CN112789709A - Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus - Google Patents

Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus Download PDF

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Publication number
CN112789709A
CN112789709A CN201980065636.5A CN201980065636A CN112789709A CN 112789709 A CN112789709 A CN 112789709A CN 201980065636 A CN201980065636 A CN 201980065636A CN 112789709 A CN112789709 A CN 112789709A
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Prior art keywords
substrate
processing liquid
processing
image
camera
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CN201980065636.5A
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CN112789709B (en
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犹原英司
冲田有史
角间央章
增井达哉
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Screen Holdings Co Ltd
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Screen Holdings Co Ltd
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    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • 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
    • H01L21/67242—Apparatus for monitoring, sorting or marking
    • H01L21/67259—Position monitoring, e.g. misposition detection or presence detection
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05C—APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05C11/00—Component parts, details or accessories not specifically provided for in groups B05C1/00 - B05C9/00
    • B05C11/02—Apparatus for spreading or distributing liquids or other fluent materials already applied to a surface ; Controlling means therefor; Control of the thickness of a coating by spreading or distributing liquids or other fluent materials already applied to the coated surface
    • B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
    • B05—SPRAYING OR ATOMISING IN GENERAL; APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05C—APPARATUS FOR APPLYING FLUENT MATERIALS TO SURFACES, IN GENERAL
    • B05C11/00—Component parts, details or accessories not specifically provided for in groups B05C1/00 - B05C9/00
    • B05C11/02—Apparatus for spreading or distributing liquids or other fluent materials already applied to a surface ; Controlling means therefor; Control of the thickness of a coating by spreading or distributing liquids or other fluent materials already applied to the coated surface
    • B05C11/08—Spreading liquid or other fluent material by manipulating the work, e.g. tilting
    • H—ELECTRICITY
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    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02041—Cleaning
    • H01L21/02057—Cleaning during device manufacture
    • H—ELECTRICITY
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    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02041—Cleaning
    • H01L21/02082—Cleaning product to be cleaned
    • H01L21/02087—Cleaning of wafer edges
    • H—ELECTRICITY
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    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/027—Making masks on semiconductor bodies for further photolithographic processing not provided for in group H01L21/18 or H01L21/34
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
    • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
    • H01L21/30—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26
    • H01L21/302—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26 to change their surface-physical characteristics or shape, e.g. etching, polishing, cutting
    • H01L21/304—Mechanical treatment, e.g. grinding, polishing, cutting
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    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
    • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
    • H01L21/30—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26
    • H01L21/31—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26 to form insulating layers thereon, e.g. for masking or by using photolithographic techniques; After treatment of these layers; Selection of materials for these layers
    • H01L21/3105—After-treatment
    • H01L21/311—Etching the insulating layers by chemical or physical means
    • H01L21/31105—Etching inorganic layers
    • H01L21/31111—Etching inorganic layers by chemical means
    • H—ELECTRICITY
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    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/02—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof
    • H01L21/04—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer
    • H01L21/18—Manufacture or treatment of semiconductor devices or of parts thereof the devices having potential barriers, e.g. a PN junction, depletion layer or carrier concentration layer the devices having semiconductor bodies comprising elements of Group IV of the Periodic Table or AIIIBV compounds with or without impurities, e.g. doping materials
    • H01L21/30—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26
    • H01L21/31—Treatment of semiconductor bodies using processes or apparatus not provided for in groups H01L21/20 - H01L21/26 to form insulating layers thereon, e.g. for masking or by using photolithographic techniques; After treatment of these layers; Selection of materials for these layers
    • H01L21/3205—Deposition of non-insulating-, e.g. conductive- or resistive-, layers on insulating layers; After-treatment of these layers
    • H01L21/321—After treatment
    • H01L21/3213—Physical or chemical etching of the layers, e.g. to produce a patterned layer from a pre-deposited extensive layer
    • H01L21/32133—Physical or chemical etching of the layers, e.g. to produce a patterned layer from a pre-deposited extensive layer by chemical means only
    • H01L21/32134—Physical or chemical etching of the layers, e.g. to produce a patterned layer from a pre-deposited extensive layer by chemical means only by liquid etching only
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
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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
    • H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
    • H01L21/67017—Apparatus for fluid treatment
    • H01L21/67028—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like
    • H01L21/6704—Apparatus for fluid treatment for cleaning followed by drying, rinsing, stripping, blasting or the like for wet cleaning or washing
    • 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
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • 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
    • H01L21/67011—Apparatus for manufacture or treatment
    • H01L21/67017—Apparatus for fluid treatment
    • H01L21/67063—Apparatus for fluid treatment for etching
    • H01L21/67075—Apparatus for fluid treatment for etching for wet etching
    • H01L21/6708—Apparatus for fluid treatment for etching for wet etching using mainly spraying means, e.g. nozzles
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
    • H01L—SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICES NOT COVERED BY CLASS H10
    • H01L21/00—Processes or apparatus adapted for the manufacture or treatment of semiconductor or solid state devices or of parts thereof
    • 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
    • H01L21/683—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 for supporting or gripping
    • H01L21/687—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 for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches
    • H01L21/68714—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 for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches the wafers being placed on a susceptor, stage or support
    • H01L21/68764—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 for supporting or gripping using mechanical means, e.g. chucks, clamps or pinches the wafers being placed on a susceptor, stage or support characterised by a movable susceptor, stage or support, others than those only rotating on their own vertical axis, e.g. susceptors on a rotating caroussel

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Microelectronics & Electronic Packaging (AREA)
  • Condensed Matter Physics & Semiconductors (AREA)
  • General Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Manufacturing & Machinery (AREA)
  • Computer Hardware Design (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Power Engineering (AREA)
  • Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
  • General Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
  • Inorganic Chemistry (AREA)
  • Cleaning Or Drying Semiconductors (AREA)
  • Exposure Of Semiconductors, Excluding Electron Or Ion Beam Exposure (AREA)
  • Coating Apparatus (AREA)

Abstract

Provided is a substrate processing method capable of monitoring the landing position of a liquid column of processing liquid discharged to the end of a substrate. The substrate processing method includes a holding step, a rotating step, a raising step, a bevel processing step, an imaging step, and a monitoring step. In the holding step, the substrate holding portion holds the substrate. In the rotating step, the substrate holding portion is rotated to rotate the substrate. In the raising step, the cup member surrounding the outer periphery of the substrate holding portion is raised so that the upper end of the cup member is positioned at an upper end position higher than the upper surface of the substrate. In the bevel processing step, the processing liquid is discharged from the discharge port of the nozzle located at a position lower than the upper end position toward the end portion of the upper surface of the substrate. In the imaging step, a camera is caused to image an imaging area including a mirror image of the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle and the discharge liquid reflected on the upper surface of the substrate, the imaging area being viewed from an imaging position above the substrate, and an imaging image is obtained. In the monitoring step, the landing position of the processing liquid is monitored based on the processing liquid in the captured image and the mirror image.

Description

Substrate processing method and substrate processing apparatus
Technical Field
The present invention relates to a substrate processing method and a substrate processing apparatus.
Background
As an apparatus for processing a substrate, a substrate processing apparatus is used which ejects a processing liquid from an ejection nozzle to a surface of a substrate while rotating the substrate in a horizontal plane. The processing liquid that has landed from the ejection nozzle to the substantial center of the substrate spreads over the entire surface of the substrate by the centrifugal force accompanying the rotation of the substrate, and scatters outward from the peripheral edge of the substrate. By spreading the treatment liquid over the entire surface of the substrate, the treatment liquid can be made to act on the entire surface of the substrate. As the processing liquid, a chemical liquid, a cleaning liquid, or the like corresponding to the processing of the substrate is used.
In such a substrate processing apparatus, there is proposed a technique of providing a camera to monitor whether or not the processing liquid is properly discharged (patent documents 1 to 5).
In addition, in the manufacturing process of the semiconductor substrate, various films remaining on the peripheral edge portion of the substrate may have an adverse effect on the device (device) surface of the substrate.
Therefore, a bevel (level) process for removing the film from the peripheral edge of the substrate has been proposed. In the bevel treatment, a treatment liquid for removal is discharged from a discharge nozzle to an end portion of a substrate while the substrate is rotated in a horizontal plane, and a film at the peripheral end portion of the substrate is removed by the treatment liquid.
Documents of the prior art
Patent document
Patent document 1: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2015-173148
Patent document 2: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2017-29883
Patent document 3: japanese laid-open patent publication No. 2015-18848
Patent document 4: japanese patent laid-open publication No. 2016-
Patent document 5: japanese patent laid-open No. 2008-135679
Disclosure of Invention
Problems to be solved by the invention
In the bevel processing, the processing liquid is only required to be supplied to the end portion of the substrate, and therefore the flow rate of the processing liquid is reduced. That is, the liquid column-shaped processing liquid discharged from the discharge nozzle becomes thin. Therefore, the liquid column-shaped processing liquid is easily affected by various factors such as airflow accompanying rotation of the substrate and static electricity generated around the processing liquid, and the discharge state thereof is easily changed. Specifically, the landing position of the processing liquid with respect to the substrate may be shifted due to the various factors. Since the deviation of the landing position adversely affects the process, it is desirable to monitor the discharge state of the processing liquid.
However, in the bevel processing, since the distance between the discharge nozzle and the substrate is narrow, it takes time and effort to image the liquid column-shaped processing liquid discharged from the discharge nozzle.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing method and a substrate processing apparatus capable of monitoring a landing position of a liquid column-shaped processing liquid discharged to an end portion of a substrate.
