JP7676982B2 - METHOD FOR SETTING PROCESS RECIPE FOR SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS - Patent application - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a method for setting a process recipe for an apparatus for processing a substrate, and to an apparatus for processing a substrate.

The manufacturing process for FPDs (Flat Panel Displays) and semiconductor devices includes processes such as film deposition and etching on substrates (glass substrates and semiconductor wafers). The equipment that carries out these processes (equipment that processes the substrates) carries out the processes based on the commands of a control computer in accordance with a preset process recipe.

Patent Document 1 proposes a technique for hiding items corresponding to operation components that have not been selected in a display program for causing a computer to execute processing. Patent Document 2 proposes a technique for specifying whether to display or hide item names using a display flag on an employee information registration screen. Furthermore, Patent Document 3 proposes a technique for hiding infrequently used function setting items in a print setting processing program.

JP 2020-201854 A JP 2019-117489 A JP 2006-285968 A

This disclosure provides a technology that allows easy editing of process recipes when setting a process recipe for a device that processes substrates.

The present disclosure provides a method for setting a process recipe for an apparatus for processing a substrate, the method comprising:
a step of reading out from a storage unit, by a control computer of the apparatus, a plurality of setting values set in association with a plurality of steps defined to progress over time for a plurality of setting items of the process recipe, and displaying the plurality of setting values in a recipe setting table configured to enable identification of the setting items and the setting values corresponding to the steps on a display unit of a screen connected to the control computer;
receiving, via an input unit connected to the control computer, editing of the setting value selected by identifying the step and the setting item while displaying the recipe setting table in the display unit;
storing the process recipe in the storage unit after the edit of the setting value is received;
During the period during which the control computer performs the step of accepting edits of the setting values, in response to a display switching command inputted via the input unit, the display unit switches between a full display state in which the setting values associated with all of the setting items in the recipe setting table are displayed and a reduced display state in which setting values associated with only the setting items for which edits of the setting values have been accepted in the past are displayed on the recipe setting table,
When the process recipe that is the basis of the recipe setting table displayed in the step of displaying on the display unit does not include any of the setting values that have been edited in the past, the recipe setting table is displayed in the full display state even when a display switching command for displaying the condensed display state is input .

According to the present disclosure, when setting a process recipe for an apparatus for processing a substrate, editing of the process recipe can be easily performed.

1 is a schematic plan view illustrating an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure. 2 is a vertical sectional side view showing an example of a substrate processing section provided in the substrate processing apparatus; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of the substrate processing apparatus; 4 is a flowchart showing an operation of the substrate processing apparatus. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a window displayed on a display screen. FIG. 11 is a first explanatory diagram showing an example of a recipe setting table displayed on a display screen. FIG. 13 is a second explanatory diagram showing an example of a recipe setting table displayed on the display screen. FIG. 11 is a third explanatory diagram showing an example of a recipe setting table displayed on the display screen. FIG. 4 is a fourth explanatory diagram showing an example of a recipe setting table displayed on the display screen.

<Substrate Processing Apparatus>
An embodiment of an apparatus for processing a substrate according to the present disclosure (hereinafter referred to as a "substrate processing apparatus") will be described below with reference to Figures 1 and 2. The substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment is configured as an apparatus for performing an etching process on a glass substrate G (hereinafter referred to as a "substrate G"), which is a substrate. The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes an atmospheric transfer chamber 11 equipped with an atmospheric transfer mechanism 111 and a vacuum transfer chamber 12 equipped with a vacuum transfer mechanism 121, and the atmospheric transfer chamber 11 and the vacuum transfer chamber 12 are connected to each other via a load lock chamber 13.

The atmospheric transfer chamber 11 is provided with a loading/unloading port 14 through which the transfer container 10 storing a plurality of substrates G is loaded and unloaded. The substrate G in the transfer container 10 is configured to be taken out by the atmospheric transfer mechanism 111 and transported to the load lock chamber 13, and the substrate G in the load lock chamber 13 is received by the vacuum transfer mechanism 121 into the vacuum transfer chamber 12. Note that in the substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure, the atmospheric transfer chamber 11, the atmospheric transfer mechanism 111, the transfer container 10, and the loading/unloading port 14 are not necessarily essential components, and other mechanisms capable of loading and unloading the substrate G between the load lock chamber 13 and the atmospheric environment may be connected to the load lock chamber 13.

