JP6994060B2 - Substrate processing equipment, semiconductor equipment manufacturing methods and programs - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a substrate processing device, a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a program.

In semiconductor manufacturing equipment, which is a type of substrate processing equipment, a substrate container (hereinafter, also referred to as FOUP: Front Opening Unified Pod) that houses a substrate for the next substrate processing (hereinafter, also referred to as a wafer) in order to improve operating efficiency). Is generally prepared in advance in the device.

For example, according to Patent Document 1, a configuration is disclosed in which a plurality of FOUPs can be placed on a FOUP rotary storage shelf and the number of FOUPs stored is adjusted. It is disclosed that this corresponds to the case where the number of substrates to be processed for one batch increases by corresponding to the increase / decrease in the number of storage containers. According to Patent Document 2, the upper I / O stage corresponding to the ceiling cassette transport AGV, the lower I / O stage corresponding to the AGV manually or moving on the floor, and the dummy or between the upper and lower I / O stages. A configuration in which a monitor cassette shelf is provided is disclosed. Further, according to Patent Document 3, a configuration is disclosed in which a storage unit for storing the FOUP is provided on the upper side of the processing furnace.

Here, since the device width is a minimum of 1100 mm conforming to the Semi standard, in order to increase the number of FOUPs that can be stored without increasing the footprint, the FOUPs are arranged above the device. However, there are restrictions on the height of the device and the height of the division due to the Fab height at the time of transporting the device, the Road Traffic Act, and the limit on the transport height of the airplane, and the height of the device cannot be extended indefinitely.

Further, when increasing the number of boards to be processed in the delivered device, it is necessary to add a buffer shelf to the upper part of the device and replace both the robot transfer unit, which makes it difficult to modify. There is no description about such modification and diversion in each of the above-mentioned prior art documents.

JP 2000-216212 JP 2000-091398 JP 2009-010009

An object of the present invention is to provide a configuration capable of responding to a change in the number of processed product boards that require device modification.

According to one aspect of the present invention , a transport mechanism having a support portion on which a substrate container is mounted, an elevating portion for raising and lowering the support portion, a mounting portion on which the substrate container is mounted, and the above-mentioned. A storage unit having an elevating drive unit for raising and lowering the previously described mounting portion inside and outside the elevating range of the support portion, and the elevating drive unit of the storage unit move the previously described mounting portion from outside the elevating range of the support portion into the elevating range. By raising and lowering, a configuration including a control unit for controlling the transport mechanism and the storage unit so that the substrate container is delivered between the above-mentioned mounting unit and the support unit is provided.

According to the present invention, it is possible to reduce the load in the device modification due to the change in the number of processed product boards.

It is a top view of the substrate processing apparatus which is suitably used for embodiment of this invention. FIG. 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken along the line AA of FIG. It is a vertical sectional view of the heat treatment furnace preferably used for the substrate processing apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the controller which is suitably used for the substrate processing apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the sub-controller which is suitably used for the substrate processing apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is a flow figure which shows the substrate processing process to which this invention is applied. It is a comparative example of the transfer sequence executed by the sub controller suitably used for the substrate processing apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is an illustration of the ascending / descending transfer sequence executed by the sub controller suitably used for the substrate processing apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is an illustration of the horizontal slide transfer sequence executed by the sub controller suitably used for the substrate processing apparatus to which this invention is applied. It is an illustration example for demonstrating the delivery details of the pod common to FIGS. 8A and 8B. It is an embodiment of the flowchart of the transfer sequence preferably used in this embodiment. It is a figure which shows the front view and the vertical sectional view of the substrate processing apparatus which is suitably used for this embodiment.

Configuration of Substrate Processing Device Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. However, in the following description, the same components may be designated by the same reference numerals and repeated description may be omitted. In addition, in order to clarify the explanation, the drawings may schematically represent the width, thickness, shape, etc. of each part as compared with the actual embodiment, but this is just an example, and the interpretation of the present invention is used. It is not limited.

The substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment using the heater according to the embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. When the word "wafer" is used in the present specification, it means "wafer itself" or "a laminate (aggregate) of a wafer and a predetermined layer, film, etc. formed on the surface thereof". In other words, it may be referred to as a wafer including a predetermined layer, film, or the like formed on the surface. Further, when the term "wafer surface" is used in the present specification, it means "the surface of the wafer itself (exposed surface)" or "the surface of a predetermined layer or film formed on the wafer". That is, it may mean "the outermost surface of the wafer as a laminate".

Therefore, when the description "supplying a predetermined gas to a wafer" in the present specification means "supplying a predetermined gas to the surface (exposed surface) of the wafer itself" or It may mean "supplying a predetermined gas to a layer, a film, or the like formed on the wafer, that is, to the outermost surface of the wafer as a laminated body". Further, when it is described in the present specification that "a predetermined layer (or film) is formed on a wafer", "a predetermined layer (or film) is formed on the surface (exposed surface) of the wafer itself". Or when it means "to form a predetermined layer (or film) on a layer, a film, etc. formed on a wafer, that is, on the outermost surface of a wafer as a laminated body". There is. Further, the use of the term "wafer" in the present specification is synonymous with the use of the term "wafer".

Hereinafter, the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As an example, the substrate processing apparatus in this embodiment is configured as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that carries out a processing step in a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device (IC: Integrated Circuit). In the following description, a case where a batch type vertical semiconductor manufacturing apparatus (hereinafter, simply referred to as a processing apparatus) that performs oxidation, diffusion processing, CVD processing, etc. on the substrate is applied as the substrate processing apparatus will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the processing apparatus of the present invention uses a FOUP (board container, also referred to as a pod) 110 as a wafer carrier containing a wafer (board) 200 made of silicon or the like. Reference numeral 100 includes a housing 111. A front maintenance port 103 as an opening provided for maintenance is opened in the front front portion of the front wall 111a of the housing 111, and front maintenance doors 104 and 104 for opening and closing the front maintenance port 103 are built, respectively. It is attached. A pod loading / unloading outlet (board container loading / unloading outlet) 112 is provided on the front wall of the housing 111 so as to communicate with the inside and outside of the housing 111, and the pod loading / unloading outlet 112 is a front shutter (board container loading / unloading). It is opened and closed by a carry-out opening / closing mechanism) 113. A load port (board container delivery table) 114 is installed on the upper side and a lower side, respectively, on the front front side of the pod loading / unloading outlet 112, and the load port 114 is configured so that the pod 110 is placed and aligned. Has been done. The pod 110 is carried on the load port 114 by an in-process transfer device (OHT and AGV), and is also carried out from the load port 114. The load port 114 can also be configured as a mounting portion in the present application. Hereinafter, the upper load port as the OHT stage (first stage) may be described as 114a, and the lower load port as the AGV stage (second stage) may be described as 114b.

A rotary pod shelf (board container mounting shelf) 105 as a rotary storage unit is installed at an upper portion in a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction in the housing 111, and a plurality of rotary pod shelves 105 are installed. It is configured to store the pod 110. That is, the rotary pod shelf 105 has a support column 116 that is vertically erected and intermittently rotated in a horizontal plane, and a shelf board as a plurality of mounting portions that are radially supported by the support columns 116 at each of the upper and lower four stages. (Board container mounting table) 117 is provided, and the plurality of shelf boards 117 are configured to hold the pods 110 in a state of being mounted on each of the plurality of pods 110. A pod transfer device (board container transfer device) 118 as a carrier loader is installed between the load port 114 and the rotary pod shelf 105 in the housing 111. The pod transfer device 118 expands and contracts with a pod elevator (board container elevating mechanism) 118a as an elevating part that can be raised and lowered while holding the pod 110 on the support part, and a support part on which the pod 100 is placed. It includes an arm as a telescopic portion to be moved, and is composed of a pod transport mechanism (board container transport mechanism) 118b as a transport mechanism main body . The pod transfer device 118 moves the pod 110 horizontally and vertically by the continuous operation of the pod elevator 118a and the pod transfer mechanism 118b, while moving the load port 114, the rotary pod shelf 105, and the pod opener (board container lid). It is configured to convey the pod 110 to and from the opening / closing mechanism) 121. Further, since the load port 114, the rotary pod shelf 105, and the pod opener 121 are each provided with a pod presence / absence sensor, the pod 110 is efficiently transported. It should be noted that the space A and the space B are configured to be appropriately provided with an operation unit (movable shelf described later). In the present embodiment, an extra shelf 131 as a movable shelf and a sub shelf 132 as a movable shelf are provided, respectively. The extra shelves 131 and the sub shelves 132 are provided with movable mounting portions 131a and 132a, and are provided with a pod presence / absence sensor.

