CN112106174A - Processing liquid ejecting apparatus, judging apparatus, processing liquid ejecting method, and judging method - Google Patents
Processing liquid ejecting apparatus, judging apparatus, processing liquid ejecting method, and judging method Download PDFInfo
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- CN112106174A CN112106174A CN201980031376.XA CN201980031376A CN112106174A CN 112106174 A CN112106174 A CN 112106174A CN 201980031376 A CN201980031376 A CN 201980031376A CN 112106174 A CN112106174 A CN 112106174A
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- H01L21/67—Apparatus specially adapted for handling semiconductor or electric solid state devices during manufacture or treatment thereof; Apparatus specially adapted for handling wafers during manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or electric solid state devices or components ; Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
- H01L21/67005—Apparatus not specifically provided for elsewhere
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- H01L21/67051—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like for wet cleaning or washing using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
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Abstract
A treatment liquid discharge device (1) is provided with: a determination unit (12) for determining the closing speed of an on-off valve (72), wherein the on-off valve (72) is used for opening and closing a processing liquid supply flow path for supplying processing liquid to the nozzle (251); and an imaging unit (65) that images, when the opening/closing valve (72) closes the processing liquid supply passage and stops the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle (251), the passage at the tip of the nozzle (251) and the discharge passage of the processing liquid extending forward from the tip of the nozzle (251) in the direction in which the processing liquid is discharged, from a direction different from the direction in which the processing liquid is discharged; the determination unit (12) performs a predetermined determination process on the basis of the image of the channel and the ejection path at the tip end of the nozzle (251) in the original image obtained by the imaging unit (65) imaging the channel and the ejection path at the tip end of the nozzle (251), thereby determining whether the closing speed of the on-off valve (72) is appropriate or slower or faster than appropriate.
Description
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a technology for determining a closing speed of an opening/closing valve for opening/closing a supply flow path of a processing liquid and a technology for discharging the processing liquid.
Background
In this coating liquid supply apparatus, when the gas valve is closed at a certain closing speed while the coating liquid is being supplied from the nozzle, the discharge width of the coating liquid gradually decreases in accordance with the closing speed of the gas valve, and finally the coating liquid is disconnected at a certain position between the tip of the nozzle and the substrate. The liquid cut-off position is displaced according to the closing speed of the gas valve.
The coating liquid supply device performs suck-back (back) and sucks back the coating liquid above the liquid cut-off position to the nozzle. The coating liquid below the liquid cut-off position is directed toward the surface of the substrate and drops as a thin line. In addition, a plurality of droplets are generated in the broken portion of the coating liquid, and the coating liquid falls down to the substrate more slowly than the coating liquid in a thin line shape.
In this coating liquid supply apparatus, the occurrence of coating unevenness is not related to the generation of droplets, but to the height of the liquid cut-off position. Therefore, the coating liquid supply device takes an image of the liquid cut-off position between the nozzle tip and the substrate by the camera, detects the liquid cut-off position, and adjusts the closing speed of the gas valve so that the liquid cut-off position is present in a range in which coating unevenness is not generated, thereby preventing the coating unevenness.
Documents of the prior art
Patent document
Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open No. 2000-82646.
Disclosure of Invention
Problems to be solved by the invention
However, in the coating liquid supply apparatus of patent document 1, since the closing speed of the gas valve is adjusted in accordance with the liquid cutoff position, there is a problem that, after the closing speed of the gas valve is excessively reduced to close the gas valve, droplets are temporarily and intermittently dropped, and uneven coating occurs. In addition, as a result of this adjustment, the coating liquid supply apparatus has a problem that the closing speed of the gas valve is excessively increased in reverse, and a so-called water hammer (water hammer) causes a region where no liquid is present in the tip portion of the nozzle, except for a liquid droplet attached to the inner wall surface of the tip portion of the nozzle, and the liquid droplet attached to the inner wall surface falls onto the substrate, thereby causing uneven coating. That is, in this coating liquid supply apparatus, there is a distinction that it is impossible to accurately determine whether the closing speed of the on-off valve is appropriate or fast or slow.
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of improving the accuracy of determination of the closing speed of an on-off valve provided in a processing liquid supply pipe connected to a nozzle.
Means for solving the problems
In order to solve the above problem, a treatment liquid discharge apparatus of a first aspect is a treatment liquid discharge apparatus that discharges a treatment liquid from a nozzle, and includes: a determination unit that determines a closing speed of an on-off valve that opens and closes a process liquid supply passage that supplies a process liquid to the nozzle; and an imaging unit that images, when the opening/closing valve closes the processing liquid supply passage and stops the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle, a passage at the tip of the nozzle and a discharge passage of the processing liquid extending from the tip of the nozzle forward in the discharge direction of the processing liquid from a direction different from the discharge direction of the processing liquid; the determination unit performs a predetermined determination process on the basis of the image of the discharge path and the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in the original image in which the image pickup unit picks up the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path, thereby determining whether the closing speed of the on-off valve is appropriate or slower or faster than an appropriate speed.
The treatment liquid discharge device according to a second aspect is the treatment liquid discharge device according to the first aspect, wherein the judgment unit includes: a feature amount calculation unit that calculates a predetermined feature amount according to an area of an image of the processing liquid for each of a first image region corresponding to a flow path at a tip portion of the nozzle and a second image of a second image region corresponding to the ejection path in the original image; and a predetermined basis determination section that determines the division of the closing speed of the opening/closing valve by applying a predetermined determination rule to the feature amount of the first image and the feature amount of the second image.
A third aspect of the treatment liquid discharge device is the treatment liquid discharge device of the second aspect, wherein an end portion of the first image area on a downstream side in a discharge direction of the treatment liquid is separated from a tip of the nozzle toward an upstream side in the discharge direction of the treatment liquid.
A treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to a fourth aspect is based on the treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to the second or third aspect, wherein the determination rule is a rule: determining that a closing speed of the on-off valve is excessively high when the flow path at the tip end portion of the nozzle is not in a liquid-tight state; when the flow path at the tip end of the nozzle is in a liquid-tight state and the processing liquid is present in the discharge path, it is determined that the closing speed of the on-off valve is excessively slow.
A processing liquid discharge apparatus according to a fifth aspect is based on the processing liquid discharge apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the determination unit has a classifier for determining whether the closing speed of the on-off valve is appropriate or slower or faster than appropriate based on the image of the discharge path and the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in the original image, and determines the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve by the classifier; the classifier is generated in advance by machine learning using a sample image of an image of the ejection path and a flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in the original image.
A processing liquid discharge apparatus according to a sixth aspect is based on the processing liquid discharge apparatus according to the fifth aspect, wherein the classifier determines the classification of the closing speed of the on-off valve based on each of a first image region corresponding to a flow path of a tip portion of the nozzle and a second image of a second image region corresponding to the discharge path in the original image; the classifier uses respective sample images of the first image and the second image and is generated by machine learning in advance.
A seventh aspect of the treatment liquid discharge device is based on the sixth aspect of the treatment liquid discharge device, and an end portion of the first image area on a downstream side in a discharge direction of the treatment liquid is separated from a tip of the nozzle toward an upstream side in the discharge direction of the treatment liquid.
A processing liquid discharge device according to an eighth aspect is the processing liquid discharge device according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein the image pickup unit picks up images of the flow path at the tip of the nozzle and the discharge path of the processing liquid extending forward from the tip of the nozzle in the discharge direction of the processing liquid in chronological order after the opening/closing valve closes the processing liquid supply flow path and stops discharging the processing liquid from the nozzle; the treatment liquid discharge device further includes: an image generating unit that generates a time-series image in which the flow path at the tip of the nozzle and the ejection path are imaged by the imaging unit, and a derivative image of the flow path at the tip of the nozzle and the ejection path; the determination unit determines the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve based on the derivative image generated by the image generation unit.
A treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to a ninth aspect is the treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to any one of the first to eighth aspects, further comprising: a pipe for connecting a processing liquid supply source and the nozzle and guiding the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply source to the nozzle; and a drive mechanism for opening and closing the opening and closing valve; the on-off valve is arranged in the middle of the path of the piping; the treatment liquid discharge device further includes: and a closing speed adjusting unit that adjusts the operation of the drive mechanism so that the closing speed becomes an appropriate speed, based on the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve determined by the determining unit.
A processing liquid discharge apparatus according to a tenth aspect is based on the processing liquid discharge apparatus according to the ninth aspect, wherein the on-off valve is a gas valve, is supplied with a predetermined gas, and performs a closing operation at a closing speed according to a supply flow rate of the gas; the drive mechanism includes: a gas supply source that supplies the gas to the gas valve; a gas supply pipe connecting the gas supply source and the gas valve; an electromagnetic valve provided in the gas supply pipe to open and close a flow path of the gas in the gas supply pipe; and a motor-driven needle valve (needle valve) provided in the gas supply pipe and configured to control a flow rate of the gas flowing in the gas supply pipe according to an opening degree; the closing speed adjusting unit adjusts the opening degree of the motor-driven needle valve so that the closing speed of the gas valve becomes an appropriate speed.
A processing liquid discharge apparatus according to an eleventh aspect is based on the processing liquid discharge apparatus according to the ninth aspect, wherein the on-off valve is a gas valve, is supplied with a predetermined gas, and performs a closing operation at a closing speed according to a supply flow rate of the gas; the drive mechanism includes: a gas supply source that supplies the gas to the gas valve; a gas supply pipe connecting the gas supply source and the gas valve; and an electro-pneumatic regulator (electro-pneumatic regulator) provided in the gas supply pipe and configured to control opening/closing and a flow rate of the gas flowing through the gas supply pipe in accordance with a voltage; the closing speed adjusting unit adjusts the opening degree of the electropneumatic regulator such that the closing speed of the gas valve becomes an appropriate speed.
A treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to a twelfth aspect is based on the treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to the ninth aspect, wherein the on-off valve is a motor valve that is opened and closed at a speed corresponding to a rotation speed of a motor, and includes: a valve body provided midway in the piping path; and the motor, open and close the said valve body; the drive mechanism has the motor; the closing speed adjusting unit adjusts the operation of the motor so that the closing speed of the motor valve becomes an appropriate speed.
A treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to a thirteenth aspect is based on the treatment liquid discharge apparatus of the tenth aspect, and further includes: an open/close sensor for detecting opening/closing of the gas valve; and a timing adjustment unit that measures a delay time from an operation of the electromagnetic valve to set the gas valve in a closed state to an actual closing of the gas valve based on an output of the open/close sensor, and adjusts a timing of the operation of the electromagnetic valve to set the gas valve in the closed state based on a result of the measurement such that the gas valve is closed at a predetermined timing.
A judging device of a fourteenth aspect is a judging device for judging a stopped state of a processing liquid discharged from a nozzle, and includes: an imaging unit that images a flow path of a tip portion of the nozzle and a discharge path of the processing liquid extending from the tip of the nozzle forward in a discharge direction of the processing liquid from a direction different from the discharge direction of the processing liquid when the processing liquid supply flow path is closed by an on-off valve that opens and closes the processing liquid supply flow path that supplies the processing liquid to the nozzle and the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle is stopped; and a determination unit that performs a predetermined determination process on the basis of an image of the discharge path and the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in an original image in which the image pickup unit picks up the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path, thereby determining whether or not the closing speed of the on-off valve is appropriate or slower or faster than an appropriate speed.
