liquid supplied from the maintenance, it is not always necessary to perform the maintenance process, and it may be unnecessary. Therefore, when the entire schedule is created, unnecessary maintenance processing results in wasted time and the operation rate of the supply unit is reduced, and the overall schedule is prolonged and the operation rate of the substrate processing apparatus is reduced. There is.

  The present invention has been made in view of such circumstances, and by determining whether or not to arrange maintenance processing based on the use limit count, it is possible to suppress wasted time due to the separately placed unit. It is an object of the present invention to provide a schedule creation method and program for a substrate processing apparatus capable of improving the operating rate of the apparatus.

In order to achieve such an object, the present invention has the following configuration.
That is, the invention described in claim 1 is configured by a plurality of processing units that perform processing on a substrate and each processing unit separately, and processing associated with processing on the substrate in each processing unit. A substrate processing apparatus having a plurality of resources including a separate unit for performing the processing while the control unit uses each resource for each lot based on each recipe and actually uses each resource. In the method of creating a schedule for a substrate processing apparatus that is determined in advance prior to the process, a process for creating a single batch schedule that uses each resource according to the recipe for a single lot, and a schedule for all single batches The process of arranging and creating the entire schedule, and the number of times the separate unit is used when creating the overall schedule, Including a step of using the separate unit for maintenance processing following the use of the separate unit when the useable number of times reaches a predetermined use limit number. It is.

  [Operation / Effect] According to the first aspect of the present invention, when the control unit creates an entire schedule after creating a single batch schedule, the number of times the separate unit is used becomes the number of times of use restriction. Only when it is reached, the separate unit is used to perform maintenance processing following the use of the separate unit. Therefore, the maintenance process is not performed every time the separate unit is used, and the maintenance process is performed only when necessary. As a result, useless time due to the separately placed unit can be suppressed, and the operating rate of the substrate processing apparatus can be improved.

  Moreover, in this invention, it is preferable that the said process part processes a board | substrate with the process liquid containing a chemical | medical solution, and the said separate unit supplies a process liquid to the said chemical | medical solution process part. Item 2). The separate unit supplies the processing liquid containing the chemical liquid to the processing unit, but since the storage amount is limited, maintenance processing for periodically replenishing the processing liquid is required.

  Further, in the present invention, it is preferable that the use limit number of times is set based on a volume of the processing liquid that can be stored in the separate unit and a supply amount of the processing liquid supplied to the processing unit at a time. (Claim 3). Use limit that requires maintenance because the volume of processing liquid that can be stored and the amount of processing liquid supplied at one time can be used to determine how many times the separate unit must be replenished with processing liquid. The number of times can be defined.

  According to the schedule creation method for a substrate processing apparatus according to the present invention, the control unit creates a single batch schedule, and then creates the entire schedule, so that the number of times the separate unit is used reaches the usage limit number. Only when this is done, the separate unit is used to perform maintenance processing following the use of the separate unit. Therefore, the maintenance process is not performed every time the separate unit is used, and the maintenance process is performed only when necessary. As a result, useless time due to the separately placed unit can be suppressed, and the operating rate of the substrate processing apparatus can be improved.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a plan view illustrating a schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment.

  This substrate processing apparatus is an apparatus for performing chemical liquid processing, pure water processing, and drying processing on the substrate W, for example. A plurality of (for example, 25) substrates W are stacked and stored in the cassette 1 in a horizontal posture. The cassette 1 storing the unprocessed substrates W is placed on the input unit 3. The input unit 3 includes two mounting tables 5 on which the cassette 1 is mounted. On the opposite side of the loading unit 3 across the center of the substrate processing apparatus, a dispensing unit 7 is provided. The dispensing unit 7 stores the processed substrate W in the cassette 1 and dispenses the cassette 1 together. The payout unit 7 that functions in this manner includes two mounting bases 9 for mounting the cassette 1, similarly to the loading unit 3.

  A first transport mechanism CTC configured to be movable between these is provided at a position along the input unit 3 and the payout unit 7. The first transport mechanism CTC takes out all the substrates W stored in the cassette 1 placed on the input unit 3 and then transports them to the second transport mechanism WTR. The first transport mechanism CTC stores the processed substrate W from the second transport mechanism WTR and then stores the substrate W in the cassette 1. The second transport mechanism WTR is configured to be movable along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus.

  On the payout unit 7 side in the moving direction of the second transport mechanism WTR described above, a drying processing unit LPD for storing and drying a plurality of substrates W in a low-pressure chamber is provided.

