JP2016058600A - Controller of substrate processing device and substrate processing control program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To perform operation control for a substrate processing apparatus performing the processing, when the processing for a plurality of substrates is performed sequentially in a semiconductor production process.SOLUTION: A controller for a substrate processing apparatus includes: recipe storage means for storing a plurality of recipes defining the processing content for each of a plurality of substrates, and storing each recipe while containing order information at a predetermined part of the recipe name of each recipe; recipe reading means for reading each recipe stored in the recipe storage means, in order, therefrom while determining the reading order on the basis of the order information contained in the recipe name; and operation instruction means for giving an operation instruction to the substrate processing apparatus so as to perform processing of a processing content defined by a recipe read by the recipe reading means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus control apparatus and a substrate processing control program used in, for example, a semiconductor manufacturing process.

  A semiconductor device such as a semiconductor light emitting element is configured by laminating a plurality of thin films on a substrate. Such a semiconductor device is manufactured using a substrate processing apparatus that forms a thin film on a substrate. In a semiconductor manufacturing process using a substrate processing apparatus, it is possible to mass-produce semiconductor devices by sequentially performing processing on a plurality of substrates, such as processing on another substrate after one processing on the substrate is completed. (For example, refer to Patent Document 1).

JP 2011-14799 A

When processing a plurality of substrates sequentially, it is necessary to preliminarily define the processing contents to be performed on each substrate and the execution order thereof, and operate the substrate processing apparatus in accordance with the predetermined contents.
The processing content performed on each substrate is generally defined by a recipe set for each substrate or each processing step performed on the substrate. A recipe refers to a collection of commands, data, and the like that specify processing methods and parameters (processing conditions such as temperature and pressure) of processing performed by the substrate processing apparatus.
As for the execution order of processing for each substrate, for example, an execution order list that summarizes the correspondence between each set recipe and its execution order is created, and the execution order of each recipe is defined by the execution order list. It is possible.

However, in the operation control method of the substrate processing apparatus described above, all recipes and execution order lists necessary for the processing must be completed at the stage before the processing to be performed on each substrate is started. However, the following problems may occur.
For example, in an actual semiconductor manufacturing process, tens of thousands of processes are continuously performed over a period of about one month in various processing conditions in a substrate processing apparatus in order to cope with manufacturing of various semiconductor devices manufactured in a small lot. It can happen. However, considering the possibility of production plan changes during the period, it is not always realistic to complete tens of thousands of recipes and their execution order lists before the period.
Further, in an actual semiconductor manufacturing process, a production plan can be changed, so that it is desirable that a recipe can be changed, added, or deleted flexibly. However, when the execution order of each recipe is defined by an execution order list that should be completed in advance, it is not always easy to flexibly meet such a request.
Furthermore, when the execution order of each recipe is defined by the execution order list, an execution order list is required separately from each recipe, which can be a factor in increasing the capacity of a storage area for storing and holding these recipes. Also, when each recipe is read from the storage area and used, the execution order list must be accessed to check the execution order, which complicates access processing to the storage area.

  Therefore, the present invention provides a substrate processing apparatus that can flexibly and easily perform operation control on a substrate processing apparatus that executes a plurality of substrates sequentially in a semiconductor manufacturing process. It is an object to provide a control device and a substrate processing control program.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is configured as follows.
According to one aspect of the invention,
A control device that controls a substrate processing apparatus that sequentially and sequentially processes a plurality of substrates,
A plurality of recipes that define processing contents for each of the plurality of substrates are stored, and a plurality of recipe information for identifying the plurality of recipes is included in the predetermined part of the recipe name to include order information regarding the execution order of the recipes. Recipe storage means for storing recipes;
Recipe reading means for sequentially reading the plurality of recipes stored by the recipe storage means from the recipe storage means while judging the reading order based on the order information included in the recipe name;
Provided by a control device for a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: operation instruction means for giving an operation instruction to the substrate processing apparatus so that the substrate processing apparatus performs processing of processing contents defined by a recipe read by the recipe reading means Is done.

According to another aspect of the invention,
A computer mounted on a substrate processing apparatus for sequentially and sequentially processing a plurality of substrates, or a computer used in connection with the substrate processing apparatus;
A plurality of recipes that define processing contents for each of the plurality of substrates are stored, and a plurality of recipe information for identifying the plurality of recipes is included in the predetermined part of the recipe name to include order information regarding the execution order of the recipes. Recipe storage means for storing recipes;
Recipe reading means for sequentially reading out the plurality of recipes stored in the recipe storage means from the recipe storage means while judging the reading order based on the order information included in the recipe name; and
Provided is a substrate processing control program that functions as an operation instruction unit that gives an operation instruction to the substrate processing apparatus so that the substrate processing apparatus performs processing of processing contents defined by the recipe read by the recipe reading unit. .

  According to the present invention, even when processing a plurality of substrates is sequentially performed in the semiconductor manufacturing process, operation control for the substrate processing apparatus that performs the processing can be performed flexibly and easily.

It is a block diagram which shows an example of the whole structure of the substrate processing system used by one Embodiment of this invention. It is the longitudinal cross-sectional schematic which shows the structural example of the substrate processing apparatus used by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the basic processing operation example in the substrate processing apparatus used by one Embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows typically the concept about the recipe which the control apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention memorize | stores, and its recipe name. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the processing operation example in the said control apparatus at the time of the control apparatus in one Embodiment of this invention controlling operation | movement of a substrate processing apparatus.

  Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus control apparatus and a substrate processing control program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

  In the present embodiment, a case where a film forming process for forming a gallium nitride (GaN) film on a substrate is performed using a substrate processing apparatus in a semiconductor manufacturing process for manufacturing a semiconductor light emitting element as a semiconductor device will be described as an example.