A treatment liquid discharge method of a fifteenth aspect is a treatment liquid discharge method for discharging a treatment liquid from a nozzle, including: a determination step of determining a closing speed of an on-off valve for opening and closing a processing liquid supply passage for supplying a processing liquid to the nozzle; and an imaging step of imaging a flow path of a tip portion of the nozzle and an ejection path of the processing liquid extending forward from the tip of the nozzle along an ejection direction of the processing liquid, when the opening/closing valve closes the processing liquid supply flow path and stops ejecting the processing liquid from the nozzle; the determining step performs a predetermined determination process on the basis of the image of the discharge path and the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in the original image obtained by imaging the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path in the imaging step, thereby determining whether the closing speed of the on-off valve is appropriate or slower or faster than an appropriate speed.
A treatment liquid discharge method according to a sixteenth aspect is based on the treatment liquid discharge method according to the fifteenth aspect, wherein the determining step includes: a feature amount calculation step of calculating a predetermined feature amount corresponding to an area of an image of the processing liquid for each of a first image region corresponding to a flow path at a tip portion of the nozzle and a second image of a second image region corresponding to the ejection path in the original image; and a prescribed base determination step of applying a prescribed determination rule to the feature amount of the first image and the feature amount of the second image, thereby determining the division of the closing speed of the opening-closing valve.
A processing liquid discharge method according to a seventeenth aspect is based on the processing liquid discharge method according to the sixteenth aspect, wherein an end portion of the first image area on a downstream side in a discharge direction of the processing liquid is separated from a tip of the nozzle toward an upstream side in the discharge direction of the processing liquid.
A treatment liquid discharge method according to an eighteenth aspect is based on the treatment liquid discharge method according to the sixteenth or seventeenth aspect, wherein the determination rule is as follows: determining that a closing speed of the on-off valve is excessively high when the flow path at the tip end portion of the nozzle is not in a liquid-tight state; when the flow path at the tip end of the nozzle is in a liquid-tight state and the processing liquid is present in the discharge path, it is determined that the closing speed of the on-off valve is excessively slow.
A processing liquid ejecting method according to a nineteenth aspect is based on the processing liquid ejecting method according to the fifteenth aspect, wherein the determining step is a step of determining a classification of closing speeds of the on-off valve by a classifier that determines, based on the image of the ejection path and the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in the original image, whether the closing speed of the on-off valve is appropriate or slower or faster than appropriate; the classifier is generated in advance by machine learning using a sample image of an image of the ejection path and a flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in the original image.
A processing liquid discharge method according to a twentieth aspect is based on the processing liquid discharge method according to the nineteenth aspect, wherein the classifier determines the classification of the closing speed of the on-off valve from each of a first image region corresponding to a flow path of a tip portion of the nozzle and a second image of a second image region corresponding to the discharge path in the original image; the classifier uses respective sample images of the first image and the second image and is generated by machine learning in advance.
A processing liquid discharge method according to a twenty-first aspect is based on the processing liquid discharge method according to the twentieth aspect, wherein an end portion of the first image area on a downstream side in a discharge direction of the processing liquid is separated from a tip of the nozzle toward an upstream side in the discharge direction of the processing liquid.
A treatment liquid discharge method according to a twenty-second aspect is based on any one of the fifteenth aspect to the twenty-first aspect, wherein the imaging step includes: a step of imaging a flow path at a tip of the nozzle and a discharge path of the processing liquid extending forward from the tip of the nozzle in a discharge direction of the processing liquid in chronological order after the opening/closing valve closes the processing liquid supply flow path and stops discharging the processing liquid from the nozzle; the treatment liquid discharge method further includes: an image generation step of generating a flow path at the tip of the nozzle and a derivative image of the ejection path based on a time-series image obtained by imaging the flow path at the tip of the nozzle and the ejection path in the imaging step; the judging step is as follows: determining the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve based on the derivative image generated in the image generating step.
A treatment liquid discharge method according to a twenty-third aspect is a treatment liquid discharge method in a treatment liquid discharge apparatus, and includes the treatment liquid discharge method according to any one of the fifteenth aspect to the twenty-second aspect; the treatment liquid discharge device includes: a pipe for connecting a processing liquid supply source and the nozzle and guiding the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply source to the nozzle; and a drive mechanism for opening and closing the opening and closing valve; the on-off valve is arranged in the middle of the path of the piping; the treatment liquid discharge method further includes: a closing speed adjusting step of adjusting an operation of the drive mechanism so that the closing speed becomes an appropriate speed, based on the division of the closing speed of the opening/closing valve determined in the determining step.
A processing liquid discharge method according to a twenty-fourth aspect is based on the processing liquid discharge method according to the twenty-third aspect, wherein the on-off valve is a gas valve, is supplied with a predetermined gas, and performs a closing operation at a closing speed according to a supply flow rate of the gas; the drive mechanism includes: a gas supply source that supplies the gas to the gas valve; a gas supply pipe connecting the gas supply source and the gas valve; an electromagnetic valve provided in the gas supply pipe to open and close a flow path of the gas in the gas supply pipe; and a motor-driven needle valve provided in the gas supply pipe and configured to control a flow rate of the gas flowing in the gas supply pipe according to an opening degree; the closing speed adjusting step is a step of adjusting an opening degree of the motor-driven needle valve so that a closing speed of the gas valve becomes an appropriate speed.
A processing liquid discharge method according to a twenty-fifth aspect is based on the processing liquid discharge method according to the twenty-thirteenth aspect, wherein the on-off valve is a gas valve to which a predetermined gas is supplied and which performs a closing operation at a closing speed according to a supply flow rate of the gas; the drive mechanism includes: a gas supply source that supplies the gas to the gas valve; a gas supply pipe connecting the gas supply source and the gas valve; and an electropneumatic regulator provided in the gas supply pipe and configured to control opening and closing of a flow path and a flow rate of the gas flowing through the gas supply pipe according to a voltage; the closing speed adjusting step is a step of adjusting the opening degree of the electropneumatic regulator so that the closing speed of the gas valve becomes an appropriate speed.
A treatment liquid discharge method according to a twenty-sixth aspect is the treatment liquid discharge device according to the twenty-third aspect, wherein the on-off valve is a motor valve that is opened and closed at a speed corresponding to a rotation speed of a motor, and the method includes: a valve body provided midway in the piping path; and the motor, open and close the said valve body; the drive mechanism has the motor; the closing speed adjusting step is a step of adjusting the operation of the motor so that the closing speed of the motor valve becomes an appropriate speed.
A twenty-seventh aspect of the treatment liquid discharge method is based on the twenty-fourteenth aspect of the treatment liquid discharge method, and further includes: an open/close detection step of detecting opening/closing of the gas valve; and a timing adjustment step of measuring a delay time from an operation of the electromagnetic valve to set the gas valve in a closed state to an actual closing of the gas valve based on the opening degree of the gas valve detected in the opening/closing detection step, and adjusting a timing of the operation of the electromagnetic valve to set the gas valve in the closed state based on a result of the measurement such that the gas valve is closed at a predetermined timing.
A twenty-eighth aspect of the present invention is a method for determining a stopped state of a processing liquid discharged from a nozzle, including: an imaging step of imaging a flow path of a tip portion of the nozzle and an ejection path of the processing liquid extending from the tip of the nozzle forward in an ejection direction of the processing liquid from a direction different from the ejection direction of the processing liquid, when the processing liquid supply flow path is closed by an on-off valve that opens and closes the processing liquid supply flow path that supplies the processing liquid to the nozzle and ejection of the processing liquid from the nozzle is stopped; and a determination step of performing a predetermined determination process on the basis of the image of the ejection path and the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in the original image obtained by imaging the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the ejection path in the imaging step, thereby determining whether or not the closing speed of the on-off valve is appropriate, or slower or faster than appropriate.
Effects of the invention
According to the first aspect of the invention, the judgment section of the treatment liquid discharge device judges the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve based on the original image of the inside of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path of the treatment liquid in the image obtained by the imaging section imaging the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path of the treatment liquid. The flow path becomes almost free of the processing liquid when the closing speed of the on-off valve is too fast; the discharge path has droplets of the processing liquid when the closing speed of the on-off valve is too slow. Therefore, the determination unit can determine the division to which the closing speed of the on-off valve belongs, based on the images corresponding to the two regions different in the relationship between the closing speed of the on-off valve and the presence of the detected processing liquid. Therefore, the determination accuracy of the division of the closing speed of the opening-closing valve can be improved.
According to the second aspect of the invention, the feature amount calculation unit of the determination unit calculates the predetermined feature amount corresponding to the area of the image of the processing liquid in each of the first image corresponding to the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the second image corresponding to the discharge path of the processing liquid at the tip of the nozzle. The predetermined basis determining section of the determining section determines the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve by applying a predetermined determination rule to the feature amount of the first image and the feature amount of the second image. Therefore, the determination unit detects the presence of the image of the processing liquid separately for the first image and the second image, and determines the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve, so that the accuracy of the determination can be improved.
According to the third aspect of the invention, the end portion of the first image region on the downstream side in the discharge direction of the processing liquid is separated from the tip of the nozzle, that is, the end portion of the second image region on the upstream side in the discharge direction, toward the upstream side in the discharge direction. Therefore, the determination unit does not use the image of the image region from the end portion of the first image region on the downstream side in the discharge direction to the tip end of the nozzle for determination of the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve. The image area is an area in which it is difficult to determine the relationship between the presence of the processing liquid and the closing speed of the on-off valve. Therefore, in the case where this region is not used for determination, the accuracy of determination can be further improved.
According to the invention of the fourth aspect, the determination rule is the following rule: determining that the closing speed of the opening/closing valve is too high when the flow path at the front end of the nozzle is not in a liquid-tight state; when the flow path is in a liquid-tight state and the processing liquid exists in a discharge path of the processing liquid extending from the nozzle tip, it is determined that the closing speed of the opening/closing valve is excessively slow. Therefore, the determination accuracy of the division of the closing speed of the opening-closing valve can be improved.
According to the fifth aspect of the invention, the classifier is generated by machine learning in advance using the sample images of the flow path at the tip of the nozzle and the discharge path of the processing liquid, and the determination unit determines the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve by the classifier. Therefore, even in the case where an image different from the sample image is given, the determination accuracy of the division of the closing speed can be improved.
According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the classifier is generated by machine learning so as to determine the classification of the closing speed of the on-off valve, based on each of the first image region corresponding to the flow path and the second image of the second image region corresponding to the discharge path, out of the images of the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path of the processing liquid captured by the imaging unit. Since the classifier can learn the relationship between the image and the discrimination of the closing speed of the opening and closing valve for each of the first image and the second image, the determination accuracy of the classifier can be improved.
According to the seventh aspect of the invention, the end portion of the first image region on the downstream side in the discharge direction of the processing liquid is separated from the tip of the nozzle, that is, the end portion of the second image region on the upstream side in the discharge direction, toward the upstream side in the discharge direction. Therefore, the classifier of the determination unit does not use the image of the image region from the end portion of the first image region on the downstream side in the discharge direction to the tip end of the nozzle for determination of the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve. The image area is an area in which it is difficult to determine the relationship between the presence of the processing liquid and the closing speed of the on-off valve. Therefore, in the case where this region is not used for determination, the accuracy of determination can be further improved.
According to the eighth aspect of the invention, the image generating unit generates the derivative image of the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path of the processing liquid based on the time-series image of the imaging target region including the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path of the processing liquid extending forward from the tip of the nozzle; the determination unit determines the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve based on the derivative image. Since the change in the presence of the treatment liquid with time is also reflected in the determination result, the determination accuracy can be improved.
According to the ninth aspect of the invention, even when the closing speed of the on-off valve determined by the determination unit is not appropriate, the closing speed adjustment unit can adjust the drive mechanism of the on-off valve in accordance with the determined division of the closing speed of the on-off valve, and therefore, the closing speed of the on-off valve can be easily adjusted to an appropriate speed.
