JPWO2020066571A1 - Substrate processing equipment, semiconductor equipment manufacturing methods and programs - Google Patents

Abstract

The control unit of the substrate processing apparatus controls the first substrate transport arm to transport the substrate in the load lock chamber to the substrate processing chamber, and mounts it on the substrate cooling unit provided in the transport chamber. A third transfer process for transporting the board to the load lock chamber is executed, and the second substrate transport arm is controlled to transport the board in the board processing chamber to the board cooling unit and mount it on the board cooling unit. The second transfer process to be placed is executed, and in the first transfer process and the third transfer process, the maximum value of the acceleration applied to the substrate becomes larger than the maximum value of the acceleration applied to the substrate in the second transfer process. The first substrate transfer arm and the second substrate transfer arm are controlled in this way.

Description

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor apparatus, and a recording medium.

The substrate processing apparatus used in the manufacturing process of a semiconductor device includes a processing chamber for processing a substrate such as a wafer, and a transfer apparatus for carrying the substrate into and out of the processing chamber. .. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-82071 discloses a transfer device and a substrate holder (tweezer) included in the transfer device.

Since the transfer capacity (transfer throughput) of the substrate by the transfer device greatly affects the substrate processing capacity of the entire board processing device including the transfer device, it is required to improve the transfer capacity of the substrate by the transfer device.

The present disclosure provides a technique for improving the substrate transfer capacity of the substrate transfer apparatus and improving the processing capacity of the substrate processing apparatus.

According to one aspect of the present disclosure
A substrate transfer device configured to transfer a substrate by driving a first substrate transfer arm and a second substrate transfer arm, respectively.
A substrate cooling unit configured to cool the substrate, a transfer chamber in which the substrate transfer device is arranged, and a transfer chamber.
At least one substrate processing chamber arranged adjacent to the transport chamber and configured to perform a treatment for heating the substrate.
A load lock chamber arranged adjacent to the transport chamber and
A control unit that controls the substrate transfer device and
Have,
The control unit
The first transfer process of controlling the first substrate transfer arm to transfer the substrate in the load lock chamber to the substrate processing chamber, and the substrate mounted (loaded) on the substrate cooling unit are described. The third transport process for transporting into the load lock chamber is executed.
By controlling the second substrate transfer arm, the substrate in the substrate processing chamber is conveyed to the substrate cooling unit, and the second transfer process for mounting on the substrate cooling unit is executed.
In the first transfer process and the third transfer process, the first value of the acceleration applied to the substrate is larger than the maximum value of the acceleration applied to the substrate in the second transfer process. Techniques are provided that are configured to control the substrate transfer arm and the second substrate transfer arm.

According to the technique according to the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the substrate transfer capacity of the substrate transfer apparatus and improve the processing capacity of the substrate processing apparatus.

It is a schematic block diagram of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a vertical cross-sectional view of a part of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a vertical cross-sectional view of another part of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which looked at the substrate cooling unit which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this disclosure from above. It is sectional drawing which looked at the substrate cooling unit which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this disclosure from the side. It is a schematic block diagram of the substrate transfer apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the tweezers which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a perspective view which shows an example of another tweezers which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a block diagram which shows the structural example of the controller of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a flow chart which shows the outline of the substrate processing process which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a sequence diagram which compares the sequence of substrate transfer by the substrate transfer apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this disclosure, and the sequence of substrate transfer by the substrate transfer apparatus which concerns on a comparative example. It is sectional drawing which shows an example of the state at the time of transporting the thermally deformed substrate on the tweezers which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this disclosure. It is a perspective view which shows an example of the tweezers which concerns on other embodiment of this disclosure.

<First Embodiment of the present disclosure>
The first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings.

(1) Configuration of Substrate Processing Device First, a configuration example of the substrate processing device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 7. In the present embodiment, a case where the substrate processing apparatus is an annealing apparatus for performing an annealing treatment on a substrate will be given as an example. FIG. 2 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 cut along the Y-axis direction. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 cut along the X-axis direction.

As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment includes a housing 11 and a controller 121 that controls each component of the substrate processing apparatus 10.

Two load lock chambers 14a and 14b, a first processing chamber group 116, and a second processing chamber group 117 are arranged in the housing 11 centering on the transport chamber 12. Gate valves 361a and 361b are provided between the transport chamber 12 and the load lock chambers 14a and 14b, respectively. By opening these gate valves 361a and 361b, the inside of the transport chamber 12 and the inside of each load lock chamber 14a and 14b can communicate with each other. Further, gate valves 351a and 351b are also provided between the transport chamber 12, the first processing chamber group 116, and the second processing chamber group 117, respectively. By opening the gate valves 351a and 351b, the inside of the transport chamber 12 can communicate with the inside of the first processing chamber group 116 and the inside of the second processing chamber group 117. The inside of each of the transport chamber 12, the load lock chambers 14a and 14b, the first processing chamber group 116, and the second processing chamber group 117 is provided through an exhaust passage and an exhaust valve provided in the exhaust passage (not shown). Is connected to the vacuum pump 118 (see FIG. 9). The vacuum pump 118 and each exhaust valve are controllers so that the internal pressures of the transport chamber 12, the load lock chambers 14a and 14b, the first processing chamber group 116, and the second processing chamber group 117 become predetermined values. It is controlled by 121. Further, two substrate cooling units 13a and 13b are arranged in the transport chamber 12.

The front module EFEM (Equipment Front End Module) 18 is arranged outside the housing 11 so as to face the load lock chambers 14a and 14b. The EFEM 18 is configured to be capable of mounting, for example, a hoop (FOUP: Front Open Unified Pod) that stocks 25 wafers 1 as a substrate. Further, in the EFEM 18, an atmospheric robot 19 (see FIG. 9) capable of transferring the wafer 1 between the load lock chambers 14a and 14b and the hoop in the atmosphere is provided.

(Road lock room)
As shown in FIG. 2, in the load lock chambers 14a and 14b, for example, substrate supports (boats) 20 for accommodating 25 wafers 1 at regular intervals in the vertical direction are provided. The substrate support 20 holds the wafer 1 in the load lock chambers 14a and 14b. The substrate support 20 is made of, for example, silicon carbide (SiC), aluminum, or the like. Further, the substrate support 20 is configured to move in the vertical direction (vertical direction) in the load lock chambers 14a and 14b, and is configured to rotate about a rotation axis extending in the vertical direction. (See the arrow in Figure 2).

(1st and 2nd processing room group)
As shown in FIG. 1, the first processing chamber group 116 has processing chambers 16a and 16b as substrate processing chambers, and the second processing chamber group 117 has processing chambers 17a, which is an example of a substrate processing chamber. It has 17b. Further, in the first processing chamber group 116 and in the second processing chamber group 117, substrate holding tables 36a and 36b and a robot arm 40 are provided, respectively. The processing chamber 16a and the processing chamber 16b communicate with each other via the connecting space 48. The connecting space 48 is provided between the processing chamber 16a and the processing chamber 16b. Further, the connecting space 48 is provided with a partition member 46 (see FIG. 2).