(1) Overall Configuration of Substrate Processing System First, the overall configuration of the substrate processing system used in the present embodiment will be briefly described.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the overall configuration of a substrate processing system used in this embodiment.
The substrate processing system used in this embodiment includes a substrate processing apparatus 1 that forms a GaN film on a substrate, a control apparatus 2 that controls the substrate processing apparatus 1, and a wired connection that connects these to each other. Alternatively, a wireless communication line 3 is provided. In such a substrate processing system, the control device 2 corresponds to a “control device for a substrate processing apparatus” according to the present invention and executes a “substrate processing control program” according to the present invention.

(2) Configuration of Substrate Processing Apparatus Next, the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 1 in the substrate processing system of this embodiment will be described.
FIG. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing a configuration example of the substrate processing apparatus 1 used in the present embodiment.

(First container)
The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a first container 10 that is a cylindrical airtight container formed of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO ₂ ) or silicon carbide (SiC). The first container 10 has a substrate carry-in port 10a and a substrate carry-out port 10b on both side walls at the end of the cylinder, and gate valves 11a and 11b that can be opened and closed are provided at the substrate carry-in port 10a and the substrate carry-out port 10b. Yes. When the gate valves 11a and 11b are open, the inside of the first container 10 communicates with the outside through the substrate carry-in port 10a and the substrate carry-out port 10b. However, when the gate valves 11a and 11b are closed, the first container 10 The inside is sealed.

(Substrate transport path)
A substrate transport path 12 is provided between the substrate carry-in port 10 a and the substrate carry-out port 10 b in the first container 10. The substrate transport path 12 is used as a transport path when transporting the substrate W to be processed from the substrate carry-in port 10a toward the substrate carry-out port 10b.

  As the substrate W to be processed, for example, a flat sapphire substrate (sapphire wafer) is used. However, a thin film different from the thin film to be formed may already be formed on the surface of the substrate W. A semiconductor device such as a semiconductor light emitting element is configured by performing a film forming process as described later on such a substrate W.

  Such a substrate W is transported on the substrate transport path 12 while being placed on the substrate platform member 13. The substrate mounting member 13 constitutes a part of a second container 14 to be described later, and the substrate W is mounted in a state where the surface to be processed of the substrate W is exposed. Such a substrate mounting member 13 may be configured so that, for example, one substrate W is mounted on one substrate mounting member 13, but a plurality of substrates W are mounted. It may be configured. In this case, it is preferable that the substrate mounting member 13 is configured such that a plurality of substrates W are placed side by side on the same surface. Here, “on the same plane” is not limited to the completely same plane, and it is only necessary that the plurality of substrates W are arranged so as not to overlap each other when the substrate mounting member 13 is viewed from above. .

  The substrate transport path 12 is configured such that a plurality of such substrate mounting members 13 can exist. On the substrate transport path 12, a plurality of substrate placement members 13 are moved in one direction (direction from the substrate carry-in port 10a to the substrate carry-out port 10b) as necessary. In addition, the mechanism (not shown) required for the movement may be configured using a known technique. Specifically, for example, a push / pull mechanism that pushes the substrate placement member 13 into the first container 10 from the outside, pulls out the substrate placement member 13 from the inside of the first container 10 to the outside, and the like. It is conceivable to use, use a walking beam mechanism using a movable beam, use a feed screw mechanism, or use a belt conveyor mechanism.

(Second container)
A second container 14 is provided above the substrate transport path 12 in the first container 10. The 2nd container 14 is for performing the film-forming process which forms a GaN film | membrane on the board | substrate W used as a process target. More specifically, the second container 14 accommodates the substrate W to be subjected to the film formation process, and in that state, heating and gas supply necessary for the film formation process are performed as described later. . For this purpose, the second container 14 is made of, for example, quartz, carbon, silicon carbide, or the like, which is a heat resistant material.

  The second container 14 includes an upper container 14a having an opening at the lower end and a lower container 14b formed so as to be able to close the opening in order to accommodate the substrate W to be processed. ing. The lower container 14b also functions as a substrate mounting member 13 that moves on the substrate transport path 12. That is, in the second container 14, the opening provided in the upper container 14 a is configured to be closed by the substrate placement member 13 on which the substrate W is placed.

  An elevating mechanism 15 is provided below the second container 14. The elevating mechanism 15 raises the substrate mounting member 13 on the substrate transport path 12 and lowers the raised substrate mounting member 13 onto the substrate transport path 12. More specifically, the elevating mechanism 15 supports the substrate platform member 13 from below, raises the substrate platform member 13, closes the opening of the upper container 14 a, and lowers the substrate platform member 13. The upper container 14a is configured to open an opening. The specific configuration of the elevating mechanism 15 may be any as long as it uses a known technique, and a detailed description thereof is omitted here. The elevating mechanism 15 does not necessarily have to elevate or lower the substrate mounting member 13. For example, the elevating mechanism 15 elevates and lowers the second container 14 as long as the opening of the upper container 14 a can be closed or opened. It may be configured as described above.

(heater)
The substrate W accommodated in the second container 14 is heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, 800 ° C. to 1100 ° C.) by a heater 16 provided on the outer peripheral side of the first container 10. For this purpose, the heater 16 is configured by, for example, an electric heater that generates heat by power feeding, and is disposed so as to surround the outer peripheral wall surface of the first container 10.

  The heater 16 may be any one that can heat at least the substrate W accommodated in the second container 14, but not only the substrate W in the second container 14 but also the second container 14 from the substrate carry-in port 10 a. It is preferable that the substrate W mounted on the substrate mounting member 13 existing on the substrate transport path 12 up to the above can be preliminarily heated. In other words, the substrate transport path 12 between the substrate carry-in entrance 10 a and the second container 14 is formed immediately after the unprocessed substrate W is accommodated in the second container 14 by the heating of the heater 16. It is preferable that the length of the substrate W be set to such a length that the temperature of the substrate W can be increased to a temperature at which the substrate W can be started (near a predetermined processing temperature). On the other hand, with respect to the substrate transport path 12 between the second container 14 and the substrate carry-out port 10b, a predetermined amount of time is required until the processed substrate W taken out from the second container 14 reaches the substrate carry-out port 10b. It is good to be comprised by the length which can be temperature-fallen to temperature (for example, temperature which can be carried out from the inside of the 1st container 10).