The vacuum transfer chamber 12 is connected to, for example, two substrate processing units 2A and 2B and one vacuum processing unit 15. In this example, the substrate processing units 2A and 2B are configured as etching processing units that perform etching processing on substrates, and the vacuum processing unit 15 is configured as a post-processing unit that performs treatment processing after etching, for example. In FIG. 1, the symbols GV1 to GV3 indicate gate valves.

<Substrate Processing Section>
An example of the substrate processing units 2A and 2B constituting an etching processing unit will be briefly described with reference to Fig. 2. The substrate processing units 2A and 2B in this example are configured to place a substrate G on a mounting table 3 in a vacuum vessel 21 and perform plasma processing on the substrate G. The substrate G is transferred into the vacuum vessel 21 through a transfer port 22 that is opened and closed by a gate valve 16, and the internal space of the vacuum vessel 21 is evacuated to a vacuum by a vacuum exhaust mechanism 23 through an exhaust path 231. A pressure adjustment unit 232, such as an APC (Automatic Pressure Control) valve, is provided in the exhaust path 231.

The mounting table 3 also serves as an electrode for generating plasma, and is connected to, for example, a high-frequency power source 31 for generating plasma and a high-frequency power source 32 for supplying bias power for attracting ions via matchers 311 and 321, respectively. The mounting table 3 in this example has a built-in temperature control medium flow path 33 that constitutes a temperature control section, and is configured to maintain the substrate G at a set temperature. The mounting table 3 is supported by an insulating member 34, and a lifting pin 35 used to transfer the substrate G is inserted therethrough so that it can be raised and lowered by a lifting mechanism 351.

An upper electrode 4 is disposed on the ceiling of the vacuum vessel 21 so as to face the mounting table 3. The upper electrode 4 also serves as a gas shower head and is hollow, with gas outlet holes 41 disposed on its underside. The upper electrode 4 is connected to a gas supply source 44 of the processing gas via a gas supply path 42 equipped with a valve V1 and a flow rate adjustment unit 43.

Here, a brief description will be given of substrate processing using the substrate processing apparatus 1 having the above-mentioned configuration. The substrate G is removed from the transfer container 10 by the atmospheric transfer mechanism 111 and transferred to the load lock chamber 13 at atmospheric pressure, which is adjusted to a vacuum atmosphere. Next, the substrate G in the load lock chamber 13 is transferred by the vacuum transfer mechanism 121 through the vacuum transfer chamber 12 to the mounting table 3 of the substrate processing section 2A, 2B. In the substrate processing section 2A, 2B, the substrate G is placed on the mounting table 3, the inside of the vacuum container 21 is evacuated by the vacuum exhaust mechanism 23 to maintain a predetermined degree of vacuum, and then an etching gas, which is a processing gas, is supplied.

On the other hand, a high frequency for plasma generation and a high frequency for ion attraction are applied to the mounting table 3, and the plasma formed in the space above the substrate G is used to perform an etching process on the substrate G. As a result, the ions in the plasma are attracted toward the mounting table 3 by the high frequency for bias, so that the etching process proceeds with high verticality. The substrate G etched in the substrate processing section 2A, 2B is transported to the vacuum processing section 15 via the vacuum transport chamber 12 by the vacuum transport mechanism 121, and a treatment process after etching is performed. Next, the substrate G is transported to the load lock chamber 13 in a vacuum atmosphere by the vacuum transport mechanism 121, and after the load lock chamber 13 is adjusted to an atmospheric pressure atmosphere, the substrate G is received by the atmospheric transport mechanism 111 and returned to the transport container 10 via the atmospheric transport chamber 11. In the above embodiment, the mounting table 3 and the upper electrode 4 are described as parallel electrodes facing each other to generate plasma as a capacitively coupled plasma generation mechanism, but the plasma may be generated by, for example, an inductively coupled plasma generation mechanism.

