TW202205510A - Substrate processing system and method for inspecting substrate processing system - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a substrate processing system. The substrate processing system includes a transfer chamber having an inner space, a transfer device provided with a support part installed in the transfer chamber to support and move the substrate, and a first inspection device provided with a first detection part installed in at least one of the transfer chamber or the transfer chamber and configured to determine whether the support part is moved to a preset first position by using data acquired from the first detection part, thereby determining an operation state of the transfer device. Thus, during a substrate processing process, a limitation in which a substrate is seated on a holding member in an abnormal state may be reduced, and thus, the substrate may be seated at a regular position on the holding member during the actual process. Therefore, an occurrence of defects due to a seated position of the substrate may be reduced, and a substrate processing quality may be improved.

Description

Substrate processing system and method of inspecting substrate processing system

The present invention relates to a substrate processing system and a method for inspecting a substrate processing system, and more particularly, to a substrate processing system and a method for inspecting a substrate processing system that can inspect the state of the substrate processing system before the substrate processing is completed.

Equipment used to manufacture semiconductors performs a process of transferring a substrate loaded into a transfer chamber to a plurality of process chambers where different substrate processing processes are performed, and a process of depositing or etching a thin film on the substrate in each process chamber . Here, a transfer device including a robot arm supporting the substrate is provided in the transfer chamber, and the transfer device transfers the substrate into each process chamber.

In the process of processing the substrate in each process chamber, it may be necessary to place the substrate in a normal position on a susceptor disposed in the process chamber. The position of the substrate on the susceptor can be determined by at least one of the operation of the transfer device or the state of the processing chamber being coupled to the transfer chamber. That is, the substrate may or may not be placed in a normal position on the susceptor by at least one of the operation of the transfer device or the state of the process chamber being coupled to the transfer chamber. Also, when the substrate is not positioned in the normal position on the susceptor, defects in the substrate processing process may be generated in the processing chamber, thereby producing a defective semiconductor device.

Therefore, before the actual substrate processing process is performed, the operation of the transfer device and the connection status of the processing chamber need to be checked in advance. Moreover, when the operation of the conveying device and the connection state of the processing chamber are determined to be abnormal or defective, the operation of the conveying device and the connection state of the processing chamber need to be repaired or adjusted.

[Prior Art Literature]

[Patent Literature]

(Patent Document 1) Korean Patent Publication No. 10-2008-0004118

The present invention provides a substrate processing system and a method for inspecting the substrate processing system, which can inspect whether the operation of a conveying device for conveying substrates is abnormal.

The present invention provides a substrate processing system and a method for inspecting the substrate processing system capable of inspecting the state of a process chamber for processing substrates and a loadlock chamber for supplying substrates to a transfer chamber.

According to an exemplary embodiment, a substrate processing system includes a transfer chamber, a transfer device, and a first inspection device. The transfer cavity has an interior space. The transfer device is provided with a support portion installed in the transfer cavity to support and move the substrate. The first inspection device is provided with a first detection part. The first detection part is installed in at least one of the transmission cavity or the transmission device and is used to determine whether the support part has moved to the preset first position by using the data obtained from the first detection part, and then determine the transmission device operating status.

The first detection part can be installed on at least one of the support part or the transmission cavity to detect the distance between the support part and the inner wall of the transmission cavity, and the first inspection device can include a first determination part, the first detection part is A determining part is used for comparing the separation distance detected by the first detecting part and the preset distance, so as to determine the operation state of the transmission device.

The first detection part can be installed on at least one of the support part or the transmission cavity to detect the distance between the support part and the inner wall of the transmission cavity, and the first inspection device can compare the detection of the first detection part The distance and a preset distance are used to determine the operation state of the transmission device.

The substrate processing system may further include a load lock chamber connected to the transfer chamber and a second inspection device for monitoring the support portion moved into the load lock chamber to determine the state of the load lock device installed on the transfer chamber.

The second inspection device may include a second detection portion for monitoring the position of the support portion moved into the load lock cavity, and a second detection portion for comparing the position of the support portion monitored by the second detection portion with a predetermined second The second determining part is used to determine the connection state between the load lock cavity and the transfer cavity.

The substrate processing system may further include a process chamber connected to the transfer chamber, a support member installed in the process chamber, and at least one of the support member and the support portion for monitoring the movement into the process chamber, and further A third inspection device for judging at least one of the state of the process chamber being connected to the transfer chamber or the state of the mounting of the support.

The third inspection device may include a third inspection portion for monitoring the position of the support portion and the support member moved into the process chamber, and a third inspection portion for comparing the position of the support portion monitored by the third detection portion with a predetermined one The third position is used to determine the connection state between the process chamber and the transfer chamber, or use the data monitored by the third detection unit to determine whether the support is horizontal to determine the installation state of the support. .

According to another exemplary embodiment, a method of inspecting a substrate processing system includes: moving a support part according to a driving command value for moving a support part of a conveying device to a preset first position in a conveying cavity; The position of the support part is detected in the detection part; and a preset value reflecting the first position and the value detected in the first detection part are compared to determine the operation state of the transmission device.

The method may further include: moving the support part according to a drive command value for moving the support part to a preset second position in the load lock cavity connected to the transfer cavity; detecting the movement to the second position in the second detection part the position of the support part in the load lock cavity; and comparing the preset value reflecting the second position with the value detected in the second detection part to determine the connection state of the load lock cavity.

The method may further include: moving the support part according to a driving command value for moving the support part to a predetermined third position in the process chamber connected to the transfer chamber; detecting the movement to a third position in a third detection part the position of the support part in the process chamber; and comparing the preset value reflecting the third position and the value detected in the third detection part to determine the connection state of the process chamber.

The method may further include: supporting a substrate on the supporting portion; moving the supporting portion to a predetermined fourth position in a process chamber connected to the transfer chamber; placing the substrate supported on the supporting portion on the mounting position on the support in the process chamber; detecting the position of the substrate on the support in the third detection part; and comparing the fourth position and the position of the substrate detected in the third detection part to determine the process The connection state of the cavity.

Hereinafter, specific embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the related drawings. However, the present invention may be embodied in various forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. In the drawings, the sizes of layers and regions are exaggerated for clarity. Throughout the specification, like numerals refer to like elements.

1 and 2 are top views of a substrate processing system according to an exemplary embodiment. 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating an example of a state in which the substrate is positioned on the support. Here, FIG. 3 shows a state in which the center of the substrate in the width direction and the center of the support in the width direction match each other, and FIG. 4 shows the center of the substrate in the width direction and the center of the support in the width direction with each other mismatched state.

Referring to FIGS. 1 to 4 , a substrate processing system according to an exemplary embodiment includes a transfer chamber 1000 , a process chamber 6000 , a transfer device 2000 and an inspection device. The transfer cavity 1000 has an inner space in which the substrate 10 is accommodated. The process chamber 6000 is coupled to the transfer chamber 1000 to perform a predetermined process on the substrate 10 transferred into the transfer chamber 1000 . The transfer device 2000 transfers the substrate 10 into the transfer chamber 1000 or transfers the substrate 10 to the outside of the transfer chamber 1000 . The inspection device (hereinafter referred to as the first inspection device 3000 ) inspects the operation state of the conveying device 2000 .

Also, the substrate processing system includes a load-lock chamber 4000 that can be connected to the transfer chamber 1000 and temporarily accommodate or store the substrates 10 to be transferred to the transfer chamber 1000 , and check that the load-lock chamber 4000 is connected to the transfer chamber 1000 . a state inspection device (hereinafter referred to as the second inspection device 5000 ), and at least one of the state in which the process chamber 6000 is connected to the transfer chamber 1000 or the state in which the support 6110 installed in the process chamber 6000 is installed The state inspection device (hereinafter referred to as the third inspection device 7000).

Furthermore, the substrate processing system may include a transfer driver 2000a, a controller 2000b, and a gate valve 8000, wherein the transfer driver 2000a provides a transfer driving force to the transfer device 2000, the controller 2000b controls the operation of the transfer driver 2000a, and the gate valve 8000 is installed in the process chamber 6000 and between the transfer cavity 1000 and between the load lock cavity 4000 and the transfer cavity 1000 .

According to an exemplary embodiment, the substrate 10 waiting to be processed in the substrate processing system may be a circular wafer. Of course, the substrate 10 is not limited to the above-mentioned wafer, and various means such as glass, polymer film, and plastic can be used. Also, the outer shape of the substrate 10 is not limited to being circular, and substrates having various polygonal shapes other than circular can be used.

