WO2018198707A1 - Substrate processing method and substrate processing device operating method - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a method for diminishing the peak power of a substrate processing device. In addition, the present invention relates to a substrate processing device operating method for processing a substrate such as a wafer. The substrate processing method comprises: calculating the expected polishing time from a polishing recipe; calculating the expected washing time from a washing recipe; calculating a polishing throughput index value by dividing the expected polishing time by the number of polishing units within a polishing section; calculating a washing throughput index value by dividing the expected washing time by the number of washing lanes inside a washing section; and lowering the set value for the operation acceleration of a washing-side substrate transport system if the polishing throughput index value is greater than the washing throughput index value, while lowering the set value for the operation acceleration of a polishing-side substrate transport system if the washing throughput index value is greater than the polishing throughput index value.

Description

Substrate processing method and method of operating substrate processing apparatus

The present invention relates to a method for processing a substrate such as a wafer, and more particularly to a method for reducing the peak power of a substrate processing apparatus. The present invention also relates to a method for operating a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate such as a wafer.

The substrate processing apparatus is a composite processing apparatus that can polish, clean, and dry a plurality of substrates. This substrate processing apparatus consumes a certain amount of power until the processing of one substrate is completed. In particular, when a plurality of substrates are processed at the same time, the processing load overlaps, so that peak power and power consumption increase.

FIG. 22 is a graph showing the power demand of the substrate processing apparatus. In FIG. 22, the vertical axis represents power [W] consumed by the substrate processing apparatus, and the horizontal axis represents time [seconds]. The plurality of substrates are sequentially loaded into the polishing unit of the substrate processing apparatus and polished sequentially. Further, the polished substrate is sequentially carried into the cleaning unit of the substrate processing apparatus, and is sequentially cleaned and dried. As can be seen from the graph shown in FIG. 16, the power demand of the substrate processing apparatus periodically varies according to the substrate processing operation. In particular, when the maximum number of substrates are being processed, the peak power increases and a lot of power is consumed.

JP-A-9-56068 Japanese Patent No. 5927223

Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing method capable of reducing the peak power of the substrate processing apparatus. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for operating a substrate processing apparatus that can reduce power consumption of the substrate processing apparatus.

In one aspect, an expected polishing time is calculated from a polishing recipe for polishing the substrate, an expected cleaning time is calculated from a cleaning recipe for cleaning the substrate, and the expected polishing time is divided by the number of polishing units in the polishing unit. To calculate the polishing throughput index value, calculate the cleaning throughput index value by dividing the expected cleaning time by the number of cleaning lanes in the cleaning unit, and compare the polishing throughput index value and the cleaning throughput index value, When the polishing throughput index value is larger than the cleaning throughput index value, the set value of the operation acceleration of the cleaning side substrate transfer system is lowered, and when the cleaning throughput index value is larger than the polishing throughput index value, the polishing side There is provided a substrate processing method characterized by lowering a set value of operation acceleration of a substrate transfer system.

In one aspect, when the polishing throughput index value is larger than the cleaning throughput index value, the operation acceleration setting value of the cleaning side substrate transfer system is decreased, and the operation speed setting value of the cleaning side substrate transfer system is decreased. When the cleaning throughput index value is larger than the polishing throughput index value, the set value of the operation acceleration of the polishing side substrate transfer system is lowered and the set value of the operation speed of the polishing side substrate transfer system is lowered.

In one aspect, the polishing waiting time of the substrate carried into the polishing unit is counted, the cleaning waiting time of the substrate carried into the cleaning unit is counted, the polishing waiting time is compared with the cleaning waiting time, and the polishing is performed. When the waiting time is longer than the cleaning waiting time, the set value of the operation acceleration of the cleaning side substrate transfer system is decreased, and when the cleaning waiting time is longer than the polishing waiting time, the operation acceleration of the polishing side substrate transfer system is decreased. There is provided a substrate processing method characterized by lowering the set value.

In one aspect, when the polishing waiting time is longer than the cleaning waiting time, the set value of the operation acceleration of the cleaning side substrate transfer system is decreased, and the set value of the operation speed of the cleaning side substrate transfer system is decreased, When the cleaning waiting time is longer than the polishing waiting time, the set value of the operation acceleration of the polishing side substrate transfer system is lowered and the set value of the operation speed of the polishing side substrate transfer system is lowered.
In one aspect, the polishing waiting time is a delay time from an assumed operation start time of the polishing side substrate transfer system to an actual operation start time, and the cleaning waiting time is assumed for the cleaning side substrate transfer system. It is a delay time from the start time of the actual operation to the actual operation start time.

In one aspect, when the power demand of the substrate processing operation in the substrate processing apparatus is lower than a preset cut level, power from a commercial power source is supplied to the storage battery, and a plurality of substrates are processed by the substrate processing apparatus. During the processing of the plurality of substrates, when the power demand of the substrate processing operation exceeds the cut level, the power corresponding to the cut level is supplied from a commercial power source to the power of the substrate processing apparatus, while the substrate processing operation A substrate processing method is provided, wherein power corresponding to a difference between power demand and the cut level is supplied from the storage battery to a power source of the substrate processing apparatus.

In one aspect, the plurality of substrates are polished by the first polishing unit, and the plurality of substrates are polished by the second polishing unit when the plurality of substrates are not polished by the first polishing unit. A substrate processing method is provided.

In one aspect, the operation mode of the substrate processing unit is switched from the standby mode to the processing mode, the substrate is processed by the substrate processing unit, and after the processing of the substrate is completed, the operation mode of the substrate processing unit is changed from the processing mode. There is provided a method of operating a substrate processing apparatus, wherein the operation mode is switched to a standby mode and the power line to at least one motor of the substrate processing unit is cut off.

In one aspect, the at least one motor includes a table motor that rotates a polishing table for polishing the substrate, and a head motor that rotates a polishing head for polishing the substrate.
In one aspect, the at least one motor includes a drive motor of a transfer robot for transferring the substrate.
In one aspect, the at least one motor includes a cleaning tool motor that rotates a cleaning tool of a cleaning unit for cleaning the substrate.
In one aspect, the method further includes a step of cutting off a power line to a drive motor of a loader for loading the substrate into the substrate processing unit after the processing of the substrate is completed.
In one aspect, the substrate processing unit is a polishing unit for polishing a substrate or a cleaning unit for cleaning a substrate.
In one aspect, the method further includes a step of reducing the flow rate of the utility used in the substrate processing unit after the processing of the substrate is completed.

In one aspect, the first converted power consumption is calculated by converting the volume of the first utility used in the substrate processing unit into power consumption, and the volume of the second utility used in the substrate processing unit is consumed as power. A second converted power consumption is calculated in terms of a quantity, a power consumption in the substrate processing unit is calculated, the first converted power consumption, the second converted power consumption, and the substrate processing unit A method of operating a substrate processing apparatus is provided, wherein the power consumption amount is recorded.
In one aspect, a graph of the first converted power consumption, the second converted power consumption, and the power consumption in the substrate processing unit is created.

According to the present invention, the peak power of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced.
According to the present invention, the power consumption of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced by cutting off the power line to the motor.

It is a schematic diagram which shows one Embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a perspective view which shows a 1st grinding | polishing unit typically. It is sectional drawing which shows the grinding | polishing head shown in FIG. It is a side view of a washing | cleaning part. It is a perspective view which shows one Embodiment of a 1st washing | cleaning unit. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a grinding | polishing recipe. It is a schematic diagram which shows an example of a cleaning recipe. It is a flowchart explaining one Embodiment of the autonomous transmission control function performed by the operation control part. It is a graph which shows the electric power demand of the substrate processing apparatus which is not provided with the autonomous transmission control function. It is a graph which shows the electric power demand of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this embodiment provided with the autonomous transmission control function. It is a flowchart explaining one Embodiment of the autonomous transmission control function performed by the operation control part. It is a schematic diagram which shows one Embodiment which can reduce the peak current of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a graph which shows the power consumption in four grinding | polishing units. It is the graph which added together the electric power consumed by four grinding | polishing units shown in FIG. It is a schematic diagram which shows one Embodiment which can reduce the peak current of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a side view which shows typically the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. It is a graph of power consumption and conversion power consumption. It is a schematic diagram which shows other embodiment for reducing the power consumption of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows other embodiment for reducing the power consumption of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows other embodiment for reducing the power consumption of a substrate processing apparatus. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of an operation control part. It is a graph which shows the electric power demand of a substrate processing apparatus.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus for polishing a substrate such as a wafer, cleaning the polished substrate, and drying the cleaned substrate. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus includes a substantially rectangular housing 1, and the interior of the housing 1 is divided into a load / unload unit 2, a polishing unit 3 and a cleaning unit 4 by partition walls 1a and 1b. It is partitioned. The substrate processing apparatus includes an operation control unit 5 that controls a substrate processing operation.

