Method and apparatus for processing substrates and method for manufacturing a semiconductor device
View Patent ↗A substrate processing apparatus includes a housing, a process tube for performing variable batch processes on substrates, and product substrate carriers. The product substrate carriers have a capacity of a predetermined number of substrates. A number of the product substrates processed during one batch process are less than or equal to the predetermined number of the substrates. All of the product substrates contained in one product substrate carrier is processed in the process tube at a same time.
1. A method for manufacturing semiconductor devices in a substrate process apparatus, comprising the steps of:
(a) providing a product substrate carrier accommodating therein a maximum M number of product substrates to a carrier stage;
(b) charging in a boat the product substrates accommodated in the product substrate carrier;
(c) loading the product substrates charged in the boat into a process tube; and
(d) performing a batch process to the product substrates loaded in the process tube,
wherein the number of the product substrates processed in the process tube at one time is set to be less than or equal to M and all the product substrates contained in the product substrate carrier are processed at a same time.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the M number is 25 or less.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the product substrate carrier has a door, and the method further comprising, between the steps (a) and (b), the step of (a1) opening the door of the product substrate carrier.
4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising, between the steps (a) and (a1), the step of (a2) transferring the product substrate carrier from the carrier stage to a loading port where the door is opened.
5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising, before the step (c), the step of (e) charging dummy substrates in the boat, and wherein the dummy substrates are loaded into the process tube as well at the step (c).
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the step (e) includes the steps of (e1) providing a dummy substrate carrier accommodating therein the dummy substrates to the carrier stage and (e2) charging in the boat the dummy substrates accommodated in the dummy substrate carrier.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the dummy substrate carrier has a door, and the method further comprising, between the steps (e1) and (e2), the steps of (e3) opening the door of the dummy substrate carrier.
8. The method of claim 6 , wherein the dummy substrate carrier has a door, and the method further comprising, between the steps of (e1) and (e2), the steps of (e4) transferring the dummy substrate carrier from the carrier stage to a loading port where the door is opened and (e3) opening the door of the dummy substrate carrier.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein, the product substrate carrier at the step (a) is provided from another substrate process apparatus.
10. A method for manufacturing semiconductor devices, comprising the steps of:
(f) providing a product substrate carrier to a first substrate process apparatus from a second substrate process apparatus, the product substrate carrier accommodating therein a maximum M number of product substrates;
(g) charging the product substrates accommodated in the provided product substrate carrier in a process tube of the first substrate process apparatus;
(h) performing a batch process to the product substrates charged in the process tube,
wherein the number of the product substrates processed in the process tube at one time is set to be less than or equal to M and all the product substrates contained in the product substrate carrier are processed at a same time.
11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the M number is 25 or less.
12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the product substrate carrier has a door and the method further comprising, between the step (f) and the step (g), the step of (f1) opening the door of the product substrate carrier.
13. The method of claim 12 , further comprising, between the steps (f) and (f1), the steps of (f2) placing the product substrate carrier to a carrier stage and (f3) transferring the product substrate carrier from the carrier stage to a loading port where the door is opened.
14. The method of claim 10 , further comprising (g1) charging dummy substrates in the process tube as well at the step (g).
15. The method of claim 14 , further comprising, between the steps (f) and (g1), the steps of (f2) providing a dummy substrate carrier accommodating therein the dummy substrates to the first substrate process apparatus.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the dummy substrate carrier has a door, and the method further comprising, between the steps (f1) and (g1), the step of (f3) opening the door of the dummy substrate carrier.
17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the dummy substrate carrier has a door, and the method further comprising, between the steps (f1) and (g1), the steps of (f4) placing the dummy substrate carrier to a carrier stage of the first substrate process apparatus, (f5) transferring the dummy substrate carrier from the carrier stage to a loading port where the door is opened, and (f3) opening the door of the dummy substrate carrier.