IP Library Granted Patent US 10,131,992
Granted Patent B2
US 10,131,992 · App. 14/388,648 · Granted Nov 20, 2018

Substrate processing apparatus, method of controlling substrate processing apparatus, method of maintaining substrate processing apparatus, and recording medium

Inventors: Susumu Nishiura (Toyama, JP); Kaori Inoshima (Toyama, JP); Hiroyuki Mitsui (Toyama, JP); Hiroshi Ekko (Toyama, JP)
Assignee: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
C23C16/52C23C16/4405
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,131,992
App. No.
14/388,648
Granted
Nov 20, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus includes: an operation unit, which is provided with a storage unit that stores a plurality of recipes including a recipe for processing a member that constitutes the inside of a reactor in which substrate processing is performed, and a recipe for processing an exhaust pipe through which a gas released from the inside of the reactor flows, the operation unit further being provided with a display unit that displays a setting condition for executing the recipes on an operation screen; and a control unit that executes the recipe that meets the setting condition. The operation unit includes a recipe control unit, which controls, based on the setting condition, execution of the recipe for processing the member constituting the inside of the reactor in which the substrate processing is performed, and the recipe for processing the exhaust pipe, among the recipes stored in the storage unit.

Claims (24)

1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising:

a reactor comprising an exhaust pipe;

one or more valves for supplying one or more processing gases to the reactor;

a storage memory device configured to store a plurality of recipes including a recipe for processing a member constituting an inner part of the reactor in which substrate processing is performed and a recipe for processing an exhaust pipe through which a gas exhausted from the reactor flows;

a display device configured to display a setting condition for executing at least one of the plurality of recipes on an operation screen;

a controller processor configured to:

calculate a film thickness value of a cumulative film that is deposited on the member constituting the inner part of the reactor or deposited inside the exhaust pipe;

select one of the plurality of recipes which is determined to meet the setting condition by comparing the calculated film thickness value and a film thickness threshold of the setting condition; and

control the one or more valves to execute the selected recipe,

wherein sequential relevance among the plurality of recipes is defined in the setting condition, and

wherein the controller processor is further configured to:

if a designated recipe that is identified based on the sequential relevance of the selected recipe exists, clear a condition value of the designated recipe regardless of whether the designated recipe meets the setting condition or does not meet the setting condition;

control the one or more valves to execute the designated recipe after executing the selected recipe; and

clear the condition value.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of recipes includes a process recipe for processing a substrate and a maintenance recipe for processing the member constituting the inner part of the reactor, in which the substrate is processed, or for processing the exhaust pipe through which the gas exhausted from the reactor flows.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the maintenance recipe is a cleaning recipe for removing a cumulative film deposited on the member constituting the inner part of the reactor or deposited inside the exhaust pipe.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of recipes includes at least an exhaust pipe cleaning recipe for removing a deposit adhering to an exhaust side line, and

wherein a cleaning gas used in the exhaust pipe cleaning recipe changes a composition of the deposit adhering to the exhaust side line.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the exhaust pipe cleaning recipe is configured to be executed before a thickness of a cumulative film in a processing furnace reaches a threshold value.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the cleaning gas is a fluorine-containing gas.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the cleaning gas is a halogen-containing gas that contains at least halogen, which is selected from a group consisting of fluorine (F) and chlorine (Cl).

8. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the cleaning gas includes at least one of fluorine (F 2 ) gas, hydrogen fluoride (HF) gas, chlorine trifluoride (CF 3 ) gas, and nitrogen trifluoride (NF 3 ) gas.

9. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the deposit adhering to the exhaust side line is a Si compound.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of recipes includes a maintenance recipe executed in a state in which an empty boat not charged with a wafer is loaded into a processing furnace or a maintenance recipe executed in a state in which the boat charged with a dummy wafer is loaded into the processing furnace.

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 Dec 24, 2014
From: NISHIURA, SUSUMU; INOSHIMA, KAORI; MITSUI, HIROYUKI; EKKO, HIROSHI
To: HITACHI KOKUSAI ELECTRIC INC.
Reel/Frame 034583/0708 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2012-082128 · Mar 30, 2012 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20150096494A1 · Apr 9, 2015