JP5648079B2 - Heat treatment apparatus abnormality detection apparatus, heat treatment apparatus, heat treatment apparatus abnormality detection method, and abnormality detection method program - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an abnormality detection apparatus and an abnormality detection method for a heat treatment apparatus.

  Some heat treatment apparatuses (for example, semiconductor manufacturing apparatuses) use a heating element (such as a heater) in order to heat (process) the substrate. The heat treatment apparatus, for example, supplies a reaction gas into the processing chamber and controls the heat treatment of a plurality of substrates arranged in the processing chamber by controlling the amount of heat generated by the heating element, thereby forming a thin film on the substrate.

  In Patent Document 1, in order to predict a disconnection of a heater (failure of a connection conductor or a heating element), a driving current waveform of the heater (heating element) is detected, and a resistance value of the heater is calculated based on the detected driving current waveform. Discloses a technique for predicting (determining) the disconnection of the heater based on the calculated resistance value, the slope of the resistance value increase, and the amplitude of the noise component.

JP 2009-245978 A

  However, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the detected drive current waveform contains a lot of noise, it is impossible to detect (or predict) the disconnection of the heater (failure of the connection conductor or the heating element). There is. Since the heat treatment apparatus includes, for example, plasma processing and other electric control systems, there are cases where many noise components are included. In addition, in the heat treatment apparatus, for example, in order to control the temperature inside the processing chamber with high accuracy, the power (current and voltage) supplied to the heater (heating element) is frequently changed, and the noise component included in the drive current waveform is specified. There are cases where it is not possible. Further, in the heat treatment apparatus, for example, the resistance value of the heater and the electric control system changes due to heating, for example, so that the disconnection of the heater (failure of the connection conductor or the heating element) may not be detected based on the resistance value of the heater. .

  In view of the above circumstances, the present invention provides an abnormality detection device for a heat treatment apparatus that can detect an abnormality of a heating element or a connection conductor or a sign thereof by detecting the temperature of a connection conductor that supplies power to the heating element. It aims at providing the heat processing apparatus or the abnormality detection method.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an abnormality detection device included in a heat treatment apparatus that heat-treats a substrate disposed in a processing chamber using a heating element, the connection conductor supplying power output from a power source to the heating element; A heat treatment comprising: a detection unit that detects a temperature of the connection conductor; and a determination unit that determines an operation state of the connection conductor and / or the heating element based on the temperature detected by the detection unit. An apparatus abnormality detection device is provided. The operation unit further includes a storage unit that stores a predetermined allowable range of temperature in advance, and the determination unit determines whether the temperature detected by the detection unit is within the predetermined allowable range. It may be an abnormality detection device for a heat treatment device, which determines whether is normal, abnormal, or a sign of abnormality. The detection unit may be an abnormality detection device for a heat treatment apparatus that detects a surface temperature of the connection conductor. The determination unit may be an abnormality detection device for a heat treatment apparatus, wherein the operation state is determined by further using a power value output from the power source. An abnormality detection apparatus for a heat treatment apparatus, comprising: a plurality of connection conductors arranged at a plurality of positions in the processing chamber; and a plurality of detection units that respectively detect temperatures of the plurality of connection conductors. There may be. The determination unit determines whether any of the plurality of connection conductors is abnormal by comparing the temperatures detected by the plurality of connection conductors with each other at the start of heat treatment. The abnormality detection apparatus of the heat processing apparatus characterized may be sufficient. The detection unit is a thermoelectric generation sensor, and the thermoelectric generation sensor uses a thermoelectric element to output an electromotive force generated by the thermoelectric element according to a temperature difference, and the determination unit outputs the electromotive force. The abnormality detection device of the heat treatment device may be characterized in that the operation state is determined based on the abnormality. Furthermore, the heat processing apparatus provided with any one said abnormality detection apparatus may be sufficient.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method for detecting an abnormality in a heat treatment apparatus that supplies power to a heating element to cause the heating element to generate heat and heat-treats a substrate disposed in a processing chamber using the generated heating element. A power supply step of supplying power output from a power source to the heating element via a connection conductor, a detection step of detecting a temperature of the connection conductor, and the connection conductor and / or based on the detected temperature A method of detecting an abnormality of the heat treatment apparatus, comprising: a determination step of determining an operating state of the heating element. Moreover, the program for making a computer perform the abnormality detection method of the said heat processing apparatus may be sufficient.

  According to the abnormality detection device, heat treatment apparatus, or abnormality detection method of the heat treatment apparatus according to the present invention, the abnormality of the heating element or the connection conductor or its precursor is detected by detecting the temperature of the connection conductor that supplies power to the heating element. can do.

