Search

EP-4307830-B1 - SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS, ANOMALY DETECTING METHOD, AND METHOD FOR MANUFACTURING SEMICONDUCTOR APPARATUS

EP4307830B1EP 4307830 B1EP4307830 B1EP 4307830B1EP-4307830-B1

Inventors

  • KAWAHARA, YOSHITAKA
  • MAEDA, IKUHIRO

Dates

Publication Date
20260506
Application Date
20220309

Claims (13)

  1. A substrate processing apparatus comprising: a process chamber (55) in which a substrate is processed; a heat generator (24) configured to elevate a temperature of the process chamber (55); a thyristor (92A) configured to supply an electric power to the heat generator (24); a temperature detector (25A) configured to detect a temperature of the heat generator (24); a temperature regulator (72) configured to adjust a ratio of turning on the thyristor (92A) such that a difference between a temperature detected from the temperature detector (25A) and a temperature setting value is reduced; a measurer (94A) configured to measure a current flowing through a circuit containing the heat generator (24) and the thyristor (92A); and an abnormality detector (74) configured to compare a current measurement value measured by the measurer (94A) and a theoretical current value calculated based on the ratio acquired from the temperature regulator (72) and to determine that there is an abnormality when the current measurement value and the theoretical current value are different, wherein an alarm setting value is set for the abnormality detector (74), wherein the abnormality detector (74) is further configured to determine that there is no abnormality when a difference between the current measurement value and the theoretical current value is less than the alarm setting value and to determine that there is the abnormality when the difference between the current measurement value and the theoretical current value is equal to or greater than the alarm setting value, and characterized in that the abnormality detector (74) is further configured to be capable of changing the alarm setting value in accordance with the ratio of turning on the thyristor (92A).
  2. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the abnormality detector (74) is configured to determine that there is the abnormality without comparing the current measurement value and the theoretical current value when the current measurement value is equal to or greater than a threshold value.
  3. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the abnormality detector (74) is configured to determine that there is the abnormality without calculating the theoretical current value when the ratio of turning on the thyristor (92A) is greater than a limit value of an output setting value.
  4. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 2 or 3, wherein the abnormality detector (74) is connected to a contactor (90A) contained in the circuit, and wherein the abnormality detector (74) is configured to change the contactor (90A) to an open state when it is determined that there is the abnormality without comparing the current measurement value and the theoretical current value.
  5. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the abnormality detector (74) comprises: a first comparator (120) configured to compare the current measurement value measured by the measurer (94A) with a setting value; an acquisitor (122) configured to acquire the ratio of turning on the thyristor (92A) from the temperature regulator (72); a calculator (124) configured to calculate the theoretical current value based on the ratio of turning on the thyristor (92A); a second comparator (126) configured to compare the ratio of turning on the thyristor (92A) with a limit value of an output setting value; and a third comparator (128) configured to compare the current measurement value with the theoretical current value.
  6. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the ratio of turning on the thyristor (92A) is equal to a time duration for the thyristor (92A) to be on with respect to one cycle of a sinusoidal wave of an AC power supply (84A) contained in the circuit.
  7. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a plurality heat generating zones (24A, 24B, 24C, 24D) containing the heat generator (24), and wherein the alarm setting value is capable of being changed for each of the plurality heat generating zones (24A, 24B, 24C, 24D).
  8. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to perform a process recipe containing a plurality of steps, wherein the controller causes the abnormality detector (74) to perform an abnormality detection of determining that, in a temperature elevating step or a temperature lowering step, there is no abnormality when a difference between the current measurement value and the theoretical current value is less than an alarm setting value and that there is the abnormality when the difference between the current measurement value and the theoretical current value is equal to or greater than the alarm setting value.
  9. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, further comprising a controller configured to perform a process recipe containing a plurality of steps, wherein the controller causes the abnormality detector (74) to perform an abnormality detection of determining that there is the abnormality when the current measurement value is different from the theoretical current value in a film-forming step.
  10. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 9, wherein the controller is configured to abnormally terminate the film-forming step when the current measurement value is different from the theoretical current value.
  11. The substrate processing apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller further causes the abnormality detector (74) to perform the abnormality detection every time when one cycle of a sinusoidal wave of an AC power supply (84A) contained in the circuit elapses.
  12. An abnormality detecting method comprising: detecting a temperature of a heat generator (24) configured to elevate a temperature of a process chamber (55) by generating a heat; adjusting a ratio of turning on a thyristor (92A) configured to supply an electric power to the heat generator (24) such that a difference between the temperature of the heat generator (24) and a temperature setting value is reduced; measuring a current flowing through a circuit containing the heat generator (24) and the thyristor (92A); comparing a current measurement value measured in measuring the current and a theoretical current value calculated in adjusting the ratio and determining that there is an abnormality when the current measurement value and the theoretical current value are different; and setting an alarm setting value for an abnormality detector (74), wherein the abnormality detector (74) is further configured to determine that there is no abnormality when a difference between the current measurement value and the theoretical current value is less than the alarm setting value and to determine that there is the abnormality when the difference between the current measurement value and the theoretical current value is equal to or greater than the alarm setting value, and characterized in that the mehtod further comprising: the abnormality detector (74) is further configured to be capable of changing the alarm setting value in accordance with the ratio of turning on the thyristor (92A).
  13. A method of manufacturing a semiconductor device, comprising the abnormality detecting method of claim 12, and further comprising: heating a substrate provided in the process chamber (55) while supplying the electric power adjusted in adjusting the ratio to the heat generator (24); wherein the steps of measuring and comparing are comprised in the heating step.

