Abstract: The present invention provides a system capable of automatically making a diagnosis of a semiconductor device manufacturing apparatus, based on a result of particle detection on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer. In one preferred embodiment, the surface of the wafer is divided into square-shaped minute areas of 0.1 mm to 0.5 mm, and existence of particles in each minute area is inspected. Based on the inspection result, data, in which existence of particles in each minute area is correlated with the address thereof, is created. The surface of the wafer is divided into several tens to several hundreds of evaluation areas. A binarized data is assigned to each evaluation area, and is determined based on the fact that the number of the minute areas in which particles are detected included in the evaluation area is larger, or not larger than a predetermined reference value.

Abstract: The invention is a method of determining a set temperature profile of a method of controlling respective substrate temperatures of plurality of groups in accordance with respective corresponding set temperature profiles. The invention includes a first heat processing step of controlling respective substrate temperatures of a plurality of groups in accordance with respective predetermined provisional set temperature profiles for first-batch substrates that are classified into the plurality of groups, and of introducing a process gas to conduct a heat process to form films on the substrates; a first film-thickness measuring step of measuring a thickness of the films formed on the substrates; and a first set-temperature-profile amending step of respectively amending the provisional set temperature profiles based on the measured thickness, in such a manner that a thickness of films formed during a heat process is substantially the same between the plurality of groups.

Abstract: The invention is a method of determining a set temperature profile for a method of controlling respective substrate temperatures of a plurality of groups in accordance with respective corresponding set temperature profiles, in a method of heat processing a plurality of substrates that are classified into the plurality of groups.

Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus for making a heat treatment while estimating temperatures of objects-to-be-processed that can estimate correct temperatures of the objects-to-be-processed. A reaction tube includes heaters and temperature sensors, and receives a wafer boat. A controller estimates temperatures of wafers and temperatures of the temperature sensors in zones in the reaction tube corresponding to the heaters by using the temperature sensors and electric powers of the heaters. Based on relationships between estimated temperatures of the temperature sensors and really metered temperatures, functions expressing the relationships between the estimated temperatures and the really metered temperatures are given for the respective zones. The functions are substituted by the estimated wafer temperatures to correct the estimated wafer temperatures.

Abstract: The invention is a method of determining a set temperature profile for a method of controlling respective substrate temperatures of a plurality of groups in accordance with respective corresponding set temperature profiles, in a method of heat processing a plurality of substrates that are classified into the plurality of groups.

Abstract: There is provided a batch type heat treatment system, control method and heat treatment method capable of appropriately coping with a multi-product small-lot production. A reaction tube 2 comprises a plurality of heaters 31 through 35 and a plurality of temperature sensors, and houses therein a wafer boat 23. A control part 100 stores therein many mathematical models for estimating (calculating) the temperature of wafers W in the reaction tube 2, in accordance with the number and arranged position of the wafers W mounted on the wafer boat 23, and many target temperature trajectories. If the wafer boat 23 is loaded in the reaction tube 2, a mathematical model and a target temperature trajectory corresponding to the number and arranged position of the mounted wafers W are read.

Abstract: The invention is a method of determining a set temperature profile for a method of controlling respective substrate temperatures of a plurality of groups in accordance with respective corresponding set temperature profiles, in a method of heat processing a plurality of substrates that are classified into the plurality of groups.

Abstract: This invention is a method of determining set temperature trajectories for a heat treatment system that conducts a first heat treatment process and a second heat treatment process to an object to be processed. The method comprises the steps of: conducting the first heat treatment process to a first test object to be processed, by using a temporary first set temperature trajectory; measuring a result of the first heat treatment process produced on the first test object to be processed; and determining a first set temperature trajectory for the first heat treatment process by correcting the temporary first set temperature trajectory on the basis of the measured result of the first heat treatment process.

Abstract: A plurality of wafers W are mounted on a wafer boat 11 in a reaction tube 1 having a double-tube structure as shelves, and zones 6a, 6b and 6c in the reaction tube 1 are heated to a first process temperature, e.g., 770° C., by heating parts 4a, 4b and 4c of a heater 4, respectively. Then, while the temperature in each of the zones 6a, 6b and 6c is lowered to a second process temperature, e.g., 750° C., which is lower than the first process temperature, a deposition gas is fed to deposit a thin film. If a step of raising the temperature in each of the zones 6a, 6b and 6c and a step of feeding the deposition gas while lowering the temperature of each of the zones 6a, 6b and 6c are repeatedly carried out, a deposition process is carried out while the temperature of the peripheral edge portion of each of the wafers W is lower than the temperature of the central portion of the wafer W. Thus the uniformity of the thickness of the film deposited on each of the wafers is improved.

Abstract: A heat treatment apparatus for making a heat treatment while estimating temperatures of objects-to-be-processed can estimate correct temperatures of the objects-to-be-processed.

Abstract: There is provided a batch type heat treatment system, control method and heat treatment method capable of appropriately coping with a multi-product small-lot production.

Abstract: This invention is a method of determining set temperature trajectories for a heat treatment system that conducts a first heat treatment process and a second heat treatment process to an object to be processed. The method comprises the steps of: conducting the first heat treatment process to a first test object to be processed, by using a temporary first set temperature trajectory; measuring a result of the first heat treatment process produced on the first test object to be processed; and determining a first set temperature trajectory for the first heat treatment process by correcting the temporary first set temperature trajectory on the basis of the measured result of the first heat treatment process.

Abstract: A second vertical heat treating apparatus is temperature-calibrated based on a heat treatment result obtained by a first vertical heat treating apparatus for reference. First, temperature measurement wafers is heated in the first apparatus to obtain set values of temperature controllers for a target value of temperature. Then, wafers are subjected to an oxidizing process in the first apparatus by using these set values to form an oxide film. The thickness of the oxide film is measured and recorded as a reference film thickness. Then, wafers are subjected to an oxidizing process in a second apparatus at temperatures near the target value to form an oxide film. The thickness of the oxide film is measured, and difference in thickness between the oxide film formed in the second apparatus and the reference film thickness is obtained.