It is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view explaining the heat processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a functional block diagram explaining an example of the function of the heat processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining an example (example using only detected temperature) of operation | movement of the judgment part of the heat processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining an example (example which further uses an electric power value) of operation | movement of the judgment part of the heat processing apparatus which concerns on embodiment of this invention. It is a general | schematic external view explaining an example of the principal part of the heat processing apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining an example of the detection result of the detection part of the heat processing apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining an example of the output value of the detection part (thermoelectric generation sensor) of the heat processing apparatus which concerns on the Example of this invention. It is explanatory drawing explaining the voltage value of the power supply which concerns on the comparative example 1. FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the electric current value of the power supply which concerns on the comparative example 2. FIG.

  The present invention will be described using an abnormality detection device for a heat treatment apparatus according to a non-limiting exemplary embodiment with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition to the abnormality detection device described below, the present invention detects the temperature of a member including a conductor that supplies power to the heating means (heating element) of the heat treatment apparatus, and the operating state of the heating means (normal, abnormal or abnormal) Any device can be used as long as it can detect (such as a sign of aging or deterioration over time) (apparatus, device, unit, system, etc.).

  In the following description, the same or corresponding devices, parts, or members described in all the attached drawings are denoted by the same or corresponding reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted. Also, the drawings are not intended to show a limited relationship between devices, parts or members unless specifically described. Accordingly, specific correlations can be determined by one skilled in the art in light of the following non-limiting embodiments.

  The present invention will be described in the following order using a heat treatment apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention.

1. 1. Configuration of heat treatment apparatus and abnormality detection apparatus 2. Function of heat treatment equipment 3. Example of abnormality detection method for heat treatment equipment 4. Program and recording medium Example [Configuration of heat treatment apparatus and abnormality detection apparatus]
The configuration of the heat treatment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 1 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view for explaining an example of the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a processing chamber 122 in which a plurality of substrates W are disposed in order to heat treat the substrates W. The processing chamber 122 includes a reaction tube 110 and a manifold 112.

  The reaction tube 110 is a double tube composed of an inner tube 110a and an outer tube 110b. The manifold 112 is a metallic cylindrical member. The reaction tube 110 is disposed on the top of the manifold 112. As the reaction tube 110, quartz tubes can be used for the inner tube 110a and the outer tube 110b.

  The inner tube 110a has an opening at the upper end. The inner tube 110a is supported by the manifold 112. The outer tube 110b has a ceiling plate. The lower end of the outer tube 110 b is airtightly joined to the upper end of the manifold 112.

  In the heat treatment apparatus 100, a plurality of (for example, 150) substrates (wafers) W are arranged in a reaction tube 110. Here, the heat treatment apparatus 100 arranges a plurality of substrates W on a substrate holding member (wafer boat) 114 at a predetermined interval. The substrate holding member 114 is held on the lid 116 via a heat insulating cylinder (heat insulator) 118.

  The lid 116 is mounted on a boat elevator 120 for carrying the substrate holding member 114 into or out of the reaction tube 110. The heat treatment apparatus 100 brings the lid 116 into airtight contact with the reaction tube 110 (processing chamber 122) when the lid 116 is at the upper limit position. Further, the heat treatment apparatus 100 loads (places) or unloads the substrate W on the substrate holding member 114 when the lid body 116 is at the lower limit position.

  A plurality of gas supply pipes for supplying reaction gas (processing gas) from the gas source into the processing chamber 122 are connected to the manifold 112. Here, the reactive gas is, for example, dichlorosilane, ammonia, nitrogen gas, or the like. In FIG. 1, as an example, three gas supply pipes 140A, 140B, and 140C are illustrated. The gas supply pipes 140A, 140B, and 140C are provided with (connected to) flow rate adjusting units 142A, 142B, and 142C such as a mass flow controller (MFC) for adjusting the gas flow rate.

  An exhaust unit 152 is connected to the manifold 112 through an exhaust pipe 150. The heat treatment apparatus 100 exhausts the gas in the reaction tube 110 from the gap between the inner tube 110 a and the outer tube 110 b using the exhaust unit 152. In addition, the heat treatment apparatus 100 adjusts the pressure in the reaction tube 110 using the flow rate adjusting unit 142A and the like and the exhaust unit 152.

  In addition, the exhaust means 152 can be comprised from various valves, such as a combination valve and a butterfly valve, and a vacuum pump, for example. In addition, the exhaust pipe 150 may include a pressure sensor for feedback control of the pressure in the processing chamber 122. As the pressure sensor, it is preferable to use an absolute pressure type that is not easily affected by changes in the external air pressure.

  The heat treatment apparatus 100 according to this embodiment includes a heating unit 10 around the reaction tube 110. Further, the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a detection unit 20 for detecting the operating state of the heating unit 10. Furthermore, the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes a control unit 30 that controls the operation of the entire apparatus.