The robot arm 40 is configured to receive the wafer 1 conveyed by the robot 30 (see FIG. 2), which will be described later, and place it on the substrate holding tables 36a and 36b, respectively. Further, the robot arm 40 is configured to transfer the processed wafer 1 mounted on the substrate holding tables 36a and 36b onto the tweezers of the robot 30.

As shown in FIG. 2, in the processing chambers 16a and 16b, two wafers 1 placed on the substrate holding tables 36a and 36b are processed at the same time. Heaters 37a and 37b as heating portions are built in the substrate holding bases 36a and 36b, respectively. The heaters 37a and 37b can raise the temperature of the wafer 1 to 450 ° C. In the present embodiment, the wafer 1 is annealed by raising (heating) the wafer 1 by the heaters 37a and 37b in the processing chambers 16a and 16b.

In this embodiment, the wafer 1 can be heated up to 450 ° C. by the heaters 37a and 37b built in the substrate holding tables 36a and 36b. However, in this embodiment, the wafer 1 may be heated to a higher temperature depending on the type of processing for the wafer 1. For example, the wafer 1 may be configured to be capable of raising the temperature to about 1000 ° C. by further providing lamp heaters in the processing chambers 16a and 16b, respectively.

(Board cooling unit)
Substrate cooling units 13a and 13b are provided in the transport chamber 12. The substrate cooling unit 13b has the same configuration as the substrate cooling unit 13a. As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the substrate cooling unit 13a includes a substrate cooling plate 131a as a substrate cooling member.

The substrate cooling plate 131a is provided with four spacers 152a as substrate holding portions. The four spacers 152a are configured to support the wafer 1 above the substrate cooling plate 131a. In this embodiment, the substrate holding portion is composed of the spacer 152a. However, the substrate holding portion is not limited to the spacer 152a. The substrate holding portion can be configured to support the wafer 1 above or below each substrate cooling plate at predetermined intervals from the upper surface or the lower surface of the substrate cooling plate. For example, the substrate holding portion may be composed of support pins formed in the shape of protrusions or rods. Further, the substrate holding portion may be configured by a holder or the like extending from the outside of the substrate cooling plate 131a so as to support the outer edge of the wafer 1. Further, a drive device for raising and lowering a plurality of substrate holding portions in the vertical direction may be provided in the substrate cooling unit 13a so that the plurality of substrate holding portions and the wafer 1 supported by the plurality of substrate holding portions can be raised and lowered. ..

Inside the substrate cooling plate 131a, a refrigerant flow path 153a through which the refrigerant flows is provided. The upper surface side and the lower surface side of the substrate cooling plate 131a are cooled by the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 153a. As a result, the wafer 1 supported by the spacer 152a is configured to be cooled. The substrate cooling plate 131a can also be regarded as a structure composed of a plate-shaped structure constituting the main body and a refrigerant flow path 153a provided inside the plate-shaped structure. The plate-like structure is made of a metal such as stainless steel.

As shown in FIG. 5, the substrate cooling unit 13a further includes a refrigerant supply unit (refrigerant supply unit) 155 that supplies the refrigerant to the refrigerant flow path 153a. The refrigerant cooled in the refrigerant supply unit 155 is supplied to one end of the refrigerant flow path 153a and circulates so as to return to the refrigerant supply unit 155 from the other end of the refrigerant flow path 153a. The refrigerant supply unit 155 is configured so that the temperature and flow rate of the refrigerant supplied to the refrigerant flow path 153a can be individually adjusted.

In this embodiment, water is used as the refrigerant. However, another liquid (cooling solvent) may be used as the refrigerant. Further, a gas may be used as the refrigerant. Further, the wafer 1 may be cooled by using a thermoelectric element such as a Pertier element instead of the refrigerant flow path 153a.

Further, as shown in FIG. 4, the substrate cooling plate 131a is provided with notches having the same shape as the finger plate 321a (see FIG. 7) of the tweezers 32a and the finger plate 321b of the tweezers 32b, which will be described later. As a result, the finger plates 321a and 321b can move vertically inside the notch. FIG. 4 shows how the finger plate 321b is inserted into the notch.

In the present embodiment, in the processing chambers 16a, 16b and the like, the heated wafer 1 is placed on the upper surface of the substrate cooling plate 131a so that the wafer 1 can be rapidly cooled to, for example, room temperature. However, the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 153a may be further lowered so that the wafer 1 can be cooled to less than room temperature. Further, in the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b, it is not always necessary to cool the temperature of the wafer 1 to room temperature. In consideration of processing throughput and the like, the wafer 1 is subjected to a predetermined temperature (for example, 100 to 300 ° C.) higher than room temperature and lower than the temperature before being carried into the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b. 1 may be placed on the substrate cooling plates 131a and 131b to cool the wafer 1.

Further, the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b are provided in the transport chamber 12. The wafer 1 conveyed to the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b is cooled in the same atmosphere as the transfer chamber 12. That is, there is no structure such as a gate valve between the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b and the transport chamber 12 to separate them.

(Robot (board transfer device))
As shown in FIG. 1, in the transfer chamber 12, wafers are placed between the load lock chambers 14a and 14b, the first processing chamber group 116 and the second processing chamber group 117, and the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b. A robot 30 is provided as an example of a substrate transfer device that conveys 1. As shown in FIG. 6, the robot 30 has a tweezers as an example of a substrate holder for holding the wafer 1 (see FIG. 4) so as to support it from the lower surface, and an arm as an example of a substrate transfer arm for moving the tweezers. And have.

The tweezers are composed of a tweezers 32a, which is an example of a first substrate holder, and a tweezers 32b, which is an example of a second substrate holder. The arm is composed of an arm 34a having a tweezers 32a at the tip and an arm 34b having a tweezers 32b at the tip. Both the tweezers 32a and the tweezers 32b have a bifurcated shape and are separated in the vertical direction at predetermined intervals. Further, the tweezers 32a and the tweezers 32b are substantially horizontal and extend in the same direction from the arm 34a and the arm 34b, respectively. Each of the tweezers 32a and the tweezers 32b is configured to support the wafer 1 to be conveyed. The detailed structure of the tweezers 32a and the tweezers 32b will be described later.

The arms 34a and 34b are respectively configured to be horizontally movable in the horizontal direction (X1 and X2 directions in FIG. 6). Further, the arms 34a and 34b are individually configured so that they can rotate and move in the R direction in FIG. Further, the arms 34a and 34b are individually configured so as to be able to move up and down in the Z direction in FIG. The arms 34a and 34b are arranged so that they can be individually moved without interfering with each other. In the present embodiment, the tweezers 32a are located on the upper side and the tweezers 32b are located on the lower side so that they can move separately without interfering with each other.

(Upper Tweezers)
As shown in FIG. 7, the tweeter 32a is an example of a substrate holder that supports a wafer 1 which is a disk-shaped substrate having a diameter of 300 mm, for example. The tweezers 32a has a finger plate 321a as an example of a first plate-like body that is a support base for the wafer 1. The finger plate 321a is formed in a bifurcated fork shape by, for example, an oxide-based ceramic material (alumina ceramic or the like) or SiC. Further, the finger plate 321a has a pair of band-shaped portions. Each strip-shaped portion is arranged so as to overlap a part of the wafer 1 in a state where the tweeter 32a supports the wafer 1. Further, the tip of each strip-shaped portion extends to a position outside the outer peripheral edge of the wafer 1 in a state where the tweeter 32a supports the wafer 1.