Means for solving the problems
A first aspect of a substrate processing method includes: a holding step of causing the substrate holding section to hold the substrate; a rotation step of rotating the substrate by rotating the substrate holding portion; a raising step of raising a cup member surrounding an outer periphery of the substrate holding portion so that an upper end of the cup member is positioned at an upper end position higher than an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion; a bevel processing step of ejecting a processing liquid from an ejection port of a nozzle located at a position lower than the upper end position toward an end portion of the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion; an imaging step of imaging an imaging area including a mirror image of the processing liquid ejected from the ejection port of the nozzle and the processing liquid reflected on the upper surface of the substrate, the imaging area being viewed from an imaging position above the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, by a camera, and obtaining an imaging image; and a monitoring step of monitoring a landing position of the processing liquid based on the processing liquid and the mirror image in the captured image.
A second aspect of the substrate processing method, in the first aspect of the substrate processing method, in the captured image, an entire image including the processing liquid and the mirror image is curved at a boundary between the processing liquid and the mirror image; in the monitoring step, the landing position is determined based on a bent position of the entire image of the processing liquid.
A third aspect of the substrate processing method according to the second aspect is the substrate processing method according to the first aspect, wherein in the monitoring step, a first linear component and a second linear component are detected from a binarized image obtained by performing an edge detection process and a binarization process on the captured image, and an intersection between the first linear component and the second linear component, which is a component extending in the ejection direction of the processing liquid, is determined as the curved position.
A fourth aspect of the substrate processing method according to any one of the first to third aspects, wherein the exposure time of the camera is set to be equal to or longer than a time required for one rotation of the substrate.
A fifth aspect of the substrate processing method according to any one of the first to third aspects is such that the landing position is determined based on the whole image in the captured image obtained by integrating or averaging a plurality of captured images obtained by the camera for a time equal to or longer than a time required for one rotation of the substrate.
A sixth aspect of the substrate processing method according to any one of the first to fifth aspects, wherein in the monitoring step, the position of the peripheral edge of the substrate in the captured image is determined, and the landing position of the processing liquid is determined with reference to the position of the peripheral edge of the substrate.
A seventh aspect of the substrate processing method according to any one of the first to sixth aspects, wherein the monitoring step includes a step of notifying a notification unit when the determined landing position is not within a predetermined range.
An eighth aspect of the substrate processing method according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, wherein in the monitoring step, the captured image is classified into any one of a category where no abnormality is present at the landing position and a category where abnormality is present at the landing position by a classifier that is machine-learned.
A ninth aspect of the substrate processing method according to the eighth aspect is the substrate processing method according to the ninth aspect, wherein in the monitoring step, a region including the processing liquid and the mirror image and located directly below the nozzle is cut out from the captured image, and an image of the cut-out region is input to the sorter.
The substrate processing apparatus is provided with: a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate and rotates the substrate; a cup member surrounding an outer periphery of the substrate holding portion; a lift mechanism for raising the cup member so that an upper end of the cup member is positioned at an upper end position higher than an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion; a nozzle having an ejection port located at a position lower than the upper end position, the nozzle ejecting a processing liquid from the ejection port toward an end portion of the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion; a camera that captures an image of an imaging area including a processing liquid discharged from the discharge port of the nozzle and a mirror image of the processing liquid reflected on the upper surface of the substrate, the imaging area being viewed from an imaging position above the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, and obtains an imaging image; and an image processing unit that monitors a landing position of the processing liquid based on the processing liquid and the mirror image in the captured image.
ADVANTAGEOUS EFFECTS OF INVENTION
According to the first aspect of the substrate processing method and the aspect of the substrate processing apparatus, the landing position of the liquid column-shaped processing liquid discharged to the end portion of the substrate can be monitored.
According to the second aspect of the substrate processing method, since the bending position is located on the upper surface of the substrate W, the landing position can be determined with higher accuracy.
According to the third aspect of the substrate processing method, the bending position can be appropriately determined.
According to the fourth aspect of the substrate processing method, since the patterns on the upper surface of the substrate are averaged and made uniform, it is possible to reduce noise contained in the mirror image of the processing liquid in the captured image.
According to the fifth aspect of the substrate processing method, since the patterns on the upper surface of the substrate are averaged and equalized, it is possible to reduce noise contained in the mirror image of the processing liquid in the captured image.
According to the sixth aspect of the substrate processing method, since the landing position with respect to the peripheral edge of the substrate is obtained, the landing position can be monitored more appropriately.
According to the seventh aspect of the substrate processing method, the worker can recognize the landing position abnormality.
According to the eighth aspect of the substrate processing method, the abnormality can be detected with high accuracy.
According to the ninth aspect of the substrate processing method, since the regions having low relevance to the processing liquid can be classified while removing the influence of the regions, the classification accuracy can be improved.
Drawings
Fig. 1 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the structure of a substrate processing apparatus.
Fig. 2 is a plan view showing a schematic example of the structure of the processing unit.
Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic example of the structure of the processing unit.
Fig. 4 is a diagram schematically showing one example of a captured image obtained by a camera.
Fig. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing one example of the structure of the camera and the camera holding portion.
Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating one example of substrate processing.
Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing one example of the monitoring process.
Fig. 8 is a diagram in which a part of a captured image is enlarged.
Fig. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an example of a binarized image.
Fig. 10 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the structure of the processing unit.
Fig. 11 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the structure of the processing unit.
Fig. 12 is a functional block diagram schematically showing an example of the internal configuration of the control unit.
Detailed Description
Hereinafter, embodiments will be described with reference to the attached drawings. Note that the drawings are schematically illustrated, and the configuration is omitted or simplified as appropriate for convenience of description. The mutual relationship between the size and the position of the structure shown in the drawings is not described accurately, and may be changed as appropriate.
In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals and are shown, and the names and functions of the components are also the same. Therefore, detailed description of these components may be omitted to avoid redundancy.
< overview of substrate processing apparatus >
Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 100. The substrate processing apparatus 100 is an apparatus that supplies a processing liquid to a substrate W to process the substrate W. The substrate W is, for example, a semiconductor substrate. The substrate W has a substantially circular disk shape.
At the substrateThe processing apparatus 100 can remove unnecessary substances attached to the peripheral edge portion of the substrate W by supplying the processing liquid to the edge portion of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W in the horizontal plane. The width (width in the radial direction) of the peripheral end portion is, for example, about 0.5mm to 3 mm. Examples of the unnecessary substance include SiO2Films such as a film, SiN film and polysilicon film, and fine particles. Examples of the treatment liquid for removing such unnecessary substances include hydrofluoric acid (HF) and phosphoric acid (H)3PO4) Ammonia (NH)3) With hydrogen peroxide (H)2O2) Mixed solution (SC-1) of (A) and hydrofluoric acid nitric acid (hydrofluoric acid and nitric acid (HNO)3) The mixed liquid of (b), etc.). The substrate processing apparatus 100 removes unnecessary substances by supplying a processing liquid to an end portion of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W. Such a process is also called a ramp process.
The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes an indexer 102, a plurality of processing units 1, and a main transfer robot 103. The indexer 102 has a function of carrying an unprocessed substrate W received from the outside of the apparatus into the apparatus and carrying a processed substrate W out of the apparatus. The indexer 102 has a transfer robot (not shown) on which a plurality of carriers are placed. As the carrier, a FOUP (front opening unified pod) or an SMIF (standard mechanical interface) pod that houses the substrate W in a closed space, or an OC (open cassette) that exposes the substrate W to the outside air in a housed state may be used. The transfer robot transfers the substrate W between the carrier and the main transfer robot 103.
In the substrate processing apparatus 100, 12 processing units 1 are arranged. In a detailed arrangement structure, 4 towers each formed by stacking 3 processing units 1 are arranged so as to surround the main transfer robot 103. In other words, the 4 processing units 1 disposed so as to surround the main transfer robot 103 are stacked in three layers, one of which is shown in fig. 1. The number of processing units 1 mounted on the substrate processing apparatus 100 is not limited to 12, and may be, for example, 8 or 4.
The main transfer robot 103 is disposed at the center of the 4 towers in which the processing units 1 are stacked. The main transfer robot 103 carries unprocessed substrates W received from the indexer 102 into the processing units 1, and carries processed substrates W out of the processing units 1 to the indexer 102.
< processing Unit >
Next, the processing unit 1 is explained. Hereinafter, one process unit 1 of the 12 process units 1 mounted on the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described, but the same applies to the other process units 1. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the process unit 1. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the process unit 1.
The processing unit 1 has the following components as main elements within the chamber 10: a substrate holding unit 20 configured to hold a substrate W in a horizontal posture (a posture in which a normal line of the substrate W is along a vertical direction); 3 processing liquid supply units 30, 60, and 65 for supplying a processing liquid to the upper surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20; a processing cup (cup member) 40 surrounding the periphery of the substrate holder 20; and a camera 70. Further, a partition plate 15 for vertically partitioning the inner space of the chamber 10 is provided around the processing cup 40 in the chamber 10. The processing unit 1 is provided with a control unit 9 and a notification unit 93.
< Chamber >
The chamber 10 has a side wall 11 extending in the vertical direction, a top wall 12 closing an upper side of a space surrounded by the side wall 11, and a bottom wall 13 closing a lower side. The space surrounded by the side walls 11, the ceiling wall 12, and the bottom wall 13 serves as a processing space for the substrate W. A transfer port through which the main transfer robot 103 transfers the substrate W into and out of the chamber 10 and a shutter (both not shown) for opening and closing the transfer port are provided in a part of the side wall 11 of the chamber 10.
A Fan Filter Unit (FFU) 14 is mounted on the ceiling wall 12 of the chamber 10, and is used to further clean and supply air in the clean room in which the substrate processing apparatus 100 is installed to the processing space in the chamber 10. The fan Filter unit 14 has a fan and a Filter (e.g., a HEPA Filter) for taking in Air in the clean room and sending out the Air into the chamber 10, and forms a down flow of the clean Air in the processing space in the chamber 10. A punching plate (punching plate) having a plurality of blowing holes may be provided directly below the top wall 12 in order to uniformly disperse the clean air supplied from the fan filter unit 14.