  The heating means 10 is a means for heating the reaction tube 110. The heating means 10 includes a heating element 11 (in this embodiment, 11a to 11e in the figure) that generates heat when supplied with electric power, and a power source 12 (this embodiment) that is a supply source of electric power supplied to the heating element 11. Then, 12a to 12e in the figure) and a connection conductor 13 (13a to 13e in the figure in the present embodiment) for electrically connecting the power source 12 and the heating element 11 are provided. The heating means 10 is controlled in power supplied from the power source 12 by the control means 30 described later, supplied with power to the heating element 11 using the connecting conductor 13, and controlled in the heating operation of the heating element 11.

  The heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment includes five sets of heating elements 11a to 11e, power supplies 12a to 12e, and connection conductors 13a to 13e as the heating unit 10. That is, the heat treatment apparatus 100 heats the reaction tube 110 in five heating zones along the vertical direction (vertical direction) of the reaction tube 110, and controls the temperature in the tube with high accuracy. Thereby, the heat treatment apparatus 100 can heat the inside of the processing chamber 122 in five sets of heating zones, so that the temperature in the processing chamber 122 during the heat treatment can be kept uniform, and all the substrates W can be heated. On the other hand, it can heat-process uniformly. In addition, the heat processing apparatus 100 which can use this invention may be provided with less than 5 sets or 6 sets or more of heat generating bodies, a power supply, and a connection conductor.

  As the heating element 11, for example, a resistance heating element such as an iron-tantalum-carbon alloy can be used. In the embodiment, the heat treatment apparatus 100 uses a resistance heating element wire as the heating element 11. Further, the heating element 11 has its strands wound around the outer periphery of the reaction tube 110 in a coil shape. Here, the element wire (heating element 11) is supplied with electric power from the power source 12 via the connection conductor 13, and generates heat according to the supplied electric power value. The heating element 11 that can be used in the present invention is not limited to the wire of the resistance heating element.

  The power supply 12 supplies power from the power supplies 12a to 12e to the heating elements 11a to 11e, respectively, based on a control signal (power supply instruction) input from the control means 30 described later. That is, the power source 12 generates heat with a heat generation amount corresponding to the power value supplied to the heating elements 11a to 11e.

  The connection conductor 13 is a connection member (terminal, line, etc.) including an electric wire. The connection conductor 13 supplies the power output from the power source 12 to the heating element 11. In the present embodiment, the connection conductor 13 includes connection conductors 13a to 13e that supply power from the power sources 12a to 12e to the heating elements 11a to 11e, respectively. The connection conductor 13 is covered with an insulator or the like.

  The detection means 20 is a means for detecting the operating state of the heating means 10. The detection means 20 detects the temperature of the connection conductor 13 as the operating state of the heating means 10. That is, the detection means 20 detects a temperature change accompanying a change in resistance value when the heating means 10 (the heating element 11 and the connection conductor 13) is abnormal. In this embodiment, the detection unit 20 includes detection units 20a to 20e that detect the surface temperatures of the connection conductors 13a to 13e.

  Moreover, the detection means 20 can use a thermoelectric generation sensor as the detection units 20a to 20e. Here, the thermoelectric generation sensor is a sensor (thermogenerator, heat generator, thermoelectric generator) that outputs an electromotive force (for example, FIG. 7 described later) generated by the thermoelectric element according to a temperature difference using the Seebeck effect of the thermoelectric element. Conversion module, TEMPERATURE SWITCH (temperature switch (sensor), etc.).

  According to the detection means 20, the temperature (for example, surface temperature) of the connection conductor 13 is detectable by acquiring the electromotive force of a thermoelectric generation sensor. Moreover, according to the detection means 20, the electric power for operating the detection means 20 is not required by using the self-power generation function of the thermoelectric generation sensor. That is, according to the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, since it is not necessary to connect a power cable to the detection means 20, a plurality of positions are detected particularly when detecting temperatures at a plurality of positions using a plurality of detection units. The wiring of the plurality of power cables of the detection unit can be omitted, and the entire apparatus can be miniaturized.

  The control means 30 is a means for instructing each component of the heat treatment apparatus 100 to operate and controlling the operation of each component. In this embodiment, the control means 30 includes a storage unit 31, a determination unit 32, a heating control unit 33, a detection control unit 34, and a communication unit 35, as shown in FIG. Here, the storage unit 31 stores the operating state of the heat treatment apparatus 100. The determination unit 32 determines the operating state of the heating means 10 of the heat treatment apparatus 100. The heating control unit 33 controls the operation of the heating means 10. The detection control unit 34 controls the operation of the detection means 20. The communication unit 35 controls the input / output of information with the outside of the heat treatment apparatus 100.