According to the tenth aspect of the invention, in the case where the on-off valve is a gas valve and the drive mechanism of the on-off valve includes a solenoid valve and a motor-driven needle valve, the opening degree of the motor-driven needle valve can be adjusted so that the closing speed of the gas valve becomes an appropriate speed.
According to the eleventh aspect of the invention, the opening degree of the electropneumatic regulator can be adjusted so that the closing speed of the gas valve becomes an appropriate speed.
According to the invention of the twelfth aspect, the operation of the motor can be adjusted so that the closing speed of the motor valve becomes an appropriate speed.
According to the invention of the thirteenth aspect, the delay time from when the electromagnetic valve opens the flow path in the gas supply pipe to when the gas valve actually closes is measured based on the output of the open/close sensor, and the timing adjustment unit adjusts the timing at which the electromagnetic valve opens the flow path in the gas supply pipe based on the result of the measurement such that the gas valve closes at a predetermined timing. Therefore, even in the case where the delay time varies from one processing liquid discharge device to another due to variations in the diameter, length, and the like of the processing liquid supply pipe from one processing liquid discharge device to another, the adjustment can be performed such that the gas valve is closed at a predetermined timing.
According to the invention of the fourteenth aspect, the determination unit of the determination device determines the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve based on the original image of the inside of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path of the processing liquid in the image of the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path of the processing liquid captured by the imaging unit. The flow path becomes almost free of the processing liquid when the closing speed of the on-off valve is too fast; the discharge path has droplets of the processing liquid when the closing speed of the on-off valve is too slow. Therefore, the determination unit can determine the division to which the closing speed of the on-off valve belongs, based on the images corresponding to the two regions different in the relationship between the closing speed of the on-off valve and the presence of the detected processing liquid. Therefore, the determination accuracy of the division of the closing speed of the opening-closing valve can be improved.
According to the fifteenth aspect of the invention, the determination step of the treatment liquid discharge method determines the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve based on the images of the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path of the treatment liquid in the original image obtained by imaging the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path of the treatment liquid. The flow path becomes almost free of the processing liquid when the closing speed of the on-off valve is too fast; the discharge path has droplets of the processing liquid when the closing speed of the on-off valve is too slow. Therefore, in the determination step, the division to which the closing speed of the on-off valve belongs can be determined based on the images corresponding to the two regions different in the relationship between the closing speed of the on-off valve and the presence manner of the detected processing liquid. Therefore, the determination accuracy of the division of the closing speed of the opening-closing valve can be improved.
According to the invention of the twenty-eighth aspect, the determination step of the determination method determines the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve based on the images of the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path of the processing liquid in the original image obtained by imaging the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path of the processing liquid. The flow path becomes almost free of the processing liquid when the closing speed of the on-off valve is too fast; the discharge path has droplets of the processing liquid when the closing speed of the on-off valve is too slow. Therefore, in the determination step, the division to which the closing speed of the on-off valve belongs can be determined based on the images corresponding to the two regions different in the relationship between the closing speed of the on-off valve and the presence manner of the detected processing liquid. Therefore, the determination accuracy of the division of the closing speed of the opening-closing valve can be improved.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view schematically showing an example of a substrate processing apparatus including a substrate processing unit according to a first embodiment (a second embodiment).
Fig. 2 is a view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the substrate processing unit according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a relationship between the state of the processing liquid at the nozzle tip portion and whether the processing liquid is good or not when the discharge is stopped.
Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing unit according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing unit according to the first embodiment.
Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a relationship between the state of the processing liquid at the nozzle tip portion and the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve when the discharge is stopped, in the form of a graph.
Fig. 7 is a diagram showing an example of a relationship between the state of the processing liquid at the nozzle tip portion and the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve when the discharge is stopped, in the form of a graph.
Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram to schematically show the matching (matching) between the input image and the clustered (clustering) classification.
Fig. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the substrate processing unit according to the second embodiment.
Fig. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of another embodiment of the control unit.
Fig. 11 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration example of another embodiment of the control unit.
Detailed Description
Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. The following embodiments are examples embodying the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention. In the drawings referred to below, the dimensions and the number of the respective portions may be exaggerated or simplified for easy understanding. In the drawings, the same reference numerals are assigned to portions having the same configuration and function, and redundant description is omitted in the following description. The vertical direction is a vertical direction, and the substrate side is an upper side with respect to a spin chuck (spin chuck).
(1) Structure of substrate processing apparatus 100
The structure of the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described with reference to fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus 100. The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes the substrate processing unit 1 according to the first embodiment.
The substrate processing apparatus 100 is a system for processing a plurality of substrates W such as semiconductor wafers. The surface of the substrate W is substantially circular. The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a plurality of substrate processing units 1. The substrate processing apparatus 100 can process the substrates W one by one and continuously in each substrate processing unit 1, and can process a plurality of substrates W in parallel by a plurality of substrate processing units 1.
The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a plurality of blocks (processing blocks) arranged side by side, specifically, an indexer block (indexer cell)110, a processing block 120, and a control unit 130, and the control unit 130 controls the respective operation mechanisms provided in the indexer block 110 and the processing block 120.
< indexer region 110 >
The indexer block 110 is the following: for transferring the unprocessed substrate W received from the outside of the apparatus to the processing region 120 and for carrying out the unprocessed substrate W received from the processing region 120 to the outside of the apparatus. The indexer block 110 has: a carrier stage (carrier stage)111 on which a plurality of carriers (carrier) C1 are placed; and a substrate transfer device (i.e., transfer robot) IR for carrying in and carrying out the substrates W to and from the carriers C1.
The carrier C1 accommodating a plurality of unprocessed substrates W is carried in from the outside of the apparatus by an OHT (Overhead hook Transfer) or the like and placed on the carrier stage 111. Unprocessed substrates W are taken out one by one from the carrier C1 and processed in the apparatus, and processed substrates W having finished the processing in the apparatus are again accommodated in the carrier C1. The carrier C1 containing the processed substrates W is carried out to the outside of the apparatus by the OHT or the like. In this way, the carrier table 111 functions as a substrate concentrating portion for concentrating the unprocessed substrates W and the processed substrates W. The carrier C1 may be a Front Opening Unified Pod (FOUP) for accommodating the substrate W in a closed space, a SMIF (Standard Mechanical interface) Pod, or an OC (Open Cassette) in which the accommodated substrate W is in contact with the outside air.
The transfer robot IR includes: a plurality of hands (for example, four hands) that support the substrate W from below and thereby can hold the substrate W in a horizontal posture (a posture in which the main surface of the substrate W is horizontal); and a plurality of arm sections that move the plurality of hands, respectively. The transfer robot IR takes out an unprocessed substrate W from the carrier C1 placed on the carrier stage 111, and transfers the taken-out substrate W to the transfer robot CR (described later) at the substrate transfer position P. The transfer robot IR receives the processed substrate W from the transport robot CR at the substrate transfer position P, and accommodates the received substrate W in the carrier C1 placed on the carrier table 111. The transfer robot IR can transfer the substrate W by using a plurality of hands at the same time.
< processing area 120 >
The processing region 120 is a region for processing the substrate W. The treatment region 120 has: a plurality of substrate processing units 1; and a transport robot CR that carries in and carries out the substrates W to and from the plurality of substrate processing units 1. The conveyance robot CR and the control unit 130 are substrate conveyance devices. Here, a plurality of (for example, three) substrate processing units 1 are stacked in the vertical direction to constitute one substrate processing apparatus group 10. The plurality of (four in the example of the figure) substrate processing apparatus groups 10 are provided in a cluster (room shape) so as to surround the conveyance robot CR. Therefore, the plurality of substrate processing units 1 are disposed around the conveyance robot CR, respectively. The substrate processing unit 1 detachably holds a substrate placed on an upper side (upper side in the vertical direction) of a spin chuck (not shown) by the spin chuck, and performs a predetermined process (for example, a chemical process, a rinse (rinse) process, a drying process, or the like) on the substrate while rotating the spin chuck about a predetermined rotation axis.
The transport robot CR is a robot for transporting the substrate W while cantilever-supporting the substrate W. The transport robot CR takes out a processed substrate W from a predetermined substrate processing unit 1, and transfers the taken-out substrate W to the transfer robot IR at the substrate transfer position P. The transport robot CR receives an unprocessed substrate W from the transfer robot IR at the substrate transfer position P, and transports the received substrate W to the designated substrate processing unit 1. Similarly to the transfer robot IR, the transport robot CR also includes: a plurality of (e.g., four) hands; and a plurality of arm sections that move the plurality of hands, respectively. The transport robot CR can transport the substrate W by using a plurality of hands at the same time.
Each substrate processing unit 1 has a chamber (chamber)121 (hereinafter, also referred to as a frame 121), and the chamber 121 forms a processing space therein. The housing 121 is formed with a carrying-in/out opening 122, and the carrying-in/out opening 122 is used for allowing the transfer robot to insert a hand of the transfer robot into the housing 121. A shutter (not shown) is provided at the carry-in/out port 122 and is openable and closable in accordance with control of the control unit 130. The shutter is opened when the substrate W is carried into and out of the housing 121, and is closed during processing of the substrate W. The substrate processing unit 1 is disposed such that the carry-out/carry-in port faces a space in which the transfer robot is disposed. The specific configuration of the substrate processing unit 1 will be described later.
< control part 130 >
The control unit 130 controls the operations of the transfer robot IR, the transport robot CR, and the group of substrate processing units 1. The hardware configuration of the control unit 130 can be the same as that of a general computer. That is, the control Unit 130 is configured by electrically connecting a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 162 that is a Read-Only Memory, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 163 that is a Read-write-free Memory, and a disk 161 to a bus (bus line)29, for example, the CPU11 performs various arithmetic operations, the ROM162 stores a basic program, the RAM163 stores various information, and the disk 161 stores a program PG and data in advance. A display section 141 such as a liquid crystal panel and an input section 142 such as a keyboard are also electrically connected to the bus 29. The magnetic disk 161 also stores rules (not shown) for specifying the processing contents and processing order of the substrates W, determination rules K1, a sorter K2, and the like.
The control unit 130 implements various functional units for controlling the respective units of the substrate processing apparatus 100 by performing arithmetic processing in the order written in the program PG by the CPU11 as a main control unit. Specifically, the CPU11 operates as various functional units such as the determination unit 12, the feature value calculation unit 13, the predetermined basis determination unit 14, the image generation unit 16, the closing speed adjustment unit 17, the timing adjustment unit 18, and the machine learning unit 19. The determination unit 12 includes a feature amount calculation unit 13 and a predetermined basis determination unit 14. In addition, a part or all of the functional units implemented in the control unit 130 may be implemented in hardware by a dedicated logic circuit or the like.
(2) Constitution of substrate processing unit 1
Fig. 2 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the substrate processing unit 1 according to the first embodiment.
The substrate processing unit (i.e., the processing liquid discharge device) 1 can supply a processing liquid onto, for example, one main surface (i.e., an upper surface) of a substrate W rotating in a plane, thereby applying various processes to the upper surface of the substrate W. As the treatment liquid L1, for example, pure water can be used. The treatment liquid L1 is not limited to pure water, and may be: functional water such as carbonated water, ionized water, ozone water, or reduced water (hydrogen water); ammonia water, a mixture of ammonia water and hydrogen peroxide water, a mixture of hydrochloric acid and hydrogen peroxide water, hydrofluoric acid, a mixture of sulfuric acid and hydrogen peroxide water, or a chemical such as isopropyl alcohol (isopropyl alcohol).