  The length of the substrate transport path 12 for realizing the above-described preliminary heating and temperature lowering of the substrate W includes the transport speed of the substrate W on the substrate transport path 12, the temperature rising speed or the temperature decreasing speed of the substrate W, and the temperature increasing speed. What is necessary is just to determine based on the temperature change amount at the time of temperature or temperature fall. The conveyance speed of the substrate W is determined mainly depending on the processing time of the film forming process performed in the second container 14. The temperature increase rate or the temperature decrease rate is determined mainly by the arrangement position of the heater 16, the heating capacity of the heater 16, the heat transfer rate of the first container 10, and the like. The amount of temperature change at the time of temperature increase or decrease is determined by the difference between the processing temperature of the film forming process performed in the second container 14 and the temperature of the substrate W carried in and out of the first container 10. Is done.

(Gas supply system)
The second container 14 is provided with a gas supply nozzle 17a for supplying various gases necessary for the film forming process in the second container 14. The upstream ends of the gas supply nozzles 17a are connected to the downstream ends of the group III source gas supply pipe 17b, the group V source gas supply pipe 17d, and the cleaning gas supply pipe 17e, respectively. The group III source gas supply pipe 17b, the group V source gas supply pipe 17d, and the cleaning gas supply pipe 17e are all made of, for example, quartz and are arranged so as to penetrate the side wall of the first container 10. Yes.

The upstream side of the group III source gas supply pipe 17b is connected to a reaction gas supply source (not shown) through a valve as an on-off valve (not shown). Then, for example, hydrogen chloride (HCl) gas is supplied as a reaction gas from the reaction gas supply source.
The group III source gas supply pipe 17b is provided with a Ga tank 17c interposed in the middle thereof. The Ga tank 17c is formed of, for example, quartz and is disposed in the first container 10, and is configured to store a gallium (Ga) melt that is a metal raw material. By supplying HCl gas into the Ga tank 17c, the Ga melt and HCl gas react in the Ga tank 17c to generate gallium chloride (GaCl) gas, which is a group III source gas. Then, the GaCl gas generated in the Ga tank 17c is supplied into the second container 14 from the group III source gas supply pipe 17b through the gas supply nozzle 17a.
The group III source gas supply pipe 17b can supply, for example, hydrogen (H ₂ ) gas, nitrogen (N ₂ ) gas, or a mixed gas thereof as a carrier gas in parallel with the group III source gas supply. It may be configured as follows.

The upstream side of the group V source gas supply pipe 17d is connected to a group V source gas supply source (not shown) through a valve as an on-off valve (not shown). For example, ammonia (NH ₃ ) gas is supplied from the group V source gas supply source as the group V source gas. As a result, NH ₃ gas is supplied from the group V source gas supply pipe 17d into the second container 14 through the gas supply nozzle 17a. The group V source gas supply pipe 17d is configured to supply, for example, H ₂ gas, N ₂ gas, or a mixed gas thereof as a carrier gas in parallel with the supply of the group V source gas. Also good.

The upstream side of the cleaning gas supply pipe 17e is connected to a cleaning gas supply source (not shown) through a valve as an on-off valve (not shown). A cleaning gas supply source supplies a gas capable of etching a GaN film, such as hydrochloric acid (HCl) gas or chlorine (Cl ₂ ) gas, as a cleaning gas. As a result, a cleaning gas such as HCl gas or Cl ₂ gas is supplied from the cleaning gas supply pipe 17e into the second container 14 through the gas supply nozzle 17a as necessary.

Further, the first container 10 is provided with a purge gas supply pipe 17f so as to penetrate the side wall thereof. The upstream side of the purge gas supply pipe 17f is connected to a purge gas supply source (not shown) through a valve as an on-off valve (not shown). A purge gas is supplied from a purge gas supply source. As a result, the purge gas is supplied from the purge gas supply pipe 17 f to the substrate transfer path 12 in the first container 10. As the purge gas, it is preferable to supply a gas (NH ₃ gas or the like) for protecting the wafer surface before and after the growth, together with an inert gas such as N ₂ gas.

(Gas exhaust system)
The upstream end of an exhaust pipe 18 for exhausting the interior of the second container 14 is mainly connected to the second container 14. The exhaust pipe 18 is provided so as to penetrate the side wall of the first container 10. The exhaust pipe 18 is connected to an APC (Auto Pressure Controller) valve as a pressure adjusting device (not shown) and a vacuum pump as a vacuum exhaust device (not shown). By connecting the exhaust pipe 18 as described above, the inside of the second container 14 and the inside of the first container 10 can be adjusted to a predetermined pressure (for example, a pressure lower than the atmosphere such as a vacuum state).

  The exhaust pipe 18 is provided with a purge gas discharge port 18a. Thereby, the purge gas supplied from the purge gas supply pipe 17f is discharged out of the first container 10 through the purge gas discharge port 18a through the exhaust pipe 18.

(Control part)
In the substrate processing apparatus 1 configured as described above, the operation of each unit is controlled by the control unit 19 included in the substrate processing apparatus 1. The control unit 19 is composed of, for example, a PLC (Programmable Logic Controller) called a sequencer, and operates each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the contents of the operation instruction given from the control device 2 through the communication line 3. More specifically, the control unit 19 opens and closes the gate valves 11 a and 11 b, moves the substrate mounting member 13 on the substrate transfer path 12, and places the substrate on the lifting mechanism 15 while following the operation instructions from the control device 2. Sequence control is performed for the raising / lowering operation of the member 13, the power supply operation to the heater 16, the opening / closing operation of each valve in the gas supply system, the operation of the vacuum pump and the valve in the gas exhaust system, and the like.

(3) Processing Operation Example in Substrate Processing Apparatus Next, a basic processing operation example in the substrate processing apparatus 1 configured as described above will be described. In the following description, the operation of each unit constituting the substrate processing apparatus 1 is managed and operated by the control unit 19 that has received an operation instruction from the control device 2.
FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a procedure of a basic processing operation example in the substrate processing apparatus 1 used in the present embodiment.