On the finger plate 321a, a first support portion 322a composed of a plurality of convex portions is provided. The first support portion 322a is smaller than the diameter of the wafer 1 and is provided on the circumference of a circle whose center is at the same position as the center of the wafer 1 (that is, on the circumference of a concentric circle smaller than the diameter of the wafer 1). .. In the region on the finger plate 321a surrounded by the guide side wall 324a described later, a first support portion 322a composed of a plurality of convex portions protruding from the upper surface of the finger plate 321a toward the wafer 1 side is formed. There is. Here, the plurality of convex portions constituting the first support portion 322a are each composed of a columnar pad.

[First support]
Each of the plurality of columnar pads is formed of a rubber material (a polymer material having rubber elasticity at room temperature). Further, the top surfaces of the plurality of pads protruding from the upper surface of the finger plate 321a are brought into contact with the lower surface of the wafer 1 (opposite surface to the surface to be processed). These pads constitute a first support portion 322a that supports the lower surface of the wafer 1. In the present embodiment, the first support portion 322a is made of a pad made of a rubber material, so that the first support portion 322a is made of a pad made of the same material as the finger plate 321a. Therefore, the coefficient of friction (friction force) between the first support portion 322a (particularly the contact surface with the lower surface of the wafer 1) and the lower surface of the wafer 1 can be increased.

As the rubber material, it is particularly desirable to use synthetic rubber having excellent properties such as heat resistance and abrasion resistance. As the rubber material, for example, synthetic rubber such as fluorine rubber, silicon rubber, or perfluoroelastomer is used. The heat resistant temperature of these synthetic rubbers is generally about 200 to 350 ° C.

In the present embodiment, the diameter of the pad is preferably φ5.0 mm or more in order to obtain a sufficient frictional force between the first support portion 322a and the lower surface of the wafer 1. Further, in order to avoid sticking of the pad to the lower surface of the wafer 1, it is desirable that the diameter of the pad is φ20.0 mm or less. In this embodiment, the diameter of the pad is φ10.0 mm.

Further, the columnar pads constituting the first support portion 322a are arranged on one circumference on the finger plate 321a surface (on the upper surface) in a distributed manner at a plurality of locations capable of evenly supporting the wafer 1. ing. The plurality of locations that can uniformly support the wafer 1 include, for example, a plurality of locations that are point-symmetrical with respect to the center point (center of view) of the upper surface of the wafer 1 and a line that passes through the center point of the upper surface of the wafer 1. There are a plurality of points (multiple points that are even on the left and right, etc.) that are line-symmetrical when the minute is used as a reference. The columnar pads constituting the first support portion 322a are dispersedly arranged at four positions separated from each other on one circumference on the upper surface of the finger plate 321a.

By distributing the pads to the four locations of the finger plate 321a in this way, there are four support locations (pads) on one circumference on the upper surface of the finger plate 321a. The four support points (pads) evenly support the four support points (pads) near the outer peripheral edge of the wafer 1, for example. These four support points form a support portion for the wafer 1. Here, an example in which the pads are distributed and arranged at four locations on the finger plate 321a is given. However, the arrangement of the pads is not limited to the four positions of the finger plate 321a. The pads may be dispersedly arranged at less than 4 locations or 5 or more locations on the finger plate 321a, for example. Of the plurality of columnar pads constituting the first support portion 322a, it is desirable that the plurality of pads having a symmetrical relationship have the same support area with respect to the wafer 1.

[Guide side wall]
At the tip of each band-shaped portion of the finger plate 321a, an arc-shaped guide side wall 324a corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the wafer 1 is provided. Further, an arc-shaped guide side wall 324a corresponding to the outer peripheral shape of the wafer 1 is also provided on the side of each strip-shaped portion facing the tip end portion (that is, the root side of the tweezers 32a). Each of these guide side walls 324a is formed higher than the pad which is a convex portion constituting the first support portion 322a.

(Lower Tweezers)
As shown in FIG. 8, the tweezers 32b is an example of a substrate holder that supports the wafer 1 like the tweezers 32a. The tweezers 32b has a finger plate 321b as an example of a bifurcated fork-shaped second plate-like body that is a support base for the wafer 1.

A second support portion 322b is provided on the finger plate 321b. The second support portion 322b is composed of a plurality of convex portions arranged in the region surrounded by the guide side wall 324b and on the circumference of a concentric circle smaller than the diameter of the wafer 1. The plurality of convex portions forming the second support portion 322b are formed so as to project from the upper surface of the finger plate 321b toward the wafer 1 side. The configuration of the finger plate 321b and the guide side wall 324b is the same as the configuration of the finger plate 321a and the guide side wall 324a of the tweezers 32a. Further, the guide side wall 324b is formed higher than the convex portion constituting the second support portion 322b.

(Second support part)
The second support portion 322b is composed of a plurality of convex portions (hereinafter, referred to as “arc-shaped convex portions”) formed in an arc shape. All of these plurality of arcuate convex portions are formed of the same material as the finger plate 321b. Further, the top surfaces of the plurality of arcuate convex portions protruding from the upper surface of the finger plate 321b are brought into contact with the lower surface of the wafer 1, respectively. These arcuate convex portions form a second support portion 322b that supports the lower surface of the wafer 1.

(Contrast between upper tweezers and lower tweezers)
Here, the difference in configuration between the tweezers 32a and the tweezers 32b will be described. As described above, the first support portion 322a of the tweezers 32a is composed of a plurality of pads formed of a rubber material. On the other hand, the second support portion 322b of the tweezers 32b is composed of a plurality of arcuate convex portions formed of the same material as the finger plate 321b. Due to this structural difference, the tweezers 32a and the tweezers 32b have the following differences.

(Difference in transportable speed)
The plurality of pads constituting the first support portion 322a are made of a rubber material. On the other hand, the plurality of pads constituting the second support portion 322b are formed of a ceramic material, SiC, or the like. Therefore, the friction coefficient (friction force) of the first support portion 322a with respect to the lower surface of the wafer 1 to be conveyed is larger than the friction coefficient (friction force) of the second support portion 322b with respect to the lower surface of the wafer 1. Therefore, when the wafer 1 is conveyed using the tweezers 32a, the wafer 1 is less likely to be displaced or slipped during the transfer as compared with the case where the wafer 1 is conveyed using the tweezers 32b. More specifically, for example, even when the acceleration applied to the wafer 1 during transfer is the same, when the wafer 1 is conveyed using the tweezers 32a, compared with the case where the wafer 1 is conveyed using the tweezers 32b. Therefore, the wafer 1 is less likely to be displaced or slipped. Therefore, when the wafer 1 is conveyed using the tweezers 32a, the transfer speed of the wafer 1 is adjusted to the transfer speed of the wafer 1 while suppressing the occurrence of displacement and slippage of the wafer 1. It can be higher than the transport speed.