<Control computer>
The substrate processing apparatus 1 includes a control computer 5 and is configured to output commands to each part of the substrate processing apparatus 1, such as the substrate processing units 2A and 2B, the vacuum processing unit 15, the atmospheric transfer mechanism 111, and the vacuum transfer mechanism 121. The control computer 5 includes, for example, a CPU (not shown), and is configured to execute the above-mentioned substrate processing based on a process recipe of the substrate processing apparatus 1. The process recipe is a processing program in which the process sequence of the substrate processing apparatus 1 and the substrate processing units 2A and 2B, as well as control parameters such as the pressure in the vacuum vessel 21, the flow rate of the processing gas, and the set temperature of the mounting table 3 are set.

In a process recipe, setting values for multiple setting items (control parameters) are set in association with multiple steps defined to progress over time. For example, for one step, setting items such as the step time for executing that step, the processing temperature of the substrate G, and the pressure setting value within the container containing the substrate G are set, and these setting values are stored. And, for example, in the process recipe for substrate processing units 2A, 2B, setting values for setting items (setting parameters) related to all operations performed in the substrate processing units 2A, 2B are stored in association with multiple steps.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control computer 5 has the functions of a screen control unit 51 and a data extraction unit 52, and is connected to a memory unit 53 and a touch panel display 54 (an example of a "display"). The memory unit 53 has the function of a recipe storage unit 531 in which a process recipe is stored, and the touch panel display 54 serves both as a display screen 55 (an example of a "screen") and an input unit 56. Therefore, the input unit 56 is connected to the control computer 5 by connecting the touch panel display 54 to the control computer 5. However, instead of providing a touch panel display 54, the display screen 55 and an input unit 56 independent of the display screen 55 may be provided separately, and the input unit 56 may be configured as a keyboard.

The data extraction unit 52 is configured to read out the setting values set in the process recipe, which is data, from the recipe storage unit 531, and to execute an operation of extracting the setting values to be displayed in abbreviated form in response to a display switching command described later. The screen control unit 51 also has a function of displaying the setting values of the process recipe read out and extracted by the data extraction unit 52 on the display screen 55 as a recipe setting table 7 described later. The screen control unit 51 is further configured to execute a process of switching the display of the recipe setting table 7 upon receiving a display switching command issued by the operator via the input unit 56. The control computer 5 is further configured to execute an operation of accepting edits to the setting values of the recipe setting table 7, and an operation of storing the process recipe in the memory unit 53 after accepting the edits to the setting values.

<Process recipe settings>
4, a method for setting a process recipe for the substrate processing apparatus 1 will be described. The process recipe setting is an operation for setting control parameter settings, and is performed when performing process evaluation such as changing operating conditions, or when switching between products.
Generally, when an operator reviews the setting items (control parameters) of a process recipe, the setting items to be reviewed are often setting items that have been edited in the past. The technology disclosed herein focuses on this fact and provides a function for displaying only setting items that have been edited in the past on the display screen 55. In this case, the control computer 5 determines whether or not a setting item has been edited in the past, and devised a function for automatically hiding setting items that have not been edited by inputting a display switching command.

<First Example>
As a first example of setting a process recipe, a case will be described in which an operator changes a setting value that was previously edited for a process recipe.
First, an operator selects a process recipe to be edited using the touch panel display 54. As shown in Fig. 5, the touch panel display 54 in this example has a table display section 57 (an example of a "display section") and six buttons 61 to 66 forming part of the input section 56 on a display screen 55. The buttons 61 to 66 may be displayed as images within the display screen 55 as shown in Fig. 5, or may be provided as physically depressable buttons on the outside of the display screen 55.

Of the buttons 61 to 66, the "Open" button 61 is a button for opening a window 67 for selecting a process recipe, and Fig. 5 shows a state in which the "Open" button 61 is pressed to open the window 67. The window 67 is launched as, for example, a pop-up window.
5 to 9, the button name displayed in gray on the display screen 55 indicates a button that is currently being operated. Note that "pressing" here also includes starting a corresponding function by touching the "Open" button 61 displayed on the display screen 55 with the operator's finger or the like.

