JP2010147360A - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method enabling an operator to perform maintenance of an exposure device rapidly and at proper timing. <P>SOLUTION: The substrate processing apparatus 500 includes: an indexer block 9, an anti-reflection film processing block 10, a resist film processing block 11, a development processing block 12, a resist cover film processing block 13, a resist cover film removal block 14 and an interface block 15. An exposure device 16 is arranged adjacent to the interface block 15. The interface block 15 includes first and second inspection units EE1 and EE2. The first inspection unit EE1 inspects the state of a substrate W before exposure processing, and the second inspection unit EE2 inspects the state of the substrate W after the exposure processing. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method for processing a substrate.

  In order to perform various processes on various substrates such as a semiconductor substrate, a liquid crystal display substrate, a plasma display substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, a magneto-optical disk substrate, and a photomask substrate, It is used.

  In such a substrate processing apparatus, generally, a plurality of different processes are continuously performed on a single substrate. The substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 includes an indexer block, an antireflection film processing block, a resist film processing block, a development processing block, and an interface block. An exposure apparatus that is an external apparatus separate from the substrate processing apparatus is disposed adjacent to the interface block.

  In the substrate processing apparatus described above, the substrate carried in from the indexer block is configured such that after the formation of the antireflection film and the coating process of the resist film are performed in the antireflection film processing block and the resist film processing block, the interface block is To the exposure apparatus. After the exposure process is performed on the resist film on the substrate in the exposure apparatus, the substrate is transported to the development processing block via the interface block. After a resist pattern is formed by performing development processing on the resist film on the substrate in the development processing block, the substrate is transported to the indexer block.

  In recent years, miniaturization of resist patterns has become an important issue as the density and integration of devices increase. Therefore, there is a liquid immersion method as a projection exposure method that enables further miniaturization of the exposure pattern (for example, see Patent Document 2). In the projection exposure apparatus of Patent Document 2, a liquid is filled between the projection optical system (exposure lens) and the substrate, and the exposure light on the substrate surface can be shortened in wavelength. Thereby, the exposure pattern can be further miniaturized.

When exposure processing is performed using an immersion method, when the liquid supplied onto the substrate directly contacts the resist film, the components of the resist film are eluted into the liquid. As a result, the exposure lens is contaminated and processing defects of the substrate occur. Further, when the exposure lens is damaged, a great cost is required for its restoration. Therefore, it has been proposed to form a resist cover film so as to cover the resist film (see, for example, Patent Document 3).
JP 2003-324139 A International Publication No. 99/49504 Pamphlet JP 2006-140283 A

  However, in the exposure apparatus, a part of the resist cover film may be peeled off from the substrate. In this case, components such as the resist film are eluted from the portion where the resist cover film is peeled off, and the exposure lens is contaminated.

  In order to suppress contamination of the exposure lens due to such factors, it is required to perform maintenance of the exposure apparatus promptly at an appropriate timing.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of maintaining an exposure apparatus quickly at an appropriate timing.

  (1) A substrate processing apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention is a substrate processing apparatus disposed adjacent to an exposure apparatus that performs exposure processing on a substrate by a liquid immersion method, and a processing section for processing the substrate And a transfer unit that is provided adjacent to one end of the processing unit and transfers the substrate between the processing unit and the exposure apparatus, and the processing unit forms a first film on the substrate. The film forming unit includes a first inspection unit that inspects the state of the substrate after the first film is formed by the film forming unit and before the exposure process by the exposure apparatus, and after the exposure process by the exposure apparatus. And a second inspection unit for inspecting the state of the substrate.

  In the substrate processing apparatus, after the first film is formed on the substrate by the film forming unit of the processing unit, the state of the substrate is inspected by the first inspection unit of the transfer unit. After the inspection by the first inspection unit, the substrate is conveyed from the transfer unit to the exposure apparatus. In the exposure apparatus, the substrate is exposed while the liquid is in contact with the first film. After the exposure processing, the substrate is transported from the exposure apparatus to the delivery unit, and the state of the substrate is inspected by the first inspection unit of the delivery unit.

  In this case, a change in the state of the substrate before and after the exposure process can be detected based on the inspection results by the first and second inspection units. Thereby, when an abnormality occurs in the substrate in the exposure apparatus, it can be quickly recognized. Therefore, the exposure apparatus can be quickly maintained after an abnormality occurs in the exposure apparatus. As a result, contamination and damage in the exposure apparatus can be minimized.

  (2) Each of the first and second inspection units may include an appearance inspection apparatus that inspects the appearance of the first film formed by the film formation unit.

  In this case, it is possible to quickly recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the first film in the exposure apparatus due to a change in the appearance of the first film before and after the exposure processing. Thereby, the exposure apparatus can be maintained quickly, so that contamination and damage in the exposure apparatus can be minimized.

  (3) Each of the first and second inspection units may include a bevel portion inspection device that inspects the bevel portion of the substrate.

  In this case, it is possible to quickly recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the bevel portion of the substrate within the exposure apparatus due to a change in the state of the bevel portion of the substrate before and after the exposure processing. Thereby, the exposure apparatus can be maintained quickly, so that contamination and damage in the exposure apparatus can be minimized.

  (4) Each of the first and second inspection units may include a component inspection apparatus that inspects a component of the first film formed by the film formation unit.

  In this case, it is possible to quickly recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the first film in the exposure apparatus due to a change in the component of the first film before and after the exposure processing. Thereby, the exposure apparatus can be maintained quickly, so that contamination and damage in the exposure apparatus can be minimized.

  (5) Each of the first and second inspection units may include a contact angle inspection device that inspects the contact angle of the liquid on the first film formed by the film formation unit.

  In this case, it is possible to quickly recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the first film in the exposure apparatus due to a change in the contact angle of the liquid on the first film before and after the exposure processing. Thereby, the exposure apparatus can be maintained quickly, so that contamination and damage in the exposure apparatus can be minimized.

  (6) Each of the first and second inspection units may include a film thickness inspection apparatus that inspects the film thickness of the first film formed by the film formation unit.

