JP6689959B2 - Substrate processing apparatus, processing system, and semiconductor device manufacturing method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate, for example, a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing a substrate.

  In the field of semiconductor manufacturing, two HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) are used to operate by a RAID (Redundant Array of Inexpensive Disks) system, and a controller that does not stop the device due to a HDD failure due to this mirroring. It is configured. For example, in Patent Document 1, this RAID system is used as a backup device that backs up data relating to a substrate processing apparatus.

  In the future, as device miniaturization progresses, the amount of data in the device tends to increase, and there is a demand for production management in which the device side self-monitors without increasing the load on the device maker. Further, in the age of strengthening IoT (Internet of Things), a technology for processing data on the device side is required.

  SSD (Solid State Drive) has higher data read / write speed than HDD (Hard Disk Drive) and can be widely adapted to environment such as vibration and shock, so it is expected to be used as an embedded device in semiconductor manufacturing equipment. There is. However, the storage medium with a built-in SSD has an upper limit of the number of times of rewriting, and since frequent rewriting causes a failure due to wear, it is necessary to take measures for more stable operation of the device.

JP, 2009-010030, A

  An object of the present invention is to provide a configuration that allows the substrate processing apparatus to operate stably.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, a storage unit that stores device data, an acquisition unit that acquires information related to the state of the storage unit, a management unit that manages the consumption time of the storage unit, and a time before the consumption time is reached. An operation unit having a notification unit for generating an alarm, a control unit that receives a command from the operation unit, executes a recipe for processing a substrate, and controls the substrate to perform a predetermined process; and an operation unit. The sub-operation unit having an operation screen having the same configuration as that of the sub-operation screen, the operation unit is configured to interrupt the recipe and disconnect the connection to the control unit when an abnormality occurs in the operation unit. The operation unit is provided with a configuration for disconnecting the connection with the operation unit, connecting with the control unit, and controlling the control unit to continue the recipe.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a configuration in which the substrate processing apparatus can operate stably.

It is a perspective view showing a substrate processing device suitably used for one embodiment of the present invention. It is a sectional side view which shows the substrate processing apparatus suitably used for one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure showing composition of a control system used suitably for one embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the function structure of the operation part used suitably for one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the processing system used suitably for one Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure explaining the functional composition of the SSD management program used suitably for one embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure showing an example of operation of a processing system used suitably for one embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining the processing system composition at the time of normal used suitably for one embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure explaining the processing system composition at the time of an abnormality suitably used for one embodiment of the present invention.

(Outline of Substrate Processing Apparatus) An embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, a substrate processing apparatus 1 in which the present invention is implemented will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2.

  The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a housing 2, and a maintenance opening 4 is provided in a lower portion of a front wall 3 of the housing 2 for maintenance, and the opening 4 is opened and closed by a front maintenance door 5. To be done.

  A pod loading / unloading port 6 is opened on the front wall 3 of the housing 2 so as to communicate with the inside and outside of the housing 2. The pod loading / unloading opening 6 is opened and closed by a front shutter 7, and the front of the pod loading / unloading opening 6 is opened. A load port 8 is installed on the front side, and the load port 8 is configured to align a mounted pod 9.

  The pod 9 is a closed type substrate transfer container, and is loaded into the load port 8 and unloaded from the load port 8 by an in-process transfer device (not shown).

  A rotary pod shelf 11 is installed on an upper portion of the housing 2 in a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction, and the rotary pod shelf 11 is configured to store a plurality of pods 9.

  The rotary pod shelf 11 is provided with a support column 12 which is vertically erected vertically and intermittently rotated, and a plurality of shelf plates 13 which are radially supported by the support column 12 at upper, middle and lower positions. The plate 13 is configured to store a plurality of the pods 9 placed thereon.

  A pod opener 14 is provided below the rotary pod shelf 11, and the pod opener 14 has a configuration in which the pod 9 is placed and the lid of the pod 9 can be opened and closed.

  A pod transfer mechanism 15 is installed between the load port 8 and the rotary pod shelf 11 and the pod opener 14. The pod transfer mechanism 15 holds the pod 9 and can move up and down, and can move forward and backward in the horizontal direction. The pod 9 is configured to be transported between the load port 8, the rotary pod shelf 11, and the pod opener 14.

  A sub-housing 16 is provided across the rear end of the housing 2 at a lower portion of the housing 2 at a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction. A pair of wafer loading / unloading ports 19 for loading / unloading a wafer (hereinafter, also referred to as a substrate) 18 to / from the sub-casing 16 is arranged on the front wall 17 of the sub-casing 16 vertically in two steps. The pod openers 14 are provided for the upper and lower wafer loading / unloading ports 19, respectively.

  The pod opener 14 includes a mounting table 21 on which the pod 9 is mounted and an opening / closing mechanism 22 that opens and closes the lid of the pod 9. The pod opener 14 is configured to open and close the wafer entrance / exit of the pod 9 by opening / closing the lid of the pod 9 mounted on the mounting table 21 by the opening / closing mechanism 22.