Description

[Technical Field] The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, an abnormality detecting method and a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device. [Related Art] In a substrate processing apparatus used in a semiconductor manufacturing field, a film is formed on a substrate while heating the substrate with a heat from a heater. A semiconductor element such as a thyristor is used for a power control of the heater so as to suppress an overheating of the substrate. In Patent Document 1, disclosed is a technique of connecting a plurality of power supplies in order to stably supply an electric power to a power supply target. In addition, in Patent Document 2, disclosed is a technique of detecting at least one among a current, a voltage or the electric power supplied to the heater used in the substrate processing apparatus and detecting a state of the heater (for example, an abnormal heat generating state and a disconnection state) from detection results. In the semiconductor manufacturing field, in consideration of an influence on the substrate processing apparatus and the substrate, it is desired to reliably detect an occurrence of a failure in components (including a heater wire) that constitute a drive circuit. [Related Art Document] [Patent Documents] Patent Document 1: International Patent Publication No. WO2019/053869Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. H11-54244 With regard to the prior art further attention is drawn to JP 2009 070682 A from which a heater control device is known. [Disclosure] [Technical Problem] It is an object of the present disclosure to provide a technique capable of detecting that a failure has occurred in a component constituting a circuit. [Technical Solution] The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus as defined in claim 1. Further, the present invention relates to an abnormality detecting method as defined in claim 12. Furthermore, the present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device as defined in claim 13. Preferred embodiments of the present invention are disclosed in the dependent claims. [Advantageous Effects] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to detect that a failure has occurred in a component constituting a circuit. [Brief Description of Drawings] FIG. 1 is diagram schematically illustrating a side cross-section of a substrate processing apparatus according to embodiments of the present disclosure.FIG. 2 is diagram schematically illustrating a functional configuration of a control system used in the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.FIG. 3 is diagram schematically illustrating a functional configuration of an apparatus controller used in the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.FIG. 4 is diagram schematically illustrating a drive circuit of a heater used in the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.FIG. 5 is diagram schematically illustrating a functional configuration of an abnormality detecting controller used in the substrate processing apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.FIG. 6 is a flow chart schematically illustrating a first abnormality detecting method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.FIG. 7 is a flow chart schematically illustrating a second abnormality detecting method according to the embodiments of the present disclosure.FIG. 8 is a graph schematically illustrating a relationship between an output setting value of a thyristor and an ammeter monitor value.FIG. 9 is diagram schematically illustrating a drive circuit of a heater used in a substrate processing apparatus according to other embodiments of the present disclosure. [Detailed Description] Hereinafter, embodiments according to the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In the present specification, the drawings used in the following descriptions are all schematic. For example, a relationship between dimensions of each component and a ratio of each component shown in the drawing may not always match the actual ones. Further, even between the drawings, the relationship between the dimensions of each component and the ratio of each component may not always match. A processing apparatus according to the embodiments of the present disclosure is configured as a substrate processing apparatus 10 used in a substrate processing serving as a part of a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device. As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 10 according to the present embodiments includes a heating apparatus 20, a reaction tube 54 and a boat 68. As shown in FIG. 1, the heating apparatus 20 is an apparatus configured to heat a substrate W to be processed. The heating apparatus 20 includes a furnace structure 22 and a side heater 24 and a ceiling heater 26 serving as heat ge