  In this case, it is possible to quickly recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the first film in the exposure apparatus due to a change in the film thickness of the first film before and after the exposure processing. Thereby, the exposure apparatus can be maintained quickly, so that contamination and damage in the exposure apparatus can be minimized.

  (7) The substrate processing apparatus may further include an alarm device that issues an alarm to the operator when the inspection result in the first inspection unit is different from the inspection result in the second inspection unit.

  In this case, the operator can quickly and surely recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the substrate within the exposure apparatus. Thereby, when an abnormality occurs in the exposure apparatus, the exposure apparatus can be quickly maintained. As a result, contamination and damage in the exposure apparatus can be minimized.

  (8) The delivery unit does not have to transport the substrate that has been abnormal in the inspection by the first inspection unit to the exposure apparatus.

  In this case, if the substrate is abnormal, the exposure process cannot be performed normally. Thereby, the inside of the exposure apparatus is contaminated. Therefore, contamination in the exposure apparatus can be prevented in advance by not transporting the abnormal substrate to the exposure apparatus.

  (9) The film forming unit may form a photosensitive film made of a photosensitive material as the first film on the substrate.

  In this case, in the exposure apparatus, the substrate is exposed in a state where the liquid is in contact with the photosensitive film. Therefore, no other film is formed on the photosensitive film. Thereby, the substrate can be processed quickly with a simple configuration.

  (10) The film forming unit may form a photosensitive film made of a photosensitive material as the second film on the substrate, and may form a protective film for protecting the photosensitive film as the first film.

  In this case, in the exposure apparatus, the substrate is exposed in a state where the liquid is in contact with the protective film. Therefore, contact between the photosensitive film and the protective film is prevented. Thereby, contamination in the exposure apparatus can be prevented even when the photosensitive film is likely to be eluted into the liquid.

  (11) A substrate processing method according to a second aspect of the present invention is disposed adjacent to an exposure apparatus that performs exposure processing on a substrate by a liquid immersion method, and includes a processing section and a delivery section, and processes the substrate in the substrate processing apparatus. And a step of forming a first film on the substrate in the processing unit, and a step of inspecting a state of the substrate after the formation of the first film and before the exposure process by the exposure apparatus in the transfer unit. And a step of inspecting the state of the substrate after the exposure processing by the exposure apparatus.

  In the substrate processing method, after the first film is formed on the substrate in the processing unit, the state of the substrate is inspected in the transfer unit. After the inspection by the first inspection unit, the substrate is conveyed from the transfer unit to the exposure apparatus. In the exposure apparatus, the substrate is exposed while the liquid is in contact with the first film. After the exposure processing, the substrate is transported from the exposure apparatus to the delivery unit, and the state of the substrate is inspected in the delivery unit.

  In this case, a change in the state of the substrate before and after the exposure process can be detected. Thereby, when an abnormality occurs in the substrate in the exposure apparatus, it can be quickly recognized. Therefore, the exposure apparatus can be quickly maintained after an abnormality occurs in the exposure apparatus. As a result, contamination and damage in the exposure apparatus can be minimized.

  According to the present invention, when an abnormality occurs in the substrate in the exposure apparatus, it can be quickly recognized. Therefore, the exposure apparatus can be quickly maintained after an abnormality occurs in the exposure apparatus. As a result, contamination and damage in the exposure apparatus can be minimized.

  Hereinafter, a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the substrate refers to a semiconductor substrate, a liquid crystal display substrate, a plasma display substrate, a photomask glass substrate, an optical disk substrate, a magnetic disk substrate, a magneto-optical disk substrate, a photomask substrate, and the like. Say.

(1) Configuration of Substrate Processing Apparatus FIG. 1 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In addition, in FIG. 1 and FIGS. 2 to 4 to be described later, in order to clarify the positional relationship, arrows indicating the X direction, the Y direction, and the Z direction orthogonal to each other are attached. The X direction and the Y direction are orthogonal to each other in the horizontal plane, and the Z direction corresponds to the vertical direction. In each direction, the direction in which the arrow points is the + direction, and the opposite direction is the-direction. Further, the rotation direction around the Z direction is defined as the θ direction.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the substrate processing apparatus 500 includes an indexer block 9, an antireflection film processing block 10, a resist film processing block 11, a development processing block 12, a resist cover film processing block 13, and a resist cover film removal block. 14 and an interface block 15. An exposure device 16 is arranged adjacent to the interface block 15. In the exposure apparatus 16, the substrate W is subjected to an exposure process by a liquid immersion method.

  Hereinafter, each of the indexer block 9, the antireflection film processing block 10, the resist film processing block 11, the development processing block 12, the resist cover film processing block 13, the resist cover film removal block 14 and the interface block 15 is referred to as a processing block. Call.

  The indexer block 9 includes a main controller (control unit) 30 that controls the operation of each processing block, an alarm device 30b, a plurality of carrier platforms 40, and an indexer robot IR. The indexer robot IR is provided with a hand IRH for delivering the substrate W.

  The antireflection film processing block 10 includes antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101, an antireflection film application processing unit 50, and a first central robot CR1. The antireflection film coating processing unit 50 is provided opposite to the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101 with the first central robot CR1 interposed therebetween. The first center robot CR1 is provided with hands CRH1 and CRH2 for transferring the substrate W up and down.

  A partition wall 17 is provided between the indexer block 9 and the antireflection film processing block 10 for shielding the atmosphere. In the partition wall 17, substrate platforms PASS 1 and PASS 2 for transferring the substrate W between the indexer block 9 and the anti-reflection film processing block 10 are provided close to each other in the vertical direction. The upper substrate platform PASS1 is used when transporting the substrate W from the indexer block 9 to the antireflection film processing block 10, and the lower substrate platform PASS2 is used to transport the substrate W to the antireflection film processing block. It is used when transporting from 10 to the indexer block 9.

  The substrate platforms PASS1, PASS2 are provided with optical sensors (not shown) that detect the presence or absence of the substrate W. Thereby, it is possible to determine whether or not the substrate W is placed on the substrate platforms PASS1 and PASS2. The substrate platforms PASS1, PASS2 are provided with a plurality of support pins fixedly installed. The optical sensor and the support pin are also provided in the same manner on the substrate platforms PASS3 to PASS13 described later.