< substrate holding part >
The substrate holding portion 20 is, for example, a spin chuck. The substrate holding portion 20 includes a disk-shaped spin base) 21, and the spin base 21 is fixed to an upper end of a rotation shaft 24 extending in the vertical direction in a horizontal posture. A rotation motor 22 for rotating a rotation shaft 24 is provided below the rotation base 21. The rotation motor 22 rotates the rotation base 21 in a horizontal plane via a rotation shaft 24. A cylindrical cover member 23 is provided so as to surround the rotary motor 22 and the rotary shaft 24.
The outer diameter of the disk-shaped spin base 21 is slightly larger than the diameter of the circular substrate W held by the substrate holding portion 20. Therefore, the spin base 21 has a holding surface 21a facing the entire lower surface of the substrate W to be held.
A plurality of (4 in the present embodiment) chuck pins 26 are provided upright on the peripheral edge of the holding surface 21a of the rotating base 21. The plurality of chuck pins 26 are arranged at equal intervals along the circumference (at 90 ° intervals in the case of 4 chuck pins 26 as in the present embodiment) on the circumference corresponding to the outer circumference of the circular substrate W. The plurality of chuck pins 26 are driven in conjunction by an unillustrated link mechanism housed in the rotating base 21. The substrate holding portion 20 is configured to hold the substrate W by bringing each of the plurality of chuck pins 26 into contact with the outer peripheral end of the substrate W, so that the substrate W can be held above the spin base 21 in a horizontal posture (see fig. 3) close to the holding surface 21a, and the plurality of chuck pins 26 can be separated from the outer peripheral end of the substrate W to release the holding.
The rotation motor 22 rotates the rotation shaft 24 in a state where the substrate holding portion 20 holds the substrate W by being gripped by the plurality of chuck pins 26, thereby rotating the substrate W about the rotation axis CX which is an axis passing through the center of the substrate W in the vertical direction. Here, the substrate holding portion 20 rotates counterclockwise in fig. 2.
< treatment liquid supply part >
The processing liquid supply unit 30 includes a discharge nozzle 31, a fixing member 32, and a moving mechanism 33. The fixing member 32 is a member for fixing the discharge nozzle 31, and includes, for example, a nozzle arm 321 and a nozzle base 322. The discharge nozzle 31 is attached to the tip of the nozzle arm 321. The base end side of the nozzle arm 321 is fixed to and connected to the nozzle base 322. The moving mechanism 33 moves the discharge nozzle 31 by displacing the fixing member 32. For example, the moving mechanism 33 is a motor for rotating the nozzle base 322 about an axis along the vertical direction. As shown by an arrow AR34 in fig. 2, the discharge nozzle 31 moves in an arc shape in the horizontal direction between a processing position above the end of the substrate W and a standby position outside the processing cup 40 by the rotation of the nozzle base 322.
The treatment liquid supply unit 30 may have a plurality of discharge nozzles 31. In the example of fig. 2 and 3, 3 discharge nozzles 31 are shown as the discharge nozzles 31. The 3 discharge nozzles 31 are fixed to a nozzle base 322 via a nozzle arm 321. Therefore, the 3 ejection nozzles 31 move in synchronization with each other. The 3 discharge nozzles 31 are provided at positions arranged along the circumferential direction of the substrate W in the processing position. The interval in the circumferential direction of the 3 discharge nozzles 31 is, for example, about ten and several mm.
As illustrated in fig. 3, the discharge nozzle 31 is connected to a processing liquid supply source 37 via a pipe 34. An opening/closing valve 35 is provided in the middle of the pipe 34. A discharge port (not shown) is formed in the lower surface of the tip of the discharge nozzle 31. By opening the opening/closing valve 35, the processing liquid from the processing liquid supply source 37 flows inside the pipe 34 and is discharged from the discharge port of the discharge nozzle 31. The processing liquid discharged in a state where the discharge nozzle 31 is stopped at the processing position is landed on an end portion of the upper surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holding portion 20. The processing liquid from the discharge nozzle 31 is supplied to the entire peripheral edge portion of the substrate W by the rotation of the substrate W, and unnecessary substances at the peripheral edge portion are removed (bevel processing).
A back suction valve (suction valve)36 may be provided in the middle of the pipe 34. The suck-back valve 36 sucks the processing liquid in the pipe 34 when the discharge of the processing liquid is stopped, and draws the processing liquid from the tip of the discharge nozzle 31. Thus, when the discharge is stopped, it is difficult for the treatment liquid to drop as a large block (droplet) from the tip of the discharge nozzle 31.
When a plurality of discharge nozzles 31 are provided, the discharge nozzles 31 may be connected to different treatment liquid supply sources 37. That is, the processing liquid supply unit 30 may be configured to supply a plurality of types of processing liquids. Alternatively, at least two discharge nozzles 31 of the plurality of discharge nozzles 31 may be supplied with the same processing liquid.
In addition, in the processing unit 1 of the present embodiment, two processing liquid supply units 60 and 65 are further provided in addition to the processing liquid supply unit 30 described above. The processing liquid supply units 60 and 65 of the present embodiment have the same configuration as the processing liquid supply unit 30 described above. That is, the treatment liquid supply unit 60 includes the discharge nozzle 61, the fixing member 62, and the moving mechanism 63. The fixing member 62 includes a nozzle arm 621 and a nozzle base 622, similarly to the fixing member 32. The discharge nozzle 61 is attached to the tip of the nozzle arm 621, and a nozzle base 622 is connected to the base end of the nozzle arm 621. The moving mechanism 63 is, for example, a motor, and rotates the nozzle base 622 to move the discharge nozzle 61 in an arc shape between a processing position above the end of the substrate W and a standby position outside the processing cup 40 as indicated by an arrow AR 64. The discharge nozzle 61 also supplies the processing liquid to the end of the substrate W. The processing liquid from the discharge nozzle 61 is supplied to the entire peripheral edge portion of the substrate W by the rotation of the substrate W, and unnecessary substances at the peripheral edge portion are removed (bevel processing).
The processing liquid supply section 65 includes a discharge nozzle 66, a fixing member 67, and a moving mechanism 68. The fixing member 67 includes a nozzle arm 671 and a nozzle base 672. The discharge nozzle 66 is attached to the tip of the nozzle arm 671, and a nozzle base 672 is connected to the base end of the nozzle arm 671. The moving mechanism 68 is, for example, a motor, and rotates the nozzle base 672 to move the discharge nozzle 66 in an arc shape between a processing position above the substantial center of the substrate W and a standby position outside the processing cup 40 as indicated by an arrow AR 69. The discharge nozzle 61 also supplies the processing liquid to a substantially central portion of the substrate W. The processing liquid from the discharge nozzle 66 spreads from the center of the substrate W and scatters outward from the peripheral edge of the substrate W by the rotation of the substrate W. This allows the processing liquid to act on the entire upper surface of the substrate W.
Each of the processing liquid supply units 60 and 65 may be configured to supply a plurality of types of processing liquids. Alternatively, each of the treatment liquid supply units 60 and 65 may be configured to supply a single treatment liquid.
The processing liquid supply units 60 and 65 discharge the processing liquid onto the upper surface of the substrate W held by the substrate holding unit 20 in a state where the respective discharge nozzles 61 and 66 are positioned at the processing positions. At least one of the processing liquid supply units 60 and 65 may be a two-fluid nozzle that mixes a cleaning liquid such as pure water with a pressurized gas to generate droplets and ejects a mixed fluid of the droplets and the gas onto the substrate W. The number of the processing liquid supply units provided in the processing unit 1 is not limited to 3, and may be one or more. The discharge nozzles of the processing liquid supply units 60 and 65 may be connected to a processing liquid supply source via a pipe, as in the processing liquid supply unit 30, and an on-off valve and a suck-back valve may be provided in the middle of the pipe. Hereinafter, the bevel processing using the processing liquid supply section 30 will be representatively described.
< treatment cup >
The processing cup 40 is provided so as to surround the substrate holder 20. The processing cup 40 has an inner cup 41, a middle cup 42, and an outer cup 43. The inner cup 41, the middle cup 42, and the outer cup 43 are provided in a liftable manner. Specifically, the processing unit 1 is provided with an elevating mechanism 44, and the elevating mechanism 44 can elevate the inner cup 41, the middle cup 42, and the outer cup 43, respectively. The elevating mechanism 44 has, for example, a ball screw mechanism.
In a state where the inner cup 41, the middle cup 42, and the outer cup 43 are raised, the upper end of the processing cup 40 (here, the upper end of the outer cup 43) is positioned above the upper surface of the substrate W. Hereinafter, the height position of the upper end of the outer cup 43 in the state where the outer cup 43 is raised is also referred to as the upper end position of the processing cup 40. The vertical distance between the upper end position of the processing cup 40 and the substrate W may be set to, for example, about 2mm to ten and several mm.
In a state where the inner cup 41, the middle cup 42, and the outer cup 43 are raised, the processing liquid scattered from the peripheral edge of the substrate W touches the inner peripheral surface of the inner cup 41 and falls. The dropped treatment liquid is appropriately collected by a first collecting mechanism (not shown). In a state where the inner cup 41 is lowered and the middle cup 42 and the outer cup 43 are raised, the processing liquid scattered from the peripheral edge of the substrate W touches the inner peripheral surface of the middle cup 42 and falls. The dropped treatment liquid is appropriately collected by a second collecting mechanism (not shown). In a state where the inner cup 41 and the middle cup 42 are lowered and the outer cup 43 is raised, the processing liquid scattered from the peripheral edge of the substrate W touches the inner peripheral surface of the outer cup 43 and falls. The dropped treatment liquid is appropriately collected by a third collecting mechanism (not shown). Thus, different treatment liquids can be appropriately collected.
