JP2015211043A - Substrate processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate processing method that can enhance the through-put by processing plural kinds of substrates simultaneously.SOLUTION: A substrate processing method comprises: classifying plural substrate holders 6 into a first group and a second group; allocating each of the plural substrate holders 6 to any one of a first recipe and a second recipe which determine processing conditions of a substrate W; calculating a total transport time for all possible orders of transporting the substrate W and the substrate holder 6 to execute the first processing according to the first recipe and the second processing according to the second recipe; determining the transport order which can make the total transport time shortest; executing the first processing on one or plural substrates W by using the substrate holder 6 belonging to the first group while transporting the plural substrates W according to the determined transporting order; and executing the second processing on the one or plural substrates W by using the substrate holder 6 belonging to the second group.

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing method for processing a substrate by transferring the substrate to a plurality of processing tanks, and more particularly to a substrate processing method for determining a substrate transfer order by executing a substrate transfer simulation.

  FIG. 14 shows a substrate processing apparatus. As shown in FIG. 14, the substrate processing apparatus includes a load port 100 on which a substrate storage container for storing a substrate such as a wafer is mounted, a plurality of substrate holders 101 for holding a substrate, and a substrate holder 101 for holding a substrate. And a plurality of processing tanks 103 for processing the substrate. The substrate holder 101 is accommodated in the holder storage tank 106. The transfer apparatus 102 takes out the substrate holder 101 from the holder storage tank 106 and places it on the table 105. The transfer robot 104 takes out the substrate from the substrate storage container on the load port 100 and sets the substrate on the substrate holder 101 placed on the table 105. The transfer apparatus 102 transfers the substrate holder 101 holding the substrate to a plurality of processing tanks 103, and the substrate is processed in these processing tanks 103.

  An example of the substrate processing apparatus is an electrolytic plating apparatus. There are various types of substrates to be plated with an electrolytic plating apparatus. For example, a substrate on which processing (hereinafter referred to as TSV processing) for forming TSV (Through Silicon Via) is performed, a substrate on which processing for forming bumps (hereinafter referred to as bump processing) is performed, a redistribution layer (RDL (Re- Examples include substrates on which processing (hereinafter referred to as RDL processing) is performed, etc. In other words, electrolytic plating has various substrate processing purposes.

  Depending on the processing purpose of the substrate or regardless of the processing purpose, the substrate has various characteristics. The characteristics of the substrate include the thickness of the substrate, the bonding structure of the substrates, the shape of a notch such as a notch and an orientation flat, and a region where a seed or resist is formed. Of course, the size (diameter) of the substrate is also one of the features of the substrate.

  In some cases, one type of substrate holder cannot be used for a substrate having these various characteristics, that is, a plurality of types of substrates. Therefore, it is necessary to prepare a plurality of types of substrate holders having different structures according to the characteristics of the substrate. In this specification, different types of substrates refer to substrates that need to use different types of substrate holders.

  In order to maximize the processing capability of a substrate processing apparatus, it is common to mount a large number of one type of substrate holder and process a plurality of substrates simultaneously. For this reason, in order to process a plurality of substrates of different types with one substrate processing apparatus, after processing one type of substrate, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus is stopped, and the substrate holder in the apparatus is removed. It is necessary to change to a substrate holder for one type of substrate and then start processing another type of substrate. In this way, since different types of substrates cannot be processed simultaneously by one substrate processing apparatus, the throughput of the substrate processing apparatus decreases. In particular, when performing high-mix low-volume production, the throughput is significantly reduced.

JP 2005-240108 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object thereof is to provide a substrate processing method capable of simultaneously processing a plurality of types of substrates to improve throughput.

  According to one embodiment of the present invention, a plurality of substrate holders are divided into a first group and a second group, and each of the plurality of substrate holders is a first recipe or a second recipe that defines a substrate processing condition. All assigned to the substrate and the substrate holder to perform the first process according to the first recipe and the second process according to the second recipe A total transport time is calculated for the transport order, a transport order that minimizes the total transport time is determined, and the substrate holders belonging to the first group are transferred while transporting the plurality of substrates according to the determined transport order. And using the substrate holder belonging to the second group to execute the second process on one or a plurality of substrates. A substrate processing method characterized.

