Substrate processing apparatus

{
  "publication_number": "US9589819B1",
  "country": "US",
  "kind": "B1",
  "title": "Substrate processing apparatus",
  "abstract": "A substrate processing apparatus includes a robot having: an end effector, a first link structure including a fixing portion having a front end to which the end effector is fixed, a support portion, and a first hole formed in the support portion, a second link structure including a second hole, and a shaft inserted into the first and second holes, the shaft including an upper end having a height equal to or smaller than a height of the substrate mounted on the end effector; a vacuum transfer chamber, wherein the robot is installed in the vacuum transfer chamber; at least one process chamber disposed adjacent to the vacuum transfer chamber and configured to thermally process the substrate transferred from the vacuum transfer chamber by the robot; a module including one or more process chambers; and a cooling mechanism installed above the first link structure or the shaft.",
  "claims": [
    "1. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a robot including: an end effector configured to support a substrate and configured to move up and down, a first link structure including a fixing portion having a front end to which the end effector is fixed, a support portion configured to support the fixing portion, and a first hole formed in the support portion, a second link structure including a second hole, and a shaft inserted into the first hole and the second hole to interconnect the first link structure and the second link structure, the shaft including an upper end having a height equal to or smaller than a height of the substrate mounted on the end effector; a vacuum transfer chamber, wherein the robot is installed in the vacuum transfer chamber; at least one process chamber disposed adjacent to the vacuum transfer chamber and configured to thermally process the substrate transferred from the vacuum transfer chamber by the robot; a module including one or more process chambers; a cooling mechanism installed above the first link structure or the shaft and configured to cool the first link structure or the shaft; and an elevator configured to move the end effector to a standby position in a cooling mode, the standby position being located vertically closer to the cooling mechanism than a transfer position in which the substrate is transferred.",
    "2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the cooling mechanism is installed in an upper wall of a housing of the vacuum transfer chamber.",
    "3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the upper end of the shaft is configured to have a height equal to or smaller than a height of an upper end of the end effector.",
    "4. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the first link structure or the shaft is installed in the vacuum transfer chamber, and a cooling mode of the first link structure or the shaft is performed if the temperature sensor detects a predetermined temperature.",
    "5. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein a heat transfer gas supply part configured to supply a heat transfer gas is installed in the vacuum transfer chamber.",
    "6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the heat transfer gas is supplied from the heat transfer gas supply part in the cooling mode.",
    "7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the cooling mode is performed before unloading the substrate from at least one process chamber.",
    "8. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the cooling mode is performed after unloading the substrate from at least one process chamber.",
    "9. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cooling mechanism is installed above the robot.",
    "10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cooling mechanism is installed over an operation range of the end effector in a horizontal direction.",
    "11. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the cooling mechanism is installed between the shaft and a substrate loading/unloading gate of at least one process chamber in a horizontal direction.",
    "12. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a heat transfer gas supply part configured to supply a heat transfer gas is installed in the vacuum transfer chamber.",
    "13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein a temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of the first link structure or the shaft is installed in the vacuum transfer chamber, and a cooling mode of the first link structure or the shaft is performed if the temperature sensor detects a predetermined temperature.",
    "14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the cooling mode is performed in a state in which the substrate is not mounted on the end effector.",
    "15. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the heat transfer gas is supplied from the heat transfer gas supply part in the cooling mode.",
    "16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the cooling mode is performed before unloading the substrate from at least one process chamber.",
    "17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the cooling mode is performed after unloading the substrate from at least one process chamber.",
    "18. A substrate processing apparatus, comprising: a robot including: an end effector configured to support a substrate and configured to move up and down, a first link structure including a fixing portion having a front end to which the end effector is fixed, a support portion configured to support the fixing portion, and a first hole formed in the support portion, a second link structure including a second hole, a shaft inserted into the first hole and the second hole to interconnect the first link structure and the second link structure, the shaft including an upper end having a height equal to or smaller than a height of the substrate mounted on the end effector, and an arm control part configured to control an operation of the shaft; a vacuum transfer chamber, wherein the robot is installed in the vacuum transfer chamber; a temperature sensor installed in the vacuum transfer chamber and configured to detect a temperature of the first link structure; a temperature monitoring part configured to monitor information of the temperature sensor; at least one process chamber disposed adjacent to the vacuum transfer chamber and configured to thermally process the substrate transferred from the vacuum transfer chamber by the robot; a module including one or more process chambers; a cooling mechanism installed above the first link structure or the shaft and configured to cool the first link structure or the shaft; an elevator configured to move the end effector to a standby position in a cooling mode, the standby position being located vertically closer to the cooling mechanism than a transfer position in which the substrate is transferred; a memory part configured to store temperature information of the first link structure and a table which compares operation parameters of the first link structure in a cooling mode; a comparison part configured to compare contents of the table with the received temperature information and extract an operation parameter in the cooling mode if the temperature information falls within a predetermined temperature range; and a transmission/reception part configured to receive the temperature information monitored by the temperature monitoring part or transmit the operation parameter extracted by the comparison part to the arm control part."
  ],
  "description_excerpt": "The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, and a recording medium.\n\nFor example, a substrate processing apparatus such as a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus for performing a predetermined process with respect to a semiconductor substrate includes a module which performs a film forming process, a heat treatment or the like with respect to a substrate transferred from a higher-level apparatus. The transfer of the substrate is performed by, for example, a transfer robot disposed in a vacuum transfer chamber. In the aforementioned apparatus, there is required an ability to form a high-quality film at high throughput. For example, processing a substrate at a high temperature may be used as a method of providing a high-quality film. However, when repeatedly performing a process, the temperature of a substrate is accumulated in a transfer robot. Thus, deformation or the like of the components that constitute the transfer robot may occur. The deformation of the components may become a cause of frequent maintenance or the like. This poses a problem of reduction of throughput.\n\nThe present disclosure provides some embodiments of a technique capable of maintaining high throughput even when processing a substrate at a high temperature.",
  "cpc": [
    "H10P 72/0464",
    "H01L 21/67109",
    "H01L 21/67196",
    "H01L 21/67207",
    "H01L 21/67248",
    "H01L 21/68764",
    "H01L 21/68792",
    "H10P 72/04",
    "H10P 72/0434",
    "H10P 72/0462",
    "H10P 72/0468",
    "H10P 72/0602",
    "H10P 72/32",
    "H10P 72/3302",
    "H10P 72/7618",
    "H10P 72/7626",
    "H10P 95/00"
  ],
  "ipc": [
    "H10P 14/60",
    "H10P 72/00",
    "H10P 72/30",
    "H10P 72/76",
    "H10P 95/90"
  ],
  "assignees": [
    "Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc"
  ],
  "inventors": [
    "Satoshi Takano"
  ],
  "filing_date": "2016-03-10",
  "publication_date": "2017-03-07",
  "grant_date": "2017-03-07",
  "priority_date": "2015-09-29",
  "application_number": "US-201615066081-A",
  "family_id": "58162260",
  "cited_by_count": 10,
  "citations": [
    "JPH0786371A",
    "US6742977B1",
    "US6986261B2",
    "US7748138B2",
    "US8326468B2",
    "US20090118872A1",
    "JP2010171344A",
    "JP2011061149A",
    "US20120034570A1",
    "JP2012054536A",
    "US9259841B2",
    "US20130180448A1",
    "US20140235068A1",
    "US20150133044A1",
    "US20150371883A1"
  ]
}