Here, we will assume that the process recipe to be edited is "Recipe 1", and explain the case where this is selected. When the control computer 5 accepts the selection of a process recipe (step 101 in FIG. 4), it executes a step of reading the setting values of the selected process recipe from the recipe storage section 531 of the memory section 53, and displaying the recipe setting table 7 configured to correspond to the process recipe in the table display section 57 in the display screen 55 of the touch panel display 54.

As shown in Figures 6 to 9, the recipe setting table 7 in this example is a table that displays each setting value in association with multiple setting items 71 of the process recipe and multiple steps 72 defined to progress over time. With respect to the substrate processing units 2A and 2B, the setting items 71 are control parameters such as the pressure of the vacuum vessel 21, the flow rate of the processing gas, the plasma power, the bias power, and the set temperature of the mounting table 3 that are controlled in the processing in the substrate processing units 2A and 2B. In the recipe setting table 7 in this example, these setting items 71 are listed in the first column.

Step 72 is displayed in the first line of recipe setting table 7, and steps 72 are listed that progress over time from step 1 to step n (n is an integer equal to or greater than 1) according to the number of steps preset in the process recipe. This recipe setting table 7 is configured to allow the setting value of setting item 71 to be specified in correspondence with each step 72.

Furthermore, scroll bars 73 and 74 are displayed on the display screen 55 of the touch panel display 54 as necessary. The control computer 5 can use the scroll bars 73 and 74 to instruct the control computer 5 to move the display range, thereby displaying the area of the recipe setting table 7 that extends beyond the table display section 57 on the table display section 57 by scrolling. The scroll bar 73 is used to display the display area relating to the setting item 71 that extends beyond the table display section 57 on the table display section 57 by scrolling up and down during the process of displaying the recipe setting table 7 on the table display section 57. Similarly, the scroll bar 74 is used to display the display area relating to the step 72 that extends beyond the table display section 57 on the table display section 57 by scrolling left and right.

Returning to FIG. 4, the operator determines whether or not to select the "Abridged Display" button 63 (step 102). The "Abridged Display" button 63 is a button for setting the recipe setting table 7 to the "Abridged Display State." The abridged display state indicates a state in which the setting values associated with only the setting items in the recipe setting table 7 that have previously accepted edits to their setting values are displayed. In other words, in any of steps 72, setting items whose setting values have not previously been edited are not displayed.

Here, the "display all" button 64 will also be described. The "display all" button 64 is a button for setting the recipe setting table 7 to an "all display state." The all display state indicates a state in which setting values associated with all setting items in the recipe setting table 7 are displayed. In other words, all setting items are displayed regardless of whether or not a setting value has been edited in any step 72 in the past.
The "Condensed Display" button 63 and the "Full Display" button 64 output a display switching command for switching the display state of the setting values between the full display state and the condensed display state in the table display section 57. Therefore, when the "Condensed Display" button 63 is pressed (selected), a display switching command for the condensed display state is input, and when the "Full Display" button 64 is pressed, a display switching command for the full display state is input.

When the "Condensed Display" button 63 is selected in step 102 of FIG. 4, the control computer 5 determines whether all the setting values of the process recipe read from the recipe storage unit 531 are initial values (step 103). In this step 103, the control computer 5 determines whether the setting items of the process recipe are setting items for which setting values have been edited in the past. If it is determined that all the setting values are initial values, the process proceeds to step 105, and if it is determined that at least some of the setting values are not initial values, the process proceeds to step 104.

In the substrate processing apparatus 1 of this example, all the setting values of the process recipe are preset to initial values. FIG. 6 shows the recipe setting table 7 in which all the setting values of the process recipe are set to their initial values. In this example, the recipe setting table 7 displayed on the table display section 57 of the display screen 55 has the initial values set to "0" for setting items in which the setting value is input as a number, and "OFF" for setting items in which the execution or non-execution of control is input as ON/OFF.