The transfer chamber 1000 may have a cylindrical shape with an interior space and may be configured to connect the process chamber 6000 to the load lock chamber 4000 . The transfer cavity 1000 can be provided in various shapes with space for the transfer device 2000 to be installed and operated therein.

The load lock cavity 4000 can have an interior space and can be connected (ie, coupled and detached) to the transfer cavity 1000 . Also, the substrate 10 is temporarily located or loaded in the load lock cavity 4000, and an elevator cassette 4100 (elevation cassette) can be installed. Also, a viewing hole 4200 through which the interior of the load lock cavity 4000 is visually confirmed may be provided at the top of the load lock cavity 4000 .

The process chambers 6000 may be multiple and the process chambers 6000 may be connected (ie provided for coupling and separation) to the transfer chamber 1000 . For example, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 , when the process chamber 6000 and the load lock chamber 4000 are coupled to the transfer chamber 1000 , the process chamber 6000 and the load lock chamber 4000 may be coupled to It is arranged radially around the transfer cavity 1000 . Of course, the shapes of the process chamber 6000 and the load lock chamber 4000 coupled to the transfer chamber 1000 are not limited to the above radial shapes and can be changed in various ways.

These process chambers 6000 may be provided in which various substrate processing processes may be performed.

A substrate setting portion 6100 provided with a support 6110 on which the substrate 10 is positioned and a gas injection portion (not shown) arranged to face the support 6110 to spray raw gas to process the substrate may be installed in the process chamber 6000 .

The original material sprayed from the gas injection part may be a starting material for depositing a thin film on the substrate 10 or a starting material for etching the substrate 10 or the thin film.

A viewing hole 6200 may be provided in the process chamber 6000 to visually inspect the interior of the process chamber 6000 , and the viewing hole 6200 is preferably located at a position facing the support 6110 . Also, the substrate setting part 6100 and the gas injection part may be arranged inside the process chamber 6000 to face each other. For example, the substrate setting portion 6100 can be arranged in the bottom of the process chamber 6000 and the gas injection portion can be arranged in the top of the substrate setting portion 6100 .

As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 , the substrate setting portion 6100 includes a support member 6110 on which the substrate 10 is positioned, and an ejector pin 6120 having one end protruding upward from the support member 6110 or a thimble 6120 that can be raised to be disposed within the support member 6110 (lift pin).

The support 6110 is a means on which the substrate 10 to be processed rests or is supported. The supporter 6110 may have a flat plate shape and a larger area than the substrate 10 . Also, grooves (hereinafter referred to as setting grooves) or pockets for stably supporting the substrate 10 may be provided in the supporter 6110 . That is, the support member 6110 is provided with a groove having a groove recessed from a surface facing the gas ejection portion (hereinafter referred to as one surface 62 ) to a side opposite to the gas ejection surface. The groove may be a placement groove in which the substrate is received or placed.

When the substrate 10 is located in the setting groove, the setting position of the substrate 10 on the setting groove or setting surface 62b may be changed according to the following states: the operation state of the transfer device 2000 for transferring the substrate 10 to the process chamber 6000, the process chamber The state where the 6000 is connected to the transfer chamber 1000 and the state where the support 6110 is installed in the process chamber 6000 . In detail, the setting position of the substrate 10 can be changed according to whether the operation of the transfer device 2000 is abnormal, the position where the process chamber 6000 is coupled to the transfer chamber 1000 and whether the support 6110 is horizontal.

For example, when the substrate 10 is positioned in the setting groove, as shown in (a) of FIG. 3 , the substrate 10 may be positioned such that the center 12 of the substrate 10 in the width direction is positioned at the center 12 of the setting surface 62b in the width direction. Center _CH . In this case, as shown in (b) of FIG. 3 , the spacing distance (or gap) between the side surface 11 of the substrate 10 and the inner surface 62c of the support 6110 along the circumferential direction of the substrate 10 may be uniform. . In another example, when the center ₁₂ of the substrate 10 in the width direction is disposed as shown in (a) of FIG. The separation distance (or gap) between the inner surfaces 62c of the supports 6110 may be non-uniform.

As described above, the different positions of the substrate 10 may be due to the above-mentioned changes according to whether the transfer device 2000 operates abnormally, the position where the process chamber 6000 is coupled to the transfer chamber 1000 and whether the support 6110 is level. The setting positions of the substrates will be described below.

The transfer device 2000 is a device that supports the substrate 10 to move the substrate 10 to a desired position. For example, the transfer apparatus 2000 transfers the substrate 10 inside the load lock chamber 4000 to the transfer chamber 1000 and transfers the substrate 10 transferred to the transfer chamber 1000 into the process chamber 6000 .

The transfer device 2000 includes a support part 2100 on which the substrate 10 is supported, and an arm 2200 installed to connect the support part 2100 to the transfer driver 2000a to be horizontally and rotatably moved according to the operation of the transfer driver 2000a.

The arm 2200 is connected between the support portion 2100 and the transmission driver 2000a. That is, the arm 2200 has one end connected to the transmission driver 2000 a and the other end connected to the support part 2100 . The arm 2200 is moved horizontally or rotatably according to the action of the conveying driver 2000a. In addition, the arm 2200 can be raised according to the operation of the transfer driver 2000a.

Hereinafter, the movement of the support portion 2100 connected to the arm 2200 close to the process chamber 6000 or the load lock chamber 4000, or the horizontal movement toward the process chamber 6000 or the load lock chamber 4000 is defined as forward movement. Furthermore, relatively speaking, the movement of the support portion 2100 connected to the arm 2200 away from the process chamber 6000 or the load lock chamber 4000, or the horizontal movement to the opposite side of the load lock chamber 4000 or the process chamber 6000 is defined as Move backwards.

The transmission driver 2000a is a means for driving the arm 2200 or actuating the arm 2200 to move the support part 2100 forward/backward or rotatably. The conveying drive 2000a may include a horizontal drive that moves the conveying device 2000 forward and backward, and a rotary drive that rotates the conveying device 2000 . Also, the transfer driver may include a lift driver for adjusting the height of the transfer device 2000 .

The controller 2000b can operate the transmission driver 2000a according to the driving command value, so as to make the transmission device 2000 move horizontally or rotatably or ascend. That is, the drive command value for moving or ascending the conveying device 2000 horizontally or rotatably to set the support portion 2100 at a desired position can be set or stored in the controller 2000b. The driving command value may be a value preset in the process of installing the transmission device 2000 and may be a value reflecting design dimensions, design errors, and the like. Also, the transmission device can be operated by driving the command value.

When the substrate 10 transferred into the process chamber 6000 through the transfer device 2000 is placed on the support member 6110, the substrate 10 needs to be placed in a normal position. Here, the position of the substrate 10 may be based on the position of the support member 6110 or the setting surface 62b. In addition, the normal position of the substrate 10 may be a position where no defect occurs when the substrate 10 is processed, or a position where the substrate 10 is manufactured with required quality, and may be determined or set during the manufacturing process of the substrate processing system s position.

As shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 3 , the normal position of the substrate 10 may be, for example, a position where the center 12 of the substrate 10 in the width direction and the center _CH in the width direction of the setting surface 62b match or overlap with each other . That is, as shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 3 , the normal position of the substrate 10 may be that the distance between the side surface 11 of the substrate 10 and the inner surface 62c of the support member 6110 is uniform in the circumferential direction , without being deviated to the position on the other side of the setting surface 62b as shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 4 .

Of course, as described above, the normal position of the substrate 10 may not be limited to the example in which the center of the substrate 10 in the width direction and the center _CH in the width direction of the setting surface 62b match each other, and may be changed to various desired positions such that The substrates are processed without defects or to produce substrates of the desired quality.

The substrate 10 can be adjusted on the support member 6110 or the setting surface 62b according to whether the operation of the transfer device 2000 for transferring the substrate 10 is abnormal, the position where the process chamber 6000 is coupled to the transfer chamber 1000, and whether the support member is horizontal. s position.

Whether the operation of the transmission device 2000 is abnormal can indicate whether the support portion 2100 is indeed moved according to the operation of the transmission driver 2000a. Here, the state of whether the support portion 2100 has actually moved may be whether the support portion 2100 that has completed the horizontal movement is set at a preset target position (hereinafter referred to as the first position). In addition, when determining whether the operation of the conveying device 2000 is abnormal, if the support part 2100 that has completed the horizontal movement is disposed at the first position, it is determined that the operation of the conveying device 2000 is normal; otherwise, it is determined that the operation is abnormal.

