JP4526796B2 - Processing apparatus, display method for substrate processing apparatus, and method for manufacturing semiconductor device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a processing apparatus for performing required processing on an object to be processed, for example, generation of a thin film such as an insulating film, diffusion of impurities, etching, etc. on a silicon wafer, a glass substrate or the like.

  In a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that manufactures semiconductor devices by processing thin film formation, impurity diffusion, etching, or the like on a silicon wafer, which is a substrate to be processed, for example, in a processing apparatus, an insulating film is formed on the wafer by executing a recipe created by an operator. Processing necessary for manufacturing a semiconductor device such as formation of an insulating film and etching of an insulating film is performed. In the recipe, processing data required for substrate processing such as processing contents, processing conditions, processing order, and the like are set and recorded, and substrate processing is performed by executing the recipe by a sequence program.

  As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the recipe is configured in units of a plurality of steps, and the processing contents and processing conditions for each processing step are set and recorded, and the steps are executed sequentially. The substrate processing proceeds.

  The conventional processing apparatus includes a display unit for displaying the processing status, and the display unit displays the total processing time and the remaining processing time for executing the recipe. Can be known.

  Conventionally, the total processing time (recipe total time) and the remaining processing time (recipe remaining time) displayed on the display unit are obtained as follows.

  Total recipe time = total execution time for each step

  Recipe remaining time = total recipe time-elapsed time from the start of the recipe

  On the other hand, the recipe is not necessarily executed as set, and may be changed depending on various factors. For example, an operator request or an error occurs during the execution of the recipe.

  As an operator's request, skip the required step when starting the execution of the recipe and execute the next step, or skip the step during the recipe execution by the operation from the operation unit during the recipe execution, Or jump to any step. When an error occurs during execution of the recipe, the processing device recognizes the occurrence of the error and skips a step or jumps to a required step.

  In any case, the total recipe time fluctuates when a step is skipped or jumped.

  In the conventional processing apparatus, the recipe total time is not updated even when the recipe total time fluctuates while the recipe total time set first is set and displayed.

  For this reason, when the recipe is changed, the actual recipe remaining time does not match the recipe remaining time displayed on the display unit, and the process ends even though there is a recipe remaining time on the display, or Even though the remaining recipe time becomes 0, there is a possibility that the process continues and the operator is confused.

  In addition, when the processing end time cannot be accurately grasped, it may be difficult to schedule the execution of the recipe.

  In view of such circumstances, the present invention updates the total recipe time and the remaining recipe time so that the operator can always recognize the exact total recipe time and the remaining recipe time when there is a change in the recipe. is there.

  The present invention provides a processing apparatus in which a target object is stored in a processing container, and a predetermined process is performed on the target object based on a recipe including a plurality of steps. Storage means for storing time; detection means for detecting switching of the step; calculation means for calculating a total recipe time which is a sum of at least an elapsed time from the start of the recipe and a remaining recipe time after the present; and at least a recipe The present invention relates to a processing apparatus including display means for displaying the total time.

  According to the present invention, in a processing apparatus in which a target object is stored in a processing container and a predetermined process is performed on the target object based on a recipe including a plurality of steps, at least the recipe is configured. Storage means for storing the time of the step, detection means for detecting the switching of the step, calculation means for calculating the total recipe time that is the sum of at least the elapsed time from the start of the recipe and the remaining recipe time after the present, Since the display means for displaying at least the total recipe time is provided, the operator can obtain excellent effects such as being able to accurately grasp the progress of the substrate processing even when there is a change in the recipe.

  The best mode for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  First, an outline of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus will be described as an example of a processing apparatus according to the present invention.

  In FIG. 1, 1 is a semiconductor manufacturing device, 2 is a main control device, 3 is a sub-control device, and 4 is an input / output device.

  The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 1 includes a reaction chamber 5 that is a processing container for processing a substrate, a mechanism unit 6 and the like, and the mechanism unit 6 carries a substrate into and out of the reaction chamber 5 (not shown). A gas supply / exhaust device (not shown) for supplying and exhausting the processing gas to and from the reaction chamber 5, an exhaust device (not shown) for exhausting the reaction chamber 5, and a heating device (FIG. 5) for heating the reaction chamber 5 (Not shown). The main control unit 2 includes a CPU 11, an I / O control unit 12, an arithmetic control unit 7 having an internal storage device (not shown), an external storage device 8 for storing sequence programs, commands, recipes, and the like. A timer 9 and the like are provided. The sub-control device 3 includes a gas control unit 13 for controlling the supply amount of the reaction gas, a pressure control unit 14 for controlling the pressure in the reaction chamber 5, and a temperature control for controlling the temperature in the reaction chamber 5. Part 15 and a mechanism control part 16 for controlling the operation of the mechanism part 6. The input / output device 4 includes a display unit 17 for displaying information such as processing conditions, step progress, elapsed time, total recipe time, and remaining recipe time, and an input unit 18 for an operator to set and input data such as recipes. For example, a keyboard, a storage unit 19 that stores input data until input data is confirmed and sent to the arithmetic control unit 7 are provided.