The load / unload unit 2 includes a front load unit 20 on which a substrate cassette that stores a large number of substrates (for example, wafers) is placed. A rail mechanism 21 is laid along the front load section 20 in the load / unload section 2, and a transfer robot (loader) 22 that can move along the arrangement direction of the substrate cassettes on the rail mechanism 21. is set up. The transfer robot 22 can access the substrate cassette mounted on the front load unit 20 by moving on the rail mechanism 21. Further, the transfer robot 22 is configured to be able to move up and down. The transfer robot 22 includes a drive motor (not shown) as a power source.

The polishing unit 3 has a plurality of polishing units that can polish a plurality of substrates in parallel. The polishing unit 3 of this embodiment includes a first polishing unit 3A, a second polishing unit 3B, a third polishing unit 3C, and a fourth polishing unit 3D. However, the number of polishing units is not limited to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the first polishing unit 3A has a first polishing table 30A to which a polishing pad 10 having a polishing surface is attached and a substrate pressed against the polishing pad 10 on the polishing table 30A for polishing. For dressing the first polishing head 31A, the first liquid supply nozzle 32A for supplying a polishing liquid (for example, slurry) or a dressing liquid (for example, pure water) to the polishing pad 10, and the polishing surface of the polishing pad 10. The first dresser 33A and a first atomizer 34A for spraying a mixed fluid of a liquid (for example, pure water) and a gas (for example, nitrogen gas) to the polishing surface of the polishing pad 10 in the form of a mist.

Similarly, the second polishing unit 3B includes a second polishing table 30B to which the polishing pad 10 is attached, a second polishing head 31B, a second liquid supply nozzle 32B, a second dresser 33B, and a second atomizer 34B. The third polishing unit 3C includes a third polishing table 30C to which the polishing pad 10 is attached, a third polishing head 31C, a third liquid supply nozzle 32C, a third dresser 33C, and a third atomizer. The fourth polishing unit 3D includes a fourth polishing table 30D to which the polishing pad 10 is attached, a fourth polishing head 31D, a fourth liquid supply nozzle 32D, a fourth dresser 33D, 4 atomizer 34D.

The first polishing unit 3A, the second polishing unit 3B, the third polishing unit 3C, and the fourth polishing unit 3D have the same configuration. Hereinafter, the first polishing unit 3A will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a perspective view schematically showing the first polishing unit 3A. In FIG. 2, the dresser 33A and the atomizer 34A are omitted.

The polishing table 30A is connected to a table motor 19 arranged below the table shaft 30a, and the table motor 19 rotates the polishing table 30A in the direction indicated by the arrow. A polishing pad 10 is affixed to the upper surface of the polishing table 30A, and the upper surface of the polishing pad 10 constitutes a polishing surface 10a for polishing the substrate W. The polishing head 31A is connected to the lower end of the head shaft 16A. The polishing head 31A is configured to hold the substrate W on its lower surface by vacuum suction.

The head shaft 16A is rotatably supported by the head arm 35A. A head motor 37A for rotating the head shaft 16A and the polishing head 31A about their axes is fixed to the head arm 35A. The head shaft 16A is connected to the rotation shaft of the head motor 37A directly or via a power transmission mechanism (for example, a belt and a pulley).

In the head arm 35A, a turning motor 39A for turning the polishing head 31A and the entire head arm 35A around the turning shaft 38A is disposed. The turning motor 39A is connected to the turning shaft 38A. By driving the turning motor 39A, the polishing head 31A can move between a polishing position shown in FIG. 2 and a transfer position (described later) outside the polishing table 30A. Further, the head shaft 16A and the polishing head 31A are configured to be moved up and down by a vertical movement mechanism (not shown) disposed in the head arm 35A.

The polishing of the substrate W is performed as follows. The polishing head 31A and the polishing table 30A are rotated in directions indicated by arrows, respectively, and a polishing liquid (slurry) is supplied onto the polishing pad 10 from the liquid supply nozzle 32A. In this state, the polishing head 31 </ b> A presses the substrate W against the polishing surface 10 a of the polishing pad 10. The surface of the substrate W is polished by the chemical action of the polishing liquid and the mechanical action of the abrasive grains contained in the polishing liquid. After polishing, dressing (conditioning) of the polishing surface 10a by the dresser 33A shown in FIG. 1 is performed, and a high-pressure fluid is supplied from the atomizer 34A shown in FIG. 1 to the polishing surface 10a and remains on the polishing surface 10a. Polishing debris and slurry are removed.

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing the polishing head 31A. The polishing head 31A surrounds the disc-shaped carrier 41, a circular flexible elastic membrane (membrane) 43 that forms a plurality of pressure chambers D1, D2, D3, D4 below the carrier 41, and the elastic membrane 43. And a retainer ring 45 that presses the polishing surface 10 a of the polishing pad 10. The pressure chambers D1, D2, D3, and D4 are formed between the elastic film 43 and the lower surface of the carrier 41. The carrier 41 is fixed to the lower end of the head shaft 16A.

The elastic film 43 has a plurality of annular partition walls 43a, and the pressure chambers D1, D2, D3, and D4 are partitioned from each other by the partition walls 43a. The central pressure chamber D1 is circular, and the other pressure chambers D2, D3, D4 are circular. These pressure chambers D1, D2, D3, D4 are arranged concentrically. The number of pressure chambers is not particularly limited, and the polishing head 31A may include more than four pressure chambers.

The pressure chambers D1, D2, D3, and D4 are connected to the fluid lines G1, G2, G3, and G4, and pressurized fluid (for example, pressurized air) passes through the fluid lines G1, G2, G3, and G4. It is supplied in D2, D3 and D4. Pressure regulators R1, R2, R3, and R4 are attached to the fluid lines G1, G2, G3, and G4, respectively. The pressure regulators R1, R2, R3, and R4 can independently adjust the pressure of the pressurized fluid in the pressure chambers D1, D2, D3, and D4. Thereby, the polishing head 31A can polish the corresponding four regions of the substrate W, that is, the central portion, the inner intermediate portion, the outer intermediate portion, and the peripheral portion with the same polishing load or different polishing loads.

An annular elastic film 46 is disposed between the retainer ring 45 and the carrier 41. An annular pressure chamber D5 is formed inside the elastic film 46. The pressure chamber D5 is connected to the fluid line G5, and pressurized fluid (for example, pressurized air) is supplied into the pressure chamber D5 through the fluid line G5. A pressure regulator R5 is attached to the fluid line G5. The pressure of the pressurized fluid in the pressure chamber D5 is adjusted by the pressure regulator R5. The pressure in the pressure chamber D5 is applied to the retainer ring 45, and the retainer ring 45 can directly press the polishing surface 10a of the polishing pad 10 independently of the elastic film (membrane) 43. Flow meters K1, K2, K3, K4, and K5 are attached to the fluid lines G1, G2, G3, G4, and G5, respectively.

During polishing of the substrate W, the elastic film 43 presses the substrate W against the polishing surface 10 a of the polishing pad 10, while the retainer ring 45 presses the polishing surface 10 a of the polishing pad 10 around the substrate W. Although not shown, the polishing heads 31B to 31D also have the same configuration as the polishing head 31A described above.

1, the first linear transporter 6 is disposed adjacent to the first polishing unit 3A and the second polishing unit 3B. The first linear transporter 6 is a transfer robot that transfers a substrate between four transfer positions (a first transfer position TP1, a second transfer position TP2, a third transfer position TP3, and a fourth transfer position TP4). Further, the second linear transporter 7 is disposed adjacent to the third polishing unit 3C and the fourth polishing unit 3D. The second linear transporter 7 is a transfer robot that transfers a substrate between three transfer positions (fifth transfer position TP5, sixth transfer position TP6, and seventh transfer position TP7). The first linear transporter 6 and the second transporter 7 include a drive motor (not shown) as a power source.

The substrate is transported to the first polishing unit 3A and / or the second polishing unit 3B by the first linear transporter 6. The polishing head 31A of the first polishing unit 3A moves between the upper position of the polishing table 30A and the second transport position TP2 by the swing operation. Therefore, the transfer of the substrate between the polishing head 31A and the first linear transporter 6 is performed at the second transport position TP2.

Similarly, the polishing head 31B of the second polishing unit 3B moves between the upper position of the polishing table 30B and the third transport position TP3, and transfers the substrate between the polishing head 31B and the first linear transporter 6. Is performed at the third transfer position TP3. The polishing head 31C of the third polishing unit 3C moves between the upper position of the polishing table 30C and the sixth transport position TP6, and the transfer of the substrate between the polishing head 31C and the second linear transporter 7 is the sixth. This is performed at the transfer position TP6. The polishing head 31D of the fourth polishing unit 3D moves between the upper position of the polishing table 30D and the seventh transport position TP7, and the transfer of the substrate between the polishing head 31D and the second linear transporter 7 is the seventh. This is performed at the transfer position TP7. The polishing heads 31A, 31B, 31C, 31D also function as a substrate transfer device that transfers the substrate between the polishing position on the polishing pad 10 and the transfer positions TP2, TP3, TP6, TP7.