Whether or not the support portion 2100 is disposed at the first position may be determined using the distance (hereinafter referred to as the actual movement distance) that the support portion 2100 actually moves horizontally. Specifically, when the transmission driver 2000a operates with a preset driving command value (hereinafter referred to as the first driving command value) according to the first position or the required horizontal movement distance (hereinafter referred to as the first movement distance), The arm 2200 is actuated to move the support portion 2100 horizontally. Here, the first moving distance can be determined according to the first position. Furthermore, it can be determined whether the operation of the conveying device 2000 is normal or abnormal according to whether the support portion 2100 has moved by the first moving distance. The above determination can be made because if the actual moving distance of the support portion 2100 is the first moving distance, the support portion 2100 has reached the first position, otherwise, the support portion 2100 is not set at the first position.

The first moving distance may be set as a range. That is, the first moving distance may be a range value greater than or equal to the lower limit value and less than or equal to the upper limit value. When explained again by reflecting this principle, if the actual horizontal moving distance (ie, the actual moving distance) of the support portion 2100 is included in the first moving distance, it can be determined that the conveying device 2000 operates normally. However, if the actual moving distance of the support portion 2100 is not included in the first moving distance, it can be determined that the operation of the transmission device 2000 is abnormal. Here, the fact that the actual moving distance of the support portion 2100 is not included in the first moving distance may indicate that the moving distance is smaller than the lower limit value of the first moving distance or exceeds the upper limit value of the first moving distance.

Also, when the substrate 10 loaded into the transfer chamber 1000 is transferred into the process chamber 6000 through the transfer device 2000 and is positioned on the support 6110, the operation of the transfer device 2000 is normal, and when the connection of the process chamber 6000 When the state is normal, the substrate 10 may be located at the normal position of the support member 6110 . That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 3 , the substrate 10 may be disposed such that the center 12 in the width direction of the substrate 10 and the center _CH in the width direction of the disposition surface 62b match each other. Of course, when the conveying device 2000 operates abnormally, the substrate 10 may not be located in the normal position of the support member 6110 . That is, for example, as shown in FIG. 4 , the center 12 of the substrate 10 in the width direction may be set to be offset from the center _CH in the width direction of the support 6110 such that the centers 12 , _CH do not match each other .

The normal or abnormal operation of the transmission device 2000 may be caused by at least one of the assembled state between the support portion 2100 and the arm 2200 and the assembled state of the plurality of link members 2210 a and 2210 b constituting the arm 2200 . That is to say, the actual horizontal movement distance of the support part 2100 (ie, the forward or backward movement distance by the actuation of the transmission driver 2000 a ) can be determined according to the assembled state between the support part 2100 and the arm 2200 and the links constituting the arm 2200 At least one of the assembled states between the pieces 2210a, 2210b is changed. In other words, due to the operation of at least one of the transmission driver 2000a according to the assembly state between the support portion 2100 and the arm 2200 and the assembly state between the link members 2210a, 2210b constituting the arm 2200, the support portion 2100 may be The first movement distance is moved horizontally, the distance is less than the first movement distance, or the distance is greater than the first movement distance.

Hereinafter, for convenience of description, the assembled state between the support portion 2100 and the arm 2200 and the assembled state of the link members 2210a and 2210b constituting the arm 2200 will be collectively referred to as "the assembled state of the transfer device".

The position of the substrate 10 on the support member 6110 or the setting surface 62b may be changed according to the assembly state of the transfer device 2000 and the connection state of the process chamber 6000 . That is, the process chamber 6000 is fastened or coupled to the transfer chamber 1000 while the substrate processing system is being manufactured or assembled. Here, the position of the substrate 10 on the support member 6110 can be changed according to the position where the process chamber 6000 is coupled to the transfer chamber 1000 . That is, even if the operation of the transfer device 2000 is normal, the substrate 10 may not be disposed in the normal position on the support 6110 according to the connection state of the process chamber 6000 . This is because the position of the support member 6110 relative to the transfer chamber 1000 or the transfer device 2000 changes according to the coupling state of the process chamber 6000 .

Therefore, according to an exemplary embodiment, there is provided a first inspection apparatus 3000 capable of monitoring the operation state of the transfer apparatus 2000 (ie, capable of pre-checking or checking whether the operation is abnormal) before the actual substrate processing process.

Hereinafter, the first inspection apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 , 2 , and 5 to 9 .

Here, when the conveying device 2000 moves forward to confirm whether the operation of the conveying device 2000 is abnormal, the forward movement of the conveying device 2000 in the direction of one of the process chambers 6000 will be described as an example.

FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the support portion is moved forward to check the working condition of the conveying device according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 is a front view illustrating a preparation state before the support portion is moved forward, according to an exemplary embodiment. 7 and 8 are front views illustrating a state in which the support portion is moved forward from the transfer chamber toward the process chamber to verify the operation of the transfer device, according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an example of the position of the marker on the image and the reference area obtained by the first detection section according to an exemplary embodiment.

Here, FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a situation where the actual moving distance _DR of the support part satisfies the first moving distance D _ET , and FIG. 8 is a diagram showing that the actual moving distance _DR of the support part does not satisfy the first moving distance D Schema of the _ET situation.

Please refer to FIG. 1 , FIG. 2 , and FIGS. 5 to 8 , the first inspection device 3000 includes a mark M, a first detection part 3100 and a determination part (hereinafter referred to as a first determination part 3200 ), wherein the mark M is formed on the support part 2100, the first detection part 3100 is installed at a position in the moving path through which the support part 2100 moves horizontally to the position of the process chamber 6000, and the determination part uses the data obtained from the first detection part 3100 to It is determined whether the operation of the transmission device 2000 is normal or abnormal. In addition, the first inspection device 3000 may include a warning part (hereinafter referred to as the first warning part 3300 ) that generates an alarm when the first determination part 3200 determines that the transmission device 2000 operates abnormally.

As shown in FIG. 6 , the mark M may be formed on the back surface of the support part 2100, for example. Of course, the formation position of the mark M is not limited to the backside of the support part 2100 , and can be formed on any position of the support part 2100 if it can be detected by the first detection part 3100 . Also, the mark M according to the embodiment has a shape such as a cross (please refer to FIG. 9 ), but is not limited thereto and can be changed into various shapes such as a circle and a polygon.

The first detection part 3100 may be a means for capturing an image of the mark M on the support part 2100 . That is, the first detection unit 3100 may be a means including an imaging unit capable of obtaining images or videos, and the imaging unit may be a line scanner, a visual image capture device, or the like.

The first detection part 3100 can be installed in the transmission cavity 1000 to be disposed under the support part 2100 . And, the first detection part 3100 is installed in the transfer cavity 1000 so that the support part 2100 is disposed at a position in a path through which the support part 2100 moves forward to the position of the process cavity 6000 . That is, the first detection part 3100 is installed in the transfer chamber 1000 to be disposed between the process chamber 6000 and the transfer driver 2000a. The first detection part 3100 may be plural and may be disposed between each of the process chamber 6000 and the transfer driver 2000a.

In the above description, it has been described that the first detection part 3100 is installed in the transmission cavity 1000, but it is not limited to this. For example, the first detection part 3100 may be disposed outside the transfer cavity 1000 so that the mark M formed on the support part 2100 can be imaged.

As shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 6 , the installation position of the first detection part 3100 is determined based on the state in which the support part 2100 does not move forward in the direction of the process cavity 6000 (hereinafter referred to as the preparation state). In detail, as shown in FIG. 6 , the first detection part 3100 is installed to be spaced a predetermined distance from the center CM of the mark _M on the support part 2100 in the ready state in the direction of the process chamber 6000 . Therefore, when the supporting portion 2100 in the ready state moves forward by a predetermined distance in the direction of the process chamber 6000 , the mark M can be disposed on the top side of the first detecting portion 3100 , that is, facing the first detecting portion 3100 . Section 3100.

In one embodiment, in order to check the operation of the transmission device 2000 , the transmission device 2000 (ie, the support portion 2100 ) moves forward along the direction of the first detection portion 3100 . Therefore, the first position may be the position on the first detection part 3100 , and the target horizontal movement distance (ie, the first movement distance D _ET ) over which the support part 2100 moves may be a mark on the support part 2100 in the ready state The separation distance between M and the first detection part 3100 . In detail, the first moving distance D _ET may be the distance between the center CM of the mark _M located on the support portion 2100 in the ready state and the first detection portion 3100 .