  The operation will be described below.

  Data for setting a recipe is input from the input unit 18. The recipe is stored in the external storage device 8 via the arithmetic control unit 7. When the recipe setting input is confirmed, substrate processing start is input via the input unit 18.

  The arithmetic control unit 7 activates a sequence program necessary for processing from the external storage device 8.

  The arithmetic control unit 7 calls a command stored in the external storage device 8 according to a sequence program, issues the command to the sub control device 3, and the mechanism unit 6 performs drive control via the mechanism control unit 16 of the sub control device 3. Then, the substrate to be processed is carried into the reaction chamber 5. Similarly, the pressure control unit 14 sets the reaction chamber 5 to a processing pressure, and the temperature control unit 15 controls the reaction chamber 5 to a processing temperature.

  When the arithmetic control unit 7 calls and executes the recipe command according to the sequence program, the steps are sequentially executed and the substrate to be processed is processed. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, in step 2, the processing is performed for 3 seconds under the processing conditions of the processing substrate temperature of 500 ° C., the processing pressure of 133.3 pa, the processing gas flow rate of 20 slm,.

  Further, the progress of the process in step 2 is monitored by a signal from the timer 9. When the arithmetic control unit 7 counts 3 seconds based on the signal from the timer 9, the arithmetic control unit 7 determines that step 2 is completed. Completion of step 2 is also the timing of step switching. Upon completion of step 2, step switching is detected, and the arithmetic control unit 7 reads a command relating to step 3 from the recipe, and proceeds to step 3.

  When the steps are sequentially executed, the recipe is executed, and the substrate processing is completed, the reaction chamber 5 is purged with the cooperation of the pressure control unit 14 and the gas control unit 13, and heating is stopped by the temperature control unit 15. A process accompanying the completion of the substrate process, such as being performed, is executed, and the processed substrate is unloaded from the reaction chamber 5.

  If an error occurs during the execution of step 2, an error signal is issued from the sub control device 3 to the main control device 2. For example, in the gas control unit 13, when the supply amount of the processing gas becomes a set value or less, a processing gas supply error is issued from the gas control unit 13.

  The arithmetic control unit 7 determines the content of the error signal, determines whether to move to step 3 or jump to another step, and executes step shift. When step transition is executed, step switching is performed. In this case, the recipe changes.

  Alternatively, when the operator instructs the step shift from the input unit 18, the step shift occurs and the step is switched. In this case as well, recipe variations occur similarly. Note that the variation of the recipe by the operator also occurs when the operator adds or deletes a change to an unexecuted step.

  In the present embodiment, every time the step is switched, the calculation of the remaining recipe time and the total recipe time after that step is performed, the calculation result is stored in the external storage device 8, and the recipe elapsed time, the total recipe time, The remaining recipe time is displayed on the display unit 17 in real time. The calculation result of the remaining recipe time and the calculation result of the total recipe time may be stored in the storage unit 19.

  Hereinafter, the calculation of the recipe elapsed time, the total recipe time, and the remaining recipe time will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the main routine is called from the external storage device 8 at a constant cycle (for example, at intervals of 1 second) based on the signal from the timer 9.

  The recipe elapsed time A from the start of the recipe is calculated and updated. For example, when the main routine is called at 1 second intervals, the calculated recipe elapsed time A is obtained by adding 1 second to the recipe elapsed time A0 before being called.

  When the recipe elapsed time A has not reached the step switching time, that is, when the step being executed is not completed, the total recipe time B is not updated, and the remaining recipe time C is updated as (B−A). Are displayed on the display unit 17.

  When the calculated elapsed time A coincides with the end time of the step being executed, that is, when the step being executed is completed, it is determined that switching to Step N has occurred, and the recipe execution time for Step N and thereafter K is calculated. The main routine, the arithmetic control unit 7 that executes the main routine, the timer 9, and the like also function as a switching time detection unit.

  The recipe execution time K is calculated by checking the presence / absence of unexecuted steps and the number of steps at the time of the occurrence of switching. Is calculated.