  The control means 30 controls the operation of the heat treatment apparatus 100 for heat treatment (heating operation of the heating means 10, supply operation of the gas supply system, etc.). Moreover, the control means 30 can control operation | movement of the heat processing apparatus 100 using the program (a control program, an application, etc.) stored beforehand (for example, in the memory | storage part 31). Further, the control means 30 may control the operation of the heat treatment apparatus 100 based on information input from the outside of the heat treatment apparatus 100 or the like.

  In this embodiment, the control unit 30 stores the operation of the heating unit 10 and the detection result of the detection unit 20 using the storage unit 31. Further, the control unit 30 uses the determination unit 32 to determine the operating state of the heating unit 10 based on the temperature detected by the detection unit 20.

  That is, the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment uses the control unit 30 (determination unit 32), and based on the temperature detected by the detection unit 20 (detection unit 20a, etc.), the connection conductor 13 (13a, etc.) and / or Alternatively, the operating state of the heating element 11 (11a) is determined. Further, the heat treatment apparatus 100 uses the control unit 30 (determination unit 32) and the detection unit 20 (determination unit 20a and the like) to detect abnormality of the operation state of the connection conductor 13 (13a and the like) and / or the heating element 11 (11a). To function as a device. Here, the operating state refers to a normal state, or an abnormal state or a state with a sign of abnormality (performance degradation, deterioration, unstable operation, secular change, etc.).

  The function of the control means 30 as an abnormality detection device will be described in [Function of heat treatment device] described later. Note that the control unit 30 may be configured by an arithmetic processing unit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) of a known technique, a memory, and the like.

[Function of heat treatment equipment]
An example of the function of the heat treatment apparatus 100 will be described with reference to FIG. Here, FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram illustrating an example of the abnormality detection function of the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the heat treatment apparatus 100 uses the heating control unit 33 (control means 30) as a power supply step at the start of heat treatment to “power supply instruction” to the power supply 12 (12 a or the like) of the heating means 10. Is output. At this time, the power supply 12 (12a, etc.) supplies power to the heating element 11 (11a, etc.) via the connection conductor 13 (13a, etc.) in accordance with the inputted “power supply instruction”. Further, the heating element 11 (11a and the like) generates heat based on the supplied power value using the supplied power. Thereby, the heat treatment apparatus 100 can heat each heating zone of the reaction tube 122 and can start the heat treatment of the substrate W in the reaction tube 122.

  Further, the heat treatment apparatus 100 outputs a “temperature detection instruction” to the detection means 20 (detection unit 20a, etc.) using the detection control unit 34 (control unit 30) as a detection step at the start of the heat treatment. At this time, the detection means 20 (20a etc.) detects the surface temperature of each of the connection conductors 13 (13a etc.) in accordance with the inputted “temperature detection instruction”. Here, the heat treatment apparatus 100 (detection unit 20) can output an electromotive force generated by the Seebeck effect to the determination unit 32 (control unit 30) by using a thermoelectric generation sensor for the detection unit 20a or the like.

  Furthermore, the heat treatment apparatus 100 uses the determination unit 32 (control unit 30) as a determination step at the start of the heat treatment, based on the electromotive force value (voltage value or power value) input from the detection unit 20. The surface temperature of the conductor 13 (13a etc.) can be detected. Further, the heat treatment apparatus 100 uses the determination unit 32 (control unit 30) to compare the detected surface temperatures of the plurality of connection conductors 13a with each other, thereby the plurality of connection conductors 13a or the like or the plurality of heating elements 11a or the like. The connection conductor or the heating element having an abnormality or a sign of abnormality can be specified (calibrated). The determination unit 32 (the control unit 30) may determine that the connection conductor or the heating element corresponding to the detected surface temperature that does not fall within a predetermined allowable range has failed. The determination unit 32 (control unit 30) determines the operating state (normal, abnormal, predictive of abnormality, etc.) by further using the power value supplied from the power source 12 (12a, etc.) to the heating element 11 (11a, etc.). May be.

  Here, the predetermined allowable range can be a range corresponding to the specifications of the heating means 10, the detection means 20, or other heat treatment apparatus 100. Further, the predetermined allowable range can be a range determined based on the operation state (heating temperature or the like) of the heat treatment apparatus 100. Furthermore, the predetermined allowable range can be a range determined in advance by experiments (stored in the storage unit 31) or calculation.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the heat treatment apparatus 100 uses a heating control unit 33 (control means 30) as a power supply step to control the heating temperature during the heat treatment, and uses the power supply 12 (12a) of the heating means 10 as a power supply step. Etc.) is output. At this time, the power supply 12 (12a, etc.) is controlled in power supplied to the heating element 11 (11a, etc.) in accordance with the inputted “power supply instruction”. Thereby, the heat treatment apparatus 100 can control the temperature at which each heating zone of the reaction tube 122 is heated, and can control the heat treatment of the substrate W in the reaction tube 122.

