Tokyo Electron Limited

Toshiaki Kodama

Takehiro Shindo

Shinji Wakabayashi

Toru Yamauchi

Hiroshi Nakamura

Hiromitsu Sakaue

Takashi Horiuchi

Sensho Kobayashi

Shinya Okano

Gaku Ikeda

Wataru Matsumoto

Akira Takahashi

Dongwei Li

Isamu Taoda

Kazuya Uoyama

Lingxin Jiang

Tatsuru Okamura

A substrate processing system includes: a substrate processing apparatus including a stage on which a substrate and an annular member are placed; a substrate transport mechanism including a substrate holder; a distance sensor provided in the substrate holder; and a control device, wherein the substrate transport mechanism is configured to place a jig substrate having a reference surface as a reference for a height of the annular member on the stage, wherein the distance sensor is configured to measure a distance from the substrate holder positioned above the stage to the reference surface of the jig substrate and a distance from the substrate holder to the annular member, and wherein the control device is configured to estimate the height of the annular member based on a measurement result of the distance to the reference surface and a measurement result of the distance to the annular member.

Substrate processing system and method of estimating height of annular member

There is provided an apparatus for transporting a substrate. The apparatus comprises: an end effector including a fork which holds the substrate and a wrist part which holds a proximal end portion of the fork; an arm provided with the end effector installed thereon and a mechanism which moves the fork; and an inclination adjusting mechanism provided between the fork and the wrist part or between the wrist part and the arm to adjust an inclination of the fork.

Apparatus for transporting substrate, system for processing substrate, and method of transporting substrate

An apparatus for transferring a substrate to a substrate processing chamber. The apparatus comprises: a substrate transfer chamber having a floor and a side wall; a substrate transfer module comprising a holder and second magnets, and configured to be movable in the substrate transfer chamber by magnetic levitation; and a controller configured to control an operating force for moving the substrate transfer module. The controller comprises: a parameter storage configured to store at least one model parameter; a control schedule creating section configured to acquire identification information and a movement schedule, to obtain the operating force, and to output a control schedule; and a magnetic force adjusting section configured to perform feedforward control.

Apparatus for transferring substrate and method for transferring substrate

A substrate transport apparatus includes: a support configured to support a substrate; a moving mechanism configured to move the support in a lateral direction in order to transport the substrate from a first placement portion to a second placement portion, each of the first placement portion and the second placement portion being configured to place thereon the substrate; and an ultrasonic sensor provided on the support and configured to detect the substrate placed on the first placement portion.

Substrate transport apparatus and substrate transport method

The present disclosure relates to a substrate transfer apparatus for transferring a substrate to a substrate processing apparatus in a reduced pressure atmosphere. The apparatus comprises a substrate holder to hold the substrate; and a substrate measurer, provided on the substrate holder, to measure a position of the substrate with respect to the substrate holder.

Substrate transfer apparatus, substrate processing system and substrate processing method

An apparatus for transporting a substrate includes a transport chamber including a wall having an opening through which carry-in/out of the substrate to/from the substrate processing chamber is performed and a movement surface having a first magnet, a transport module accommodated in the transport chamber to hold the substrate, including a second magnet to which a magnetic force is applied, and configured to be movable along the movement surface in a floating state from the movement surface, an angle adjusting mechanism provided in the transport chamber to switch an angle of the movement surface between a first angle and a second angle which is closer to a vertical state than the first angle, and a transport passage forming a portion of the transport chamber, and including the movement surface at the second angle to which the movement surface switched to the second angle can be connected.

A substrate transfer device includes: a support part configured to support a substrate to be transferred and provided with a plurality of engagement portions which are engaged with an edge of the substrate on a first side of the substrate; a gripping part configured to move toward or away from the plurality of engagement portions and provided with a plurality of contact portions which come into contact with the edge of the substrate on a second side of the substrate when moving toward the plurality of engagement portions; a plurality of detection parts provided in the plurality of contact portions, respectively, and configured to detect distortion amounts of the plurality of contact portions; and a determination part configured to determine a gripping situation of the substrate based on detection results obtained by the plurality of detection parts.