  Further, based on the calculated recipe execution time K, the total recipe time B is calculated and updated. Based on the updated total recipe time B, the remaining recipe time C is calculated, and the updated remaining recipe time C is displayed on the display unit 17 together with the updated total recipe time B.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the total recipe time B is the sum of the execution times of each step, and the remaining recipe time C is the total recipe time B as shown in FIG. Is obtained by subtracting the recipe elapsed time A from the start of the recipe.

  FIG. 4 shows the remaining recipe time C when, for example, step 3 is skipped and the recipe changes.

  When step 2 ends and step switching occurs, it is determined that the unexecuted step is step 4, the recipe execution time K is calculated to be 7 seconds, and the total recipe time B is calculated at the start of the recipe. What was 19 seconds is updated to 15 seconds.

  FIG. 5 shows a case where a jump from step 3 to step 2 is performed.

  When step 3 ends and step switching occurs, it is determined that the unexecuted steps are step 2, step 3, and step 4, and it is calculated that the recipe execution time K is 14 seconds. The time B is 19 seconds at the start of the recipe, but is updated to 26 seconds.

  As described above, the recipe elapsed time A, the total recipe time B, and the remaining recipe time C are dynamically calculated in conjunction with the actual substrate processing and displayed on the display unit 17 in real time. Even in this case, the operator can accurately grasp the progress of the substrate processing.

(Appendix)
The present invention includes the following embodiments.

  (Supplementary note 1) In a processing apparatus in which a target object is stored in a processing container and a predetermined process is performed on the target object based on a recipe including a plurality of steps, at least the steps constituting the recipe Storage means for storing time; detection means for detecting switching of the step; calculation means for calculating a total recipe time which is a sum of at least an elapsed time from the start of the recipe and a remaining recipe time after the present; and at least a recipe A processing apparatus comprising display means for displaying a total time.

  (Appendix 2) When the detection means detects step switching during recipe execution, the calculation means calculates the total recipe time and the remaining recipe time, and displays the calculation result on the display means. The processing apparatus of appendix 1.

  (Supplementary note 3) The processing apparatus according to supplementary note 2, wherein the remaining recipe time is equal to a sum of each step time after the current time when the step is switched.

  (Additional remark 4) The processing apparatus of Additional remarks 1-3 with which the said detection means performs the period which detects.

  (Supplementary note 5) The processing apparatus according to supplementary notes 1 to 4, wherein the detection means performs detection for one second.

It is a schematic block diagram which shows embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which calculates the recipe elapsed time, recipe total time, and recipe remaining time in embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the recipe progress state when there is no fluctuation | variation of the set recipe. It is explanatory drawing which shows a recipe progress state when there exists a fluctuation | variation of a skip in the set recipe. It is explanatory drawing which shows the recipe progress state when there exists a fluctuation | variation of jump to the set recipe. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of a recipe. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of a step.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus 2 Main controller 3 Sub controller 4 Input / output device 5 Reaction chamber 7 Arithmetic control part 8 External storage device 9 Timer 11 CPU
17 Display unit 18 Input unit 19 Storage unit

Claims (3)

In a processing apparatus in which a target object is stored in a processing container and a predetermined process is performed on the target object based on a recipe including a plurality of steps, at least the time of the steps constituting the recipe is stored. Storage means, detection means for detecting the transition of the step, calculation means for calculating a total recipe time that is the sum of the elapsed time from the start of the recipe and the remaining recipe time after the present, and at least the total recipe time are displayed Comprising a display means;
When the detection means detects an error in the step and the transition of the step of changing the total recipe time is detected, the calculation means calculates the total recipe time and the remaining recipe time and calculates the display means. A processing apparatus that updates and displays a result. A display method for a processing apparatus in which a target object is stored in a processing container, and predetermined processing is performed based on a recipe including a plurality of steps on the target object,
When an error occurs in the step and a transition of the step of changing the total recipe time that is at least the sum of the elapsed time from the start of the recipe and the remaining recipe time after the present is detected, the total recipe time and the remaining recipe time are detected. A display method of a substrate processing apparatus, wherein time is calculated and the calculated result is updated and displayed. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device in which a target object is stored in a processing container, and a predetermined process is performed based on a recipe including a plurality of steps on the target object,
When an error occurs in the step and a transition of the step of changing the total recipe time that is at least the sum of the elapsed time from the start of the recipe and the remaining recipe time after the present is detected, the total recipe time and the remaining recipe time are detected. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, characterized in that time is calculated and the calculated result is updated.

Images