As described above, the data extraction unit 52 of the control computer 5 is configured to determine that a setting item that includes a setting value that does not match the initial value has previously accepted edits to the setting value. Therefore, a setting item in which a value other than "0" is input as a setting value and a setting item in which "ON" is input as a setting item is determined to be a setting item in which an edit of the setting value has previously been accepted.

Figure 7 shows a display screen 55 in which the recipe setting table 7 for recipe 1 is displayed in full on the table display section 57. This recipe setting table 7 includes setting values that were edited in the past, and the cells in which the previously edited setting values are displayed display this fact in a way that makes it easy to identify (in Figures 7 and 8, the cells are filled in gray).

Regarding this display, for example, the data extraction unit 52 compares the setting value of each step of each setting item in the selected process recipe with the initial value for the same step, and if these values do not match, outputs the setting value with an identification code indicating this fact. When displaying the recipe setting table 7, if the identification code is attached to the acquired setting value, the screen control unit 51 displays the cell in which the setting value is displayed in an identifiable manner.
In the following, a setting item that has previously accepted edits to the setting value for any step may be referred to as an "edited setting item," and a setting item that has not previously accepted edits to the setting value for any step may be referred to as an "unedited setting item."

When the full display state is selected when displaying the recipe setting table 7 on the display screen 55, both the "edited setting items" and the "unedited setting items" are all displayed (FIG. 7). Also, when the abbreviated display state is selected, only the "edited setting items" are displayed in the recipe setting table 7, and the "unedited setting items" are not displayed. Therefore, when recipe 1 is selected in step 101 of FIG. 4 and the "abbreviated display" button 63 is pressed in step 102, the recipe setting table 7 is displayed on the display screen 55 in the abbreviated display state in principle in step 104 based on the display switching command. That is, the screen control unit 51 determines that the setting items including the setting values acquired from the extraction unit 52 that have an identification code indicating that they do not match the initial values are "edited setting items" and displays them in the recipe setting table 7.

Figure 8 shows the recipe setting table 7 displayed in the abbreviated display state. In this abbreviated display state, setting items with a setting value different from the initial value are displayed, and unedited setting items are hidden. For example, in the recipe setting table 7 shown in Figure 7, focusing on the setting item "pressure", the setting value of "pressure" in step 4 is the initial value "0", but settings different from the initial value are input in the other steps 1, 2, and 5. In this way, for setting items in which a setting value different from the initial value is input in any step, the setting values for all steps are displayed. In the recipe setting table 7 in the abbreviated display state shown in Figure 8, the hidden setting items are displayed in a compact manner. Therefore, all setting items are displayed in the table display section 57, which is a display area set in the display screen 55, and there is no need to scroll up and down using the scroll bar 73.

When the "Condensed Display" button 63 is selected in this way, the recipe setting table 7 shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the display screen 55 of the touch panel display 54, the operator edits by inputting the setting value for the setting item to be edited, and the control computer 5 accepts the edited setting value (step 106 in FIG. 4). Editing of the setting value is performed by selecting a cell that specifies the step 72 and setting item 71 in the input unit 56 in the recipe setting table 7 displayed on the display screen 55 of the touch panel display 54, and then inputting the setting value via a keyboard (not shown) or the like.

The keyboard may be displayed within the display screen 55, or may be provided separately from the display screen 55. The selection of a cell by the input unit 56 may be made by the operator directly touching the cell displayed on the table display unit 57 with a finger or the like, or a window may be displayed in which a numerical value indicating the step that identifies the cell and a numerical value indicating the setting item are input. In this way, the process of accepting edits of the setting values is carried out. Under the condition that the "Condensed Display" button 63 is selected, the recipe setting table 7 is displayed in a condensed display state on the touch panel display 54 during the period in which the process of accepting edits of the setting values is carried out.