  Further, during the heat treatment, the heat treatment apparatus 100 outputs a “temperature detection instruction” to the detection unit 20 (the detection unit 20a and the like) using the detection control unit 34 (control unit 30) as a detection step. At this time, the detection means 20 (20a etc.) detects the surface temperature of each of the connection conductors 13 (13a etc.) in accordance with the inputted “temperature detection instruction”. Note that the detection unit 20 may be configured to output the generated electromotive force to the determination unit 32 (control unit 30) using a thermoelectric generation sensor, even in the case where the “temperature detection instruction” is not input.

  Further, the heat treatment apparatus 100 uses the determination unit 32 (control unit 30) as a determination step during the heat treatment, based on the electromotive force value (voltage value or power value) input from the detection unit 20. The surface temperature of the conductor 13 (13a etc.) can be detected. That is, the heat treatment apparatus 100 detects the surface temperatures of the plurality of connection conductors 13a and the like in real time using the determination unit 32 (control unit 30). Thereby, the heat treatment apparatus 100 detects an abnormality or its sign using the determination unit 32 (control means 30) when an abnormality or a sign of abnormality is shown in the connection conductor 13a or the like or the heating element 11a or the like during the heat treatment. can do. The heat treatment apparatus 100 stops the heat treatment according to a predetermined procedure when an abnormality or a sign thereof is detected.

  As illustrated in FIG. 2, the heat treatment apparatus 100 uses the storage unit 31 (control unit 30) to detect the heating operation of the heating unit 10 at the start and during the heat treatment, the detection result of the detection unit 20a and the like (detection unit 20). And the determination result of the determination part 32 (control means 30) is memorize | stored. In addition, the heat treatment apparatus 100 may determine the operating state of the heating unit 10 based on the previous detection result or determination result stored in the storage unit 31 using the determination unit 32.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the heat treatment apparatus 100 can input / output information to / from an external device 200 (I / O 213) using the communication unit 35 (control unit 30). Here, the heat treatment apparatus 100 uses the external device 200 (storage unit 212), for example, the heating operation of the heating unit 10, the detection result of the detection unit 20a and the like (detection unit 20), and the determination unit 32 (control unit 30). The determination result or the like may be stored or monitored. In addition, the heat treatment apparatus 100 may perform part of the processing of the control unit 30 such as the determination unit 32 using the resources of the external device 200 (the controller 210 or the like). Furthermore, the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the present invention may be a heat treatment system (an abnormality detection system, an abnormality monitoring system) realized using resources of the external device 200. Note that information input / output between the heat treatment apparatus 100 and the external device 200 may be a wired and / or wireless network.

[Example of abnormality detection method for heat treatment equipment]
The example of the abnormality detection method of the heat processing apparatus 100 which concerns on this embodiment is demonstrated using FIG.3 and FIG.4. Here, FIG. 3 illustrates an abnormality in which the determination unit 32 (FIG. 2) of the heat treatment apparatus 100 determines an operation state (normal, abnormal, or abnormal sign) using only the temperature of the connection conductor 13 (heating means 10). It is an example of a detection method. FIG. 4 is an example of an abnormality detection method in which the determination unit 32 of the heat treatment apparatus 100 further uses the power value output from the power supply 12 (heating means 10) to determine the operating state. In FIG. 4, the left vertical axis represents temperature, the right vertical axis represents power value, and the horizontal axis represents elapsed time.

  Note that the abnormality detection method illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4 is an example, and the present invention is not limited to the abnormality detection method described below. That is, the temperature of the connecting conductor 13 (including the member) that supplies power to the heating unit 10 (heating element 11) of the heat treatment apparatus 100 is detected, and the operating state (normal or normal) of the heating unit 10 is detected based on the detected temperature. The present invention can be used for any method for detecting an abnormality or a sign of abnormality).

  As shown in FIG. 3, the heat treatment apparatus 100 uses the determination unit 32 (control unit 30) to detect the detected temperature (for the case 1, the case 2, and the case 3 during the heat treatment (the power output rate of the power supply 12 is 60%). The operating state of the heating means 10 is determined by comparing the temperatures T1, T2 and T3 of the connecting conductor 13 with the reference temperature To.

  Specifically, in the case 1, the determination unit 32 determines that the deviation is +2 degrees because the detected temperature T <b> 1 is 2 degrees larger than the reference temperature To. At this time, the determination unit 32 sets, for example, an allowable value ± 5 degrees as shown in the figure. Accordingly, the determination unit 32 can determine that the operating state of the heating unit 10 is “normal” because the deviation of the case 1 is within the allowable range.