A sub-housing 119 is constructed over the rear end in the lower portion of the housing 111 at a substantially central portion in the front-rear direction. On the front wall 119a of the sub-housing 119, a pair of wafer loading / unloading outlets (board loading / unloading outlets) 120 for loading / unloading the wafer 200 into the sub-housing 119 are arranged vertically in two stages. A pair of pod openers 121 and 121 are installed at the upper and lower wafer loading / unloading outlets 120 and 120, respectively. The pod opener 121 includes mounting stands 122 and 122 as mounting portions for mounting the pod 110, and cap attachment / detachment mechanisms (cover attachment / detachment mechanism) 123 and 123 for attaching / detaching the cap (cover body) of the pod 110. .. The pod opener 121 is configured to open and close the wafer loading / unloading port of the pod 110 by attaching / detaching the cap of the pod 110 mounted on the mounting table 122 by the cap attachment / detachment mechanism 123.

The sub-housing 119 constitutes a transfer chamber 124 that is fluidly isolated from the transport area 129 in which the pod transport device 118, the rotary pod shelf 105, and the like are installed. A wafer transfer mechanism (board transfer mechanism) 125 is installed in the front region of the transfer chamber 124, and the wafer transfer mechanism 125 is a wafer transfer device (which can rotate or linearly operate the wafer 200 in the horizontal direction). It is composed of a substrate transfer device) 125a and a wafer transfer device elevator (board transfer device elevating mechanism) 125b for raising and lowering the wafer transfer device 125a. By continuous operation of the wafer transfer device elevator 125b and the wafer transfer device 125a, the tweezers (board holder) 125c of the wafer transfer device 125a is used as a holding part of the wafer 200 with respect to the boat (board holder) 217. The wafer 200 is configured to be loaded (charged) and unloaded (discharged).

As shown in FIG. 1, the right end of the transfer chamber 124, which is opposite to the wafer transfer device elevator 125b side, is supplied with a clean atmosphere or clean air 133, which is an inert gas. A clean unit 134 composed of a fan and a dustproof filter is installed. The clean air 133 blown out from the clean unit 134 is circulated to the wafer transfer device 125a and then sucked by a duct (not shown) and exhausted to the outside of the housing 111, or the suction side of the clean unit 134. It is circulated to the primary side (supply side), and is configured to be blown into the transfer chamber 124 again by the clean unit 134.

In the rear region of the transfer chamber 124, a housing (hereinafter referred to as a pressure resistant housing) 140 having a confidential performance capable of maintaining a pressure lower than the atmospheric pressure (hereinafter referred to as a negative pressure) is installed. The pressure-resistant housing 140 forms a load lock chamber 141, which is a load lock type standby chamber having a volume capable of accommodating a boat 217. A wafer loading / unloading opening (board loading / unloading opening) 142 is provided on the front wall 140a of the pressure-resistant housing 140, and the wafer loading / unloading opening 142 is opened / closed by a gate valve (board loading / unloading outlet opening / closing mechanism) 143. It has become. A gas supply pipe 144 for supplying nitrogen gas to the load lock chamber 141 and an exhaust pipe 145 for exhausting the load lock chamber 141 to a negative pressure are connected to the pair of side walls of the pressure resistant housing 140, respectively. There is. A processing furnace 202 is provided above the load lock chamber 141. The lower end of the processing furnace 202 is configured to be opened and closed by a furnace opening gate valve (furnace opening / closing mechanism) 147. A furnace opening gate valve cover 149 for accommodating the furnace opening gate valve 147 when the lower end portion of the processing furnace 202 is opened is attached to the upper end portion of the front wall 140a of the pressure resistant housing 140.

As shown in FIG. 1, a boat elevator (board holder elevating mechanism) 115 for raising and lowering the boat 217 is installed in the pressure resistant housing 140. A seal cap 219 as a lid is horizontally installed on the arm 128 as a connector connected to the boat elevator 115, and the seal cap 219 vertically supports the boat 217 and closes the lower end of the processing furnace 202. It is configured to be possible. The boat 217 is provided with a plurality of holding members, and a plurality of wafers (for example, about 50 to 150) are held horizontally with their centers aligned in the vertical direction. It is configured.

Next, the schematic operation of the processing apparatus of the present invention will be described. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, when the pod 110 is supplied to the load port 114, the pod carry-in / carry-out outlet 112 is opened by the front shutter 113, and the pod 110 above the load port 114 is a pod transport device. It is carried into the inside of the housing 111 by 118 from the pod carry-in / carry-out outlet 112. The carried-in pod 110 is automatically transported to the designated shelf board 117 of the rotary pod shelf 105 by the pod transfer device 118, temporarily stored, and then one pod opener from the shelf board 117. It is transported to 121 and transferred to the mounting table 122, or directly transported to the pod opener 121 and transferred to the mounting table 122. At this time, the wafer loading / unloading outlet 120 of the pod opener 121 is closed by the cap attachment / detachment mechanism 123, and the transfer chamber 124 is filled with clean air 133. For example, the transfer chamber 124 is filled with nitrogen gas as clean air 133, so that the oxygen concentration is set to 20 ppm or less, which is much lower than the oxygen concentration inside the housing 111 (atmosphere).

The opening side end face of the pod 110 mounted on the mounting table 122 is pressed against the opening edge of the wafer loading / unloading outlet 120 in the front wall 119a of the sub-housing 119, and the cap is removed by the cap attachment / detachment mechanism 123. The wafer loading / unloading port of the pod 110 is opened. Further, when the wafer loading / unloading opening 142 of the load lock chamber 141 whose inside is in an atmospheric pressure state is opened by the operation of the gate valve 143, the wafer 200 is wafers from the pod 110 by the tweezers 125c of the wafer transfer device 125a. After being picked up through the loading / unloading port and matching the wafers with the notch matching device 301, the wafers are loaded into the load lock chamber 141 through the wafer loading / unloading opening 142, transferred to the boat 217, and loaded (wafer charging). The wafer transfer device 125a that has delivered the wafer 200 to the boat 217 returns to the pod 110, and loads the next wafer 200 into the boat 217. The structure and operation of the wafer transfer device 125a will be described in detail later.

During the loading work of the wafer 200 into the boat 217 by the wafer transfer device 125a in one (upper or lower) pod opener 121, the rotary pod shelf 105 or load port is in the other (lower or upper) pod opener 121. Another pod 110 is conveyed from 114 by the pod transfer device 118, and the opening work of the pod 110 by the pod opener 121 is simultaneously performed.

When a predetermined number of wafers 200 are loaded in the boat 217, the wafer loading / unloading opening 142 is closed by the gate valve 143, and the load lock chamber 141 is evacuated from the exhaust pipe 145 to reduce the pressure. When the load lock chamber 141 is depressurized to the same pressure as the pressure in the processing furnace 202, the lower end portion of the processing furnace 202 is opened by the furnace opening gate valve 147. At this time, the hearth gate valve 147 is carried into the inside of the hearth gate valve cover 149 and accommodated. Subsequently, the seal cap 219 is raised by the boat elevator 115, and the boat 217 supported by the seal cap 219 is carried (loaded) into the processing furnace 202.

After loading, arbitrary processing is performed on the wafer 200 in the processing furnace 202. After the treatment, the boat 217 is pulled out by the boat elevator 115, and the gate valve 143 is opened after the inside of the load lock chamber 141 is restored to the atmospheric pressure. After that, the wafer 200 and the pod 110 are discharged to the outside of the housing 111 in the reverse procedure described above, except for the wafer matching step in the notch matching device 135.

Next, the processing furnace in the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in FIG. 3, the processing furnace 202 has a heater 206 as a heating mechanism. The heater 206 has a cylindrical shape and is vertically installed by being supported by the heater base 251 as a holding plate.

Inside the heater 206, a process tube 203 as a reaction tube is arranged concentrically with the heater 206. The process tube 203 is composed of an inner tube 204 as an internal reaction tube and an outer tube 205 as an external reaction tube provided on the outside thereof. The inner tube 204 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz (SiO2) or silicon carbide (SiC), and is formed in a cylindrical shape with open upper and lower ends. A processing chamber 201 is formed in the hollow portion of the inner tube 204, and the wafer 200 as a substrate can be accommodated in a state of being vertically arranged in multiple stages in a horizontal posture by a boat 217 described later. The outer tube 205 is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide, has an inner diameter larger than the outer diameter of the inner tube 204, is formed in a cylindrical shape with the upper end closed and the lower end open, and is concentric with the inner tube 204. It is provided in a shape.

Below the outer tube 205, a manifold 209 is arranged concentrically with the outer tube 205. The manifold 209 is made of, for example, stainless steel, and is formed in a cylindrical shape with open upper and lower ends. The manifold 209 is engaged with the inner tube 204 and the outer tube 205, and is provided to support them. An O-ring 220a as a sealing member is provided between the manifold 209 and the outer tube 205. The process tube 203 is vertically installed by the manifold 209 being supported by the heater base 251. A reaction vessel is formed by the process tube 203 and the manifold 209.