As shown in fig. 2, the substrate processing unit 1 includes, for example: a processing unit 200 for processing the substrate W with the processing liquid L1 while rotating the held substrate W; a processing liquid supply system 7 for supplying a processing liquid L1 to the processing unit 200; and a control unit 130.
(2-1) processing Unit 200
The processing unit 200 includes a spin chuck 221 and a nozzle 251 in a housing 121. The processing unit 200 rotates the substrate W around a predetermined rotation axis while holding the substrate W from below by a spin chuck (hereinafter, also referred to as a spin holding mechanism) 221. The processing unit 200 supplies the processing liquid L1 from the nozzle 251 to the substrate W to perform the processing of the substrate W.
The spin chuck 221 includes: a disc-shaped spin base (spin base) having a substantially horizontal main surface; and a rotation mechanism that rotates the spin base about a rotation axis that passes through the center of the spin base and extends in the vertical direction. A plurality of holding pins are erected on the peripheral edge portion of the spin base, and the plurality of holding pins detachably hold the peripheral edge portion of the substrate W. The spin chuck 221 holds the peripheral edge portion of the substrate W by a plurality of holding pins, thereby holding the substrate W in a substantially horizontal posture such that the upper surface of the spin base faces the lower surface of the substrate W. The center of the held substrate W is located on the rotation axis of the spin base. In this state, the spin chuck 221 rotates the spin base about the rotation axis, thereby rotating the substrate W about the rotation axis.
The nozzle 251 is disposed above the substrate W held by the spin chuck 221, and the processing liquid L1 is supplied from the processing liquid supply source 71 of the processing liquid supply system 7 through the pipe 74. The nozzle 251 discharges the supplied processing liquid L1 to the main surface of the substrate W rotated by the spin chuck 221. The main surface of the substrate W is treated with the chemical solution. At least the tip end portion (portion on the side close to the substrate W) of the nozzle 251 is made of, for example, a transparent material. As the material having a transparent material, for example, PFA (tetrafluoroethylene-para-fluoro vinyl ether copolymer) resin, quartz, or the like can be used. Therefore, the processing liquid L1 in the flow path at the tip of the nozzle 251 is captured by the camera 65 described later. The processing liquid L1 supplied to the nozzle 251 passes through the flow path TG1 at the tip end of the nozzle 251 and is discharged toward the substrate W side through the discharge path TG2 extending from the tip end 252 of the nozzle 251 toward the downstream side of the discharge direction AR 1.
The operations of carrying in and carrying out the substrate W to and from the processing unit 200 are performed by a robot or the like in a state where the nozzle 251 is disposed at the retreat position by a predetermined moving mechanism. The substrate W carried into the processing unit 200 is detachably held by the spin chuck 221.
(2-2) treatment liquid supply System 7
The treatment liquid supply system 7 includes: a processing liquid supply source 71 for supplying a processing liquid L1; a pipe (i.e., a processing liquid supply pipe) 74; and an opening/closing valve 72 provided in the middle of the path of the pipe 74 to open and close the flow path in the pipe 74. The pipe 74 connects the processing liquid supply source 71 and the nozzle 251, and guides the processing liquid L1 supplied from the processing liquid supply source 71 to the nozzle 251. The on-off valve 72 is a gas valve, supplied with a predetermined gas, and performs a closing operation at a speed corresponding to a supply flow rate of the gas.
The treatment liquid supply system 7 further includes: the drive mechanism 132 opens and closes the on-off valve 72. The driving mechanism 132 supplies gas H1 for controlling the opening and closing operation of the opening and closing valve 72.
The drive mechanism 132 includes: a gas supply source 31 for supplying a gas H1 to the open/close valve 72; a pipe (i.e., a gas supply pipe) 34 for connecting the gas supply source 31 and the on-off valve 72; an electromagnetic valve 32 provided in the pipe 34 for opening and closing a flow path of the gas H1 in the pipe 34; and a motor-driven needle valve 33 provided in the pipe 34, for controlling the flow rate of the gas H1 flowing in the pipe 34 according to the opening degree of the needle valve 33. The driving mechanism 132 may also have an electro-pneumatic regulator instead of the needle valve 33. The electro-pneumatic regulator is provided in the pipe 34 and controls opening and closing of a flow path and a flow rate of the gas H1 flowing through the pipe 34 according to a supplied voltage.
The gas supply source 31 includes, for example: a bottle (bottle) containing high-pressure gas H1; and a valve (i.e., a pressure regulator) for reducing the pressure of the high-pressure gas H1 discharged from the bottle to a certain value. The gas supply source 31 may be provided outside the substrate processing apparatus 100.
(2-3) closing speed determination device 300
The substrate processing unit 1 further has a closing speed determination device (i.e., determination device) 300. The closing speed determination device 300 determines the division to which the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 is assigned, the on-off valve 72 opening and closing the flow path (i.e., the processing liquid supply flow path) through which the processing liquid L1 is supplied to the nozzle 251.
The closing speed determination device 300 includes: a camera 65 provided in the housing 121; and a control unit 130 (more specifically, determination unit 12). The camera 65 is electrically connected to the control unit 130.
(2-3-1) Camera 65
The camera 65 includes, for example, a lens, an imaging module, and a control processing circuit (all not shown). The lens images an optical image of a subject to the photographing assembly. The imaging module converts an optical image of a subject into an electric signal and supplies the electric signal to the control processing circuit. The control processing circuit is electrically connected to the control unit 130, and generates an image signal for displaying an image corresponding to the number of effective pixels of the imaging element by causing the imaging element to perform an imaging operation in accordance with a control signal supplied from the control unit 130, and converting each electric signal supplied from the imaging element into a digital image having a plurality of values, and supplying the image signal to the control unit 130.
That is, the camera 65 processes each electric signal supplied from the photographing component and converts it into a digital image, thereby generating an image signal for displaying an image that has corresponded to the effective number of pixels of the photographing component and outputting it to the control section 130. The control unit 130 stores the image signal (image) in, for example, a magnetic disk 161.
Specifically, the camera 65 captures the image of the predetermined imaging target region 50 in the housing 121 under the control of the control unit 130 to obtain the image G0 when the opening/closing valve 72 closes the flow path and stops the discharge of the processing liquid L1 from the nozzle 251. The subject region 50 includes: a flow path at the tip of the nozzle 251; and a discharge path of the processing liquid L1 extending forward from the tip (discharge port) 252 of the nozzle 251 along the discharge direction AR1 of the processing liquid L1. The camera 65 takes an image from a direction different from the ejection direction AR 1. In fig. 2, the flow path at the tip of the nozzle 251 includes the inner region 51, and the discharge path of the processing liquid L1 extending from the tip 252 of the nozzle 251 forward in the discharge direction AR1 includes the front region 52. The subject region 50 includes an inner region 51 and a front region 52.
(2-3-2) determination unit 12
The determination unit 12 of the closing speed determination device 300 performs a predetermined determination process on the basis of the images of the inner region 51 of the tip portion of the nozzle 251 and the front region 52 of the nozzle 251 in the image G0 captured by the camera 65 of the imaging target region 50, and thereby determines whether the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 is appropriate or slower or faster than a predetermined appropriate speed (that is, a target speed or a target closing speed). That is, the determination unit 12 of the closing speed determination device 300 determines the stopped state of the processing liquid L1 discharged from the nozzle 251.
The determination unit 12 includes a feature amount calculation unit 13 and a predetermined basis determination unit 14.
The feature amount calculation unit 13 calculates a predetermined feature amount according to the area of the image of the processing liquid L1 in each of the first image G1 of the region a (first image region) corresponding to the inner region 51 and the second image G2 of the region B (second image region) corresponding to the front region 52 in the image G0 captured by the camera 65 in the imaging target region 50. As the feature amount, for example, the sum of pixel values in gray scale, the sum of luminance, or the standard deviation of pixel values or luminance in each region of the first image G1 and the second image G2 is used.
The predetermined basis determining unit 14 determines the division of the closing speed of the opening/closing valve 72 by applying the predetermined determination rule K1 to the feature amount of the first image G1 and the feature amount of the second image G2.
As the determination rule K1, for example, the following rule is employed: when the inner region 51 is not in the liquid-tight state, it is determined that the closing speed of the opening/closing valve 72 is excessively high; when the inner region 51 is in a liquid-tight state and the processing liquid L1 is present in the front region 52, it is determined that the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 is excessively slow.
The determination unit 12 of the closing speed determination device 300 includes a classifier K2. The classifier K2 determines whether the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 is appropriate or slower or faster, based on the image of the inner region 51 of the tip end portion of the nozzle 251 and the image of the front region 52 of the nozzle 251 in the image G0 captured by the camera 65 in the imaging target region 50, and distinguishes whether the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 is appropriate or slower than appropriate. That is, the determination unit 12 determines the division of the closing speed of the opening/closing valve 72 by the classifier K2.
The classifier K2 is generated in advance by machine learning performed by the machine learning unit 19 using a sample image of the inner region 51 of the tip of the nozzle 251 and the front region 52 of the nozzle 251 in the image G0 obtained by capturing an image of the imaging target region 50 with the camera 65.
The machine learning unit 19 stores the generated classifier K2 in the disk 161. The classifier K2 is stored as a program or a parameter or the like for realizing the function of the classifier K2, for example. The machine learning unit 19 uses, for example, a neighbor method (neighbor method), a support vector machine (support vector machine), a random forest classifier (random forest), a neural network, or the like as an algorithm for machine learning.
The device learning unit 19 may be updated periodically or aperiodically in an off-line (off-line) manner. Further, the sampled image (teacher data) may be added to the machine learning unit 19 that has previously performed machine learning, and online (on line) learning and updating may be performed.
Although the substrate processing apparatus 100 includes a plurality of substrate processing units 1, the opening/closing valve 72 used in another substrate processing unit 1 may be controlled by the sorter K2 generated for one substrate processing unit 1 by machine learning.
(2-3-3) processing of time-series image by the closing speed determination device 300
The camera 65, under the control of the control unit 130, closes the flow path by the opening/closing valve 72 and stops the discharge of the treatment liquid L1 from the nozzle 251, and then chronologically captures an image of the image capture target region 50, the image capture target region 50 including: an inner region 51 at the tip of the nozzle 251 and a front region 52 extending forward from the tip of the nozzle 251 in the discharge direction AR1 of the processing liquid L1.
< image generating section 16 >
The closing speed determination device 300 further includes an image generation unit 16.
The image generating unit 16 generates an image (i.e., a derivative image) of the inner region 51 of the tip of the nozzle 251 and the front region 52 of the nozzle 251 based on the time-series image obtained by capturing the image of the imaging target region 50 by the camera 65. More specifically, the image generating unit 16 generates the derivative image from the time-series image captured during a period from immediately after the discharge of the processing liquid L1 from the nozzle 251 is stopped to after a predetermined time has elapsed, for example. The certain time is, for example, 3 seconds. The determination unit 12 determines the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 based on the derivative image generated by the image generation unit 16. The determination unit 12 applies the same determination processing as that applied to the image G0 (determination processing using the determination rule K1, the classifier K2, or the like) to the derived image, thereby performing determination.
The image generating unit 16 applies a predetermined selection rule to the pixel values of the pixels at the same coordinates in the time-series images, and acquires the pixel values of the pixels at the coordinates in the derivative image. As the selection rule, for example, a process of obtaining an average value or an integrated value of pixel values of respective pixels having the same coordinates is employed.
In addition, the following rule may also be adopted as the selection rule: a pixel value closest to a pixel value in a spatial region where the processing liquid L1 is not present, among pixel values of pixels in the same coordinate, in the internal region 51 at the tip end portion of the nozzle 251; of the pixel values of the pixels in the front region 52 of the nozzle 251, the pixel value closest to the pixel value of the region in which the processing liquid L1 exists is used for the second image G2 of the region.