  Another aspect of the present invention uses a plurality of processing tanks that process a substrate, a plurality of substrate holders that respectively hold the plurality of substrates, and a transfer device that transfers the plurality of substrate holders to the plurality of processing tanks. The plurality of substrate holders are divided into a plurality of holder groups, the plurality of substrates are divided into a plurality of substrate groups according to a processing purpose, and each of the plurality of substrate groups is divided into the plurality of holder groups. A substrate holder for holding a substrate belonging to each substrate group is selected from the holder group assigned to the substrate group, and the substrate holder is allocated to all of the plurality of substrates. Until the selection of the substrate holder is repeated, and a simulation is carried out to transport the plurality of substrates and the plurality of substrate holders. Calculate the total transport time from the start of processing of the substrate to the end of processing of the final substrate, and change the transport order of the plurality of substrates and the plurality of substrate holders, and calculate the simulation and the total transport time The substrate processing method is characterized in that the transfer sequence having the shortest total transfer time is determined, and the plurality of substrates and the plurality of substrate holders are transferred in accordance with the determined transfer sequence.

In a preferred aspect, the plurality of substrates are divided into a plurality of substrate groups according to a thickness of the substrate, a radius of the substrate, or a shape of a notch formed in the substrate.
In a preferred aspect, the plurality of substrates having different processing purposes are simultaneously processed in the plurality of processing tanks.
In a preferred aspect, the plurality of substrates are assigned substrate numbers, and the transport order includes an order in which the plurality of substrates belonging to the same holder group are transported in ascending order of the substrate numbers.

  According to the substrate processing method described above, an optimal transport order is determined by executing a simulation of transporting the substrate and the substrate holder. In this optimal transport sequence, all the substrate holders are used efficiently, and as a result, different types of substrates are processed simultaneously in a plurality of processing tanks. Therefore, the throughput of substrate processing can be improved.

It is a figure which shows the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention. It is a perspective view of a substrate holder. It is a top view of a substrate holder. It is a side view of a substrate holder. It is an enlarged view of the A section of FIG. It is a figure which shows the holder group definition screen for registering the holder group number and group name of a substrate holder. It is a mimetic diagram showing a plurality of substrate holders stored in each slot of a holder storage tank. It is a figure which shows the holder group allocation screen for allocating a holder group number to each board | substrate holder (each holder number). It is a figure which shows a total recipe setting screen. It is a table | surface which shows the several board | substrate divided into the several board | substrate group. It is a table | surface which shows an example of the substrate holder allocated to the some board | substrate. It is a figure which shows the conveyance simulation performed according to an example of a conveyance order. It is a figure which shows the conveyance simulation performed according to the other example of a conveyance order. It is a figure which shows a substrate processing apparatus.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. 1 to 13, the same or corresponding components are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.
FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus according to the present embodiment is an electrolytic plating apparatus for plating the surface of a substrate with a metal by passing a current through a plating solution. However, the substrate processing apparatus is not limited to the electrolytic plating apparatus. For example, the substrate processing apparatus may be an electroless plating apparatus for plating the surface of the substrate with a metal without passing an electric current through the plating solution.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus includes a load port 2 on which a substrate cassette (substrate storage container) storing a plurality of substrates W is mounted, and an aligner 4 that aligns an orientation flat or notch of the substrate W in a predetermined direction. It has. Further, the substrate processing apparatus includes a spin rinse dryer (SRD) 5 for rotating the substrate W after processing at high speed and drying, a table 7 on which a substrate holder 6 (see FIGS. 2 to 5) is placed, A substrate holder opening / closing mechanism 11 for opening / closing the substrate holder 6 placed on the table 7 is provided. The substrate holder opening / closing mechanism 11 is located above the table 7. A substrate holder raising / lowering mechanism 12 for raising and lowering the substrate holder 6 is disposed above the table 7. The substrate holder raising / lowering mechanism 12 is configured to change the substrate holder 6 from a vertical posture to a horizontal posture and place the substrate holder 6 on the table 7.

  A travel mechanism 9 is laid along the arrangement direction of the load ports 2, and a substrate transport robot 8 is installed on the travel mechanism 9. The substrate transfer robot 8 is configured to be able to move on the traveling mechanism 9 to access the load port 2, the substrate holder opening / closing mechanism 11, and the aligner 4.

  The substrate processing apparatus includes a holder storage tank 13 for storing a plurality of substrate holders 6, a pre-cleaning tank 14 for cleaning the substrate W held on the substrate holder 6 with a cleaning liquid such as pure water, and the substrate holder 6. And a pretreatment tank 17 for treating the substrate W with a pretreatment liquid. Furthermore, the substrate processing apparatus includes a plurality of (10 rows in this embodiment) plating tanks 15 for storing a plating solution (processing solution) for plating the substrate W, and a rinse for rinsing the plated substrate W with a rinsing solution. A tank 18 and a blow tank 16 for draining the substrate W are provided. The blow tank 16 blows air onto the substrate W held by the substrate holder 6 to remove droplets remaining on the surface of the substrate W and dry the substrate W.