A nozzle 230 as a gas introduction portion is connected to the seal cap 219, which will be described later, so as to communicate with the inside of the processing chamber 201, and a gas supply pipe 232 is connected to the nozzle 230. A processing gas supply source or an inert gas supply source (not shown) is connected to the upstream side of the gas supply pipe 232, which is opposite to the connection side with the nozzle 230, via an MFC (mass flow controller) 241 as a gas flow controller. Has been done. A gas flow rate control unit 235 is electrically connected to the MFC 241 and is configured to control the flow rate of the supplied gas to a desired amount at a desired timing. Here, at least the gas supply system is configured by the nozzle 230, the gas supply pipe 232, and the MFC 241. Although not shown, the nozzle 230a, the gas supply pipe 232a, and the MFC241a are used as a processing gas system, the nozzle 230b, the gas supply pipe 232b, and the MFC241b are used as a reaction gas system, and the nozzle 230c, the gas supply pipe 232c, and the MFC241c are purge gas (inert gas). Each is defined as a system.

The manifold 209 is provided with an exhaust pipe 231 for exhausting the atmosphere in the processing chamber 201. The exhaust pipe 231 is arranged at the lower end of the tubular space 250 formed by the gap between the inner tube 204 and the outer tube 205, and communicates with the tubular space 250. Vacuum exhaust of a vacuum pump or the like via a pressure sensor 245 as a pressure detector and an APC (Auto Pressure control) valve 242 as a pressure regulator on the downstream side opposite to the connection side of the exhaust pipe 231 with the manifold 209. The device 246 is connected and is configured to be able to evacuate so that the pressure in the processing chamber 201 becomes a predetermined pressure (vacuum degree). A pressure control unit 236 is electrically connected to the APC valve 242 and the pressure sensor 245, and the pressure control unit 236 receives pressure in the processing chamber 201 by the APC valve 242 based on the pressure detected by the pressure sensor 245. It is configured to be controlled at a desired timing so as to obtain a desired pressure.

Below the manifold 209, a seal cap 219 is provided as a lid capable of airtightly closing the lower end opening of the manifold 209. The seal cap 219 is in contact with the lower end of the manifold 209 from the lower side in the vertical direction. The seal cap 219 is made of a metal such as stainless steel and is formed in a disk shape. An O-ring 220b as a sealing member that comes into contact with the lower end of the manifold 209 is provided on the upper surface of the seal cap 219. A rotation mechanism 254 for rotating the boat is installed on the opposite side of the seal cap 219 from the processing chamber 201. The rotation shaft 255 of the rotation mechanism 254 penetrates the seal cap 219 and is connected to the boat 217 described later, and is configured to rotate the wafer 200 by rotating the boat 217. The seal cap 219 is configured to be vertically lifted and lowered by a boat elevator 115 as a lifting mechanism vertically installed outside the process tube 203, whereby the boat 217 is carried in and out of the processing chamber 201. Is possible. A drive control unit 237 is electrically connected to the rotation mechanism 254 and the boat elevator 115, and is configured to control a desired operation at a desired timing.

The boat 217 as a substrate holder is made of a heat-resistant material such as quartz or silicon carbide, and is configured to hold a plurality of wafers 200 in a horizontal posture and aligned with each other in multiple stages. ing. At the bottom of the boat 217, a plurality of heat insulating plates 216 as disk-shaped heat insulating members made of heat-resistant materials such as quartz and silicon carbide are arranged in a horizontal position in multiple stages, and heat from the heater 206 is provided. Is configured to be difficult to be transmitted to the manifold 209 side.

A temperature sensor 263 as a temperature detector is installed in the process tube 203. A temperature control unit 238 is electrically connected to the heater 206 and the temperature sensor 263, and the temperature in the processing chamber 201 is adjusted by adjusting the energization condition to the heater 206 based on the temperature information detected by the temperature sensor 263. Is configured to be controlled at a desired timing so as to have a desired temperature distribution.

Sub-controllers such as the gas flow rate control unit 235, pressure control unit 236, drive control unit 237, and temperature control unit 238 are electrically connected to the main control unit 239 that controls the entire board processing device together with the operation unit and input / output unit (not shown). It is connected to the. These gas flow rate control unit 235, pressure control unit 236, drive control unit 237, temperature control unit 238, and main control unit 239 are configured as a controller 240.

The controller as a control unit will be described with reference to FIGS. 4 and 5.

The controller 240 including the main control unit 239 is connected to a heater 206, MFC241, a valve, an APC valve 242, a vacuum pump 246, a boat rotation mechanism 267, a boat elevating mechanism 115, etc., and controls the temperature of the heater 206 and the flow rate of the MFC241. Gas flow control unit 235, pressure so as to perform adjustment, opening / closing operation of valve and APC valve 242, start / stop of vacuum pump 246, rotation speed adjustment of boat rotation mechanism 267, ascending / descending operation control of boat elevating mechanism 115, etc. The control unit 236, the drive control unit 237, and the temperature control unit 238 are controlled respectively.

The main control unit 239 is configured as a computer including a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 239a, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 239b, a storage device 239c, and an I / O port 239d. The RAM 239b, the storage device 239c, and the I / O port 239d are configured so that data can be exchanged with the CPU 239a via the internal bus 239e. An input / output device 322 configured as, for example, a touch panel or the like is connected to the main control unit 239.

The storage device 239c is composed of, for example, a flash memory, an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), or the like. In the storage device 239c, a control program for controlling the operation of the board processing device, a transfer sequence in which a transfer procedure between the pod transfer device 118 and the movable shelves 131, 132, which will be described later, are described, a transfer sequence, and a substrate processing procedure, etc. Process recipes and the like in which conditions and the like are described are stored in a readable manner. The transfer sequence and the process recipe are combined so that the controller 240 can execute each procedure in the substrate processing process described later and obtain a predetermined result, and functions as a program. Hereinafter, this process recipe, control program, etc. are collectively referred to as a program. When the term program is used in the present specification, it may include only a process recipe alone, a control program alone, or both. The RAM 239b is configured as a memory area (work area) in which programs, data, and the like read by the CPU 239a are temporarily held.

The I / O port 239d is also connected to a transfer mechanism such as the pod transfer device 118, the wafer transfer mechanism 125, and the boat elevator 115 described above via the drive control unit 237.

The CPU 239a is configured to read and execute a control program from the storage device 239c and read a process recipe from the storage device 239c in response to input of an operation command from the input / output device 322. The CPU 239a performs a transfer operation of the pod transfer device 118, an operation of each of the mounting portions 117, 131a, 132a, etc. of the pod 110, a transfer operation of the wafer transfer mechanism 125, and a boat elevator so as to follow the contents of the read process recipe. It is configured to control the ascending / descending motion of the 115.

The controller 240 is not limited to the case where it is configured as a dedicated computer, and may be configured as a general-purpose computer. For example, an external storage device (for example, a magnetic tape, a magnetic disk such as a flexible disk or a hard disk, an optical disk such as a CD or DVD, a magneto-optical disk such as MO, a semiconductor memory such as a USB memory or a memory card) in which the above-mentioned program is stored). The controller 240 of the present embodiment can be configured by preparing 323 and installing a program on a general-purpose computer using the external storage device 323. However, the means for supplying the program to the computer is not limited to the case of supplying the program via the external storage device 323. For example, a communication means such as the Internet or a dedicated line may be used to supply the program without going through the external storage device 323. The storage device 239c and the external storage device 323 are configured as a computer-readable recording medium. Hereinafter, these are collectively referred to simply as a recording medium. When the term recording medium is used in the present specification, it may include only the storage device 239c alone, it may include only the external storage device 323 alone, or it may include both of them.

FIG. 5 is an illustrated example of a functional block that controls each transport mechanism by the drive control unit 237, which is one of the sub-controllers. As shown in FIG. 5, the drive control unit 237 controls each transfer mechanism including the pod transfer device 118, the boat elevator 115, the wafer transfer mechanism 125, the rotary pod shelf 105, the movable shelf 131 described later, and the like. It is configured. Further, it is configured to acquire data from a sensor provided in each transport mechanism. In this implementation failure, the sub-controller 237, which is a drive control unit, has the same configuration as the controller 240, and thus the description thereof will be omitted.

When the load port 114 mounts the pod 110 conveyed from outside the device, a signal is transferred from the pod presence / absence sensor to the drive control unit 237. Then, the drive control unit 237 drives the pod transfer device 118, and according to the type of the wafer 200 housed in the pod 110, the rotary pod shelf 105 as an operation unit and the movable shelves 131 and 132 described later are provided. It is configured to transport the pod 110 to any one of them.

Further, the drive control unit 237 is configured to execute a transfer sequence for transferring the pod 110 between the rotary pod shelf 105 and the pod transfer device 118. As a result, the rotary pod shelf 105 is configured to rotate the mounting unit 117 by the drive control unit 237, and is configured to transfer the pod transfer device 118 and the pod 110.

As shown in FIG. 7, in step 100 (S100), the drive control unit 237 moves the pod transfer device 118 to the FOUP delivery standby position and rotates the mounting portion 117 of the rotary pod shelf 105 to the delivery FOUP position. Move to.