  The resist film processing block 11 includes resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111, a resist film coating processing unit 60, and a second central robot CR2. The resist film application processing unit 60 is provided to face the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111 with the second central robot CR2 interposed therebetween. The second center robot CR2 is provided with hands CRH3 and CRH4 for transferring the substrate W up and down.

  A partition wall 18 is provided between the antireflection film processing block 10 and the resist film processing block 11 for shielding the atmosphere. The partition wall 18 is provided with substrate platforms PASS3 and PASS4 that are close to each other in the vertical direction for transferring the substrate W between the anti-reflection film processing block 10 and the resist film processing block 11. The upper substrate platform PASS3 is used when the substrate W is transported from the antireflection film processing block 10 to the resist film processing block 11, and the lower substrate platform PASS4 is used to transfer the substrate W to the resist film. It is used when transporting from the processing block 11 to the processing block 10 for antireflection film.

  The development processing block 12 includes development heat treatment units 120 and 121, a development processing unit 70, and a third central robot CR3. The development processing unit 70 is provided to face the development heat treatment units 120 and 121 with the third central robot CR3 interposed therebetween. The third center robot CR3 is provided with hands CRH5 and CRH6 for transferring the substrate W up and down.

  A partition wall 19 is provided between the resist film processing block 11 and the development processing block 12 for shielding the atmosphere. In the partition wall 19, substrate platforms PASS 5 and PASS 6 for transferring the substrate W between the resist film processing block 11 and the development processing block 12 are provided close to each other in the vertical direction. The upper substrate platform PASS5 is used when the substrate W is transported from the resist film processing block 11 to the development processing block 12, and the lower substrate platform PASS6 is used to transfer the substrate W from the development processing block 12 to the resist processing block 12. Used when transported to the film processing block 11.

  The resist cover film processing block 13 includes resist cover film heat treatment units 130 and 131, a resist cover film coating processing unit 80, and a fourth central robot CR4. The resist cover film coating processing unit 80 is provided to face the resist cover film heat treatment units 130 and 131 with the fourth central robot CR4 interposed therebetween. The fourth center robot CR4 is provided with hands CRH7 and CRH8 for delivering the substrate W up and down.

  A partition wall 20 is provided between the development processing block 12 and the resist cover film processing block 13 for shielding the atmosphere. The partition wall 20 is provided with substrate platforms PASS 7 and PASS 8 that are adjacent to each other in the vertical direction for transferring the substrate W between the development processing block 12 and the resist cover film processing block 13. The upper substrate platform PASS7 is used when the substrate W is transferred from the development processing block 12 to the resist cover film processing block 13, and the lower substrate platform PASS8 is used to process the substrate W on the resist cover film. Used when transported from the block 13 to the development processing block 12.

  The resist cover film removal block 14 includes post-exposure baking heat treatment units 140 and 141, a resist cover film removal processing unit 90, and a fifth central robot CR5. The post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 141 is adjacent to the interface block 15 and includes substrate platforms PASS11 and PASS12 as described later. The resist cover film removal processing unit 90 is provided to face the post-exposure bake heat treatment units 140 and 141 with the fifth central robot CR5 interposed therebetween. The fifth center robot CR5 is provided with hands CRH9 and CRH10 for transferring the substrate W up and down.

  A partition wall 21 is provided between the resist cover film processing block 13 and the resist cover film removal block 14 for shielding the atmosphere. The partition wall 21 is provided with substrate platforms PASS9 and PASS10 adjacent to each other in the vertical direction for transferring the substrate W between the resist cover film processing block 13 and the resist cover film removal block. The upper substrate platform PASS9 is used when the substrate W is transferred from the resist cover film processing block 13 to the resist cover film removal block 14, and the lower substrate platform PASS10 is used to transfer the substrate W to the resist cover film. It is used when transporting from the removal block 14 to the resist cover film processing block 13.

  The interface block 15 includes a first inspection unit EE1, a feed buffer unit SBF, a first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, a sixth central robot CR6, an edge exposure unit EEW, a second inspection unit EE2, and a return buffer unit RBF. , A placement / cooling unit PASS-CP (hereinafter abbreviated as P-CP), a substrate platform PASS13, an interface transport mechanism IFR, and a second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2.

  The first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1 performs cleaning and drying processing of the substrate W before the exposure processing, and the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2 performs cleaning and drying processing of the substrate W after the exposure processing. Do. Further, the first inspection unit EE1 inspects the state of the substrate W before the exposure process, and the second inspection unit EE2 inspects the state of the substrate W after the exposure process. Details of the first and second inspection units EE1 and EE2 will be described later.

  The sixth central robot CR6 is provided with hands CRH11 and CRH12 (see FIG. 4) for delivering the substrate W up and down, and a hand H1 for delivering the substrate W to the interface transport mechanism IFR. , H2 (see FIG. 4) are provided above and below. Details of the interface block 15 will be described later.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 500 according to the present embodiment, an indexer block 9, an antireflection film processing block 10, a resist film processing block 11, a development processing block 12, a resist cover film processing block 13, along the Y direction, The resist cover film removal block 14 and the interface block 15 are arranged in order.

  2 is a schematic side view of the substrate processing apparatus 500 of FIG. 1 viewed from the + X direction, and FIG. 3 is a schematic side view of the substrate processing apparatus 500 of FIG. 1 viewed from the −X direction. 2 mainly shows what is provided on the + X side of the substrate processing apparatus 500, and FIG. 3 mainly shows what is provided on the −X side of the substrate processing apparatus 500.

  First, the configuration on the + X side of the substrate processing apparatus 500 will be described with reference to FIG. As shown in FIG. 2, in the antireflection film coating processing unit 50 (see FIG. 1) of the antireflection film processing block 10, three coating units BARC are vertically stacked. Each coating unit BARC includes a spin chuck 51 that rotates while adsorbing and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a supply nozzle 52 that supplies a coating liquid for an antireflection film to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 51.

  In the resist film coating processing section 60 (see FIG. 1) of the resist film processing block 11, three coating units RES are stacked in a vertical direction. Each coating unit RES includes a spin chuck 61 that rotates while adsorbing and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a supply nozzle 62 that supplies a coating liquid for a resist film to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 61.