(Temperature / pressure adjustment process: S101)
In performing the film forming process on the substrate W, the substrate processing apparatus 1 first performs a temperature / pressure adjusting step (step 101, hereinafter, step is abbreviated as “S”).
In the temperature / pressure adjustment step (S101), at least the inside of the second container 14 is heated by supplying power to the heater 16 so that the surface of the substrate W can be heated to a predetermined temperature (for example, 800 ° C. to 1100 ° C.). To do. The heating temperature is adjusted by controlling the power supplied to the heater 16. It is assumed that the heating by the heater 16 is continued until the heating unit temperature lowering / atmospheric pressure return step (S109) described later.
Further, in the temperature / pressure adjustment step (S101), the inside of the first container 10 is evacuated through the exhaust pipe 18 so that the inside of the first container 10 becomes a predetermined pressure (for example, a pressure lower than the atmosphere such as a vacuum state). Exhaust. Specifically, the vacuum pump connected to the exhaust pipe 18 is operated with the opening formed at the lower end of the upper container 14a constituting the second container 14 open, whereby the second container 14 The inside of the first container 10 is evacuated through the opening in the upper container 14a.

(Substrate transport process: S102)
When the inside of the first container 10 reaches a predetermined pressure in the temperature / pressure adjustment step (S101) and the heating temperature of the heater 16 reaches a predetermined temperature, the substrate processing apparatus 1 subsequently performs the substrate transfer step (S102). Do.
In the substrate transfer step (S102), the substrate W is carried into the first container 10, the substrate W arranged on the substrate transfer path 12 in the first container 10 is moved downstream, The unloading of the substrates W from one container 10 is performed simultaneously in parallel. Specifically, the substrate placement member 13 on which the substrate W is placed is loaded into the first container 10 through the substrate carry-in port 10a with the gate valve 11a open. Accordingly, on the substrate transport path 12, a plurality of substrate placement members 13 arranged in a row with the substrate W placed thereon are a predetermined amount toward the downstream side (that is, the substrate carry-out port 10b side). Just move. The predetermined amount at this time is, for example, an amount corresponding to the size in the moving direction of one substrate mounting member 13. Furthermore, the substrate mounting member 13 located on the most downstream side on the substrate transfer path 12 is carried out of the first container 10 through the substrate carry-out port 10b with the gate valve 11b open. In addition, after carrying in and carrying out the substrate W, the gate valves 11a and 11b are closed and the inside of the first container 10 is sealed until the next carrying in and carrying out.

  At this time, since the inside of the first container 10 is heated by the heater 16, the first container 10 is placed on the substrate placement member 13 on the substrate transport path 12 from the substrate carry-in entrance 10 a to the second container 14. The unprocessed substrate W is preliminarily heated and heated to a temperature at which the film formation process can be started immediately after being accommodated in the second container 14. On the other hand, the processed substrate W placed on the substrate placing member 13 on the substrate carrying path 12 from the second container 14 to the substrate carry-out port 10b is gradually separated from the heater 16, so that the substrate carrying path 12 is removed. The heat is dissipated above, and the temperature is lowered to a temperature at which the first container 10 can be unloaded before reaching the substrate unloading port 10b.

In the substrate transfer step (S102), with the opening in the upper container 14a of the second container 14 opened, a hydrogen-containing gas (for example, NH ₃ gas) as a protective gas is further supplied from the group V source gas supply pipe 17d. It may be performed in the supplied state. By making the NH ₃ gas atmosphere, thermal decomposition of the semiconductor layer formed on the substrate W is prevented.

(Substrate carrying-in process into the second container: S103)
When the substrate placing member 13 on which the substrate W to be processed is placed reaches the position facing the second container 14 on the substrate carrying path 12 in the substrate carrying step (S102), then the substrate processing apparatus 1 Performs the substrate carrying-in step (S103) into the second container.
In the substrate carry-in step (S103), the substrate placement member 13 located at the position facing the second container 14 is raised to a predetermined position by the elevating mechanism 15 to open the upper container 14a constituting the second container 14. Occlude. As a result, the unprocessed substrate W placed on the substrate placement member 13 is carried into the second container 14 and accommodated in the second container 14.

(Film formation process: S104)
After the substrate W to be processed is accommodated in the second container 14 in the substrate carrying-in process (S103), the substrate processing apparatus 1 then performs a film forming process (S104) on the substrate W.
In the film forming step (S104), after the substrate W accommodated in the second container 14 reaches a predetermined temperature, the gas supply nozzle 17a is supplied from the group III source gas supply pipe 17b while exhausting from the exhaust pipe 18. Then, supply of the group III source gas into the second container 14 is started. Specifically, first, HCl gas is supplied into the Ga tank 17c through the group III source gas supply pipe 17b, and N ₂ gas, H ₂ gas, or a mixed gas thereof is used as a carrier gas. To produce GaCl gas. Then, the GaCl gas generated in the Ga tank 17c is supplied into the second container 14 through the gas supply nozzle 17a. At this time, in parallel with the supply of the GaCl gas into the second container 14, NH ₃ gas as the group V source gas is also supplied from the group V source gas supply pipe 17d through the gas supply nozzle 17a to the second group gas. N ₂ gas, H ₂ gas, or a mixed gas thereof is supplied into the container 14 as a carrier gas. As a result, a GaCl gas that is a group III source gas and an NH ₃ gas that is a group V source gas are reacted in the second container 14 to form a GaN film on the substrate W by crystal growth. Thereafter, when a predetermined processing time elapses and the thickness of the GaN film reaches a predetermined thickness, the supply of GaCl gas into the second container 14 is stopped. That is, the supply of HCl gas into the Ga tank 17c is stopped, and the supply is switched to supply of only N ₂ gas, H ₂ gas, or a mixed gas thereof (hereinafter simply referred to as “carrier gas”). Note that the supply of NH ₃ gas from the group V source gas supply pipe 17d is continued from the viewpoint of suppressing thermal decomposition of the GaN film formed on the substrate W.
As described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 uses the Group III source gas, which is a metal chloride gas containing a Group III element chloride, and the Group V source gas, which contains a Group V element hydride, in the film forming step (S104). Are supplied to the substrate W in the second container 14 and a group III-V semiconductor crystal is grown on the substrate W. That is, a film forming process is performed on the substrate W by a hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE) method.