In step 200 (S200), the drive control unit 237 moves the arm of the pod transfer device 118 to move the support unit that supports the wafer 200 below the delivery FOUP position. Then, in step 300 (S300), the drive control unit 237 raises the pod transfer mechanism 118 and delivers the FOUP 110 from the mounting portion 117 of the rotary pod shelf 105 to the support portion of the pod transfer device 118.

Then, in step 400 (S400), the drive control unit 237 moves the arm of the pod transfer mechanism 118 to the original position. The pod transfer device 118 is moved to the FOUP transfer destination, and the rotary pod shelf 105 is rotated to move the pod transfer device 118 to the delivery FOUP position with respect to the next FOUP 110. The drive control unit 237 is configured to repeatedly execute the sequence from step 100 to step 400 until a predetermined number of wafers 200 in the FOUP 110 of the rotary pod shelf 105 are conveyed.

Further, the drive control unit 237 is configured to execute a transfer sequence for transferring the pod 110 between the movable shelves 131 and 132 as the operation unit and the pod transfer device 108, respectively.

FIG. 9 is a diagram showing a transfer sequence executed by the drive control unit 237 in the present embodiment, in which the transfer sequence includes the pod transfer device 118 and the movable shelves 131, 132 (mounting units 131a, 132a). It is a sequence for transporting the pods 110 between them. The transport sequence shown in FIG. 9 is a sequence in which the pod 110 is delivered from the movable shelves 131 and 132 to the pod transport device 118.

The difference from the conventional transfer sequence, for example, the difference between the pod transfer device 118 and the rotary pod shelf shown in FIG. 7 is that the pod 110 can be delivered without moving the arm of the pod transfer device 118. , 132 are the points at which the mounting portions 131a and 132a are moved to the delivery position of the pod 110.

The transfer sequence shown in FIG. 9 includes a step (S1) of moving the pod transfer device 118 to the transfer standby position and moving the movable shelves 131, 132 (mounting portions 131a, 132a) to the transfer position, and pod transfer. The step (S2) of moving the device 118 from the delivery standby position to the pre-delivery position (position below the mounting portions 131a and 132a) and the post-delivery position (mounting portion 131a) from the pre-delivery position of the pod transfer device 118. , 132a), the step of moving the pod transfer device 118 from the post-delivery position to the delivery / retract position (S4), and the movable shelves 131, 132 (mounting portions 131a, 132a) includes a step (S5) of returning from the delivery position to the original position.

Here, the sequence in which the pod 110 is delivered from the pod transfer device 118 to the movable shelves 131 and 132 is a sequence opposite to the transfer sequence shown in FIG. That is, if only the operation of the pod transfer device 118 is described, it is moved to the delivery / retract position (S1), the post-delivery position (S2), the pre-delivery position (S3), and the delivery standby position (S4), respectively.

On the other hand, the operation regarding the movable shelves 131, 132 (mounting portions 131a, 132a) is the same as the transfer sequence shown in FIG. 9 even when the pod 110 is delivered from the pod transfer device 118 to the movable shelves 131, 132. ..

As described above, the drive control unit 237 conveys the pod 110 mounted on the rotary pod shelf 105 and the movable shelves 131 and 132, or the pod 110 mounted on the load port 114, to the pod opener 121, respectively. It is controlled to be transferred to the mounting table 122. The drive control unit 237 is configured to control the wafer transfer mechanism 125 and the boat elevator 115, respectively, to load the wafer 200 into the boat 217, and to carry the boat 217 into the processing furnace 202. After the wafer 200 is subjected to a predetermined process, the drive control unit 237 is configured to perform a transfer operation opposite to the above, and to house the processed wafer 200 in the pod 110.

The outline of the substrate processing process for processing a substrate by using the substrate processing apparatus 100 as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus will be described. This substrate processing step is, for example, one step for manufacturing a semiconductor device. In the following description, the operation and processing of each part constituting the substrate processing apparatus 100 are controlled by the controller 240.

Here, an example of forming a film on the wafer 200 by alternately supplying a first processing gas (raw material gas) and a second processing gas (reaction gas) to the wafer 200 as a substrate. explain. Hereinafter, an example of forming a SiN (silicon nitriding) film as a thin film on a wafer 200 using hexachlorodisilane (Si ₂ Cl ₆ , abbreviated as HCDS) gas as a raw material gas and NH ₃ (ammonia) as a reaction gas will be described. do. For example, a predetermined film may be formed in advance on the wafer 200, or a predetermined pattern may be formed in advance on the wafer 200 or the predetermined film.

The substrate processing process will be described with reference to FIG. (Substrate Carrying Step S102) First, the wafer 200 is loaded into the boat 217, carried into the processing chamber 201, and the board carrying step S102 is performed.

(Film formation step S104) Next, a film formation step S104 for forming a thin film on the surface of the wafer 200 is performed. The film forming step sequentially executes the following four steps. During steps 1 to 4, the wafer 200 is heated to a predetermined temperature by the heater 206.

[Step 1] In step 1, Si ₂ Cl ₆ gas is flowed. First, the valve provided in the Si ₂ Cl ₆ gas supply pipe 232a and the APC valve 243 provided in the exhaust pipe 231 are both opened, and the Si ₂ Cl ₆ gas whose flow rate is adjusted by the MFC 241a is passed through the nozzle 230a to enter the processing chamber 201. Exhaust from the exhaust pipe 231 while supplying to. At this time, the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is kept at a predetermined pressure. As a result, a silicon thin film is formed on the surface of the wafer 200.

[Step 2] In step 2, the valve of the Si ₂ Cl ₆ gas supply pipe 232a is closed to stop the supply of the Si ₂ Cl ₆ gas. The APC valve 243 of the exhaust pipe 231 is left open, the inside of the processing chamber 201 is exhausted by the vacuum pump 246, and the residual gas is removed from the inside of the processing chamber 201.

[Step 3] In step 3, NH ₃ gas is flowed. Both the valve provided in the NH ₃ gas supply pipe 232b and the APC valve 243 provided in the exhaust pipe 231 are opened, and the NH ₃ gas whose flow rate is adjusted by the MFC 241b is supplied from the nozzle 230b into the processing chamber 201 while being exhausted. Exhaust from the pipe 231. Further, the pressure in the processing chamber 201 is adjusted to a predetermined pressure. By supplying the NH ₃ gas, the silicon thin film formed on the surface of the wafer 200 by the Si ₂ Cl ₆ gas reacts with the surface of the NH ₃ gas to form a SiN film on the wafer 200.

[Step 4] In step 4, purging in the processing chamber 201 with the inert gas is performed again. Close the valve of the NH ₃ gas supply pipe 232b to stop the supply of NH ₃ gas. The APC valve 243 of the exhaust pipe 231 is left open, the inside of the processing chamber 201 is exhausted by the vacuum pump 246, and the residual gas is removed from the inside of the processing chamber 201.

Steps 1 to 4 are set as one cycle, and by repeating this cycle a plurality of times, a SiN film having a predetermined film thickness is formed on the wafer 200.

(Substrate carry-out step S106) Next, the boat 217 on which the wafer 200 on which the SiN film is formed is placed is carried out from the processing chamber 201.

The work associated with the modification of the substrate processing apparatus 100 preferably used in the present embodiment will be described with reference to examples.

At present (the substrate processing apparatus 100 in FIG. 2), the rotary pod shelf 105 has 4 FOUPs in 1 stage and 4 stages, so 4 FOUP × 4 = 16 FOUP.

Regarding the space B in the figure, the lower load port 114b as the AGV stage and the upper load port 114a as the OHT stage are Semi standards, and there are restrictions on the placement height and work safety area, and the pod transfer device 118 is the AGV stage 114b. And when the pod 110 on the OHT stage 114a is delivered, only one buffer shelf can be installed between the AGV stage 114b and the OHT stage 114a.

Therefore, since the sub shelf 1FOUP × 2 = 2FOUP is provided between the lower load port 114b (space B) as the OHT stage 114a and the AGV stage 114b, a total of 18FOUP can be stored in the apparatus. The current specifications can be met if the number of product boards is 125.

In order to respond to the specification change to 150 sheet processing (currently Max 125 sheets) for the delivered substrate processing device 100, the required number of FOUPs (25 sheets stored) for 2 batches is for production: 6FOUP x 2 batches, fill dummy. For (for replenishing missing production wafers): 6FOUP, for side dummies (for heat retention above and below the production wafer): 1FOUP x 2 batches, for monitoring (for inspection of production wafers): 1FOUP x 2 batches, totaling 22FOUPs is required. That is, it is necessary to add 4FOUP.

When the rotary pod shelf 105 is changed from 4 to 5 stages, the number of pods 110 that can be stored as FOUP can be secured, but the vertical transfer stroke of the pod transfer device 118 also needs to be extended.