  In the development processing unit 70 of the development processing block 12, five development processing units DEV are stacked one above the other. Each development processing unit DEV includes a spin chuck 71 that rotates by sucking and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a supply nozzle 72 that supplies the developer to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 71.

  In the resist cover film coating processing unit 80 of the resist cover film processing block 13, three coating units COV are stacked one above the other. Each coating unit COV includes a spin chuck 81 that rotates while adsorbing and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a supply nozzle 82 that supplies a coating liquid for the resist cover film to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 81. As a coating solution for the resist cover film, a material having a low affinity with the resist and water (a material having low reactivity with the resist and water) can be used. For example, a fluororesin. The coating unit COV forms a resist cover film on the resist film formed on the substrate W by applying a coating liquid onto the substrate W while rotating the substrate W.

  In the resist cover film removal processing unit 90 of the resist cover film removal block 14, three removal units REM are vertically stacked. Each removal unit REM includes a spin chuck 91 that rotates while adsorbing and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a supply nozzle 92 that supplies a peeling liquid (for example, a fluororesin) to the substrate W held on the spin chuck 91. The removal unit REM removes the resist cover film formed on the substrate W by applying a stripping solution onto the substrate W while rotating the substrate W.

  The method for removing the resist cover film in the removal unit REM is not limited to the above example. For example, the resist cover film may be removed by supplying a stripping solution onto the substrate W while moving the slit nozzle above the substrate W.

  On the + X side in the interface block 15, an edge exposure unit EEW and three second cleaning / drying processing units SD2 are stacked in a vertical direction. Each edge exposure unit EEW includes a spin chuck 98 that rotates by attracting and holding the substrate W in a horizontal posture, and a light irradiator 99 that exposes the periphery of the substrate W held on the spin chuck 98.

  Next, the configuration on the −X side of the substrate processing apparatus 500 will be described with reference to FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, two heating units (hot plates) HP and two cooling units (cooling plates) CP are provided in the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101 of the antireflection film processing block 10, respectively. Laminated. In addition, in the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101, local controllers LC for controlling the temperatures of the heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are respectively arranged at the top.

  Two heating units HP and two cooling units CP are stacked in the resist film heat treatment sections 110 and 111 of the resist film processing block 11, respectively. In addition, in the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111, local controllers LC for controlling the temperatures of the heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are respectively arranged at the top.

  In the development heat treatment sections 120 and 121 of the development processing block 12, two heating units HP and two cooling units CP are respectively stacked. Further, in the development heat treatment sections 120 and 121, local controllers LC for controlling the temperatures of the heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are respectively arranged at the top.

  In the resist cover film heat treatment sections 130 and 131 of the resist cover film processing block 13, two heating units HP and two cooling units CP are respectively stacked. In addition, in the resist cover film heat treatment sections 130 and 131, local controllers LC for controlling the temperatures of the heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are respectively arranged at the top.

  In the post-exposure baking heat treatment section 140 of the resist cover film removal block 14, two heating units HP and two cooling units CP are stacked one above the other, and the two post-exposure baking heat treatment section 141 has two heating units. The unit HP, the two cooling units CP, and the substrate platforms PASS11 and PASS12 are stacked one above the other. In addition, in the post-exposure bake heat treatment sections 140 and 141, local controllers LC for controlling the temperatures of the heating unit HP and the cooling unit CP are arranged at the top.

  Next, the interface block 15 will be described in detail with reference to FIG.

  FIG. 4 is a schematic side view of the interface block 15 as viewed from the + Y side. As shown in FIG. 4, in the interface block 15, on the −X side, a first inspection unit EE1, a feed buffer unit SBF, and three first cleaning / drying processing units SD1 are stacked. In the interface block 15, an edge exposure unit EEW is disposed at the upper part on the + X side.

  Below the edge exposure unit EEW, the second inspection unit EE2, the return buffer unit RBF, the two placement / cooling units P-CP, and the substrate platform PASS13 are vertically arranged at a substantially central portion in the interface block 15. Are stacked. Below the edge exposure unit EEW, on the + X side in the interface block 15, three second cleaning / drying processing units SD2 are vertically stacked.

  A sixth center robot CR6 and an interface transport mechanism IFR are provided in the lower part of the interface block 15. The sixth central robot CR6 includes a first inspection unit EE1, a feed buffer unit SBF and a first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, an edge exposure unit EEW, a return buffer unit RBF, a placement / cooling unit P-CP, and It is provided so as to be movable up and down and rotatable with respect to the substrate platform PASS13. The interface transport mechanism IFR can move up and down and rotate between the second inspection unit EE2, the placement / cooling unit P-CP, the substrate platform PASS13, and the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2. Is provided.

  The coating units BARC, RES, COV, development unit DEV, removal unit REM, heating unit HP, cooling unit CP, mounting / cooling unit P-CP, first and second inspection units EE1, EE2, The number of first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2 may be appropriately changed according to the processing speed of each processing block.

(2) Operation of Substrate Processing Apparatus Next, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 500 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

(2-1) Operation of Indexer Block to Resist Cover Film Removal Block First, the operation of the indexer block 9 to the resist cover film removal block 14 will be briefly described.

  On the carrier mounting table 40 of the indexer block 9, a carrier C that stores a plurality of substrates W in multiple stages is loaded. The indexer robot IR takes out the unprocessed substrate W stored in the carrier C using the hand IRH. Thereafter, the indexer robot IR rotates in the ± θ direction while moving in the ± X direction, and places the unprocessed substrate W on the substrate platform PASS1.

  In the present embodiment, a front opening unified pod (FOUP) is adopted as the carrier C. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an OC (open cassette) that exposes the standard mechanical interface (SMIF) pod and the storage substrate W to the outside air. ) Etc. may be used.

  Further, the indexer robot IR, the first to sixth center robots CR1 to CR6, and the interface transport mechanism IFR are each provided with a direct-acting transport robot that slides linearly with respect to the substrate W and moves the hand back and forth. Although it is used, the present invention is not limited to this, and an articulated transfer robot that linearly moves the hand forward and backward by moving the joint may be used.