(Difference in wafer temperature that can be conveyed)
The plurality of pads constituting the first support portion 322a are made of a rubber material. Therefore, the heat-resistant temperature of the first support portion 322a is lower than the heat-resistant temperature of the second support portion 322b formed of a ceramic material, SiC, or the like. Therefore, when the wafer 1 having a temperature higher than the heat resistant temperature of the tweezers 32a is conveyed by using the tweezers 32a, the pad made of the rubber material is likely to be deformed or the pad is likely to be attached to the lower surface of the wafer 1. That is, it is not desirable to convey the wafer 1 heated to a temperature higher than the heat resistant temperature of the rubber material of the pad by using the tweezers 32a. It is desirable that the wafer 1 heated to a temperature higher than the heat resistant temperature of the rubber material of the pad is conveyed by using the tweezers 32b.

(controller)
As shown in FIG. 9, the controller 121, which is an example of the control unit (control means), includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 121a, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 121b, a storage device 121c, and an I / O port 121d. It is configured as a computer. The RAM 121b, the storage device 121c, and the I / O port 121d are connected to the CPU 121a via the internal bus 121e so that data can be exchanged. An input / output device 122 configured as, for example, a touch panel is connected to the controller 121.

The storage device 121c is composed of, for example, a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or the like. In the storage device 121c, a control program that controls the operation of the board processing device, a process recipe that describes procedures and conditions for performing the board processing process described later, and the like are readablely stored (stored). There is. The process recipe functions as a program for causing the controller 121 (CPU 121a) to execute each procedure in the substrate processing step described later. Hereinafter, the process recipe, the control program, and the like are collectively referred to simply as a program. In addition, a process recipe is also simply referred to as a recipe. The program in the present specification may include only a recipe alone, a control program alone, or both a recipe and a control program. The RAM 121b is configured as a memory area for temporarily holding programs, data, and the like read by the CPU 121a.

The I / O port 121d is connected to the robot 30, the gate valves 351a, 351b, 361a, 361b, the refrigerant supply unit 155, the robot arm 40, the heaters 37a, 37b, and the like.

The CPU 121a is configured to read and execute a control program from the storage device 121c and read a recipe from the storage device 121c in response to an input of an operation command from the input / output device 122 or the like. The CPU 121a performs a substrate transfer operation by the robot 30, an opening / closing operation of the gate valves 351a, 351b, 361a, 361b, a temperature adjustment operation of the heaters 37a, 37b, a start and stop of the vacuum pump 118, according to the contents of the read recipe. It is configured to control the substrate transfer operation and the like by the atmospheric robot 19.

The controller 121 installs the above-mentioned program stored in an external storage device (for example, a magnetic disk such as a hard disk, an optical disk such as a CD, a magneto-optical disk such as MO, or a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory) 123 in a computer. Can be configured by The storage device 121c and the external storage device 123 are configured as computer-readable recording media. Hereinafter, the storage device 121c and the external storage device 123 are collectively referred to as a recording medium. The recording medium in the present specification may include only the storage device 121c alone, may include only the external storage device 123 alone, or may include both the storage device 121c and the external storage device 123. The program may be provided to the computer by using a communication means such as the Internet or a dedicated line without using the external storage device 123.

(2) Operation of the Substrate Processing Device Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiment will be described along with the substrate processing flow in the substrate processing apparatus 10 shown in FIG.

(Atmospheric side carry-in process S100)
First, the CPU 121a transfers the unprocessed wafer 1 from the EFEM 18 into the load lock chamber 14a, and airtightly closes the inside of the load lock chamber 14a. After that, the CPU 121a opens the gate valve 361a to allow the load lock chamber 14a and the transport chamber 12 to communicate with each other.

(First transport step S110)
Subsequently, the CPU 121a drives the arm 34a of the robot 30 to receive the wafer 1 held by the substrate support 20 in the load lock chamber 14a by the tweezers 32a. After that, the CPU 121a opens the gate valve 351a or the gate valve 351b and conveys the wafer 1 on the tweeter 32a to either the first processing chamber group 116 or the second processing chamber group 117. The first processing chamber group 116 and the second processing chamber group 117 process the wafer 1 in the same manner. Therefore, in the following, a case where the wafer 1 is carried into the first processing chamber group 116 to process the wafer 1 will be described, and the wafer 1 is carried into the second processing chamber group 117 to process the wafer 1. The description of the case will be omitted.

When the wafer 1 conveyed to the first processing chamber group 116 is processed in the processing chamber 16a, the robot 30 inserts the tweeter 32a holding the wafer 1 into the first processing chamber group 116, and the substrate holding table 36a Wafer 1 is placed on top. Further, when the wafer 1 conveyed to the first processing chamber group 116 is processed in the processing chamber 16b, the robot 30 inserts the tweezers 32a holding the wafer 1 into the first processing chamber group 116, and the robot arm Wafer 1 is delivered between 40 and the tweezers 32a. The robot arm 40 operates so as to place the received wafer 1 on the substrate holding table 36b.
Here, the process from the inside of the load lock chamber 14a or the load lock chamber 14b to the transfer of the wafer 1 from the inside of the load lock chamber 14a or the load lock chamber 14b into the first processing chamber group 116 or the second processing chamber group 117 is the first transfer step S110. It is called.
As will be described later, in the first transfer step S110, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121 (CPU121a) so that only the arm 34a and the tweezers 32a are used and the arms 34b and the tweezers 32b are not used. ..

(Substrate processing step S120)
After that, the CPU 121a closes the gate valve 351a and heats the wafer 1 on the substrate holding tables 36a and 36b by the heaters 37a and 37b, respectively. As a result, the wafer 1 is subjected to a predetermined process. In the present embodiment, the temperature of the wafer 1 is raised to 400 ° C., and the wafer 1 is annealed.

(Second transport step S130)
When the processing in the first processing chamber group 116 is completed, the CPU 121a opens the gate valve 351a. After that, the CPU 121a drives the arm 34b of the robot 30 to insert the tweezers 32b into the first processing chamber group 116, and receives the wafer 1 on the processed substrate holding table 36a by the tweezers 32b, or the substrate. The wafer 1 processed on the holding table 36b is received from the robot arm 40 by the tweezers 32b. Subsequently, the robot 30 transfers the processed wafer 1 held on the tweeter 32b from the first processing chamber group 116 to either the substrate cooling unit 13a or the substrate cooling unit 13b via the transport chamber 12. Transport and load. The substrate cooling unit 13a and the substrate cooling unit 13b cool the wafer 1 in the same manner. Therefore, in the following, the case where the wafer 1 is conveyed to the substrate cooling unit 13a for cooling will be described, and the case where the wafer 1 is conveyed to the substrate cooling unit 13b for cooling will be omitted.

The robot 30 conveys the wafer 1 to the substrate cooling unit 13a and places the wafer 1 on the spacer 152a. Specifically, the robot 30 moves the tweezers 32b above the substrate cooling plate 131a in a state where the height of the lower surface of the wafer 1 supported by the tweezers 32b is higher than that of the spacer 152a. Subsequently, the robot 30 places the wafer 1 on the spacer 152a by lowering the tweezers 32b downward.

Here, the step of transporting the wafer 1 from the first processing chamber group 116 or the second processing chamber group 117 to the substrate cooling unit 13a or the substrate cooling unit 13b by the robot 30 is referred to as a second transport step S130.
As will be described later, in the second transfer step S130, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121 (CPU121a) so that only the arm 34b and the tweezers 32b are used and the arms 34a and the tweezers 32a are not used. ..