Then, the operator determines whether editing of the setting values is complete (step 107), and if editing is not complete, returns to step 102 and performs the editing work again. On the other hand, if editing is complete, the operator presses the "Register" button 62 to register the process recipe in which the setting values have been edited (step 108). In this way, the process recipe after accepting the edits is stored in the recipe storage unit 531 of the memory unit 53, and editing of the process recipe settings is completed.

If the "Condensed Display" button 63 is not selected in step 102, the process proceeds to step 105, and the recipe setting table 7 is displayed on the display screen 55 in the full display state shown in FIG. 7. For example, when changing the setting value of the setting item "Processing Gas A", the recipe setting table 7 is displayed in the full display state and the setting value is edited. In the example shown in FIG. 7, the setting value of "Processing Gas A" remains at the initial value "0" in all steps, so when the display state is switched to the condensed display state, the setting item is not displayed. Even in this case, steps 106, 107, and 108 are performed in the same manner as in the first example described above.

<Second Example>
As a second example of process recipe setting, a case where an operator creates a new process recipe will be described.
First, an operator selects "New Recipe" from the window 67 shown in Fig. 5 using the touch panel display 54. When the selection of a process recipe is accepted (step 101), the recipe setting table 7 of the selected process recipe is displayed on the display screen 55 of the touch panel display 54. The recipe setting table 7 of the "New Recipe" is a recipe setting table 7 in which all setting values of the process recipe are default values, as shown in Fig. 6.

Next, the operator decides whether to select the "Abridged Display" button 63 (step 102 in FIG. 4). When creating a new recipe, the recipe setting table 7 is displayed in a full display state, and the setting items 71 and steps 72 are associated with each other and the setting values are input. If the "Abridged Display" button 63 is selected, the control computer 5 decides whether all the setting values are the initial values (step 103). Here, if the process recipe does not include setting values that have been accepted for editing in the past (if all setting values are not assigned identification codes), the screen control unit 51 is configured to display the setting values in a full display state even if the "Abridged Display" button 63 is pressed. Therefore, even if the "Abridged Display" button 63 is pressed by mistake, all the setting values are the initial values, so the recipe setting table 7 is displayed in a full display state (step 105), and all the setting items are not hidden.

Then, the operator edits the setting values while the recipe setting table 7 is displayed in full on the display screen 55, and the control computer 5 executes a process of accepting the edited setting values (step 106). Steps 107 and 108 are the same as those in the first example described above.

The other buttons will now be explained. The "Select Setting" button 65 is a button that opens a window that accepts any selection of setting items to be displayed in the recipe setting table 7. When this button 65 is pressed, a setting item selection window 68 shown in FIG. 9 is opened, for example, as a pop-up window. In this window 68, for example, it is possible to add or delete setting items that are displayed in the recipe setting table 7 in the full display state. The "Close button" 66 is a button that closes the open windows 67 and 68.

According to this embodiment, when setting a process recipe for a device for processing a substrate, editing of the process recipe can be easily executed. In other words, by a simple operation of inputting a display switching command according to the edited content of the process recipe, the recipe setting table 7 can be switched between a full display state and a reduced display state and displayed on the display screen 55. Therefore, the necessary setting items can be automatically selected using a process recipe whose setting values have already been edited, so editing of the process recipe can be easily executed.

For example, when changing the setting value of a setting item that has been edited in the past, a display switching command is input to switch to the abbreviated display state, and only the setting item to be edited is displayed as shown in FIG. 8. In the abbreviated display state, setting items that have not been edited are not displayed, so fewer setting items are displayed on the display screen 55, and they are displayed in a compact manner. This makes it easier to find the input location for the setting value that corresponds to the setting item to be edited and the step. On the other hand, when changing the setting value of an unedited setting item, a display switching command is input to switch to the full display state, and all setting items are displayed, as shown in FIG. 7, allowing editing of the setting value.

Depending on the process recipe, when the condensed display state is selected, all previously edited setting items can be displayed on one screen, eliminating the need for scrolling, making it easier to search for the input location of the setting value that corresponds to the setting item to be edited and the step. In addition, being able to fit all the setting items to be edited on one screen is also convenient when taking and saving images by screenshot. Furthermore, even if a process recipe cannot display all setting items on the display screen 55 even in the condensed display state, the area that extends beyond the table display section 57 of the display screen 55 can be reduced compared to the full display state. As a result, the burden of scrolling to display the setting items in the table display section 57 of the display screen 55 is reduced, making it easier to edit the setting values.