(2-4) closing speed adjusting part 17
The substrate processing unit 1 further includes: the closing speed adjusting unit 17 adjusts the operation of the driving mechanism 132 so that the closing speed becomes an appropriate speed, based on the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 determined by the closing speed determining device 300 of the on-off valve 72. The closing speed adjusting unit 17 adjusts the opening degree of the needle valve 33 so that the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 becomes an appropriate speed. More specifically, the closing speed adjusting unit 17 supplies a control signal for adjusting the opening degree of the needle valve 33 to the control plate 131. The control board 131 supplies a drive current corresponding to the supplied control signal to the motor of the needle valve 33, and operates the motor. Thereby, the opening degree of the needle valve 33 is adjusted.
(2-5) timing adjustment unit 18
The substrate processing unit 1 further includes a timing adjustment unit 18. The treatment liquid supply system 7 further includes: the open/close sensor 73 detects opening/closing of the open/close valve 72. The open/close sensor 73 supplies an output signal to the control unit 130. Since the on-off valve 72 is controlled to be opened and closed by the gas, a delay time (that is, a discharge stop delay time) occurs from when the solenoid valve 32 opens the flow path in the pipe 34 until the on-off valve 72 is actually closed, that is, a delay time occurs from when the operation for setting the on-off valve 72 in the closed state is performed until the on-off valve 72 is actually closed.
The timing adjustment unit 18 measures the delay time based on the output of the open/close sensor 73, and adjusts the timing at which the electromagnetic valve 32 opens the flow path in the pipe 34 so as to close the open/close valve 72 at a predetermined timing based on the measurement result.
(3) For the state of the treatment liquid L1 when the discharge is stopped
Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a relationship between the state of the treatment liquid L1 at the tip end of the nozzle 251 and whether it is good or not when the discharge is stopped.
In the uppermost stage of the graph of fig. 3, three states of the treatment liquid L1 at the tip of the nozzle 251 when the discharge is stopped are shown. In the second stage from the top, it is described whether or not the three states of the treatment liquid L1 shown in the uppermost stage are good. In the second stage from below, the correspondence between the three states of the processing liquid L1 indicated in the uppermost stage and the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 is indicated. The closing speed of the opening and closing valve 72 is adjusted by a motor-driven needle valve 33 (speed controller). The lowermost stage shows the correspondence between the three states of the processing liquid L1 shown in the uppermost stage and the ejection stop delay time. The discharge stop delay time is a delay time from the time when the solenoid valve 32 performs the operation of closing the ON-OFF valve 72 by the ON (ON) operation or the OFF (OFF) operation until the ON-OFF valve 72 is actually closed. The discharge stop delay time varies depending on the closing speed of the on-off valve 72, the length and diameter of the pipe 74, the water level difference (water head) of the processing liquid L1, and the like.
As shown in fig. 3, the state of the processing liquid L1 at the tip of the nozzle 251 when the discharge is stopped in a state where the processing liquid L1 is discharged from the nozzle 251 varies depending on the closing speed of the on-off valve 72.
When the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 is too slow, the droplet L2 of the processing liquid L1 temporarily continues to drop after the nozzle 251 stops discharging the processing liquid L1. That is, the state of the processing liquid L1 in the tip portion of the nozzle 251 becomes a poor state. Further, since the closing speed of the opening/closing valve 72 is slow, the delay time for stopping the ejection is long.
When the closing speed of the opening/closing valve 72 is too high, a region where the processing liquid L1 does not exist except for the liquid droplets L2 adhering to the inner wall surface and staying at the tip 252 of the nozzle 251 is generated at the tip of the nozzle by so-called water hammering. These droplets L2 then fall onto the substrate W. That is, the state of the processing liquid L1 in the tip portion of the nozzle 251 becomes a poor state. Further, since the closing speed of the opening/closing valve 72 is high, the delay time for stopping the ejection is short.
As long as the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 is appropriate, the tip portion of the nozzle 251 is in a substantially liquid-tight state with respect to the processing liquid L1, and the droplet L2 does not temporarily continue to drop even after the stop. That is, the state of the processing liquid L1 in the tip portion of the nozzle 251 becomes a preferable state. The ejection stop delay time is a time between the time when the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 is too fast and the time when the closing speed is too slow.
As shown in fig. 3, in order to obtain a good state of the processing liquid L1 when the discharge is stopped, it is necessary to set the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 to an appropriate speed according to the piping system of the substrate processing unit 1.
(4) Operation of substrate processing Unit 1
Fig. 4 and 5 are flowcharts showing an example of the operation of the substrate processing unit 1. Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing a case where determining unit 12 of control unit 130 determines the closing speed of on-off valve 72 by applying predetermined determination rule K1. Fig. 5 is a flowchart of a case where the determination unit 12 determines the closing speed of the opening/closing valve 72 using the classifier K2.
Fig. 6 and 7 are diagrams showing, in a graph, an example of the relationship between the state of the processing liquid L1 at the tip end of the nozzle 251 and the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 when the nozzle 251 stops discharging the processing liquid L1.
In fig. 6 and 7, two states of "state after stop 1" and "state after stop 2" are exemplified as the state of the processing liquid L1 after the processing liquid L1 is stopped, for each of three states of the closing speed of the on-off valve 72, i.e., "appropriate", "too slow", and "too fast". These two states are schematically displayed by images G0 obtained by capturing the subject area 50 with the camera 65, respectively.
A region A, B is displayed in each image G0 of fig. 6, and a region C is displayed in each image G0 of fig. 7. Except for these differences, the two images G0 displayed at the same positions in the graphs as each other in fig. 6 and 7 are the same image.
When the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 is appropriate, the lower end of the processing liquid L1 immediately after the stop is coincident with the tip 252 of the nozzle 251 or is stopped slightly above the tip 252 of the nozzle 251. After the discharge is stopped, the processing liquid L2 does not fall from the tip 252 of the nozzle 251.
In the case where the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 is too slow, in the post-stop state 1, the droplet L2 does not fall, and the lower end surface of the processing liquid L1 has a convex shape downward from the front end 252 of the nozzle 251. In the post-stop state 2, the droplet L2 falls, and the lower end of the treatment liquid L1 coincides with the tip 252 of the nozzle 251. The lower end of the processing liquid L1 does not necessarily coincide with the tip 252 of the nozzle 251, and the lower end of the processing liquid L1 may be convex. In this case, the drop of the droplet L2 and the lower end surface of the treatment liquid L1 have the same convex shape as in the post-stop state 1 occur simultaneously.
When the closing speed of the opening and closing valve 72 is excessively high, in the post-stop state 1, a region where the processing liquid L1 does not exist except the liquid droplet L2 adhering to the inner wall surface and the liquid droplet L2 staying at the front end 252 of the nozzle 251 is generated at the front end portion of the nozzle by so-called water hammering. The lower end surface of the processing liquid L1 is far above the tip 252 of the nozzle 251. In the post-stop state 2, liquid droplets L2 are generated in a liquid retention state of a size that closes the tip 252 of the nozzle 251. Further, similarly to the state 1 after the stop, a region where the processing liquid L1 is not present is generated at the tip portion of the nozzle, and the lower end surface of the processing liquid L1 is far above the tip 252 of the nozzle 251. In the post-stop state 1 and the post-stop state 2, the droplet L2 remaining at the tip end portion of the nozzle 251 may become a particle (particle) during drying.
Hereinafter, the operation of the substrate processing unit 1 (the closing speed determining device 300) will be described with reference to fig. 6, 7, and the like as appropriate, and with reference to the flowcharts of fig. 4 and 5.
(4-1) operation of the judging unit 12 to determine the condition of the basis judging unit 14
Hereinafter, the operation of the substrate processing unit 1 in the case where the prescribed base determining unit 14 of the determining unit 12 determines the closing speed of the opening and closing valve 72 using the determination rule K1 will be described with reference to fig. 6 as appropriate and in accordance with the flowchart of fig. 4.
In step S10 of fig. 4, the camera 65 images the imaging target region 50 when the opening/closing valve 72 closes the flow path and stops the discharge of the processing liquid L1 from the nozzle 251, and the imaging target region 50 includes the inner region 51 (fig. 6) of the tip of the nozzle 251 and the front region 52 of the tip of the nozzle 251. The captured image (i.e., original image) G0 is supplied to the control section 130.
In step S20, the feature value calculating unit 13 calculates a predetermined feature value for the first image G1 and the second image G2 in each of the regions a (fig. 6) corresponding to the inner region 51 in the flow path at the tip of the nozzle 251 and the region B (fig. 6) corresponding to the front region 52 in the discharge path of the processing liquid L1 at the tip of the nozzle 251.
The region A, B is set to have the width of the tip (ejection port) 252 of the nozzle 251 and to be elongated in the ejection direction AR1 of the processing liquid L1.
In step S30, the predetermined basis judging unit 14 judges whether or not the region a is in the liquid-tight state of the processing liquid L1 based on the feature amount of the first image G1.
If the area a is not in the liquid-tight state as a result of this determination, the criterion determination unit 14 determines in step S40 that the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 is too high.
In step S50, the closing speed adjusting unit 17 of the substrate processing unit 1 adjusts the flow rate of the gas H1 flowing through the pipe 34 by the motor-driven needle valve 33 so that the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 becomes slower, and the process proceeds to step S90.
When the area a is in the liquid-tight state as a result of the determination at step S30, the process proceeds to step S60.
In step S60, the predetermined basis judging unit 14 judges whether or not the region B is a space in which the processing liquid L1 is substantially absent, based on the feature amount of the second image G2.
When the processing liquid L1 is present in the region B as a result of the determination, the process proceeds to step S70.
In step S70, the predetermined base determination unit 14 determines that the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 is too slow.
In step S80, the closing speed adjusting unit 17 adjusts the flow rate of the gas H1 flowing through the pipe 34 by using the motor-driven needle valve 33 so that the closing speed of the opening/closing valve 72 becomes faster.
In step S90, the substrate processing unit 1 once discharges the processing liquid L1 from the nozzle 251 and then stops discharging again, reflecting the result of adjusting the flow rate of the gas H1. Thereafter, the process returns to step S10, and the substrate processing unit 1 performs each process of steps S10 and thereafter.
When the result of the determination in step S60 is that the region B is a space in which the processing liquid L1 is hardly present, the substrate processing unit 1 ends the operation of fig. 4.
In the operation of fig. 4, the predetermined basis determining unit 14 uses the following rule as the determination rule K1: when the inner region 51 is not in the liquid-tight state, it is determined that the closing speed of the opening/closing valve 72 is excessively high; when the inner region 51 is in a liquid-tight state and the processing liquid L1 is present in the front region 52, it is determined that the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 is excessively slow. Further, the prescribed base determination unit 14 determines the division of the closing speed of the opening and closing valve 72 by applying the determination rule K1 to the feature quantity of the first image G1 and the feature quantity of the second image G2.
As shown in fig. 6, the end of the region a on the downstream side in the discharge direction AR1 of the processing liquid L1 is separated from the tip of the nozzle 251 toward the upstream side in the discharge direction AR1 of the processing liquid L1. Therefore, the determination unit 12 does not use the image of the image region from the end portion of the first image G1 region on the downstream side in the discharge direction AR1 to the tip end of the nozzle 251 for determination of the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve 72. This image region is a region in which it is difficult to determine the relationship between the presence of the processing liquid L1 and the closing speed of the on-off valve 72. Therefore, in the case where the region is not used for determination, the accuracy of determination can be improved.
