Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd.

Hidekazu Inoue

Tetsuya Hamada

Kenji Kamei

Toru Kitamoto

Yoshiteru Fukutomi

Kenji Sugimoto

Shigeru Sasada

Kaoru Aoki

Mitsumasa Kodama

A substrate processing apparatus and an information storage server are connected with each other through a network. A storage part of the substrate processing apparatus stores set information and a control program, for controlling operation of the substrate processing apparatus according to the set information and the control program. The substrate processing apparatus is provided with a schedule function, for transmitting a backup instructional command according to the schedule. In response to this instructional command, the substrate processing apparatus generates a duplicate of specified information stored in the aforementioned storage part and transfers the duplicate information to the information storage server through the network. The information storage server stores the received duplicate information in a hard disk as backup data. The information storage server can also store only differential data of the duplicate information. Thus, information for controlling the operation of the substrate processing apparatus can be efficiently backed up without burdening the user.

Managing apparatus for substrate processing system

A substrate processing system comprises a substrate processing apparatus, an information storage server and a support computer, which are connected to a network respectively. When the substrate processing apparatus causes a failure, an alarm processing part extracts a necessary relevant log file and stores the same in a hard disk of the information storage server. A failure information generation part generates failure information, which in turn is finally stored in the hard disk of the information storage servers as a failure information database. An apparatus information uncasing part renders the relevant log file and the failure information database readable from the support computer located in a remote place. Thus, the relevant log file and the failure information database can be immediately read. In other words, provided is a substrate processing system rendering operation information immediately readable from a remote place when the substrate processing apparatus causes a failure.

Substrate processing system managing apparatus information of substrate processing apparatus

A substrate processing system comprises a substrate processing apparatus and a support computer, which are connected to a network respectively. Updated countermeasure information is accumulated in the support computer by a system administrator. When the substrate processing apparatus causes a failure, content of the failure is displayed on a display part while an alarm processing part controls process according to an alarm definition file. Further, a countermeasure information acquisition part requires updated countermeasure information against the failure from the support computer. In response to this, countermeasure information distribution part of the support computer transmits updated countermeasure information. Thus, updated countermeasure information can be read instantly when a failure occurs.

A substrate processing system includes a plurality of processing stations for processing substrates, and a management station connected with the plurality of processing stations to constitute a computer network. Each processing station includes a plurality of processing units for treating the substrates, first storage device for storing processing recipes, and inter-station recipe copy unit for copying a desired processing recipe from another processing station and storing the copied processing recipe into the first storage device. Each processing recipe defines an order of conveyance of each substrate among the plurality of processing units and processing conditions in each processing unit. The management station includes second storage means for storing processing recipes for the plurality of processing stations, and specification upload/download means for transferring a desired processing recipe between the second storage means and the first storage means included in each of the plurality of processing stations and for storing the transferred processing recipe therein.

Substrate processing management system with recipe copying functions

An apparatus including a structure which separates a first transport robot (high temperature robot), which accesses a first processing part group including the thermal processing parts, from a second transport robot (low temperature robot) which accesses the only non-thermal processing parts. During circulating transportation of substrates to be processed, heat created at thermal processing parts is prevented from flowing into non-thermal processing parts. Semiconductor wafers are circulated one by one between the first processing part group which includes a hot plate and a second processing part group which does not include a hot plate and processed one at a time at each processing part. The high temperature robot accesses the first processing part group while the low temperature robot accesses the second processing part group. Transfer of a semiconductor wafer between the two robots is performed at a transfer part which is formed using a cool plate. Since the low temperature robot is never subjected to heat, temperatures at the non-thermal processing parts which are included in the second processing part group remain stable even when the low temperature robot accesses the non-thermal processing parts.

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Kyoto, Japan

Hidekazu Inoue