  The unprocessed substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS1 is received by the first central robot CR1 of the antireflection film processing block 10. The first center robot CR1 carries the substrate W into the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101.

  Thereafter, the first central robot CR1 takes out the heat-treated substrate W from the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101, and carries the substrate W into the antireflection film application processing unit 50. In the antireflection film coating processing unit 50, an antireflection film is applied and formed on the substrate W by the coating unit BARC in order to reduce low standing waves and halation that occur during exposure.

  Next, the first central robot CR1 takes out the coated substrate W from the antireflection film coating processing unit 50 and carries the substrate W into the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101. Thereafter, the first central robot CR1 takes out the heat-treated substrate W from the antireflection film heat treatment units 100 and 101, and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS3.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS3 is received by the second central robot CR2 of the resist film processing block 11. The second central robot CR2 carries the substrate W into the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111.

  Thereafter, the second central robot CR2 takes out the heat-treated substrate W from the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111, and carries the substrate W into the resist film coating treatment unit 60. In the resist film application processing unit 60, a resist film is applied and formed on the substrate W on which the antireflection film is applied and formed by the application unit RES.

  Next, the second central robot CR2 takes out the coated substrate W from the resist film coating processing unit 60, and carries the substrate W into the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111. In the resist film heat treatment sections 110 and 111, the resist film is heated and cooled in order. Thereafter, the second central robot CR2 takes out the heat-treated substrate W from the resist film heat treatment units 110 and 111, and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS5.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS5 is received by the third central robot CR3 of the development processing block 12. The third central robot CR3 places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS7.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS7 is received by the fourth central robot CR4 of the resist cover film processing block 13. The fourth central robot CR4 carries the substrate W into the resist cover film coating processing unit 80. In this resist cover film coating processing section 80, a resist cover film is applied and formed on the substrate W on which the resist film has been applied and formed by the coating unit COV.

  Next, the fourth central robot CR4 takes out the coated substrate W from the resist cover film coating processing unit 80 and carries the substrate W into the resist cover film heat treatment units 130 and 131. In the resist cover film heat treatment sections 130 and 131, the resist cover film is heated and cooled in order. Thereafter, the fourth central robot CR4 takes out the heat-treated substrate W from the resist cover film heat treatment units 130 and 131, and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS9.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS9 is received by the fifth central robot CR5 of the resist cover film removal block 14. The fifth central robot CR5 places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS11.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS11 is received by the sixth central robot CR6 of the interface block 15, and predetermined processing is performed in the interface block 15 and the exposure device 16, as will be described later. After predetermined processing is performed on the substrate W in the interface block 15 and the exposure apparatus 16, the substrate W is carried into the post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 141 of the resist cover film removal block 14 by the sixth central robot CR6. .

  In the post-exposure baking heat treatment unit 141, post-exposure baking (PEB) is performed on the substrate W. Thereafter, the sixth central robot CR6 takes out the substrate W from the post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 141 and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS12.

  In this embodiment, post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 141 performs post-exposure bake, but post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 140 may perform post-exposure bake.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS12 is received by the fifth central robot CR5 of the resist cover film removal block 14. The fifth central robot CR5 carries the substrate W into the resist cover film removal processing unit 90. In the resist cover film removal processing unit 90, the resist cover film on the substrate W is removed by the removal unit REM.

  Next, the fifth central robot CR5 takes out the processed substrate W from the resist cover film removal processing unit 90 and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS10.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS10 is placed on the substrate platform PASS8 by the fourth central robot CR4 of the resist cover film processing block 13.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS8 is received by the third central robot CR3 of the development processing block 12. The third central robot CR3 carries the substrate W into the development processing unit 70. In the development processing unit 70, development processing is performed on the exposed substrate W.

  Next, the third central robot CR3 takes out the development-processed substrate W from the development processing unit 70, and carries the substrate W into the development heat treatment units 120 and 121. Thereafter, the third central robot CR3 takes out the substrate W after the heat treatment from the development heat treatment units 120 and 121, and places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS6.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS6 is placed on the substrate platform PASS4 by the second central robot CR2 of the resist film processing block 11. The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS4 is placed on the substrate platform PASS2 by the first central robot CR1 of the anti-reflection film processing block 10.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS 2 is stored in the carrier C by the indexer robot IR of the indexer block 9. Thereby, each process of the board | substrate W in the substrate processing apparatus 500 is complete | finished.

(2-2) Operation of Interface Block Next, the operation of the interface block 15 will be described in detail.

  As described above, the substrate W carried into the indexer block 9 is subjected to a predetermined process and then placed on the substrate platform PASS11 of the resist cover film removal block 14 (FIG. 1).

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS11 is received by the sixth central robot CR6 of the interface block 15. The sixth central robot CR6 carries the substrate W into the edge exposure unit EEW (FIG. 4). In the edge exposure unit EEW, the peripheral portion of the substrate W is subjected to exposure processing.

  Next, the sixth central robot CR6 takes out the edge-exposed substrate W from the edge exposure unit EEW and carries the substrate W into one of the first cleaning / drying processing units SD1. In the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, the cleaning and drying processing of the substrate W before the exposure processing is performed as described above.

  Next, the sixth central robot CR6 takes out the substrate that has been cleaned and dried from the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1, and carries the substrate W into the first inspection unit EE1. In the first inspection unit EE1, the state of the substrate W before the exposure processing is inspected as described above. Specific inspection contents in the first inspection unit EE1 will be described later.

  Here, the inspection results in the first and second inspection units EE 1 and EE 2 are given to the main controller 30. The main controller 30 determines whether or not the state of the substrate W is normal based on the inspection result, and sets each processing block so that different processing is performed on the normal substrate W and the abnormal substrate W, respectively. Control.

  The substrate W that is abnormal in the inspection in the first inspection unit EE1 is collected without being subjected to subsequent processing. Specifically, the abnormal substrate W is taken out from the bevel inspection unit EE by the sixth central robot CR6 and then carried into the sending buffer unit SBF. Then, after the processing of one lot of substrates W is completed, the substrate W in the sending buffer unit SBF is collected by an operator, and treatment such as disposal or rework (reprocessing) is separately performed. Note that a buffer unit for storing the abnormal substrate W may be provided separately from the sending buffer unit SBF.

