IP Library Granted Patent US 8,457,774
Granted Patent B2
US 8,457,774 · App. 12/897,111 · Granted Jun 4, 2013

Substrate processing apparatus, control method of the substrate processing apparatus, manufacturing method of semiconductor device and apparatus state shifting method

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,457,774
App. No.
12/897,111
Granted
Jun 4, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

To perform a maintenance work safely by a maintenance engineer, even if the maintenance work is performed with power of a substrate processing apparatus turned-on. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a controller that inhibits a shift from an idling state to a standby state, when a generation of a prescribed event is detected; the controller further comprising: a shift indicating part that controls an apparatus state so as to be shifted from the idling state possible to receive an indication of execution of the recipe, being an apparatus state possible to step into the substrate processing apparatus, to the standby state possible to execute a recipe, being an apparatus state impossible to step into the substrate processing apparatus; and an event detection part that detects a generation of the prescribed event for inhibiting a shift from the idling state to the standby state and notifies the shift indicating part of the prescribed event.

Claims (28)

1. A control method of a substrate processing apparatus, comprising the steps of:

shifting an apparatus state from an initial state immediately after turning-on a power of the substrate processing apparatus, to an idling state possible to receive an indication of execution of a specified recipe, the idling state being an apparatus state possible to step into the substrate processing apparatus;

shifting the apparatus state from the idling state to a standby state possible to execute the specified recipe, the standby state being an apparatus state impossible to step into the substrate processing apparatus, after elapse of a prescribed time from shifting the apparatus state to the idling state; and

shifting the apparatus state from the standby state to a running state to execute a specified processing in accordance with a processing condition and a processing procedure defined in the specified recipe,

wherein when a prescribed event for inhibiting a shift from the idling state to the standby state is generated in the prescribed time in the idling state, the shift from the idling state to the standby state is inhibited, the specified recipe is not executed, and the apparatus state remains in the idling state, and

when the prescribed event is not generated in the prescribed time,

if a substrate is not charged into the substrate processing apparatus, the apparatus state is shifted to the standby state from the idling state, and the apparatus state is shifted to the running state from the standby state; wherein a prescribed purge cleaning process recipe is executed, as the specified recipe, in the running state, and

if the substrate is charged into the substrate processing apparatus, the apparatus state is shifted to the standby state from the idling state, and when an execution command of a substrate processing recipe is inputted, as the specified recipe, the apparatus state is shifted to the running state from the standby state, and the substrate processing recipe is executed

wherein the shifting between the initial state, the idling state, the standby state, and the running state is performed by a shift indicating part of a controller of the substrate processing apparatus.

2. A manufacturing method of a semiconductor device, comprising the steps of:

shifting an apparatus state from an initial state immediately after turning-on a power of a substrate processing apparatus, to an idling state possible to receive an indication of execution of a specified recipe, the idling state being an apparatus state possible to step into the substrate processing apparatus;

shifting the apparatus state from the idling state to a standby state possible to execute the specified recipe, the standby state being an apparatus state impossible to step into the substrate processing apparatus, after elapse of a prescribed time from shifting the apparatus state to the idling state; and

shifting the apparatus state from the standby state to a running state to execute a specified processing in accordance with a processing condition and a processing procedure defined in the specified recipe,

wherein when a prescribed event for inhibiting a shift from the idling state to the standby state is generated in the prescribed time in the idling state, a shift from the idling state to the standby state is inhibited, the specified recipe is not executed, and the apparatus state remains in the idling state, and

when the prescribed event is not generated in the prescribed time,

if a substrate is not charged into the substrate processing apparatus, the apparatus state is shifted to the standby state from the idling state, and the apparatus state is shifted to the running state from the standby state; wherein a prescribed purge cleaning process recipe is executed, as the specified recipe, in the running state, and

if the substrate is charged into the substrate processing apparatus, the apparatus state is shifted to the standby state from the idling state, and when an execution command of a substrate processing recipe is inputted, as the specified recipe, the apparatus state is shifted to the running state from the standby state, and the substrate processing recipe is executed;

wherein the shifting between the initial state, the idling state, the standby state, and the running state is performed by a shift indicating part of a controller of the substrate processing apparatus.

3. An apparatus state shifting method, comprising the steps of:

shifting an apparatus state from an initial state immediately after turning-on a power of an apparatus, to an idling state possible to receive an indication of execution of a specified recipe, the idling state being an apparatus state possible to step into the apparatus;

shifting the apparatus state from the idling state to a standby state possible to execute the specified recipe, the standby state being an apparatus state impossible to step into the apparatus, after elapse of a prescribed time from shifting the apparatus state to the idling state;

shifting the apparatus state from the standby state to a running state to execute a specified processing in accordance with a processing condition and a processing procedure defined in the specified recipe; and

when the specified processing is ended, shifting the apparatus state from an end state to the idling state,

wherein when a prescribed event for inhibiting a shift from the idling state to the standby state is generated in the prescribed time in the idling state, the shift from the idling state to the standby state is inhibited, and the apparatus remains in the idling state, and

when the prescribed event is not generated in the prescribed time,

if a substrate is not charged into the substrate processing apparatus, the apparatus state is shifted to the standby state from the idling state, and the apparatus state is shifted to the running state from the standby state, wherein a prescribed purge cleaning process recipe is executed, as the specified recipe, in the running state, and

if the substrate is charged into the substrate processing apparatus, the apparatus state is shifted to the standby state from the idling state, and when an execution command of a substrate processing recipe is inputted, as the specified recipe, the apparatus state is shifted to the running state from the standby state, and the substrate processing recipe is executed;

wherein the shifting between the initial state, the idling state, the standby state, and the running state is performed by a shift indicating part of a controller of the substrate processing apparatus.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 31, 2018
From: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
To: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 048008/0206 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 4, 2010
From: OZAKI, YUKIO; TAKAHATA, SATORU; NUNOMURA, ICHIRO
To: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
Reel/Frame 025089/0375 →