  The sub-casing 16 constitutes a transfer chamber 23 that is airtight from the space (pod transfer space) in which the pod transfer mechanism 15 and the rotary pod shelf 11 are arranged. A wafer transfer mechanism (substrate transfer mechanism) 24 is installed in the front area of the transfer chamber 23, and the substrate transfer mechanism 24 mounts a required number (five in the figure) of wafers on which the substrates 18 are mounted. The wafer mounting plate 25 is provided with a mounting plate 25. The wafer mounting plate 25 can be moved directly in the horizontal direction, can be rotated in the horizontal direction, and can be moved up and down. The substrate transfer mechanism 24 is configured to load and unload the substrate 18 with respect to the boat (substrate holder) 26.

  In the rear area of the transfer chamber 23, a standby unit 27 that accommodates the boat 26 and waits is configured, and a vertical processing furnace 28 is provided above the standby unit 27. The processing furnace 28 has a processing chamber 29 formed therein, the lower end of the processing chamber 29 is a furnace opening, and the furnace opening is opened and closed by a furnace opening shutter 31.

  A boat elevator 32 for raising and lowering the boat 26 is installed between the right end of the housing 2 and the right end of the standby portion 27 of the sub-housing 16. A seal cap 34 as a lid is horizontally attached to an arm 33 connected to a lift of the boat elevator 32. The seal cap 34 vertically supports the boat 26 and loads the boat 26 into the processing chamber 29. In this state, the furnace opening can be airtightly closed.

  The boat 26 is configured to hold a plurality of (for example, about 50 to 125) substrates 18 in the center thereof and hold them in a horizontal posture in multiple stages.

  A clean unit 35 is arranged at a position facing the boat elevator 32 side, and the clean unit 35 is composed of a supply fan and a dust filter so as to supply clean air 36 which is a cleaned atmosphere or an inert gas. . Between the substrate transfer mechanism 24 and the clean unit 35, a notch aligning device (not shown) is installed as a substrate aligning device for aligning the circumferential position of the substrate 18.

  The clean air 36 blown out from the clean unit 35 is circulated through a notch alignment device (not shown), the substrate transfer mechanism 24, and the boat 26, and then sucked by a duct (not shown) and exhausted to the outside of the housing 2. Or is blown out into the transfer chamber 23 by the clean unit 35.

  Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described.

  When the pod 9 is supplied to the load port 8, the pod loading / unloading port 6 is opened by the front shutter 7. The pod 9 on the load port 8 is carried into the inside of the housing 2 by the pod carrying device 15 through the pod carrying-in / carrying-out port 6 and placed on the designated shelf plate 13 of the rotary pod shelf 11. After the pod 9 is temporarily stored in the rotary pod shelf 11, it is transferred from the shelf 13 to one of the pod openers 14 by the pod transfer device 15 and transferred to the mounting table 21, or the load port. 8 is directly transferred to the mounting table 21.

  At this time, the wafer loading / unloading port 19 is closed by the opening / closing mechanism 22, and the transfer chamber 23 is filled with clean air 36. For example, the transfer chamber 23 is filled with nitrogen gas as the clean air 36, so that the oxygen concentration is set to 20 ppm or less, which is much lower than the oxygen concentration inside the housing 2 (atmosphere).

  The opening side end surface of the pod 9 placed on the mounting table 21 is pressed against the opening edge portion of the wafer loading / unloading port 19 in the front wall 17 of the sub-casing 16, and the lid is removed by the opening / closing mechanism 22. , The wafer entrance / exit is opened.

  When the pod 9 is opened by the pod opener 14, the substrate 18 is taken out from the pod 9 by the substrate transfer mechanism 24 and transferred to a notch aligning device (not shown), and after aligning the substrate 18 with the notch aligning device. The substrate transfer mechanism 24 carries the substrate 18 into a standby portion 27 located behind the transfer chamber 23 and loads the boat 26 (charging).

  The substrate transfer mechanism 24 that has transferred the substrate 18 to the boat 26 returns to the pod 9 and loads the next substrate 18 into the boat 26.

  During loading work of the substrate 18 into the boat 26 by the substrate transfer mechanism 24 in one (upper or lower) pod opener 14, the other (lower or upper) pod opener 14 is moved from the rotary pod shelf 11 Another pod 9 is transported and transferred by the pod transport device 15, and the opening work of the pod 9 by the other pod opener 14 is simultaneously advanced.

  When a predetermined number of substrates 18 are loaded in the boat 26, the furnace opening of the processing furnace 28, which was closed by the furnace opening shutter 31, is opened by the furnace opening shutter 31. Then, the boat 26 is lifted by the boat elevator 32 and loaded into the processing chamber 29.

  After loading, the furnace opening is hermetically closed by the seal cap 34. Note that the present embodiment has a purge step (pre-purge step) in which the processing chamber 29 is replaced with an inert gas at this timing (after loading).

