Processing apparatus and recording medium

• US 20060215347A1
• Filed: 02/21/2006
• Published: 09/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Wakabayashi, Shinji
• Application Number:
  US11/356,985
• Publication Number:
  US 20060215347A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/234
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67167 surrounding a central transfer chamber
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67288 Monitoring of warpage, curvature, damage, defects or the like
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67742 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J

Abstract

A processing apparatus includes: a mounting table on which a carriage container containing a plurality of substrates is placed; a process chamber in which predetermined processing is applied to the substrate; a temporary storage unit having a substrate loading part on which the plural processed substrates are loaded in multi-tiers; a transfer unit having a carrier arm carrying the substrate to/from the carriage container on the mounting table, the process chamber, and the temporary storage unit; a vibration sensor detecting vibration of the substrate loading part; and a control unit which compares a current detection value of the vibration sensor with a predetermined set value to judge whether or not the vibration is abnormal vibration and to stop the carrier arm when judging that the vibration is the abnormal vibration.

Claims

1. A processing apparatus processing a substrate, comprising:

a mounting table configured to provide with a carriage container containing the plural substrates;

a process chamber applying a predetermined processing to the substrate;

a temporary storage unit having a substrate loading part configured to load the plural processed substrates in multi-stage;

a transfer unit having a carrier arm carrying the substrate to/from the carriage container on the mounting table, the process chamber, and the temporary storage unit;

a vibration sensor detecting vibration of the substrate loading part; and

a control unit configured to compare a current detection value of the vibration sensor with a predetermined set value to judge whether or not the vibration is abnormal vibration and to stop the carrier arm when judging the vibration to be the abnormal vibration.

2. The processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the temporary storage unit is a purge storage in which clean air flowing into said temporary storage unit is exhausted to purge residual gas around the substrates.

3. The processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1,

wherein the substrate loading part includes:

a plurality of support columns each made of a heat-resistant material and having multi-tiered holding grooves holding peripheral edge portions of the substrates; and

heating members provided in the respective support columns to heat the support columns to a predetermined temperature.

4. The processing apparatus as set forth in claim 1, further comprising a data collecting/recording unit collecting/recording, in time sequence, data outputted from the vibration sensor.

5. A recording medium storing a program configured to cause a computer to execute transfer of a substrate to a temporary storage unit by a carrier arm, the program comprising:

a vibration detection module detecting, by using a vibration sensor, vibration occurred from a substrate loading part of the temporary storage unit at the time of the substrate being loaded on the substrate loading part by the carrier arm;

a judgment module judging whether or not the vibration is abnormal vibration by comparing a current detection value of the vibration sensor with a predetermined set value; and

a carrier arm stop module stopping the carrier arm when the judgment module judges the vibration to be the abnormal vibration.

6. The recording medium as set forth in claim 5,

wherein the program further comprises a substrate collection module collecting the substrate supported by the carrier arm in a carriage container different from a normally used carriage container, when the judgment module judges the vibration to be the abnormal vibration.

7. The recording medium as set forth in claim 5,

wherein the program further comprises a substrate retreat module configured to cause the substrate supported by the carrier arm to temporarily retreat in a dummy FOUP or a dummy stocker when the judgment module judges the vibration to be the abnormal vibration.

8. A recording medium storing a program configured to cause s a computer to execute transfer of a substrate to a temporary storage unit by a carrier arm, the program comprising:

a vibration detection module detecting, by using a vibration sensor, vibration occurred from a substrate loading part of the temporary storage unit at the time of the substrate being loaded on the substrate loading part by the carrier arm;

a judgment module judging whether or not the vibration is abnormal vibration by comparing a current detection value of the vibration sensor with a predetermined set value; and

a substrate damage detection module detecting the substrate being damaged in a peripheral edge portion, based on the judgment of the abnormal vibration by the judgment module.

9. The recording medium as set forth in claim 8,

wherein the program further comprises a substrate collection module collecting the substrate supported by the carrier arm in a carriage container different from a normally used carriage container, when the judgment module judges the vibration to be the abnormal vibration.

10. The recording medium as set forth in claim 8,

wherein the program further comprises a substrate retreat module configured to cause the substrate supported by the carrier arm to temporarily retreat in a dummy FOUP or a dummy stocker when the judgment module judges the vibration to be the abnormal vibration.

11. A recording medium storing a program configured to cause a computer to execute transfer of a substrate to a temporary storage unit by a carrier arm, the program comprising:

a vibration detection module detecting, by using a vibration sensor, vibration occurred from a substrate loading part of the temporary storage unit at the time of the substrate being loaded on the substrate loading part by the carrier arm;

a judgment module judging whether or not the vibration is abnormal vibration by comparing a current detection value of the vibration sensor with a predetermined set value; and

a displacement detection module detecting the substrate being displaced in a process chamber or on a transfer route, based on the judgment of the abnormal vibration by the judgment module.

12. The recording medium as set forth in claim 11,

wherein the program further comprises a substrate collection module collecting the substrate supported by the carrier arm in a carriage container different from a normally used carriage container, when the judgment module judges the vibration to be the abnormal vibration.

13. The recording medium as set forth in claim 11,

wherein said program further comprises a substrate retreat module configured to cause the substrate supported by the carrier arm to temporarily retreat in a dummy FOUP or a dummy stocker when the judgment module judges the vibration to be the abnormal vibration.