The lifter 11 for receiving the substrate from the transfer robot 22 is disposed at the first transfer position TP1. The lifter 11 is disposed between the transfer robot 22 and the first linear transporter 6. The substrate is transferred from the transfer robot 22 to the first linear transporter 6 through the lifter 11. A shutter (not shown) is provided in the partition wall 1a between the lifter 11 and the transfer robot 22, and when transferring the substrate, the shutter is opened so that the substrate is transferred from the transfer robot 22 to the lifter 11. It has become.

Between the first linear transporter 6, the second linear transporter 7, and the cleaning unit 4, a swing transporter 12 that is a transport robot for transporting the substrate is disposed. The substrate is transported from the first linear transporter 6 to the second linear transporter 7 by the swing transporter 12. The substrate is transported to the third polishing unit 3C and / or the fourth polishing unit 3D by the second linear transporter 7.

On the side of the swing transporter 12, a temporary placement stage 72 for a substrate installed on a frame (not shown) is disposed. As shown in FIG. 1, the temporary placement stage 72 is disposed adjacent to the first linear transporter 6 and is positioned between the first linear transporter 6 and the cleaning unit 4. The swing transporter 12 transports the substrate between the fourth transport position TP4, the fifth transport position TP5, and the temporary placement stage 72. The swing transporter 12 and the temporary placement stage 72 are disposed in the polishing unit 3. The swing transporter 12 includes a drive motor (not shown) as a power source.

The transfer robot 22, the polishing heads 31A to 31D, the linear transporters 6 and 7, and the swing transporter 12 constitute a polishing-side substrate transfer system that carries the substrate into the polishing unit 3 and transfers the substrate within the polishing unit 3. . The operation of the polishing side substrate transfer system is controlled by the operation control unit 5.

The cleaning unit 4 includes first cleaning units 73A and 73B and second cleaning units 74A and 74B for cleaning the polished substrates, and drying units 75A and 75B for drying the cleaned substrates. The first cleaning unit 73A is disposed above the first cleaning unit 37B, and the second cleaning unit 74A is disposed above the second cleaning unit 74B. The drying unit 75A is disposed above the drying unit 75B.

The cleaning unit 4 further includes a first transfer robot 77 and a second transfer robot 78 for transferring the substrate. The substrate placed on the temporary placement stage 72 is carried into the cleaning unit 4 by the first transport robot 77. The first transfer robot 77 is disposed between the first cleaning units 73A and 73B and the second cleaning units 74A and 74B. The first transfer robot 77 operates to transfer the substrate from the temporary placement stage 72 to the first cleaning unit 73A or the first cleaning unit 73B. The second transfer robot 78 is disposed between the second cleaning units 74A and 74B and the drying units 75A and 75B.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the cleaning unit 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the first cleaning unit 73A is disposed above the first cleaning unit 37B, and the second cleaning unit 74A is disposed above the second cleaning unit 74B. The drying unit 75A is disposed above the drying unit 75B. The first transfer robot 77 is supported by the first lifting shaft 80 and is configured to be movable up and down on the first lifting shaft 80. The second transfer robot 78 is supported by the second lifting shaft 81 and is configured to be movable up and down on the second lifting shaft 81.

The first transfer robot 77 operates to transfer the substrate from the first cleaning unit 73A or the first cleaning unit 73B to the second cleaning unit 74A or the second cleaning unit 74B. The second transfer robot 78 operates to transfer the substrate from the second cleaning unit 74A or the second cleaning unit 74B to the drying unit 75A or the drying unit 75B. In the present embodiment, the first transfer robot 77 and the second transfer robot 78 constitute a cleaning-side substrate transfer system that transfers the substrate within the cleaning unit 4. The operation of the cleaning side substrate transfer system is controlled by the operation control unit 5 shown in FIG.

Since the cleaning unit 4 includes two first cleaning units 73A and 73B, two second cleaning units 74A and 74B, and two drying units 75A and 75B, the two substrates are arranged in parallel. Two wash lanes can be configured for washing and drying. The “cleaning lane” is a processing path in which one substrate is cleaned and dried by a plurality of cleaning units and drying units in the cleaning unit 4. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, one substrate is transported in the order of the first cleaning unit 73A, the second cleaning unit 74A, and the drying unit 75A (first cleaning lane), and in parallel with this, the other The substrate can be transported in the order of the first cleaning unit 73B, the second cleaning unit 74B, and the drying unit 75B (second cleaning lane). Thus, two parallel cleaning lanes can clean and dry two substrates in parallel.

In two parallel cleaning lanes, a plurality of substrates may be cleaned and dried with a predetermined time difference. The advantages of cleaning at a predetermined time difference are as follows. The first transfer robot 77 and the second transfer robot 78 are shared by a plurality of cleaning lanes. For this reason, when a plurality of cleaning or drying processes are completed at the same time, the transfer robot cannot immediately transfer the substrate, which deteriorates the throughput. In order to avoid such a problem, the processed substrates can be quickly transported by the transport robots 77 and 78 by cleaning and drying a plurality of substrates with a predetermined time difference.

In the present embodiment, the first cleaning units 73A and 73B and the second cleaning units 74A and 74B are roll sponge type cleaning machines. The roll sponge type cleaning machine is configured to bring the two roll sponges into contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate while rotating the substrate and rotating the two roll sponges arranged above and below the substrate. ing. During the cleaning of the substrate, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the upper surface and the lower surface of the substrate. In the present embodiment, the first cleaning units 73A and 73B and the second cleaning units 74A and 74B have the same structure.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view showing an embodiment of the first cleaning unit 73A. As shown in FIG. 5, the first cleaning unit 73A includes four holding rollers 85 that hold and rotate the substrate W, and cylindrical roll sponges (cleaning tools) 87 and 88 that contact the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W. , Cleaning tool motors 82 and 83 for rotating the roll sponges 87 and 88, upper rinse liquid supply nozzles 93 and 94 for supplying a rinse liquid (for example, pure water) to the upper surface of the substrate W, and a cleaning liquid for the upper surface of the substrate W. Upper cleaning liquid supply nozzles 97 and 98 for supplying (for example, chemical liquid) are provided. Although not shown, a lower rinsing liquid supply nozzle for supplying a rinsing liquid (for example, pure water) to the lower surface of the substrate W and a lower cleaning liquid supply nozzle for supplying a cleaning liquid (for example, a chemical liquid) to the lower surface of the substrate W are provided. .

The holding roller 85 can be moved in the direction of approaching and separating from the substrate W by a driving mechanism (not shown) such as an air cylinder. The four holding rollers 85 are rotated in the same direction by a motor (not shown). When the holding roller 85 rotates in a state where the four holding rollers 85 hold the substrate W, the substrate W rotates about its axis. At the time of cleaning the substrate W, the roll sponges 87 and 88 move in directions close to each other and come into contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W. As a cleaning tool, a roll brush may be used instead of the roll sponge.

Next, a process for cleaning the substrate W will be described. First, the substrate W is rotated around its axis by the holding roller 85. Next, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W from the upper cleaning liquid supply nozzles 97 and 98 and the lower cleaning liquid supply nozzle (not shown). In this state, the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W are scrubbed by the roll sponges 87 and 88 slidably contacting the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W while rotating around the horizontally extending axis.

After scrub cleaning, the substrate W is rinsed by supplying pure water as a rinse liquid to the rotating substrate W from the upper rinse liquid supply nozzles 93 and 94 and a lower rinse liquid supply nozzle (not shown). The rinsing of the substrate W may be performed while the roll sponges 87 and 88 are in sliding contact with the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W, or may be performed with the roll sponges 87 and 88 being separated from the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W.

In one embodiment, the first cleaning unit 73A, 73B or the second cleaning unit 74A, 74B may be a pen sponge type cleaning machine. The pen sponge type cleaning machine is configured to bring the pen type sponge into contact with the upper surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate and the pen type sponge, and further move the pen type sponge in the radial direction of the substrate. ing. During the cleaning of the substrate, the cleaning liquid is supplied to the upper surface of the substrate.

The drying units 75A and 75B move pure water and IPA vapor (a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and N ₂ gas) from the pure water nozzle and the IPA nozzle while moving the pure water nozzle and the IPA nozzle in the radial direction of the substrate. It is an IPA type dryer that dries the substrate by supplying to the substrate. The drying units 75A and 75B may be other types of dryers. For example, a spin dry type dryer that rotates the substrate at a high speed can be used.

In the present embodiment, two first cleaning units 73A and 73B, two second cleaning units 74A and 74B, and two drying units 75A and 75B are provided. The number of the first cleaning unit, the second cleaning unit, and the drying unit may be three or more. That is, three or more cleaning lanes may be provided. In one embodiment, there may be one wash lane. A plurality of third cleaning units may be further provided between the second cleaning units 74A and 74B and the drying units 75A and 75B.

Next, an example of the operation of the substrate processing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. The transfer robot 22 takes out the substrate from the substrate cassette and passes it to the lifter 11. The first linear transporter 6 takes out the substrate from the lifter 11, and the substrate is transferred to at least one of the polishing units 3A to 3D via the first linear transporter 6 and / or the second linear transporter 7. . The substrate is polished by at least one of the polishing units 3A to 3D.