  An overflow tank 25 is provided adjacent to the plating tank 15. The plating solution overflowing the plating tank 15 flows into the overflow tank 25 and returns to the plating tank 15 through a circulation line (not shown). A paddle motor unit 26 that drives a paddle (not shown) that stirs the plating solution in each plating tank 15 is provided on one side of the plating tank 15. An exhaust duct 27 is provided on the other side of the plating tank 15.

  Next, the substrate holder 6 will be described with reference to FIGS. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 5, the substrate holder 6 includes a rectangular plate-shaped first holding member 40, and a second holding member 42 attached to the first holding member 40 via a hinge 41 so as to be opened and closed. have. As another configuration example, the second holding member 42 is disposed at a position facing the first holding member 40, the second holding member 42 is advanced toward the first holding member 40, and the first holding member 40 is moved away from the first holding member 40. You may make it open and close the 2nd holding member 42 by separating.

  The first holding member 40 is made of, for example, vinyl chloride. The second holding member 42 has a base 43 and a ring-shaped seal holder 44. The seal holder 44 is made of, for example, vinyl chloride. An annular substrate-side sealing member 46 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) is attached to the upper portion of the seal holder 44 so as to protrude inward. The substrate-side sealing member 46 is configured to seal the gap between the second holding member 42 and the substrate W by pressing against the outer peripheral portion of the surface of the substrate W when the substrate holder 6 holds the substrate W. An annular holder-side seal member 47 (see FIGS. 4 and 5) is attached to the surface of the seal holder 44 facing the first holding member 40. The holder-side sealing member 47 is configured to seal the gap between the first holding member 40 and the second holding member 42 by pressing against the first holding member 40 when the substrate holder 6 holds the substrate W. Yes. The holder side seal member 47 is located outside the substrate side seal member 46.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the substrate side sealing member 46 is sandwiched between the seal holder 44 and the first fixing ring 48 a and attached to the seal holder 44. The first fixing ring 48a is attached to the seal holder 44 via a fastener 49a such as a screw. The holder side seal member 47 is sandwiched between the seal holder 44 and the second fixing ring 48 b and attached to the seal holder 44. The second fixing ring 48b is attached to the seal holder 44 via a fastener 49b such as a screw.

  A step portion is provided on the outer peripheral portion of the seal holder 44, and a presser ring 45 is rotatably attached to the step portion via a spacer 50. The presser ring 45 is mounted so as not to escape by the outer peripheral portion of the first fixing ring 48a. The presser ring 45 is made of a material that has excellent corrosion resistance against acids and alkalis and has sufficient rigidity. For example, the presser ring 45 is made of titanium. The spacer 50 is made of a material having a low coefficient of friction, such as PTFE, so that the presser ring 45 can smoothly rotate.

  On the outside of the presser ring 45, a plurality of clampers 51 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the presser ring 45. These clampers 51 are fixed to the first holding member 40. Each clamper 51 has an inverted L shape having a protruding portion protruding inward. A plurality of protrusions 45 b projecting outward are provided on the outer peripheral surface of the presser ring 45. These protrusions 45 b are arranged at positions corresponding to the positions of the clampers 51. The lower surface of the inward projecting portion of the clamper 51 and the upper surface of the protrusion 45b of the presser ring 45 are inclined surfaces that incline in opposite directions along the rotation direction of the presser ring 45. At a plurality of locations (for example, 3 locations) along the circumferential direction of the presser ring 45, convex portions 45a projecting upward are provided. Accordingly, the presser ring 45 can be rotated by rotating a rotation pin (not shown) and pushing the convex portion 45a from the side.

  With the second holding member 42 open, the substrate W is inserted into the center of the first holding member 40, and the second holding member 42 is closed via the hinge 41. By rotating the presser ring 45 clockwise and sliding the protrusion 45b of the presser ring 45 into the inner projecting part of the clamper 51, the presser ring 45 and the clamper 51 are respectively provided with inclined surfaces. The first holding member 40 and the second holding member 42 are tightened to lock the second holding member 42. Further, the second holding member 42 is unlocked by rotating the presser ring 45 counterclockwise to remove the projection 45b of the presser ring 45 from the clamper 51.

  When the second holding member 42 is locked, the downward projecting portion of the substrate-side seal member 46 is pressed against the outer peripheral portion of the surface of the substrate W. The sealing member 46 is uniformly pressed against the substrate W, thereby sealing the gap between the outer peripheral portion of the surface of the substrate W and the second holding member 42. Similarly, when the second holding member 42 is locked, the downward projecting portion of the holder-side seal member 47 is pressed against the surface of the first holding member 40. The seal member 29 is uniformly pressed against the first holding member 40, thereby sealing the gap between the first holding member 40 and the second holding member 42.