In this way, since it is easier to find the input location of the setting value, the time and effort required for editing the setting value can be reduced, the setting value can be edited efficiently, and the occurrence of editing errors can be reduced.
Conventionally, the recipe setting table 7 is displayed in a full display state to edit the setting values, so when there are many control parameters (setting items) and many setting items that have not been edited, a lot of scrolling is required to display the setting items to be edited on the display screen 55. In addition, since there are many setting items displayed on the display screen 55, it takes time to search for the input location of the setting value to be edited, but the technology disclosed herein can solve these problems.

In addition, in the above embodiment, the control computer 5 (extraction unit 52) is configured to determine that a setting item that includes a setting value that does not match the initial value is a setting item that was edited in the past. In this way, the control computer 5 compares the initial value of the setting item with the current setting value to automatically determine which setting items have not been edited, so that the operator does not need to preselect the setting items that are displayed in the condensed display state. This also reduces the effort required to edit the setting values and suppresses the occurrence of operational errors, making it possible to set the process recipe even more efficiently.

Furthermore, the control computer 5 (screen control unit 51) is configured to always display the recipe setting table 7 in the full display state when all the setting values of the setting items are the initial values. Therefore, as described above, when creating a new process recipe, even if the "Abridged Display" button 63 is pressed by mistake, the recipe setting table 7 is displayed in the full display state. This prevents the occurrence of a problem in which the recipe setting table 7 is not displayed at all because the "Abridged Display" button 63 is pressed by mistake, and allows editing work to be started promptly. In this respect as well, the technology disclosed herein can simplify editing of setting values.

In the above embodiment, the control computer 5 (extraction unit 52) judges whether the setting item is unedited based on whether the setting value matches the initial value. However, the method by which the control computer 5 judges whether there is an unedited setting item is not limited to this example. For example, when an edit of a setting value is accepted, an edited flag may be associated with the edited setting value and stored in the storage unit 53. In this example, it is determined that an edit of the setting value has been accepted in the past for a setting item including a setting value associated and stored with this edited flag. Even in this configuration, the control computer 5 (screen control unit 51) can judge whether the setting value read from the storage unit 53 has been edited. Therefore, it is possible to accept a display switching command from the operator and automatically switch the display of the recipe setting table 7 to a contracted display state. In this respect, too, the technology disclosed herein can simplify the editing of the setting values of a process recipe.

Moreover, since the display switching command is executed by pressing a button, the command can be easily input. The button for executing the display switching command is not limited to the configuration including the "condensed display" button 63 and the "full display" button 64, and may be configured to include only the "condensed display" button 63 without providing the "full display" button 64. In this case, the recipe setting table 7 is usually displayed on the display screen 55 in the full display state, and only when the "condensed display" button 63 is pressed, the recipe setting table 7 is displayed in the condensed display state. Moreover, when the recipe setting table 7 is displayed in the condensed display state, the "condensed display" button 63 may not be displayed, and only the "full display" button 64 may be displayed.
Further, the initial values of the process recipe settings can be set appropriately, and therefore may be set to initial values other than those exemplified in the recipe setting table 7 shown in Fig. 6 ("0" for the setting items for inputting numerical values, and "OFF" for the setting items for inputting the presence or absence of control).

Substrate processing apparatuses to which the present disclosure can be applied are not limited to those with the configurations described above. The technology disclosed herein can be applied to various substrate processing apparatuses that are controlled using process recipes, such as coating apparatuses provided in coating and developing apparatuses that apply resist liquid to glass substrates or semiconductor wafers and perform development after exposure, developing apparatuses, heating apparatuses, and film forming apparatuses that perform film forming processes on these substrates.

The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive. The above-described embodiments may be omitted, substituted, or modified in various ways without departing from the scope and spirit of the appended claims.