When the transmission driver 2000a operates according to the first driving command value, the support portion 2100 will move forward in the direction of the process chamber 6000 due to the action of the arm 2200 . Here, when the support portion 2100 moves by the first moving distance D _ET , the mark M may be disposed on the first detecting portion 3100 , that is, facing the first detecting portion 3100 . Also, the mark M may be set at the first position. In another example, when the support portion 2100 moves by a distance less than or greater than the first moving distance D _ET , the mark M may not face the first detection portion 3100 . Also, even if the mark M faces the first detection portion 3100, the center CM of the mark _M may or may not match or overlap the first detection portion 3100 in the width direction according to the distance that the support portion 2100 actually moves. on the center. In this case, the mark M is not set at the first position.

As described above, since the position of the marker _M is changed according to the actual forward moving distance DR of the support portion 2100 , the position of the marker MF on the image _F captured by the first detection portion 3100 may change. For example, the center C _MF of the marker MF on the image _F may match or overlap the center CF of the image _F as shown in (a) of FIG. 9 , or may not be as shown in (b) of FIG. 9 . Matches or overlaps the center CF of image _F. Also, the marker MF may not exist on the image _F.

The first determining part 3200 uses the data obtained by the first detecting part 3100 to determine whether the operation of the transmission device 2000 is normal or abnormal. For example, the first determination part 3200 determines whether the operation of the transmission device 2000 is normal or abnormal according to the position of the marker MF on the image _F obtained from the first detection part 3100 . For this purpose, the first determination unit 3200 sets the reference area A _S on the image F sent from the first detection unit 3100 . Here, the reference area _AS may be a predetermined area on the image _F including the center CF. That is, the reference area _AS may have a predetermined surface area and be set such that the corners of the reference area _AS match the center CF of the image _F. Furthermore, the reference area _AS has a predetermined surface area as described above. When the center _CMF of the marker _MF is set to match the center _CF of the reference area _AS , the marker _MF may have a surface area that can be positioned within the reference area _AS without deviating from the reference area _AS .

In one embodiment, the reference area _AS is set or provided as a circle, but not limited thereto. For example, as long as all the marks _MF can be accommodated in the reference area _AS in the surface area, the reference area _AS can be changed to any shape.

The first determination part 3200 analyzes the image _F to determine whether the operation of the transmission device 2000 (ie, the support part 2100 ) is normal or abnormal according to whether the marker MF is separated from the reference area _AS . That is to say, the first determination part 3200 determines that the operation of the transmission device 2000 is normal when it analyzes that the entire marker _MF is disposed within the reference area and does not deviate from the reference area _AS . However, on the contrary, the first determination unit 3200 determines that the operation of the transmission device 2000 is abnormal when the entire or part of the marker MF is _deviated from the reference area _AS as shown in (b) of FIG. 9 .

More preferably, the first determining part 3200 analyzes the coordinates of the center position of the marker MF on the image _F , and then, as shown in (a) of FIG. 9 , when the position of the center _CMF of the marker _MF matches or overlaps When referring to the center _CF of the area _AS , the first determination part 3200 determines that the operation of the transmission device 2000 is normal. However, as shown in (b) of FIG. 9 , when the position of the center C _MF of the marker MF on the image _F is separated from the position of the center CF of the reference area _AS without matching or overlapping the position of the center _CF of the reference area _AS When the center _CF is at the position, the first determination unit 3200 determines that the operation of the transmission device 2000 is abnormal.

Here, as shown in (a) of FIG. 9 , since the support part 2100 actually moves forward by the first moving distance D _ET in the ready state (as shown in FIG. 6 ) as shown in FIG. The entire marker MF is placed on the image _F within the reference area _AS without deviating from the reference area _AS or the position of the center _CMF of the marker _MF matches or overlaps the center _CF of the reference area _AS . That is, the reason for the above situation is that the actual forward moving distance _DR of the support part 2100 satisfies the first moving distance D _ET . In other words, it is because the support portion 2100 provided with the mark M is moved to the first position. Therefore, when the position of the center _{C MF} of the mark MF matches or overlaps with the center _CF of the reference area _AS , it can be described that the support part 2100 has actually moved the first moving distance D _ET , so the support part 2100 or the mark M has reach the first position.

However, when the actual forward moving distance _DR of the support portion 2100 in the ready state (as shown in FIG. 6 ) is less than the first moving distance D _ET as shown in FIG. 8 or greater than the first moving distance D _ET (not shown) ), the whole or part of the mark MF may deviate from the reference area A _S as shown in (b) of FIG. 9 , or the position of the center _{C MF} of the mark MF may not match or overlap the center of the reference area _{A S} The location of C _F. In other words, when the support 2100 on which the mark M is provided does not reach the first position or moves beyond the first position, the position of the center C _MF of the mark MF will not match or overlap the center _{C F of} the reference area _AS the location. Therefore, when the position of the center _{C MF} of the marker MF does not match or overlap with the position of the center _CF of the reference area _AS , it can be described that the actual moving distance _DR of the support portion 2100 does not satisfy the first moving distance D _ET , so The support portion 2100 or the mark M has not reached the first position.

As described above, the first determining unit 3200 compares and analyzes the position between the reference area _AS and the marker MF on the image _F to determine whether the operation state of the transmission device 2000 is normal or abnormal.

The first warning part 3300 generates a warning when the first determination part 3200 determines that the transmission device 2000 operates abnormally. When the warning is generated from the first warning part 3300 , the operator will maintain the conveying device 2000 . That is, the assembly state between the link members 2210a and 2210b constituting the arm 2110 or the assembly state between the support portion 2100 and the arm 2110 is checked and repaired.

As shown in FIG. 5 , there may be a plurality of first detection parts 3100 of the first inspection device 3000 . That is, these process chambers 6000 and load lock chambers 4000 may be mounted to face each other.

The first inspection device 3000 according to the above-mentioned embodiment provides the mark M on the support part 2100 and uses the first detection part 3100 including the imaging part to capture the image of the support part 2100 to determine whether the operation of the transmission device 2000 is normal or not. abnormal. However, the first inspection device 3000 is not limited to the above example and can determine whether the operation of the transmission device 2000 is normal or abnormal through various means and methods.

Hereinafter, a first inspection apparatus according to a modified example of the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12 .

FIGS. 10 to 12 are front views illustrating a state in which the operation of the conveying device is inspected by using the first inspection device according to a modified example of an embodiment to move the support portion forward from the conveying cavity. Here, FIG. 10 shows a preparation state before the support portion moves forward. Also, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a state in which the distance between the front end of the supporting portion moving forward and the inner wall of the conveying cavity satisfies the preset distance, and FIG. 12 is a diagram showing that the spacing distance does not meet the preset distance Schema of the state of the situation.

Please refer to FIGS. 10 to 12 , the first inspection device 3000 includes a first detection part 3400 , a distance detection part 3500 and a first determination part 3200 , wherein the first detection part 3400 is installed in the transmission cavity 1000 to reflect Light and a light sensor that receives reflected light, the distance detection part 3500 measures or detects the distance between the support part 2100 and the transmission cavity 1000 by using the signal or data sent from the first detection part 3400 distance, and the first determination part 3200 compares the separation distance D _M detected or measured by the distance detection part 3500 with a preset separation distance (hereinafter referred to as the preset distance D _S ) to determine whether the transmission device 2000 is operating normal or abnormal. Also, the first inspection apparatus 3000 may include a first warning unit 3300 that generates an alert when the first determination unit 3200 is determined to be abnormal.

The first detection portion 3400 may be a means including a light sensor provided with a light emitting portion that generates light to emit light, and a receiving portion that receives the reflected light. The first detection part 3400 can be installed on the inner wall of the transmission cavity 1000 .

The distance detection part 3500 may be, for example, used to detect or measure the inside of the support part 2100 and the transmission cavity 1000 by using the time elapsed for the light emitted from the first detection part 3400 to be reflected and received again Means of separation distance between walls.

The first determination part 3200 compares the distance between the support part 2100 and the inner wall of the transmission cavity 1000 detected by the distance detection part 3500 (hereinafter referred to as the detection distance D _M ) and the preset distance D _S to determine the transmission The operation of the device 2000 is normal or abnormal.

Here, the preset distance D _S is determined according to the target position (ie, the first position) to which the support portion 2100 will be moved. Specifically, the predetermined distance D _S can be determined according to the first position, which is the target position relative to the front end of the support portion 2100 . In addition, the preset distance D _S may be a range value. That is, the preset distance D _S may be a range value greater than or equal to the lower limit value and less than or equal to the upper limit value.