When the stroke of the pod elevator 118a is extended by increasing the number of rotary shelves to five, this unit (pod transfer device 118) needs to be removed from the housing 111, shipped sideways, and reassembled and adjusted on site. As described above, when a buffer shelf is added to the delivered substrate processing device 100 by increasing the number of rotary pod shelves 105 to five, the pod transfer device 118 also needs to be replaced, which is a major remodeling. Further, if the number of pods 110 corresponding to one stage in which the pod transfer device 118 is installed on the rotary pod shelf 105 is set to 5, the height is maintained, so that the load of reassembly and readjustment can be expected to be reduced on site. .. However, when the number of rotary pod shelves 105 is increased from 4 to 5, it is necessary to make the main body frame width larger than the current state, and it is difficult to modify the rotating pod shelves on site.

Therefore, the load of design work due to these modifications, and the load of reassembly and readjustment at the customer's factory (on-site) were important issues in the specification change accompanied by the modification.

The inventors have found that the movable shelves can be unitized and the modification load can be reduced by improving the transport sequence in order to solve the above-mentioned problems.

First, the conventional transfer sequence was improved to the transfer sequence (FIG. 9) in the present embodiment. That is, the transfer of the pod 110 between the movable shelves 131 and 132 and the pod transfer device 118 is applied to the transfer sequence shown in FIG. 9, and the movable shelves 131 and 132 move the mounting portions 131a and 132a by the drive unit. , The pod 110 has been improved to be delivered to and from the pod transfer device 108. For example, the movable shelf 131 as an extra shelf is configured to be driven in the vertical direction by the drive control unit 237, and the movable shelf 132 as the sub shelf is configured to be driven by the drive control unit 237. The 132a is configured to be driven in the horizontal direction.

8A, 8B, and 8C will be used to describe a case where the improved transfer sequence is applied to the transfer of the pod 110 between each of the movable shelves 131 and 132 and the pod transfer device 108. Here, FIG. 8A is an illustrated example of transport in which the pod 110 mounted on the mounting portion 131a of the movable shelf 131 as an extra shelf is mounted on the support portion of the pod transport device 118, and is shown in FIG. 8A. S201 to S205 correspond to S1 to S5 shown in FIG. 9, respectively.

As shown in FIG. 8A, in step 201 (S201), the drive control unit 237 moves the pod transfer device 118 to the delivery standby position and controls the drive unit to lower the mounting unit 131a of the movable shelf 131. And move it to the delivery position.

In step 202 (S202), the drive control unit 237 places the movable shelf 131 from the delivery standby position in a state where the support portion of the pod transfer device 118 is held in the initial position without expanding and contracting the arm of the pod transfer device 118. Move to a position below the portion 131a (position before delivery). Then, in step 203 (S203), the drive control unit 237 continues to pod transport the pod transport device 118 from the pre-delivery position so that the pod 110 is mounted from the mounting section 131a on the support portion of the pod transport device 118. The support portion of the device 118 is raised while being held in the initial position, and moved to the post-delivery position.

In step 204 (S204), the drive control unit 237 moves the pod transfer device 118 from the post-delivery position to the delivery retract position. Finally, in step 205 (S205), the drive control unit 237 operates the drive unit to return the mounting unit 131a from the delivery position to the original position. In this way, the pod is delivered between the movable shelf 131 and the pod transfer device 118. After that, the pod transfer device 118 is moved to the position of the transfer destination of the pod 110.

At this time, the support portion of the pod transfer device 118 is always fixed without moving from the initial position (without the expansion / contraction operation of the arm). That is, by lowering the mounting portion 131a, the mounting portion 131a is moved within the range of the movable area of the pod transport device 118, so that the pod 110 can be moved without moving the support portion of the pod transport device 118. Delivery is possible.

In this way, when the movable shelf 131 is added as an operation unit and the pod 110 is transferred to and from the pod transfer device 118, it is not necessary to consider the arm operation of the pod transfer device 118, and the pod transfer device 118 does not need to be considered. Since it is not necessary to change the movable area of the device, it can be expected that the time spent for startup can be shortened.

FIG. 8B is an illustrated example relating to transport in which the pod 110 mounted on the mounting portion 132a of the movable shelf 132 as a sub-shelf is mounted on the support portion of the pod transport device 118, and is shown in FIGS. 8B from S301 to S305. Corresponds to S1 to S5 shown in FIG. 9, respectively.

The upper view of FIG. 8B is a plan view showing the transfer process showing the delivery of the pod 110 between the pod transfer device 118 and the movable shelf 132, and the lower view of FIG. 8B is the movable with the pod transfer device 118. It is sectional drawing which saw from the side from the process which shows the delivery | delivery of the pod 110 to the shelf 132. Further, in the plan view, the pod 110 is shown transparently in order to clarify the positional relationship between the pod transport mechanism 118b and the mounting portion 312a.

In step 301 (S301), the drive control unit 237 moves the pod transfer device 118 to the FOUP delivery standby position and slides the mounting portion 132a of the movable shelf 132 to move it from the original position to the delivery position.

In step 302 (S302), the drive control unit 237 positions the support portion of the pod transport device 118 directly below the mounting portion 132a of the movable shelf 132 (position before delivery) without moving the arm of the pod transport device 118. Move it. Then, in step 303 (S303), the drive control unit 237 raises the pod transfer device 118 so that the pod 110 is mounted from the mounting unit 132a on the support portion of the pod transfer device 118, and is positioned after delivery. Move to. At this time, since the cutout portion 132b is provided, the support portion of the pod transport device 118 and the mounting portion 132a do not come into contact with each other, and the pod 110 is mounted on the support portion of the pod transport device 118.

In step 304 (S304), the drive control unit 237 moves the pod transfer device 118 on which the pod 110 is placed from the post-delivery position to the delivery / evacuation position. Finally, in step 205 (S205), the drive control unit 237 operates the drive unit from the delivery position to return the mounting unit 132a to the original position. In this way, the pod is delivered between the movable shelf 132 and the pod transfer device 118, and then the pod transfer device 118 is moved to the position of the transfer destination of the pod 110.

At this time, the support portion of the pod transfer device 118 is always fixed without moving from the initial position (without the expansion / contraction operation of the arm). Therefore, it is no longer necessary to secure an area for arm operation of the pod transfer device 118 between the first stage 114a and the second stage 114b.

Further, in FIG. 8C, in step 202 in FIG. 8A (step 302 in FIG. 8B), the drive control unit 237 positions the positions below the movable shelves 131 and 132 (positions before delivery) without moving the arm of the pod transfer device 118. ) Shows a plan view (hereinafter abbreviated as FIG. C) of the state when the pod transfer device 118 is moved. Here, in FIG. C, the pod 110 is omitted in order to clarify the positional relationship between the mounting portions 131a and 132a and the pod transport mechanism 118b.

As shown in FIG. 8, in the next step (step 203 or step 303), the pod transfer mechanism 118b with the arm in the initial position is configured so as not to interfere with the mounting portions 131a, 132a of the movable shelves 131, 132. ing. That is, not only the support portion of the pod transport device 118 but also the notch (space) portions 131b and 132b of the mounting portions 131a and 132a are configured to be larger than the pod transport mechanism 118b. Further, in FIG. C, the first protrusion of the mounting portions 131a and 132a and the second protrusion provided on the support portion of the pod transport mechanism 118b are provided so as to be substantially at the same position. This is because the portion that supports the pod 110 is made the same so that the movable shelf 131 and the pod 110 of the pod transfer device 118 can be stably delivered.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8C, not only the mounting portions 131a and 132a of the movable shelves 131 and 132 on the L side but also the mounting portions 131a and 132a of the movable shelves 131 and 132 on the R side are similarly described in step 202. In (step 302), when the drive control unit 237 moves the pod transfer device 118 to a position below the movable shelves 131, 132 without moving the arm of the pod transfer device 118, the next step (step 203 or step 203). In step 303), it can be seen that the pod transport mechanism 118b with the arm in the initial position is configured so as not to interfere with the mounting portions 131a and 132a of the movable shelves 131 and 132. Therefore, although the delivery standby position, the delivery pre-delivery position, the delivery post-delivery position, and the delivery / evacuation position are symmetrical, the movable shelves on the R side can be transported in the same manner as those shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B. .. That is, the pod 110 can be delivered without changing the direction of the pod transport mechanism 118b between the L side and the R side. Therefore, even when the movable shelves 131 and 132 are added, the transfer sequence can be standardized, so that the setup work for the pod transfer device 118 can be suppressed.

(Space A in FIG. 2) In the present embodiment, a modification is made to apply the transfer sequence shown in FIG. 9 to the transfer sequence of the pod 110 between the movable shelf (extra shelf) 131 and the pod transfer device 118 as described above. went.

Specifically, a movable shelf 131 as an extra shelf is provided in the upper part (space A) of the area where the pod transfer device 118 transports the pod 110, and the pod 110 is delivered between the movable shelf 131 and the pod transfer device 118. Regarding the operation, the mounting portion 131a of the extra shelf 131 has been improved to the elevating transfer sequence shown in FIG. 8A, which can perform the elevating operation to the pod transfer device 118 side.