  On the other hand, in the case 2, the determination unit 32 determines that the deviation is −10 degrees because the detected temperature T <b> 2 is 10 degrees lower than the reference temperature To. At this time, the determination unit 32 can determine that the operating state of the heating unit 10 is “abnormal” because the deviation of the case 2 is out of the allowable range. Similarly, in the case 3, the determination unit 32 can determine that the operating state of the heating unit 10 is “abnormal”.

  As shown in FIG. 4, the heat treatment apparatus 100 compares the temperature changes T2a and T3a detected during the heat treatment with the reference temperature change Toa using the determination unit 32 (control means 30). Determine the operating state. Further, the heat treatment apparatus 100 determines the operating state of the heating means 10 by further using the change Pin of the power value output from the power source 12 during the heat treatment.

  Specifically, in the case of the temperature change T2a, the determination unit 32 irregularly generates the differences D2a, D2b, and D2c shown in the figure as compared with the reference temperature change Toa. It can be determined that “there is a sign of abnormality” (or “abnormal”). On the other hand, in the case of the temperature change T3a, the determination unit 32 generates a constant difference D3a in time series as shown in the figure as compared with the reference temperature change Toa. Judgment can be made. Note that the determination unit 32 may determine that the operating state of the heating unit 10 is “abnormal” even when a certain difference occurs when the absolute value of the difference is greater than a predetermined threshold.

  Further, the determination unit 32 may determine the operating state of the heating unit 10 by comparing the temperature change T2a or T3a with the power value change Pin. The determination unit 32 may determine that the operating state of the heating unit 10 is “abnormal” when a temperature change does not occur following the power value change Pin.

[Program and recording medium]
The program Pr of the present invention is a method for detecting an abnormality in a heat treatment apparatus that supplies power to a heating element to cause the heating element to generate heat and heat-treats a substrate disposed in a processing chamber using the generated heating element. A power supply step of supplying power output from a power source to the heating element via a connection conductor; a detection step of detecting a temperature of the connection conductor; and the connection conductor and / or the heating element based on the detected temperature The abnormality detection method of the heat processing apparatus characterized by including the determination step which determines the operation state of this is performed. According to this, an effect equivalent to 100 of the heat treatment apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention can be obtained.

  Further, the present invention may be a recording medium Md that can be read by a computer in which the program Pr is recorded. The recording medium Md on which the program Pr is recorded includes a flexible disk (FD), a CD-ROM (Compact Disk-ROM), a CD-R (CD Recordable), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), and other computer-readable media, and A semiconductor memory such as a flash memory, a RAM, and a ROM, a memory card, an HDD (Hard Disc Drive), and other computer-readable devices can be used. Further, the recording medium Md on which the program Pr is recorded is arranged as the medium 214a in the drive 214 of the external device 200 shown in FIG. 2, the program Pr is read by the drive 214, and the heat treatment apparatus 100 is connected via the communication units 213 and 34. You may install it on

  Note that the recording medium Md on which the program Pr is recorded includes a medium temporarily stored in a volatile memory inside a computer system that becomes a server or a client when the program is transmitted via a network. Here, the network includes a network such as the Internet and a communication line such as a telephone line. The volatile memory is, for example, a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory). Furthermore, the program Pr recorded on the recording medium Md may be a so-called difference file that realizes a function in combination with a program already recorded on the computer system.

  As described above, according to the abnormality detection device, the heat treatment device, or the abnormality detection method according to the embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of the connection conductor 13 that supplies power to the heating element 11 (change in the resistance value when the heating means 10 is abnormal). By detecting the temperature change associated with (1), it is possible to detect an abnormality of the heating element 11 or the connection conductor 13 or a sign of the abnormality. Further, according to the abnormality detection device and the like according to the present embodiment, the operating state of the heating unit 10 (the heating element 11 and the like) can be determined based on the temperature of the connection conductor 13, and thus the heating unit 10 fails. The heating means 10 can be maintained (replaced etc.) before. Furthermore, according to the abnormality detection device and the like according to the present embodiment, the heating unit 10 can be maintained (replaced etc.) before the failure of the heating unit 10, so that the abnormality of the heating unit 10 occurs during the heat treatment. In addition, it is possible to avoid a state in which a plurality of substrates during heat treatment must be discarded. That is, according to the abnormality detection apparatus, the heat treatment apparatus, or the abnormality detection method according to the embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to avoid discarding a plurality of substrates being processed due to an abnormality occurring in the heating means 10 during the heat treatment. Therefore, the cost required for substrate processing can be greatly reduced. Further, according to the abnormality detection device, the heat treatment apparatus, or the abnormality detection method according to the embodiment of the present invention, the maintenance and management of the heat treatment apparatus (heating means 10) is planned and performed based on the detected operating state of the heating means 10. Can be done efficiently.