Hereinafter, the state in which the outer cup 43 is lifted will be described as the state in which the processing cup 40 is lifted. That is, the state in which the processing cup 40 is raised includes a state in which all of the inner cup 41, the middle cup 42, and the outer cup 43 are raised, a state in which only the middle cup 42 and the outer cup 43 are raised, and a state in which only the outer cup 43 is raised.
< separation plate >
The partition plate 15 is provided around the processing cup 40 so as to vertically partition the inner space of the chamber 10. The partition plate 15 may be a single plate-shaped member surrounding the processing cup 40, or may be formed by joining a plurality of plate-shaped members. Further, the partition plate 15 may be formed with a through hole or a notch penetrating in the thickness direction, and in the present embodiment, a through hole (not shown) for allowing a support shaft for supporting the nozzle bases 322, 622, 672 of the treatment liquid supply units 30, 60, 65 to pass therethrough is formed.
The outer circumferential end of the partition plate 15 is joined to the side wall 11 of the chamber 10. The end edge portion of the partition plate 15 surrounding the processing cup 40 is formed in a circular shape having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the outer cup 43. Therefore, the partition plate 15 does not interfere with the lifting of the outer cup 43.
Further, an exhaust duct 18 is provided in the vicinity of a part of the side wall 11 and the bottom wall 13 of the chamber 10. The exhaust duct 18 is connected to an exhaust mechanism not shown. Of the clean air flowing down the chamber 10 supplied from the fan filter unit 14, the air passing between the processing cup 40 and the partition plate 15 is discharged to the outside of the apparatus from the exhaust duct 18.
< Camera >
The camera 70 is disposed within the chamber 10 and above the partition plate 15. The camera 70 includes, for example, an imaging element (e.g., a CCD (Charge Coupled Device)) and an optical system such as an electronic shutter and a lens. The camera 70 can photograph a photographing area to be described next. That is, the imaging region is a region where the substrate W is viewed from the imaging position above the substrate W, and includes the processing liquid Lq1 flowing down toward the substrate W from the discharge nozzle 31 and the processing liquid Lq1 reflected on the upper surface of the substrate W.
Fig. 4 is a diagram schematically showing one example of image data (hereinafter referred to as a captured image) IM1 obtained by the camera 70. In the example of fig. 4, the photographed image IM1 includes the tips of the 3 ejection nozzles 31. The captured image IM1 includes the substantially liquid-columnar processing liquid Lq1 discharged from the discharge nozzle 31 located at the center of the 3 discharge nozzles 31. The substantially liquid columnar processing liquid Lq1 described herein is the processing liquid Lq1 that flows down from the tip of the discharge nozzle 31 toward the upper surface of the substrate W.
In the captured image IM1, the upper surface of the substrate W includes the tip of the discharge nozzle 31 and the substantially liquid-columnar processing liquid Lq 1. This is because the light from the illumination unit 71 is reflected by the discharge nozzle 31 and the processing liquid Lq1, and then reflected by the upper surface of the substrate W and received by the light receiving surface of the camera 70. That is, the upper surface of the substrate W functions as a mirror, and the outer appearance of the discharge nozzle 31 is reflected on the upper surface of the substrate W. The camera 70 outputs the captured image IM1 to the control section 9.
Hereinafter, the substantially liquid-columnar processing liquid Lq1 reflected on the upper surface of the substrate W in the captured image IM1 is referred to as a mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq 1. Further, an image including the processing liquid Lq1 and the mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq1 in the captured image IM1 is also referred to as a whole image.
As illustrated in fig. 2, the camera 70 may be provided to be movable. In the example of fig. 2, the camera 70 is fixed to the fixing member 62 of the processing liquid supply section 60. As a more specific example, a camera holding portion 73 for holding the camera 70 is provided, and the camera holding portion 73 is coupled with the nozzle arm 621 of the fixing member 62. For example, the camera holding portion 73 is fixed at its base end side to the tip end portion of the nozzle arm 621 by a fastening member (e.g., a screw), and at its tip end side, the camera 70 is fixed and held by the fastening member. The camera holding portion 73 is formed of, for example, metal (e.g., stainless steel). The moving mechanism 63 displaces the fixing member 62 to move the camera 70 to an imaging position above the substrate W. More specifically, the moving mechanism 63 can reciprocate the camera 70 between the imaging position above the substrate W and the standby position outside the processing cup 40 by rotating the nozzle base 622.
In the example of fig. 2, the standby position of the discharge nozzle 31 is shifted by approximately 90 degrees in the clockwise direction from the standby position of the camera 70. The discharge nozzle 31 and the camera 70 move from the respective standby positions to approach each other, and stop at the respective processing positions and imaging positions. At the imaging position of the camera 70, the camera 70 is held by the camera holding unit 73 in a posture in which an imaging region including the tip of the discharge nozzle 31 and the substantially liquid-columnar treatment liquid Lq1 discharged from the tip can be imaged. In the example of fig. 2, the camera holding portion 73 projects obliquely clockwise with respect to the nozzle arm 621, and holds the camera 70 at its front end side.
Here, one example of the positional relationship between the camera 70 and the ejection nozzle 31 in a state where the ejection nozzle 31 is stopped at the processing position and the camera 70 is stopped at the shooting position is described. Hereinafter, this positional relationship will be described using the discharge nozzle 31 positioned at the center of the 3 discharge nozzles 31.
In the example of fig. 2, the camera 70 is located on the center side of the substrate W with respect to the discharge nozzle 31 in a plan view. That is, the position of the camera 70 in the radial direction of the substrate W is located closer to the center of the substrate W than the position in the radial direction of the discharge nozzle 31.
In the example of fig. 2, the camera 70 images the tips of the 3 discharge nozzles 31 from an imaging direction closer to the circumferential direction than the radial direction of the substrate W in a plan view. That is, the position of the camera 70 in the circumferential direction of the substrate W is shifted to one side with respect to the position of the discharge nozzle 31 in the circumferential direction. In other words, in a plan view, an angle θ 1(0 < θ 1 < 90) formed by a virtual straight line L1 connecting the center of the substrate W and the discharge nozzle 31 and the optical axis of the camera 70 is larger than an angle θ 2(02 < θ 2 < 90) formed by a virtual straight line L2 perpendicular to the straight line L1 and the optical axis of the camera 70. Thus, the radial position of the processing liquid Lq1 with respect to the landing position of the substrate W can be easily observed in the captured image IM 1. However, when the angle θ 2 is too small, there is a possibility that 3 ejection nozzles 31 are arranged and overlapped in the depth direction when viewed from the imaging position. In this case, since it is difficult to include all of the 3 discharge nozzles 31 in the captured image IM1, the angle θ 2 may be set so that the 3 discharge nozzles 31 are appropriately laterally offset as viewed from the imaging position.
Further, the camera 70 photographs the photographing region from a photographing direction closer to the circumferential direction, whereby the 3 discharge nozzles 31 are shifted from each other in the depth direction as viewed from the photographing position. The 3 discharge nozzles 31 are spaced apart in the depth direction by, for example, about several mm to ten and several mm. The depth of field (depth of field) of the camera 70 is set to a large extent to sharpen the outline of the 3 ejection nozzles 31. The distance between the camera 70 and the discharge nozzle 31 is, for example, about 100 mm.
In the example of fig. 2, the camera 70 is located on the upstream side with respect to the ejection nozzle 31 in the rotation direction of the substrate holding portion 20. In the case of being located on the upstream side with respect to the discharge nozzle 31, the amount of the processing liquid Lq1 at the peripheral edge portion of the substrate W may be smaller than that in the case of being located on the downstream side with respect to the discharge nozzle 31. The reason is that the processing liquid Lq1 may be scattered outward from the peripheral edge of the substrate W as the substrate W rotates. Therefore, if the camera 70 is located on the upstream side of the discharge nozzle 31, the processing liquid Lq1 is less likely to adhere to the camera 70, or the vaporized component of the processing liquid Lq1 is less likely to affect the camera 70. That is, from the viewpoint of protecting the camera 70, the camera 70 is preferably located on the upstream side with respect to the discharge nozzle 31.
When the discharge nozzle 31 discharges the processing liquid Lq1, the processing cup 40 is lifted. This is because the processing liquid Lq1 scattered from the peripheral edge of the substrate W is received by the processing cup 40. In this state, the tip (discharge port) of the discharge nozzle 31 is located at a position lower than the upper end position of the processing cup 40. For example, the distance between the upper end position of the processing cup 40 and the upper surface of the substrate W in the vertical direction is set to about 2mm to about ten and several mm, and the distance between the discharge nozzle 31 and the substrate W is set to about 2mm or less (for example, about 1 mm).
Here, for comparison, a case where the imaging position of the camera 70 is set outside the processing cup 40 will be described. For example, the imaging position is set on the side close to the discharge nozzle 31 in the space outside the processing cup 40 (the upper right region in the chamber 10 in fig. 3). Since the upper end position of the processing cup 40 is located higher than the front end of the discharge nozzle 31, the processing cup 40 may obstruct the image capturing. That is, even if the substantially liquid-columnar treatment liquid Lq1 is to be captured from the imaging position outside the treatment cup 40, the treatment liquid Lq1 may be blocked by the treatment cup 40. When the shooting position is set to a higher position so as to avoid the processing cup 40, the discharge nozzle 31 is shot from an obliquely upper position. Since the distance between the tip of the discharge nozzle 31 and the substrate W is narrow, when the substantially liquid-columnar processing liquid Lq1 is to be picked up from obliquely above, the processing liquid Lq1 may be blocked by the discharge nozzle 31.