  Further, the substrate W having an abnormality may be returned to the indexer block 9 by the first to sixth center robots CR1 to CR6 and recovered to the carrier C (FIG. 1) by the indexer robot IR.

  Hereinafter, the operation of the interface block 15 with respect to the normal substrate W will be described.

  The normal substrate W is taken out from the first inspection unit EE1 by the sixth central robot CR6 and then carried into the placement / cooling unit P-CP. The substrate W carried into the placement / cooling unit P-CP is maintained at the same temperature (for example, 23 ° C.) as that in the exposure apparatus 16.

  Subsequently, the substrate W maintained at the predetermined temperature by the placement / cooling unit P-CP is received by the upper hand H1 (FIG. 4) of the interface transport mechanism IFR, and the substrate carry-in section 16a in the exposure apparatus 16 is received. (FIG. 1).

  In addition, the time of the exposure process by the exposure apparatus 16 is usually longer than the other process steps and the transport process. As a result, the exposure apparatus 16 often cannot accept a subsequent substrate W. In this case, the substrate W is temporarily stored and stored in the sending buffer unit SBF. In the present embodiment, the sixth central robot CR6 transports the substrate W taken out from the first inspection unit EE1 to the sending buffer unit SBF.

  The substrate W that has been subjected to the exposure processing in the exposure device 16 is unloaded from the substrate unloading portion 16b (FIG. 1) by the lower hand H2 (FIG. 4) of the interface transport mechanism IFR. The interface transport mechanism IFR carries the substrate W into the second inspection unit EE2 by the hand H2. In the second inspection unit EE2, the state of the substrate W after the exposure processing is inspected as described above. Specific inspection contents in the second inspection unit EE2 will be described later.

  When there is an abnormality in the substrate W in the inspection in the second inspection unit EE2, an alarm is given to the worker by the alarm device 30b. The alarm device 30b includes, for example, a buzzer or a lamp.

  Since only the normal substrate W is carried into the exposure apparatus 16, it is considered that an abnormality has occurred in the substrate W in the exposure apparatus 16 when there is an abnormality in the substrate W after the exposure processing. When an alarm is issued by the alarm device 30b, the operator stops the operations of the substrate processing apparatus 500 and the exposure apparatus 16, and performs maintenance of the exposure apparatus 16.

  Even if it is determined that the substrate W is normal in the second inspection unit EE2, if the inspection result in the second inspection unit EE2 is worse than the inspection result in the first inspection unit EE1, Similarly to the above, an alarm by the alarm device 30b may be issued.

  The substrate W having an abnormality in the inspection in the second inspection unit EE2 is collected without being subjected to subsequent processing. Specifically, the abnormal substrate W is taken out from the second inspection unit EE2 by the interface transport mechanism IFR and then placed on the substrate platform PASS13. Then, the sixth central robot CR6 takes out the substrate W from the substrate platform PASS13 and carries it into the return buffer unit RBF. After the processing of one lot of substrates W is completed, the substrate W in the return buffer unit RBF is collected by the operator, and a treatment such as disposal or rework (reprocessing) is separately performed. Note that a buffer unit for storing the substrate W having an abnormality may be provided separately from the return buffer unit RBF.

  Further, the substrate having an abnormality may be returned to the indexer block 9 by the interface transport mechanism IFR and the first to sixth center robots CR1 to CR6 and recovered to the carrier C (FIG. 1) by the indexer robot IR. .

  The substrate W that is normal in the inspection in the second inspection unit EE2 is taken out from the second inspection unit EE2 by the hand H2 of the interface transport mechanism IFR, and then is one of the second cleaning / drying processing units SD2. It is carried in. In the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2, the substrate W after the exposure processing is cleaned and dried as described above.

  The substrate W that has been subjected to the cleaning and drying processing in the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2 is taken out by the hand H1 (FIG. 4) of the interface transport mechanism IFR. The interface transport mechanism IFR places the substrate W on the substrate platform PASS13 with the hand H1.

  The substrate W placed on the substrate platform PASS13 is received by the sixth central robot CR6. The sixth central robot CR6 transports the substrate W to the post-exposure bake heat treatment unit 141 of the resist cover film removal block 14 (FIG. 1).

  When the resist cover film removal block 14 temporarily cannot accept the substrate W due to a failure of the removal unit REM (FIG. 2), the substrate W after the exposure processing is temporarily stored in the return buffer unit RBF. can do.

(3) Inspection Unit FIG. 5 is a schematic cross-sectional view of the substrate W to be inspected by the first and second inspection units EE1 and EE2. FIG. 6 is a schematic side view showing the configuration of the first inspection unit EE1.

(3-1) Substrate First, the state of the substrate W at the time of inspection by the first and second inspection units EE1 and EE2 will be described. As shown in FIG. 5, the substrate W has a flat front surface and a back surface, and has a bevel portion BE on the outer peripheral portion thereof. The bevel portion BE includes an upper bevel region BE1 that is inclined so as to be continuously connected to the surface of the substrate W and a lower bevel region BE2 that is inclined so as to be continuously connected to the back surface of the substrate W.

  At the time of inspection by the first and second inspection units EE1 and EE2, an antireflection film F1, a resist film F2, and a resist cover film F3 are formed on the surface of the substrate W so as to overlap each other. In the example of FIG. 5, on the surface of the substrate W, a resist film F2 is formed so as to cover the antireflection film F1, and a resist cover film F3 is formed so as to cover the resist film F2.

  The formation state of the films F1 to F3 is not limited to this. For example, the resist film F2 may be formed on a region excluding the peripheral edge of the antireflection film F1, or the films F1 to F3 may be formed on the upper bevel region BE1. You may form so that it may extend to the top.

(3-2) Configuration of Inspection Unit Next, the configuration of the first inspection units EE1 and EE2 will be described. The second inspection unit EE2 has the same configuration as the first inspection unit EE1 shown in FIG.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the first inspection unit EE1 is provided with a spin chuck 521 for holding the substrate W horizontally and rotating the substrate W around a vertical rotation axis passing through the center of the substrate W. It is done.