  On the surface of the first holding member 40, a ring-shaped protrusion 52 that is substantially equal to the size of the substrate W is formed. The protrusion 52 has an annular support surface 53 that contacts the peripheral edge of the substrate W and supports the substrate W. A concave portion 54 is provided at a predetermined position along the circumferential direction of the protruding portion 52.

  As shown in FIG. 3, a pair of holder hangers 59 are provided at the end of the first holding member 40. A plurality of external contacts 60 are provided on the holder hanger 59. In the pre-cleaning tank 14, the pretreatment tank 17, the plating tank 15, the rinse tank 18, and the blow tank 16, the substrate holder 6 is suspended from their peripheral walls via the holder hanger 59.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the substrate holder 6 further includes a plurality of internal contacts 55 that contact the peripheral edge of the substrate W and allow current to flow through the substrate W. The internal contact 55 includes a conductive member 56 and a contact member 57 that contacts the conductive member 56 and the peripheral edge of the substrate W. As shown in FIG. 3, a plurality (12 pieces in the drawing) of the conductive members 56 are fixed to the recesses 54. These conductive members 56 are respectively connected to a plurality of wires extending from the external contact 60. The conductive member 56 is attached to the first holding member 40, and the contact member 57 is fixed to the seal holder 44 of the second holding member 42 via a fastener 58 such as a screw. Therefore, when the second holding member 42 is open, the contact member 57 is separated from the conductive member 56. When the second holding member 42 is closed with the substrate W placed on the support surface 53 of the first holding member 40, the contact member 57 elastically contacts the end of the conductive member 56 as shown in FIG. 5. It is supposed to be. The same number of contact members 57 as the conductive members 56 (12 in this embodiment) are provided.

  The contact member 57 is formed in a leaf spring shape. The contact member 57 has a contact portion that is located outside the substrate-side seal member 46 and protrudes in a leaf spring shape inward. The contact member 57 is easily bent at the contact portion with springiness due to its elastic force. When the substrate W is sandwiched between the first holding member 40 and the second holding member 42, the contact portion of the contact member 57 is elastically applied to the peripheral portion of the substrate W supported on the support surface 53 of the first holding member 40. The lower part of the contact member 57 contacts the conductive member 56.

  The second holding member 42 is opened and closed by the weight of an air cylinder (not shown) and the second holding member 42. That is, the first holding member 40 is provided with a through hole 40a, and an air cylinder (not shown) is provided at a position facing the through hole 40a when the substrate holder 6 is placed on the table 7. The piston rod of the air cylinder pushes the seal holder 44 of the second holding member 42 upward through the through hole 40a to open the second holding member 42, and the piston rod is contracted so that the second holding member 42 is It closes with its own weight.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus includes a substrate storage tank 13, a pre-cleaning tank 14, a pre-processing tank 17, a plating tank 15, a rinse tank 18, a blow tank 16, and a substrate holder opening / closing mechanism 11. A transport device (transporter) 20 for transporting the substrate holders 6 holding W one by one is provided. Hereinafter, the pre-cleaning tank 14, the pretreatment tank 17, the plating tank 15, the rinse tank 18, and the blow tank 16 are collectively referred to as a processing tank for processing a substrate.

  The transporter 20 includes a fixed base 21 extending along the arrangement direction of the processing tank and the holder storage tank 13, a lifter 22 configured to be movable in the horizontal direction on the fixed base 21, and an arm 23 connected to the lifter 22. And. The arm 23 has a gripper 24 that holds the substrate holder 6. The arm 23 and the lifter 22 move together in the horizontal direction, and the arm 23 is raised and lowered by the lifter 22. As a drive source for moving the lifter 22 and the arm 23 in the horizontal direction, a linear motor or a rack and pinion can be adopted.

  The substrate processing apparatus includes a control device 3 that controls the operation of the entire apparatus, and a transfer order determination unit 65 that determines the order in which the substrates W are processed in the processing tank (that is, the transfer order of the substrates W). The transport order determining unit 65 is connected to the control device 3, and a signal indicating the order determined by the transport order determining unit 65 is transmitted to the control device 3. The control device 3 controls the operations of the substrate transport robot 8 and the transporter 20 so that the substrates W are transported in the determined order. The control device 3 is configured to acquire data indicating the operation status of the processing tank and transmit the data to the transport order determination unit 65.