(Purge process: S105)
When the film forming process (S104) is completed, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs a purge process (S105).
In the purge step (S105), NH ₃ gas and carrier gas are supplied from the group V source gas supply pipe 17d, and only carrier gas is supplied from the group III source gas supply pipe 17b and the cleaning gas supply pipe 17e. GaCl gas, which is a group source gas, is discharged from the second container 14. At this time, it is possible to promote the discharge of GaCl gas from the second container 14 by continuing the exhaust from the exhaust pipe 18 while continuing the supply of NH ₃ gas or the like into the second container 14. it can. Thereby, it can suppress that the reaction product adheres to movable parts, such as the raising / lowering mechanism 15, for example, and the malfunctioning of the said movable part arises.

(Substrate unloading step from the second container: S106)
When the purge process (S105) is completed, the substrate processing apparatus 1 then performs a substrate carry-out process (S106) from the second container.
In the substrate unloading step (S106), the substrate mounting member 13 that closes the opening of the upper container 14a constituting the second container 14 is lowered to a predetermined position by the elevating mechanism 15 to open the opening of the upper container 14a. Open. As a result, the processed substrate W placed on the substrate placement member 13 that has been functioning as the lower container 14b of the second container 14 is carried out into the second container 14 and again the substrate transport path. 12 is located at a position facing the second container 14 on 12.

(Judgment process: S107)
After the processed substrate W is carried out of the second container 14 in the substrate carry-out step (S106), the substrate processing apparatus 1 then determines whether or not there is an unprocessed substrate W to be processed next ( S107). This determination may be performed in accordance with an instruction from the control device 2 as will be described later.

  As a result of this determination, if there is an unprocessed substrate W to be processed next, the substrate processing apparatus 1 repeatedly performs the above-described series of steps (S102 to S106) on the substrate W.

(Substrate unloading step: S108)
If there is no unprocessed substrate W to be processed next, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs a substrate unloading step (S108).
In the substrate unloading step (S108), as in the case of the substrate transporting step (S102), the substrate W arranged on the substrate transport path 12 from the second container 14 to the substrate unloading port 10b is transported downstream. And carrying out the substrate W from the first container 10 simultaneously in parallel. However, unlike the substrate transfer step (S102), the substrate carry-out step (S108) carries the substrate W into the first container 10 and the substrate transfer from the substrate carry-in port 10a to the second container 14. It does not carry out about the movement conveyance to the downstream of the board | substrate W arranged on the path | route 12. FIG. This is because there is no unprocessed substrate W to be processed next.
When such a substrate carry-out process (S108) is completed, all of the processed substrates W after the film formation process in the second container 14 are carried out of the first container 10. .

(Heating section temperature drop / atmospheric pressure return step: S109)
When the substrate unloading step (S108) is completed, the substrate processing apparatus 1 determines that the processing for all the planned number of substrates W has been completed, and performs the heating unit temperature decrease / atmospheric pressure return step (S109).
In the heating part temperature lowering / atmospheric pressure returning step (S109), the heater 16 is lowered in temperature and the inside of the first container 10 is returned to the atmospheric pressure. Thereby, a series of processing operations in the substrate processing apparatus 1 are completed.

  Through the series of steps (S101 to S109) described above, the substrate processing apparatus 1 sequentially performs the film forming process on the plurality of substrates W sequentially by the HVPE method. Such a processing operation in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is performed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 in accordance with an operation instruction from the control device 2. That is, the processing operation in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is controlled by the control device 2.

(4) Configuration of Control Device Next, the configuration of the control device 2 that controls the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 described above will be described with reference to FIG.

  The control device 2 is configured by combining hardware resources such as a central processing unit (CPU), a random access memory (RAM), a read only memory (ROM), a hard disk drive (HDD), and a communication I / F (Interface) unit. Computer. Note that the control device 2 may include an information output unit such as a display device and a printer device, an information input unit such as a keyboard and a mouse (both not shown), and the like.

  The control device 2 functions as the recipe storage unit 21, the recipe reading unit 23, and the operation instruction unit 24 when a predetermined program is installed and the CPU executes the predetermined program as necessary. .

(Recipe storage means)
The recipe storage means 21 is for securing a storage area of the HDD and storing a plurality of recipes 22. However, the recipe storage unit 21 stores each recipe 22 in a state where a recipe name whose details will be described later is given.

(recipe)
Here, the recipe 22 and the recipe name stored in the recipe storage unit 21 will be briefly described.
FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram schematically showing the concept of the recipe 22 and the recipe name stored in the control device 2 according to the present embodiment.

  The recipe 22 defines the content of processing performed on the substrate W by the substrate processing apparatus 1, and is composed of a collection of commands, data, and the like that specify the processing method, parameters, and the like of the processing. The recipe 22 is set for each substrate W to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 1 and for each processing process performed on each substrate W. Therefore, when the substrate processing apparatus 1 sequentially performs processing on a plurality of substrates W, a plurality of recipes 22 are set correspondingly.

Specifically, for example, if the recipe 22 is set for the film forming step (S104), the recipe 22 causes the processing temperature, the processing pressure, and the flow rate of the GaCl gas, which is a group III source gas, in the second container 14. The flow rate of NH ₃ gas, which is a group V source gas, the film forming time, etc. are defined.
The recipe 22 can be set not only for the film forming step (S104) but also for other processing steps. Other processing steps include, for example, a substrate transfer step (S102), a substrate carry-in step (S103), a substrate carry-out step (S106), and the like. For each of these processes, the movement speed and movement timing of the substrate mounting member 13 on which the substrate W is mounted are defined by the recipe 22. That is, the processing contents necessary for automatically performing so-called setup change of the processing target substrate are defined by the recipe 22.
Further, the recipe 22 may define processing contents such as a temperature / pressure adjustment step (S101), a purge step (S105), a heating unit temperature drop / atmospheric pressure return step (S109), and the like.
As described above, in the process whose contents are defined by the recipe 22, the substrate W to be processed is selected from the plurality of substrates W in addition to the film forming process performed on the substrate W, and the second process is performed. The process which makes the state which can be processed in the container 14 is included. Then, for each of the plurality of substrates W to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 1, a recipe 22 that defines the processing content is set for each processing step performed on the substrate W.