(4-2) operation of the judgment unit 12 in the case of using the classifier K2
Hereinafter, the operation of the substrate processing unit 1 in the case where the determination section 12 determines the closing speed of the opening and closing valve 72 using the sorter K2 will be described with reference to fig. 7 as appropriate and in accordance with the flowchart of fig. 5.
In step S110 of fig. 5, the device learning unit 19 performs device learning so as to classify images of a region C (fig. 7) including the interior (flow path) of the tip end portion of the nozzle 251 and the discharge path of the processing liquid L1 in front of the tip end portion of the nozzle 251 into groups in which the closing speed of the on-off valve is "appropriate", "too slow", and "too fast". The machine learning unit 19 stores the classifier K2 generated by the machine learning to the disk 161.
Further, with the example of fig. 6, in a case where the determination section 12 applies the classifier K2, the classifier K2 determines the division of the closing speed of the opening and closing valve 72 from each of the first image G1 of the region a corresponding to the inner region 51 and the second image G2 of the region B corresponding to the front region 52 (fig. 6) in the image G0 taken by the camera 65 of the photographing target region 50. The classifier K2 is generated in advance by machine learning using the respective sample images of the first image G1 and the second image G2.
In step S120, the camera 65 images the imaging target region 50 including the inside (flow path) of the tip portion of the nozzle 251 and the discharge path of the processing liquid L1 in front of the tip portion of the nozzle 251 when the opening/closing valve 72 closes the flow path and stops discharging the processing liquid L1 from the nozzle 251.
In step S130, the determination section 12 classifies the image of the region C in the captured image (original image) G0 by the classifier K2, and determines the division to which the closing speed of the opening and closing valve 72 belongs.
The region C is set to have a width of the tip (ejection port) 252 of the nozzle 251 and to be elongated in the ejection direction AR1 of the processing liquid L1. The region C in fig. 7 is a region slightly longer than the range obtained by merging the regions A, B in fig. 6. This is because the regions A, B are provided separately from each other.
In step S140, the determination unit 12 determines whether or not the closing speed has been classified (determined) as "too fast".
When the closing speed has been classified as "too fast" as a result of the determination, the process proceeds to step S150.
In step S150, the closing speed adjusting unit 17 of the substrate processing unit 1 adjusts the flow rate of the gas H1 flowing through the pipe 34 by the motor-driven needle valve 33 so that the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 becomes slower, and the process proceeds to step S180.
When the closing speed of the opening-closing valve 72 is not classified as "excessively fast" as a result of the determination at step S140, the process proceeds to step S160.
In step S160, the determination unit 12 determines whether or not the closing speed of the opening/closing valve 72 has been classified as "too slow".
When the closing speed has been classified as "too slow" as a result of the determination, the process proceeds to step S170.
In step S170, the closing speed adjusting unit 17 adjusts the flow rate of the gas H1 flowing through the pipe 34 by using the motor-driven needle valve 33 so that the closing speed of the opening/closing valve 72 becomes faster.
In step S180, the substrate processing unit 1 once discharges the processing liquid L1 from the nozzle 251 and then stops discharging again, in order to reflect the result of adjusting the flow rate of the gas H1. Thereafter, the process returns to step S120, and the substrate processing unit 1 performs each process of steps S120 and below.
In a case where the closing speed of the opening and closing valve 72 is not classified as "too slow" as a result of the determination in step S160, the substrate processing unit 1 ends the operation of fig. 5.
Fig. 8 is a schematic diagram to show matching between an image G1 of the vicinity of the leading end 252 of the photographed nozzle 251 and the closing speeds of the opening and closing valves classified into a plurality of groups in advance. The matching is performed, for example, by a known neural network (neural network) NN 1. The closing speed is previously grouped into a plurality of groups such as "too fast", "proper", and "too slow". Each group corresponds to each feature vector generated in advance. The feature vectors are generated in advance from the images Gk (more specifically, the sum of the pixel values or luminances of the images Gk, or the standard deviation of the pixel values or luminances) corresponding to the respective states of the processing liquid L1 immediately after the stop in the vicinity of the leading end 252. In the example of fig. 8, each group of closing speeds is schematically displayed by the corresponding image Gk. The neural network NN1 has an input layer, an intermediate layer (hidden layer), and an output layer. The neural network NN1 may also have multiple intermediate layers.
The neural network NN1 learns in advance the correspondence relationship between each image G1 in the vicinity of the tip 252 immediately after the discharge of the processing liquid L1 is stopped and the feature vector corresponding to the image G1 among the feature vectors captured by the camera 65. The captured image G1 was matched to the most corresponding feature vector by image recognition by the neural network NN 1. This makes it possible to determine the stop of the discharge. The matching shown in fig. 8 corresponds to the processing of step S140 and step S160 described above.
Although the images GI and Gk in fig. 8 show images obtained by capturing the vicinity of the tip 252 of the nozzle 251, it is not necessary to extract only the image in the vicinity of the tip 252 of the nozzle 251, and the entire image captured by the imaging means may be learned as a feature vector. In this case, the machine learning unit 19 consequently focuses on the difference in the nozzle tip state generated in the plurality of whole images and performs learning.
(5) Structure of substrate processing apparatus 100A
Fig. 1 is a schematic plan view schematically showing a substrate processing apparatus 100A. The substrate processing apparatus 100A includes the substrate processing unit 1A according to the second embodiment. As shown in fig. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 100A is configured in the same manner as the substrate processing apparatus 100 except that a plurality of substrate processing units 1A are provided instead of the plurality of substrate processing units 1.
Fig. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the substrate processing unit 1A according to the second embodiment.
The substrate processing unit (i.e., the processing liquid discharge device) 1A is configured in the same manner as the substrate processing unit 1 except that a processing liquid supply system 7A is provided instead of the processing liquid supply system 7 of the substrate processing unit 1. The substrate processing unit 1A can discharge the processing liquid L1 to the substrates W and process the substrates W one by one, similarly to the substrate processing unit 1. The substrate processing apparatus 100A can process a plurality of substrates W in parallel by the plurality of substrate processing units 1A.
The processing liquid supply system 7A of the substrate processing unit 1A is configured in the same manner as the processing liquid supply system 7 except that it includes an on-off valve (i.e., a motor valve) 72A and a drive mechanism 132A instead of the on-off valve 72 and the drive mechanism 132 of the processing liquid supply system 7.
The opening/closing valve 72A includes a valve main body 720 and a motor (i.e., an electric motor) 721, and the motor 721 drives an opening/closing mechanism of the valve main body 720 to open/close the opening/closing valve 72A. The valve main body 720 is provided midway in the path of the pipe 74. The valve main body 720 is provided with, for example, a rod-shaped body, not shown, which can open and close the valve main body 720 by moving forward and backward in a direction crossing the pipe 74, that is, which can open and close the flow path of the pipe 74 by moving forward and backward in a direction crossing the pipe 74. The rod-shaped body is connected to, for example, a ball screw mechanism, not shown, which is connected to a rotating shaft of the motor 721; when the motor 721 rotates, the rod-like body advances and retreats in a direction corresponding to the rotational direction at a speed corresponding to the rotational speed of the motor 721. Thereby, the opening degree and the opening/closing speed of the valve main body 720 are arbitrarily adjusted. The control unit 130 supplies a control signal corresponding to the target opening/closing speed to the control board 131, and the control board 131 supplies a drive current corresponding to the control signal to the motor 721. The on-off valve 72A is opened and closed at a speed corresponding to the rotation speed (rotation speed) of the motor 721. In other words, the on-off valve 72A is opened and closed at a speed corresponding to a driving Current supplied from the control board 131 (a Current value of the driving Current when the motor 721 is, for example, a DC (Direct Current) motor, and a frequency of a pulse of the driving Current when the motor 721 is, for example, a stepping motor). That is, the driving mechanism 132A has a control plate 131 and a motor 721 of the opening and closing valve 72A for adjusting the closing speed of the opening and closing valve 72A. The closing speed adjusting unit 17 supplies a control signal to the control board 131 so that the closing speed of the on-off valve 72A (the valve main body 720) becomes an appropriate speed (target closing speed), and adjusts the operation of the motor 721.
The motor-driven on-off valve 72A has better response than the on-off valve 72 belonging to the gas-driven gas valve, and the on-off valve 72A can be closed immediately when the motor 721 closes the on-off valve 72A. The on-off valve 72 is controlled to be opened and closed by the gas H1, and therefore the above-described delay time for the discharge stop is generated, but the on-off valve 72A is controlled to be opened and closed by the motor 721, and therefore, a delay corresponding to the delay time for the discharge stop in the on-off valve 72 is not generated in the on-off valve 72A. Therefore, the timing adjustment unit 18 may not be provided in the control unit 130 of the substrate processing unit 1A.
Fig. 10 is a diagram schematically showing a control unit 130B as a configuration example of another embodiment of the control unit 130 of the substrate processing apparatuses 100 and 100A.
As shown in fig. 10, the machine learning unit 19 is provided in the server 23, and the server 23 is provided outside the substrate processing apparatus 100. The machine learning of the machine learning unit 19 is performed offline. The determination unit 12 and the classifier K2 are also provided in the server 23. The control unit 130B is connected to the network 22 via the communication unit 21, and the external server 23 is connected to the network 22.
The CPU11 of the control unit 130B communicates information with the determination unit 12, the machine learning unit 19, and the classifier K2 provided in the server 23 via the communication unit 21 and the network 22. The control unit 130B is configured in the same manner as the control unit 130 except for the machine learning unit 19, the determination unit 12, and the classifier K2, which do not include the control unit 130.
As exemplified by the control unit 130B in fig. 10, a part of each functional unit, such as the determination unit 12, the feature amount calculation unit 13, the predetermined basis determination unit 14, the image generation unit 16, the closing speed adjustment unit 17, the timing adjustment unit 18, and the machine learning unit 19, which are realized by the CPU11 of the control unit 130 may be provided in the external server 23. When the functional unit is provided in the server 23, matching (determination) common to the plurality of substrate processing units can be performed.
The machine learning unit 19 may be updated periodically or aperiodically off-line. Further, the machine learning unit 19 that has been subjected to machine learning in advance may be updated by adding a sample image (teacher data) to the image and performing online learning. Further, on-line learning may be performed by sampling images (teacher data) using other CPUs via the network 22.
Fig. 11 is a diagram schematically showing a control unit 130C of another embodiment of the control unit 130 of the substrate processing apparatus 100 or 100A. As shown in fig. 11, the control unit 130C is configured to perform the same operations as the control unit 130 except that the classifier K2 is stored in the ROM162 instead of the disk 161. Thus, the classifier K2 may also be stored in the ROM 162.
According to the opening/closing speed determination device of the first and second embodiments having the above-described configuration, the determination unit 12 determines the division of the closing speeds of the opening/ closing valves 72 and 72A based on the image of the flow path (the inner area 51) of the tip end portion of the nozzle 251 and the discharge path (the front area 52) of the processing liquid L1 in the original image G0 captured by the camera 65 in the imaging target area 50 including the flow path of the tip end portion of the nozzle 251 and the discharge path of the processing liquid L1 extending from the tip end 252 of the nozzle 251 in the discharge direction AR 1. When the closing speed of the on-off valves 72 and 72A is too high, the inner region 51 is almost free of the processing liquid L1, and when the closing speed of the on-off valves 72 and 72A is too low, the front region 52 contains droplets of the processing liquid L1. Therefore, the determination unit 12 can determine the division to which the closing speeds of the on-off valves 72 and 7A belong, based on the images corresponding to the two regions different in the relationship between the closing speed of the on-off valve 72 and the presence form of the detected processing liquid L1. Therefore, the accuracy of determination of the division of the closing speeds of the on-off valves 72, 72A can be improved.