(Substrate cooling step S140)
The lower surface of the wafer 1 placed on the substrate cooling plate 131a is in contact with the substrate cooling plate 131a cooled by the refrigerant flowing inside. As a result, the wafer 1 is cooled until the temperature falls below a predetermined temperature. In this embodiment, the wafer 1 is cooled until it becomes less than 200 ° C.

(Third transport step S150)
When the cooling step of cooling the wafer 1 to a temperature lower than a predetermined temperature is completed, the robot 30 drives the arm 34a to insert the tweeter 32a into the substrate cooling unit 13a, and the robot 30 is placed on the substrate cooling plate 131a for cooling. Wafer 1 is received by the tweezers 32a.
Subsequently, the CPU 121a opens the gate valve 361b and transfers the wafer 1 received by the tweezers 32a onto the empty substrate support 20 in the load lock chamber 14b.
Here, the process from the substrate cooling unit 13a or the substrate cooling unit 13b to the transfer of the wafer 1 into the load lock chamber 14b by the robot 30 is referred to as a third transfer step S150.
As will be described later, in the third transfer step S150, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121 (CPU121a) so that only the arm 34a and the tweezers 32a are used and the arms 34b and the tweezers 32b are not used. ..

(Atmospheric side carry-out process S160)
When the above processing operations are repeated and the substrate support 20 in the load lock chamber 14b receives a predetermined number of processed wafers 1, the gate valve 361b is blocked by the CPU 121a, and the inside of the load lock chamber 14b is filled with air. Will be released to. After that, the processed wafer 1 is transferred from the load lock chamber 14b to the EFEM 18 and carried out by an external transfer device (not shown).

(3) Substrate transfer operation by the robot 30 Subsequently, the operation of the robot 30 in the first to third transfer steps S110, S130, and S150 described above is compared between the present embodiment and the comparative example using FIG. I will explain in detail. Sequence A in FIG. 11 is an operation sequence of the robot 30 according to the present embodiment, and sequence B is an operation sequence of the robot 30 according to a comparative example. Further, in each of the sequences A and B, the upper stage shows the substrate transfer operation by the arm 34a, and the lower stage shows the substrate transfer operation by the arm 34b.

Here, one of the differences between the present embodiment and the comparative example is that the arm 34a includes the tweezers 32a in the present embodiment, whereas the arm 34a has the same configuration as the tweezers 32b in the comparative example (a tweezers having the same configuration as the tweezers 32b in the comparative example. This tweezers will be referred to as "tweezers 32b'" for convenience of explanation below). That is, in the comparative example, the arm 34b is provided with the tweezers 32b, and the arm 34a is provided with the tweezers 32b'having the same configuration as the tweezers 32b.

Further, in the present embodiment, the maximum value Va of the acceleration applied to the wafer 1 when the wafer 1 is conveyed by using the arm 34a provided with the tweezers 32a is set as the maximum acceleration Va. Further, in the present embodiment, the maximum value Vb of the acceleration applied to the wafer 1 when the wafer 1 is conveyed by using the arm 34b provided with the tweezers 32b is defined as the maximum acceleration Vb. In the present embodiment, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121 (CPU121a) so that the maximum acceleration Va is larger than the maximum acceleration Vb. On the other hand, in the comparative example, the maximum value Va'of the acceleration applied to the wafer 1 when the wafer 1 is conveyed by using the arm 34a provided with the tweezers 32b' is set as the maximum acceleration Va'. Further, in the comparative example, the maximum value Vb'of the acceleration applied to the wafer 1 when the wafer 1 is conveyed by using the arm 34b provided with the tweezers 32b is defined as the maximum acceleration Vb'. In the comparative example, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121 (CPU121a) so that the maximum acceleration Va'and the maximum acceleration Vb' are the same. As described above, the present embodiment and the comparative example are different. Since the comparative example and the present embodiment are the same for other configurations, the description thereof will be omitted.

The "acceleration" in the present specification mainly means the acceleration applied to the wafer 1 in the horizontal direction during the transfer of the wafer 1. Further, the “acceleration” in the present specification includes all accelerations applied in the moving direction of the wafer 1 due to the frictional force acting between the first support portion 322a or the second support portion 322b and the lower surface of the wafer 1. ..

(First transport process)
In the present embodiment, as described above, the robot 30 does not execute the first transfer step S110 using the arm 34a and the tweezers 32a, and does not execute the first transfer step S110 using the arm 34b and the tweezers 32b. It is controlled by the controller 121 (CPU121a). At this time, the robot 30 drives the arm 34a so that the maximum acceleration Va applied to the wafer 1 becomes the acceleration vh in the transfer of the wafer 1 using the arm 34a.

On the other hand, in the comparative example, in the first transfer step, the wafer 1 is conveyed by the arm 34a provided with the tweezers 32b'. At this time, the robot 30 drives the arm 34a so that the maximum acceleration Va ′ applied to the wafer 1 in the transfer of the wafer 1 using the arm 34a becomes an acceleration vr smaller than the acceleration vh.

The acceleration vh is an acceleration that is allowed under the condition that no deviation or slippage occurs between the wafer 1 and the tweezers 32a when the first transfer step S110 and the third transfer step S150 are performed using the tweezers 32a. Is the maximum value of. The acceleration bl is the acceleration that is allowed under the condition that no deviation or slippage occurs between the wafer 1 and the tweezers 32b, 32b'when the second transfer step S130 is performed using the tweezers 32b, 32b'. The maximum value.

Here, the difference in the maximum values of the permissible accelerations vh and vr is caused by the following two differences between the first transfer process S110 and the third transfer process S150 and the second transfer process S130. ..

<Differences caused by thermal deformation of the substrate>
First, there is a difference in the temperature of the substrate to be conveyed between the first transfer step S110 and the third transfer step S150 and the second transfer step S130. Specifically, in the second transfer step S130, the wafer 1 in a state of being heated in the process of predetermined processing in the processing chambers 16a and 16b is conveyed. On the other hand, in the first transfer step S110 and the third transfer step S150, the wafer 1 before the temperature is raised in the processing chambers 16a and 16b or the wafer 1 after being cooled in the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b is transferred. Will be done.

Here, the wafer 1 generally maintains a flat surface at room temperature. However, when the wafer 1 is heated, a temperature deviation occurs on the front and back surfaces of the wafer 1 or in the plane of the wafer 1. Due to this temperature deviation, the wafer 1 may be distorted, warped, or wavy. Therefore, the wafer 1 which has been heated in the process of the predetermined process (that is, the wafer 1 in the second transfer step S130) is the wafer 1 before the temperature is raised in the processing chambers 16a and 16b, or the wafer 1. The possibility of deformation or the degree of deformation is greater than that of the wafer 1 after being cooled in the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b (that is, the wafer 1 in the first transfer step S110 or the third transfer step S150). ..