  About the some recipe 22 set in this way, it is necessary to be able to identify each other. From this, the recipe names for identifying each of the plurality of recipes 22 are given for storage in the recipe storage means 21. Although it is conceivable that the recipe name is assigned by using an information input unit provided in the control device 2, the recipe name is not limited to this, and other methods may be used.

  By the way, in this embodiment, the recipe name provided to each of the plurality of recipes 22 has the following characteristic configuration. That is, the recipe name of each recipe 22 includes order information 22a and identification name information 22b.

  The order information 22a is information regarding the execution order of each of the plurality of recipes 22. Specifically, the order information 22a is located at a predetermined part of the recipe name, for example, at the head part of the character string constituting the recipe name. For example, it is composed of a number string (number) having a predetermined number of digits such as “0001”, “0002”, “0003”... “*** N”, and the execution order of each recipe 22 is specified. That is, the order information 22a is information corresponding to a number that specifies the execution order of each recipe 22. Note that the order information 22a is not necessarily a number string as long as the execution order of each recipe 22 can be specified, and may be composed of other character strings or symbols. The number of digits such as a numeric string is not particularly limited. For example, when the number of processes to be processed continuously reaches several tens of thousands, it can be considered that the number of digits of the order information 22a is five digits or more.

  One of the order information 22a given to each recipe 22 to specify the execution order of the plurality of recipes 22 includes information 22c that clearly indicates the end of the execution order of each recipe 22. To do. The information 22c that clearly indicates the end of the execution order is composed of a character string “end”, for example.

  The identification name information 22b is information corresponding to a name given to each of the plurality of recipes 22 individually.

  Such a recipe name is individually given to each of the plurality of recipes 22 when stored in the recipe storage unit 21. That is, the recipe storage means 21 stores the recipe 22 by including the order information 22a in a predetermined part of the recipe name of each recipe 22.

(Recipe reading means)
In FIG. 1, the recipe reading unit 23 is for reading the recipe 22 from the recipe storage unit 21 for a plurality of recipes 22 stored in the recipe storage unit 21. However, the recipe reading unit 23 reads the recipes 22 in order while determining the reading order based on the order information 22a included in the recipe name assigned to each recipe 22 when reading from the recipe storage unit 21. It has become. In addition, if the recipe 22 in the order to be read is not stored in the recipe storage unit 21 and does not exist, the recipe reading unit 23 performs a predetermined standby process to be described later and reads out the recipe 22 from the recipe storage unit 21. To wait.

(Operation instruction means)
When the recipe reading unit 23 reads the recipe 22 from the recipe storage unit 21, the operation instruction unit 24 is configured so that the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs processing according to the processing content defined by the read recipe 22. An operation instruction is given to the control unit 19 through the communication line 3. The operation instruction unit 24 performs a processing operation for giving such an operation instruction every time the recipe reading unit 23 reads the recipe 22.

(Predetermined program)
The functions as the recipe storage means 21, the recipe reading means 23, and the operation instruction means 24 as described above are realized by the control device 2 executing a predetermined program. In other words, the predetermined program causes the control device 2 having hardware resources as a computer to function as the respective means 21, 23, and 24, and corresponds to an embodiment of the substrate processing control program according to the present invention. It is.

  Such a predetermined program (substrate processing control program) is installed in the control device 2 and used. In this case, the program may be provided by being stored in a recording medium readable by the control device 2 prior to installation, or through the communication line connected to the control device 2. 2 may be provided.

(5) Processing Operation Example in Control Device Next, a processing operation example in the control device 2 having the above-described configuration will be described.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating a procedure of a processing operation example in the control apparatus 2 when the control apparatus 2 in the present embodiment controls the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1.

  In starting the control of the processing operation in the substrate processing apparatus 1, in the control apparatus 2, the recipe reading means 23 first sets the recipe execution order management number N to “1” (S201). The recipe execution order management number N is information used by the recipe reading unit 23 to manage the reading of the recipe 22, and the recipe reading unit 23 can set the value variably as necessary.

  Then, the recipe reading unit 23 searches each recipe name for the plurality of recipes 22 stored in the recipe storage unit 21, and the recipe 22 whose order information 22 a in the recipe name is “*** N” is found. It is determined whether or not it exists (S202). That is, for example, if the recipe execution order management number N = 1 is set, the recipe reading unit 23 determines whether there is a recipe 22 having the order information 22a of “0001”.

  As a result, if the recipe 22 having the recipe name including the target order information 22a (that is, the recipe 22 in the order to be read) does not exist in the recipe storage unit 21, the recipe reading unit 23 performs a predetermined standby process. (S203). In the predetermined waiting process, the recipe reading from the recipe storage unit 21 is waited until a preset waiting time elapses. When the standby time has elapsed, the recipe name of the recipe 22 stored in the recipe storage means 21 is searched again to determine whether there is a recipe 22 having the recipe name including the target order information 22a. This is repeated until it is determined that the recipe 22 exists. When the standby process is repeatedly performed for a preset allowable number of times, the recipe reading unit 23 outputs an alarm output indicating that the recipe 22 having the recipe name including the target order information 22a does not exist in the recipe storage unit 21. You may make it through 2 information output parts.

  On the other hand, if the recipe 22 having the recipe name including the target order information 22a exists in the recipe storage means 21, the recipe reading means 23 then indicates the end of the execution order as the recipe name in the recipe 22 continues. It is determined whether or not the information 22c includes a character string “end” (S204).