Further, according to the opening/closing speed determining device of the first and second embodiments, the feature amount calculating unit 13 of the determining unit 12 calculates the predetermined feature amount according to the area of the image of the processing liquid L1 in each of the first image G1 corresponding to the inner region 51 of the tip portion of the nozzle 251 and the second image G2 corresponding to the front region 52 of the tip portion of the nozzle 251. The predetermined basis determining unit 14 of the determining unit 12 determines the division of the closing speeds of the on-off valves 72, 72A by applying the predetermined determination rule K1 to the feature amount of the first image G1 and the feature amount of the second image G2. Therefore, the determination unit 12 individually detects the presence of the image of the processing liquid L1 with respect to the first image G1 and the second image G2 and determines the division of the closing speeds of the open- close valves 72, 72A, so that the accuracy of the determination can be improved.
Further, according to the closing speed determination device of the opening/closing valve of the first and second embodiments, the end portion of the region of the first image G1 on the downstream side in the discharge direction AR1 of the processing liquid L1 is separated from the tip of the nozzle 251 toward the upstream side in the discharge direction AR1, that is, is separated from the end portion of the region B on the upstream side in the discharge direction AR1 toward the upstream side in the discharge direction AR 1. Therefore, the determination unit 12 does not use the image of the image region from the end portion of the first image G1 region on the downstream side in the discharge direction AR1 to the tip end of the nozzle 251 for determination of the division of the closing speed of the on-off valves 72, 72A. This image region is a region in which it is difficult to determine the relationship between the presence of the processing liquid L1 and the closing speed of the on-off valves 72, 72A. Therefore, in the case where this region is not used for determination, the accuracy of determination can be further improved.
Further, according to the first and second embodiments of the closing speed determining device of the on-off valve, the determination rule K1 is the following rule: when the inner region 51 of the tip portion of the nozzle 251 is not in a liquid-tight state, it is determined that the closing speed of the opening/ closing valves 72, 72A is excessively fast; when the inner region 51 of the tip portion of the nozzle 251 is in a liquid-tight state and the processing liquid L1 is present in the front region 52 extending from the tip portion of the nozzle 251, it is determined that the closing speed of the on-off valves 72, 72A is excessively slow. Therefore, the accuracy of determining the closing speed of the on-off valves 72 and 72A can be improved.
Further, according to the closing speed determination device of the on-off valve of the first and second embodiments, the classifier is generated in advance by machine learning using the sample image of the region C corresponding to the region including both the inner region 51 of the tip portion of the nozzle 251 and the front region 52 of the nozzle 251; the determination unit 12 determines the division of the closing speeds of the on-off valves 72 and 72A by the classifier. Therefore, even in the case where an image different from the sample image is given, the determination accuracy of the division of the closing speed can be improved.
Further, according to the first and second embodiments of the present invention, the classifier is generated by a mechanic by the students in the following manner: the division of the closing speeds of the opening and closing valves 72, 72A is determined based on the respective images of the first image G1 of the region a corresponding to the inner region 51 and the second image G2 of the region B corresponding to the front region 52 in the image G0 taken by the camera 65 of the shooting target region 50. Since the classifier can learn the relationship between the images and the discrimination of the closing speeds of the opening and closing valves 72, 72A for each of the first image G1 and the second image G2, the determination accuracy of the classifier can be improved.
Further, according to the closing speed determination device of the opening/closing valve of the first and second embodiments, the end portion of the region of the first image G1 on the downstream side in the discharge direction AR1 of the processing liquid L1 is separated from the tip of the nozzle 251 to the upstream side in the discharge direction AR1, that is, is separated from the end portion of the region B on the upstream side in the discharge direction AR1 to the upstream side in the discharge direction AR 1. Therefore, the classifier of the determination unit 12 does not use the image of the image region extending from the end portion of the first image G1 region on the downstream side in the ejection direction AR1 to the tip end of the nozzle 251 for determination of the discrimination of the closing speed of the on-off valves 72, 72A. This image region makes it difficult to determine a region of the relationship between the presence of the processing liquid L1 and the closing speed of the opening and closing valves 72, 72A. Therefore, in the case where this region is not used for determination, the accuracy of determination can be further improved.
Further, according to the opening/closing speed determination device of the first or second embodiment, the image generation unit 16 generates the images of the inner area 51 of the tip portion of the nozzle 251 and the front area 52 of the nozzle 251 based on the time-series image of the imaging target area 50 including the inner area 51 of the tip portion of the nozzle 251 and the front area 52 extending forward from the tip portion of the nozzle 251; the determination unit 12 determines the division of the closing speeds of the on-off valves 72 and 72A based on the image. Since the temporal change in the presence of the processing liquid L1 is also reflected in the determination result, the determination accuracy can be improved.
Further, according to the processing liquid discharge apparatuses of the first and second embodiments configured as described above, even when the closing speeds of the on-off valves 72 and 72A determined by the closing speed determination means of the on-off valves are not appropriate, the closing speed adjustment unit 17 can adjust the drive mechanisms of the on-off valves 72 and 72A in accordance with the determined division of the closing speeds of the on-off valves 72 and 72A, and therefore, the closing speeds can be easily adjusted to appropriate speeds. Therefore, the start-up time of the treatment liquid ejecting apparatus can be shortened.
Further, according to the treatment liquid ejecting apparatus of the first embodiment, in the case where the on-off valve 72 is a gas valve and the driving mechanism 132 of the on-off valve 72 includes the electromagnetic valve 32 and the motor-driven needle valve 33, the opening degree of the motor-driven needle valve 33 can be adjusted so that the closing speed of the gas valve (the on-off valve 72) becomes an appropriate speed.
Further, according to the treatment liquid discharge apparatus of the first embodiment, the delay time from when the electromagnetic valve 32 opens the flow path of the pipe 34 to when the gas valve is actually closed is measured based on the output of the open/close sensor 73, and the timing adjustment unit 18 adjusts the timing for opening the flow path in the pipe 34 by the electromagnetic valve 32 based on the measurement result so that the gas valve is closed at a predetermined timing. Therefore, even when the delay time varies from one substrate processing unit 1 to another due to variations in the diameter, length, and the like of the pipe 74 belonging to the supply pipe of the processing liquid L1, the adjustment can be performed such that the gas valve is closed at a predetermined timing.
Further, according to the method of determining the closing speed of the on-off valves of the first and second embodiments, the determining step determines the division of the closing speeds of the on-off valves 72 and 72A based on the image of the inner region 51 of the tip portion of the nozzle 251 and the image of the front region 52 of the nozzle 251 in the original image G0 of the imaging target region 50. When the closing speed of the on-off valves 72 and 72A is too high, the processing liquid L1 is hardly present in the inner region 51; in the front area 52, when the closing speed of the on-off valves 72 and 72A is too slow, droplets of the processing liquid L1 are present. Therefore, in the determination step, the division to which the closing speeds of the on-off valves 72, 72A belong can be determined based on the images corresponding to the two regions different in the relationship between the closing speeds of the on-off valves 72, 72A and the presence form of the detected processing liquid L1. Therefore, the accuracy of determination of the division of the closing speeds of the on-off valves 72, 72A can be improved.
Further, according to the method of discharging the processing liquid L1 of the first and second embodiments, even when the closing speeds of the on-off valves 72 and 72A determined by the method of determining the closing speeds of the on-off valves are inappropriate, the driving mechanisms of the on-off valves 72 and 72A can be adjusted in the closing speed adjusting step according to the determined division of the closing speeds of the on-off valves 72 and 72A, and therefore the closing speeds can be easily adjusted to appropriate speeds.
While the invention has been particularly shown and described, the foregoing description is in all aspects illustrative and not restrictive. Therefore, the present invention can appropriately change or omit the embodiments within the scope of the present invention.
[ description of reference numerals ]
100 substrate processing apparatus
200 processing part
300 closing speed determination device
1 substrate processing Unit (processing liquid ejecting apparatus)
251 nozzle
12 determination unit
72 opening and closing valve
65 Camera (shooting part)
G0 image (original image)
Claims (28)
1. A treatment liquid discharge device for discharging a treatment liquid from a nozzle, comprising:
a determination unit that determines a closing speed of an on-off valve that opens and closes a process liquid supply passage that supplies a process liquid to the nozzle; and
an imaging unit that images a flow path of a tip portion of the nozzle and a discharge path of the processing liquid extending from the tip of the nozzle forward in a discharge direction of the processing liquid from a direction different from the discharge direction of the processing liquid when the opening/closing valve closes the processing liquid supply flow path and stops discharging the processing liquid from the nozzle;
the determination unit performs a predetermined determination process on the basis of the image of the discharge path and the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in the original image in which the image pickup unit picks up the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path, thereby determining whether the closing speed of the on-off valve is appropriate or slower or faster than an appropriate speed.
2. The treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the judgment unit includes:
a feature amount calculation unit that calculates a predetermined feature amount according to an area of an image of the processing liquid for each of a first image region corresponding to a flow path at a tip portion of the nozzle and a second image of a second image region corresponding to the ejection path in the original image; and
a predetermined basis determination section that determines the division of the closing speed of the opening-closing valve by applying a predetermined determination rule to the feature amount of the first image and the feature amount of the second image.
3. The treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2, wherein an end portion of the first image area on a downstream side in a discharge direction of the treatment liquid is separated from a tip of the nozzle to an upstream side in the discharge direction of the treatment liquid.
4. The treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the determination rule is a rule of: determining that a closing speed of the on-off valve is excessively high when the flow path at the tip end portion of the nozzle is not in a liquid-tight state; when the flow path at the tip end of the nozzle is in a liquid-tight state and the processing liquid is present in the discharge path, it is determined that the closing speed of the on-off valve is excessively slow.
5. The processing liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the determination unit has a classifier for determining whether the closing speed of the on-off valve is appropriate or slower or faster than appropriate, based on the image of the discharge path and the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in the original image, and determines the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve by the classifier;
the classifier is generated in advance by machine learning using a sample image of an image of the ejection path and a flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in the original image.
6. The treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 5, wherein the classifier determines the classification of the closing speed of the on-off valve based on each of a first image region corresponding to a flow path of a tip portion of the nozzle and a second image of a second image region corresponding to the discharge path in the original image;
the classifier uses respective sample images of the first image and the second image and is generated by machine learning in advance.
7. The treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 6, wherein an end portion of the first image area on a downstream side in a discharge direction of the treatment liquid is separated from a tip of the nozzle to an upstream side in the discharge direction of the treatment liquid.
8. The treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the imaging unit images a flow path at a tip of the nozzle and a discharge path of the treatment liquid extending forward from the tip of the nozzle in a discharge direction of the treatment liquid in chronological order after the open/close valve closes the treatment liquid supply flow path and stops discharging the treatment liquid from the nozzle;
the treatment liquid discharge device further includes: an image generating unit that generates a time-series image in which the flow path at the tip of the nozzle and the ejection path are imaged by the imaging unit, and a derivative image of the flow path at the tip of the nozzle and the ejection path;
the determination unit determines the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve based on the derivative image generated by the image generation unit.
9. The treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, further comprising:
a pipe for connecting a processing liquid supply source and the nozzle and guiding the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply source to the nozzle; and
a drive mechanism for opening and closing the opening and closing valve;
the on-off valve is arranged in the middle of the path of the piping;
the treatment liquid discharge device further includes: and a closing speed adjusting unit that adjusts the operation of the drive mechanism so that the closing speed becomes an appropriate speed, based on the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve determined by the determining unit.