  In addition, according to the abnormality detection device, the heat treatment device, or the abnormality detection method according to the embodiment of the present invention, by detecting the temperature of the connection conductor 13 that supplies power to the heating element 11, at the start of the heat treatment and during the heat treatment, Without being affected by noise and power control, it is possible to detect (or calibrate) the operating state (normal, abnormal or predictive of abnormality) of the heating means 10 with high accuracy. In addition, according to the abnormality detection device or the like according to the present embodiment, the temperature of the connection conductor 13 that supplies power to the heating element 11 is detected, so that a minute change in resistance value of the connection conductor 13 or the like is detected. Can do. That is, according to the abnormality detection device and the like according to the present embodiment, it is possible to detect a minute change in resistance value of the connection conductor 13 and the like, and thus it is possible to detect aged deterioration of the connection conductor 13 and the like.

  Furthermore, according to the abnormality detection device, the heat treatment device, or the abnormality detection method according to the embodiment of the present invention, the temperature of the connection conductor 13 can be detected using a thermoelectric generation sensor (self-generation function), and therefore, a plurality of When detecting the temperature of the position, a plurality of power cables connected to the plurality of thermoelectric generation sensors can be omitted, wiring of the entire apparatus can be simplified, and the apparatus can be miniaturized.

  The present invention will be described using the heat treatment apparatus according to the example.

[Configuration of heat treatment apparatus and abnormality detection apparatus], [Function of heat treatment apparatus]
The configuration and the like of the heat treatment apparatus (and abnormality detection apparatus) according to the example are basically the same as the configuration and the like of the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the embodiment, and thus different parts will be mainly described.

  The arrangement of the detection unit (detection means) of the heat treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 5, in the heat treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment, the detectors 20a-A, 20a-B, and 20a-C are arranged on the bus bar BS. That is, the heat treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment detects the surface temperature of the bus bar BS corresponding to the connection conductor 13a using the detection units 20a-A, 20a-B, and 20a-C. In addition, since the detection part arrange | positioned at the connection conductors 13b thru | or 13e is the same as that of the case of the connection conductor 13a, description is abbreviate | omitted.

  The detection result of the detection unit (20a-A, etc.) of the heat treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. Here, the left vertical axis in FIG. 6 is the heating temperature of the reaction tube 122, the right vertical axis is the surface temperature of the bus bar BS, and the horizontal axis is the elapsed time.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the heat treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment uses the detection units 20a-A, 20a-B, and 20a-C arranged in the bus bar BS to change the surface temperature of the connection conductor 13a in time series. To detect. Here, the detection units 20a-A, 20a-B, and 20a-C detect temperatures Tta, Ttb, and Ttc, respectively. In the figure, Th is the heating temperature of the reaction tube 122.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the absolute values of the temperatures of the detection units 20a-A, 20a-B, and 20a-C become smaller in proportion to the distance from the connection conductor 13a. However, since the temperature change trends of the detection units 20a-A, 20a-B, and 20a-C are similar to each other, the operating state of the heating means 10 can be determined to be “normal”. Note that the heat treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment uses the detection units 20a-A, 20a-B, and 20a-C based on the absolute values of the temperatures detected by the detection units 20a-A, 20a-B, and 20a-C, respectively. You may judge the state of aged deterioration.

  The voltage or electric power which the detection part of the heat processing apparatus based on a present Example outputs is demonstrated using FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the heat treatment apparatus according to the present embodiment uses a thermoelectric generation sensor (thermoelectric element) as a detection unit. Here, the thermoelectric generation sensor generates an electromotive force due to a temperature difference. As shown in FIG. 7, the heat treatment apparatus (determination unit 32) performs a predetermined conversion based on the electromotive force (voltage E in FIG. 7A or power P in FIG. 7B) output by the detection unit. It can be converted to the temperature of the connection conductor 13 using a coefficient or the like. In addition, a well-known technique can be used for the method of detecting temperature using a thermoelectric generation sensor.

[Comparative Example 1]
FIG. 8 shows an example of the waveform of the output voltage value of the power supply according to Comparative Example 1.

  As shown in FIG. 8, in the heat treatment apparatus according to this comparative example, it is determined whether the operation of the heating unit is normal or abnormal based on the output voltage value of the power source supplied to the heating unit. In this case, the output voltage value of the power supply has a waveform including noise. Since the heat treatment apparatus includes, for example, plasma processing and other electric control systems, the output voltage value of the power supply may include a lot of noise components. In the heat treatment apparatus, for example, the resistance value of a heating means (a heating element, a connection conductor, etc.) changes due to heating, so that the output voltage value of the power source may be displaced.

  That is, in the determination of the operating state of the heating means based on the output voltage value of the power supply of the heat treatment apparatus according to this comparative example, the accuracy of detecting an abnormality compared to the abnormality detection method of the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Decreases.