The polished substrate is transferred to the first cleaning unit 73A and the second cleaning unit 74A via the first linear transporter 6 or the second linear transporter 7, the swing transporter 12, and the first transfer robot 77, and polished. The substrate thus cleaned is sequentially cleaned by the first cleaning unit 73A and the second cleaning unit 74A. Further, the cleaned substrate is transferred to the drying unit 75A by the transfer robot 78, and the cleaned substrate is dried here. As described above, the substrate may be transferred to the first cleaning unit 73B, the second cleaning unit 74B, and the drying unit 75B.

The dried substrate is taken out from the drying unit 75A by the transfer robot 22 and returned to the substrate cassette on the front load unit 20. In this way, a series of processes including polishing, cleaning, and drying are performed on the substrate.

The operation control unit 5 stores a polishing recipe and a cleaning recipe in advance in the storage device. The polishing recipe and the cleaning recipe are created by the user through the input device of the operation control unit 5. The polishing recipe is a management table that defines an operation for polishing one substrate. The substrate is polished according to a polishing recipe.

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a polishing recipe. In this example, the polishing recipe includes operation setting items in four steps of a main polishing step, a water polishing step, a pad dressing step, and a pad cleaning step. The main polishing step is a step of bringing the substrate into sliding contact with the polishing pad 10 while supplying a polishing liquid (slurry) onto the polishing pad 10. The water polishing step is a step of sliding the substrate against the polishing pad 10 with a low load while supplying pure water onto the polishing pad 10. This water polishing step is performed after the main polishing step is completed. The load applied to the substrate from the polishing head (see reference numerals 31A to 31D in FIG. 1) during the water polishing step is lower than the load applied from the polishing head to the substrate during the main polishing step. Does not progress substantially.

The pad dressing step is a step of dressing (or conditioning) the polishing surface 10a of the polishing pad 10 with the dresser (see reference numerals 33A to 33D) shown in FIG. The pad dressing step is performed after the water polishing step. In the pad cleaning step, a high-pressure fluid made of a mixture of gas and liquid is sprayed onto the polishing surface 10a of the polishing pad 10 from the atomizer (see reference numerals 34A to 34D) shown in FIG. 1 to polish polishing debris and polishing liquid (slurry). This is a step of removing from the surface 10a. The pad cleaning step is performed after the pad dressing step.

The operation setting items are the position of the polishing head in each step, the processing time of each step, the rotation speed of the polishing table, the rotation speed of the polishing head, the set pressure in the pressure chamber of the polishing head, the flow rate of the polishing liquid, the flow rate of the dressing liquid , The flow rate of the high-pressure fluid ejected from the atomizer, the operation end condition of each step, and the like. The item of the operation end condition of the step is an item for determining the end point of the operation of the step. For example, the operation end condition of the main polishing step is set at either the time when the processing time has elapsed or the time when the film thickness of the substrate has reached the target value.

The polishing recipe shown in FIG. 6 is created for each of the polishing units 3A to 3D and stored in the operation control unit 5. The time required to polish one substrate, that is, the expected polishing time can be calculated from the polishing recipe. That is, the expected polishing time is the total processing time of each step. The operation controller 5 calculates the predicted polishing time by calculating the sum of the processing times of the main polishing step, the water polishing step, the pad dressing step, and the pad cleaning step set in the polishing recipe.

The cleaning recipe is a management table that defines operations for cleaning and drying a single substrate. The substrate is cleaned and dried according to a cleaning recipe.

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a cleaning recipe. In this example, the cleaning recipe includes operation setting items in three steps of a first cleaning step, a second cleaning step, and a drying step. The first cleaning step is a step of cleaning the substrate by the first cleaning unit (see reference numerals 73A and 73B in FIG. 1). The second cleaning step is a step of cleaning the substrate by the second cleaning unit (see symbols 74A and 74B in FIG. 1). The drying step is a step of drying the substrate by a drying unit (see reference numerals 75A and 75B in FIG. 1). The operation setting items of the cleaning recipe include the processing time of each step, the rotation speed of the substrate, the flow rate of the cleaning liquid, and the like.

The time required for cleaning one substrate, that is, the expected cleaning time can be calculated from the cleaning recipe. That is, the expected cleaning time is the total processing time of each step. The operation controller 5 calculates the predicted cleaning time by calculating the sum of the processing times of the first cleaning step, the second cleaning step, and the drying step set in the cleaning recipe.

The operation control unit 5 determines whether the operation of the polishing unit 3 or the operation of the cleaning unit 4 is a rate-determining factor for the entire processing of the substrate based on the expected polishing time and the expected cleaning time. The operation acceleration of either the polishing-side substrate transfer system related to the cleaning unit 4 or the cleaning-side substrate transfer system related to the cleaning unit 4 is controlled.

FIG. 8 is a flowchart for explaining an embodiment of the autonomous shift control function executed by the operation control unit 5. As described above, the user creates the polishing recipe and the cleaning recipe by inputting the operation setting items of the polishing recipe and the cleaning recipe to the operation control unit 5 using the input device of the operation control unit 5. The input device is a device such as a keyboard and a mouse. The user inputs the number of polishing units of the polishing unit 3 and the number of cleaning lanes of the cleaning unit 4 to the operation control unit 5 using the input device of the operation control unit 5. In one embodiment, the number of polishing units corresponds to the number of polishing tables 30A to 30D installed in the polishing unit 3, and in one embodiment, the number of polishing units is a polishing head installed in the polishing unit 3. This corresponds to the number of 31A to 31D. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the number of polishing units 3A-3D is four and the number of cleaning lanes is two.

The operation control unit 5 stores the polishing recipe and the cleaning recipe in which each operation setting item is satisfied in the storage device. Similarly, the operation control unit 5 stores the number of polishing units and the number of cleaning lanes in the storage device (step 1).

The operation controller 5 calculates the expected polishing time per substrate from the polishing recipe, and calculates the expected cleaning time per substrate from the cleaning recipe (step 2). More specifically, the operation control unit 5 calculates the total processing time of each step included in the polishing recipe, and calculates the total processing time of each step included in the cleaning recipe. Further, the operation control unit 5 calculates the polishing throughput index value by dividing the expected polishing time by the number of polishing units, and calculates the cleaning throughput index value by dividing the expected cleaning time by the number of cleaning lanes (step 3). ). Formulas for calculating the polishing throughput index value and the cleaning throughput index value are as follows.
Polishing throughput index value = expected polishing time / number of polishing units Cleaning throughput index value = expected cleaning time / number of cleaning lanes

The operation control unit 5 compares the polishing throughput index value with the cleaning throughput index value (step 4). When the polishing throughput index value is larger than the cleaning throughput index value, the operation of the polishing unit 3 is a rate-limiting factor. Therefore, the operation control unit 5 decreases the set value of the operation acceleration of the cleaning side substrate transport system (step 5). In one embodiment, the operation control unit 5 changes the set value of the operation acceleration of the cleaning side substrate transport system from the first standard acceleration value to an acceleration value lower than the first standard acceleration value. For example, the operation control unit 5 sets the acceleration setting value when the first transport robot 77 and / or the second transport robot 78 of the cleaning unit 4 ascends from the standard acceleration value to an acceleration value lower than the standard acceleration value. Change to The acceleration value lower than the first standard acceleration value may be a preset value.

In one embodiment, when the polishing throughput index value is larger than the cleaning throughput index value, the operation control unit 5 decreases the setting value of the operation acceleration of the cleaning side substrate transfer system and sets the operation speed of the cleaning side substrate transfer system. The set value may be lowered. Specifically, the operation control unit 5 changes the set value of the operation acceleration of the cleaning side substrate transport system from the first standard acceleration value to an acceleration value lower than the first standard acceleration value, and the cleaning side substrate. The set value of the operation speed of the transport system may be changed from the first standard speed value to a speed value lower than the first standard speed value. For example, the operation control unit 5 sets the acceleration setting value when the first transport robot 77 and / or the second transport robot 78 of the cleaning unit 4 ascends from the standard acceleration value to an acceleration value lower than the standard acceleration value. In addition, the set value of the maximum speed when the first transport robot 77 and / or the second transport robot 78 ascend may be changed from the standard speed value to a speed value lower than the standard speed value. . The speed value lower than the first standard speed value may be a preset value.

When the cleaning throughput index value is larger than the polishing throughput index value, the operation of the cleaning unit 4 is a rate-limiting factor. Therefore, the operation control unit 5 decreases the set value of the operation acceleration of the polishing side substrate transfer system (step 6). In one embodiment, the operation control unit 5 changes the set value of the operation acceleration of the polishing-side substrate transfer system from the second standard acceleration value to an acceleration value lower than the second standard acceleration value. For example, the operation control unit 5 uses the standard acceleration value as the acceleration setting value when the transport robot (loader) 22 moves along the substrate cassette in order to carry the substrate into the polishing unit 3. Change to a lower acceleration value. In another example, the setting value of the acceleration of the polishing head 31A when the polishing head 31A moves between the polishing position and the transfer position is changed from the standard acceleration value to an acceleration value lower than the standard acceleration value. The acceleration value lower than the second standard acceleration value may be a preset value.

