IP Library Granted Patent US 9,209,057
Granted Patent B2
US 9,209,057 · App. 13/571,011 · Granted Dec 8, 2015

Temperature control method, storage medium storing a program therefor, temperature control apparatus, and heat treatment apparatus

Inventors: Koji Yoshii (Oshu, JP); Tatsuya Yamaguchi (Sapporo, JP); Wenling Wang (Oshu, JP); Takanori Saito (Oshu, JP)
Assignee: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
H01L21/67781H01L21/67248
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,209,057
App. No.
13/571,011
Granted
Dec 8, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a method of controlling temperatures of objects to be heated in a heating unit by adjusting a heating rate of each of a plurality of heating elements, based on temperature detection values detected at a plurality of temperature detection elements, wherein the plurality of temperature detection elements are positioned at different positions and the plurality of heating elements are positioned at different positions. The method includes estimating a temperature of each of the plurality of temperature detection elements by using a first estimation algorithm when one of the plurality of temperature detection elements is broken, based on the temperature detection values of the temperature detection elements excluding the broken temperature detection element, and controlling the temperatures of the objects to be heated based on the estimated temperatures.

Claims (32)

1. A temperature control apparatus, comprising:

a plurality of temperature detection elements, each of the temperature detection elements being positioned at different positions;

a failure detection unit configured to detect whether one of the temperature detection elements is broken;

a heating unit provided with a plurality of heating elements, each of the heating elements being positioned at different positions, and configured to heat objects to be heated; and

a control unit configured to adjust a heating rate of each of the plurality of heating elements in the heating unit, based on temperature detection values detected at the plurality of temperature detection elements, and configured to control temperatures of the objects to be heated,

wherein, the control unit is further configured to estimate a temperature for each of the temperature detection elements and configured to control the temperatures of the objects to be heated based on the estimated temperatures,

wherein a first Kalman filter is prepared using the temperature detection values, from which a first temperature detection value corresponding to a selected temperature detection element among the temperature detection elements is excluded, when none of the temperature detection elements are broken, and

wherein the prepared first Kalman filter and temperature detection values are used by the control unit to estimate the temperature of each of the temperature detection elements when the selected temperature detection element is broken.

2. The temperature control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein a first estimation algorithm is configured to estimate the temperature of each of the plurality of temperature detection elements by using the first Kalman filter.

3. The temperature control apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the temperature of each of the plurality of temperature detection elements is estimated when one of the plurality of temperature detection elements is broken based on the temperature detection values and the heating rate of each of the plurality of heating elements,

wherein each of the plurality of heating elements is disposed to correspond to each of the temperature detection elements.

4. The temperature control apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the temperature of each of the plurality of temperature detection elements is estimated by using a second estimation algorithm for estimating the temperature of each of the plurality of the temperature detection elements when none of the plurality of temperature detection elements are broken, based on the temperature detection values detected at the plurality of temperature detection elements, such that the temperatures of the object to be heated are controlled based on the temperatures estimated by the second estimation algorithm.

5. The temperature control apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the second estimation algorithm is configured to estimate the temperature of each of the plurality of temperature detection elements by using a second Kalman filter.

6. The temperature control apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the temperature of each of the plurality of temperature detection elements are estimated when none of the plurality of temperature detection elements are broken based on the temperature detection values and the heating rates of each of the plurality of heating elements,

wherein each of the plurality of heating elements is disposed to correspond to each of the temperature detection elements.

7. A heat treatment apparatus for performing a heat treatment on substrates, comprising:

a processing vessel;

a substrate holding unit disposed in the processing vessel and configured to hold the substrates with a predetermined interval therebetween along one direction;

a heating unit provided with a plurality of heating elements, each of the heating elements being positioned at different positions along the one direction, and configured to heat the substrates held by the substrate holding unit in the processing vessel;

a plurality of temperature detection elements, each of the temperature detection elements being positioned at different positions along the one direction;

a failure detection unit configured to detect whether one of the temperature detection elements is broken; and

a control unit configured to adjust a heating rate of each of the plurality of heating elements in the heating unit, based on temperature detection values detected at the plurality of temperature detection elements, and configured to control temperatures of the substrates,

wherein the control unit is further configured to estimate a temperature for each of the temperature detection elements, and configured to control the temperatures of the substrates based on the estimated temperatures,

wherein a first Kalman filter is prepared using the temperature detection values, from which a first temperature detection value corresponding to a selected temperature detection element among the temperature detection elements is excluded, when none of the temperature detection elements are broken, and

wherein the prepared first Kalman filter and temperature detection values are used by the control unit to estimate the temperature of each of the temperature detection elements when the selected temperature detection element is broken.

8. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 7 , wherein a first estimation algorithm is configured to estimate the temperature of each of the plurality of temperature detection elements by using the first Kalman filter.

9. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the control unit is configured to estimate the temperature of each of the plurality of temperature detection elements when one of the plurality of temperature detection elements is broken based on the temperature detection values and the heating rate of each of the plurality of heating elements,

wherein each of the plurality of heating elements is disposed to correspond to each of the temperature detection elements.

10. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the control unit is configured to estimate the temperature of each of the plurality of temperature detection elements by using a second estimation algorithm for estimating the temperature of each of the plurality of the temperature detection elements when none of the plurality of temperature detection elements are broken, based on the temperature detection values detected at the plurality of temperature detection elements, and configured to control the temperatures of the substrates based on the estimated temperatures.

11. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the second estimation algorithm is configured to estimate the temperature of each of the plurality of temperature detection elements by using a second Kalman filter.

12. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the control unit is configured to estimate the temperature of each of the plurality of temperature detection elements when none of the plurality of temperature detection elements are broken based on the temperature detection values and the heating rate of each of the plurality of heating elements, and

wherein each of the plurality of heating elements is disposed to correspond to each of the temperature detection elements.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 18, 2012
From: YOSHII, KOJI; YAMAGUCHI, TATSUYA; WANG, WENLING; SAITO, TAKANORI
To: TOKYO ELECTRON LIMITED
Reel/Frame 029153/0684 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2011-175175 · Aug 10, 2011 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130037534A1 · Feb 14, 2013