  Therefore, according to the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the influence of noise included in the detection value is reduced as compared with the method of determining the operating state of the heating unit based on the output voltage value of the power source of Comparative Example 1. Or can be removed. Thereby, according to the heat processing apparatus 100 which concerns on embodiment of this invention, compared with the case of the comparative example 1, an operation state can be detected with high precision.

[Comparative Example 2]
In FIG. 9, the example of the waveform of the output current value of the power supply which concerns on the comparative example 2 is shown. Here, the left vertical axis in FIG. 9 is the output current value of the power source, the right vertical axis is the temperature of the connection conductor 13 (heating means 10) detected by the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to this embodiment, and the horizontal axis is the elapsed time.

  As shown in FIG. 9, in the heat treatment apparatus according to this comparative example, it is determined whether the operation of the heating unit is normal or abnormal based on the output current value of the power source supplied to the heating unit. In the heat treatment apparatus, the current Is supplied to the heating means (heating element) may be frequently changed in order to control the heating temperature with high accuracy during the heat treatment. In the heat treatment apparatus, for example, the resistance value of the heating means (heating element, connection conductor, etc.) changes due to heating, and the output current value Is of the power supply may also be displaced. In addition, TtD in a figure is the temperature of the connection conductor 13 which the heat processing apparatus 100 (detection part, judgment part) which concerns on embodiment of this invention detected. The temperature of the connection conductor 13 detected by the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention is not affected by power control (change in output value of the power supply) during the heat treatment.

  That is, in the determination of the operating state of the heating means based on the output current value Is of the power supply of the heat treatment apparatus according to this comparative example, an abnormality is detected as compared with the abnormality detection method of the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention. Accuracy is reduced.

  Therefore, according to the heat treatment apparatus 100 according to the embodiment of the present invention, the influence of the power control can be removed, so that the operation state can be easily detected with higher accuracy than in the case of the comparative example 2. be able to.

  As described above, the present invention has been described with reference to the embodiments and examples of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and examples, and in light of the appended claims, Various changes or modifications are possible.

100: Heat treatment apparatus 200: External equipment (PC etc.)
10: Heating means 11, 11a to 11e: Heating element 12, 12a to 12e: Power source 13, 13a to 13e: Connection conductor (connection member including electric wire, bus bar, etc.)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 20: Detection means 20a-20e: Detection part 30: Control means 31: Storage part 32: Judgment part 33: Heating control part 34: Detection control part 35: Communication part Pr: Program Md: Recording medium which recorded the program

Claims (10)

An abnormality detection device provided in a heat treatment apparatus for heat-treating a substrate disposed in a processing chamber using a heating element,
A connection conductor for supplying power output from a power source to the heating element;
A detection unit for detecting the temperature of the connection conductor;
An abnormality detection device for a heat treatment apparatus, comprising: a determination unit that determines an operation state of the connection conductor and / or the heating element based on the temperature detected by the detection unit. It further has a storage unit that stores in advance a predetermined allowable range of temperature,
The determination unit determines whether the operation state is normal or abnormal or has a sign of abnormality depending on whether or not the temperature detected by the detection unit is within the predetermined allowable range.
The abnormality detection apparatus of the heat processing apparatus of Claim 1 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The abnormality detection device for a heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the detection unit detects a surface temperature of the connection conductor.   The abnormality detection of the heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the determination unit further determines the operation state by further using a power value output from the power source. apparatus. A plurality of the connection conductors respectively disposed at a plurality of positions in the processing chamber;
The abnormality detection device for a heat treatment apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising: a plurality of the detection units that respectively detect temperatures of the plurality of connection conductors.   The determination unit determines whether any of the plurality of connection conductors is abnormal by comparing the temperatures detected by the plurality of connection conductors with each other at the start of heat treatment. The abnormality detection device for a heat treatment apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the abnormality detection device is a heat treatment apparatus. The detection unit is a thermoelectric generation sensor,
The thermoelectric generation sensor uses a thermoelectric element to output an electromotive force generated by the thermoelectric element according to a temperature difference,
The determination unit determines the operation state based on the electromotive force.
The abnormality detection device for a heat treatment apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the abnormality detection device is a heat treatment apparatus.   The heat processing apparatus provided with the abnormality detection apparatus as described in any one of Claims 1 thru | or 7. An abnormality detection method for a heat treatment apparatus that heats a heating element by supplying electric power to the heating element to heat the heating element, and heat-treats a substrate disposed in a processing chamber using the generated heating element,
A power supply step of supplying power output from a power source to the heating element via a connecting conductor;
A detecting step for detecting the temperature of the connecting conductor;
And a determination step of determining an operating state of the connection conductor and / or the heating element based on the detected temperature.   A program for causing a computer to execute the abnormality detection method for a heat treatment apparatus according to claim 9.

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