The preset distance D _S set in the first determination part 3200 is set as the actual separation distance between the support part 2100 and the inner wall of the transfer cavity 1000 when the support part 2100 moves the first moving distance D _ET for inspection. That is to say, the preset distance D _S can be set as the actual distance between the front end of the first detection part 3400 and the support part 2100 .

When the detection distance D _M is included in the preset distance D _S , the first determination part 3200 determines that the operation of the transmission device 2000 is normal. In this case, it can be determined that the support part 2100 is moved to the first position. On the contrary, when the detection distance D _M is not included in the preset distance D _S , the first determination part 3200 determines that the operation of the transmission device 2000 is abnormal. In this case, it may be determined that the support portion 2100 has not moved to the first position.

Here, the fact that the detection distance _DM is not included in the preset distance _DS may indicate that the detection distance _DM is smaller than the lower limit value of the preset distance _DS or _larger than the upper limit value of the preset distance DS.

Hereinafter, a method of judging the operation of the transmission device 2000 using the first inspection device 3000 according to the modified example will be described.

First, the transmission driver 2000a is operated according to the first drive command value. Here, the first drive command value is a value set based on the first position or the first movement distance D _ET for verification. When the transmission driver 2000a operates according to the first driving command value, the support portion 2100 moves forward along the direction of the process chamber 6000 .

When the supporting part 2100 completes moving forward, the light will be emitted through the first detecting part 3400 . Moreover, the distance detection part 3500 receives the light signal or data from the first detection part 3400 to detect the distance D _M between the support part 2100 and the inner wall of the transmission cavity 1000 . The detected separation distance _DM will be sent to the first determination unit 3200 .

The first determining part 3200 compares the detection distance D _M and the preset distance D _S to determine whether the operation of the transmission device 2000 is normal or abnormal. In addition, when the detection distance D _M is included in the preset distance D _S , the first determination part 3200 determines that the operation of the transmission device 2000 is normal. This is because the support part 2100 actually moves forward by the first moving distance D _ET as shown in FIG. 11 in the ready state in FIG. 10 , and thus the front end of the support part 2100 will reach the first position. On the contrary, when the detection distance D _M is not included in the preset distance D _S , the first determination part 3200 determines that the operation of the transmission device 2000 is abnormal. This is because the support portion 2100 moves an actual forward moving distance _DR that is less than or greater than (not shown) the first moving distance D _ET as shown in FIG. 12 in the ready state of FIG. 10 , and thus the support portion 2100 has a The front end is not set in the first position.

Next, when the first determining part 3200 determines that the transmission device 2000 is operating abnormally, the first warning part 3300 will generate a warning. When the alert is generated, the operator will check the assembly state of the conveyor 2000 for repair.

In the above modified example, it has been described that the first detection part 3400 is installed on the inner wall of the transfer cavity 1000 . However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the first detection part 3400 can be installed at the front end of the support part 2100 .

In the above-described embodiments and modified examples, it has been described that the support portion 2100 moves forward in the direction of the process chamber 6000 to verify the operation of the transfer device 2000 . However, the embodiment is not so limited, and the operation of the transfer device 2000 can be checked by moving the transfer device 2000 forward in the direction of the load lock cavity 4000 .

When it is determined that the operating state of the transfer device 2000 is normal, the second inspection device 5000 is used to verify the state of the load lock chamber 4000 being connected to the transfer device 2000, and then the third inspection device 7000 is used to verify that the process chamber 6000 is connected to the transfer device 2000 status.

First, the second inspection apparatus 5000 will be described.

The second inspection device 5000 determines the connection state of the load lock cavity 4000 .

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 , the second inspection device 5000 includes a detection part (hereinafter referred to as the second detection part 5100 ) and a second determination part 5200 , wherein the detection part is installed in the top of the load lock cavity 4000 to The position of the support portion 2100 transmitted to the load lock chamber 4000 is detected, and the second determination portion 5200 determines whether the connection state of the load lock chamber 4000 is normal or not by using the data provided from the second detection portion 5100 . abnormal. Also, the second testing apparatus 5000 may include a second warning part 5300 that generates an alarm when the second determination part 5200 determines that the connection state of the load lock cavity 4000 is abnormal.

The second detection part 5100 may be installed to be disposed outside the top side of the viewing hole 4200 in the top of the load lock cavity 4000 . In addition, the second detection part 5100 can move horizontally along the X-axis direction, which is the arrangement direction of the transfer cavity 1000 and the load-lock cavity 4000, and the Y-axis direction interlaced with the X-axis direction.

A reference position (hereinafter referred to as a second position) for determining whether the connection state of the load lock cavity 4000 is normal is set in the second determining part 5200 . And, the controller 2000b sets or stores the drive command value (hereinafter referred to as the second drive command value) according to the second position as the target position of the support portion 2100 in the load lock cavity 4000 . In addition, the transfer driver 2000a operates according to the second driving command value, so that the support portion 2100 is moved forward into the load lock cavity 4000 .

When the support part 2100 is moved into the load lock cavity 4000 in a state where the load lock cavity 4000 is connected to the transfer cavity 1000 in the normal position, the second position (X _S , Y _S , Z _S ) can be the support part The X, Y and Z coordinates of the front end of 2100 in load lock cavity 4000.

The method of inspecting or monitoring the connection state of the load lock chamber 4000 in the second inspection apparatus 5000 is the same as the method of inspecting the connection state of the process chamber 6000 in the third inspection apparatus 7000, which will be described below.

Therefore, the description of the method for inspecting the connection state of the load lock cavity 4000 using the second inspection device 5000 will be omitted here.

Hereinafter, referring to FIGS. 13 and 14 , a third inspection apparatus and a method of using the third inspection apparatus to inspect the installation state of the process chamber and the support member according to an embodiment will be described.

FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the position in the horizontal direction where the process chamber is coupled to the transfer chamber. 14 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a case where the support portion is installed horizontally (solid line) and a case where the support member is installed obliquely (dotted line) when the support portion is installed in the process chamber.

As described above, the position of the substrate 10 on the support member 6110 may vary according to the position where the process chamber 6000 is coupled to the transfer chamber 1000 . That is, when the process chamber 6000 is coupled to the transfer chamber 1000, the process chamber 6000 may be in a normal position (as shown by the solid line in FIG. 13 ) or a position deviated from the normal position (as shown in FIG. 13 ) ) is coupled to the transfer cavity 1000.

Furthermore, when the transfer device 2000 operates normally and the process chamber 6000 is coupled to the normal position of the transfer chamber 1000 (as shown by the solid line in FIG. 13 ), the substrate 10 can be shown in (a) and (b) of FIG. 3 . ) is shown in the normal position of the setting surface 62b. However, even if the transfer device 2000 operates normally, when the process chamber 6000 is not coupled to the normal position of the transfer chamber 1000 (as shown by the dotted line in FIG. 13 ), the substrate 10 can be used in (a) and ( b) is not shown in the normal position of the setting surface 62b.

Also, the support member 6110 needs to be disposed in the process chamber 6000 to be horizontal with respect to the bottom surface of the process chamber 6000 (as shown by the solid line in FIG. 14 ). When the supports 6110 are not arranged in a horizontal manner but are inclined (as shown by the dotted lines in FIG. 14 ), defects may be generated in the substrate processing process.

Therefore, in one embodiment, a connection state inspection device (hereinafter referred to as a third inspection device) capable of inspecting the connection state of the process chamber 6000 and the mounting state of the support member 6110 is provided before the actual substrate processing process.

The third inspection apparatus 7000 according to an embodiment can inspect whether the connection state of the process chamber 6000 is normal and whether the supporting member 6110 is installed horizontally.

1, 2, 13 and 14, the third inspection apparatus 7000 includes a detection part (hereinafter referred to as the third detection part 7100) and a third determination part 7200, wherein the detection part is installed in the process cavity 6000 to detect the positions of the supports 2100 and supports 6110 which are transferred into the process chamber 6000, and the third determination part 7200 determines the process chamber by using the data provided from the third detection part 7100 Whether the connection state of 6000 and the installation state of support 6110 are normal or abnormal. In addition, the third inspection apparatus 7000 includes a third warning portion 7300 that generates an alert when the third determining portion 7200 determines that the installation state of the process chamber 6000 or the support member 6110 is abnormal.

The third detection part 7100 is installed in the top of the process chamber 6000 and can be installed on the observation hole 6200, for example. In addition, the observation hole 6200 is preferably installed at a position facing the support member 6110 of the third detection portion 7100 .

