Tokyo Electron Limited

Shigeru Ishizawa

Hiroaki Saeki

Tsutomu Hiroki

Kiyohito Iijima

Keisuke Kondoh

Hiroshi Koizumi

Tatsuya Ogi

Wataru Machiyama

Toru Nishino

Hiroaki Mochizuki

Takehiro Shindo

Takaaki Matsuoka

Teruo Asakawa

Tetsu Osawa

Yoshiaki Sasaki

Keiichi Matsushima

Katsuhiko Iwabuchi

Tetsuo Yoshida

Yasuhiko Nishinakayama

Eiji Horike

Takashi Kawano

Akiyoshi Shoujima

A method performed by a processor of a plasma processing system including a transfer device and a plasma processing apparatus that includes a process chamber. The process chamber includes a mount table on a surface of which a first focus ring is placed. The method includes controlling the transfer device to transfer the first focus ring out of the process chamber without opening the process chamber to the atmosphere; after the first focus ring is transferred out of the process chamber, controlling the plasma processing apparatus to clean the surface of the mount table; and after the surface of the mount table is cleaned, controlling the transfer device to transfer a second focus ring into the process chamber and place the second focus ring on the surface of the mount table without opening the process chamber to the atmosphere.

Focus ring replacement method and plasma processing system

A substrate processing method is provided. The substrate processing method includes placing a substrate storage container storing a substrate on a load port; automatically determining a type of the substrate stored in the placed substrate storage container; by referring to a storage unit that stores a parameter data set related to a transport condition for each substrate type, controlling transport of the substrate stored in the substrate storage container based on the parameter data set corresponding to the automatically determined type of the substrate to process the substrate, and, after automatically determining the type of the substrate, and before transporting the substrate stored in the substrate storage container, performing mapping based on conditions set in the parameter data set to detect an abnormality of the substrate stored in the substrate storage container.

Substrate processing method and substrate processing system

A substrate transfer method of a substrate processing apparatus that includes a load lock chamber including a drive unit that is capable of forming, between a first opening at an atmospheric side and a second opening connected to a transfer chamber of a housing of the load lock chamber, each of a first space in which a single substrate is capable of being transferred, and a second space in which a plurality of substrates are capable of being transferred, the substrate transfer method including selecting either of the first space or the second space of the load lock chamber in accordance with process statuses of substrates at a plurality of processing chambers, and controlling the drive unit based on the selected result to form either of the first space or the second space.

Substrate transfer method and substrate processing apparatus

A substrate processing method is provided. The substrate processing method includes placing a substrate storage container storing a substrate on a load port; automatically determining a type of the substrate stored in the placed substrate storage container; and, by referring to a storage unit that stores parameter data set related to a transport condition for each type of substrate, controlling transport of the substrate stored in the substrate storage container based on the parameter data set corresponding to the automatically determined substrate type to process the substrate.

A method for replacing plural substrates to be processed by a substrate processing apparatus which includes a substrate processing chamber, a load lock chamber, and a conveying apparatus including first and second conveying members for conveying the plural substrates into and out from the substrate processing chamber and the load lock chamber. The method includes the steps of a) conveying a first substrate out from the substrate processing chamber with the first conveying member, b) conveying a second substrate into the substrate processing chamber with the second conveying member, c) conveying the second substrate out from the load lock chamber with the second conveying member, and d) conveying the first substrate into the load lock chamber with the first conveying member. The steps c) and d) are performed between step a) and step b).

Substrate replacing method and substrate processing apparatus

A transfer apparatus () for a target substrate (W) includes a rotatable rotary base (). First and second arm mechanisms () are attached to the rotary base and configured to bend and stretch. Each of the first and second arm mechanisms has a proximal end arm (A,A), an intermediate arm (B,B), and a pick (C,C) which are pivotally coupled to each other sequentially from the rotary base. The picks are disposed to support the target substrate. A link mechanism () is coupled to the proximal end arms of the first and second arm mechanisms to drive the first and second arm mechanisms. A first driving source () is disposed to rotatably drive the rotary base. A second driving source () is disposed to drive the link mechanism so as to bend or stretch the first and second arm mechanisms.