In one embodiment, when the cleaning throughput index value is larger than the polishing throughput index value, the operation control unit 5 decreases the set value of the operation acceleration of the polishing side substrate transfer system and sets the operation speed of the polishing side substrate transfer system. The set value may be lowered. Specifically, the operation control unit 5 changes the set value of the operation acceleration of the polishing-side substrate transfer system from the second standard acceleration value to an acceleration value lower than the second standard acceleration value, and the polishing-side substrate. The set value of the operation speed of the transport system may be changed from the second standard speed value to a speed value lower than the second standard speed value. For example, the operation control unit 5 uses the standard acceleration value as the acceleration setting value when the transport robot (loader) 22 moves along the substrate cassette in order to carry the substrate into the polishing unit 3. The acceleration value is changed to a lower acceleration value, and the maximum speed setting value when the transfer robot (loader) 22 moves along the substrate cassette is changed from the standard speed value to a speed value lower than the standard speed value. May be. The speed value lower than the second standard speed value may be a preset value.

As described above, the operation control unit 5 is configured to reduce the set value of the operation acceleration (and operation speed) of either the polishing-side substrate transfer system or the cleaning-side substrate transfer system based on the rate-limiting factor of the substrate processing. It has a function. By such an autonomous shift control function, the power demand of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced and the peak power can be reduced.

FIG. 9 is a graph showing the power demand of the substrate processing apparatus not having the autonomous shift control function, and FIG. 10 is a graph showing the power demand of the substrate processing apparatus according to the present embodiment having the autonomous shift control function. is there. As can be seen from the comparison of the graphs shown in FIGS. 9 and 10, the substrate processing apparatus having the autonomous shift control function can reduce the peak power consumed by the substrate processing apparatus.

Next, another embodiment of the autonomous shift control function of the operation control unit 5 will be described. In the present embodiment, the operation control unit 5 counts the substrate polishing waiting time and the substrate cleaning waiting time, and based on the comparison result between the polishing waiting time and the cleaning waiting time, the operation of the polishing unit 3 or the cleaning unit. 4 is determined as a rate-determining factor for the entire substrate processing, and either the polishing-side substrate transfer system related to the polishing unit 3 or the cleaning-side substrate transfer system related to the cleaning unit 4 is operated. It is configured to control acceleration.

The polishing waiting time is a delay time from the assumed operation start time of the polishing side substrate transfer system to the actual operation start time. For example, the transfer robot (loader) 22 may not be able to carry the next substrate into the polishing unit 3 due to the delay in polishing the previous substrate. In such a case, the operation control unit 5 starts counting (counting) the delay time from the assumed operation start time of the transfer robot 22. Then, the operation control unit 5 stops counting the delay time when the transport robot 22 actually starts the operation. The delay time is the polishing waiting time from the assumed operation start time to the actual operation start time.

Similarly, the cleaning waiting time is a delay time from the assumed operation start time of the cleaning side substrate transfer system to the actual operation start time. For example, the first transfer robot 77 may not be able to carry the next substrate into the cleaning unit 4 due to a delay in cleaning the previous substrate. In such a case, the operation control unit 5 starts counting (counting) the delay time from the assumed operation start time of the first transfer robot 77. Then, the operation control unit 5 stops counting the delay time when the first transfer robot 77 actually starts the operation. The delay time from the assumed operation start time to the actual operation start time is the cleaning waiting time.

The expected polishing time and the expected cleaning time in the embodiment described above may be different from the actual polishing time and the actual cleaning time. For example, in the polishing recipe shown in FIG. 6, when the operation end point condition of the main polishing step is set at the time when the film thickness of the substrate reaches the target value, the actual polishing depends on the initial film thickness of the substrate. Time can vary. If the polishing of the previous substrate has not been completed, the next substrate cannot be carried into the polishing unit 3, and as a result, the polishing waiting time can be changed. Similarly, if the previous substrate has not been cleaned, the next substrate cannot be carried into the cleaning unit 4, and as a result, the cleaning waiting time may change.

FIG. 11 is a flowchart for explaining an embodiment of the autonomous shift control function executed by the operation control unit 5. The operation controller 5 counts the polishing waiting time and the cleaning waiting time (step 1). The operation control unit 5 compares the polishing waiting time with the cleaning waiting time (step 2). When the polishing waiting time is longer than the cleaning waiting time, the operation of the polishing unit 3 is a rate-limiting factor. Accordingly, the operation control unit 5 decreases the set value of the operation acceleration of the cleaning side substrate transport system (step 3). In one embodiment, the operation control unit 5 changes the set value of the operation acceleration of the cleaning side substrate transport system from the first standard acceleration value to an acceleration value lower than the first standard acceleration value. For example, the operation control unit 5 sets the acceleration setting value when the first transport robot 77 and / or the second transport robot 78 of the cleaning unit 4 ascends from the standard acceleration value to an acceleration value lower than the standard acceleration value. Change to The acceleration value lower than the first standard acceleration value may be a preset value.

In one embodiment, when the polishing waiting time is longer than the cleaning waiting time, the operation control unit 5 decreases the setting value of the operation acceleration of the cleaning side substrate transfer system and sets the operating speed of the cleaning side substrate transfer system. May be lowered. Specifically, the operation control unit 5 changes the set value of the operation acceleration of the cleaning side substrate transport system from the first standard acceleration value to an acceleration value lower than the first standard acceleration value, and the cleaning side substrate. The set value of the operation speed of the transport system may be changed from the first standard speed value to a speed value lower than the first standard speed value. For example, the operation control unit 5 sets the acceleration setting value when the first transport robot 77 and / or the second transport robot 78 of the cleaning unit 4 ascends from the standard acceleration value to an acceleration value lower than the standard acceleration value. In addition, the set value of the maximum speed when the first transport robot 77 and / or the second transport robot 78 ascend may be changed from the standard speed value to a speed value lower than the standard speed value. . The speed value lower than the first standard speed value may be a preset value.

When the cleaning waiting time is longer than the polishing waiting time, the operation of the cleaning unit 4 is a rate-limiting factor. Accordingly, the operation control unit 5 decreases the set value of the operation acceleration of the polishing side substrate transfer system (step 4). In one embodiment, the operation control unit 5 changes the set value of the operation acceleration of the polishing-side substrate transfer system from the second standard acceleration value to an acceleration value lower than the second standard acceleration value. For example, the operation control unit 5 uses the standard acceleration value as the acceleration setting value when the transport robot (loader) 22 moves along the substrate cassette in order to carry the substrate into the polishing unit 3. Change to a lower acceleration value. In another example, the setting value of the acceleration of the polishing head 31A when the polishing head 31A moves between the polishing position and the transfer position is changed from the standard acceleration value to an acceleration value lower than the standard acceleration value. The acceleration value lower than the second standard acceleration value may be a preset value.

In one embodiment, when the cleaning waiting time is longer than the polishing waiting time, the operation control unit 5 decreases the setting value of the operation acceleration of the polishing side substrate transfer system and sets the operation speed of the polishing side substrate transfer system. May be lowered. Specifically, the operation control unit 5 changes the set value of the operation acceleration of the polishing-side substrate transfer system from the second standard acceleration value to an acceleration value lower than the second standard acceleration value, and the polishing-side substrate. The set value of the operation speed of the transport system may be changed from the second standard speed value to a speed value lower than the second standard speed value. For example, the operation control unit 5 uses the standard acceleration value as the acceleration setting value when the transport robot (loader) 22 moves along the substrate cassette in order to carry the substrate into the polishing unit 3. The acceleration value is changed to a lower acceleration value, and the maximum speed setting value when the transfer robot (loader) 22 moves along the substrate cassette is changed from the standard speed value to a speed value lower than the standard speed value. May be. The speed value lower than the second standard speed value may be a preset value.

As in the previous embodiment, the peak power of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced by the autonomous shift control function of this embodiment.

Next, another embodiment capable of reducing the peak current of the substrate processing apparatus will be described with reference to FIG. The substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment includes a power conditioner 90 connected to the power source 96. The power conditioner 90 has a storage battery 91 that stores power from the commercial power supply 95, and the storage battery 91 when the power demand for substrate processing operations in the polishing unit 3 and the cleaning unit 4 exceeds a preset cut level. The peak cut unit 92 is provided for adding the power stored in the power to the power from the commercial power source 95. The storage battery 91 is connected to a commercial power source 95 and a power source 96 of the substrate processing apparatus.

As shown in the graph of FIG. 12, the power demand for the substrate processing operation fluctuates periodically as the substrate is processed. The peak cut unit 92 is configured to cut power demand that is equal to or higher than the cut level, and to cause the storage battery 91 to compensate for power shortage with respect to the power demand. Specifically, when the power demand for the substrate processing operation is lower than the cut level, the peak cut unit 92 supplies at least a part of the power from the commercial power supply 95 to the storage battery 91 and causes the storage battery 91 to store the power. When the power demand for the substrate processing operation exceeds the cut level while the plurality of substrates are being polished by the substrate processing apparatus, the peak cut unit 92 supplies power corresponding to the cut level from the commercial power supply 95 to the power supply of the substrate processing apparatus. The power corresponding to the difference between the power demand for the substrate processing operation and the cut level is supplied from the storage battery 91 to the power source 96 of the substrate processing apparatus.

