# US 9,915,938 B2 · Adjustment apparatus for adjusting processing units provided in a substrate processing apparatus, and a substrate processing apparatus having such an adjustment apparatus > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 9,915,938 B2 - Document ID: US9915938B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 14/596,531 - Filed: 2015-01-14 - Published: 2015-08-27 - Granted: 2018-03-13 - Earliest claimed: 2014-01-20 - Assignees: Ebara Corporation - Applicants: Ebara Corporation - Inventors: Koichi Takeda; Takamasa Nakamura - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US9915938B2 ## CPC - G05B 19/4184: {characterised by fault tolerance, reliability of production system} - G05B 2219/2602: Wafer processing - G05B 2219/31044: Assembly of modular products, variant configurability - G05B 2219/32139: Select at workstation control parameters for cell, node - Y02P 90/02: Total factory control, e.g. smart factories, flexible manufacturing systems [FMS] or integrated manufacturing systems [IMS] - G05B: CONTROL OR REGULATING SYSTEMS IN GENERAL; FUNCTIONAL ELEMENTS OF SUCH SYSTEMS; MONITORING OR TESTING ARRANGEMENTS FOR SUCH SYSTEMS OR ELEMENTS (systems for controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; systems for regulating electric or magnetic variables G05F; control devices or systems insofar as characterised by mechanical features only G05G) - Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS ## Abstract An adjustment apparatus capable of adjusting various types of processing units of a substrate processing apparatus within a shorter period of time is disclosed. The adjustment apparatus includes a main operation device configured to manipulate the processing units and adjust the designated operations, terminal operation devices configured to manipulate the processing units and adjust the designated operations, a network that connects the processing units and the main operation device to each other; and connecting devices configured to connect the terminal operation devices to the network and disconnect the terminal operation devices from the network. Each of the terminal operation devices is configured to be able to manipulate at least one of the processing units. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An adjustment apparatus comprising: a main terminal having software installed therein that instructs the main terminal to adjust designated operations of a plurality of processing stations, the processing stations being included in one substrate processing apparatus and performing the designated operations on a substrate; secondary terminals having software installed therein that instructs the secondary terminals to adjust the designated operations of the processing stations, each of the main terminal and the secondary terminals having a user interface; a network that connects the processing stations, secondary terminals, and the main terminal to each other; and connection ports that removably connect the secondary terminals to the network, wherein each of the secondary terminals has a function to request an exclusive manipulation right that allows one secondary terminal to exclusively manipulate at least one processing station selected from the processing stations, and the main terminal has a function to reject the request from the secondary terminal if an exclusive manipulation right has already been established for the selected processing station. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the main terminal has a storage that stores therein adjustment parameters sent from the secondary terminals, the adjustment parameters having been used to adjust the processing stations by the secondary terminals. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The adjustment apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the adjustment parameters stored in the main terminal are shared by all of the main terminal and the secondary terminals through the network. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the software installed in the main terminal and the software installed in the secondary terminals is the same software. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The adjustment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the main terminal and the secondary terminals have the same user interfaces. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The adjustment apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the secondary terminals are configured to automatically download the software stored in the main terminal through the network, and install the downloaded software therein. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the number of secondary terminals is the same as the number of processing stations. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The adjustment apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the user interface includes a parameter window. ### Claim 9 A substrate processing apparatus comprising: processing stations for performing designated operations on a substrate; and an adjustment system for adjusting the processing stations, the adjustment system including: a main terminal having software installed therein that instructs the main terminal to adjust the designated operations of the processing stations; secondary terminals having software installed therein that instructs the secondary terminals to adjust the designated operations of the processing stations, each of the main terminal and the secondary terminals having a user interface; a network that connects the processing stations, secondary terminals, and the main terminal to each other; and connection ports that removably connect the secondary terminals to the network, wherein each of the secondary terminals has a function to request an exclusive manipulation right that allows one secondary terminal to exclusively manipulate at least one processing station selected from the processing stations, and the main terminal has a function to reject the request from the secondary terminal if an exclusive manipulation right has already been established for the selected processing station. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the main terminal has a storage that stores therein adjustment parameters sent from the secondary terminals, the adjustment parameters having been used to adjust the processing stations by the secondary terminals. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the adjustment parameters stored in the main terminal are shared by all of the main terminal and the secondary terminals through the network. ### Claim 12 (depends on 9) The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the software installed in the main terminal and the software installed in the secondary terminals is the same software. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the main terminal and the secondary terminals terminal operation devices have the same user interfaces. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the secondary terminals are configured to automatically download the software stored in the main terminal through the network, and install the downloaded software therein. ### Claim 15 (depends on 9) The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the number of secondary terminals is the same as the number of processing stations. ### Claim 16 (depends on 9) The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the user interface includes a parameter window.