  The control device 3 includes an input unit 66 having an input screen and an input device (for example, a keyboard or an input button). The operator inputs data necessary for determining the substrate transfer order to the control device 3 via the input unit 66. Hereinafter, a plurality of input screens will be described.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a holder group definition screen for registering the holder group number and group name of the substrate holder 6. In the example shown in FIG. 6, TSV, RDL, and bump are used as group names. Substrates subjected to TSV processing, RDL processing, and bump processing have different characteristics. In FIG. 6, holder group number 1 is assigned to the TSV process, holder group number 2 is assigned to the RDL process, and holder group number 3 is assigned to the bump process. Thus, the holder group number is defined according to the processing purpose of the substrate.

  FIG. 7 is a schematic view showing a plurality of substrate holders 6 stored in the slots 13a of the holder storage tank 13. As shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 7, holder numbers 1 to 10 are assigned to the substrate holder 6. The holder number is a number indicating in which slot 13 a of the holder storage tank 13 the substrate holder 6 is stored.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a holder group assignment screen for assigning a holder group number to each substrate holder 6 (each holder number). The transporter 20 installs a plurality of different types of substrate holders 6 in the slots 13 a of the holder storage tank 13 according to the operator's instructions. The operator may directly install the plurality of substrate holders 6 in the slot 13a. In the example shown in FIG. 8, two types of substrate holders 6 are installed in the slots 13 a of the holder storage tank 13 in accordance with the substrate processing purpose.

  In the holder group assignment screen, the apparatus recognizes the substrate holder 6 belonging to the same holder group, that is, the substrate holder 6 that can be used for the same processing purpose. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, the plurality of substrate holders 6 are classified into two groups, that is, a holder group 1 and a holder group 3 according to the processing purpose of the substrate. The substrate holders 6 with the holder numbers 1 to 5 belong to the holder group 1, and the substrate holders 6 with the holder numbers 6 to 10 belong to the holder group 3. The substrate holders 6 with the holder numbers 1 to 5 belonging to the holder group 1 are registered as substrate holders used for TSV processing. Substrate holders 6 with holder numbers 6 to 10 belonging to the holder group 3 are registered as substrate holders used for bump processing.

  In the embodiment described above, the type of the substrate holder 6 installed in the holder storage tank 13 needs to correspond to the holder group number registered on the holder group assignment screen. However, since an operator may make an input error, the same identification mark is attached to the same type of substrate holder 6 in advance, and an identification mark such as an optical sensor provided in the transporter 20 or the holder storage tank 13 is used. The identification mark may be detected by a detector (not shown). The identification mark detector is electrically connected to the control device 3 and is configured to transmit the detected identification mark to the control device 3.

  The control device 3 can automatically input the holder number and the holder group number on the holder group assignment screen according to the detected identification mark. The operator may manually input the holder number and the holder group number on the holder group assignment screen, and then detect the identification mark with the identification mark detector. If the manual input result and the automatic input result do not match, the control device 3 may issue an error message. Data input to the holder group assignment screen is sent to the transport order determination unit 65.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a total recipe setting screen. The total recipe includes items of recipe number, recipe ID, and unit recipe contents. The unit recipe includes substrate processing conditions (processing time, processing liquid) in each unit of the pre-cleaning tank 14, the pre-processing tank 17, the plating tank 15, the rinsing tank 18, the blow tank 16, and the spin-rinse dryer (SRD) 5. Flow rate). The control device 3 includes a storage unit 70 (see FIG. 1) that stores a unit recipe created in advance. The storage unit 70 stores a unit recipe as shown in FIG.

  Using the total recipe setting screen, the operator selects a unit recipe necessary for achieving the processing purpose from a plurality of unit recipes, and creates a total recipe. Furthermore, the operator assigns a holder group number to the total recipe. By this assignment work, the substrate holder 6 used for processing each substrate W is determined. Data input to the total recipe setting screen (the selected unit recipe and the holder group number assigned to the total recipe) is sent to the transport order determination unit 65.

  In FIG. 9, recipe number “ABC” is assigned to recipe number 1, and recipe ID “DEF” is assigned to recipe number 2. The total recipe represents specific processing conditions for processing the substrate W to achieve the processing purpose.

  A holder group number 1 is assigned to recipe number 1, and a holder group number 3 is assigned to recipe number 2. Accordingly, recipe number 1 is a total recipe for forming TSVs on the substrate W, and recipe number 3 is a total recipe for forming bumps on the substrate W. As can be seen from FIG. 9, the substrate W is processed through pre-cleaning, pre-processing, plating, rinsing, blowing, and drying.

  FIG. 10 is a table showing a plurality of substrates W divided into a plurality of substrate groups. Substrate numbers 1 to 25 indicate the substrates W accommodated in the substrate cassette. A plurality (25 in this embodiment) of substrates W are stored in the substrate cassette.

