US 7,599,042 B2Granted

Coating and developing apparatus, substrate processing method and computer-readable recording medium

AssigneeTokyo Electron Limited

InventorsAkira Miyata, Tomohiro Kaneko

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Abstract

With regard to a group of substrates preceding a substrate of which residence time is under calculation, a time t1 and a time t2 are calculated, t1 being a time interval from a time point in which a substrate B1 under the consideration has become ready from being transferred out from a wait module to a time point in which a heating module used for the substrate B1 has been ready for processing the substrate B1, t2 being a time interface from a time on in which the substrate B1 under calculation has been transferred out from the wait module to a time point of reaching the heating module used for the substrate B1, and a waiting time t of the substrate B1 in the wait module is calculated according to t=t1−t2.

Claims17

Dependent claims

A coating and developing apparatus carrying out coating of a resist film upon a substrate taken out from a carrier fed into a carrier block, said coating and developing apparatus further applying a developing process to a substrate finished with an exposure process in an exposure apparatus, said coating and developing apparatus further carrying out, after processing of substrates of a preceding lot, processing of substrates of a subsequent lot, said coating and developing apparatus comprising:

a wait module in which a substrate coated with a resist film and ready for an exposure process waits for transfer;
a transfer unit transferring said substrate waiting in said wait module to a feed-in port of said exposure apparatus, said transfer unit being further fed with a substrate finished with an exposure process from a feed-out port of said exposure apparatus and transferring to a selected heating module selected from a plurality of heating modules;
a calculation unit calculating, during said processing of substrates of said preceding lot, a timing for transferring out a first substrate of said subsequent lot to be processed with said heating module from said wait module for each of said plurality of heating modules;
a control unit controlling said transfer unit such that a first substrate of said subsequent lot is transferred out from said wait module with a timing calculated with said calculation unit,
wherein said calculation unit obtains, for a current heating module included in said plurality of heating modules, a waiting time t defined as a time interval from a time point in which a first substrate B1 of said subsequent lot to be processed by said current module at first has become ready for being transferred out from said wait module to a time point in which said substrate B1 has been transferred out from said wait module, as
t=t1−t2,
t1 representing a time interval from said time point in which said substrate B1 has become ready for being transferred out from said wait module to a time point in which said current heating module has become ready for processing said substrate B1, t2 representing a time interval from said time point in which said substrate B1 has been transferred out from said wait module to a time point in which said substrate B1 has reached said current heating module,
said calculation unit obtaining said time t1 as a sum of:
a predicted residual time t11 representing a time interval in which a substrate A1, which is a substrate of said preceding lot to be processed at last by said current heating module, remains in said exposure apparatus as measured from a first time point in which said substrate B1 has become ready to be transferred out from said wait module, to a time point in which said substrate A1 is transferred to a feed-out port of said exposure apparatus;
and
a time interval t12 from a time in which said substrate A1 is transported out from said feed-out port and processed with said current heating module after being transferred thereto, to a time in which said current heating module has become ready for processing said substrate B1 subsequent to said substrate A1,
said calculation unit further obtaining said time t2 as a sum of:
a time interval t21 for said substrate B1 being transferred out from said wait module and introduced into said feed-in port of said exposure apparatus;
a time t3 for said substrate B1 residing in said exposure apparatus;
and
a time t23 for said substrate B1 being transferred out from said exposure apparatus and transferred to said current heating module,
said calculation unit further calculating said residual time t3 in said exposure apparatus for each of said substrates that precede said substrate B1 from a time point of being transferred into said exposure apparatus to a time point of being transferred out from said exposure apparatus,
said calculation unit calculating said predicted residual time t11 of said substrate A1 in said exposure apparatus as a time that remains after a time interval, measured from a time point in which said substrate B1 is introduced into said exposure apparatus to a time point in which said substrate B1 has become ready for being transferred out from said waiting module, has been subtracted from said residual time t3 of said substrate A1 in said exposure apparatus,
said transfer unit transferring out said substrate B1 from said wait module at a time point in which said wait time t has been elapsed from said time point in which said substrate B1 has become ready for being transferred out from said wait module.

