Vertical-type heat processing apparatus and method of controlling transfer mechanism in vertical-type heat processing apparatus

• US 20070248439A1
• Filed: 03/19/2007
• Published: 10/25/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Oyama, Katsuhiko, Takahashi, Kiichi, Asari, Satoshi
• Granted Patent: US 7,905,700 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 414/217
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67098 Apparatus for thermal treatment
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67766 Mechanical parts of transfer devices robots in general in B25J
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67781 Batch transfer of wafers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/68707 the wafers being placed on a robot blade, or gripped by a gripper for conveyance

Abstract

The present invention is a vertical-type heat processing apparatus comprising: a heat processing furnace; a holder capable of being loaded into the heat processing furnace and unloaded therefrom, with holding therein a plurality of objects to be processed at predetermined vertical intervals in a tier-like manner; a transfer mechanism including a base table capable of vertically moving and rotating, and a substrate supporter capable of horizontally moving on the base table; and a controller for controlling the transfer mechanism; wherein the transfer mechanism is adapted to transfer an object to be processed between a container containing a plurality of objects to be processed at predetermined intervals, and the holder; the substrate supporter includes a to-and-fro driving part for driving the substrate supporter in the horizontal direction, and a pitch-change driving part for changing a pitch at which the objects to be processed are supported; the controller is adapted to monitor at least one information of position, velocity and current fed back to a motor for driving the transfer mechanism; and the controller is adapted to judge, by comparing the monitored information with predetermined information corresponding to a normal drive, that the transfer mechanism is abnormally driven, and then is adapted to stop the drive of the transfer mechanism.

Claims

1. A vertical-type heat processing apparatus comprising:

a heat processing furnace;

a holder capable of being loaded into the heat processing furnace and unloaded therefrom, with holding therein a plurality of objects to be processed at predetermined vertical intervals in a tier-like manner;

a transfer mechanism including a base table capable of vertically moving and rotating, and a substrate supporter capable of horizontally moving on the base table; and

a controller for controlling the transfer mechanism;

wherein

the transfer mechanism is adapted to transfer an object to be processed between a container containing a plurality of objects to be processed at predetermined intervals, and the holder;

the substrate supporter includes a to-and-fro driving part for driving the substrate supporter in the horizontal direction, and a pitch-change driving part for changing a pitch at which the objects to be processed are supported;

the controller is adapted to monitor at least one information of position, velocity and current fed back to a motor for driving the transfer mechanism, and

the controller is adapted to judge. by comparing the monitored information with predetermined information corresponding to a normal drive, that the transfer mechanism is abnormally driven, and then is adapted to stop the drive of the transfer mechanism.

2. The vertical-type heat processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when the controller judges that the transfer mechanism is abnormally driven, the controller is adapted to notify an operator of the occurrence of the abnormal drive.

3. The vertical-type heat processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein

when the controller judges that the transfer mechanism is abnormally driven while the substrate supporter of the transfer mechanism is moved forward, the controller is adapted to stop the drive of the transfer mechanism in such a manner that the controller immediately moves the substrate supporter rearward and then stops the substrate supporter.

4. A method of controlling a transfer mechanism in a vertical-type heat processing apparatus including:

a heat processing furnace;

a holder capable of being loaded into the heat processing furnace and unloaded therefrom, with holding therein a plurality of objects to be processed arranged at predetermined vertical intervals therebetween in a tier-like manner; and

a transfer mechanism including a base table capable of vertically moving and rotating, and a substrate supporter capable of horizontally moving on the base table;

wherein

the transfer mechanism is adapted to transfer an object to be processed between a container containing a plurality of objects to be processed at predetermined intervals, and the holder;

the controlling method comprising the steps of;

monitoring at least one information of position, velocity and current fed back to a motor for driving the transfer mechanism, and

judging that the transfer mechanism is abnormally driven, by comparing the monitored information with predetermined information corresponding to a normal drive, and then stopping the drive of the transfer mechanism.

5. The controlling method according to claim 4, wherein

in the stopping step, a notification of the occurrence of the abnormal drive is issued.

6. The controlling method according to claim 4, wherein

in the stopping step, the drive of the transfer mechanism is stopped in such a manner that the substrate supporter is immediately moved rearward and then stopped.