  If the recipe name does not include the character string “end”, the recipe reading unit 23 stores the recipe 22 for the recipe name, that is, the recipe 22 for the recipe name including the target order information 22a. Is read out (S205). The recipe 22 read by the recipe reading unit 23 may be deleted from the recipe storage unit 21 after the reading. In this way, the limitation on the capacity of the storage area can be relaxed, and the storage area with a limited capacity can be effectively used. However, it is not always necessary to delete the recipe 22, and if the recipe storage unit 21 stores the recipe 22 after the recipe reading unit 23 reads out, the new operation in the substrate processing apparatus 1 is controlled. At this time, it is possible to reuse the recipe 22.

  When the recipe reading unit 23 reads the recipe 22, the operation instruction unit 24 then causes the substrate processing apparatus 1 to process the processing content defined by the read recipe 22. An operation instruction is given to the control unit 19. In other words, the recipe 22 read by the recipe reading unit 23 is sent to the control unit 19 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 by the operation instruction unit 24, so that the processing content defined by the recipe 22 is processed. Will be executed by.

  Specifically, for example, if the read recipe 22 defines the processing conditions and the like of the film forming process (S104), the film forming process (in accordance with the processing conditions and the like while following the operation instruction from the operation instruction means 24). S104) is executed in the substrate processing apparatus 1. Further, for example, if the read recipe 22 defines processing contents such as the substrate transfer step (S102), the substrate carry-in step (S103), the substrate carry-out step (S106), etc., the operation instruction from the operation instruction means 24 is followed. Meanwhile, the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs loading, unloading, setup change, and the like of the processing target substrate.

  When the processing executed in the substrate processing apparatus 1 in this way, that is, the processing content defined by one recipe 22 is completed, the control unit 19 of the substrate processing apparatus 1 controls that the processing is completed. The device 2 is notified. Upon receiving this notification, in the control device 2, the recipe reading means 23 increments the recipe execution order management number N. That is, the recipe reading unit 23 sets the recipe execution order management number N to “N + 1” (S207). Then, the recipe reading unit 23 determines again whether or not the recipe storage unit 21 has the recipe execution order management number N after incrementing, with the recipe execution order management number N as the order information 22a. (S202).

The control device 2 repeats the series of processing steps (S202 to S207) as described above until it is determined that the recipe name includes the character string “end” (S204). If the recipe name including the target order information 22 a includes the character string “end”, the recipe 22 with the recipe name is the execution order of the plurality of recipes 22 stored in the recipe storage unit 21. The end is clearly indicated. Therefore, the control device 2 exits from the routine that repeats the series of processing steps (S202 to S207) described above, and ends the control processing for the substrate processing apparatus 1. Thereby, also in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the processing that is sequentially performed on the plurality of substrates W to be processed is completed.
However, as another configuration, the recipe name may not include information 22c that clearly indicates the end of the execution order. In this case, the control process may be terminated by a switch button that generates an end command added to the substrate processing apparatus 1 or the control apparatus 2.

(6) Effects of this Embodiment According to this embodiment, one or more effects described below are produced.

(A) In the present embodiment, for a plurality of recipes 22 that define the processing content to be performed on the substrate W by the substrate processing apparatus 1, the order information 22 a is included in a predetermined part of each recipe name, In addition to storing, the recipes 22 are sequentially read while determining the read order based on the order information 22a included in each recipe name. Therefore, even when a plurality of recipes 22 are used to control processing operations in the substrate processing apparatus 1, the recipes 22 are defined by the recipes 22 without requiring an execution order list that defines the execution order of the recipes 22. The substrate processing apparatus 1 can be controlled so as to sequentially perform the processing of the contents to be performed.

That is, in the present embodiment, the execution order list for the plurality of recipes 22 is not required, and the execution order list does not need to be completed at the stage before the processing to be performed on each substrate W is started. Moreover, for the plurality of recipes 22, it is sufficient that the corresponding recipe 22 exists in the recipe storage unit 21 at least when the execution order of each recipe 22 has arrived, and before the processing to be performed on each substrate W is started. Not all recipes 22 need to be completed at the stage.
Therefore, according to the present embodiment, the recipe 22 can be flexibly changed, added, deleted, and the like even when a production plan is changed in an actual semiconductor manufacturing process. Specifically, for example, in order to cope with the manufacture of various semiconductor devices produced in small lots, the substrate processing apparatus 1 continuously performs tens of thousands of processes under various processing conditions over a period of about one month. In addition, even when a production plan is changed during the period, unlike the case where the execution order of each recipe 22 is defined by the execution order list, it is easy to flexibly meet such a request.
Furthermore, according to the present embodiment, since the execution order list for the plurality of recipes 22 is not required, unlike the case where the execution order list is required, the increase in the capacity of the storage area for storing these is suppressed. it can. Also, when reading each recipe 22, access to the execution order list is unnecessary, and the access processing to the storage area can be suppressed and simplified.

  Therefore, according to the present embodiment, even when the processes for the plurality of substrates W are sequentially performed in the semiconductor manufacturing process, the operation control for the substrate processing apparatus 1 that executes the processes can be performed flexibly and easily. Can do.

(B) In this embodiment, the order information 22 a regarding the execution order of the plurality of recipes 22 is included in the recipe name for identifying each recipe 22. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, when reading a plurality of recipes 22 in order, referring to a recipe name necessary for identifying each recipe 22, each recipe 22 is based on the order information 22a included in the recipe name. The execution order can be grasped. That is, by referring to the recipe name, the recipes 22 can be read in order in the execution order defined by the order information 22a.

(C) In the present embodiment, the order information 22a regarding the execution order of each recipe 22 is located at a predetermined part of the recipe name, for example, the head part of the character string constituting the recipe name. Therefore, according to this embodiment, when referring to the recipe name, it is possible to clearly recognize which part of the recipe name represents the order information 22a. That is, the order information 22a in each recipe name can be recognized quickly and accurately while eliminating the possibility of erroneous recognition.