16 more elements

A substrate processing method for carrying out processing of substrates of a current lot subsequent to substrates of a preceding lot by using a coating and developing apparatus, said coating and developing apparatus comprising:

a wait module in which a substrate coated with a resist and ready for an exposure process waits for transfer;
a transfer unit transferring said substrate waiting in said wait module to a feed-in port of said exposure apparatus, said transfer unit being further transferred with a substrate finished with an exposure apparatus from a feed-out port of said exposure apparatus and transferring to a selected heating module selected from a plurality of heating modules;
and
a developing module carrying out a developing processing to a substrate heated with said heating module, said substrate processing method comprising the steps of:
calculating, during said processing of substrates of said preceding lot, a timing for transferring out a first substrate of said subsequent lot to be processed with said heating module from said wait module for each of said plurality of heating modules;
and
transferring out a first substrate of said subsequent lot form said wait module with a timing calculated by said calculating step,
wherein said calculating step obtains, for a current heating module included in said plurality of heating modules, a waiting time t defined as a time interval from a time point in which a first substrate B1 of said subsequent lot to be processed by said current module at first has become ready for being transferred out from said wait module to a time point in which said substrate B1 has been transferred out from said wait module, as
t=t1−t2,
t1 representing a time interval from said time point in which said substrate B1 has become ready for being transferred out from said wait module to a time point in which said current heating module has become ready for processing said substrate B1, t2 representing a time interval from said time point in which said substrate B1 has been transferred out from said wait module to a time point in which said substrate B1 has reached said current heating module,
said calculating step obtaining said time t1 as a sum of:
a predicted residual time t11 representing a time interval in which a substrate A1, which is a substrate of said preceding lot to be processed at last by said current heating module, remains in said exposure apparatus as measured from a first time point in which said substrate B1 has become ready to be transferred out from said wait module, to a time point in which said substrate A1 is transferred to a feed-out port of said exposure apparatus;
and
a time interval t12 from a time in which said substrate A1 is transported out from said feed-out port and processed with said current heating module after being transferred thereto, to a time in which said current heating module has become ready for processing said substrate B1 subsequent to said substrate A1,
said calculating step further obtaining said time t2 as a sum of:
a time interval t21 for said substrate B1 being transferred out from said wait module and introduced into said feed-in port of said exposure apparatus;
a time t3 for said substrate B1 residing in said exposure apparatus;
and
a time t23 for said substrate B1 being transferred out from said exposure apparatus and transferred to said current heating module,
said calculating step further calculating said residual time t3 in said exposure apparatus for each of said substrates that precede said substrate B1 from a time point of being transferred into said exposure apparatus to a time point of being transferred out from said exposure apparatus,
said calculating step calculating said predicted residual time t11 of said substrate A1 in said exposure apparatus as a time that remains after a time interval, measured from a time point in which said substrate B1 is introduced into said exposure apparatus to a time point in which said substrate B1 has become ready for being transferred out from said waiting module, has been subtracted from said residual time t3 of said substrate A1 in said exposure apparatus.

18 more elements

A computer-readable recording medium recorded with program code means for controlling a general purpose computer to carry out a substrate processing method, said substrate processing method carrying out processing of substrates of a current lot subsequent to substrates of a preceding lot by using a coating and developing apparatus, said coating and developing apparatus comprising:

a wait module in which a substrate coated with a resist and ready for an exposure process waits for transfer;
a transfer unit transferring said substrate waiting in said wait module to a feed-in port of said exposure apparatus, said transfer unit being further transferred with a substrate finished with an exposure apparatus from a feed-out port of said exposure apparatus and transferring to a selected heating module selected from a plurality of heating modules;
and a developing module carrying out a developing processing to a substrate heated with said heating module, said substrate processing method comprising the steps of:
calculating, during said processing of substrates of said preceding lot, a timing for transferring out a first substrate of said subsequent lot to be processed with said heating module from said wait module for each of said plurality of heating modules;
and
transferring out a first substrate of said subsequent lot form said wait module with a timing calculated by said calculating step,
wherein said calculating step obtains, for a current heating module included in said plurality of heating modules, a waiting time t defined as a time interval from a time point in which a first substrate B1 of said subsequent lot to be processed by said current module at first has become ready for being transferred out from said wait module to a time point in which said substrate B1 has been transferred out from said wait module, as
t=t1−t2,
t1 representing a time interval from said time point in which said substrate B1 has become ready for being transferred out from said wait module to a time point in which said current heating module has become ready for processing said substrate B1, t2 representing a time interval from said time point in which said substrate B1 has been transferred out from said wait module to a time point in which said substrate B1 has reached said current heating module,
said calculating unit obtaining said time t1 as a sum of:
a predicted residual time t11 representing a time interval in which a substrate A1, which is a substrate of said preceding lot to be processed at last by said current heating module, remains in said exposure apparatus as measured from a first time point in which said substrate B1 has become ready to be transferred out from said wait module, to a time point in which said substrate A1 is transferred to a feed-out port of said exposure apparatus;
and
a time interval t12 from a time in which said substrate A1 is transported out from said feed-out port and processed with said current heating module after being transferred thereto, to a time in which said current heating module has become ready for processing said substrate B1 subsequent to said substrate A1,
said calculating step further obtaining said time t2 as a sum of:
a time interval t21 for said substrate B1 being transferred out from said wait module and introduced into said feed-in port of said exposure apparatus;
a time t3 for said substrate B1 residing in said exposure apparatus;
and
a time t23 for said substrate B1 being transferred out from said exposure apparatus and transferred to said current heating module,
said calculating step further calculating said residual time t3 in said exposure apparatus for each of said substrates that precede said substrate B1 from a time point of being transferred into said exposure apparatus to a time point of being transferred out from said exposure apparatus,
said calculating step calculating said predicted residual time t11 of said substrate A1 in said exposure apparatus as a time that remains after a time interval, measured from a time point in which said substrate B1 is introduced into said exposure apparatus to a time point in which said substrate B1 has become ready for being transferred out from said waiting module, has been subtracted from said residual time t3 of said substrate A1 in said exposure apparatus.