The third detection portion 7100 may be a means including a light sensor provided with a light emitting portion that generates light to emit light and a light receiving portion that receives reflected light. And, the third detection part 7100 may be provided to emit and receive the light L, along the X-axis direction which is the alignment direction of the process cavity 6000 and the transfer cavity 1000 or the forward/backward moving direction of the support part 2100 and The Y-axis direction, which intersects with the X-axis direction, is moved horizontally. Here, the movement of the third detection part 7100 in each of the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction may be performed in a predetermined portion in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction.

A reference position (hereinafter referred to as a third position) for determining whether the connection position of the process chamber 6000 is normal can be set in the third determining part 7200 . Also, the third determination part 7200 may determine whether the support 6110 is horizontal.

Here, the third position may have a coordinate value X in the X-axis direction, which is the direction in which the process cavity 6000 and the transfer cavity 1000 are arranged or the direction in which the support portion 2100 moves forward toward the process cavity 6000 , and is staggered at X The axis direction has a coordinate value Y in the Y-axis direction, and has a coordinate value Z in the Z-axis direction which is a vertical direction (or a height direction).

Hereinafter, the coordinates of the third position as reference values for determining the connection state of the process chamber 6000 will be described as being defined as (X _S , Y _S , Z _S ).

When the support portion 2100 is moved into the process chamber 6000 in a state where the process chamber 6000 is connected to the transfer chamber 1000 at the normal position, the third position (X _S , Y _S , Z _S ) may be the front end of the support portion 2100 X, Y, and Z coordinate values in process chamber 6000.

15 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a state in which the connection state of the processing chamber is determined by irradiating light into the process chamber by the third detection section by using the third inspection apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

Hereinafter, a method of determining the connection state of the process chamber using the third inspection apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 15 .

The method of determining the connection state of the process chamber 6000 to be described below is a method of determining the connection state of the process chamber 6000 by detecting the position of the support portion 2100 moved into the process chamber 6000 . This will be described in detail below.

First, the support portion 2100 on which the substrate 10 is supported is moved into the process chamber 6000 . To this end, the controller 2000b sets or stores the driving command value (hereinafter referred to as the third driving command value) according to the third position, which is the target position of the support portion 2100 in the process chamber 6000 . In addition, the transfer driver 2000a operates according to the third driving command value, so the support portion 2100 is moved forward into the process chamber 6000 .

When the support portion 2100 completes the forward movement, the position of the support portion 2100 is detected through the third detection portion 7100 . For this reason, the third detection part 7100 emits and receives light while moving in the X-axis direction and the Y-axis direction. Here, when the light reaches the support portion 2100 and is reflected by the support portion 2100, the light is reflected and returns faster than otherwise, so the time difference can be changed or converted into a height value as a Z-axis value. Therefore, the change of the height value in the X-axis direction can be known, and the position of the front end of the support portion 2100 can be known. And, the change of the height value in the Y-axis direction (Z-axis) can be known. Therefore, the position of the front end of the support portion 2100 detected by the third detecting portion 7100 can be represented in the form of coordinates such as (X _M , Y _M , Z _M ).

The third determination part 7200 compares the position (X _M , Y _M , Z _M ) of the front end of the support part 2100 detected by the third detection part 7100 with the third position (X _S , Y _S , Z _S ). Here, when the detected position (X _M , Y _M , Z _M ) is the third position (X _S , Y _S , Z _S ) (as shown in (a) in FIG. 15A ), the process will be determined The connection position of the cavity 6000 is normal. Of course, when at least one coordinate value in the detected position (X _M , Y _M , Z _M ) is different from the corresponding coordinate value in the third position (X _S , Y _S , Z _S ), it will be determined that The connection position of the process chamber 6000 is abnormal.

For example, as shown in FIG. 15B , in the detected positions (X _M , Y _M , Z _M ), when the coordinate value X _M in the X-axis direction is different from the third position in the X-axis direction When the coordinate value is X _S , it will be determined that the connection state of the process chamber 6000 is abnormal. In another example, as shown in (c) of FIG. 15 , in the detected positions (X _M , Y _M , Z _M ), when the coordinate value Y _M in the Y-axis direction is different from the third When the position is at the coordinate value Y _S in the Y-axis direction, it will be determined that the connection state of the process chamber 6000 is abnormal. And, although not shown, in the detected positions (X _M , Y _M , Z _M ), the coordinate value Z _M in the Z-axis direction is different from the coordinate value Z in the Z-axis direction of the third position When _S , it will be determined that the connection state of the process chamber 6000 is abnormal.

Moreover, when the third determining part 7200 determines that the connection state of the process chamber 6000 is abnormal, the third warning part 7300 will generate an alarm, and the operator needs to adjust the connection position of the process chamber 6000 .

Next, a method of determining the mounting state of the support using the third inspection apparatus according to an embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 14 .

First, light is emitted through the third detection part 7100 , and the reflected light is received into the third detection part 7100 . Here, when the third detection part 7100 moves along at least one of the X-axis direction or the Y-axis direction, it emits light and receives light.

Here, in the process of moving the third detection part 7100 along the X-axis direction, for example, the third detection part 7100 is moved from the outside of the support member 6110 to the surface of the support member 6110 through the top surface 62a of the support member 6110 The preset position of the setting surface 62b is set. Therefore, a change in the height value of the support member 6110 in the X-axis direction is obtained. That is to say, since the light reflected from the relatively high surface will be continuously received by the third detection part 7100 for a short period of time, the shorter the receiving time, the higher the height of the surface), the height of the surface of the support 6110 can be obtained. Variety. Specifically, the height change of the top surface 62a of the support member 6110 and the height change of the setting surface 62b can be obtained.

Here, when the support member 6110 is disposed horizontally relative to the bottom surface of the process chamber 6000 in the top surface 62a of the support member 6110, the time for the light to be received along the X-axis direction will be constant, and in the setting surface 62b, the light along the The received time in the X-axis direction will be constant. Therefore, in the top surface 62a of the support member 6110, the height in the X-axis direction is constant, and in the setting surface 62b, the height in the X-axis direction is constant. Therefore, it is determined that the support member 6110 is positioned horizontally.

Of course, when the support member 6110 is not disposed horizontally in the top surface 62a of the support member 6110 relative to the bottom surface of the process chamber 6000, the time when the light is received along the X-axis direction will vary, and in the setting surface 62b, the light is received along the X-axis direction. The time at which the axis direction is received varies. Therefore, in the top surface 62a of the support member 6110, the height in the X-axis direction varies, and in the setting surface 62b, the height in the X-axis direction varies. Therefore, it is determined that the support member 6110 is not arranged horizontally.

The third determination part 7200 determines whether the support 6110 is horizontal by using the optical data obtained from the third detection part 7100 . That is, when each of the top surface 62a and the setting surface 62b of the support member 6110 has no height change in height change in the X-axis direction, the support member 6110 is determined to be horizontal in the X-axis direction. Of course, when each of the top surface 62a and the setting surface 62b of the support member 6110 has a height change in height change in the X-axis direction, it is determined that the support member 6110 is not horizontal in the X-axis direction.

In the above description, it has been described that the third detection part 7100 is moved in the X-axis direction to determine the horizontal state of the support member 6110 . However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and the third detection part 7100 can be moved along the Y-axis direction to determine the horizontal state of the support member 6110 .

Through this method, the third determination part 7200 can determine whether the support member 6110 is horizontal. Moreover, when the third determining part 7200 determines that the horizontal state of the support 6110 is abnormal, the third warning part 7300 will generate a warning and the operator needs to adjust the installation position of the support 6110 .

In the above description, the method of determining the connection state of the process chamber 6000 by detecting the position of the support portion 2100 moved to the inside of the process chamber 6000 has been described. However, the embodiment is not limited to this, and another method can be used to determine the connection state of the process chamber 6000 .

Hereinafter, another method of determining the connection state of the process chamber 6000 will be described with reference to FIG. 16 .

16 is a top view illustrating a state in which the connection state of the processing chamber is determined by placing the substrate on the support by using the third inspection apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment.

The method described below is a method for determining whether the connection state of the process chamber 6000 is normal or abnormal according to whether the substrate 10 is placed on the normal position of the support 6110 after being placed on the support 6110 . This will be described in detail below.

First, the support portion 2100 on which the substrate 10 is supported is moved into the process chamber 6000 . To this end, the controller 2000b sets or stores the driving command value (hereinafter referred to as the fourth driving command value) according to the target position of the support portion 2100 in the process chamber 6000 (hereinafter referred to as the fourth position). Here, when the substrate 10 moved to the support portion 2100 in the process chamber 6000 is positioned on the support member 6110 , the fourth position may be the position of the support portion 2100 on which the substrate 10 is positioned at the normal position of the support member 6110 . Specifically, the fourth position may be the position of the front end of the support portion 2100 .

