Heat treatment apparatus, regulation method of heat treatment apparatus, and program

• US 10,641,553 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2016
• Issued: 05/05/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Noda, Yuto, Yamaguchi, Tatsuya, Masunaga, Masayoshi, Yoshii, Koji
• Primary Examiner(s): Stark, Jarrett J
• Application Number:
  US15/172,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20160363373A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,432 Days
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 1/02 with two or more shafts or chambers, e.g. multi-storey
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 1/10 Details, accessories, or equipment peculiar to furnaces of these types
• CPC Class Codes: F27B 17/0025 Especially adapted for treating semiconductor wafers
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 19/00 Arrangements of controlling devices
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 2019/0003 Monitoring the temperature or a characteristic of the charge and using it as a controlling value
• CPC Class Codes: F27D 2019/0096 involving simulation means, e.g. of the treating or charging step
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/042 in which a parameter or coefficient is automatically adjusted to optimise the performance
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 3/126 Evolutionary algorithms, e.g. genetic algorithms or genetic programming
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67109 mainly by convection
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67248 Temperature monitoring

Abstract

The controller receives information including a plurality of evaluation indexes, a weight of each evaluation index, the number of times for calculating a value of an evaluation function, and initial parameter values, and performs a simulation based on the received information. Then, the controller calculates a value of an evaluation function based on a result of the simulation, and determines whether the calculated value of the evaluation function is minimum, to update parameters when it is determined that the value of the evaluation function is minimum. In the calculation of a value of the evaluation function, a value of the evaluation function is calculated again based on the number of times for calculating a value of an evaluation function. The controller generates new parameters by a genetic algorithm when a value of an evaluation function is calculated again.

Claims

1. A heat treatment apparatus comprising:

a reaction tube into which at least one semiconductor wafer is loaded; and

a memory which stores program instructions to allow the heat treatment apparatus to;

cause receiving circuitry to receive information including a plurality of evaluation indexes, a weight of each evaluation index, the number of times for calculating a value of an evaluation function, and initial parameter values;

calculate the value of the evaluation function based on the plurality of evaluation indexes, the weight of each evaluation index, the number of times for calculating the value of the evaluation function, and initial parameter values; and

determine whether the value of the evaluation function is minimum, and to update parameters when it is determined that the value of the evaluation function is minimum,

wherein the value of the evaluation function is calculated again based on the number of times for calculating the value of an evaluation function received by the receiving circuitry so as to prevent from repeating regulation and a test of parameters multiple times,

wherein new parameters are generated by a genetic algorithm when the value of the evaluation function is calculated again.

2. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the evaluation indexes are, at least, a sum of errors from a target value and a sum of absolute values of differentiation of a power.

3. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the information received by the receiving circuitry includes threshold values of the evaluation indexes.

6. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the computer includes a storage which stores information about an evaluation function, and

wherein the information about an evaluation function includes the evaluation function calculated by a sum of products of the respective evaluation indexes and weights.

7. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 3, wherein the evaluation indexes are, at least, a sum of temperature differences among zones and an overshoot.

8. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1, wherein the heat treatment apparatus further comprises a recipe storage which stores a process recipe that determines a control procedure, is connected to an operation panel and controls the operation of the heat treatment apparatus according to the process recipe stored in the recipe storage in response to an instruction from the operation panel.

9. The heat treatment apparatus of claim 1,

wherein the number of times for calculating the value of the evaluation function is set by an operator using an operation panel.

4. A regulation method performed by a heat treatment apparatus, the apparatus including a reaction tube into which at least one semiconductor wafer is loaded, which stores program instructions to implement the regulation method comprising:

a receiving process, of receiving information including a plurality of evaluation indexes, a weight of each evaluation index, the number of times for calculating a value of an evaluation function, and initial parameter values;

an evaluation function value calculating process of calculating the value of the evaluation function based on the plurality of evaluation indexes, the weight of each evaluation index, the number of times for calculating the value of the evaluation function, and the initial parameter values; and

a parameter updating process of determining whether the value of the evaluation function calculated by the evaluation function value calculating process is minimum, and to update parameters when it is determined that the value of the evaluation function is minimum,

wherein, in the evaluation function value calculating process, the value of the evaluation function is calculated again based on the number of times for calculating the value of the evaluation function received by the receiving process so as to prevent from repeating regulation and a test of parameters multiple times, and

the regulation method further comprises a parameter generating process of generating new parameters by a genetic algorithm when the value of the evaluation function is calculated again by the evaluation function value calculating process.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium which stores program instructions executed by a computer so as to:

cause receiving circuitry to receive information including a plurality of evaluation indexes, a weight of each evaluation index, the number of times for calculating a value of an evaluation function, and initial parameter values;

cause the computer to calculate the value of the evaluation function based on the plurality of evaluation indexes, the weight of each evaluation index, the number of times for calculating the value of the evaluation function, and the initial parameter values; and

cause the computer to determine whether the value of the evaluation function is minimum, and to update parameters when it is determined that the value of the evaluation function is minimum,

wherein the value of the evaluation function is calculated again based on the number of times for calculating the value of the evaluation function received by the receiving circuitry so as to prevent from repeating regulation and a test of parameters multiple times, and

new parameters are generated by a genetic algorithm when the value of the evaluation function is calculated again,

wherein the parameters are related to a processing atmosphere within a reaction tube into which at least one semiconductor wafer is loaded.