IP Library Granted Patent US 10,290,516
Granted Patent B2
US 10,290,516 · App. 13/847,209 · Granted May 14, 2019

Substrate processing apparatus, maintenance method, and maintenance program

Inventors: Akihiko Yoneda (Toyama, JP); Hiroshi Kotani (Toyama, JP); Yasuhiro Mizuguchi (Toyama, JP)
Assignee: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPOATION
H01L21/67C23C16/00
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,290,516
App. No.
13/847,209
Granted
May 14, 2019
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided is a substrate processing apparatus which may update an accumulated film thickness of each dummy substrate when a dummy substrate carrier is reloaded. The substrate processing apparatus includes: a process chamber where a plurality of substrates including a dummy substrate are processed; a substrate receiving unit whereon a dummy substrate carrier accommodating at least the dummy substrate is placed; a memory unit configured to store a film thickness of the dummy substrate in the dummy substrate carrier when the dummy substrate carrier is unloaded from the substrate receiving unit; and a management unit configured to update the film thickness of the dummy substrate in the dummy substrate carrier based on the film thickness stored in the memory unit when the dummy substrate carrier is reloaded onto the substrate receiving unit.

Claims (24)

1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising:

a process chamber where a plurality of substrates including a dummy substrate are processed;

a loading port where a plurality of dummy substrate carriers comprising a first dummy substrate carrier and a second dummy substrate carrier accommodating at least the dummy substrate are placed before the dummy substrate enters the process chamber;

a dummy substrate carrier control unit configured to store, in a memory unit, identifiers for identifying the plurality of dummy substrate carriers and a film thickness of the dummy substrate accommodated in the dummy substrate carrier;

a management unit configured to update the film thickness of the dummy substrate included in a substrate data with the film thickness stored in the memory unit; and

a controller configured to perform a processing using the dummy substrate in the process chamber,

wherein the dummy substrate carrier control unit is further configured to: (i) store, in the memory unit, an accumulated film thickness of the dummy substrate accommodated in the first dummy substrate carrier when the first dummy substrate carrier is unloaded from the loading port; and (ii) identify one of the plurality of dummy substrate carriers using the identifiers stored in the memory unit when the one of the plurality of dummy substrate carriers is loaded on the loading port,

wherein the management unit is further configured to: (i) perform an update process of the film thickness of the dummy substrate by updating the film thickness of the dummy substrate so that the film thickness of the reloaded dummy substrate in the first dummy substrate carrier is equal to the accumulated film thickness of the dummy substrate accommodated in the first dummy substrate carrier unloaded from the loading port when the one of the plurality of dummy substrate carriers is identified as the first dummy substrate carrier; and (ii) suspend the update process when the one of the plurality of dummy substrate carriers is identified as the second dummy substrate carrier, and

wherein the controller is further configured to perform the processing using the dummy substrate in the process chamber when the one of the plurality of dummy substrate carriers is identified as the first dummy substrate carrier.

2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the memory unit is configured to store an identifier of the identifiers for identifying the dummy substrate carrier in association with the film thickness of the dummy substrate when the dummy substrate carrier is unloaded through the loading port.

3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

a maintenance information output unit configured to output maintenance information about the dummy substrate carrier placed on the loading port, wherein the maintenance information comprises the accumulated film thickness representing a thickness of a film accumulated on the dummy substrate in the dummy substrate carrier; and

a first setup unit configured to edit the accumulated film thickness included in the maintenance information outputted by the maintenance information output unit,

wherein the management unit updates a film thickness of the dummy substrate in the dummy substrate carrier based on the accumulated film thickness edited by the first setup unit when the dummy substrate carrier is reloaded through the loading port.

4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:

an information output unit configured to output a table of information about the dummy substrate in the dummy substrate carrier placed on the loading port, wherein the table comprises an accumulated film thickness of the dummy substrate; and

a second setup unit configured to edit the accumulated film thickness of the dummy substrate,

wherein the management unit updates a film thickness of the dummy substrate in the dummy substrate carrier based on the accumulated film thickness edited by the second setup unit when the dummy substrate carrier is reloaded through the loading port.

5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate processing apparatus is connected to a management apparatus configured to manage the substrate processing apparatus, and is configured to receive from the management apparatus a carrier authentication message having an additional data about the accumulated film thickness of the dummy substrate added thereto.

6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the dummy substrate carrier control unit is further configured to determine whether to reset the accumulated film thickness of the dummy substrate according to a flag attached to the carrier authentication message.

7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the substrate processing apparatus is connected to a management apparatus configured to manage the substrate processing apparatus, and is configured to receive from the management apparatus a carrier authentication message having an additional data about the accumulated film thickness of the dummy substrate added thereto,

wherein the management unit updates the film thickness of the dummy substrate in the dummy substrate carrier based on the accumulated film thickness included in the additional data when the carrier authentication message is received.

8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the one of the plurality of dummy substrate carriers accommodates a dummy substrate used in another substrate processing apparatus.

9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a display unit configured to display information on each dummy substrate corresponding to a slot number in the dummy substrate carrier.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Dec 31, 2018
From: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
To: KOKUSAI ELECTRIC CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 047995/0462 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 1, 2013
From: YONEDA, AKIHIKO; KOTANI, HIROSHI; MIZUGUCHI, YASUHIRO
To: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
Reel/Frame 030124/0528 →
Priority Claims (2)
JP 2012-063424 · Mar 21, 2012 · national
JP 2013-029656 · Feb 19, 2013 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20130253689A1 · Sep 26, 2013