This eliminates the need to move the arm of the pod transfer mechanism 118b toward the extra shelf 131 side. Further, as shown in FIG. 8C, by making the notch 131b of the mounting portion 131a larger than the pod transport mechanism 118b, the mounting portion 131a and the pod of the extra shelf 131 can be used without moving the arm in the initial position. The pod 110 can be delivered to and from the support portion of the transport device 118.

Further, since the mounting portion 131a of the movable shelf 131 is configured to be moved to the operating range of the current pod transfer device 118, the pod 110 is a minor modification to add the extra shelf 131 to the delivered board processing device 100. It is now possible to respond to changes that increase the number of storage units. That is, since two extra shelves 131 are arranged on the L side and the R side, it was possible to add two buffer shelves while diverting the existing substrate processing apparatus 100 (FIG. 2) as it is.

(Space B in FIG. 2) Next, in the present embodiment, as described above, the transfer sequence shown in FIG. 9 is applied to the transfer sequence of the pod 110 between the movable shelf (sub-shelf) 132 and the pod transfer device 118. I made a modification.

Specifically, a movable shelf 132 as a sub shelf is provided between the OHT stage 114a as the first stage and the AGV stage 114b as the second stage (space B), and the sub shelf 132 is placed on the pod transfer device 118 side. The horizontal slide transfer sequence shown in FIG. 8B has been improved so that the slide operation can be performed. This eliminates the need to move the arm of the pod transport mechanism 118b to the sub-shelf 132 side.

Further, with this improvement, it is no longer necessary to insert the arm of the pod transfer mechanism 118b into the work area of the second stage 114b specified by the Semi standard. Further, it is no longer necessary to consider the intrusion space of the arm, and the sub-shelf 132 can be installed vertically. As a result, two movable shelves 132 could be installed between the first stage 114a and the second stage 114b.

Therefore, until now, only two buffer shelves have been provided between the first stage 114a and the second stage 114b, but the transfer sequence in the present embodiment is the transfer of the pod 110 between the pod transfer device 118 and the sub shelf 132. By applying to, the sub-shelf 132 can be made into two stages, and two sub-shelf 132s are arranged on the L side and the R side. As a result, four buffer shelves can be provided.

FIG. 10 shows a schematic view of the substrate processing apparatus 100 after remodeling from the 125-sheet specification to the 150-sheet specification in the present embodiment. As described above, two extra shelves 131 and four sub-shelf 132 have been added from FIG. 2 (board processing apparatus 100 before modification).

Since the extra shelf 131 and the sub shelf 132 are each unitized and have the same configuration as the board processing device 100 before modification shown in FIG. 2, the foot is compared with the board processing device 100 before modification. The prints are the same.

Further, when the pod transfer device 118 accesses the uppermost pod 110 of the rotary pod shelf 105, the extra shelf 131 as the upper buffer shelf is at the ascending / retracting position (the original position in FIG. 8) when the pod 110 is delivered. It is controlled by the drive control unit 237 so as to move only to the descending position.

Further, two extra shelves 131 are arranged on the L side and the R side, and while one is being accessed, the other is controlled by the drive control unit 237 so as to hold the upper evacuation position (original position). Similarly, two sub-shelf 132s are arranged on the L side and the R side, and while one is being accessed, the other is controlled by the drive control unit 237 to hold the upper evacuation position (original position). Further, when the pod transport device 118 is not transported, the mounting portion 132a of the sub-shelf 132 is held in the original position as the initial position.

Therefore, the extra shelves 131 and the sub shelves 132 can be added without interfering with the transport of the pods 110 between the load port 114, the rotary pod shelves 105, and the pod opener 121. Further, since the movable shelves 131 and 132 are independent operation units one by one, the degree of freedom in combining the number of buffer shelves for accommodating the pod 110 can be secured.

Further, even if the extra shelf 131 and the sub shelf 132 are additionally installed, the arm of the pod transfer mechanism 118b is initially positioned with respect to the transfer of the pod 110 between each of the extra shelf 131 and the sub shelf 132 and the pod transfer device 118. Since the pod 110 can be delivered without moving as it is, the teaching work can be shortened as compared with the conventional transfer sequence in which the arm is operated.

The teaching work for realizing the transfer sequence in the present embodiment is as follows: in the pod transfer device 118, teaching regarding four points of a delivery / retract position, a pre-delivery position, a post-delivery position, and a delivery standby position, and in the movable shelves 131 and 132, delivery. Since only teaching is required for two points (however, the in-situ position is unnecessary) of the position and the in-situ position (initial position), the teaching work can be shortened in time as compared with the conventional transfer sequence shown in the comparative example of FIG.

On the other hand, in the conventional transfer sequence, it is necessary not only to consider the operation of the arm of the pod transfer device 118b as shown in the comparative example of FIG. 7, but also to secure an area for further transfer. there were.

In particular, in the present embodiment, since the extra shelf 131 must be taught in consideration of the operation of the arm of the pod transfer device 118b, teaching is not easy and an area for pod transfer is secured. Have difficulty. In this case, it takes a huge amount of time and cost because it is a large-scale modification accompanied by a design change.

On the other hand, in the present embodiment, by improving the transfer sequence, the operation units other than the movable shelves 131 and 132 can be made common with the current substrate processing apparatus 100. Therefore, since the housing 111, the load port 114, the pod transfer device 118, and the rotary pod shelf 105 may be left as they are, they can be shared with the delivered board processing device 100 as they are. In particular, since it is not necessary to change the moving stroke of the pod elevator 118a of the pod transfer device 118, the pod elevator 118a does not need to be removed when the device is transported, and the on-site start-up period can be shortened.

In the present embodiment, the extra shelf 131 and the sub shelf 132 each require a new design. In addition, software support for executing the transport sequence in this embodiment is required. However, in other words, it is only necessary to consider the modification required to add the extra shelf 131 and the sub shelf 132, and the time and cost for the modification. As described above, according to the present embodiment, the movable shelves 131 and 132 can be added to the delivered substrate processing apparatus 100 by a small-scale modification.

Therefore, since the modification is limited to the addition and deletion of the movable shelves 131 and 132, even if the number of pods 110 housed in the substrate processing device 100 increases or decreases, the man-hours and costs related to the modification are kept relatively low. be able to.

Further, in the present embodiment, although it has been described that the operation unit is added, it is also applied to the deletion of the operation unit.

Further, according to the present embodiment, since the operating units other than the movable shelves can be shared with the current board processing apparatus, the load of reassembly and readjustment at the customer factory (on-site) is significantly reduced. To.

In this embodiment, an example of driving the mounting portion of the movable shelf in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction will be described, but the present invention is not limited to this embodiment, and the pod 110 is transported by driving the mounting portion. Any form may be used as long as it can be moved to the movable area of the device 118. That is, any configuration may be sufficient as long as the arm of the pod transport mechanism 118b can be moved to a position where the pod 110 can be delivered while being fixed at the initial position without expanding and contracting.

<Effects in the present embodiment> According to the present embodiment, at least one or a plurality of the following effects (a) to (f) are exhibited.

(a) According to the present embodiment, by using the improved transfer sequence for transferring the pod between the movable shelf and the pod transfer device, the operating units other than the movable shelf are made common with the current board processing device. Therefore, it can be easily added to the delivered equipment and the modification cost can be reduced.

(b) According to this embodiment, since the operation unit other than the movable shelf can be shared with the current board processing device, not only the modification cost is reduced but also the reassembly at the customer factory (local) is performed. And the load of readjustment is greatly reduced.

(c) According to the present embodiment, since it is not necessary to change the moving stroke of the pod elevator 118a of the pod transport device 118, the pod elevator 118a can be removed at the time of transporting the device, and there is no need to separately send the pod elevator 118a, so that the on-site start-up period can be shortened.

(d) According to the present embodiment, since the operation units other than the movable shelves can be shared with the current board processing device, the setup (start-up) before executing the transfer sequence between the movable shelves and the pod transfer device. ) The workload can be reduced and the on-site start-up period can be shortened.

(e) According to the present embodiment, by adopting a transfer sequence of a movable shelf and a pod transfer device, the movable shelf can be unitized relatively easily, and a combination of the number of buffer shelves for storing pods can be performed. The degree of freedom can be secured.

(f) According to the present embodiment, the movable shelves are independent units one by one, and the degree of freedom in the combination of the number of buffer shelves for storing the pods can be ensured. As a result, when changing the number of wafers to be processed, even if the change involves modification, it can be expected that the delivery time will be short.

Although the embodiments and examples of the present invention have been specifically described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments and examples, and various modifications can be made without departing from the gist thereof.