  The processing chamber 29 is evacuated to a desired pressure (degree of vacuum) by a gas exhaust mechanism (not shown). Further, the processing chamber 29 is heated to a predetermined temperature by a heater driving unit (not shown) so that the temperature distribution in the processing chamber 29 becomes a desired temperature distribution.

  Further, a processing gas, which is controlled to have a predetermined flow rate, is supplied by a gas supply mechanism (not shown), and in the process of flowing through the processing chamber 29, the processing gas comes into contact with the surface of the substrate 18 and the surface of the substrate 18 is contacted. Then, a predetermined process is performed. Further, the processed gas after the reaction is exhausted from the processing chamber 29 by the gas exhaust mechanism.

  When a preset processing time has elapsed, an inert gas is supplied from an inert gas supply source (not shown) by the gas supply mechanism, the processing chamber 29 is replaced with the inert gas, and the pressure of the processing chamber 29 is changed. Is returned to normal pressure (afterpurge process). Then, the boat 26 is lowered by the boat elevator 32 via the seal cap 34.

  Regarding the carry-out of the substrate 18 after the processing, the substrate 18 and the pod 9 are discharged to the outside of the housing 2 in the reverse order of the above description. The unprocessed substrate 18 is further loaded into the boat 26, and the batch processing of the substrate 18 is repeated.

(Functional Configuration of Control System 200) Next, with reference to FIG. 3, a functional configuration of the control system 200 centering on the main controller 201 as an operation unit will be described. As shown in FIG. 3, the control system 200 includes a main controller 201, a transport system controller 211 as a transport control unit, and a process system controller 212 as a processing control unit.

  Here, the apparatus data means data relating to the substrate processing such as the processing temperature, the processing pressure, the flow rate of the processing gas when the substrate processing apparatus 1 processes the substrate 18, and the quality of the manufactured product substrate (for example, the formed film). When the substrate processing apparatus 1 processes the substrate 18, such as data on thickness and accumulated value of the film thickness) and data on components of the substrate processing apparatus 1 (quartz reaction tube, heater, valve, MFC, etc.). It is data generated by operating each component.

  The operation unit 201 is electrically connected to the transport control unit 211 and the process control unit 212 by a LAN (Local Area Network) such as 100BASE-T, and therefore transmits and receives each device data and downloads and uploads each file. And so on.

  The operation unit 201 is provided with a port as a mounting unit into which a recording medium (for example, a USB memory or the like) as an external storage device is inserted and removed. An OS (Operation System) corresponding to this port is installed in the operation unit 201. Further, an external host computer and a management device are connected to the operation unit 201, for example, via a communication network. Therefore, even when the substrate processing apparatus 1 is installed in the clean room, the host computer can be installed in an office or the like outside the clean room. The management apparatus is connected to the substrate processing apparatus 1 via a LAN line and has a function of collecting apparatus data from the operation unit 201.

  A database (hereinafter, also referred to as a storage unit) 215 as a network storage is connected to the operation unit 201 via a LAN line, and has a function of storing device data from the operation unit 201 like the external host computer and the management device. It is mainly used for regular storage of device data, that is, for backup. The storage unit 215 can be replaced with a management device.

  The transfer control unit 211 is connected to a substrate transfer system 211A mainly composed of a rotary pod shelf 11, a boat elevator 32, a pod transfer device 15, a substrate transfer mechanism 24, a boat 26 and a rotation mechanism (not shown). ing. The transfer control unit 211 is configured to control the transfer operations of the rotary pod rack 11, the boat elevator 32, the pod transfer device 15, the substrate transfer mechanism 24, the boat 26, and the rotation mechanism (not shown). . In particular, the transfer controller 211 is configured to control the transfer operations of the boat elevator 32, the pod transfer device 15, and the substrate transfer mechanism 24 via the motion controller 211a.

  The process control unit 212 includes a temperature controller 212a, a pressure controller 212b, a gas flow rate controller 212c, and a sequencer 212d. The temperature controller 212a, the pressure controller 212b, the gas flow rate controller 212c, and the sequencer 212d constitute a sub-controller and are electrically connected to the processing control unit 212, so that transmission / reception of each device data and download / upload of each file are performed. Etc. are possible. Although the processing controller 212 and the sub-controller are shown as separate bodies, they may be integrated.

  A heating mechanism 212A mainly including a heater and a temperature sensor is connected to the temperature controller 212a. The temperature controller 212a is configured to adjust the temperature inside the processing furnace 28 by controlling the temperature of the heater of the processing furnace 28. The temperature controller 212a is configured to perform switching control of the thyristor and control electric power supplied to the heater wire.

  A gas exhaust mechanism 212B mainly including a pressure sensor, an APC valve as a pressure valve, and a vacuum pump is connected to the pressure controller 212b. The pressure controller 212b controls the opening degree of the APC valve and switching of the vacuum pump based on the pressure value detected by the pressure sensor so that the pressure in the processing chamber 29 becomes a desired pressure at a desired timing. Is configured.