Therefore, it is also conceivable to set the imaging position on the opposite side of the discharge nozzle 31 with respect to the center of the substrate W (the upper left region in the chamber 10 in fig. 3) in the space outside the processing cup 40. This makes it possible to capture an image of the substantially liquid-columnar treatment liquid Lq1 discharged from the discharge nozzle 31. However, since the distance between the tip of the discharge nozzle 31 and the imaging position of the camera 70 becomes long, the camera 70 for high resolution or the camera 70 for telephoto imaging is required.
In contrast, in the present embodiment, since the imaging position is located above the substrate W, the imaging position is easily brought close to the upper surface of the substrate W in the height direction, and the optical axis of the camera 70 is easily made to be horizontal. Therefore, the camera 70 can capture an image of the substantially liquid-columnar treatment liquid Lq1 discharged from the discharge nozzle 31 without being blocked by the treatment cup 40 and the discharge nozzle 31. The angle formed between the optical axis of the camera 70 and the horizontal plane may be set to, for example, approximately ten degrees or less.
In addition, the camera 70 may be close to the discharge nozzle 31 in a plan view. Thus, a less expensive camera with lower resolution or without the need for telephoto can be employed. Such a camera is small in size and is therefore preferred. In the example of fig. 4, since the distance between the camera 70 and the ejection nozzle 31 is short, only a part of the peripheral edge of the substrate W is included in the captured image IM 1.
Here, one example of the shooting position in the height direction of the camera 70 is described. The imaging position of the camera 70 may be set such that the lower end of the light receiving surface of the imaging element of the camera 70 is located at the same position as or lower than the upper end position of the processing cup 40. For example, the distance between the camera 70 and the upper surface of the substrate W may be set to about 1mm to 5 mm. This allows the camera 70 to be closer to the upper surface of the substrate W, and allows the optical axis of the camera 70 to be oriented in the horizontal direction.
Alternatively, the imaging position of the camera 70 may be set so that the lower end of the housing of the camera 70 is located at the same position as the upper end of the processing cup 40 or at a position lower than the upper end of the processing cup 40.
The camera holding portion 73 may support the lower surface of the camera 70. Fig. 5 is a perspective view schematically showing an example of the camera 70 and the camera holding portion 73, and fig. 5 also shows the substrate W and the ejection nozzle 31. In the example of fig. 5, the camera holding section 73 has: an L-shaped coupling member 731; an upper surface member 732 located on the upper surface side of the camera 70; a side member 733 located on a side face side of the camera 70; and a lower surface member 734 located on the lower surface side of the camera 70. The coupling member 731 includes: a first rod-like member extending horizontally from the nozzle arm 621; and a second rod-shaped member extending vertically downward from the tip of the first rod-shaped member. The tip of the second rod-like member is coupled to the upper surface member 732. In the example of fig. 5, the upper surface member 732, the side member 733, and the lower surface member 734 have a plate-like shape. The upper surface member 732 and the lower surface member 734 are disposed in an attitude in which the thickness direction thereof is along the vertical direction, and the side surface member 733 is disposed in an attitude in which the thickness direction thereof is along the horizontal direction. The side member 733 connects the upper surface member 732 and the lower surface member 734. The lower surface member 734 also functions as a support member that supports the camera 70.
In such a configuration, the imaging position of the camera 70 may be set such that the lower end of the lower surface member 734 is located at the same position as or lower than the upper end position of the processing cup 40. This allows the camera 70 to be closer to the upper surface of the substrate W, and the optical axis of the camera 70 to be more horizontal.
< illumination part >
As shown in fig. 3, an illumination section 71 is provided in the chamber 10 above the partition plate 15. The illumination section 71 includes a Light source such as an LED (Light Emitting Diode). The wavelength of light irradiated by the illumination section 71 is not particularly limited, but for example, visible light or near-infrared light can be used. In the example of fig. 3, the illumination section 71 is disposed above the camera 70. For example, the illumination unit 71 is disposed at a position overlapping the camera 70 in a plan view (see fig. 2). The illumination section 71 may be held by the camera holding section 73. For example, the illumination unit 71 may be fixed to the upper surface of the upper surface member 732 of the camera holding unit 73. Since the interior of the chamber 10 is normally a dark room, the illumination unit 71 irradiates light on the imaging area when the camera 70 performs imaging.
< control part >
The controller 9 controls various configurations of the substrate processing apparatus 100 to perform processing on the substrate W. Further, the control section 9 performs image processing on the captured image IM1 obtained by the camera 70. Therefore, the control unit 9 functions as an image processing unit. Since the camera 70 captures the front end of the discharge nozzle 31 from the upper image capturing position of the substrate W, the captured image IM1 obtained by the camera 70 appropriately includes the substantially liquid-columnar processing liquid Lq1 discharged from the discharge nozzle 31. The controller 9 monitors the landing position of the treatment liquid Lq1 discharged from the discharge nozzle 31 by image processing of the captured image IM1 (slope monitoring). An example of this monitoring process will be described in detail later.
The hardware configuration of the control unit 9 is the same as that of a normal computer. That is, the control unit 9 includes: a CPU (Central Processing Unit) that performs various arithmetic operations, a ROM (Read Only Memory) that is a Read Only Memory that stores a basic program, a RAM (Random Access Memory) that is a Read free Memory that stores various information, and a disk that stores control software, data, and the like in advance. The CPU of the control unit 9 executes a predetermined processing program, whereby each operating mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus 100 is controlled by the control unit 9 to perform processing in the substrate processing apparatus 100. The CPU of the control unit 9 executes a predetermined processing program to perform image processing. A part or all of the functions of the control unit 9 may be realized by dedicated hardware.
< notification department >
The notification unit 93 is, for example, an audio output unit (e.g., a speaker), a display, or the like. The notification unit 93 can give various notifications to the operator. For example, the sound output unit outputs a notification sound (a buzzer sound or a voice) or displays notification information on a display, thereby allowing the operator to make various notifications. The notification by the notification unit 93 is controlled by the control unit 9.
< action of control part >
Fig. 6 is a flowchart illustrating one example of substrate processing. First, in step S1, the main transfer robot 103 transfers the substrate W onto the substrate holding unit 20. The substrate holding unit 20 holds the conveyed substrate W.
Next, in step S2, the control unit 9 controls the movement mechanism 33 to move the discharge nozzle 31 to the processing position, and controls the movement mechanism 63 to move the camera 70 to the shooting position. Next, in step S3, the controller 9 controls the elevation mechanism 44 to raise the processing cup 40, and controls the spin motor 22 to rotate the spin base 21. The rotation speed of the rotating base 21 is set to, for example, about 1000rpm or more.
Next, in step S4, the control unit 9 controls the camera 70 to cause the camera 70 to start shooting. The camera 70 captures an image of a shooting area at a predetermined frame rate (for example, 60 frames/second), and sequentially outputs the obtained captured images IM1 to the control section 9. As described later, the control unit 9 monitors the discharge state of the processing liquid Lq1 based on the image processing of the captured image IM 1.
Next, in step S5, the controller 9 starts discharging the treatment liquid Lq1 from the discharge nozzle 31. Specifically, the control unit 9 outputs an opening signal to the opening/closing valve 35. The opening/closing valve 35 opens the pipe 34 based on the opening signal. Thereby, the processing liquid Lq1 from the processing liquid supply source 37 is discharged from the discharge nozzle 31 and lands on the end portion of the upper surface of the substrate W. The flow rate of the treatment liquid Lq1 is set to, for example, about several ml/min to several tens ml/min. The flow rate of the processing liquid Lq1 is smaller than the flow rate of the processing liquid when the entire surface of the substrate W is processed (for example, the flow rate of the processing liquid discharged from the discharge nozzle 66 of the processing liquid supply unit 65).
The processing liquid Lq1 is discharged toward the edge of the substrate W while rotating the substrate W, and thereby the processing liquid Lq1 acts on the entire peripheral edge of the substrate W. The processing liquid Lq1 can remove unnecessary substances adhering to the peripheral edge of the substrate W (bevel processing). The processing liquid Lq1 corresponding to the type of the unnecessary substance (e.g., film) can be ejected sequentially from the ejection ports of the 3 ejection nozzles 31. Further, the treatment liquid may be discharged from at least two discharge ports of the 3 discharge nozzles 31 at the same time.
In the bevel processing, it is desirable to control the flow rate of the processing liquid Lq1 with high accuracy in order to appropriately remove unnecessary substances adhering to the peripheral edge portion of the substrate W.
Further, devices are formed in a device region other than the peripheral edge portion on the upper surface of the substrate W. Since the processing liquid Lq1 removes the film, it is not desirable that the processing liquid Lq1 enter the device region. This is because it is possible to remove the desired film in the device region. On the other hand, it is necessary to remove unnecessary films present at the peripheral edge portions. In order to meet this requirement, it is desirable to control the landing position of the processing liquid Lq1 with high accuracy in the bevel processing. The required accuracy of the landing position of the processing liquid Lq1 on the substrate W is, for example, about several tens (e.g., 50) μm.
In the bevel processing, since the flow rate of the processing liquid Lq1 is small, the processing liquid Lq1 is susceptible to the influence of the gas flow accompanying the rotation of the substrate W or the influence of surrounding static electricity, and the landing position of the processing liquid Lq1 may fluctuate.
The control unit 9 monitors the discharge state of the processing liquid Lq1 during the monitoring process. The specific operation of the monitoring process will be described in detail later.
When the end condition of the ramp processing is satisfied, the controller 9 stops the discharge of the processing liquid Lq1 from the discharge nozzle 31 in step S6. Although the end condition of the ramp processing is not particularly limited, for example, a condition that the elapsed time from step S5 reaches a predetermined time can be adopted. In response to the satisfaction of the end condition, the control unit 9 outputs a close signal to the on-off valve 35. The opening/closing valve 35 performs a closing operation based on the opening signal to close the pipe 34. This terminates the discharge of the treatment liquid Lq 1. Further, in the case where the suckback valve 36 is provided, the control section 9 outputs a suction signal to the suckback valve 36.