Substrate transfer device and substrate gripping determination method

There is provided a transport apparatus including: an articulated arm including: a first arm in which a drive motor is installed; a second arm configured to be driven by the first arm; a transmission portion configured to convert a rotation of the drive motor into a rotation of the second arm via a joint; a first detector configured to detect a first sensor value corresponding to a rotation angle of an input shaft of the transmission portion; and a second detector configured to detect a second sensor value corresponding to a rotation angle of the second arm; and a controller configured to control the articulated arm, wherein the controller is further configured to control the second arm to a target rotation angle based on the first sensor value and the second sensor value.

Transport apparatus, semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, and transport method

A transfer device comprises a transfer arm to which a pick is attached and an inclination adjusting mechanism disposed below the transfer arm and configured to adjust an inclination of the transfer arm. The inclination adjusting mechanism includes an upper portion fixed to a lower portion of the transfer arm, a lower portion disposed below the upper portion to face the upper portion, a support portion that rotatably supports the upper portion with respect to the lower portion, and at least two actuators disposed between the upper portion and the lower portion.

Transfer device, processing system, and transfer method

There is provided a substrate detection apparatus of detecting whether or not a substrate is normally supported by a support part at a predetermined position, in a transfer device including the support part configured to support a plurality of disc-like substrates in multi-stage processing at vertical intervals. The substrate detection apparatus includes: a plurality of optical sensors, each of the plurality of optical sensors including a light transmitting part configured to irradiate a light and a light receiving part configured to receive the light from the light transmitting part, wherein at least one pair of the plurality of optical sensors are disposed such that the light from the light transmitting part is sequentially blocked at each of the plurality of disc-like substrates, during the plurality of disc-like substrates is collectively transferred while being normally supported by the support part at the predetermined positions.

Substrate detection apparatus, substrate detection method and substrate processing system

Provided is a substrate conveying method including: holding a substrate by a holder; rotating the substrate while conveying the substrate; specifying a position of an edge of the substrate based on a position of the holder when the edge of the substrate crosses a facing surface of a sensor that is disposed on a conveyance trajectory of the substrate, and a position of the sensor; and removing an influence of the rotation of the substrate from the specified position of the edge of the substrate.

Substrate conveying method and substrate processing system

A support information display method is provided with an acquiring process for acquiring a first image by photographing, via a camera provided in a head mount display, a predetermined part of a substrate processing apparatus as a maintenance object, an estimating process for estimating the support information related to the predetermined part in the first image from information stored in a database, an image creating process for creating a second image by converting the support information estimated in the estimating process into an image, and a displaying process for displaying the second image on the head mount display in order for the operator to visually recognize the support information.

Support information display method, maintenance support method of substrate processing apparatus, support information display control apparatus, substrate processing system and recording medium

A posture holding device is for use in a transfer device which has a holding part configured to hold an object and a first link and a second link connected to the holding part. The transfer device moves the first link and the second link relative to the holding part so as to move the holding part between a transfer position and a standby position. The posture holding device holds a posture of the holding part and includes a magnetic gear rotatably connecting the first link and the second link to the holding part. The magnetic gear is disposed such that the one end of the first link connected to the holding part is rotated about a first axis and the one end of the second link connected to the holding part is rotated about the first axis or a second axis different from the first axis.

Posture holding device for holding part

An alignment apparatus for aligning a wafer includes a mounting unit, an imaging unit, an elevation unit, and a controlling unit. The control unit outputs a control signal for controlling the elevation unit such that a luminance variation between the outer side and the inner side of the wafer obtained by the imaging unit becomes the same as a luminance variation obtained when the imaging unit is focused, for estimating a warpage state of the wafer based on an amount of relative movement of the imaging unit and the mounting unit with respect to a relative height position of the imaging unit and the mounting unit obtained when the imaging unit is focused on a reference wafer having no warpage, and for detecting the alignment mark of the wafer by the imaging unit by rotating the mounting unit in a state where the imaging unit is focused.

Alignment apparatus and substrate processing apparatus

An alignment apparatus for aligning a wafer by optically detecting an alignment mark includes an imaging unit configured to image an imaging region extending across a circumferential edge of the wafer, an irradiation unit configured to irradiate light toward the imaging region, a reflection part configured to reflect toward the imaging region the light that is irradiated from the irradiation unit upwardly, and a control unit configured to detect the circumferential edge. The reflection part has a reflectance making a luminance difference between the outside of the wafer and the circumferential edge of the wafer in a luminance distribution pattern obtained by imaging the imaging region. The control unit detects the alignment mark and the circumferential edge based on the luminance distribution pattern.

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Nirasaki, Japan

Toshiaki Kodama