LEAKAGE DETERMINING METHOD, SUBSTRATE PROCESSING APPARATUS AND STORAGE MEDIUM

摘要

A leakage determining method determines whether or not atmospheric air enters a vacuum transfer chamber for transferring a substrate under a vacuum atmosphere between a preliminary vacuum chamber and a processing chamber. The method includes controlling a pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber to a preset pressure by supplying a pressure control gas into the vacuum transfer chamber; performing supply control, when the substrate is not transferred, by reducing the amount of the pressure control gas supplied into the vacuum transfer chamber or stopping the supply of the pressure control gas; and measuring an oxygen concentration in the vacuum transfer chamber after the supply control of the pressure control gas and determining leakage of atmospheric air into the vacuum transfer chamber by determining whether or not atmospheric air whose amount exceeds a preset allowable level enters the vacuum transfer chamber based on temporal changes of the measured oxygen concentration.

主权项

1. A leakage determining method for determining whether or not atmospheric air enters a vacuum transfer chamber for transferring a substrate under a vacuum atmosphere between at least one preliminary vacuum chamber and at least one processing chamber, the vacuum transfer chamber being connected to the preliminary vacuum chamber of which inner atmosphere is switchable between an atmospheric atmosphere and a vacuum atmosphere and to the processing chamber where the substrate is processed under a vacuum atmosphere, via respective opening/closing valves, the method comprising:
controlling, when the substrate is transferred, a pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber to a preset pressure by supplying a pressure control gas into the vacuum transfer chamber being evacuated; performing supply control, when the substrate is not transferred, by reducing the amount of the pressure control gas supplied into the vacuum transfer chamber or stopping the supply of the pressure control gas; and measuring with an oxygen meter an oxygen concentration in the vacuum transfer chamber after the supply control of the pressure control gas and determining leakage of atmospheric air into the vacuum transfer chamber by determining whether or not atmospheric air whose amount exceeds a preset allowable level enters the vacuum transfer chamber based on temporal changes of the measured oxygen concentration.