Substrate processing system, storage medium and method of registering new device

• US 9,778,941 B2
• Filed: 07/28/2014
• Issued: 10/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Original Assignee: ASM IP Holding B.V. (ASM International NV)
• Inventors: Omori, Taku
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsai, Henry
• Assistant Examiner(s): BARTELS, CHRISTOPHER A.
• Application Number:
  US14/444,107
• Publication Number:
  US 20160026480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,163 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/41845 characterised by system universality, reconfigurability, modularity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44505 Configuring for program initiating, e.g. using registry, configuration files
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/10 for controlling access to devices or network resources

Abstract

A substrate processing system includes a main control unit having a configuration file in which ID information and detail information about devices for processing a substrate is recorded, the detail information includes information needed for controlling the devices, and a module controller having a list file obtained by converting the configuration file into a readable form, the module controller controlling the devices described in the list file on the basis of instructions from the main control unit. The module controller automatically adds, to the list file, ID information and detail information about a new device newly connected to the module controller to establish a condition under which the new device can be controlled.

Claims

1. A substrate processing system comprising:

a main control unit having a configuration file in which identification information and detail information about devices is recorded, the detail information includes information needed for controlling the devices, the devices being configured to process a substrate; and

a module controller having a list file obtained by converting the configuration file, in which the identification information and the detail information about the devices for processing the substrate and for controlling the devices is recorded, into a readable form, the module controller controlling the devices for processing the substrate described in the list file on the basis of instructions from the main control unit having the configuration file,

wherein the module controller automatically adds, to the list file, identification information and detail information about a new device newly connected to the module controller to establish a condition under which the new device can be controlled without rebooting the main control unit, the new device being configured to process the substrate.

2. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the module controller adds the identification information and the detail information about the new device to the configuration file.

3. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the module controller first obtains the identification information about the new device, and thereafter obtains the detail information about the new device by communicating with the new device and by associating the detail information about the new device with the identification information about the new device.

4. The substrate processing system according to claim 3, further comprising an interface that connects the devices and the module controller to each other, wherein the module controller checks whether or not the new device exists when a transition from an off state to an on state of a power supply for the interface is made and, if the new device exists, obtains the identification information about the new device.

5. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the main control unit determines a sequence of processing on the substrate and a recipe of processing on the substrate, and

wherein the module controller causes the devices to process the substrate in accordance with the substrate processing sequence and the recipe determined by the main control unit.

6. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the detail information about the devices includes communication data size information and kind information about the devices, and the detail information about the new device includes communication data size information and kind information about the new device.

7. The substrate processing system according to claim 1, wherein the substrate processing system is configured to determine whether one of the devices or the new device is a mass flow controller, an automatic pressure controller, a susceptor motor, an RF generator, or some other device.

8. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing a computer to execute a process for a substrate processing system comprising:

a main control unit having a configuration file in which identification information and detail information about devices is recorded, the detail information includes information needed for controlling the devices, the devices being configured to process a substrate; and

a module controller having a list file obtained by converting the configuration file, in which the identification information and the detail information about the devices for processing the substrate and for controlling the devices is recorded, into a readable form, the module controller controlling the devices for processing the substrate described in the list file on the basis of instructions from the main control unit having the configuration file,

wherein the module controller automatically adds, to the list file, identification information and detail information about a new device newly connected to the module controller to establish a condition under which the new device can be controlled without rebooting the main control unit, the new device being configured to process the substrate,

the process comprising;

checking whether or not the new device exists which is not registered in the module controller but is actually connected to the module controller;

obtaining the identification information about the new device when the new device is found in the checking;

obtaining the detail information about the new device by communicating with the new device and by associating the detail information with the identification information; and

registering the identification information and the detail information in the module controller so that the module controller can control the new device.

9. The storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the checking includes checking whether or not the new device has been assigned to a MAC address recognized by the computer as being without any device assigned thereto.

10. The storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the program causes the computer to execute a process of adding the identification information and the detail information to a configuration file recorded in a main control unit controlling the module controller.

11. The storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the detail information includes communication data size information and kind information about the new device.

12. The storage medium according to claim 8, wherein the substrate processing system is configured to determine whether one of the devices or the new device is a mass flow controller, an automatic pressure controller, a susceptor motor, an RF generator, or some other device.

13. A method of registering a new device for a substrate processing system comprising:

a main control unit having a configuration file in which identification information and detail information about devices is recorded, the detail information includes information needed for controlling the devices, the devices being configured to process a substrate; and

a module controller having a list file obtained by converting the configuration file, in which the identification information and the detail information about the devices for processing the substrate and for controlling the devices is recorded, into a readable form, the module controller controlling the devices for processing the substrate described in the list file on the basis of instructions from the main control unit having the configuration file,

wherein the module controller automatically adds, to the list file, identification information and detail information about a new device newly connected to the module controller to establish a condition under which the new device can be controlled without rebooting the main control unit, the new device being configured to process the substrate,

the method comprising the steps of;

causing the module controller controlling the devices under an instruction from the main control unit to obtain the identification information about the new device newly connected to the module controller; and

causing the module controller to communicate with the new device and obtain the detail information about the new device while associating the detail information with the identification information so that the module controller can control the new device.

14. The method of registering a new device according to claim 13, wherein the detail information includes communication data size information and kind information about the new device.

15. The method of registering a new device according to claim 13, wherein the substrate processing system is configured to determine whether one of the devices or the new device is a mass flow controller, an automatic pressure controller, a susceptor motor, an RF generator, or some other device.