  The gas flow controller 212c is configured by an MFC (Mass Flow Controller). The sequencer 212d is configured to control supply and stop of gas from the processing gas supply pipe and the purge gas supply pipe by opening and closing the valve 212D. The process system controller 212 is also configured to control the MFC 212c and the sequencer 212d (valve 212D) so that the flow rate of the gas supplied into the processing chamber 29 becomes a desired flow rate at a desired timing.

  The main controller 201, the transfer control unit 211, and the processing control unit 212 according to the present embodiment can be realized using a normal computer system instead of a dedicated system. For example, by installing the program in a general-purpose computer from a recording medium (USB memory or the like) storing the program for executing the above-described processing, each controller that executes the predetermined processing can be configured.

  And the means for supplying these programs is arbitrary. In addition to being supplied via a predetermined recording medium as described above, it may be supplied via a communication line, a communication network, a communication system, or the like. Then, by activating the provided program and executing it under the control of the OS in the same manner as other application programs, predetermined processing can be executed.

(Configuration of Main Controller 201) Next, the configuration of the operation unit 201 will be described with reference to FIG.

  The operation unit 201 includes a main control unit 220, an SSD (solid state disk) 222 as a main control storage unit, a display unit for displaying various information, and an operation display unit 227 including an operation unit for receiving various instructions from an operator. , A transmission / reception module 228 as a main control communication unit that communicates with the inside and outside of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The main controller control unit 220 includes a CPU (central processing unit) 224 as a processing unit and a flash memory (RAM, ROM, etc.) 226 as a temporary storage unit, and is configured as a computer having a clock function (not shown). Has been done. Hereinafter, the flash memory may be simply referred to as a memory.

  The SSD 222 includes recipe files such as recipes in which substrate processing conditions and processing procedures are defined, a control program file for executing these recipe files, a parameter file in which parameters for executing recipes are defined, and In addition to the error processing program file and the error processing parameter file, various screen files including an input screen for inputting process parameters, various icon files, etc. (all not shown) are stored. The parameter is a numerical value such as a stop position of each transport mechanism of the transport control unit 211, for example.

  The operation display unit 227 is configured to display an operation screen for operating the substrate processing apparatus 1. The operation screen of the operation display unit 227 is, for example, a touch panel using liquid crystal. The operation display unit 227 may include a display unit such as a liquid crystal display and a user interface (UI) unit including a pointing device such as a keyboard and a mouse.

  The operation display unit 227 includes an operation unit and a display unit for confirming the states of the substrate transfer system and the substrate processing system. Further, on the operation screen of the operation display unit 227, an input for inputting an operation instruction to the substrate transfer system 211A and the substrate processing system (the heating mechanism 212A, the gas exhaust mechanism 212B, and the gas supply system 212C) shown in FIG. It is also possible to provide each operation button as a part.

  The operation display unit 227 displays information based on the device data generated in the substrate processing apparatus 100 on the operation screen via the operation screen. The operation display unit 227 receives the input data (input instruction) of the operator from the operation screen, and transmits the input data to the operation unit 201. Further, the operation display unit 227 is an instruction (control instruction) to execute a recipe developed in the memory 226 or the like, or an arbitrary substrate processing recipe (also referred to as a process recipe) among a plurality of recipes stored in the main control storage unit 222. ) Is received and transmitted to the main controller control unit 220.

  The spare controller (hereinafter, also referred to as a sub-operation unit) 202 has the same configuration as the operation unit 201, and thus the description thereof is omitted. Since the operation display unit 207 of the sub-operation unit 202 has no authority during operation (normal time) by the operation unit 201, the same screen as the operation display unit 207 of the operation unit 201 is displayed. For example, a predetermined authority switching button on the operation unit 201 is configured so that operations such as file editing can be performed on the operation display unit 207 of the sub operation unit 202. As will be described later, the sub-operation unit 202 is normally used only as a display unit that displays the same information as the operation display unit 227, but a failure occurs and the operation unit 201 stops (at the time of abnormality). At this time, the transport control unit 211 and the process control unit 212 are controlled instead of the operation unit 201.

  A switching hub or the like is connected to the main controller communication unit 228 so that the operation unit 201 can transmit and receive data to and from an external computer or another controller in the device 1 via a network. It is configured.

  The operation unit 201 also transmits apparatus data such as the state of the substrate processing apparatus 1 to an external host computer, such as a host computer, via a network (not shown). The substrate processing operation of the substrate processing apparatus 1 is controlled by the control system 200 based on each recipe file, each parameter file, etc. stored in the main controller storage unit 222.

(Substrate Processing Method) Next, a substrate processing method that is performed by using the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment and has a predetermined processing step will be described. Here, the case where the predetermined processing step is a substrate processing step (here, a film forming step), which is one of the steps of manufacturing a semiconductor device, is taken as an example.