  In this embodiment, since 25 substrates W are stored in the substrate cassette, the substrate numbers 1 to 25 are assigned to the 25 substrates W. The operator counts the number of substrates W in the substrate cassette. The operator inputs the number of substrates W to the control device 3 through the input unit 66, and the control device 3 transmits the input number of substrates W to the transport order determination unit 65. The counting of the number of substrates W in the substrate cassette may be automatically performed by a substrate detector (not shown) such as an optical sensor connected to the control device 3. The substrate detector is provided adjacent to the substrate cassette, and the substrate detector irradiates the substrate W with light and counts the number of substrates W. The number of substrates W is sent from the substrate detector to the control device 3, and is sent from the control device 3 to the transport order determining unit 65.

  The operator uses the input unit 66 to divide the plurality of substrates W into a plurality of substrate groups according to the processing purpose of the substrate W (features of the substrate W). In the example illustrated in FIG. 10, the substrates W having the substrate numbers 1 to 25 are divided into a substrate group 1 including the substrate numbers 1 to 12 and a substrate group 2 including the substrate numbers 13 to 25. The substrate group 1 is assigned recipe number 1 and holder group number 1. This is because the process of forming the TSV using the total recipe specified by the recipe number 1 is applied to the substrates W of the substrate numbers 1 to 12 and the substrate holder 6 of the holder group number 1 is the substrate numbers 1 to 12 It is used for the processing of the substrate W. The substrate group 2 is assigned recipe number 2 and holder group number 3. This is because the process of forming bumps using the total recipe specified by the recipe number 2 is applied to the substrates W of the substrate numbers 13 to 25, and the substrate holder 6 of the holder group number 3 is the substrate numbers 13 to 25. It is used for the processing of the substrate W.

  The transfer order determination unit 65 receives from the control device 3 the data input on the holder group assignment screen, the data input on the total recipe setting screen, the number of substrates W in the substrate cassette, and the operation status data of the processing tank. Then, the transfer order with the shortest total transfer time from the start of processing of the first substrate to the end of processing of the final substrate is determined. Hereinafter, a method for determining the transport order will be described.

  The transport order determination unit 65 assigns each of the plurality of substrate groups to any one of the plurality of holder groups. As shown in FIG. 8, the ten substrate holders 6 are divided into a holder group 1 and a holder group 3. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 10, the 25 substrates W are divided into a substrate group 1 and a substrate group 2. The transport order determination unit 65 assigns the substrate group 1 to the holder group 1 and assigns the substrate group 2 to the holder group 3.

  Next, the transport order determination unit 65 selects the substrate holder 6 for holding the substrate W belonging to each substrate group from the holder groups assigned to the substrate group. The transport order determination unit 65 repeats the selection of the substrate holder 6 until the substrate holder 6 is assigned to all of the plurality of substrates W.

  FIG. 11 is a table showing an example of the substrate holder 6 assigned to a plurality of substrates. As shown in FIG. 11, the substrates W having the substrate numbers 1 to 12 are assigned to the holder group 1 including the substrate holders 6 having the holder numbers 1 to 5. Accordingly, the substrate holder for holding the substrates W having the substrate numbers 1 to 12 is selected from the corresponding holder group 1.

  In the example shown in FIG. 11, the substrate holders 6 having the holder numbers 1 to 5 are respectively assigned to the substrates W having the substrate numbers 1 to 5, and the substrate holders 6 having the holder numbers 1 to 5 are assigned to the substrate W having the substrate numbers 6 to 10. The substrate holders 6 having the holder numbers 1 to 2 are respectively assigned to the substrates W having the substrate numbers 11 to 12. In this way, any of the substrate holders 6 having the holder numbers 1 to 5 is assigned to each of the substrates W having the substrate numbers 1 to 12.

  Similarly, the substrate holder for holding the substrates W having the substrate numbers 13 to 25 is selected from the corresponding holder group 3. In the example shown in FIG. 11, the substrate holders 6 having the holder numbers 6 to 10 are assigned to the substrates W having the substrate numbers 13 to 17, respectively, and the substrate holders 6 having the holder numbers 6 to 10 are assigned to the substrates W having the substrate numbers 18 to 22. Are assigned, and the substrate holders 6 with the holder numbers 6 to 8 are assigned to the substrates W with the substrate numbers 23 to 25, respectively. In this way, any of the substrate holders 6 with the holder numbers 6 to 10 is assigned to each of the substrates W with the substrate numbers 13 to 25.