After the discharge of the processing liquid Lq1 is stopped, the step of drying the substrate W may be performed as appropriate. Next, in step S7, the control unit 9 causes the camera 70 to end shooting. That is, the monitoring process is ended. Next, in step S8, the controller 9 controls the spin motor 22 to complete the rotation of the spin base 21, and controls the elevation mechanism 44 to lower the processing cup 40. Next, in step S9, the control unit 9 controls the movement mechanisms 33 and 63, respectively, to move the discharge nozzle 31 and the camera 70 to their respective standby positions.
Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing one example of actions of the monitoring process. The process flow shown in fig. 7 is executed each time the captured image IM1 is input to the control section 9. First, in step S11, the control section 9 determines a determination region R2 described below in the captured image IM 1.
Fig. 8 is a diagram schematically showing an example of an enlarged view of the captured image IM 1. In the example of fig. 8, a region R1 near the tip of one ejection nozzle 31 is shown in an enlarged view. The determination region R2 is a region directly below the discharge nozzle 31 in the captured image IM1, and is a region including at least a part of the substantially liquid-columnar processing liquid Lq1 discharged from the discharge nozzle 31 toward the substrate W and at least a part of the mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq1 reflected on the upper surface of the substrate W. The determination region R2 includes a boundary B1 between the processing liquid Lq1 and a mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq 1.
The width of the determination region R2 in the lateral direction is set to be larger than the liquid column width of the processing liquid Lq1 discharged from the discharge nozzle 31. The transverse position of the determination region R2 is set so that both ends in the width direction of the processing liquid Lq1 are included in the determination region R2. The width of the determination region R2 in the longitudinal direction is set so that the determination region R2 includes the processing liquid Lq1 and a mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq 1.
The determination region R2 in the captured image IM1 is set in advance for the discharge nozzle 31. That is, the relative positional relationship between the discharge nozzle 31 and the determination region R2 is set in advance. The information indicating the positional relationship may be stored in a storage medium of the control unit 9.
Further, since the relative position of the camera 70 with respect to the discharge nozzle 31 may vary depending on the accuracy of the moving mechanisms 33 and 63, the position of the discharge nozzle 31 in the captured image IM1 may also vary. Therefore, the controller 9 can specify the position of the discharge nozzle 31 in the captured image IM1 and specify the determination region R2 that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the specified discharge nozzle 31. In order to specify the position of the discharge nozzle 31 in the captured image IM1, a reference image including the appearance of the tip of the discharge nozzle 31 is also stored in advance in the storage medium of the control unit 9. The controller 9 specifies the position of the discharge nozzle 31 in the captured image IM1 by pattern matching based on the reference image, and specifies the determination region R2 based on a predetermined relative positional relationship with respect to the specified discharge nozzle 31. Thus, even if the position of the discharge nozzle 31 varies within the captured image IM1, the determination region R2 can be appropriately determined in accordance with the position of the discharge nozzle 31.
In a state where the discharge nozzle 31 is discharging the processing liquid Lq1, the determination region R2 includes a part of the substantially liquid-columnar processing liquid Lq 1. Since the light irradiated by the illumination unit 71 is reflected by the processing liquid Lq1 and received by the camera 70, the luminance value of the pixel reflecting the processing liquid Lq1 becomes higher than the luminance values of the other pixels. In addition, in the case where the camera 70 is a monochrome camera of a grayscale, it can be said that the pixel value of the pixel represents a luminance value. Here, as an example, the camera 70 is a black and white camera.
Next, in step S12, the controller 9 determines the landing position of the processing liquid Lq1 based on the entire image of the processing liquid Lq1 in the determination region R2. One example of a determination method of the landing position is explained below.
As illustrated in fig. 8, the entire image is curved at the surface of the substrate W (i.e., in the boundary B1 between the processing liquid Lq1 and the mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq 1). This is because, in the bevel processing, the discharge direction of the processing liquid Lq1 from the discharge nozzle 31 is not perpendicular to the substrate W but slightly inclined due to various factors such as the gas flow accompanying the rotation of the substrate W. The degree of the curve (the angle formed by the discharge direction of the processing liquid Lq1 and the discharge direction of the mirror image Lqm1) depends on the imaging direction of the camera 70 (specifically, the angle θ 2), and therefore it is most desirable to set the imaging direction of the camera 70 so that the curve becomes clear.
Since the bend position indicates the landing position of the processing liquid Lq1 on the upper surface of the substrate W, the controller 9 specifies the bend position in the captured image IM 1. Specifically, for example, the control unit 9 performs an edge detection process and a binarization process on the determination region R2 to obtain a binarized image IM 2. Fig. 9 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the binarized image IM 2. In fig. 9, an image having a high pixel value (here, "1") is represented by a blank, and a pixel having a low pixel value (here, "0") is represented by a sand-like shading. That is, the blank area indicates an area where the change in the luminance value becomes steep in the determination area R2 of the photographed image IM1, and the sand-like area indicates an area where the change in the luminance value becomes gentle in the determination area R2 of the photographed image IM 1. Hereinafter, the region indicated by the blank is also referred to as a high pixel value region R4.
As illustrated in fig. 9, the high pixel value region R4 of the binarized image IM2 includes: a linear component LC1 extending in the discharge direction of the processing liquid Lq 1; and a linear component LC2 extending in the ejection direction of the mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq 1. The lower end of the linear component LC1 and the upper end of the linear component LC2 are connected to each other at a connection angle corresponding to the discharge direction at a boundary B1 between the processing liquid Lq1 and the mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq 1.
The control section 9 determines the linear component LC1 and the linear component LC2 based on the binarized image IM 2. Although this determination may be performed by a known method, it may be performed, for example, as follows.
In the example of fig. 9, in the binary image IM2, the high pixel value region R4 includes a region R41 indicating the tip end portion of the discharge nozzle 31 and the peripheral edge of the substrate W, and therefore, this region R41 may be removed from the binary image IM2 first. For example, the region R41 may be removed by a masking process.
A region R42 other than the region R41 in the high pixel value region R4 shows a mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq1 and the processing liquid Lq 1. Therefore, the binary image IM2 is further subjected to edge detection processing to identify a linear component in which the edge extends at a length equal to or longer than a predetermined length. Further, since the range of the discharge direction of the processing liquid Lq1 can be assumed in advance by experiments, simulations, or the like, the range of the linear component LC1 and the range of the linear component LC2 in the extension direction can be set in advance. Therefore, the control unit 9 specifies a linear component in the region R41, the extension direction of which is within a predetermined range.
Further, as illustrated in fig. 9, the straight line component LC1 extends from the upper right to the lower left, and the straight line component LC2 extends from the upper left to the lower right. Therefore, the control section 9 determines a straight line component extending from the upper right to the lower left as the straight line component LC1, and determines a straight line component extending from the upper right to the lower left as the straight line component LC 2.
Next, the controller 9 obtains an intersection point between the linear component LC1 and the linear component LC2 as a bending position. The control unit 9 determines the landing position of the processing liquid Lq1 based on the bent position. For example, the bending position may be determined as the landing position.
Further, in the example of fig. 9, one group of the straight-line component LC1 and one group of the straight-line component LC2 are shown, but a plurality of groups may be actually determined. Therefore, the landing position may be determined from the bending positions of the plurality of groups. For example, an average value of a plurality of bending positions may be obtained as the landing position.
Next, in step S13, the control unit 9 determines whether or not the difference (absolute value) between the determined landing position and the reference position value is equal to or greater than a predetermined allowable position value. That is, the control unit 9 determines whether or not the landing position is within an appropriate range. As the position reference value, a value indicating an appropriate landing position may be used. For example, an average value of normal landing positions may be calculated based on a plurality of captured images IM1 captured while the processing liquid Lq1 is normally discharged, and the average value may be used as the position reference value. The position allowance value is preset. The position reference value and the position allowable value may be stored in a storage medium of the control unit 9, for example.
When the difference is equal to or larger than the allowable position value, the control unit 9 notifies the notification unit 93 of the fact (i.e., the landing abnormality) in step S14, and ends the process. On the other hand, when the difference is smaller than the allowable value, the process ends without executing step S14.
As described above, the controller 9 determines the landing position based on the entire image including the mirror image Lqm1 of the treatment liquid Lq1 and the treatment liquid Lq1 in the captured image IM 1. The entire image includes a boundary B1 between the processing liquid Lq1 and a mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq1, and the boundary B1 reflects the landing position of the processing liquid Lq1 on the substrate W. That is, the landing position can be appropriately determined based on the entire image including the information of the landing position.
In the above example, the inflection point of the entire image is found, and the landing position is determined based on the inflection point. Since the bending point is located on the boundary B1 between the processing liquid Lq1 and the mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq1, the landing position can be appropriately determined.
< mirror image Lqm1 of treating liquid Lq1 >
Various patterns such as a metal pattern, a semiconductor pattern, an insulating layer pattern, and a resist pattern may be formed on the upper surface of the substrate W. Therefore, the processing liquid Lq1 (i.e., the mirror image Lqm1) reflected on the upper surface of the substrate W is affected by these patterns. That is, noise is included in the mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq 1.
Therefore, the exposure time of the camera 70 can be set to be equal to or longer than the rotation time required for one rotation of the substrate W. Thus, the patterns of the substrates W in the captured image IM1 are averaged and equalized, and therefore the mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq1 in the captured image IM1 can be a more accurate image. In other words, noise contained in the mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq1 can be reduced. Therefore, the ejection direction of the mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq1 (i.e., the linear component LC2) can be easily determined.