  A first processing unit 19 is disposed at a position adjacent to the drying processing unit LPD in the moving direction of the second transport mechanism WTR. The first processing unit 19 includes a chemical solution / pure water processing unit ONB1 for performing a pure water cleaning process on a plurality of substrates W, and a processing solution containing a chemical solution on the plurality of substrates W. Is provided with a chemical treatment unit CHB1 for performing chemical treatment. Further, the first processing unit 19 includes a sub-transport mechanism LFS1 that delivers the substrate W to and from the second transport mechanism WTR and can be moved up and down only by the chemical / pure water processing unit ONB1 and the chemical processing unit CHB1. .

  A second processing unit 21 is provided at a position adjacent to the first processing unit 19. The second processing unit 21 has the same configuration as the first processing unit 19 described above. That is, a chemical / pure water processing unit ONB2, a chemical processing unit CHB2, and a sub-transport mechanism LFS2 are provided.

  In addition, the substrate processing apparatus includes a chemical unit CSB that is separate from the processing units 19 and 21 described above. This chemical unit CSB stores a predetermined amount of pure water heated to a predetermined temperature. The chemical unit CSB is shared by the above-described chemical solution / pure water treatment units ONB1 and ONB2, and has a function of supplying a chemical solution heated to a predetermined temperature to them. However, the chemical unit CSB can supply hot water to the chemical / pure water treatment units ONB1 and ONB2 without replenishing and heating pure water, and the storage amount and the chemical / pure water treatment unit ONB1. , Suppose that it is “twice” here because of the supply amount to ONB2. In addition, after supplying the hot water twice, pure water is replenished from a replenishment line (not shown), and it takes a certain time to generate the hot water by heating the pure water to a predetermined temperature. The processing required for these is scheduled as “maintenance processing” to be described later.

  The above-described chemical liquid unit CSB corresponds to the “separate unit” in the present invention.

  The substrate processing apparatus configured as described above is comprehensively controlled by the control unit 25 as shown in the block diagram of FIG. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment. The control unit 25 corresponds to a “computer” in the present invention.

  The control unit 25 includes a CPU, a counter / timer, and the like, and includes a scheduling unit 27 and a process execution instruction unit 31. The storage unit 33 connected to the control unit 25 is prepared in advance by a user of the substrate processing apparatus, and includes a recipe including a plurality of processing steps that define how to process the substrate W, and a schedule creation program In addition, a processing program for executing the created schedule, a “usage limit number” described later, and the like are stored in advance.

  The scheduling unit 27 handles the substrates W stored in the cassette 1 and placed on the input unit 3 as one lot, and in accordance with a recipe stored in advance in the storage unit 33 instructed by the operator of the apparatus. Before starting actual processing, create a single batch schedule that uses each resource for each single lot, and then place all single batch schedules on the same time axis to create the entire schedule. Create The created schedule is stored in the storage unit 33.

  The resources referred to here include the first transport mechanism CTC, the second transport mechanism WTR, the drying processing unit LPD, the chemical / pure water processing units ONB1, ONB2, the chemical processing units CHB1, CHB2, the sub-transport mechanisms LFS1, LFS2, and the like. , A resource used for processing a lot under the control of the control unit 25. However, the chemical unit CSB is not used as a single resource, and is used in association with the processing when the hot water cleaning process is performed in the chemical / pure water processing units ONB1 and ONB2.

  The process execution instructing unit 31 instructs an operation related to processing of each processing unit at an appropriate timing based on a schedule created by the scheduling unit 27 and stored in the storage unit 33.

  The control unit 25 is connected to a setting unit 35 operated by an operator of the apparatus. From the setting unit 35, the above-described recipe, “use limit count”, and the like are set. The use limit count is referred to by the control unit 25. When creating the entire schedule, the control unit 25 counts the number of times of use every time the chemical liquid unit CSB is used, and only when the number of times of use of the chemical liquid unit CSB matches the use limit number of times, the chemical liquid at that time The maintenance process of the chemical unit CSB is arranged following the use timing of the unit CSB. Further, when the number of times of use of the chemical liquid unit CSB coincides with the limit of use, the number of times of use is reset to zero.

  Next, a specific schedule creation method will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing schedule creation, and FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing creation of the entire schedule. 5A to 5C are time charts showing a single batch schedule of each lot, and FIGS. 6 to 8 are time charts showing the entire schedule creation process.

  In the following, in order to facilitate the understanding of the explanation, a case where only three lots of lots 1 to 3 are scheduled will be described as an example, but the same applies to two lots or four or more lots. Can be scheduled.