For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which HCDS gas is used as the raw material gas has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, the raw material gas does not contain halogen groups such as monosilane (SiH ₄ , abbreviated as MS) gas, disilane (Si ₂ H ₆ , abbreviated as DS) gas, and trisilane (Si ₃ H ₈ , abbreviation: TS) gas. Inorganic silane raw material gas can be used. Further, for example, as the raw material gas, in addition to HCDS gas, monochlorosilane (SiH ₃ Cl, abbreviated as MCS) gas, dichlorosilane (SiH ₂ Cl ₂ , abbreviated as DCS) gas, trichlorosilane (SiHCl ₃ , abbreviated as: TCS). Inorganic halosilane raw material gas such as gas, tetrachlorosilane, that is, silicon tetrachloride (SiCl ₄ , abbreviated as STC) gas, octachlorotrisilane (Si ₃ Cl ₈ , abbreviated as OCTS) gas, trisdimethylaminosilane (Si [N (Si [N (S)) CH ₃ ) ₂ ] ₃ H, abbreviation: 3DMAS) gas, tetrakisdimethylaminosilane (Si [N (CH ₃ ) ₂ ] ₄ , abbreviation: 4DMAS) gas, bisdiethylaminosilane (Si [N (C ₂ H ₅ ) ₂ ] ₂ H ₂ , abbreviation: BDEAS) gas, Vistashaributylaminosilane (SiH ₂ [NH (C ₄ H ₉ )] ₂ , abbreviation: BTBAS) gas and other halogen group-free amino-based (amine-based) silane raw material gas. Can be used.

Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which NH ₃ gas is used as the reaction gas has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, as the reaction gas, in addition to NH ₃ gas, hydrogen nitride gas such as diimide (N ₂ H ₂ ) gas, hydrazine (N ₂ H ₄ ) gas, N ₃ H ₈ gas, and a gas containing these compounds are used. Etc. can be used. The reaction gas includes triethylamine ((C ₂ H ₅ ) ₃ N, abbreviation: TEA) gas, diethylamine ((C ₂ H ₅ ) ₂ NH, abbreviation: DEA) gas, monoethylamine (C ₂ H ₅ NH ₂ ). , Abbreviation: MEA) gas and other ethylamine-based gas, trimethylamine ((CH ₃ ) ₃ N, abbreviation: TMA) gas, dimethylamine ((CH ₃ ) ₂ NH, abbreviation: DMA) gas, monomethylamine (CH ₃ NH) _2. Methylamine-based gas such as MMA) gas can be used.

Further, for example, in the above-described embodiment, an example of forming a silicon-containing film such as a SiN film has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, in the present invention, titanium (Ti), zirconium (Zr), hafnium (Hf), tantalum (Ta), niobium (Nb), aluminum (Al), molybdenum (Mo), and tungsten (W) are placed on the wafer 200. It is also suitably applicable to the case of forming a film containing a metal element such as, that is, a metal-based film.

That is, the present invention can be suitably applied to the case of forming a film containing a predetermined element such as a semiconductor element or a metal element.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example of depositing a film on the wafer 200 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment. For example, it can be suitably applied to a case where a film or the like formed on the wafer 200 is subjected to an oxidation treatment, a diffusion treatment, an annealing treatment, an etching treatment or the like.

Further, although the vertical substrate processing apparatus for batch processing has been described in the examples, the present invention is not limited to the vertical substrate processing apparatus for batch processing, and can be applied to the horizontal substrate processing apparatus for batch processing.

Further, the present invention can be applied not only to a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for processing a semiconductor wafer such as the substrate processing apparatus according to the present embodiment, but also to an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) manufacturing apparatus for processing a glass substrate.

<Preferable Aspects of the Present Invention> Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described.

(Appendix 1) According to one aspect of the present invention, to a plurality of mounting portions on which a substrate container (pod) is mounted, a drive unit for driving the previously described mounting portion, and the previously described mounting portion of the pod. A pod transport device (carrier loader) including a transport mechanism that carries in and out of the pod from the previously described mounting portion of the pod, and a support portion of the transport mechanism without moving the arm of the carrier loader from the initial position. By raising and lowering the pod, a substrate processing apparatus including the drive unit and the control unit that controls the carrier loader so as to deliver the pod from the previously described mounting unit to the support unit of the carrier loader is provided.

(Appendix 2) The substrate processing apparatus of Appendix 1, preferably, a movable shelf (extra shelf) for accommodating the pod is provided above the movable area of the carrier loader, and the control unit is described in front of this shelf. The pod is delivered to and from the carrier loader by moving the shelf up and down (driving in the vertical direction or sliding up and down).

(Appendix 3) The substrate processing apparatus of Appendix 1 or 2, preferably a movable shelf (sub-shelf) for accommodating the pod between the first stage (OHT stage) and the second stage (AGV stage). The control unit is configured to horizontally move (drive or slide horizontally) the previously described mounting portion of the movable shelf to deliver the pod to the carrier loader.

(Appendix 4) In the substrate processing apparatus of Appendix 2 or 3, preferably, the mounting portion of the movable shelf is provided with a first protrusion that supports the pod at a plurality of points, and the carrier loader. The support portion is configured to be provided with a second protrusion that supports the pod at a plurality of points.

(Appendix 5) In the substrate processing apparatus of Appendix 2 or 3, preferably, the notch portion of the movable shelf is used when the carrier loader lifts (scoops up) the pod, or in front of the pod. It is configured so that the support portion of the carrier loader and the mounting portion of the movable shelf do not interfere with each other when the carrier loader is lowered to the mounting portion.

(Appendix 6) In the substrate processing apparatus of Appendix 5, preferably, the cross-sectional area of the notch is larger than the cross-sectional area of the transport mechanism (support portion) of the carrier loader, and the mounting portion of the movable shelf is placed. It is configured to be larger than the cross-sectional area of.

(Appendix 7) In the substrate processing apparatus of Appendix 1, preferably, the control unit moves the above-mentioned mounting unit and the support unit of the carrier loader to a transferable position and a transfer standby position, respectively. It is configured to control the carrier loader and the above-mentioned mounting portion.

(Appendix 8) In the substrate processing apparatus of Appendix 7, preferably, the control unit moves the carrier loader to a delivery standby position while moving the movable shelf to a delivery position where the carrier loader can be delivered. Is controlled to execute a sequence of moving the pod above or below the delivery position to receive the pod from the movable shelf or to move the pod to the movable shelf and the carrier loader to the delivery / retract position.

(Appendix 9) According to another aspect of the present invention, the housing is divided into a processing area and a storage area for storing the pod, and the storage area is used as a loading / unloading outlet mounting table (I / O stage) through which the pod enters and exits. ), A rotary storage shelf in which the pod is stored, a carrier loader located between the I / O stage and the rotary storage shelf, a shelf provided directly above the carrier loader, and a shelf of the shelf. A drive unit that drives the mounting unit in the vertical direction, and a control that controls the driving unit and the cassette loader so that the pod is handed over between the shelf and the carrier loader without moving the mounting unit of the carrier loader. A substrate processing apparatus provided with each unit is provided.

(Appendix 10) According to still another aspect of the present invention, the housing is divided into a processing area and a storage area for storing the pod, and the storage area stores the I / O stage in which the pod enters and exits and the pod. A rotary storage shelf, a carrier loader located between the I / O stage and the rotary storage shelf, a movable shelf provided between the I / O stages, and a mounting portion of the shelf in the horizontal direction. A substrate provided with a drive unit to be driven and a control unit to control the drive unit and the carrier loader so that the pod is handed over between the movable shelf and the carrier loader without moving the support unit of the carrier loader. A processing device is provided.

(Appendix 11) In the substrate processing apparatus of Appendix 9 or 10, preferably, the control unit moves the carrier loader to a delivery standby position and moves the movable shelf to a delivery position where delivery is possible. The support portion of the carrier loader is moved above or below a position where it can be delivered, the pod is received from the movable shelf, and the carrier loader is controlled to be returned to the delivery / retracting position.

(Appendix 12) According to still another aspect of the present invention, a step of moving the movable shelf to a deliverable delivery position while moving the carrier loader to the delivery standby position, and a step of moving the support portion of the carrier loader from the initial position. The process of moving the carrier loader above or below the delivery position without moving and receiving the pod from the movable shelf or delivering the pod to the movable shelf and moving the carrier loader to the delivery retract position. A process and a pod transfer method having are provided.

(Appendix 13) According to still another aspect of the present invention, the procedure for moving the movable shelf to the delivery position where the movable shelf can be delivered while moving the carrier loader to the delivery standby position, and the support portion of the carrier loader from the initial position. The procedure of moving the carrier loader above or below the delivery position without moving the pod and receiving the pod from the movable shelf or delivering the pod to the movable shelf, and the carrier loader and the movable shelf deliver the pod, respectively. A sequence (program) having a procedure for returning to the retracted position, and a computer-readable recording medium on which the sequence (program) is recorded are provided.

(Appendix 14) According to still another aspect of the present invention, an operating unit (movable shelf) including a mounting portion on which a board container (pod) is mounted and a driving portion for driving the previously described mounting portion. ), A pod transfer device (carrier loader) including a transfer mechanism for carrying the pod into and out of the previously described storage portion of the pod, and a support portion of the carrier loader without moving the support portion. By raising and lowering the transport mechanism, the pod is delivered from the previously described mounting portion to the supporting portion of the carrier loader, or the pod is driven so as to be delivered from the supporting portion of the carrier loader to the supporting portion of the previously described mounting portion. A board container transfer system including a unit and a control unit for controlling the carrier loader is provided.