Transportation apparatus and drive mechanism

Processing chambers (A-F) for applying a process to a substrate W housed therein are provided at a periphery of a conveying chamber. A conveying case () houses the substrate (W) in a state isolated from an outside atmosphere. The conveyance case () has a gate valve () and a transfer mechanism (). A conveying mechanism () supports the conveyance case, and carries the conveyance case () to a position for conveying in/conveying out a substrate. The number of processing chambers connectable to a conveying chamber is not limited, and conveyance to the processing chamber can be executed while maintaining a predetermined ambience for an atmosphere of a substrate that is to be processed.

Substrate processing device

A main carrying device forming a part of a processing system, comprising a casing () forming a main carrying chamber () having vacuum atmosphere, the casing () further comprising a plurality of transfer ports (A,B) for transferring the processed body (W) between the carrying chamberand the outside, a mobile body () is slidably installed on a guide rail () horizontally installed in the carrying chamber (), a linear motor mechanism () for moving the mobile body () along the guide rail () is installed, a holding body () for holding the processed body (W) is liftably connected to the mobile body () through a support member (), and a lifting mechanism () for lifting the support member () relative to the mobile body () is installed in the casing () at a position corresponding to the transfer ports (A,B).

Processed body carrying device, and processing system with carrying device

A transfer mechanism is used for transferring a target object having a mainly circular contour. The transfer mechanism includes a transfer unit that supplies movements in angular and rectilinear directions to a pick for supporting the target object. An optical sensor is disposed at a standby position on a route of the target object toward a destination, to optically detect presence/absence of the target object on the pick. Angular and rectilinear misalignment amounts of the target object in the angular and rectilinear directions are calculated, with reference to detection and reference values of a signal output from the optical sensor, and at least one of detection and reference values of a radius of the target object. A controller controls the transfer unit to compensate for the angular and rectilinear misalignment amounts in transfer of the target object by the pick.

Transfer mechanism and semiconductor processing system

A method for carrying an object to be processed used for a processing apparatus which comprises a plurality of process chambers including a specific process chamber for a process in which the object in process is easily contaminated and a carrying mechanism having two picks. The method includes a plurality of carrying steps wherein the object in process is sequentially carried from one chamber to another among the plurality of process chambers. One of the two picks is used in carrying steps up right before carrying the object into the specific process chamber, and the other pick is used in the step of carrying the object into the specific process chamber and the later carrying steps.

Method for carrying object to be processed

A processing system includes a transfer chamber, a plurality of chambers connected to the transfer chamber, a transfer apparatus disposed in the transfer chamber, and a control section configured to control the transfer apparatus. The transfer apparatus includes a base and transfer arm configured to perform a slide motion and a swing motion, respectively. The control section includes a storage portion and an operational controller. The storage portion stores pattern model data concerning a plurality of motion patterns each indicative of a composite motion of the slide motion and the swing motion, and track model data concerning time-based motion tracks respectively corresponding to the motion patterns. The operational controller is configured to retrieve necessary data from the pattern model data and the track model data and control the transfer apparatus in accordance therewith.

Transfer apparatus for target object

A semiconductor processing system has processing apparatuses (A,B), waiting ports (A,B,C), a common transfer mechanism (), and a control section (). The control section () performs information processing, using a remaining process time and total transfer time, while a first target object is processed in a first one of the processing apparatuses (A,B). The remaining process time is a time to complete a process on the first target object in the first processing apparatus, and to make the first target object ready for transfer from the first processing apparatus. The total transfer time is a time to take out a target object from a first one of the waiting ports (A,B,C), and to transfer the target object to the waiting position for the first processing apparatus. The control section () starts transferring a new target object from the first waiting port toward the waiting position for the first processing apparatus, based on a result of the information processing.

Semiconductor processing system and method of transferring workpiece

The invention is a method for positioning a conveying mechanism having a holding portion for semiconductor wafers. Respective provisional position coordinates of an orienting teaching standard position and a container teaching standard positions are inputted into a controlling unit in advance. A wafer to be conveyed precisely positioned with respect to and held by the holding portion is conveyed and placed on the rotating orienting device according a control based on the provisional coordinates of the orienting teaching standard position. A posture detector then detects the eccentric volume and eccentric direction of the wafer. Appropriate position coordinates are made by amending the provisional coordinates. Then, a wafer to be conveyed precisely positioned with respect to the container teaching standard position is conveyed and placed on the rotating orienting device according a control based on the provisional coordinates of the orienting teaching standard position. A posture detector then detects the eccentric volume and eccentric direction of the wafer. Appropriate position coordinates are made by amending the provisional coordinates.

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Nirasaki, Japan

Shigeru Ishizawa