  When performing the substrate processing step, a substrate processing recipe (process recipe) corresponding to the substrate processing to be performed is developed in the memory 226 in the processing control unit 212, for example. Then, an operation instruction is given from the operation unit 201 to the processing control unit 212 and the conveyance control unit 211 as necessary. The substrate processing process carried out in this manner includes at least a carrying-in process, a film-forming process, a carrying-out process, and a collecting process. Further, the transfer step (which may include the step of loading the substrate into the apparatus 1) may be included in the substrate processing step.

(Transfer Step) The operation unit 201 issues a drive instruction of the substrate transfer mechanism 24 to the transfer control unit 211. Then, the substrate transfer mechanism 24 starts the transfer process of the substrate 18 from the pod 9 on the transfer stage 21 as a mounting table to the boat 26 while following the instruction from the transport control unit 211. This transfer process is performed until all scheduled loading of the substrates 18 into the boat 26 (wafer charging) is completed.

(Loading Step) When the designated number of substrates 18 are loaded into the boat 26, the boat 26 is lifted by the boat elevator 32 that operates according to the instruction from the transfer control unit 211, and is formed in the processing furnace 28. It is loaded into 29 (boat load). When the boat 26 is completely loaded, the seal cap 34 of the boat elevator 32 hermetically closes the lower end of the manifold of the processing furnace 28.

(Film Forming Step) After that, the inside of the processing chamber 29 is evacuated by the vacuum evacuation device so as to have a predetermined film forming pressure (vacuum degree) according to an instruction from the pressure control unit 212b. Further, the inside of the processing chamber 29 is heated by a heater so as to reach a predetermined temperature while following the instruction from the temperature control unit 212a. Then, the rotation of the boat 26 and the substrate 18 is started by the rotation mechanism while following the instruction from the transport control unit 211. Then, while maintaining a predetermined pressure and a predetermined temperature, a predetermined gas (processing gas) is supplied to the plurality of substrates 18 held in the boat 26 to perform a predetermined processing (for example, film formation) on the substrates 18. Processing) is performed.

(Unloading Step) When the film forming step for the wafer 18 placed on the boat 26 is completed, the rotation of the boat 26 and the wafer 18 by the rotating mechanism is stopped while following the instruction from the transfer control unit 211, and the boat elevator 32. Thus, the seal cap 34 is lowered to open the lower end of the manifold, and the boat 26 holding the processed substrate 18 is carried out of the processing furnace 28 (boat unloading).

(Recovery Step) Then, the boat 26 holding the processed substrate 18 is cooled very effectively by the clean air 36 blown out from the clean unit 35. Then, when cooled to, for example, 150 ° C. or lower, the processed substrate 18 is removed from the boat 26 (wafer discharging) and transferred to the pod 9, and then a new unprocessed substrate 18 is transferred to the boat 26. Is done.

  By executing the process recipe and repeating the above steps, the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment can perform, for example, the formation of a silicon film on the substrate 18 with high throughput. .

(Configuration of Processing System) The processing system according to the present embodiment will be described below with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8.

As shown in FIG. 5, the processing system according to the present exemplary embodiment monitors and manages the storage unit (SSD) 222 that stores device data, an acquisition unit that acquires information related to the state of the SSD, and the consumption time of the SSD. An operation unit 201 including a management unit and a notification unit that generates an alarm indicating consumption before reaching the consumption time, and a sub-operation unit 202 connected to the operation unit 201 and having the same operation screen as the operation unit 201. And a storage unit 215 via a LAN line.

In the processing system according to the present embodiment, the device data stored in the storage unit 222 is copied by the copying unit, which will be described later, at predetermined intervals, and the operation unit 201 stores the copied device data in the storage unit 215. Is configured. The memory 226 or the storage unit 222 may be directly copied.

  The sub operation unit 202 is configured to be able to perform the degenerate operation when a failure occurs and the operation unit 201 stops. That is, it is configured to start a program having a simple display screen and a minimum required operation function to continue device control. It may be configured to have a function of communicating with a host upper controller, a log of detailed information on control, or the like, or may be configured to have a function similar to that of the operation unit 201.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the operation unit 201 executes the SSD state monitoring program stored in the storage unit 222 at the time of startup, so that the acquisition unit 203, the management unit 204, the notification unit 205, and the copy unit 206. Are configured in the control unit 220 (memory 226).

  The control unit 220 acquires information (SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology) information) about the state of the storage unit 222 by the acquisition unit 203. This information is assigned to the operating time and internal temperature of the storage unit 222, the number of times the SSD is turned on and off, the number of times of rewriting of the internal flash memory, the number of ECC (Error Correction Code) errors indicating failure to correct bit damage, and a sector failure. Information such as the number of times the alternate sector (unit memory area) has been used is included. The control unit 220 is configured to include a management unit 204 that manages the state of the storage unit 222 and calculates the consumption tendency of the storage unit 222 based on these pieces of information.