Alternatively, the exposure time may be shorter than the rotation time. The control unit 9 may integrate or average a plurality of captured images IM1 captured within a predetermined time period longer than the rotation time period to generate processed images at predetermined time intervals. Since the pattern of the upper surface of the substrate W is averaged and equalized in the process image for each predetermined time, the mirror image Lqm1 of the processing liquid Lq1 can be a more accurate image.
< fixing of the camera >
In the above example, the camera 70 is fixed to the fixing member 62 in the same manner as the discharge nozzle 61. That is, the mechanism for moving the camera 70 and the mechanism for moving the discharge nozzle 61 are used in combination. Therefore, the manufacturing cost and size can be reduced as compared with the case where dedicated mechanisms are provided separately.
Fig. 10 is a plan view schematically showing an example of the structure of the processing unit 1A. The processing unit 1A has the same configuration as the processing unit 1, except for the fixed object of the camera 70. In the process unit 1A, the camera 70 is fixed to the fixing member 32 in the same manner as the discharge nozzle 31 as the imaging target. More specifically, the camera holding portion 73 is coupled to the nozzle arm 321 at a side of the nozzle arm 321. The camera holding section 73 holds the camera 70. The camera 70 is fixed to the fixing member 32 via the camera holding portion 73. The camera 70 and the camera holding portion 73 are disposed on the counterclockwise direction side of the nozzle arm 321 with respect to the nozzle arm 321 (i.e., on the side from the standby position of the discharge nozzle 31 toward the processing position). The camera 70 is held by the camera holding unit 73 in a posture capable of imaging the tip of the discharge nozzle 31 and the treatment liquid Lq1 discharged from the discharge nozzle 31.
The moving mechanism 33 rotates the nozzle base 322, and thereby can move the discharge nozzle 31 and the camera 70 to the processing position and the imaging position, respectively, while maintaining the positional relationship between the discharge nozzle 31 and the camera 70. The positional relationship between the shooting position of the camera 70 and the processing position of the ejection nozzle 31 is the same as that of the processing unit 1.
Similarly to the processing unit 1, the camera 70 can appropriately capture an image of the substantially liquid-columnar processing liquid Lq1 discharged from the discharge nozzle 31 by the processing unit 1A.
Further, since the camera 70 and the discharge nozzle 31 are fixed to the same fixing member 32, the camera 70 can be positioned with high accuracy with respect to the discharge nozzle 31. That is, in the process unit 1, since the discharge nozzle 31 and the camera 70 are fixed to the different nozzle arms 321 and 621, it is necessary to provide a relatively wide margin (margin) between the camera 70 and the nozzle arm 321 in view of the accuracy of the moving mechanisms 33 and 63, whereas in the process unit 1A, since the discharge nozzle 31 and the camera 70 are fixed to the same nozzle arm 321, the margin between the camera 70 and the nozzle arm 321 can be set to be narrower. That is, the camera 70 can be brought closer to the nozzle arm 321. Thereby, the camera 70 can photograph the discharge nozzle 31 from a direction closer to the circumferential direction. Therefore, the ejection position of the treatment liquid Lq1 in the radial direction is easily determined in the captured image IM 1.
< Camera protection >
When the processing liquid Lq1 contains hydrofluoric acid, the lower surface of the frame body of the camera 70 or the lower end surface of the lower surface member 734 of the camera holding portion 73 may be formed of a chemical resistant material. In summary, the protection member 74 that protects the camera 70 may be provided on the lower surface side of the camera 70. As the protective member 74, a chemical resistant resin having high chemical resistance to hydrofluoric acid, a fluororesin such as polytetrafluoroethylene, a vinyl chloride resin, or the like, or a metal such as stainless steel can be used.
This can reduce the possibility that the camera 70 positioned above the substrate W is corroded by the vaporized component of the processing liquid Lq 1. Therefore, the reliability of the camera 70 can be improved.
< landing position with respect to substrate >
In the above example, the controller 9 determines the landing position of the processing liquid Lq1 based on the pixels in the determination region R2 with reference to the position of the discharge nozzle 31. That is, the landing position is monitored by determining the landing position with reference to the position of the discharge nozzle 31. This is particularly effective in the case where the positional accuracy of the ejection nozzle 31 due to the moving mechanism 33 is high, for example. However, there are also cases where the positional accuracy is relatively low. Therefore, the control unit 9 may monitor the landing position of the processing liquid Lq1 with reference to the position of the peripheral edge of the substrate W.
The control unit 9 specifies the position of the peripheral edge of the substrate W (hereinafter referred to as the substrate peripheral edge position) in the captured image IM1 to obtain the landing position based on the position of the peripheral edge of the substrate W. First, the control section 9 specifies a peripheral edge region R3 (see also fig. 8) described below in the captured image IM 1.
The peripheral edge region R3 is a region including a part of the peripheral edge of the substrate W in the captured image IM 1. In the example of fig. 8, the peripheral edge region R3 has a rectangular shape. The position of the peripheral edge region R3 is set in advance in accordance with the position of the discharge nozzle 31, similarly to the determination region R2. That is, the relative positional relationship between the discharge nozzle 31 and the peripheral edge region R3 is set in advance. The information indicating the positional relationship may be stored in a storage medium of the control unit 9.
The control section 9 determines the position of the discharge nozzles 31 in the captured image IM1 by pattern matching, and determines the peripheral edge region R3 based on the determined position of the discharge nozzles 31. Then, the control unit 9 specifies the substrate peripheral edge position of the substrate W in the peripheral edge region R3. For example, the control unit 9 determines the peripheral edge of the substrate W based on image processing such as edge detection processing. This makes it possible to specify the substrate peripheral edge position of the substrate W with reference to the position of the discharge nozzle 31.
As described above, the control section 9 can specify the landing position and the substrate peripheral edge position both based on the position of the discharge nozzle 31. Therefore, the control section 9 can determine the landing position based on the substrate peripheral edge position based on these positions. For example, table information to be a reference is generated in advance by an experiment or the like. Specifically, each time the processing position of the discharge nozzle 31 is appropriately changed by the control of the controller 9, the discharge nozzle 31 is caused to discharge the processing liquid Lq1 to obtain the captured image IM 1. Then, at each processing position of the discharge nozzle 31, the distance between the landing position of the processing liquid Lq1 and the peripheral edge of the substrate W is measured, and the positional relationship between the substrate end position and the discharge position in the captured image IM1 at that time is determined. The measured distance and the specified positional relationship are associated with each other and stored in advance as table information in a storage medium of the control unit 9.
The control unit 9 specifies the positional relationship between the substrate peripheral edge position and the ejection position in the captured image IM1, and calculates the distance between the peripheral edge of the substrate W and the landing position of the processing liquid Lq1 (i.e., the landing position with respect to the peripheral edge of the substrate W) based on the specified positional relationship and the table information.
Since the control unit 9 can obtain the landing position with reference to the position of the peripheral edge of the substrate W, the landing position can be monitored more appropriately.
< determination of landing position >
In the above example, the controller 9 determines the landing position based on the bent position between the linear component LC1 and the linear component LC 2. However, it is not necessarily limited thereto.
As illustrated in fig. 9, a region R42 (corresponding to a region of the processing liquid Lq1 and its mirror image Lqm1) in the high pixel value region R4 of the binarized image IM2 is laterally expanded in a boundary B1 between the processing liquid Lq1 and its mirror image Lqm 1. This is considered to be because the processing liquid Lq1 slightly spreads toward the periphery when it lands on the upper surface of the substrate W. That is, it can be said that the expanded portion reflects the boundary between the processing liquid Lq1 and the mirror image Lqm1 thereof, and further reflects the landing position.
Therefore, the control unit 9 can specify the portion of the binarized image IM2 where the region R42 is expanded, and determine the landing position based on the position of the expanded portion. Specifically, the control unit 9 may specify two points located at the endmost portion in the lateral direction in the region R42 (i.e., both ends of the expanded portion) and determine the center positions of the two ends as the landing positions.
< photographing optical System >
Fig. 11 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the processing unit 1B. The processing unit 1B has the same structure as the processing unit 1 except for the photographing optical system. A mirror 75 is provided in the process unit 1B. The mirror 75 is disposed at an imaging position above the substrate W, and the camera 70 is disposed in a region other than above the substrate W. As illustrated in fig. 11, the camera 70 may be positioned above the processing cup 40 in a plan view. The mirror 75 reflects light from the imaging region toward the light receiving surface of the camera 70. Therefore, the camera 70 can image an imaging area viewed from an imaging position above the substrate W.
As illustrated in fig. 11, the mirror 75 may be provided movably. In the example of fig. 11, the mirror 75 is fixed to the fixing member 62 of the treatment liquid supply unit 60. As a more specific example, a mirror holding portion 76 that holds the mirror 75 is provided, and the mirror holding portion 76 is coupled to the nozzle arm 621 of the fixing member 62. For example, the mirror holding portion 76 is fixed to the distal end portion of the nozzle arm 621 by a fastening member (e.g., a screw) at the proximal end side thereof, and fixes and holds the mirror 75 by a fastening member at the distal end side thereof. The mirror holding portion 76 is formed of, for example, metal (e.g., stainless steel). The moving mechanism 63 can reciprocate the mirror 75 between the imaging position above the substrate W and the standby position outside the processing cup 40 by rotating the nozzle base 622. The moving mechanism 63 moves the mirror 75 to the shooting position, thereby enabling light from the shooting area to be reflected from the mirror 75 to the camera 70.