Further, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, when the wafer 1 is deformed so as to warp from the center side to the outer edge side of the wafer 1 in the second transfer step S130, as shown by the point A in the figure. , The lower surface (back surface) of the wafer 1 is supported in a limited portion of the second support portion 322b. Therefore, the contact area between the lower surface of the wafer 1 and the second support portion 322b is reduced. As a result, the frictional force between the lower surface of the wafer 1 and the second support portion 322b is reduced, and the holding force of the second support portion 322b that holds the wafer 1 is reduced. Further, if the position of the wafer 1 is displaced on the tweezers 32b during the transfer of the wafer 1 due to the decrease in the holding force of the second support portion 322b that holds the wafer 1, the lower surface of the wafer 1 and the second support are supported. Rubbing may occur with the portion 322b, and scratches may be generated on the lower surface of the wafer 1 or particles may be generated.

Therefore, in order to avoid the displacement of the wafer 1 during transfer and the occurrence of rubbing due to the displacement, in the present embodiment, the maximum acceleration lv allowed in the second transfer step S130 in which the wafer 1 is likely to be deformed is set. The acceleration vh is set to be smaller than the maximum allowable acceleration vh in the first transfer step S110 and the third transfer step S150 in which deformation of the wafer 1 is relatively unlikely to occur. In other words, according to the present embodiment, the maximum acceleration vh in the first transfer step S110 and the third transfer step S150, in which the wafer 1 is relatively less likely to be deformed, is the maximum acceleration vh in the second transfer step S130. It can be larger than vr.

Further, the deformation caused by heating the wafer 1 generally tends to occur as the temperature of the wafer 1 increases, and the degree of deformation tends to increase. Therefore, the maximum acceleration vr in the second transfer step S130 may be set differently according to the temperature (processing temperature) at which the wafer 1 is heated in the predetermined processing performed in the processing chambers 16a and 16b. .. For example, when the processing temperature is relatively low, the maximum acceleration vr may be changed to be large, and when the processing temperature is relatively high, the maximum acceleration vr may be changed to be small. ..

<Differences due to the composition of the tweezers>
Further, as described above, in the present embodiment, the tweezers 32b and 32b'that hold the wafer 1 on the second support portion 322b are used by using the tweezers 32a that hold the wafer 1 on the first support portion 322a. Compared with the case of using the wafer 1, it is possible to increase the acceleration value at which the wafer 1 does not shift or slip. That is, in the present embodiment, acceleration vh> acceleration vr can be set.

In the present embodiment, by executing this step (first transfer step S110) with acceleration vh> acceleration vr, maximum acceleration Va = vh, and maximum acceleration Vb = vr, the transfer speed (conveyance) of the wafer 1 in this step (conveyance). Throughput) can be maximized. On the other hand, in the comparative example, since this step is executed with the maximum acceleration Va = Vb = vr, it is inferior to the present embodiment from the viewpoint of the transfer speed (transfer throughput) of the wafer 1. As shown in FIG. 11, the time required to complete this step is longer in the case of the comparative example than in the case of the present embodiment.

In another embodiment, the acceleration vh and the acceleration vr do not have to be the maximum values under the above-mentioned conditions, respectively, and at least the acceleration vh> the acceleration vr may be satisfied. However, from the viewpoint of maximizing the transfer throughput of the wafer 1, it is desirable that the accelerations vh and vr are the maximum values under the above-mentioned conditions as in the present embodiment.

Here, this step (first transport step S110) is executed before the substrate processing step S120 in which the wafer 1 is heated. Therefore, in this step, the temperature of the wafer 1 to be conveyed is lower than the temperature after being heated by the substrate processing step S120. Therefore, in this step, even if the wafer 1 is conveyed by using the tweezers 32a that holds the wafer 1 by the first support portion 322a formed of the pad formed of the rubber material, the pad is deformed and the lower surface of the wafer 1 is deformed. There is almost no need to consider issues such as pad sticking to the wafer.

In other words, in this step, the arm 34a and the tweezers 32a are used to have a temperature equal to or lower than the heat resistant temperature (hereinafter, also referred to as “first temperature”) of the rubber material of the pad constituting the first support portion 322a. Only the wafer 1 is conveyed.

(Second transport process)
In the present embodiment, as described above, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121 (CPU121a) so as to execute the second transfer step S130 using the arm 34b and the tweezers 32b. Further, in this step, in both the present embodiment and the comparative example, the wafer 1 is conveyed by the arm 34b provided with the tweezers 32b. Therefore, in this step, in both the present embodiment and the comparative example, the robot 30 drives the arm 34b so that the maximum acceleration Vb applied to the wafer 1 becomes the acceleration vr (that is, Vb = vr). do.
That is, as shown in FIG. 11, the time required to complete this step is the same in the case of the present embodiment and the case of the comparative example.

Here, this step (second transfer step S130) is executed after the substrate processing step S120 in which the wafer 1 is heated. Therefore, in this step, the temperature of the wafer 1 to be conveyed is higher than the temperature before being heated by the substrate processing step S120. Therefore, when the pad constituting the first support portion 322a is intended to convey the wafer 1 in this step by using the tweezers 32a formed of a rubber material, the temperature of the wafer 1 is the heat resistant temperature of the rubber material (first). The temperature of the pad may be exceeded, or the pad may be deformed or the pad may stick to the lower surface of the wafer 1.

In the present embodiment, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121 (CPU 121a) so that the main process is executed by using the arm 34b and the tweezers 32b and the main process is not executed by using the arm 34a and the tweezers 32a. That is, in this step, the wafer 1 having a temperature exceeding the heat resistant temperature (first temperature) of the rubber material of the pad constituting the first support portion 322a is conveyed by using only the arm 34b and the tweezers 32b. As described above, by controlling the robot 30 so that only the arm 34b and the tweezers 32b are used in this step, the above-mentioned problems caused by using the rubber material for the tweezers 32a can be avoided.

(Third transport process)
In the present embodiment, similarly to the first transfer step S110, the third transfer step S150 is executed by using the arm 34a and the tweezers 32a, and the robot does not execute this step by using the arm 34b and the tweezers 32b. 30 is controlled by the controller 121 (CPU 121a). At this time, the robot 30 drives the arm 34a so that the maximum acceleration Va applied to the wafer 1 becomes the acceleration vh in the transfer of the wafer 1 using the arm 34a.

Further, in the comparative example, similarly to the first transfer step S110, the wafer 1 is conveyed by the arm 34a provided with the tweezers 32b'in this step. At this time, the robot 30 drives the arm 34a so that the maximum acceleration Va ′ applied to the wafer 1 becomes an acceleration vr smaller than the acceleration vh in the transfer of the wafer 1 using the arm 34a.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, as in the case of the first transfer step S110, by executing this step with acceleration vh> acceleration vr, maximum acceleration Va = vh, and maximum acceleration Vb = vr, the wafer in this step The transport speed (transport throughput) of 1 can be maximized. As shown in FIG. 11, the time required to complete this step is longer in the case of the comparative example than in the case of the present embodiment.

Further, in this step in the present embodiment, as in the case of the first transfer step S110, only the wafer 1 having a temperature equal to or lower than the first temperature is conveyed by using the arm 34a and the tweezers 32a.