According to the present embodiment, the power above the cut level is cut by the peak cut unit 92, and the shortage of power is compensated by the storage battery 91, so that the peak power of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced.

Next, another embodiment capable of reducing the peak current of the substrate processing apparatus will be described. FIG. 13 is a graph showing power consumption in the four polishing units 3A to 3D. The vertical axis represents power [W] consumed by the substrate processing apparatus, and the horizontal axis represents time [seconds]. As shown in FIG. 13, the power consumed by each of the polishing units 3A to 3D increases during the substrate polishing operation, and decreases when the substrate polishing operation ends. In each of the polishing units 3A to 3D, since the plurality of substrates are polished at substantially the same time interval, the power in each of the polishing units 3A to 3D varies with approximately the same period.

FIG. 14 is a graph summing the power consumed by the four polishing units 3A to 3D shown in FIG. As can be seen from FIG. 14, when the four polishing units 3A to 3D are simultaneously polishing the substrate, the power consumed by each of the polishing units 3A to 3D is superimposed, resulting in an increase in peak power.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, at least two of the four polishing units 3A to 3D alternately perform substrate polishing at different times. For example, the plurality of substrates are polished by the first polishing unit 3A, and when the plurality of substrates are not polished by the first polishing unit 3A, the other plurality of substrates are polished by the second polishing unit 3B. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 15, the operation controller 5 issues a command to the second polishing unit 3B, and after the polishing of the substrate in the first polishing unit 3A is completed, Start polishing the substrate. Further, the operation control unit 5 issues a command to the first polishing unit 3A, and starts polishing the substrate in the first polishing unit 3A after the polishing of the substrate in the second polishing unit 3B is completed. According to such an alternate polishing operation, the power consumed by the two polishing units 3A and 3B is not superimposed, and as a result, the peak power required by the entire substrate processing apparatus can be reduced.

The above-described embodiments shown in FIG. 8, FIG. 11, FIG. 12, and FIG. For example, the operation control unit 5 may execute both the flowcharts shown in FIGS.

Next, another embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus will be described. In the present embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus includes an on-demand operation function for reducing power consumption in the polishing unit 3 and / or the cleaning unit 4. The on-demand operation function is a function that reduces power consumption by cutting off the power line to the motor of the substrate processing unit when the substrate processing unit (polishing unit 3 and / or cleaning unit 4) is in the standby mode. is there. Hereinafter, the on-demand operation function will be described.

FIG. 16 is a side view schematically showing the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. Reference numeral 100 in FIG. 16 represents a substrate processing unit for processing a substrate. The substrate processing unit 100 may be the polishing unit 3 for polishing the substrate, or may be the cleaning unit 4 for cleaning the substrate, or both the polishing unit 3 and the cleaning unit 4 May be included. The substrate processing apparatus includes a power source 96 electrically connected to a commercial power source 95 and a power interrupt device 106 connected to the power source 96. Each motor of the substrate processing unit 100 is connected to a power source 96 through a power cutoff device 106 by a power line 109. The power interruption device 106 is disposed on the power line 109. Electric power is supplied from the power source 96 to each motor through the electric power line 109 and the electric power interruption device 106.

The motor of the substrate processing unit 100 includes a table motor 19 that rotates the polishing table 30A, a head motor 37A that rotates the polishing head 31A, a turning motor 39A that rotates the polishing head 31A, a driving motor for the transfer robot of the substrate processing unit 100, a first motor. 1 includes cleaning tool motors 82 and 83 that rotate the cleaning tools 87 and 88 of the cleaning units 73A and 73B. The transfer robot of the substrate processing unit 100 includes the linear transporters 6 and 7 and the swing transporter 12 of the polishing unit 3, and further includes a first transfer robot 77 and a second transfer robot 78 of the cleaning unit 4.

Similarly, the drive motor of the transport robot (loader) 22 is also connected to the power source 96 through the power interruption device 106 by the power line 109. Although not shown, the table motor, the head motor, and the turning motor of the polishing units 3B, 3C, and 3D, and the cleaning tool motor of the second cleaning units 74A and 74B are similarly connected to the power source 96 through the power cutoff device 106 by the power line 109. Has been.

An exhaust duct 110 for forming a negative pressure inside the polishing unit 3 is connected to the polishing unit 3. The exhaust duct 110 is connected to a vacuum source (not shown) (for example, a vacuum pump). A flow control valve 111 and a flow meter 113 are attached to the exhaust duct 110. The flow rate of the gas exhausted from the polishing unit 3 through the exhaust duct 110 is adjusted by the flow rate control valve 111 and measured by the flow meter 113. Similarly, an exhaust duct 114 for forming a negative pressure inside the cleaning unit 4 is connected to the cleaning unit 4. The exhaust duct 114 is connected to a vacuum source (not shown) (for example, a vacuum pump). A flow control valve 115 and a flow meter 116 are attached to the exhaust duct 114. The flow rate of the gas exhausted from the cleaning unit 4 through the exhaust duct 114 is adjusted by the flow rate adjusting valve 115 and measured by the flow meter 116. The operations of the flow control valves 111 and 115 are controlled by the operation control unit 5.

The load / unload unit 2, the polishing unit 3, and the cleaning unit 4 are disposed in the housing 1. A solar panel 119 and a fan filter unit (FFU) 122 are disposed on the upper wall of the housing 1. The solar panel 119 converts lighting in the factory into electric power and supplies it to the storage battery 121. The electric power stored in the storage battery 121 is supplied to the electrical equipment of the substrate processing apparatus as necessary.

The fan filter unit 122 supplies clean air into the housing 1 to form a downflow of clean air in the housing 1. The fan filter unit 122 includes a filter (for example, a HEPA filter) 123, a fan 124, and a fan motor 125 for rotating the fan 124. The fan motor 125 is connected to a power source 96 via a driver (inverter) (not shown). The rotation speed of the fan motor 125 is controlled by the operation control unit 5 via a driver (inverter).

The power shut-off device 106 is a switch that establishes and cuts off the electrical connection between each motor described above of the substrate processing unit 100 and the power source 96. Each motor is electrically connected to the power source 96 by the power interrupt device 106 independently from the other motors, and is electrically disconnected. The power interruption device 106 is connected to the operation control unit 5, and the operation of the power interruption device 106 is controlled by the operation control unit 5.

The operation control unit 5 is configured to switch the operation mode of the substrate processing unit 100 between the processing mode and the standby mode. The processing mode is an operation mode when processing the substrate (for example, polishing and / or cleaning), and the standby mode is an operation mode after the processing of the substrate is finished. Specifically, the operation control unit 5 switches the operation mode from the standby mode to the processing mode before the substrate to be processed is carried into the substrate processing unit 100, and operates after the substrate is processed by the substrate processing unit 100. Switch the mode from processing mode to standby mode.

The operation control unit 5 switches the operation mode of the substrate processing unit 100 from the processing mode to the standby mode and issues a command to the power cut-off device 106 after the substrate processing in the substrate processing unit 100 is completed. The power interrupt device 106 is configured to interrupt the power line 109 to at least one motor of 100. For example, after the polishing of the substrate in the polishing unit 3 is completed, the power interruption device 106 receives a command signal from the operation control unit 5 and connects the power line 109 to the table motor 19, the head motor 37A, and the turning motor 39A. Cut off. In one embodiment, the power cutoff device 106 may cut off the power line 109 to the table motor 19, the head motor 37A, the turning motor 39A, the drive motors of the transporters 6 and 7, and the drive motor of the swing transporter 12. .

After the cleaning and drying of the substrate in the cleaning unit 4 is completed, the power cutoff device 106 receives a command signal from the operation control unit 5 and cuts off the power line 109 to the cleaning tool motors 82 and 83. In one embodiment, the power cut-off device 106 may cut off the power line 109 to the cleaning tool motors 82 and 83 and the drive motors of the transfer robots 77 and 78.

Generally, even when the polishing unit 3 is not polishing the substrate, the polishing table 30A is rotated at a low speed in order to maintain lubrication of the bearing. Similarly, even when the cleaning unit 4 is not cleaning the substrate, in order to prevent the cleaning tools 87 and 88 of the cleaning unit 73A from being dried, cleaning is performed while supplying pure water to the cleaning tools 87 and 88. The tools 87 and 88 are rotated at a low speed. According to the on-demand operation function of the present embodiment, the power cut-off device 106 cuts off the power line 109 to the motor of the polishing unit 3 or the cleaning unit 4 while the polishing unit 3 or the cleaning unit 4 is in the standby mode. As a result, power consumption in the polishing unit 3 or the cleaning unit 4 in the standby mode can be reduced.