  The control unit 220 is also configured to include a notification unit 205 that issues an alarm indicating consumption when the information regarding the state of the storage unit 222 acquired by the acquisition unit 203 exceeds a preset threshold value. It should be noted that this threshold value is set in consideration of the margin in advance with respect to the degree of wear of the storage unit 222. When the threshold value is exceeded, the control unit 220 causes the copying unit 206 to copy the device data stored in the memory 226 or the storage unit 222, and transfers the copied device data to the storage unit 215. Has been done.

  The operator who receives the alarm notification prepares an alternative SSD and connects it to an empty port of the storage unit 222 so that the storage unit (SSD) 222 is automatically copied to the alternative SSD. Good. Further, the operator may select a file to be automatically backed up on the operation display unit 227 in advance, and then start copying to the storage unit 215 after a predetermined period of time elapses. When the device data in the file is changed, the copying to the storage unit 215 may be automatically started.

  When the operation unit 201 becomes unusable due to an unexpected storage unit (SSD) 222 failure, after the replacement operation unit or the replacement SSD is replaced, the automatically backed up file is used by using the replaced operation screen. It is possible to recover. As shown in FIG. 7, the selected file (A) is displayed on the operation screen after replacement.

However, in this case, although the device data can be recovered, the device is stopped because a predetermined recovery process (for example, replacement work) is required. In particular, in the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the present embodiment, if the substrate 18 is being processed, a lot out may occur and the substrate loss may increase. Therefore, it is preferable that an alternative operation unit is provided in advance in the processing system of this embodiment.

FIG. 8 shows a connection state between the operation unit 201 and the sub operation unit 202. Further, in FIG. 8, the controllers are shown as the controller # 1, the controller # 2, and the controller # 3, but the number of controllers is not particularly limited. Further, the controller may be configured to include the transport control unit 211 and the process control unit 212, or may be configured to include one of the transport control unit 211 and the process control unit 212. The processing chamber 29 (not shown) is connected to each controller. According to this configuration, it can be applied to the substrate processing apparatus 1 provided with a plurality of processing chambers 29. Moreover, you may add suitably, without denying that another controller not shown is added.

  FIG. 8A shows a connection state of the operation unit 201 and the sub operation unit 202 at the normal time. In this case, the sub operation unit 202 is used similarly to the operation display unit 227. Although not shown, the operation unit 201 is connected to each control controller, and the operation unit 201 controls each control controller. Since the sub operation unit 202 and each control controller are not connected, they are shown by dotted lines. On the other hand, FIG. 8B shows a connection state of the operation unit 201 and the sub operation unit 202 at the time of abnormality. For example, when the wear limit or the unexpected failure occurs in the SSD, the operation unit 201 stops the execution of the recipe for each control controller, while generating an alarm indicating the abnormality of the operation unit 201, the sub operation unit 202. Switch to control to. Specifically, when the sub operation unit 202 receives the alarm instruction generated from the operation unit 201, the sub operation unit 202 disconnects the connection with the operation unit 201, establishes the connection with each control controller, and according to the content of the alarm, Continue executing the recipe or forcefully terminate the recipe.

As described above, the connection between the operation unit 201 and the sub operation unit 202 is disconnected, and thus the connection state between the operation unit 201 and the sub operation unit 202 is indicated by a dotted line in FIG. 8B. In the conventional system using the HDD, it is difficult to detect wear and failure of the HDD, and it is difficult to control the operation unit 201 to be switched to another operation unit because the operation is not stable. However, according to the present embodiment. For example, the control switching process from the operation unit 201 to the sub operation unit 202 can be performed on the data collected in the SSD without any trouble.

  If an unexpected abnormality of the operation unit 201 occurs during execution of the recipe for processing the substrate, the operation unit 201 can be switched to the sub-operation unit 202 to execute the recipe. The sub operation unit 202 is configured to end at least the step in which the failure has occurred. Further, in the case of communication abnormality, there may be no abnormality in the components constituting the substrate processing apparatus 1, and thus the recipe situation may be terminated. Since the sub-operation unit 202 is operated in a degenerate manner in this way, the device will not be stopped while the recipe cannot be executed in the middle of the operation, so that lot-out can be suppressed.

  Also, an unexpected abnormality of the operation unit 201 is stopped during the transportation even when the substrate is transported before the recipe for processing the substrate is transported (even when the recipe for transporting the substrate is being executed). Since the transport system can be transported to the position of the transport destination without doing so, it is possible to execute the recipe by the operation unit 201 after replacement after a predetermined restoration process (for example, replacement work).

In the present embodiment, the case where only one SSD is connected and used has been described above. However, if an abnormality occurs in the operation unit 201 during the execution of the recipe, the apparatus will not be stopped while the recipe cannot be executed in the middle. Execution of the recipe is suspended. Here, as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 6, a RAID system configuration in which two storage units 222 are prepared has been conventionally implemented. As shown in FIG. 6, by using two SSDs, even if SSD # 1 (SSD # 2) fails, the operation can be switched to another SSD # 2 (SSD # 1). The reliability is improved as compared with the case of using one SSD.

