Tokyo Electron Limited

Tokyo Electron Limi Ted

Kippei Sugita

Tomohide Minami

Kenji Nagai

Daisuke Kawano

Muneo Harada

Hiroyuki Hashimoto

Yoshihiro Yanagi

Tatsuya Yamaguchi

Atsushi Ando

Hidetoshi Kimura

Harunari Hasegawa

Makoto Fujikawa

Yasunori Kumagai

Yoshinori Morisada

Mitsuya Inoue

Takashi Kubo

Yoshiki Fukuhara

Mitsuru Dohiwa

Kenji Matsuda

Makoto Takahashi

Satoru Nishio

Kaoru Inaba

Hana Sasaki

Hikaru Fujiwara

Takashi Niinuma

Yuhei Shimatsu

An execution device according to exemplary embodiments includes an operation device, a first acceleration sensor, a second acceleration sensor, and a control device. The operation device executes a predetermined operation. The first acceleration sensor detects acceleration in a first direction along a horizontal direction. The second acceleration sensor detects acceleration in a second direction intersecting the first direction along the horizontal direction. The control device recognizes a transport position of the execution device in the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus based on output values from the first acceleration sensor and the second acceleration sensor. When it is recognized that the execution device is transported to a predetermined position, the control device causes the operation device to execute the predetermined operation.

Execution device and execution method

A transfer system configured to transfer a focus ring includes a processing system and a position detection system. The processing system includes a processing apparatus including a chamber main body and a placing table having a substrate placing region and a focus ring placing region; and a transfer device configured to transfer the focus ring. The position detection system includes a light source; multiple optical elements configured to output light and receive reflected light; a driving unit configured to move each optical element to allow each optical element to scan a scanning range; and a controller configured to calculate, based on the reflected light in the scanning range, a positional relationship between the placing table and the focus ring for each optical element. The transfer device is configured to adjust a transfer position of the focus ring onto the focus ring placing region based on the calculated positional relationship.

System and method for transferring a focus ring into processing apparatus

A system configured to inspect a processing apparatus includes a temperature adjusting device configured to adjust a temperature of a component within a processing chamber of the processing apparatus; a light source configured to emit measurement light; multiple optical elements configured to output the measurement light emitted from the light source to the component within the processing chamber of the processing apparatus as output light and configured to receive reflected light from the component during a temperature adjustment of the component by the temperature adjusting device; and a controller configured to measure temperatures of the component at measurement points respectively corresponding to the multiple optical elements based on the reflected light, and make a determination upon abnormality of the processing apparatus based on comparisons of the temperatures of the component at the respective measurement points.

Method and system for inspecting processing apparatus

A measurement method includes: (a) measuring an emission intensity for each wavelength of light detected from a plasma generated in a plasma processing apparatus at each different exposure time by a light receiving element; (b) specifying, with respect to each of a plurality of different individual wavelength ranges that constitutes a predetermined wavelength range, a distribution of the emission intensity in the individual wavelength range measured at an exposure time at which an emission intensity of a predetermined wavelength included in the individual wavelength range becomes an emission intensity within a predetermined range; (c) selecting a distribution of the emission intensity in the individual wavelength range from the distribution of the emission intensity specified in (b); and (d) outputting the distribution of the emission intensity selected for each individual wavelength range.

Measurement method and measurement apparatus

A calibration method includes placing an LED light source having a given wavelength range inside a reference apparatus; acquiring first data as an emission intensity of light at a wavelength, a light amount of the light being adjusted in stages by changing the light amount output from the LED light source; storing the first data in a memory; placing the LED light source in a calibration target apparatus; acquiring second data as an emission intensity of light at a wavelength, a light amount of the light being adjusted in the stages by changing the light amount output from the LED light source; and calculating a calibration formula based on the first data stored in the memory and the second data.

Calibration method and calibration system

A ranging apparatus for use in a plasma processing chamber having an internal space and a window is disclosed. The ranging apparatus includes at least one external light emitting device disposed external to the plasma processing chamber. The external light emitting device emits at least one source light beam to the internal space through the window. The ranging apparatus includes a base wafer disposed on a stage in the internal space. The ranging apparatus includes at least one optical circuit fixed to the base wafer. The optical circuit deflects the source light beam to a target in the internal space, and deflects a reflection light beam to the window. The ranging apparatus includes at least one external light receiving device disposed external to the plasma processing chamber. The external light receiving device receives the deflected reflection light beam through the window.

Ranging apparatus and method using the ranging apparatus

A transfer method according to an exemplary embodiment includes: transferring a focus ring onto a stage by a transfer unit; transferring a measuring instrument into an inner region of the transferred focus ring and onto an electrostatic chuck; acquiring a measurement value group by the transferred measuring instrument; and adjusting a transfer position of the focus ring by the transfer unit such that the central position of the electrostatic chuck and the central position of the focus ring coincide with each other based on the measurement value group.