  The recipe for lot 1 in this example is, for example, as shown in FIG. Here, the first number indicates the lot number, and the alphabet after “−” indicates the processing step number. In each of the processing steps 1-A to 1-D, the portion corresponding to the preceding blank is a pre-operation for preparation for using the resource, and the portion corresponding to the trailing blank is a post-operation for cleaning up the used resource. is there. As shown in FIG. 5, the dot-hatched portion in the chemical unit CSB is a processing step associated with the case where the resources of the chemical / pure water processing units ONB1 and ONB2 are used.

  Process 1-A is a transport process by the first transport mechanism CTC, and Process 1-B is a transport process by the second transport mechanism WTR and a chemical / pure water by the chemical / pure water treatment unit ONB1 and the chemical unit CSB. The process 1-C is a transport process by the second transport mechanism WTR and a drying process by the drying processing unit LPD, and the process process 1-D is a transport process by the second transport mechanism WTR and the first transport mechanism. It is a conveyance process by CTC.

  In addition, the lot 2 recipe in this example is different from the lot 1 recipe described above only in that the resource in the processing step 2-B is the chemical / pure water processing unit ONB2. The recipe for lot 3 is exactly the same as the recipe for lot 1 described above.

Steps S1-S3
The operator of the apparatus places the cassette 1 storing the unprocessed substrates W on the placing table 5 of the loading table 3 (Step S1). The above-described recipe is instructed from an instruction unit (not shown) (step S2). Then, the control part 25 reads the recipe data memorize | stored in the memory | storage part 33 (step S3). In the present embodiment, the three cassettes 1 are continuously placed on the placing table 5 and the above-described recipe is instructed in each.

Step S4
The scheduling unit 27 creates a single batch schedule for each of the lots 1 to 3 based on the read recipe data. Specifically, the time of each processing step 1-A to 1-D is calculated for lot 1, and based on the time required for each processing step 1-A to 1-D as shown in FIG. Create a schedule. Similarly, the time calculation of each processing step 2-A to 2-D is performed for lot 2, and the schedule is based on the time required for each processing step 2-A to 2-D as shown in FIG. Create Further, the lot 3 is similarly calculated for each of the processing steps 3-A to 3-D, and a schedule based on the time required for each of the processing steps 3-A to 3-D as shown in FIG. Create

Step S5
The scheduling unit 27 arranges all the single batch schedules (FIGS. 5A to 5C) created as described above on the same time axis, and creates the entire schedule. That is, single batch schedules for 3 lots are arranged on the same time chart. At that time, the timing is adjusted so that the same resource is not used redundantly at the same time. Although not a single resource, redundant use of the resources of the chemical unit CSB associated with the chemical / pure water treatment units ONB1 and ONB2 is similarly avoided.

  Next, the scheduling unit 27 creates the entire schedule as follows, for example.

Steps S11 and S12
The scheduling unit 27 arranges a single batch schedule of the lot 1 from the schedule reference time (process start scheduled time). Specifically, in the single batch schedule of lot 1, a position where each processing step 1-A to 1-D can be arranged is searched and sequentially arranged.

Step S13
When the chemical solution / pure water treatment units ONB1 and ONB2 are used and the resources of the chemical solution unit CSB associated therewith are used, the scheduling unit 27 increments the number of times of use each time. Here, since it is in the state of FIG. The number of times of use is compared with the number of times of use limit in the storage unit 33. If they do not match, the process proceeds to step S15.

Step S15
The scheduling unit 27 determines whether or not the arrangement of the single batch schedule of all lots has been completed. If the arrangement is not completed, the scheduling unit 27 returns to step S11.

  As described above, the single batch schedule of each lot is arranged. However, when the chemical unit CSB is used and the number of times of use matches the number of times of use, the maintenance process is arranged in step S14 and the number of times of use is set. Reset. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 7, when the single batch schedule of lot 2 is arranged, the number of uses matches the number of uses, so that the chemical solution supply in the chemical unit CSB corresponding to the processing step 2-B is performed. A maintenance process MP is arranged following the process. Then, after arranging all the processing steps 2-A to 2-D of the lot 2, the single batch schedule of the lot 3 is arranged. In this case, since the use count is smaller than the use limit count, all the processing steps 3-A to 3-D may be simply arranged so as not to overlap with the use timing of each resource in the lot 1 and the lot 2 (see FIG. 8).

  When the processing steps 1-A to 1-D, 2-A to 2-D, and 3-A to 3D for all lots are arranged as described above, and all single batch schedules have been arranged Then, the schedule process is terminated, and the entire schedule is stored in the storage unit 33. The stored overall schedule is referred to by the process execution instructing unit 31, and each lot is actually processed using each resource.