In this case, the control unit 220 sets the state of SSD # 2 to "degrade". As a result, during SSD operation, if one SSD # 1 is "normal", the SSD # 1 and SSD # 2 are separated by "degrade", so do not issue an alarm. Constitute. Further, when SSD # 2 is copied (when the contents of SSD # 1 is being copied to SSD # 2), the status of SSD # 2 is reported as "rebuild". Here, "degrade" refers to a state in which redundancy due to the RAID configuration has been lost, such as when one SSD of a RAID member has been detached, and "rebuild" refers to an SSD that has been detached from a RAID member. It is in a state of trying to recover the redundancy by the RAID configuration such as when the SSD is added as a member.

If the contents of SSD # 1 are copied to SSD # 2 (automatic backup in real time) during execution of the recipe for processing the board, switching to SSD # 2 is possible even if SSD # 1 fails. Thus, even if the recipe is continued without interruption, the device data collected can be stored without omission. However, in such an operation, both SSD # 1 and SSD # 2 must be "normal". Furthermore, since the SSD itself has a problem of the upper limit of the number of rewrites and a failure due to consumption due to the rewriting, the operation of always storing the device data in both the SSD # 1 and the SSD # 2 is from the aspect of the device reliability. There is room for improvement. Hereinafter, a specific operation example will be described.

(Operation Example 1) In a substrate processing process such as when a recipe for processing a substrate is executed, the operation of storing device data in both SSD # 1 and SSD # 2 is used, and other than the substrate processing process (for example, In the case where there is no substrate to be processed in the apparatus such as maintenance), the apparatus data is collected by either SSD # 1 or SSD # 2 and the other one is set to "degraded".

As a result, it is possible to keep the safe operation of the device while suppressing the problem of the SSD, and the device reliability is not deteriorated. Even in the RAID system, since the storage unit 215 is simply changed to the SSD # 1 (or SSD # 2), the operation unit 201 fails during the recipe execution, and the operation unit 201 can be used. When there is no more, it is possible to switch to the sub operation unit 202. Further, if the communication is not a failure but a communication abnormality, the sub operation unit 202 can continue the device data until the recipe is completed.

  When an SSD error occurs, either the SSD # 1 or SSD # 2 in which the error occurred can be set to "degrade" and the other device data collection can be continued. Can continue.

  In addition, even in the operation in which the device data is collected in either SSD # 1 or SSD # 2 and the other one is set to "degraded", since the threshold is managed in consideration of the margin to some extent, an abnormality occurs in the SSD. Even if it occurs, the status of the SSD in which no abnormality has occurred is set to "rebuilt" and copied. This allows the recipe to continue even during substrate processing. Similarly, even if a trouble occurs in the operation unit 201, it is possible to switch to the sub operation unit 202. However, since the copying process is performed during the substrate processing, both SSD # 1 and SSD # 2 are preferable during the substrate processing because the time for switching the SSD is short.

(Operation example 2) Further, except when the recipe for processing the substrate is executed (boat loading, film forming step, boat unloading) except for the substrate transfer step until the substrate is transferred to the substrate holder. , SSD # 1 and SSD # 2 may be used to store the device data. Thereby, the same effect as that of the operation example 1 is obtained.

  In the present embodiment, the operation unit 201 is provided with the storage unit 215 in addition to the wafer processing (substrate processing) function and the upper report function, but the operation unit 201 is not limited to such a form. Further, the SSD in the present embodiment may be configured to be incorporated in any controller of the main controller 201 as an operation unit, the transport system controller 211 as a transport control unit, and the process system controller 212 as a processing control unit.

  According to this embodiment, one or more of the following effects are exhibited.

  (a) According to the processing system of the present embodiment, the performance of the controller can be improved by applying the SSD instead of the HDD.

  (b) According to the processing system of the present embodiment, the power consumption can be reduced by applying the SSD instead of the HDD, and the frequency of maintenance replacement is, for example, 1/8 of that of the HDD. It can be reduced to a certain degree.

  (c) According to the processing system of the present embodiment, by applying the SSD instead of the HDD, the existing controller configuration is used to add the function by software, so that the cost at the time of modification can be kept low. be able to.

  (d) Further, by the RAID configuration (using two SSDs in response to the request), the mirroring operation is performed to ensure reliability more than when one SSD is used. As a result, the recipe being executed can be continued even if an abnormality occurs in the SSD.

  (e) According to the configuration of the present embodiment, not only the failure of the SSD, but also the operation of the operation unit in general, the backup work of the device data and the restoration work such as the SSD replacement can be easily performed.

  (f) According to the configuration of the present embodiment, by providing both the operation unit and the sub-operation unit, it is possible to back up the device data not only for the failure of the SSD but also for any abnormality of the operation unit. Further, since the operation unit can be switched to the sub operation unit, the recipe being executed can be continued even if some abnormality occurs in the operation unit.