In one embodiment, after the substrate processing in the substrate processing unit 100 is completed, the operation control unit 5 issues a command to the power cutoff device 106 to connect the power line 109 to the transfer robot (loader) 22 with the power cutoff device. 106 may be blocked. By such an operation, the power consumption of the entire substrate processing apparatus in standby can be further reduced.

Next, the on-demand control function of the substrate processing apparatus will be described. The on-demand control function is a function that reduces the power consumption and utility consumption of the substrate processing apparatus when the substrate processing unit 100 (the polishing unit 3 and / or the cleaning unit 4) is in the standby mode. Hereinafter, the on-demand control function will be described.

In the present embodiment, after the substrate processing in the substrate processing unit 100 (the polishing unit 3 and / or the cleaning unit 4) is completed, the operation control unit 5 changes the operation mode of the substrate processing unit 100 from the processing mode to the standby mode. Switching is made and the rotational speed of the fan motor 125 of the fan filter unit 122 is reduced. Specifically, the operation control unit 5 lowers the set value of the rotational speed of the fan motor 125 from the standard set value to a value lower than the standard set value. By such an operation, the power consumption of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced.

In one embodiment, the on-demand control function may include a function of reducing the amount of utility used in the substrate processing unit 100 as well as reducing power consumption. Specifically, after the substrate processing in the substrate processing unit 100 (the polishing unit 3 and / or the cleaning unit 4) is completed, the operation control unit 5 changes the operation mode of the substrate processing unit 100 from the processing mode to the standby mode. The flow rate of the utility used for switching and the substrate processing unit 100 is reduced.

The utility is a consumable fluid necessary for substrate processing in the substrate processing unit 100 (the polishing unit 3 and the cleaning unit 4). Examples of utilities are pure water, exhaust from the substrate processing unit 100, dry air, and cooling water. The pure water is used, for example, as moisturizing water for the polishing pad 10. Pure water is supplied to the polishing pad 10 from the liquid supply nozzle 32A. The flow rate of pure water is adjusted by the flow rate control valve 130 and measured by the flow meter 131. In addition, the pure water is also used as moisturizing water for the cleaning tools 87 and 88 of the cleaning unit 73A. The flow rate of pure water is adjusted by a flow rate control valve 134 and measured by a flow meter 135.

The exhaust from the substrate processing unit 100 is a gas discharged from the substrate processing unit 100 through the exhaust ducts 110 and 114. The gas discharged from the substrate processing unit 100 is mainly air. The flow rate of the exhaust gas is adjusted by the flow rate adjusting valves 111 and 115 and measured by the flow meters 113 and 116.

Dry air is, for example, a pressurized gas supplied to the pressure chamber (see reference numerals D1 to D5 in FIG. 3) of the polishing head 31A. The flow rate of dry air into the pressure chamber is measured by flow meters K1 to K5. Dry air may be used as a working fluid of an air cylinder as an actuator.

The cooling water is used for cooling the polishing table 30A as shown in FIG. The cooling water channel pipe 140 extends in the polishing table 30A. The polishing table 30 </ b> A whose temperature has risen due to the sliding contact between the substrate and the polishing pad 10 is cooled by the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel tube 140. The flow rate of the cooling water is adjusted by the flow rate control valve 141 and measured by the flow meter 142.

The utility uses described above are examples, and may be used for other purposes. Other examples of utilities include nitrogen gas and drainage.

SEMI (Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International), an international association of micro / nanoelectronics manufacturing supply chains, provides conversion factors for converting utilities used in semiconductor manufacturing equipment into power consumption. By multiplying the utility volume by a conversion factor, the utility usage can be converted into power consumption. For example, the conversion factor of the exhaust is 0.0037kWh / m ^3, the conversion factor of the dry air is 0.147kWh / m ^3, the conversion factor of the cooling water (temperature 20 ~ 25 ° C.) is 1.56kWh / m ^3, The conversion factor for pure water (pressurization) is 9.0 kWh / m ³ .

The operation control unit 5 stores in advance the conversion coefficients of the utilities described above in the storage device 210. The flow meters described above for measuring the flow rates of exhaust, pure water, dry air, and cooling water are connected to the operation control unit 5, and the measured values of the flow rates of the utilities are sent to the operation control unit 5. The operation control unit 5 calculates the volume of each utility used in the substrate processing unit 100 from the measured value of the flow rate, and converts the usage amount of each utility into the power consumption from the volume of each utility and the corresponding conversion factor. Then, the converted power consumption [kWh] is calculated. For example, the operation control unit 5 calculates the converted power consumption of the exhaust by multiplying the volume of the gas exhausted from the substrate processing unit 100 by the corresponding conversion coefficient.

After the processing of the substrate in the substrate processing unit 100 is completed, the operation control unit 5 operates at least one of the above-described flow rate control valves to operate utilities (exhaust gas, pure water) used in the substrate processing unit 100. , Dry air, or cooling water). By such an operation, the usage amount of the utility when the substrate processing unit 100 is in the standby mode can be reduced. Reduction of utility usage is equivalent to reduction of power consumption. In other words, by reducing the amount of utility used, the power consumption of the entire substrate processing apparatus can be reduced.

16 measures the power supplied from the power supply 96 to the substrate processing unit 100, and transmits the measured power value [W] to the operation control unit 5. The operation control unit 5 calculates the power consumption [kWh] in the substrate processing unit 100 from the measured power value. The operation control unit 5 records the power consumption in the substrate processing unit 100 in the storage device 210 of the operation control unit 5. Similarly, the operation control unit 5 records the converted power consumption calculated for each utility in the storage device 210 of the operation control unit 5. Further, the operation control unit 5 displays on the display device 241 the power consumption and converted power consumption in the substrate processing unit 100 recorded as power consumption data.

FIG. 17 is a graph of the power consumption and the converted power consumption displayed on the display device 241 of the operation control unit 5. The vertical axis represents power consumption [kWh], and the horizontal axis represents time. The power consumption shown in FIG. 17 is the sum of the power consumption in the substrate processing unit 100 and the converted power consumption calculated for each utility, that is, the total power consumption. As shown in FIG. 17, the operation control unit 5 can visualize the power consumption that varies with time, and can provide a graph that can contribute to the improvement of the operation method of the substrate processing apparatus.

The operation control unit 5 can calculate the power consumption per substrate by dividing the integrated value of the total power consumption within a certain time by the number of substrates processed within that time. The power consumption per substrate can be used, for example, for evaluation of substrate polishing recipes and cleaning recipes. Similarly, the operation control unit 5 can also calculate the power consumption per substrate cassette (per lot). Furthermore, the operation control unit 5 can also calculate an integrated value of power consumption from a certain time point to the present time.

The on-demand control function can be executed simultaneously with the on-demand operation function described above. For example, after the substrate processing in the substrate processing unit 100 is completed, the operation control unit 5 issues a command to the power cut-off device 106 to cut off the power line 109 to the table motor 19 and the fan of the fan filter unit 122. The rotational speed of the motor 125 may be reduced. Thus, the combination of the on-demand operation function and the on-demand control function can efficiently reduce the overall power consumption of the substrate processing apparatus.

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment for reducing the power consumption of the substrate processing apparatus. Since the configuration of the present embodiment that is not specifically described is the same as the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the redundant description is omitted. The substrate processing apparatus of this embodiment includes a multi-axis integrated amplifier 160 that is electrically connected to a plurality of motors M1, M2, and M3 of the substrate processing apparatus. Normally, electric power is supplied from the power source 96 to the motors M1, M2, and M3 through the multi-axis integrated amplifier 160. The multi-axis integrated amplifier 160 supplies regenerative power generated when one of the plurality of motors M1, M2, and M3 is decelerating to the other one of the motors M1, M2, and M3. It is configured. Such a multi-axis integrated amplifier 160 can be obtained on the market. In this embodiment, three motors are connected to the multi-axis integrated amplifier 160, but two motors or more than three motors may be connected to the multi-axis integrated amplifier 160.

Motors M1, M2, and M3 connected to the multi-axis integrated amplifier 160 are the table motor 19 of the four polishing units 3A to 3D, the drive motor of the transfer robot (loader) 22, the drive motor of the first transfer robot 77, the first 2. The driving motor of the transfer robot 78, the driving motors of the linear transporters 6 and 7, the driving motor of the swing transporter 12, and the like are selected. For example, the table motor 19 of the first polishing unit 3A and the table motor 19 of the second polishing unit 3B are connected to the multi-axis integrated amplifier 160. In this configuration, when the table motor 19 of the first polishing unit 3A is decelerated, the regenerative power generated in the table motor 19 passes through the multi-axis integrated amplifier 160 to the table motor 19 of the second polishing unit 3B. Supplied. Therefore, the overall power consumption of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced. The regenerative power may be stored in the storage battery 121 shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 19, the table motor 19 and the head motor 37A may be connected to the multi-axis integrated amplifier 160. When the rotation speed of the polishing table 30A is higher than the rotation speed of the polishing head 31A during the polishing of the substrate, the head motor 37A generates power. The generated electric power is supplied to the table motor 19 through the multi-axis integrated amplifier 160. Accordingly, the power consumption of the table motor 19 is reduced, and as a result, the overall power consumption of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced.

FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram showing another embodiment for reducing the power consumption of the substrate processing apparatus. Since the configuration of the present embodiment that is not specifically described is the same as the configuration of the above-described embodiment, the redundant description is omitted. As shown in FIG. 20, the first polishing unit 3A includes a pan 170 disposed around the polishing table 30A, a fluid conduit 171 extending downward from the bottom of the pan 170, and a gas-liquid separation connected to the fluid conduit 171. A tank 175, a water wheel 177 disposed in the fluid conduit 171, and a generator 179 connected to the water wheel 177 are provided.

During polishing of the substrate, a polishing liquid (slurry) is supplied to the polishing pad 10 from the liquid supply nozzle 32A. Further, after polishing the substrate, pure water as a dressing liquid is supplied to the polishing pad 10 from the liquid supply nozzle 32A. After the pad dressing, the gas-liquid mixed fluid is supplied to the polishing pad 10 from the atomizer 34A. These fluids are collected in a pan 170 and guided to a gas-liquid separation tank 175 through a fluid conduit 171. The fluid is separated into gas and liquid in the gas-liquid separation tank 175. The gas is exhausted through the exhaust duct 181 and the liquid is exhausted through the drain 182.

The fluid flowing through the fluid conduit 171 rotates the water wheel 177 and generates power in the generator 179 connected to the water wheel 177. The generated electric power may be supplied to any of the above-described motors of the substrate processing apparatus, or may be stored in the storage battery 121 shown in FIG. Thus, according to this embodiment, the potential energy of the fluid can be converted into electric power, and as a result, the overall power consumption of the substrate processing apparatus can be reduced. In the present embodiment, the water wheel 177 has a spiral shape. This type of water turbine 177 has the advantage of being able to rotate efficiently with a low head. In one embodiment, the water wheel 177 may be another type of water wheel. Although not shown, the second polishing unit 3B to the fourth polishing unit 3D may also have the configuration shown in FIG.

The operation of the substrate processing apparatus is controlled by the operation control unit 5. In the present embodiment, the operation control unit 5 is configured by a dedicated computer or a general-purpose computer. FIG. 21 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of the operation control unit 5. The operation control unit 5 includes a storage device 210 that stores programs, data, and the like, a processing device 220 such as a CPU (central processing unit) that performs operations according to the programs stored in the storage device 210, data, programs, and An input device 230 for inputting various information to the storage device 210, an output device 240 for outputting processing results and processed data, and a communication device 250 for connecting to a network such as the Internet are provided.

The storage device 210 includes a main storage device 211 accessible by the processing device 220 and an auxiliary storage device 212 that stores data and programs. The main storage device 211 is a random access memory (RAM), for example, and the auxiliary storage device 212 is a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD).

The input device 230 includes a keyboard and a mouse, and further includes a recording medium reading device 232 for reading data from the recording medium and a recording medium port 234 to which the recording medium is connected. The recording medium is a non-transitory tangible computer-readable recording medium, such as an optical disc (eg, CD-ROM, DVD-ROM) or semiconductor memory (eg, USB flash drive, memory card). is there. Examples of the recording medium reading device 232 include an optical drive such as a CD drive and a DVD drive, and a card reader. An example of the recording medium port 234 is a USB terminal. The program and / or data electrically stored in the recording medium is introduced into the operation control unit 5 via the input device 230 and stored in the auxiliary storage device 212 of the storage device 210. The output device 240 includes a display device 241 and a printing device 242.

The operation control unit 5 operates according to a program electrically stored in the storage device 210. The program is recorded on a computer-readable recording medium that is a non-transitory tangible object, and is provided to the operation control unit 5 via the recording medium. Alternatively, the program may be provided to the operation control unit 5 via a communication network such as the Internet.

The above-described embodiments are described for the purpose of enabling the person having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention belongs to implement the present invention. Various modifications of the above embodiment can be naturally made by those skilled in the art, and the technical idea of the present invention can be applied to other embodiments. Accordingly, the present invention is not limited to the described embodiments, but is to be construed in the widest scope according to the technical idea defined by the claims.

The present invention can be used in a method for reducing the peak power of a substrate processing apparatus. The present invention can also be used in a method of operating a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate such as a wafer.

Claims (16)

Calculate the expected polishing time from the polishing recipe for polishing the substrate,
Calculate the expected cleaning time from the cleaning recipe for cleaning the substrate,
Dividing the expected polishing time by the number of polishing units in the polishing unit to calculate a polishing throughput index value,
Divide the expected cleaning time by the number of cleaning lanes in the cleaning unit to calculate a cleaning throughput index value,
Comparing the polishing throughput index value and the cleaning throughput index value,
If the polishing throughput index value is larger than the cleaning throughput index value, lower the set value of the operation acceleration of the cleaning side substrate transfer system,
When the cleaning throughput index value is larger than the polishing throughput index value, the set value of the operation acceleration of the polishing side substrate transfer system is lowered. If the polishing throughput index value is larger than the cleaning throughput index value, lower the setting value of the operation acceleration of the cleaning side substrate transfer system, and lower the setting value of the operation speed of the cleaning side substrate transfer system,
When the cleaning throughput index value is larger than the polishing throughput index value, the set value of the operation acceleration of the polishing side substrate transfer system is decreased, and the set value of the operation speed of the polishing side substrate transfer system is decreased The substrate processing method according to claim 1. Count the polishing waiting time of the substrate carried into the polishing unit,
Count the waiting time for cleaning the substrate loaded into the cleaning section,
Compare the polishing waiting time with the cleaning waiting time,
If the polishing waiting time is longer than the cleaning waiting time, lower the set value of the operation acceleration of the cleaning side substrate transfer system,
When the cleaning waiting time is longer than the polishing waiting time, the set value of the operation acceleration of the polishing side substrate transport system is lowered. If the polishing waiting time is longer than the cleaning waiting time, lower the set value of the operation acceleration of the cleaning side substrate transfer system, and lower the set value of the operation speed of the cleaning side substrate transfer system,
When the cleaning waiting time is longer than the polishing waiting time, the set value of the operation acceleration of the polishing side substrate transfer system is lowered, and the set value of the operation speed of the polishing side substrate transfer system is lowered. Item 4. The substrate processing method according to Item 3. The polishing waiting time is a delay time from an assumed operation start time of the polishing-side substrate transfer system to an actual operation start time.
5. The substrate processing method according to claim 3, wherein the cleaning waiting time is a delay time from an assumed operation start time of the cleaning side substrate transfer system to an actual operation start time. When the power demand of the substrate processing operation in the substrate processing apparatus is lower than a preset cut level, the power from the commercial power supply is supplied to the storage battery,
Processing a plurality of substrates with the substrate processing apparatus;
During the processing of the plurality of substrates, when the power demand for the substrate processing operation exceeds the cut level, the power for the substrate processing operation is supplied while supplying power corresponding to the cut level from a commercial power source to the power source of the substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing method characterized by supplying the electric power equivalent to the difference of a demand and the said cut level from the said storage battery to the power supply of the said substrate processing apparatus. Polishing a plurality of substrates with the first polishing unit,
A substrate processing method comprising polishing a plurality of other substrates with a second polishing unit when the plurality of substrates are not polished with the first polishing unit. Switch the operation mode of the substrate processing unit from standby mode to processing mode,
Processing the substrate in the substrate processing section,
After the processing of the substrate is completed, the operation mode of the substrate processing unit is switched from the processing mode to the standby mode, and the power line to at least one motor of the substrate processing unit is cut off. Driving method. 9. The substrate according to claim 8, wherein the at least one motor includes a table motor that rotates a polishing table for polishing the substrate, and a head motor that rotates a polishing head for polishing the substrate. Operation method of the processing apparatus. 10. The method for operating a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one motor includes a drive motor of a transfer robot for transferring the substrate. The operation of the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the at least one motor includes a cleaning tool motor that rotates a cleaning tool of a cleaning unit for cleaning the substrate. Method. 12. The method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of shutting off a power line to a drive motor of a loader for carrying the substrate into the substrate processing unit after the processing of the substrate is completed. A method for operating the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1. The method for operating a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the substrate processing unit is a polishing unit for polishing a substrate or a cleaning unit for cleaning a substrate. . The method of operating a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 8, further comprising a step of reducing a flow rate of a utility used in the substrate processing unit after the processing of the substrate is completed. . The volume of the first utility used in the substrate processing unit is converted into power consumption to calculate the first converted power consumption,
The volume of the second utility used in the substrate processing unit is converted into power consumption to calculate the second converted power consumption,
Calculate power consumption in the substrate processing unit,
An operation method of a substrate processing apparatus, wherein the first converted power consumption, the second converted power consumption, and the power consumption in the substrate processing unit are recorded. The method of operating a substrate processing apparatus according to claim 15, wherein a graph of the first converted power consumption, the second converted power consumption, and the power consumption in the substrate processing unit is created.

Images