As described above, the controller 121 (CPU121a) of the present embodiment has the first transfer step S110 for transferring the wafer 1 from the load lock chamber 14a to the first processing chamber group 116, and the load lock chamber from the substrate cooling unit 13a. The arm 34a executes the third transfer step S150 for transporting the wafer 1 to the 14b, and the arm 34a executes the second transfer step S130 for transporting the wafer 1 from the first processing chamber group 116 to the substrate cooling unit 13a. The robot 30 is controlled so as not to cause the trouble. Further, the controller 121 of the present embodiment controls the robot 30 so that the arm 34b does not execute the second transfer step S130 and the arm 34b does not execute the first transfer step S110 and the third transfer step S150. do.

Further, in the first to third transfer steps S110, S130, and S150 in the present embodiment, the wafer 1 in which the tweeter 32a is equal to or lower than the heat resistant temperature (first temperature) of the rubber material of the pad constituting the first support portion 322a. The tweeter 32b is configured to convey only the wafer 1 that exceeds the heat resistant temperature (first temperature) of the rubber material of the pad constituting the first support portion 322a. Further, the robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121 (CPU121a) so that the arm 34a conveys only the wafer 1 having a temperature lower than the first temperature and the arm 34b conveys only the wafer 1 having a temperature higher than the first temperature. Will be done.

(4) Effects of the present embodiment According to the present embodiment, one or more of the following effects are exhibited.

According to the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 11, after the transfer of the wafer 1 from the load lock chamber 14a to the first processing chamber group 116 is started in the first transfer step S110, the third transfer step S150 The time required to complete the transfer of the wafer 1 from the substrate cooling unit 13a to the load lock chamber 14b can be shortened as compared with the case of the comparative example. That is, the transfer throughput of the wafer 1 can be improved, and the productivity of the substrate processing apparatus 10 can be improved.

Further, according to the present embodiment, it is permissible to apply a material having a low heat resistant temperature as a material for forming the first support portion 322a constituting the tweezers 32a. Therefore, the degree of freedom in selecting the material forming the first support portion 322a can be increased. For example, the first support portion 322a can be made of a material having a large force for holding the wafer 1 (that is, a large friction coefficient) such as a rubber material.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the deformation of the pad constituting the first support portion 322a can be suppressed, the frequency of replacement of parts such as the pad can be reduced.

Further, according to the present embodiment, it is possible to prevent the pads constituting the first support portion 322a from sticking to the lower surface of the wafer 1. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of a transfer error of the wafer 1 due to the pad sticking to the lower surface of the wafer 1 and the deterioration of the quality of the wafer 1.

Further, according to the present embodiment, the substrate transfer operation is performed in the substrate processing apparatus 10 including the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the frequency at which the step of transporting the low-temperature wafer 1 is executed is immediately after the heat treatment, as compared with the case where the substrate transport operation is performed in the substrate processing apparatus not provided with the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b. It is relatively higher than the frequency with which the step of transporting the high temperature wafer 1 such as the wafer 1 of the above is executed. Therefore, it is possible to more effectively improve the transfer throughput of the wafer 1 by increasing the transfer speed in the step of transporting the low temperature wafer 1 having a temperature equal to or lower than the first temperature.

If a semiconductor device is manufactured using the substrate processing device 10 according to the present embodiment as described above, the semiconductor device can be manufactured with high efficiency.

Further, in the first embodiment, a columnar pad as an example of the convex portion constituting the first support portion 322a has been described. However, the convex portion forming the first support portion 322a is not limited to the columnar pad. That is, the convex portion constituting the first support portion 322a may be composed of a member formed in an annular shape. More specifically, the member formed in an annular shape may be formed by O-ring. FIG. 13 shows an example in which the first support portion 322a'is configured by O-ring in the tweezers 32a. The height of the top surface of the O-ring is formed to be lower than the guide side wall 324a, as in the pad in the above-described embodiment.
Further, the shape of the convex portion forming the first support portion 322a is not limited to the columnar shape, and may be various shapes such as a prismatic shape and an arc shape.

<Second Embodiment of the present disclosure>
Further, in the second embodiment of the present disclosure, after the second transfer step S130 in the first embodiment, the tweezers cooling step S200 for cooling the tweezers 32b by the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b is further performed.

(Tweezer cooling step S200)
In the first embodiment, when the wafer 1 is placed on the spacer 152a in the second transfer step S130, the tweeter 32b is lowered downward. However, in the tweezers cooling step S200, after the wafer 1 is placed on the spacer 152a, the tweezers 32b is further moved to a position below the substrate cooling plate 131a, and the robot 30 is maintained at that position for a predetermined time. Is controlled. Specifically, after the wafer 1 is placed on the spacer 152a, the tweeter 32a is vertically lowered to a position lower than the lower surface of the substrate cooling plate 131a as it is, and the tweeter 32b is stopped at that position for a predetermined time. In the present specification, the lower part of the substrate cooling plate 131a is a position including the lower part of the notch for passing the tweezers 32b provided on the substrate cooling plate 131a downward.

By performing this step, the tweezers 32b whose temperature has risen can be rapidly cooled by the wafer 1 supported by the tweezers 32b. By cooling the tweezers 32b, deformation and deterioration of the tweezers 32a due to heat can be suppressed.
The above-mentioned predetermined time for maintaining the stopped state of the tweezers 32a may be a time during which the tweezers 32b can be substantially cooled. However, if the above-mentioned predetermined time is too long, the transfer throughput of the wafer 1 may be lowered, or when the wafer 1 is transferred, the supercooled tweezers 32b may cause a remarkable temperature deviation in the wafer 1. there is a possibility. Therefore, the above-mentioned predetermined time can be, for example, 5 to 60 seconds.

Further, in the present embodiment, an example in which the tweeter 32b is stopped below the substrate cooling plate 131a has been described. However, depending on the configuration of the substrate cooling unit 13a, the tweeter 32b may be stopped above the substrate cooling plate 131a.
In the present embodiment, since the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b are provided in the transport chamber 12, the tweeter 32b can be continuously cooled by the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b while cooling the wafer 1.

<Third Embodiment of the present disclosure>
Further, in the third embodiment of the present disclosure, in any of the arms 34a and 34b, the operation of transporting the wafer 1 between the first processing chamber group 116 and the second processing chamber group 117 is executed. The robot 30 is controlled by the controller 121 (CPU121a) so as not to be. By controlling the robot 30 in this way, when the arm 34b conveys the wafer 1 which has been heated in the first processing chamber group 116 and the second processing chamber group 117, the second conveying step S130. Since only the operation of transporting the wafer 1 to the substrate cooling units 13a and 13b is performed as described above, the heated wafer 1 is not continuously transported by the tweezers 32b. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the tweezers 32b from being excessively heated. The first processing chamber group 116 and the second processing chamber group 117 are examples of substrate processing chambers.