  The substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the embodiment of the present invention can be applied not only to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor but also to an apparatus for processing a glass substrate such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) apparatus. Further, it is needless to say that the present invention can be applied to various substrate processing apparatuses such as an exposure apparatus, a lithographic apparatus, a coating apparatus and a processing apparatus using plasma.

  Further, the film forming process can be performed by a process of forming a thin film such as CVD (Chemical Vapor Deposition) or PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition), a process of forming an oxide film or a nitride film, or a process of forming a film containing a metal. Is.

  Finally, this application claims the benefit of priority on the basis of Japanese application Japanese Patent Application No. 2016-068476 filed on Mar. 30, 2016, the entire disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.

  The present invention can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Substrate processing apparatus, 200 ... Control system, 201 ... Main controller (operation part), 202 ... Spare controller (sub operation part), 215 ... Database (storage part), 220 ... Main controller control part, 222 ... Main Control storage unit (SSD), 224 ... CPU, 227 ... Operation display unit,

Claims (12)

A storage unit that stores device data, an acquisition unit that acquires information related to the state of the storage unit, a management unit that manages the consumption time of the storage unit, and a notification that generates an alarm before the consumption time is reached. And an operation screen having the same configuration as the operation screen of the operation unit, and a control unit that executes a recipe for processing the substrate and controls the substrate to perform a predetermined process. Equipped with a sub-operation unit,
When an abnormality occurs in the operation unit, the operation unit is configured to interrupt the recipe and disconnect the connection between the control unit and the sub operation unit, and the sub operation unit is connected to the control unit. The substrate processing apparatus is configured to control the control unit to continue the recipe.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein when the sub operation unit receives an alarm indicating an abnormality of the operation unit, the sub operation unit disconnects from the operation unit and establishes a connection with the control unit. .   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the operation unit further includes a copying unit that periodically copies the device data in the storage unit. Further, a storage unit for storing the device data is provided,
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the operation unit is configured to transfer the device data of the storage unit to the storage unit to the copying unit when receiving an alarm indicating exhaustion of the storage unit. Further, the recipe for processing the substrate includes at least a step of loading a substrate holder holding a substrate into a processing chamber, a step of processing the substrate, and a substrate holder holding the processed substrate in the processing chamber. Have the steps to carry out from
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sub operation unit is configured to end the step that is being executed when an abnormality occurs in the operation unit.   The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the sub operation unit is configured to terminate the recipe that was being executed when an abnormality occurred in the operation unit. The information related to the state of the storage unit includes the operating time of the storage unit, the internal temperature of the storage unit, the number of times the storage unit is powered on / off, the number of times of rewriting the internal memory, the number of ECC errors, and a sector to be assigned when a sector fails. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, which is one or more pieces of information selected from the group consisting of the number of times of use. The storage unit includes a first storage unit and a second storage unit,
The operation unit is configured to cause the control unit to execute the recipe while storing the device data in one of the first storage unit and the second storage unit. When an alarm indicating the consumption of one of the two storage units is generated, the device data collected in one of the first storage unit and the second storage unit is used as the first storage unit and the second storage unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the substrate processing apparatus is configured to copy to one of the storage units and control the control unit to continue the recipe. Further, the recipe for processing the substrate includes at least a step of loading a substrate holder holding a substrate into a processing chamber, a step of processing the substrate, and a substrate holder holding the processed substrate in the processing chamber. Have the steps to carry out from
9. The operation unit is configured to terminate the step that has been executed when an alarm indicating exhaustion of one of the first storage unit and the second storage unit is generated. The substrate processing apparatus described.   9. The operation unit is configured to terminate the recipe being executed when an alarm indicating consumption of one of the first storage unit and the second storage unit is generated. The substrate processing apparatus described. A storage unit that stores device data, an acquisition unit that acquires information related to the state of the storage unit, a management unit that manages the consumption time of the storage unit, and a notification that generates an alarm before the consumption time is reached. and parts, an operation unit having a running recipe for processing a substrate, and a control unit for controlling to perform predetermined processing on a substrate, and a sub operation unit having the same configuration as the operation screen of the operation unit, In the processing system including, when the operation unit is abnormal, the operation unit is configured to interrupt the recipe and disconnect the connection between the control unit and the sub-operation unit, The sub-operation unit is connected to the control unit, and is configured to control the control unit to continue the recipe. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising a step of causing a controller to execute a recipe for processing a substrate and performing a predetermined process on the substrate,
In the step of subjecting the substrate to a predetermined process,
A storage unit that stores device data, an acquisition unit that acquires information related to the state of the storage unit, a management unit that manages the consumption time of the storage unit, and a notification that generates an alarm before the consumption time is reached. When an abnormality occurs in the operation unit provided with, the sub-operation while interrupting the recipe and disconnecting the connection with the sub-operation unit having the same configuration as the operation screen of the control unit and the operation unit. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, further comprising the step of connecting an operation unit and the control unit, and causing the control unit to continue the recipe.