Transfer method and transfer system

A measuring device and method, provided in a region surrounded by a focus ring and configured to measure an amount of consumption of the focus ring, includes a disc-shaped base substrate, sensor electrodes provided on the base substrate, a high frequency oscillator configured to apply a high frequency signal to the sensor electrodes, and an operation unit configured to calculate measurement values indicating electrostatic capacitances of the sensor electrodes from detection values corresponding to potentials of the sensor electrodes. The operation unit calculates a representative value (for example an average value) of the measurement values corresponding to the amount of consumption of the focus ring and derives the amount of consumption of the focus ring with reference to a table in which the amount of consumption of the focus ring is associated with the representative value of the measurement values.

Measuring device and operation method of system for inspecting focus ring

A transfer robot system includes a transfer robot configured to transfer a wafer under an operational instruction; a controller configured to output the operational instruction to the transfer robot; a wafer receptacle; and an interferometer. The wafer receptacle comprises a receptacle body having an open front through which an end effector and the wafer pass; a first reflector disposed under a support space; and a first optical element disposed above the support space to face the first reflector, configured to output the light toward the first reflector and receive received light therefrom. The interferometer calculates an optical interference peak, which is generated between the wafer and the first reflector, based on the received light. The controller determines a taught position of the transfer robot based on a variation of the optical interference peak during an operation of the transfer robot.

Transfer robot system, teaching method and wafer receptacle

A measuring device includes a disc-shaped base substrate, sensor electrodes arranged circumferentially along a periphery of the base substrate, a high frequency oscillator configured to apply a high frequency signal to the sensor electrodes, C/V conversion circuits, each being configured to convert a voltage amplitude at a corresponding sensor electrode among the sensor electrodes to a voltage signal indicating an electrostatic capacitance, an A/D converter configured to convert the voltage signal outputted from each of the C/V conversion circuits to a digital value, and a switching mechanism configured to switch each sensor electrode of the sensor electrodes between a first state in which the sensor electrodes are electrically connected to the C/V conversion circuits and a second state in which electrode pairs are connected to different C/V conversion circuits among the C/V conversion circuits. Each electrode pair includes circumferentially adjacent two sensor electrodes among the sensor electrodes.

Measuring device and method for obtaining amount of deviation of measuring device

A measuring device includes sensor electrodes provided along a periphery of a base substrate such that a sum A of shortest distances from the sensor electrodes to an inner peripheral surface of a focus ring becomes a constant value, the sum A satisfying the number of the sensor electrodes, C: measurement values and 'a': constant). A method of obtaining the amount of deviation of the central position of the measuring device in a region surrounded by the focus ring from the center of the region, includes: calculating the measurement values Cusing the measuring device; calculating the constant 'a' using the measurement values C; calculating distances from the sensor electrodes to the inner peripheral surface of the focus ring using the constant &#x201c;a&#x201d; and the measurement values C; and calculating the amount of deviation of the central position of the measuring device based on the calculated distances.

Method of obtaining amount of deviation of a measuring device, and method of calibrating transfer position data in a processing system

An electrostatic capacitance measuring device includes: a base substrate; a first sensor having a first electrode, one or more second sensors each having a second electrode, and a circuit board mounted on the base substrate. The first sensor is provided along an edge of the base substrate. The second sensors are fixed on the base substrate. The circuit board is connected to the first sensor and the second sensors, and configured to output high frequency signals to the first electrode and the one or more second electrodes and obtain a first measurement value indicating an electrostatic capacitance from a voltage amplitude at the first electrode and one or more second measurement values indicating electrostatic capacitances obtained from voltage amplitudes at the one or more second electrodes. The measuring device has one or more reference surfaces fixed on the measuring device and facing the one or more second electrodes.

Electrostatic capacitance measuring device

In a method for calibrating a measuring device by using a case which includes a case main body configured to accommodate the measuring device, a restricting portion configured to restrict translation of the measuring device accommodated in the case main body and reference surfaces provided in the case main body to face the respective sensor electrodes, a plurality of detection values is acquired in a state where translation of the measuring device accommodated in the case is restricted by the restricting portion, the reference surfaces face respective sensor electrodes of the measuring device and a high frequency signal is applied to the sensor electrodes. Then, coefficients in functions used in calculating measurement values are calibrated such that the measurement values become a predetermined value.

Method for calibrating measuring device and case used in the calibration method

Provided is a measuring instrument for measuring an electrostatic capacity. The measuring instrument includes a base substrate having a disk shape, a plurality of first sensors arranged along an edge of the base substrate and respectively provide a plurality of side electrodes, one or more second sensors each of which has a bottom electrode provided along a bottom surface of the base substrate, and a circuit board. The circuit board is configured to apply a high frequency signal to the plurality of side electrodes and the bottom electrode, to generate a plurality of first measurement values respectively indicating electrostatic capacities based on voltage amplitudes in the plurality of side electrodes, and to generate a second measurement value indicating an electrostatic capacity based on a voltage amplitude in the bottom electrode.

Measuring instrument for measuring electrostatic capacity and method of calibrating transfer position data in processing system by using measuring instrument

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Miyagi, Japan

Kippei Sugita