<Other Embodiments of the present disclosure>
In the above-described embodiment, the case where the substrate processing apparatus 10 is an annealing apparatus is taken as an example. However, the substrate processing apparatus of the present disclosure is not limited to the annealing apparatus. That is, the present disclosure can be applied to a substrate processing apparatus in which a temperature rise of a substrate occurs in the processing chamber regardless of the processing content in the processing chamber. Examples of the substrate processing apparatus include devices that perform other treatments such as film formation treatment, etching treatment, diffusion treatment, oxidation treatment, nitriding treatment, and ashing treatment.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where one tweezers 32a is provided on the arm 34a and one tweezers 32b is provided on the arm 34b has been described as an example. However, the number of tweezers 32a and 32b provided on the arms 34a and 34b, respectively, is not limited to one. That is, the arms 34a and 34b may be configured to each have a plurality of tweezers.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the robot 30 has two arms 34a and 34b is taken as an example. However, the number of arms provided in the robot 30 is not limited to two. That is, the robot 30 may be configured to have an arm for transporting a substrate other than the arms 34a and 34b.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the load lock chambers 14a and 14b in which the wafer 1 is carried out in the first transfer step S110 and the load lock chambers 14a and 14b in which the wafer 1 is carried in in the third transfer step S150 are provided. A different example was described. However, in the first transfer step S110 and the third transfer step S150, the load lock chambers 14a and 14b for carrying out or carrying in the wafer 1 can be changed. That is, in the first transfer step S110 and the third transfer step S150, the load lock chambers 14a and 14b into which the wafer 1 is carried out or carried in may be the same.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the substrate to be conveyed is the wafer 1 is taken as an example. However, the substrate to be conveyed is not limited to the wafer 1. That is, the substrate to be transported in the present disclosure may be a photomask, a printed wiring board, a liquid crystal panel, or the like.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the case where the substrate processing apparatus 10 has a plurality of processing chambers 16a, 16b, 17a, 17b as the substrate processing chamber is taken as an example. However, the substrate processing apparatus can have at least one substrate processing chamber.

As described above, since the present disclosure can be implemented in various forms, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, the configuration of the substrate processing apparatus 10 described in the above-described embodiment (for example, the configuration of the first processing chamber group 116 and the second processing chamber group 117) is only a specific example and does not deviate from the gist thereof. Needless to say, it can be changed in various ways.

The disclosure of Japanese Patent Application No. 2018-181416 filed on September 27, 2018 is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
All documents, patent applications, and technical standards described herein are to the same extent as if the individual documents, patent applications, and technical standards were specifically and individually stated to be incorporated by reference. Incorporated herein by reference.

The present disclosure relates to substrate processing devices, semiconductor device manufacturing methods, and programs .

Claims (11)

A substrate transfer device configured to transfer a substrate by driving a first substrate transfer arm and a second substrate transfer arm, respectively.
A substrate cooling unit configured to cool the substrate, a transfer chamber in which the substrate transfer device is arranged, and a transfer chamber.
At least one substrate processing chamber arranged adjacent to the transport chamber and configured to perform a treatment for heating the substrate.
A load lock chamber arranged adjacent to the transport chamber and
A control unit that controls the substrate transfer device and
Have,
The control unit
The first transfer process of controlling the first substrate transfer arm to transfer the substrate in the load lock chamber to the substrate processing chamber, and the substrate mounted on the substrate cooling unit in the load lock chamber. The third transport process of transporting to is executed,
By controlling the second substrate transfer arm, the substrate in the substrate processing chamber is conveyed to the substrate cooling unit, and the second transfer process for mounting on the substrate cooling unit is executed.
In the first transfer process and the third transfer process, the first value of the acceleration applied to the substrate is larger than the maximum value of the acceleration applied to the substrate in the second transfer process. It is configured to control the substrate transfer arm and the second substrate transfer arm.
Board processing equipment. The control unit
The first substrate transport arm transports only the substrate having a temperature equal to or lower than the first temperature.
The second substrate transfer arm is configured to control the substrate transfer device so as to transfer only the substrate that exceeds the first temperature.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1. The first substrate transfer arm includes a first substrate holder configured to support the lower surface of the substrate.
The second substrate transfer arm includes a second substrate holder configured to support the lower surface of the substrate.
The first substrate holder is
A first plate-like body arranged under the substrate,
A first support portion composed of a plurality of convex portions arranged on the upper surface of the first plate-like body and configured to support the lower surface of the substrate, and a first support portion.
Have,
The second substrate holder is
A second plate-like body arranged under the substrate,
A second support portion composed of a plurality of convex portions arranged on the upper surface of the second plate-like body and configured to support the lower surface of the substrate, and a second support portion.
Have,
The first support portion is made of a material having a coefficient of friction larger than that of the material constituting the second support portion.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2. The first support portion is made of a rubber material.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3. ,
The second support portion is made of a ceramic material or silicon carbide.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4. The heat-resistant temperature of the material constituting the first support portion is lower than the heat-resistant temperature of the material constituting the second support portion.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3. The first temperature is a heat resistant temperature of the material constituting the first support portion.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 3. The substrate cooling unit
Board cooling plate and
A substrate holding portion configured to hold the substrate above or below the substrate cooling plate.
Have,
The second substrate transfer arm has a second substrate holder configured to support the lower surface of the substrate.
The control unit
In the second transfer process, after the substrate is held above or below the substrate cooling plate by the substrate holding portion, the second substrate holder is placed above or below the substrate cooling plate for a predetermined time. It is configured to control the second substrate transfer arm so as to stop.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1. A plurality of the substrate processing chambers are provided.
The control unit
The first substrate transfer arm and the second substrate transfer arm so as not to execute the operation of transporting the substrate from one of the substrate processing chambers to the other substrate processing chamber among the plurality of substrate processing chambers. Is configured to control
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1. The substrate in the load lock chamber is transported to the substrate processing chamber by using the first substrate transport arm of the substrate transport device provided in the transport chamber and without using the second substrate transport arm of the board transport device. The first transfer step of heating the substrate in the substrate processing chamber and
Using the second substrate transport arm and without using the first substrate transport arm, the substrate in the substrate processing chamber is transported to a substrate cooling unit provided in the transport chamber to transport the substrate cooling unit. A second transfer step of placing the substrate on the substrate and cooling the substrate by the substrate cooling unit, and
A third transfer step of transporting the substrate mounted on the substrate cooling unit into the load lock chamber using the first substrate transport arm and without using the second substrate transport arm.
Have,
In the first transfer step and the third transfer step, the maximum value of the acceleration applied to the substrate when the substrate is conveyed by the first substrate transfer arm is determined in the second transfer step. Make it larger than the maximum value of the acceleration applied to the substrate when the substrate is transported by the substrate transport arm.
Manufacturing method of semiconductor devices. A computer-readable recording medium that records a program that causes a board processing device to perform a predetermined procedure by a computer.
The predetermined procedure is
Substrate processing that heats the substrate in the load lock chamber using the first substrate transfer arm of the substrate transfer device provided in the transfer chamber and without using the second substrate transfer arm of the substrate transfer device. The first transport procedure for transporting indoors and
Using the second substrate transfer arm and without using the first substrate transfer arm, the substrate in the substrate processing chamber is transported to a substrate cooling unit provided in the transfer chamber and cooling the substrate. The second transfer procedure for mounting on the substrate cooling unit and
A third transfer procedure for transporting the substrate mounted on the substrate cooling unit into the load lock chamber using the first substrate transport arm and without using the second substrate transport arm.
Have,
In the first transfer procedure and the third transfer procedure, the maximum value of the acceleration applied to the substrate when the substrate is transferred by the first substrate transfer arm is determined in the second transfer procedure. Make it larger than the maximum value of the acceleration applied to the substrate when the substrate is transported by the substrate transport arm.
A recording medium that can be read by a computer.

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