  As described above, according to the present embodiment, the control unit 25 creates a single batch schedule, and then creates the entire schedule, and only when the number of times the chemical unit CSB is used reaches the use limit number. The chemical liquid unit CSB is used to perform the maintenance process MP following the use of the chemical liquid unit CSB. Therefore, the maintenance process MP is not performed every time the chemical unit CSB is used, and the maintenance process MP is performed only when necessary. As a result, useless time due to the chemical unit CSB can be suppressed, and the operating rate of the substrate processing apparatus can be improved.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiment, and can be modified as follows.

  (1) In the above-described embodiment, the use limit number of times has been described as “twice”. However, this is the capacity that can be stored in the chemical unit CSB or supplied to the chemical / pure water treatment units ONB1 and ONB2 at a time. It is determined based on the supply amount of the processing liquid, and may be three or more times.

  (2) In the above-described embodiment, the chemical liquid unit CSB that supplies the chemical liquid as the processing liquid has been described as an example of the separate unit. However, as the separate unit, for example, the chemical liquid processing units CHB1 and CHB2 may have chemical liquids. And a chemical supply unit for supplying a treatment liquid containing gas, a gas supply unit for supplying a processing gas, and the like.

  (3) In the above-described embodiment, a single batch schedule is arranged in order from lot 1 to lot 3, and an overall schedule is created. For example, a method of sequentially arranging the processing steps of lots 1 to 3 is adopted. In addition, a method may be adopted in which processing steps subsequent to the processing steps that end the earliest among the processing steps before each lot are arranged.

It is the top view which showed schematic structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on an Example. It is the block diagram which showed schematic structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on an Example. It is a flowchart which shows schedule creation. It is a flowchart which shows preparation of a whole schedule. (A)-(c) is a time chart which shows the schedule of the single batch of each lot. It is a time chart which shows the whole schedule preparation process. It is a time chart which shows the whole schedule preparation process. It is a time chart which shows the whole schedule preparation process.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Cassette 3 ... Loading part 5 ... Mounting stand 7 ... Discharge part CTR ... 1st conveyance mechanism WTR ... 2nd conveyance mechanism LPD ... Drying process part 19 ... 1st process part 21 ... 2nd process part ONB1, ONB2 ... Chemical solution / Pure water processing unit CHB1, CHB2 ... Chemical solution processing unit LFS1, LFS2 ... Sub-transport mechanism CSB ... Chemical solution unit 25 ... Control unit 27 ... Scheduling unit 31 ... Processing execution instruction unit 33 ... Storage unit 35 ... Setting unit MP ... Maintenance processing

Claims (4)

A plurality of processing units that perform processing on a substrate, and a plurality of processing units that are configured separately from each processing unit, and that include a separate unit that performs processing associated with processing on the substrate in each processing unit. A substrate processing apparatus in which the control unit determines in advance the timing for using each resource before the actual processing when the control unit uses each resource for each lot based on each recipe by the substrate processing apparatus having resources. In the schedule creation method of
For a single lot, creating a single batch schedule that uses each resource according to its recipe,
The process of creating a whole schedule by arranging all single batch schedules,
When creating the entire schedule, if the number of times the separate unit is used reaches the limit of use that prescribes the number of times that the separate unit can be used, maintenance is performed following the use of the separate unit. Using the separate unit for processing;
A method of creating a schedule for a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: In the schedule preparation method of the substrate processing apparatus of Claim 1,
The processing section is for processing a substrate with a processing liquid containing a chemical liquid,
The said separate unit supplies a process liquid to the said chemical | medical solution process part, The schedule preparation method of the substrate processing apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. The schedule creation method for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the use limit number of times is based on a volume of the processing liquid that can be stored in the separate unit and a supply amount of the processing liquid that is supplied to the processing unit at a time. A method for creating a schedule for a substrate processing apparatus, wherein A plurality of processing units that perform processing on a substrate, and a plurality of processing units that are configured separately from each processing unit, and that include a separate unit that performs processing associated with processing on the substrate in each processing unit. A substrate processing apparatus in which the control unit determines in advance the timing for using each resource before the actual processing when the control unit uses each resource for each lot based on each recipe by the substrate processing apparatus having resources. In the schedule creation program of
For a single lot, the ability to create a single batch schedule that uses each resource according to its recipe,
A function to create an entire schedule by arranging all single batch schedules,
When creating the entire schedule, if the number of times the separate unit is used reaches the limit of use that prescribes the number of times that the separate unit can be used, maintenance is performed following the use of the separate unit. A function of using the separate unit for processing;
Is executed by a computer which is the control unit.

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