Semiconductor manufacturing apparatus and method for assisting monitoring and analysis of the same

Abstract

To provide a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that can easily and quickly monitor and analyze the state of a semiconductor processing apparatus and a method for assisting the monitoring and analysis thereof. A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus includes: detecting means 7, 8 that detects, as a plurality of state signals, at least either of a plurality of spectra obtained by separating plasma light emission generated in a processing chamber 2 of a semiconductor processing apparatus 1 or a plurality of apparatus state signals that indicate states of the apparatus; apparatus event information output means 9 that outputs the state of the semiconductor processing apparatus in a current process step; conversion means 14, 17, 18 that converts a combination of the plurality of state signals detected by the detecting means 7, 8 into respective particular figures; and display position controlling means 20 that displays the figures generated by the conversion means 14, 17, 18 at predetermined display positions associated with the process step.

1 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising: 
 detecting means that detects, as a plurality of state signals, at least either of a plurality of spectra obtained by separating plasma light emission generated in a processing chamber of a semiconductor processing apparatus or a plurality of apparatus state signals that indicate states of the apparatus;    apparatus event information output means that outputs the state of the semiconductor processing apparatus in a current process step;    conversion means that converts a combination of the plurality of state signals detected by said detecting means into respective particular figures; and    display position controlling means that displays the figures generated by the conversion means at predetermined display positions associated with the process step.    
   
   
       2 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising: 
 an emission spectrometer that separates plasma light emission generated in a processing chamber of a semiconductor processing apparatus;    apparatus event information output means that outputs the state of the semiconductor processing apparatus in a current process step;    color signal generating means that converts the output of said emission spectrometer into a plurality of spectra and converts the resulting combination of a plurality of spectra into color signals; and    display position controlling means that displays the color signals generated by the color signal generating means at display positions on a display device which are specified by the apparatus event information output means.    
   
   
       3 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising: 
 apparatus state sensor that detects a plurality of apparatus state signals that represents states of a semiconductor processing apparatus;    apparatus event information output means that outputs the state of the semiconductor processing apparatus in a current process step;    color signal generating means that converts a combination of the plurality of apparatus state signals detected by said apparatus state sensor into color signals; and    display position controlling means that displays the color signals generated by the color signal generating means at display positions on a display device which are determined by the apparatus event information output means.    
   
   
       4 . The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 2  or  3 , wherein said color signals are displayed on the display device with the time axes thereof being superimposed in accordance with a signal indicating a processing point in time for each sample which is output by the apparatus event information output means.  
   
   
       5 . The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 2  or  3 , wherein said color signals are displayed on the display device in a time-series manner in accordance with information output by the apparatus event information output means.  
   
   
       6 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising: 
 an emission spectrometer that separates plasma light emission generated in a processing chamber of a semiconductor processing apparatus;    apparatus state sensor that detects a plurality of apparatus state signals that represents states of a semiconductor processing apparatus;    apparatus event information output means that outputs the state of the semiconductor processing apparatus in a current process step;    color signal generating means that converts the output of said emission spectrometer into a plurality of spectra and converts the resulting combination of a plurality of spectra into color signals; and    display position controlling means that displays the color signals generated by the color generating means and the apparatus state signals detected by the apparatus state sensor at display positions determined by the apparatus event information output means.    
   
   
       7 . The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said color signals and apparatus state signals are displayed on the display device with the time axes thereof being superimposed in accordance with a signal indicating a processing point in time for each sample which is output by the apparatus event information output means.  
   
   
       8 . The semiconductor manufacturing apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein said color signals and apparatus state signals are displayed on the display device in a time-series manner in accordance with information output by the apparatus event information output means.  
   
   
       9 . A method for assisting monitoring and analysis of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising: 
 a step of detecting, as a plurality of state signals, at least either of a plurality of spectral output signal obtained by separating plasma light emission generated in a processing chamber or a plurality of apparatus state signals that indicate states of the apparatus and converting a combination of the plurality of detected state signals into respective particular figures; and    a step of displaying said figures at predetermined display positions associated with a process step.    
   
   
       10 . A method for assisting monitoring and analysis of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising: 
 a step of separating plasma light emission generated in a processing chamber into a plurality of spectra and converting a combination of the plurality of spectra into color signals; and    a step of displaying said color signals at display positions specified by apparatus event information output means, the apparatus event information output means indicating the state of the apparatus in a current process step.    
   
   
       11 . A method for assisting monitoring and analysis of a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising: 
 a step of converting a combination of a plurality of apparatus state signals detected by an apparatus state sensor into color signals; and    a step of displaying said color signals at display positions specified by apparatus event information output means, the apparatus event information output means indicating the state of the apparatus in a current process step.    
   
   
       12 . A semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, comprising: 
 detecting means that detects, as a plurality of state signals, at least either of a plurality of spectra obtained by separating plasma light emission generated in a processing chamber of a semiconductor processing apparatus or a plurality of apparatus state signals that indicate states of the apparatus;    apparatus event information output means that outputs the state of the semiconductor processing apparatus in a current process step;    conversion means that converts a combination of the plurality of state signals detected by said detecting means into respective particular sound information; and    reproduction means that reproduces the sound information generated by the conversion means at predetermined display timings associated with the process step.