10. The processing liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the on-off valve is a gas valve, is supplied with a predetermined gas, and performs a closing operation at a closing speed according to a supply flow rate of the gas;
the drive mechanism includes:
a gas supply source that supplies the gas to the gas valve;
a gas supply pipe connecting the gas supply source and the gas valve;
an electromagnetic valve provided in the gas supply pipe to open and close a flow path of the gas in the gas supply pipe; and
a motor-driven needle valve provided in the gas supply pipe and configured to control a flow rate of the gas flowing in the gas supply pipe according to an opening degree;
the closing speed adjusting unit adjusts the opening degree of the motor-driven needle valve so that the closing speed of the gas valve becomes an appropriate speed.
11. The processing liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the on-off valve is a gas valve, is supplied with a predetermined gas, and performs a closing operation at a closing speed according to a supply flow rate of the gas;
the drive mechanism includes:
a gas supply source that supplies the gas to the gas valve;
a gas supply pipe connecting the gas supply source and the gas valve; and
an electropneumatic regulator provided in the gas supply pipe and configured to control opening and closing of a flow path and a flow rate of the gas flowing through the gas supply pipe according to a voltage;
the closing speed adjusting unit adjusts the opening degree of the electropneumatic regulator such that the closing speed of the gas valve becomes an appropriate speed.
12. The treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the on-off valve is a motor valve that is opened and closed at a speed corresponding to a rotation speed of a motor, and comprises: a valve body provided midway in the piping path; and the motor, open and close the said valve body;
the drive mechanism has the motor;
the closing speed adjusting unit adjusts the operation of the motor so that the closing speed of the motor valve becomes an appropriate speed.
13. The treatment liquid discharge apparatus according to claim 10, further comprising:
an open/close sensor for detecting opening/closing of the gas valve; and
and a timing adjustment unit that measures a delay time from when the electromagnetic valve performs an operation of setting the gas valve in a closed state to when the gas valve is actually closed, based on an output of the open/close sensor, and adjusts a timing at which the electromagnetic valve performs the operation of setting the gas valve in the closed state, based on a result of the measurement, such that the gas valve is closed at a predetermined timing.
14. A judgment device for judging a stop state of a processing liquid discharged from a nozzle, comprising:
an imaging unit that images a flow path of a tip portion of the nozzle and a discharge path of the processing liquid extending from the tip of the nozzle forward in a discharge direction of the processing liquid from a direction different from the discharge direction of the processing liquid when the processing liquid supply flow path is closed by an on-off valve that opens and closes the processing liquid supply flow path that supplies the processing liquid to the nozzle and the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle is stopped; and
and a determination unit that performs a predetermined determination process on the basis of the image of the discharge path and the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in the original image in which the image pickup unit picks up the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path, thereby determining whether the closing speed of the on-off valve is appropriate or slower or faster than an appropriate speed.
15. A method for ejecting a processing liquid from a nozzle, comprising:
a determination step of determining a closing speed of an on-off valve for opening and closing a processing liquid supply passage for supplying a processing liquid to the nozzle; and
an imaging step of imaging a flow path of a tip portion of the nozzle and an ejection path of the processing liquid extending forward from the tip of the nozzle along an ejection direction of the processing liquid, when the opening/closing valve closes the processing liquid supply flow path and stops ejecting the processing liquid from the nozzle;
the determining step performs a predetermined determination process on the basis of the image of the discharge path and the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in the original image obtained by imaging the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the discharge path in the imaging step, thereby determining whether the closing speed of the on-off valve is appropriate or slower or faster than an appropriate speed.
16. The treatment liquid discharge method according to claim 15, wherein the determination step includes:
a feature amount calculation step of calculating a predetermined feature amount corresponding to an area of an image of the processing liquid for each of a first image region corresponding to a flow path at a tip portion of the nozzle and a second image of a second image region corresponding to the ejection path in the original image; and
a predetermined basis determination step of applying a predetermined determination rule to the feature amount of the first image and the feature amount of the second image, thereby determining the division of the closing speed of the opening-closing valve.
17. The treatment liquid discharge method according to claim 16, wherein an end portion of the first image area on a downstream side in a discharge direction of the treatment liquid is separated from a tip of the nozzle to an upstream side in the discharge direction of the treatment liquid.
18. The treatment liquid discharge method according to claim 16 or 17, wherein the determination rule is a rule of: determining that a closing speed of the on-off valve is excessively high when the flow path at the tip end portion of the nozzle is not in a liquid-tight state; when the flow path at the tip end of the nozzle is in a liquid-tight state and the processing liquid is present in the discharge path, it is determined that the closing speed of the on-off valve is excessively slow.
19. The treatment liquid discharge method according to claim 15, wherein the determining step is a step of determining a division of the closing speed of the on-off valve by a classifier that determines whether the closing speed of the on-off valve is appropriate or slower or faster than appropriate, based on the image of the ejection path and the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in the original image;
the classifier is generated in advance by machine learning using a sample image of an image of the ejection path and a flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in the original image.
20. The treatment liquid discharge method according to claim 19, wherein the classifier determines the classification of the closing speed of the on-off valve based on each of a first image region corresponding to a flow path of a tip portion of the nozzle and a second image of a second image region corresponding to the discharge path in the original image;
the classifier uses respective sample images of the first image and the second image and is generated by machine learning in advance.
21. The treatment liquid discharge method according to claim 20, wherein an end portion of the first image area on a downstream side in a discharge direction of the treatment liquid is separated from a tip of the nozzle to an upstream side in the discharge direction of the treatment liquid.
22. The treatment liquid discharge method according to any one of claims 15 to 21, wherein the image capturing step is a step of: a step of imaging a flow path at a tip of the nozzle and a discharge path of the processing liquid extending forward from the tip of the nozzle in a discharge direction of the processing liquid in chronological order after the opening/closing valve closes the processing liquid supply flow path and stops discharging the processing liquid from the nozzle;
the treatment liquid discharge method further includes: an image generation step of generating a flow path at the tip end of the nozzle and a derivative image of the ejection path, based on a time-series image obtained by imaging the flow path at the tip end of the nozzle and the ejection path in the imaging step;
the judging step is as follows: determining the division of the closing speed of the on-off valve based on the derivative image generated in the image generating step.
23. A treatment liquid discharge method in a treatment liquid discharge apparatus, comprising the treatment liquid discharge method according to any one of claims 15 to 22;
the treatment liquid discharge device includes:
a pipe for connecting a processing liquid supply source and the nozzle and guiding the processing liquid supplied from the processing liquid supply source to the nozzle; and
a drive mechanism for opening and closing the opening and closing valve;
the on-off valve is arranged in the middle of the path of the piping;
the treatment liquid discharge method further includes: a closing speed adjusting step of adjusting an operation of the drive mechanism so that the closing speed becomes an appropriate speed, based on the division of the closing speed of the opening/closing valve determined in the determining step.
24. A processing liquid discharge method according to claim 23, wherein said on-off valve is a gas valve to which a predetermined gas is supplied and which performs a closing operation at a closing speed according to a supply flow rate of said gas;
the drive mechanism includes:
a gas supply source that supplies the gas to the gas valve;
a gas supply pipe connecting the gas supply source and the gas valve;
an electromagnetic valve provided in the gas supply pipe to open and close a flow path of the gas in the gas supply pipe; and
a motor-driven needle valve provided in the gas supply pipe and configured to control a flow rate of the gas flowing in the gas supply pipe according to an opening degree;
the closing speed adjusting step is a step of adjusting an opening degree of the motor-driven needle valve so that a closing speed of the gas valve becomes an appropriate speed.
25. A processing liquid discharge method according to claim 23, wherein said on-off valve is a gas valve to which a predetermined gas is supplied and which performs a closing operation at a closing speed according to a supply flow rate of said gas;
the drive mechanism includes:
a gas supply source that supplies the gas to the gas valve;
a gas supply pipe connecting the gas supply source and the gas valve; and
an electropneumatic regulator provided in the gas supply pipe and configured to control opening and closing of a flow path and a flow rate of the gas flowing through the gas supply pipe according to a voltage;
the closing speed adjusting step is a step of adjusting the opening degree of the electropneumatic regulator so that the closing speed of the gas valve becomes an appropriate speed.
26. The treatment liquid discharge method according to claim 23, wherein the on-off valve is a motor valve that is opened and closed at a speed corresponding to a rotation speed of a motor, and comprises: a valve body provided midway in the piping path; and the motor, open and close the said valve body;
the drive mechanism has the motor;
the closing speed adjusting step is a step of adjusting the operation of the motor so that the closing speed of the motor valve becomes an appropriate speed.
27. The treatment liquid discharge method according to claim 24, further comprising:
an open/close detection step of detecting opening/closing of the gas valve; and
a timing adjustment step of measuring a delay time from an operation of the electromagnetic valve to set the gas valve in a closed state to an actual closing of the gas valve based on the opening degree of the gas valve detected in the opening/closing detection step, and adjusting a timing of the operation of the electromagnetic valve to set the gas valve in the closed state based on a result of the measurement such that the gas valve is closed at a predetermined timing.
28. A determination method for determining a stop state of a processing liquid discharged from a nozzle, comprising:
an imaging step of imaging a flow path of a tip portion of the nozzle and an ejection path of the processing liquid extending from the tip of the nozzle forward in an ejection direction of the processing liquid from a direction different from the ejection direction of the processing liquid, when the processing liquid supply flow path is closed by an on-off valve that opens and closes the processing liquid supply flow path that supplies the processing liquid to the nozzle and the ejection of the processing liquid from the nozzle is stopped; and
a determination step of performing a predetermined determination process on the basis of the image of the ejection path and the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle in the original image obtained by imaging the flow path of the tip portion of the nozzle and the ejection path in the imaging step, thereby determining whether or not the closing speed of the on-off valve is appropriate, or slower or faster than appropriate.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| JP2018092028A JP7071209B2 (en) | 2018-05-11 | 2018-05-11 | Processing liquid discharge device, processing liquid discharge method, and substrate processing device |
| JP2018-092028 | 2018-05-11 | ||
| PCT/JP2019/018246 WO2019216310A1 (en) | 2018-05-11 | 2019-05-07 | Processing fluid discharge device, evaluation device, processing fluid discharge method, and evaluation method |
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| CN112106174A true CN112106174A (en) | 2020-12-18 |
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| CN201980031376.XA Pending CN112106174A (en) | 2018-05-11 | 2019-05-07 | Processing liquid ejecting apparatus, judging apparatus, processing liquid ejecting method, and judging method |
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| JP (1) | JP7071209B2 (en) |
| KR (1) | KR102393694B1 (en) |
| CN (1) | CN112106174A (en) |
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| JP2023127856A (en) * | 2022-03-02 | 2023-09-14 | 株式会社Ｓｃｒｅｅｎホールディングス | Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus |
| JP2023127945A (en) * | 2022-03-02 | 2023-09-14 | 株式会社Ｓｃｒｅｅｎホールディングス | Control support device and control support method |
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- 2019-05-07 CN CN201980031376.XA patent/CN112106174A/en active Pending
- 2019-05-07 KR KR1020207030610A patent/KR102393694B1/en active IP Right Grant
- 2019-05-10 TW TW108116119A patent/TWI721417B/en active
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| TW202003117A (en) | 2020-01-16 |
| KR102393694B1 (en) | 2022-05-02 |
| JP7071209B2 (en) | 2022-05-18 |
| TWI721417B (en) | 2021-03-11 |
| JP2019197846A (en) | 2019-11-14 |
| WO2019216310A1 (en) | 2019-11-14 |
| KR20200136450A (en) | 2020-12-07 |
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