  The spin chuck 521 is fixed to the upper end of the rotation shaft 523 rotated by the chuck rotation drive mechanism 522. The spin chuck 521 is formed with an intake path (not shown). By exhausting the intake path with the substrate W placed on the spin chuck 521, the back surface of the substrate W is placed on the spin chuck 521. The substrate W can be held in a horizontal posture.

  A macro inspection camera 531 is arranged above the spin chuck 521. The macro inspection camera 531 images the entire resist cover film F1 on the substrate W. The image data ID1 obtained by the macro inspection camera 531 is given to the main controller 30.

  Bevel inspection cameras 532a and 532b are disposed in the vicinity of the bevel portion BE of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 521. The bevel inspection camera 532a images the upper bevel region BE1 (FIG. 5) of the substrate W, and the bevel inspection camera 532b images the lower bevel region BE2 (FIG. 5) of the substrate.

  By rotating the substrate W by the spin chuck 521, the entire upper bevel region BE1 and lower bevel region BE2 of the substrate W can be imaged. The image data ID2 obtained by the bevel inspection camera 532a and the image data ID3 obtained by the bevel inspection camera 532b are given to the main controller 30.

  In the example of FIG. 6, the upper bevel region BE1 and the lower bevel region BE2 of the substrate W are imaged by separate bevel inspection cameras 532a and 532b, but the upper bevel region BE1 and the lower bevel region BE1 are scanned by a common bevel inspection camera. The bevel area BE2 may be imaged.

  A film quality tester 533 is disposed so as to be close to the surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 521. The film quality tester 533 includes, for example, a spectrophotometer, irradiates the resist cover film F3 on the substrate W with light of various wavelengths, and analyzes the components of the resist cover film based on the reflected light.

  By rotating the substrate W by the spin chuck 521, component analysis can be performed on a plurality of portions of the resist cover film F3. The component data CD obtained by the film quality tester 533 is given to the main controller 30.

  A contact angle measuring device 534 is disposed on the side of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 521. The contact angle measuring device 534 measures the contact angle of the liquid on the resist cover film F3. In this case, a liquid (for example, pure water) is dropped on the substrate W by a liquid supply unit (not shown), and the contact angle of the liquid is measured. The contact angle data AD obtained by the film quality tester 533 is given to the main controller 30.

  A film thickness measuring device 535 is disposed so as to be movable between the upper portion of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 521 and the upper portion of the peripheral edge thereof. The film thickness measuring device 535 continuously measures the film thickness of the resist cover film F3 on the substrate W while moving between the upper central portion and the upper peripheral portion of the substrate W, and the measurement result is obtained as the film thickness data. This is given to the main controller 30 as CT.

  It should be noted that the film quality inspection device 533, the contact angle measurement device 534, and the film thickness measurement device 535 are arranged outside the substrate W so that the macro inspection camera 531 can image the entire surface of the substrate W during imaging by the macro inspection camera 531. Move towards.

(3-3) Substrate State Determination Processing The main controller 30 performs substrate state determination processing based on the given image data ID1 to ID3, component data CD, contact angle data AD, and film thickness data CT. Thereby, the main controller 30 determines whether or not the state of the substrate W is normal.

  FIG. 7 is a flowchart of substrate state determination processing by the main controller 30.

  As shown in FIG. 7, first, the main controller 30 determines whether or not the resist cover film F3 on the substrate W has an appearance defect based on the image data ID1 from the macro inspection camera 531 (step). S1). Defects on the appearance of the resist cover film F3 include a shift of a formation region, adhesion of particles, peeling, and the like.

  When the resist cover film F3 has an appearance defect, the main controller 30 determines that the substrate W is abnormal (step S6).

  When the resist cover film F3 has no appearance defect, the main controller 30 determines whether or not the bevel portion BE of the substrate W is contaminated based on the image data ID2 and ID3 from the bevel inspection cameras 532a and 532b. (Step S2).

  When the bevel portion BE of the substrate W is contaminated, the main controller 30 determines that the substrate W is abnormal (step S6).

  When the bevel portion BE of the substrate W is not contaminated, the main controller 30 determines whether or not the component ratio of the resist cover film F3 is normal based on the component data CD from the film quality inspection device 533 (step) S3). Specifically, an error between the standard value of the component ratio stored in advance and the component ratio obtained by the film quality tester 533 is calculated. When the calculated error is within the specified range, it is determined that the component ratio of the resist cover film F3 is normal, and when it is not within the specified range, it is determined that the component ratio of the resist cover film F3 is abnormal.

  When the component ratio of the resist cover film F3 is abnormal, the main controller 30 determines that the substrate W is abnormal (step S6).

  When the component ratio of the resist cover film F3 is normal, the main controller 30 determines whether the contact angle of the liquid on the resist cover film F3 is within a specified range based on the contact angle data AD from the contact angle measuring device 534. It is determined whether or not (step S4). In this case, the specified range of the contact angle is set so that the liquid can be stably held on the substrate W during the exposure process in the exposure apparatus 16.

  If the contact angle of the liquid on the resist cover film F3 is not within the specified range, the main controller 30 determines that the substrate W is abnormal (step S6).

  When the contact angle of the liquid on the resist cover film F3 is within the specified range, the main controller 30 determines that the film thickness of the resist cover film F3 is within the specified range based on the film thickness data CT from the film thickness measuring device 535. It is determined whether or not there is (step S5).

  When the film thickness of the resist cover film F3 is not within the specified range, the main controller 30 determines that the substrate W is abnormal (step S6). When the film thickness of the resist cover film F3 is within the specified range, the main controller 30 The controller 30 determines that the substrate W is normal (step S7).

  When the resist cover film F3 is formed in the upper bevel area BE1 of the bevel portion BE, the main controller 30 sets the resist cover film F3 on the upper bevel area BE1 based on the image data ID2 from the bevel inspection camera 532a. You may determine whether it has peeled. In this case, if the resist cover film F3 is peeled on the upper bevel region BE1, the main controller 30 determines that the substrate W is abnormal.

