Method of maintaining and automatically inspecting processing apparatus

• US 7,555,406 B2
• Filed: 11/12/2004
• Issued: 06/30/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/07/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Original Assignee: Tokyo Electron Limited
• Inventors: Tanaka, Hisato, Kato, Shigeaki, Tahara, Kazushi, Obi, Akira, Iwami, Akira
• Primary Examiner(s): Raymond; Edward
• Assistant Examiner(s): Charioui; Mohamed
• Application Number:
  US10/986,310
• Publication Number:
  US 20050090927A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,691 Days
• Field of Search: 702/32, 702/35, 702/36, 702/40, 702 81- 84, 702/118, 702183-185, 438/6
• US Class Current: 702/183
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/4067 Restoring data or position after power failure or other interruption
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45031 Manufacturing semiconductor wafers
• CPC Class Codes: H01L 21/67276 Production flow monitoring, e.g. for increasing throughput program-control systems per se G05B19/00, e.g. total factory control G05B19/418

Abstract

According to the present invention, as processing apparatus drive starts, the operating state of software used to drive the processing apparatus is monitored in real time to diagnose whether or not an abnormality has occurred (S110). If it is judged through the diagnosis performed in S110 that no abnormality has occurred, the workpiece processing is allowed to continue uninterrupted and then a decision is made as to whether or not the workpiece processing has been completed (S130). If the processing has been completed, the processing apparatus is stopped (S140). If, on the other hand, it is judged through the diagnosis performed in S110 that an abnormality has occurred, a log of the diagnosis item with regard to which the abnormality has occurred is recorded (S120). The processing apparatus is then stopped (S140).

Claims

1. A method of automatically inspecting a processing apparatus that processes a workpiece, comprising:

a registration step in which at least inspection items to be checked in an inspection process and a time point for the inspection process are registered in advance;

a verification step in which the operating state of said processing apparatus is verified when the registered inspection time point arrives;

an inspection step in which the inspection process to check the registered inspection items is automatically and immediately executed if said processing apparatus is determined to be in a non-operating state, or after the operation in said verification step of said processing apparatus ends, if said processing apparatus is determined to be engaged in operation in said verification step; and

a decision-making step in which a decision is made as to whether or not the inspection process has been completed.

2. A method of automatically inspecting a processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said processing apparatus is provided with an inline inspection device and the inspection items include an inspection item to be checked by utilizing said inline inspection device.

3. A method of automatically inspecting a processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

said inspection process includes an abnormality detection response step, in which, upon detecting an abnormality, the maintenance personnel are notified of details of the abnormality and the inspection process is interrupted.

4. A method of automatically inspecting a processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the inspection items include at least one of;

a target vacuum inspection, a leak inspection, a flow rate inspection, a discharge inspection, a high-frequency power supply system inspection, a plasma light emission inspection, a particle inspection, an etching characteristics inspection, a test transfer and a test wafer processing inspection.

5. A method of automatically inspecting a processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the inspection step comprises at least one of:

detecting an abnormality during the inspection process; and

deciding whether or not the inspection process has been completed through a multivariate analysis.