Maintenance method and system for plasma processing apparatus
AssigneeHitachi, Ltd.
InventorsHideyuki Yamamoto, Toshio Masuda, Shoji Ikujhara, Akira Kagoshima, Junichi Tanaka
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
For maintenance after wet cleaning of a plasma processing apparatus which processes a specimen in a vacuum processing chamber by using a plasma, when restoration processing after the wet cleaning of members configuring the vacuum processing chamber is performed with the vacuum processing chamber opened to the atmosphere, it is automatically or semiautomatically judged whether the restoration processing is appropriate or not according to a predetermined optimum sequence inherent in the apparatus, and the next processing is started automatically or semiautomatically according to the results.
Claims23
A maintenance method after wet cleaning of a plasma processing apparatus which processes a specimen by plasma in a vacuum processing chamber, comprising the step of:
- performing restoration processing after the wet cleaning of members configuring the vacuum processing chamber with the vacuum processing chamber opened to the atmosphere for maintenance or the like, wherein:
- it is automatically or semiautomatically judged whether the restoration processing is appropriate or not according to a predetermined optimum sequence inherent in the apparatus, and the next processing is started automatically or semiautomatically according to the results.
A maintenance system for a plasma processing apparatus, which is provided with a vacuum processing chamber, a vacuum evacuation section, a plasma generating gas supply section, a plasma generating section, and a specimen stage on which a wafer to be processed in the vacuum processing chamber is placed, comprising:
- an operation circuit for performing a sequence for a restoring operation after wet cleaning;
- a storage section for storing measured data;
- a plurality of detection sensors for collecting measured data values from the operating plasma processing apparatus;
- an I/O section for determining prescribed values;
- and
- a comparison/decision circuit for comparing the prescribed values with the data stored in the storage section.
A remote diagnostic system for maintenance of a plasma processing apparatus which is under administration of a first company by a diagnostic apparatus of a second company which is connected to a system of said plasma processing apparatus through a communications network and not under administration of said first company, comprising:
- a plurality of detection sensors for collecting measured data values from the operating plasma processing apparatus;
- and
- a section for providing information about said measured data values to said diagnostic apparatus through said communications network, wherein:
- when restoration processing after the wet cleaning of members configuring the vacuum processing chamber is performed with the vacuum processing chamber opened to the atmosphere for maintenance or the like, it is automatically or semiautomatically judged whether the restoration processing is appropriate or not according to a predetermined optimum sequence inherent in the apparatus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.