The positional relationship between the position (imaging position) of the mirror 75 and the discharge nozzle 31 in a plan view is the same as the positional relationship between the position (imaging position) of the camera 70 in the process unit 1 and the discharge nozzle 31. The imaging position is preferably close to the substrate W, and may be set so that the lower end of the reflecting surface of the mirror 75 is located at the same position as or lower than the upper end position of the processing cup 40, for example. Alternatively, when the mirror holding portion 76 has a lower surface member disposed below the mirror 75, the imaging position may be set such that the lower end of the lower surface member is located at the same position as or lower than the upper end position of the processing cup 40. Thereby, the camera 70 can photograph the photographing region viewed from the photographing position in a direction closer to the horizontal direction. That is, it is easy to make the shooting direction from the shooting position further along the horizontal direction.
According to the process unit 1B, since the camera 70 can be disposed in a region other than the region above the substrate W, the influence of the processing liquid Lq1 on the camera 70 can be reduced. For example, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the processing liquid Lq1 adheres to the camera 70 or the vaporized component of the processing liquid Lq1 adheres to the camera 70. Therefore, for example, even if the processing liquid Lq1 contains hydrofluoric acid, corrosion of the camera 70 is not easily caused.
The camera 70 may be fixed so as to be substantially immovable in the processing unit 1B, or may be fixed so as to be movable in the processing unit 1B.
The mirror 75 does not necessarily need to be fixed to the fixing member 62 of the treatment liquid supply unit 60, and may be fixed to the fixing member 32 of the treatment liquid supply unit 30 in the same manner as the camera 70 of the process unit 1A. This makes it possible to bring the mirror 75 closer to the nozzle arm 321, and thus it is easy to bring the imaging direction from the imaging position further along the circumferential direction.
< machine learning >
In the above example, the control unit 9 performs image processing on the captured image IM1 to obtain the landing position of the processing liquid Lq1, and determines whether or not the landing position is within an appropriate range. However, the control unit 9 may perform the determination using machine learning.
Fig. 12 is a diagram schematically showing an example of the internal configuration of the control unit 9. The control unit 9 includes a classifier 91 and a machine learning unit 92. The captured image IM1 from the camera 70 is sequentially input to the classifier 91. The classifier 91 classifies each of the captured images IM1 input into a category relating to the discharge state quantity (flow rate or discharge position) of the discharge nozzle 31. A category may also be referred to as a class (class). As the type, a type in which there is an abnormality in the ejection state amount and a type in which there is no abnormality can be adopted. More specifically, a first category indicating that there is no abnormality in the landing position and a second category indicating that there is an abnormality in the landing position can be used.
The classifier 91 is generated by the machine learning unit 92 using a plurality of teaching data. That is, the classifier 91 can be said to be a machine-learned classifier. As an algorithm for machine learning, the machine learning unit 92 uses, for example, a neighbor method, a support vector machine, a random forest, a neural network (including deep learning), or the like. Since the neural network automatically generates the feature quantity, the designer does not need to determine the feature vector.
The teaching data includes image data and a label indicating into which category the image data is classified. The image data is a captured image captured by the camera 70 and is generated in advance. Each image data is assigned with an accurate category as a label. The assignment can be performed by an operator. The machine learning unit 92 performs machine learning based on these teaching data to generate the classifier 91.
As an example, the classifier 91 that classifies frames by the neighbor method is explained. The classifier 91 includes a feature vector extraction unit 911, a determination unit 912, and a storage medium storing a determination database 913. Each frame of the captured image from the camera 70 is sequentially input to the feature vector extraction unit 911. The feature vector extraction unit 911 extracts a feature vector of the captured image IM1 according to a predetermined algorithm. The feature vector is a vector indicating a feature amount corresponding to the discharge state of the discharge nozzle 31. As this algorithm, a known algorithm can be used. The feature vector extraction unit 911 outputs the feature vector to the determination unit 912.
The determination database 913 stores a plurality of feature vectors (hereinafter, referred to as reference vectors) generated from a plurality of teaching data by the machine learning unit 92, and the reference vectors are classified into respective categories. Specifically, the machine learning unit 92 applies the same algorithm as that of the feature vector extraction unit 911 to a plurality of teaching data to generate a plurality of reference vectors. Then, the machine learning unit 92 assigns a label (correct type) of the teaching data to the reference vector.
The determination unit 912 classifies the captured image IM1 based on the feature vector input from the feature vector extraction unit 911 and the plurality of reference vectors stored in the determination database 913. For example, the determination unit 912 may specify the reference vector whose feature vector is closest to each other, and classify the captured image IM1 into the type of the specified reference vector (nearest neighbor method). Thus, the determination unit 912 can classify the captured image input to the classifier 91 (feature vector extraction unit 911) into categories.
The control unit 9 classifies each captured image IM1 into one of the first category and the second category by the classifier 91. This classification means that it is determined whether or not the landing position of the processing liquid Lq1 is within an appropriate range. Since the classification is performed by machine learning, an abnormality can be detected with high accuracy.
< input to classifier >
In the above-described example, as the input data to the classifier 91, the entire area of the captured image IM1 is employed, but it is not necessarily limited thereto. For example, the controller 9 may cut out an image of the determination region R2 in the captured image IM1 and input the image to the classifier 91. In this case, as the learning data input to the machine learning unit 92, an image indicating the determination region R2 is also used.
Thus, the classifier 91 can classify the ejection state without the influence of the region having low correlation with the ejection state, and therefore, the classification accuracy can be improved.
In order to monitor the landing position with respect to the peripheral edge of the substrate W, not only the determination region R2 but also the peripheral edge region R3 may be input to the classifier 91. In this case, as the learning data input to the machine learning unit 92, images indicating the determination region R2 and the peripheral region R3 are also used. Alternatively, a rectangular region including the determination region R2 and the peripheral region R3 is cut out from the captured image IM1, and the image is input to the classifier 91.
< Server >
In the above example, the controller 9 provided in the substrate processing apparatus 100 generates the classifier 91 by machine learning, and classifies the frame by the classifier 91. However, at least a part of the machine learning functions (the classifier 91 and the machine learning unit 92) of the control unit 9 may be provided in the server.
While the embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus has been described above, the present embodiment can be variously modified in addition to the above embodiments without departing from the gist thereof. The various embodiments and modifications described above can be implemented in appropriate combinations.
The substrate W is a semiconductor substrate, but not limited to this. For example, a photomask-use glass substrate, a liquid crystal Display glass substrate, a plasma Display glass substrate, an FED (Field Emission Display) substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, a magneto-optical disk substrate, or the like can be used.
Description of the reference numerals
9: an image processing unit (control unit),
20: a substrate holding part,
31: a nozzle (a spray nozzle),
33: a moving mechanism,
40: a cup member (treatment cup),
44: a lifting mechanism,
70: a camera,
91: a classifier,
93: a notification part,
100: a substrate processing apparatus,
W: a substrate.

Claims (10)

1. A substrate processing method, comprising:
a holding step of causing the substrate holding section to hold the substrate;
a rotation step of rotating the substrate by rotating the substrate holding portion;
a raising step of raising a cup member surrounding an outer periphery of the substrate holding portion so that an upper end of the cup member is positioned at an upper end position higher than an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion;
a bevel processing step of ejecting a processing liquid from an ejection port of a nozzle located at a position lower than the upper end position toward an end portion of the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion;
an imaging step of imaging an imaging area including a mirror image of the processing liquid ejected from the ejection port of the nozzle and the processing liquid reflected on the upper surface of the substrate, the imaging area being viewed from an imaging position above the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, by a camera, and obtaining an imaging image; and
and a monitoring step of monitoring a landing position of the processing liquid based on the processing liquid and the mirror image in the captured image.
2. The substrate processing method according to claim 1,
in the captured image, an entire image including the processing liquid and the mirror image is curved at a boundary between the processing liquid and the mirror image;
in the monitoring step, the landing position is determined based on a bent position of the entire image of the processing liquid.
3. The substrate processing method according to claim 2, wherein,
in the monitoring step, a first linear component and a second linear component are detected from a binarized image obtained by performing an edge detection process and a binarization process on the captured image, and an intersection between the first linear component and the second linear component is determined as the curved position, the first linear component being a component extending in a discharge direction of the processing liquid, and the second linear component being a component extending in a discharge direction of the mirror image.
4. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
the exposure time of the camera is set to be longer than the time required for one rotation of the substrate.
5. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
the landing position is determined based on the whole image in a captured image obtained by integrating or averaging a plurality of captured images obtained by a camera for a time equal to or longer than a time required for one rotation of the substrate.
6. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
in the monitoring step, the position of the peripheral edge of the substrate in the captured image is specified, and the landing position of the processing liquid is determined with the position of the peripheral edge of the substrate as a reference.
7. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
the monitoring step includes a step of notifying a notification unit of the determined landing position when the landing position is not within a predetermined range.
8. The substrate processing method according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
in the monitoring step, the captured image is classified into one of a category in which there is no abnormality in the landing position and a category in which there is an abnormality in the landing position by a classifier that is machine-learned.
9. The substrate processing method according to claim 8, wherein,
in the monitoring step, a region including the processing liquid and the mirror image and located directly below the nozzle is cut out from the captured image, and an image of the cut-out region is input to the classifier.
10. A substrate processing apparatus includes:
a substrate holding unit that holds a substrate and rotates the substrate;
a cup member surrounding an outer periphery of the substrate holding portion;
a lift mechanism for raising the cup member so that an upper end of the cup member is positioned at an upper end position higher than an upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion;
a nozzle having an ejection port located at a position lower than the upper end position, the nozzle ejecting a processing liquid from the ejection port toward an end portion of the upper surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding portion;
a camera that captures an image of an imaging area including a processing liquid discharged from the discharge port of the nozzle and a mirror image of the processing liquid reflected on the upper surface of the substrate, the imaging area being viewed from an imaging position above the substrate held by the substrate holding portion, and obtains an imaging image; and
and an image processing unit that monitors a landing position of the processing liquid based on the processing liquid and the mirror image in the captured image.
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