17 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

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Abstract

a wait module in which a substrate coated with a resist film and ready for an exposure process waits for transfer;
a transfer unit transferring said substrate waiting in said wait module to a feed-in port of said exposure apparatus, said transfer unit being further fed with a substrate finished with an exposure process from a feed-out port of said exposure apparatus and transferring to a selected heating module selected from a plurality of heating modules;
a calculation unit calculating, during said processing of substrates of said preceding lot, a timing for transferring out a first substrate of said subsequent lot to be processed with said heating module from said wait module for each of said plurality of heating modules;
a control unit controlling said transfer unit such that a first substrate of said subsequent lot is transferred out from said wait module with a timing calculated with said calculation unit,
wherein said calculation unit obtains, for a current heating module included in said plurality of heating modules, a waiting time t defined as a time interval from a time point in which a first substrate B1 of said subsequent lot to be processed by said current module at first has become ready for being transferred out from said wait module to a time point in which said substrate B1 has been transferred out from said wait module, as
t=t1−t2,
t1 representing a time interval from said time point in which said substrate B1 has become ready for being transferred out from said wait module to a time point in which said current heating module has become ready for processing said substrate B1, t2 representing a time interval from said time point in which said substrate B1 has been transferred out from said wait module to a time point in which said substrate B1 has reached said current heating module,
said calculation unit obtaining said time t1 as a sum of:
a predicted residual time t11 representing a time interval in which a substrate A1, which is a substrate of said preceding lot to be processed at last by said current heating module, remains in said exposure apparatus as measured from a first time point in which said substrate B1 has become ready to be transferred out from said wait module, to a time point in which said substrate A1 is transferred to a feed-out port of said exposure apparatus;
and
a time interval t12 from a time in which said substrate A1 is transported out from said feed-out port and processed with said current heating module after being transferred thereto, to a time in which said current heating module has become ready for processing said substrate B1 subsequent to said substrate A1,
said calculation unit further obtaining said time t2 as a sum of:
a time interval t21 for said substrate B1 being transferred out from said wait module and introduced into said feed-in port of said exposure apparatus;
a time t3 for said substrate B1 residing in said exposure apparatus;
and
a time t23 for said substrate B1 being transferred out from said exposure apparatus and transferred to said current heating module,
said calculation unit further calculating said residual time t3 in said exposure apparatus for each of said substrates that precede said substrate B1 from a time point of being transferred into said exposure apparatus to a time point of being transferred out from said exposure apparatus,
said calculation unit calculating said predicted residual time t11 of said substrate A1 in said exposure apparatus as a time that remains after a time interval, measured from a time point in which said substrate B1 is introduced into said exposure apparatus to a time point in which said substrate B1 has become ready for being transferred out from said waiting module, has been subtracted from said residual time t3 of said substrate A1 in said exposure apparatus,
said transfer unit transferring out said substrate B1 from said wait module at a time point in which said wait time t has been elapsed from said time point in which said substrate B1 has become ready for being transferred out from said wait module.

16 more elements