The transfer driver 2000a operates according to the fourth driving command value, so the support portion 2100 is moved into the process chamber 6000 . When the support portion 2100 is moved into the process chamber 6000 , the substrate 10 supported on the support portion 2100 is positioned on the support member 6110 .

Next, it is determined whether the substrate 10 is in the normal position on the support member 6110 . To this end, light is emitted through the third detection portion 7100 , and the reflected light is received into the third detection portion 7100 . Here, the third detection part 7100 emits and receives light while horizontally moving, for example, in the X-axis direction. Here, when the third detection part 7100 is moved along the X-axis direction, it is preferably moved from the top surface 62a of the support member 6110 to the preset position of the substrate 10 through the setting surface 62b. Therefore, the change in the height value in the X-axis direction can be known. Here, the support member 6110 has a stepped portion (height difference) between the top surface 62a and the installation surface 62b, and when the substrate 10 is located on the installation surface 62b, it will be between the installation surface 62b and the top surface 62a of the support member 6110 , and a height difference occurs between the installation surface 62 b and the surface of the substrate 10 . Therefore, the space between the inner surface 62c of the support member 6110 and the side surface of the substrate 10 (ie, the gap G _M ) can be detected through the change in the height value in the X-axis direction.

The gap _GM detected by the third detection part 7100 may vary according to the state of the process chamber 6000 being coupled to the transfer chamber 1000 . For example, when the process chamber 6000 is coupled to the normal position of the transfer chamber 1000, the gap _GM is constant in the circumferential direction of the support 6110 as shown in (a) of FIG. 16 . In this case, the gap _GM detected by the third detecting part 7100 may be included in the preset reference gap _GS . Of course, when the process chamber 6000 is not coupled to the normal position of the transfer chamber 1000, the gap _GM may be uneven in the circumferential direction of the support member 6110 as shown in (b) of FIG. 16 . In this case, the gap _GM detected by the third detecting part 7100 may not be included in the default reference gap _GS .

The third determination unit 7200 compares the detected gap _{GM with the preset reference gap G S .} Here, the predetermined reference gap G _S may be a range value. That is, the preset reference gap G _S may be a range value from a lower limit value to an upper limit value.

The third determining unit 7200 determines that the connection state of the process chamber 6000 is normal when the detected gap _{GM is included in the reference gap G S ,} and conversely when the detected gap _GM deviates from the reference gap G _S It will be determined that the connection state of the process chamber 6000 is abnormal. Here, when the measured gap _{GM deviates} from the reference gap GS, the measured gap _GM may be smaller than the lower limit value of the reference gap _GS or _larger than the upper limit value of the reference gap GS.

As described above, the third determination unit 7200 determines that the connection state of the process chamber 6000 is normal means that the gap between the side surface 11 of the substrate 10 and the inner surface 62c of the support 6110 is uniform in the circumferential direction of the substrate 10 . However, the third determination unit 7200 determines that the connection state of the process chamber 6000 is abnormal, indicating that the gap between the side surface 11 of the substrate 10 and the inner surface 62c of the support member 6110 is uneven in the circumferential direction of the substrate 10 .

In the above description, it has been described that the third detection part 7100 is moved in the X-axis direction to detect the gap in the X-axis direction. Of course, the gap in the Y-axis direction can also be detected by moving the third detection part 7100 along the Y-axis direction.

In addition, in the above description, the gap between the side surface 11 of the substrate 10 and the inner surface 62c of the support member 6110 is measured, and it is determined whether the substrate 10 is in the normal position on the support member 6110 through the measured gap. Determine the connection state of the process chamber 6000 .

Of course, in addition to the method for measuring the gap, another method may be used to determine whether the substrate 10 is in the normal position of the support member 6110, and the connection state of the process chamber 6000 may be determined using this method.

In one embodiment, the transfer device 2000 has been described to include a support portion 2100 . However, the embodiment is not limited thereto, and a plurality of support parts 2100 arranged along the width direction of the transfer cavity 1000 may be installed, and the support parts 2100 may be installed in a vertical direction. In addition, all the support parts 2100 can be designed to be individually operable.

17 is a flowchart illustrating a process for verifying a substrate processing system according to an exemplary embodiment prior to the substrate processing process.

Hereinafter, the process of inspecting the substrate processing system will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2 , FIGS. 5 to 9 , FIGS. 13 to 15 and FIG. 17 . Herein, the duplicate content with the above-mentioned content will be omitted or briefly mentioned.

First, it is determined whether the operation of the transmission device 2000 is normal (step S110). To this end, as shown in FIG. 5 , the support part 2100 is moved forward in the direction in which the first detection part 3100 is provided. When the support part 2100 completes the movement, the image F will be obtained through the first detection part 3100 .

The first determination part 3200 compares the position between the marker MF and the reference area _AS on the image _F obtained by the first detection part 3100 (as shown in FIG. 9 ) to determine whether the operation of the transmission device 2000 is normal or not. abnormal.

Here, when it is determined that the operation of the transmission device 2000 is abnormal (No), the first warning part 3300 will emit a warning sound (step S120 ). Then, the operator recognizes that the operation of the conveying device 2000 is defective and repairs the conveying device 2000 . For example, the assembly state of the transfer device 2000 is checked and adjusted.

Next, when it is determined that the operation of the transmission device 2000 is normal (Yes), the following inspection process will be performed.

For example, it is first determined whether the connection state of the load lock cavity 4000 is normal (S210). To this end, for example, the support part 2100 is moved forward to the load lock cavity 4000 , and the second detection part 5100 of the second inspection device 5000 is used to detect the position of the front end of the support part 2100 .

The second determination part 5200 compares the detected position (X _M , Y _M , Z _M ) of the front end of the support part 2100 with the second position (X _S , Y _S , Z _S ) to determine the position of the load lock cavity 4000 Whether the connection status is normal or abnormal.

Here, when it is determined that the connection state of the load lock cavity 4000 is abnormal (NO), the second warning part 5300 will emit a warning sound (S220). Then, the operator will recognize that the operation of the load lock cavity 4000 is defective to adjust the connection position of the load lock cavity 4000 .

Next, when it is determined that the connection state of the load lock chamber 4000 is normal (Yes), the following inspection process is performed.

For example, it is determined whether the connection state of the process chamber 6000 is normal (S310). To this end, as shown in FIGS. 13 and 15 , the support portion 2100 moves forward to the process chamber 6000 , and the third detection portion 7100 of the third inspection device 7000 is used to detect the position of the front end of the support portion 2100 .

The third determination part 7200 compares the detected position (X _M , Y _M , Z _M ) of the front end of the support part 2100 with the third position (X _S , Y _S , Z _S ) to determine the connection state of the process chamber 6000 whether normal or abnormal.

Here, when it is determined that the connection state of the process chamber 6000 is abnormal (No), the third warning part 7300 will emit a warning sound (S320). Then, the operator will recognize the defect in the operation of the process chamber 6000 to adjust the connection position of the process chamber 6000 .

When it is determined that the connection state of the process chamber 6000 is normal (Yes), the following inspection process will be performed.

In the above description, after checking whether the connection state of the load lock chamber 4000 is normal (S210), it will be confirmed whether the connection state of the process chamber 6000 is normal (S310), but the sequence of the above steps is not limited to this. Was changed.

When it is determined that the connection state of each of the load lock chamber 4000 and the process chamber 6000 is normal, it is checked whether the installation state of the support member 6110 installed in the process chamber 6000 is normal (S410). That is, it is determined whether the support 6110 is horizontal.

For this purpose, the third detection part 7100 is used to irradiate light to the support 6110 , and the reflected light is received into the third detection part 7100 . Here, when the third detection portion 7100 moves along the extending direction of the support member 6110 (eg, the X-axis direction), it emits light and receives light at the same time.

Next, the third detection part 7100 detects the height of the surface of the support member 6110 in the X-axis direction by using the obtained optical data. Next, the third determining part 7200 determines whether the supporting part 6110 is horizontal by checking the height change of the surface of the supporting part 6110 in the X-axis direction detected by the third detecting part 7100 .

When the third determining part 7200 determines that the horizontal state of the support member 6110 is abnormal (No), the third warning part 7300 emits a warning sound (S420). Then, the operator will recognize that there is a defect in the operation of the support member 6110 to adjust the inclination state of the support member 6110 .