  The transfer order determining device 65 is configured to determine a transfer order having the shortest total transfer time from the start of the processing of the first substrate to the end of the processing of the last substrate among the plurality of substrates W in the substrate cassette. Has been. The transfer order determining device 65 generates a transfer order that can be a plurality of combinations of a plurality of substrates W and a plurality of substrate holders 6, repeatedly executes a simulation for transferring a plurality of combinations while changing the transfer order, The total transport time is calculated for each order. The transport order determining device 65 determines the transport order with the shortest total transport time.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a transport simulation executed according to an example of the transport order (transport order 1). In FIG. 12, as shown in Step 1 to Step 5, the substrates W are transported in the order of the substrate numbers 1 to 25. As shown in FIG. 12, the substrate holder 6 having holder numbers 1 to 10 is accommodated in the holder storage tank 13. In step 1, the substrate W having the substrate numbers 1 to 5 and the substrate holder 6 having the holder numbers 1 to 5 are sequentially transferred. In step 2, the substrate W having the substrate numbers 6 to 10 and the substrate holder 6 having the holder numbers 1 to 5 are transferred. Are conveyed in order. While the substrate W having the substrate numbers 1 to 10 and the substrate holder 6 having the holder numbers 1 to 5 are transported, the substrate holder 6 having the holder numbers 6 to 10 is not used.

  In step 3, the substrate W of the substrate numbers 11 to 17 and the substrate holder 6 of the holder numbers 1 to 2, 6 to 10 are transported in order. In Step 3, a plurality of substrates W having different processing purposes, that is, different types are sequentially transferred to a plurality of processing tanks. Subsequently, in Step 4, the substrate W having the substrate numbers 18 to 22 and the substrate holder 6 having the holder numbers 6 to 10 are transported in order. In step 5, the substrate W having the substrate numbers 23 to 25 and the substrate holder 6 having the holder numbers 6 to 8 are sequentially conveyed. The transfer order determining device 65 executes the transfer simulation from step 1 to step 5, and the first substrate (substrate W with substrate number 1) starts processing, and then the final substrate (substrate W with substrate number 25) processes. The total transport time until ending is calculated.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a transport simulation executed according to another example of the transport order (transport order 2). In step 1, the substrate W having the substrate numbers 1 to 5 and 13 to 17 and the substrate holder 6 having the holder numbers 1 to 10 are sequentially conveyed. In step 2, the substrates W having substrate numbers 6 to 10 and 18 to 22 and the substrate holder 6 having holder numbers 1 to 10 are transported in order. In step 3, the substrate W of substrate numbers 11 to 12, 23 to 25 and the substrate holder 6 of holder numbers 1 to 2 and 6 to 8 are transported. The transport order determining device 65 executes the transport simulation from step 1 to step 3, and the first substrate (substrate W with substrate number 1) starts processing, and then the final substrate (substrate W with substrate number 25) processes. The total transport time until ending is calculated.

  In FIG. 12, all the substrates W are transferred through five steps, whereas in FIG. 13, all the substrates W are transferred through three steps. The transfer order determination device 65 compares the total transfer time in the transfer order 1 with the total transfer time in the transfer order 2 and determines the transfer order with the shortest total transfer time of the substrate W and the substrate holder 6. To do. Since the total conveyance time in the case of the conveyance order 2 is shorter than the total conveyance time in the case of the conveyance order 1, the conveyance order determination device 65 determines the conveyance order 2 with the shortest total conveyance time.

  The transport order determination device 65 creates all possible transport orders. However, a plurality of substrates belonging to the same holder group are transported in the ascending order of the substrate numbers. Transport orders that violate this rule are excluded. The transport order determining device 65 executes a transport simulation according to all the created transport orders, calculates each total transport time, determines a transport order that minimizes the total transport time, and a signal that represents the determined transport order Is transmitted to the control device 3.

  The control device 3 instructs the transporter 20 to transport the substrate W and the substrate holder 6 in accordance with the determined transport order. The transporter 20 transports the substrate W and the substrate holder 6 according to the determined transport order, and the substrate W is processed in the processing tank described above.

  All the substrate holders 6 are used efficiently in the optimum transfer order. In particular, as shown in FIG. 13, in all of Steps 1, 2, and 3, different types of substrates are sequentially transferred to a plurality of processing tanks and processed simultaneously in these processing tanks. Therefore, the throughput of substrate processing can be improved.

  The transport order determination unit 65 executes the total recipe specified by the recipe number 1 using the substrate holder 6 belonging to the holder group 1, and when all the substrate holders 6 belonging to the holder group 1 disappear from the holder storage tank 13, That is, when all the substrate holders 6 belonging to the holder group 1 are used, the total recipe specified by the recipe number 2 may be executed using the substrate holders 6 belonging to the holder group 3. By such a transfer order, the total recipe using the substrate holder 6 belonging to the holder group 3 can be executed without waiting for the completion of all the processes of the total recipe using the holder group 1, thereby enabling efficient processing. Become.