(Appendix 15) The substrate container transport system according to Appendix 14, preferably comprising a sensor (pod presence / absence sensor) for detecting whether or not the substrate container (pod) is located in the above-described mounting portion, and the control thereof. The unit is configured to control the driving unit so as to omit driving the previously described stationary unit that is not detected by the sensor.

(Appendix 16) In the substrate container transport system of Appendix 14, preferably, the control unit controls the drive unit so as to move the previously described placement unit from the original position to a delivery position where the pod can be delivered. It is configured to do.

(Appendix 17) In the substrate container transport system of Appendix 14, preferably, the control unit moves the carrier loader upward or downward without moving the support portion of the carrier loader, and the preceding description of the pod. It is configured to control the carrier loader so as to mount the pod on the mounting portion or mount the pod on the supporting portion of the carrier loader.

(Appendix 18) In the substrate container transport system of Appendix 16, preferably, the control unit raises and lowers the carrier loader while keeping the support portion fixed at the initial position without expanding and contracting the arm of the carrier loader. It is configured as.

(Appendix 19) In the substrate container transport system of Appendix 14, preferably, the above-mentioned mounting portion is provided with a first protrusion that supports the pod at a plurality of points, and the support portion of the carrier loader is provided. Is configured to be provided with a second protrusion that supports the pod at a plurality of points.

(Appendix 20) In the substrate container transport system of Appendix 14, preferably, the notch portion of the movable shelf is used when the carrier loader lifts (scoops) the pod, or the pod is described above. It is configured so that the support portion of the carrier loader and the above-mentioned resting portion do not interfere with each other when the carrier loader is lowered to the resting portion.

(Appendix 21) In the substrate processing apparatus of Appendix 20, preferably, the cross-sectional area of the notch is larger than the cross-sectional area of the transport mechanism (support portion) of the carrier loader, and the mounting portion of the movable shelf is placed. It is configured to be larger than the cross-sectional area of.

(Appendix 22) According to still another aspect of the present invention, the mounting portion on which the board container (pod) is mounted and the previously described mounting portion are positions where the board container (pod) is stored. An operating unit (movable shelf) provided with a drive unit for driving between the original position and the delivery position where the board container (pod) can be delivered to the movable shelf of the pod. Provided is an operation unit configured to move the above-mentioned placing portion from the original position to a delivery position where the pod can be delivered when carrying in or carrying out the pod from the movable shelf. Will be done.

(Appendix 23) The operating unit according to Appendix 19, preferably further comprising a sensor (pod presence / absence sensor) for detecting whether or not the substrate container (pod) is placed in the in-situ position. The drive unit is configured to omit driving the previously described stationary unit that is not detected by the sensor.

(Appendix 24) According to still another aspect of the present invention, the support portion on which the substrate container (pod) is mounted is included, and the pod is carried into the previously described mounting portion and from the previously described mounting portion of the pod. A pod transport device (carrier loader) including a transport mechanism for carrying out and raising and lowering the transport mechanism (boat elevator), without moving the support portion of the carrier loader (fixed to the initial position). By raising and lowering the support portion (while remaining), a pod transfer device configured to deliver the pod from the previously described mounting portion to the support portion of the carrier loader is provided.

Regarding the substrate processing apparatus, it is applied to a substrate processing apparatus having a configuration capable of responding to a change in the number of processed circuit boards of a product substrate.

100 ... Board processing device 105 ... Rotary pod shelf (rotary storage shelf) 114 ... Load port 114a ... OHT stage (first stage) 114b ... AGV stage (second stage) 131 ... Movable shelf (extra shelf) 132 ... Movable Shelf (sub-shelf) 200 ... Wafer 240 ... Controller

Claims (18)

A transport mechanism having a support portion on which a substrate container is placed, an elevating portion that raises and lowers the support portion, and a telescopic portion that moves the support portion by expansion and contraction .
A storage unit having a mounting unit on which the board container is mounted, and a lifting drive unit for raising and lowering the previously described mounting portion inside and outside the lifting range of the support portion.
The elevating part moves the above-mentioned elevating drive part from outside the elevating range of the support part into the elevating range, and the elevating part moves the support part of the transport mechanism in a state where the telescopic part contracts. A control unit configured to be able to control the transfer mechanism and the storage unit so that the substrate container is delivered between the above-mentioned placement unit and the support unit by raising and lowering the transfer mechanism. ,
Board processing equipment equipped with. The substrate according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to drive the previously described storage unit in the vertical direction to move the substrate container into and out of the elevating range of the support unit of the transport mechanism. Processing equipment. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the storage unit is provided at an upper portion within the elevating range of the support unit when the above-mentioned storage unit is in the original position. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the storage unit is configured to drive the above-mentioned storage unit in the vertical direction to deliver the substrate container to the transport mechanism. The mounting portion of the storage portion is provided with a first protrusion that supports the substrate container at a plurality of points.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support portion of the transport mechanism is provided with a second protrusion that supports the substrate container at a plurality of points. The notch portion of the storage portion is formed when the transport mechanism lifts the substrate container through the support portion or lowers the substrate container to the above-mentioned mounting portion.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the support portion of the transport mechanism and the previously described storage portion of the storage unit are configured so as not to interfere with each other. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the cross-sectional area of the notch is larger than the cross -sectional area of the transport mechanism . The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 6 , wherein the cross-sectional area of the notch portion is larger than the cross-sectional area of the previously described placement portion of the storage portion. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising a sensor for detecting the presence or absence of the substrate container in the mounting portion of the storage unit. The control unit moves the previously described portion of the storage unit within the elevating range of the support portion of the transport mechanism, and moves the transport mechanism in front so that the transport mechanism can be delivered via the support portion of the transport mechanism. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism and the previously described placement are controlled so as to be moved above or below the description placement. The control unit moves the previously described storage unit to the delivery position where the substrate container is delivered, moves the transport mechanism below or above the delivery position, and accommodates the substrate from the front storage unit. Claimed to execute a sequence in which the substrate container is delivered to the previously described placement unit, the transfer mechanism is moved to the delivery / retracting position, and the previously described placement unit is returned to the original position. 1. The substrate processing apparatus according to 1. The control unit moves the transport mechanism up and down in a state where the support portion is fixed without expansion / contraction operation of the expansion / contraction portion, so that the substrate container is delivered between the above - mentioned placement portion and the support portion. The board processing apparatus according to claim 1 . The control unit moves the previously described placement unit to a deliverable delivery position, moves the transfer mechanism below or above the delivery position, and receives the substrate container from the previously described placement unit, or described above. The board processing apparatus according to claim 12 , wherein the board container is delivered to a placement portion, and the transport mechanism is controlled to be moved to a delivery / retracting position. Further, it has a processing area for processing the substrate and a housing configured to partition the transfer area for transporting the substrate container.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transport mechanism is arranged in the transport region. The load port into which the board container enters and exits,
Further having a rotary storage unit for storing the substrate container,
The transport mechanism is
At least one of the load port and the rotary storage unit is configured to enable delivery of the transfer mechanism and the substrate container in the transfer area between the load port and the rotary storage unit. 14. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 14 . Further, the transport mechanism has a telescopic portion for moving the support portion.
15. Claim 15 configured to operate the support portion by the telescopic portion to deliver the substrate container between the transport mechanism and the load port, or between the transport mechanism and the rotary storage unit. The substrate processing apparatus described. A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having a process of transporting a substrate and a process of processing the substrate.
The step of transporting the substrate is
A transport mechanism having a support portion on which a substrate container is placed, an elevating portion that raises and lowers the support portion, and a telescopic portion that moves the support portion by expansion and contraction.
The support portion of the transfer mechanism is provided between a mounting portion on which a substrate container is mounted and a storage portion having an elevating drive portion for moving the previously described mounting portion into and out of the elevating range of the support portion. Including a step of transporting the substrate container by the elevating portion raising and lowering the transport mechanism in a state where the telescopic portion is contracted.
In the process of transporting the substrate container,
The elevating drive unit of the storage unit raises and lowers the previously described placing portion from outside the elevating range of the supporting portion into the elevating range, thereby delivering the substrate container between the previously described placing portion and the supporting portion.
Manufacturing method of semiconductor devices.


A transport mechanism having a support portion on which a substrate container is placed, an elevating portion that raises and lowers the support portion, and a telescopic portion that moves the support portion by expansion and contraction .
A storage unit having a mounting unit on which the board container is mounted, and a lifting drive unit for raising and lowering the previously described mounting portion inside and outside the lifting range of the support portion.
A program executed by a board processing device including the elevating drive unit and a control unit for controlling the transport mechanism.
The elevating drive unit of the storage unit moves the previously described placing portion from outside the elevating range of the support unit into the elevating range, and the elevating unit moves the support portion of the transport mechanism in a state where the telescopic portion contracts. A program that causes the control unit to execute a procedure for delivering a substrate container between the above-mentioned placement unit and the support unit by raising and lowering the transfer mechanism .

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