Next, when it is determined that the support 6110 is set horizontally (Yes), it is determined that all the substrate processing systems are normal. Therefore, a substrate processing process is performed.

As described above, according to the embodiment, before the substrate processing process is performed, it may be checked whether the operation of the transfer apparatus 2000 for transferring the substrate 10 is abnormal. In addition, the state of the process chamber 6000 in which the substrate 10 is processed is connected to the transfer chamber 1000, the state of the support member 6110 installed within the process chamber 6000, and the connection of the load lock chamber 4000 to the transfer chamber can be automatically checked Whether the status of 1000 is abnormal. Therefore, when it is determined to be abnormal, a program of inspection, repair or adjustment can be performed on the device determined to be abnormal.

Therefore, the defect that the substrate 10 is positioned on the support member 6110 in an abnormal state can be reduced, so that the substrate 10 can be positioned at a normal position on the support member 6110 in an actual process. Therefore, the probability of occurrence of defects due to the installation position of the substrate 10 can be reduced, and the quality of the substrate processing can be improved.

According to an embodiment, before the substrate processing process is performed, it may be checked whether the operation of the conveying device for conveying the substrate is abnormal. In addition, the state of the process chamber in which the substrate is processed is connected to the transfer chamber, the state of the support member installed in the process chamber, and the state of the load lock chamber connected to the transfer chamber can be automatically checked for abnormality. Therefore, when it is determined to be abnormal, a program of inspection, repair or adjustment can be performed on the device determined to be abnormal.

Therefore, it is possible to reduce the defect that the substrate is positioned on the support member in an abnormal state, so that the substrate can be positioned at a normal position on the support member in the actual process. Therefore, the probability of occurrence of defects due to the installation position of the substrate can be reduced, and the processing quality of the substrate can be improved.

Although substrate processing systems and methods for inspecting substrate processing systems have been described with reference to certain embodiments, they are not limited thereto. Accordingly, those skilled in Henan Opera will appreciate that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the claims.

10: substrate 11: side 12: center 62: surface 62a: top surface 62b: setting surface 62c: inner surface 1000: transfer cavity 2000: transfer device 2000a: transfer driver 2000b: controller 2100: support 2200: arm 2210a, 2210b: connecting rod 3000: first inspection device 3100: first detection part 3200: first determination part 3300: first warning part 3400: first detection part 3500: distance detection part 4000: load lock cavity 4100 : Lifting box 4200: Observation hole 5000: Second inspection device 5100: Second detection part 5200: Second judgment part 5300: Second warning part 6000: Process cavity 6100: Substrate setting part 6110: Support part 6120: Thimble 6200 : observation hole 7000 : third inspection device 7100 : third detection part 7200 : third determination part 7300 : third warning part 8000 : gate valve DR , D _ET : distance _M , MF : mark _F : image _CH , C _M , C _MF , C _F : Center A _S : Reference area D _M : Distance L: Light G _M : Gap S110, S120, S210, S220, S310, S320, S410, S420: Step

Exemplary embodiments can be understood in greater detail by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the associated drawings, in which: 1 and 2 are top views of a substrate processing system according to an exemplary embodiment. 3 and 4 are diagrams illustrating an example of a state in which the substrate is positioned on the support. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the support portion is moved forward to check the working condition of the conveying device according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 6 is a front view illustrating a preparation state before the support portion is moved forward, according to an exemplary embodiment. 7 and 8 are front views illustrating a state in which the support portion is moved forward from the transfer chamber toward the process chamber to verify the operation of the transfer device, according to an exemplary embodiment. FIG. 9 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an example of the position of the marker on the image and the reference area obtained by the first detection section according to an exemplary embodiment. FIGS. 10 to 12 are front views illustrating a state in which the operation of the conveying device is inspected by using the first inspection device according to a modified example of an embodiment to move the support portion forward from the conveying cavity. FIG. 13 is a conceptual diagram for explaining the position in the horizontal direction where the process chamber is coupled to the transfer chamber. 14 is a conceptual diagram for explaining a case where the support portion is installed horizontally (solid line) and a case where the support member is installed obliquely (dotted line) when the support portion is installed in the process chamber. 15 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a state in which the connection state of the processing chamber is determined by irradiating light into the process chamber by the third detection section by using the third inspection apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. 16 is a top view illustrating a state in which the connection state of the processing chamber is determined by placing the substrate on the support by using the third inspection apparatus according to an exemplary embodiment. 17 is a flowchart illustrating a process for verifying a substrate processing system according to an exemplary embodiment prior to the substrate processing process.

1000: Transmission cavity

2000: Teleporter

2000a: Transport Drivers

2000b: Controller

2100: Support Department

2200: Arm

2210a, 2210b: Connecting rods

3000: The first inspection device

3100: The first detection department

3200: First Judgment Department

3300: First Warning Department

4000: Load Lock Cavity

4100: Lift Box

4200: viewing hole

5000: Second inspection device

5100: Second Detection Department

5200: Second Judgment Department

5300: Second Warning Department

6000: Process cavity

6100: Substrate setting section

6200: viewing hole

7000: The third inspection device

7100: The third detection department

7200: Third Judgment Department

7300: The Third Warning Department

8000: Gate valve

Claims (11)

A substrate processing system includes: a transfer chamber having an inner space; a transfer device provided with a support part installed in the transfer chamber to support and move a substrate; and a first inspection device provided with a a first detection part installed in at least one of the transmission cavity or the transmission device and used to determine whether the support part has moved to the A preset first position is used to determine the operation state of the transmission device. The substrate processing system of claim 1, wherein the first detection part monitors the position of the support part, and the first inspection device includes a first determination part, the first determination part is compared by the first detection part The position of the support part and the first position monitored by the part are used to determine the operation state of the repeater. The substrate processing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first detection part is mounted on at least one of the support part or the transfer cavity to detect the contact between the support part and an inner wall of the transfer cavity a separation distance, and the first inspection device includes a first determination part for comparing the separation distance detected by the first detection part and a preset distance, and then determine the transmission device operating status. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising: a loadlock chamber connected to the transfer chamber; and a second inspection device for monitoring the movement of the loadlock chamber into the loadlock chamber The support portion is used to determine the state of the load lock device being installed on the conveying cavity. The substrate processing system of claim 4, wherein the second inspection device comprises: a second detection part for monitoring the position of the support part moved into the load lock cavity; and a second determination part , which is used to compare the position of the support part monitored by the second detection part with a preset second position, and then determine the connection state between the load lock cavity and the transfer cavity. The substrate processing system of claim 1, further comprising: a process chamber connected to the transfer chamber; a support member installed in the process chamber; and a third inspection device for monitoring movement at least one of the support member and the support portion in the process chamber, and then determine at least one of the state of the process chamber being connected to the transfer chamber or the installation state of the support member. The substrate processing system of claim 6, wherein the third inspection device comprises: a third inspection part for monitoring the position of the support part and the support member moved into the process chamber; and a third inspection part The determining part is used to compare the position of the support part monitored by the third detecting part and a preset third position, and then determine the connection state between the process chamber and the transfer chamber, or use the The data monitored by the third detection part determines whether the support is horizontal so as to determine the installation state of the support. A method of inspecting a substrate processing system, the method comprising: moving a support part of a conveying device according to a drive command value for moving the support part to a preset first position in a conveying cavity; A detection part detects the position of the support part; and a preset value reflecting the first position is compared with a value detected in the first detection part to determine the operation state of the transmission device. The method of claim 8, further comprising: moving the support portion according to a drive command value for moving the support portion to a predetermined second position in a load lock chamber connected to the transfer chamber; Detecting the position of the support portion moved into the load lock cavity in a second detection portion; and comparing a preset value reflecting the second position with the value detected in the second detection portion value to determine the connection status of the load lock chamber. The method of claim 8, further comprising: moving the support portion according to a drive command value for moving the support portion to a predetermined third position in a process chamber connected to the transfer chamber; at A third detection part detects the position of the support part moved into the process chamber; and compares a preset value reflecting the third position and the value detected in the third detection part to obtain Determine the connection status of the process chamber. The method of claim 8, further comprising: supporting a substrate on the support portion; moving the support portion to a predetermined fourth position in a process chamber connected to the transfer chamber; The substrate supported on the support portion is positioned on a support member installed in the process chamber; the position of the substrate on the support member is detected in a third detection portion; and the fourth position is compared and The position of the substrate detected in the third detection part is used to determine the connection state of the process chamber.

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