  Execution instruction 1 for executing the total recipe specified by recipe number 1 using substrate holder 6 belonging to holder group 1 and execution of the total recipe specified by recipe number 2 using substrate holder 6 belonging to holder group 3 The execution instruction 2 to be executed may be registered in the control device 3. When the operator presses an execution button provided in the input unit 66 of the control device 3, the transfer order determination device 65 can be selected from among the substrates W assigned to the substrate holder 6 registered in the execution instructions 1 and 2. Create a transport sequence with Then, the transfer order determination unit 65 executes a transfer simulation according to all the generated transfer orders, calculates the total transfer time, and determines the transfer order that minimizes the total transfer time.

  When the substrate processing based on the execution command 2 is performed after the substrate processing based on the execution command 1 is performed (when the operator presses the execution button), the transfer order determination unit 65 sets the remaining unprocessed items. A possible transfer sequence is created from the substrate W. And the conveyance order determination part 65 performs a conveyance simulation, and determines the conveyance order which makes the total conveyance time the shortest. Such a method for determining the transport order is called interrupt processing.

  Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described so far, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and it is needless to say that the present invention may be implemented in various different forms within the scope of the technical idea. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the transfer order that minimizes the total transfer time is determined for a set of substrates accommodated in one substrate cassette. However, the set of substrates accommodated in a plurality of substrate cassettes is determined. Alternatively, the transport order that minimizes the total transport time may be determined.

2 Load port 3 Controller 4 Aligner 5 Spin / Rinse / Dryer (SRD)
6 Substrate holder 7 Table 8 Substrate transport robot 9 Travel mechanism 11 Substrate holder opening / closing mechanism 12 Substrate holder raising / lowering mechanism 13 Holder storage tank 13a Slot 14 Pre-cleaning tank 15 Plating tank 16 Blow tank 17 Pretreatment tank 18 Rinse tank 20 Transporter 21 Fixed base 22 Lifter 23 Arm 24 Gripper 25 Overflow tank 26 Paddle motor unit 27 Exhaust duct 40 First holding member 41 Hinge 42 Second holding member 43 Base 44 Seal holder 45 Press ring 46 Substrate side seal member 47 Holder side seal member 52 Projection Strip 53 Support surface 54 Recess 55 Internal contact 56 Conductive member 57 Contact member 59 Holder hanger 60 External contact 65 Conveyance order determination device 66 Input section

Claims (5)

Dividing the plurality of substrate holders into a first group and a second group;
Assign each of the plurality of substrate holders to either the first recipe or the second recipe that defines the processing conditions for the substrate,
Total transport for all transport sequences that may transport the substrate and the substrate holder to perform a first process according to the first recipe and a second process according to the second recipe Calculate the time,
Determine a transport sequence that minimizes the total transport time;
While transferring the plurality of substrates in accordance with the determined transfer order, the first process is performed on one or more substrates using a substrate holder belonging to the first group, and the second group A substrate processing method, wherein the second processing is performed on one or a plurality of substrates using a substrate holder belonging to the above. A plurality of processing tanks for processing a substrate;
A plurality of substrate holders each holding a plurality of substrates;
A substrate processing method using a transfer device for transferring the plurality of substrate holders to the plurality of processing tanks,
Dividing the plurality of substrate holders into a plurality of holder groups;
Dividing the plurality of substrates into a plurality of substrate groups according to processing purposes;
Assigning each of the plurality of substrate groups to any one of the plurality of holder groups;
Select a substrate holder for holding a substrate belonging to each substrate group from the holder group assigned to that substrate group,
Until the substrate holder is assigned to all of the plurality of substrates, the selection of the substrate holder is repeated, and a simulation of transporting the plurality of substrates and the plurality of substrate holders is performed, and the leading substrate starts processing. To calculate the total transport time from the last substrate to the end of processing,
While changing the transfer order of the plurality of substrates and the plurality of substrate holders, repeating the simulation and the calculation of the total transfer time,
Determining the transport sequence with the shortest total transport time;
A substrate processing method comprising transferring the plurality of substrates and the plurality of substrate holders according to the determined transfer order.   3. The substrate processing method according to claim 2, wherein the plurality of substrates are divided into a plurality of substrate groups according to a thickness of the substrate, a radius of the substrate, or a shape of a notch formed in the substrate.   The substrate processing method according to claim 2, wherein a plurality of substrates having different processing purposes are simultaneously processed in the plurality of processing tanks. A board number is given to the plurality of boards,
The substrate processing method according to claim 2, wherein the transfer order includes an order in which a plurality of substrates belonging to the same holder group are transferred in ascending order of substrate numbers.

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