(D) In this embodiment, one of the order information 22a assigned to each of the plurality of recipes 22 is a character string “end” that is information 22c that clearly indicates the end of the execution order of each recipe 22. Contains. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, even when the recipes 22 are sequentially read while determining the reading order based on the order information 22a, the recipe 22 The end of the execution order can be clearly and easily recognized. That is, since the end of the execution order of each recipe 22 can be clearly and easily recognized, the control process for the substrate processing apparatus 1 is performed by repeating a series of processing steps (S202 to S207) for each recipe 22. Also, it can be surely escaped from the repetition routine of each processing step (S202 to S207), and can be said to be very suitable when applied to a control process for causing the substrate processing apparatus 1 to perform processing sequentially and sequentially.

(E) In this embodiment, when the recipe 22 in the order to be read does not exist in the recipe storage unit 21, the recipe read unit 23 performs a standby process for waiting for the recipe 22 to be read from the recipe storage unit 21. It has become. Specifically, after the N-th recipe 22 is read and executed, if the N + 1-th recipe 22 does not exist, each recipe 22 is stored until the N + 1-th recipe 22 is set in the recipe storage means 21. Wait for reading. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, when the recipes 22 are sequentially read while determining the read order based on the order information 22a included in the recipe name, for example, there is no recipe 22 in the order to be read. Even if this occurs, each recipe 22 is always read out in the execution order specified by the order information 22a. In other words, if there is no recipe 22 in the order to be read, standby processing is performed, so that unintended and unexpected processing does not proceed, and safety can be ensured and defective products can be suppressed. In addition, since the standby process is performed if there is no recipe 22 to be read, it is possible to change the recipe 22 until immediately before the process defined by the recipe 22 is started in the substrate processing apparatus 1. It can be said that this makes it easy to respond flexibly to changes in production plans and the like.

(F) In the present embodiment, the processing performed on the substrate W by the substrate processing apparatus 1 whose operation is controlled by the control device 2 includes a plurality of substrates W in addition to the film forming processing performed in the film forming step (S104). The process which selects the board | substrate W used as a process target from among these, and makes it the state which can be processed in the 2nd container 14 is included. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, by sequentially reading and executing a plurality of recipes 22, not only the film forming process for the substrate W but also the setup change of the processing target substrate is automatically performed. The present invention is very suitable when applied to continuous processing on a large number of substrates W.

(7) Modifications, etc. Preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above. However, the above-described disclosure shows one exemplary embodiment of the present invention. That is, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above.

  In this embodiment, when the control device 2 that controls the substrate processing apparatus 1 is connected to the substrate processing apparatus 1 via the communication line 3, that is, the control device 2 is separated from the substrate processing apparatus 1 by a computer. Although the case where it comprises is mentioned as an example, this invention is not limited to this. For example, the control device 2 may be configured by a computer mounted on the substrate processing apparatus 1.

  Further, in this embodiment, the case where the substrate processing apparatus 1 performs the GaN film forming process on the substrate W using the crystal growth by the HVPE method is described as an example, but the present invention is limited to this. There is no. In other words, as long as the substrate processing apparatus 1 sequentially performs processing on a plurality of substrates W, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may perform film forming processing by other growth methods, or form a thin film other than the GaN film. The film forming process may be performed. Furthermore, instead of the film formation process, another substrate process such as an annealing process, an oxidation process, a nitriding process, a diffusion process, or a lithography process may be performed.

  Moreover, although the case where this invention was applied to the substrate processing system used in the semiconductor manufacturing process which manufactures a semiconductor light-emitting device was mentioned as an example in this embodiment, this invention is not limited to this. That is, the present invention can be suitably applied to a substrate processing system used in the manufacturing process of other types of semiconductor devices.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Substrate processing apparatus, 2 ... Control apparatus, 3 ... Communication line, 10 ... 1st container, 12 ... Substrate conveyance path, 13 ... Substrate mounting member, 14 ... 2nd container, 15 ... Lifting mechanism, 16 ... Heater, 17a ... gas supply nozzle, 17b ... group III source gas supply pipe, 17d ... group V source gas supply pipe, 18 ... exhaust pipe, 19 ... control unit, 21 ... recipe storage means, 22 ... recipe, 22a ... order information , 23 ... Recipe reading means, 24 ... Operation instruction means, W ... Substrate

Claims (5)

A control device that controls a substrate processing apparatus that sequentially and sequentially processes a plurality of substrates,
A plurality of recipes that define processing contents for each of the plurality of substrates are stored, and a plurality of recipe information for identifying the plurality of recipes is included in the predetermined part of the recipe name to include order information regarding the execution order of the recipes. Recipe storage means for storing recipes;
Recipe reading means for sequentially reading the plurality of recipes stored by the recipe storage means from the recipe storage means while judging the reading order based on the order information included in the recipe name;
A control apparatus for a substrate processing apparatus, comprising: operation instruction means for giving an operation instruction to the substrate processing apparatus so that the substrate processing apparatus performs processing of processing contents defined by a recipe read by the recipe reading means. The control apparatus for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein one of the order information given to each of the plurality of recipes includes information that clearly indicates an end of an execution order of the plurality of recipes. The control apparatus for a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the recipe reading unit waits for a recipe to be read from the recipe storage unit when a recipe in the order to be read does not exist in the recipe storage unit. 4. The substrate processing apparatus control device according to claim 1, wherein the processing for the plurality of substrates includes processing for selecting a substrate to be processed from the plurality of substrates so as to enable processing. . A computer mounted on a substrate processing apparatus for sequentially and sequentially processing a plurality of substrates, or a computer used in connection with the substrate processing apparatus;
A plurality of recipes that define processing contents for each of the plurality of substrates are stored, and a plurality of recipe information for identifying the plurality of recipes is included in the predetermined part of the recipe name to include order information regarding the execution order of the recipes. Recipe storage means for storing recipes;
Recipe reading means for sequentially reading out the plurality of recipes stored in the recipe storage means from the recipe storage means while judging the reading order based on the order information included in the recipe name; and
A substrate processing control program that functions as an operation instruction unit that gives an operation instruction to the substrate processing apparatus so that the substrate processing apparatus performs processing of processing contents defined by a recipe read by the recipe reading unit.

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