1 Substrate processing apparatus 5 Control computer 53 Storage unit 55 Display screen 56 Input unit

Claims (8)

1. A method for setting a process recipe for an apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising the steps of:
a step of reading out from a storage unit, by a control computer of the apparatus, a plurality of setting values set in association with a plurality of steps defined to progress over time for a plurality of setting items of the process recipe, and displaying the plurality of setting values in a recipe setting table configured to enable identification of the setting items and the setting values corresponding to the steps on a display unit of a screen connected to the control computer;
receiving, via an input unit connected to the control computer, editing of the setting value selected by identifying the step and the setting item while displaying the recipe setting table in the display unit;
storing the process recipe in the storage unit after the edit of the setting value is received;
During the period during which the control computer performs the step of accepting edits of the setting values, in response to a display switching command inputted via the input unit, the display unit switches between a full display state in which the setting values associated with all of the setting items in the recipe setting table are displayed and a reduced display state in which setting values associated with only the setting items for which edits of the setting values have been accepted in the past are displayed on the recipe setting table,
a display switch command for displaying the condensed display state when a process recipe that is the basis of the recipe setting table displayed in the step of displaying on the display unit does not include any of the setting values that have been edited in the past, the method comprising: displaying the recipe setting table in the full display state even when a display switch command for displaying the condensed display state is input . The method according to claim 1, wherein in the step of displaying on the display unit, the recipe setting table is configured so that an area extending beyond the display unit can be displayed on the display unit by scrolling. The method according to claim 1 or 2, in which initial values are set in advance for all the setting values of the process recipe, and the control computer determines that an edit of the setting value has been accepted in the past for the setting item including the setting value that does not match the initial value. The method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein in the step of accepting edits to the setting values, the control computer associates an edited flag with the edited setting value and stores it in the storage unit, and determines that an edit to the setting value has been accepted in the past for the setting item including the setting value associated and stored with the edited flag. An apparatus for processing a substrate, comprising:
a substrate processing unit for processing the substrate;
a control computer that controls the operation of the substrate processing unit based on a process recipe stored in a storage unit;
a display and an input unit connected to the control computer;
the control computer is configured to execute an operation of reading out a plurality of setting values, which are set for a plurality of setting items of the process recipe in association with a plurality of steps defined to progress over time, from a storage unit storing the process recipe, and displaying the plurality of setting values on a display unit of a screen of the display as a recipe setting table configured to enable identification of the setting values corresponding to the setting items and the steps; an operation of accepting, via the input unit, an editing of the setting values selected by identifying the steps and the setting items while displaying the recipe setting table on the display unit; and an operation of storing the process recipe in the storage unit after accepting the editing of the setting values,
Furthermore, the control computer is configured to execute an operation of switching, in response to a display switching command inputted via the input unit, between a full display state in which the setting values associated with all the setting items of the recipe setting table are displayed and a reduced display state in which setting values associated with only the setting items for which editing of the setting values has been accepted in the past, during a period in which an operation of accepting editing of the setting values is being performed, for the recipe setting table, on the display unit ,
When the process recipe that is the basis of the recipe setting table displayed on the display unit does not include any of the setting values that have been edited in the past, the control computer executes an operation of displaying the recipe setting table in the full display state even when a display switching command for displaying the condensed display state is input . The apparatus according to claim 5 , wherein the control computer is configured to be capable of executing an operation of displaying, on the display unit, an area of the recipe setting table that extends beyond the display unit by scrolling. 7. The apparatus according to claim 5, wherein initial values are set in advance for all setting values of the process recipe, and the control computer determines that editing of the setting values has been accepted in the past for the setting items including the setting values that do not match the initial values, and executes an operation of switching a display state of the recipe setting table . 7. The device according to claim 5, wherein the control computer, in an operation of accepting editing of the setting value, associates an edited flag with the edited setting value and stores it in the memory unit, determines that editing of the setting value has been accepted in the past for the setting item including the setting value associated and stored with the edited flag , and executes an operation of switching a display state of the recipe setting table.

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