(4) Effects of the Embodiment In the present embodiment, the state of the substrate W before the exposure process in the exposure apparatus 16 is inspected by the first inspection unit EE1, and the state of the substrate W after the exposure process in the exposure apparatus 16 is determined. Inspected in the second inspection unit EE2. In this case, a change in the state of the substrate W before and after the exposure process can be detected. Thereby, it is possible to quickly recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the substrate W in the exposure apparatus 16. Therefore, the exposure apparatus 16 can be maintained quickly after the occurrence of an abnormality in the exposure apparatus 16. As a result, contamination of the exposure lens can be minimized.

  In the first and second inspection units EE1 and EE2, the appearance of the resist cover film F3 is inspected. Due to the change in the appearance of the resist cover film F3 before and after the exposure processing, it can be quickly recognized that the resist cover film F3 is peeled off in the exposure device 16. In this case, components such as the resist film F2 may be eluted from the portion where the resist cover film F3 is peeled off. Alternatively, there is a possibility that the peeled portion of the resist cover film F3 stays in the exposure apparatus 16 as a contaminant. Therefore, the contamination of the exposure lens can be minimized by performing maintenance of the exposure apparatus 16 promptly.

  In addition, it is possible to quickly recognize that contaminants such as particles have adhered to the resist cover film F3 in the exposure apparatus 16 due to a change in the appearance of the resist cover film F3 before and after the exposure processing. In this case, the exposure apparatus 16 may be contaminated. Therefore, the contamination of the exposure lens can be minimized by performing maintenance of the exposure apparatus 16 promptly.

  In the first and second inspection units EE1 and EE2, the state of the bevel portion BE of the substrate W is inspected. Due to the change in the state of the bevel portion BE of the substrate W before and after the exposure processing, it can be quickly recognized that the bevel portion BE of the substrate W is contaminated in the exposure apparatus 16. Also in this case, the inside of the exposure apparatus 16 may be contaminated. Therefore, the contamination of the exposure lens can be minimized by performing maintenance of the exposure apparatus 16 promptly.

  In the first and second inspection units EE1 and EE2, the component, film thickness, and liquid contact angle on the resist cover film F3 are inspected. When these change before and after the exposure processing, the components of the resist cover film F3 may have eluted during the exposure processing. Therefore, the contamination of the exposure lens can be minimized by performing maintenance of the exposure apparatus 16 promptly.

  Further, the inspection of the state of the substrate W in the second inspection unit EE2 is performed before the cleaning and drying processing by the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2. When the cleaning process and the drying process of the substrate W are performed using a liquid such as a cleaning liquid or a rinsing liquid, the resist cover film F3 is easily peeled off during the processing. Therefore, the state of the substrate W immediately after the exposure processing can be accurately recognized by inspecting the state of the substrate W before the cleaning and drying processing by the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2.

  In the present embodiment, if there is an abnormality in the substrate W in the inspection in the first inspection unit EE1, the substrate W is not carried into the exposure apparatus 16.

  In this case, if even a part of the resist cover film F3 is peeled off, the substrate W is not carried into the exposure apparatus 16. This prevents components such as the resist film F2 from being eluted from the portion where the resist cover film F3 is peeled off during the exposure process. As a result, contamination and damage to the exposure lens are prevented.

  Further, if the bevel portion BE of the substrate W is contaminated, the substrate W is not carried into the exposure apparatus 16. Therefore, contamination of the bevel portion BE of the substrate W is prevented from propagating into the exposure apparatus 16.

  If the component ratio of the resist cover film F3 is abnormal, the liquid cannot be stably held on the substrate W during the exposure process, or the components of the resist cover film F3 are eluted in the liquid. Therefore, if there is an abnormality in the component ratio of the resist cover film F3, the substrate W is not carried into the exposure apparatus 16. Thereby, the liquid supplied onto the substrate W during the exposure process is prevented from flowing out around the substrate W, and the inside of the exposure device 16 is prevented from being contaminated by components eluted from the resist cover film F3.

  If the contact angle of the liquid on the resist cover film F3 is not appropriate, the liquid cannot be stably held on the substrate W during the exposure process. Therefore, if the contact angle of the liquid on the resist cover film F3 is not within the specified range, the substrate W is not carried into the exposure device 16. This prevents the liquid supplied onto the substrate W from flowing out around the substrate W.

  Further, if the thickness of the resist cover film F3 is not appropriate, elution of components such as the resist film F2 cannot be sufficiently prevented during the exposure process, or the possibility that the resist cover film F3 is peeled off increases. . Therefore, if the thickness of the resist cover film F3 is not within the specified range, the substrate W is not carried into the exposure apparatus 16. This sufficiently prevents elution of components such as the resist film F2 and the peeling of the resist cover film F3 during the exposure process.

  In addition, the inspection of the state of the substrate W in the first inspection unit EE1 is performed after the cleaning and drying processing of the substrate W by the first cleaning / drying processing unit SD1. When the cleaning process and the drying process of the substrate W are performed using a liquid such as a cleaning liquid or a rinsing liquid, the resist cover film F3 is easily peeled off during the processing. Therefore, by inspecting the state of the substrate W after the cleaning and drying process, it is possible to reliably detect the peeling of the resist cover film F3 that has occurred during the cleaning and drying process.

(5) Modification (5-1)
In the above embodiment, in each of the first and second inspection units EE1 and EE2, the appearance inspection of the resist cover film F3, the contamination inspection of the bevel portion BE, the inspection of the components of the resist cover film F3, the resist cover film F3 Although the inspection of the contact angle of the liquid and the inspection of the film thickness of the resist cover film F3 are performed, these inspections may be performed in individual apparatuses.

  Specifically, a resist cover film F3 appearance inspection device, a bevel portion inspection device, a resist cover film F3 component inspection device, a liquid contact angle inspection device on the resist cover film F3, and a resist cover film F3 film thickness inspection Each device is provided. The substrate W is sequentially loaded into these apparatuses before being loaded into the exposure apparatus 16 and subjected to respective inspections. Further, after the substrate W is unloaded from the exposure apparatus 16, it is sequentially loaded into these apparatuses and subjected to respective inspections.

  In this case as well, contamination in the exposure apparatus 16 can be prevented by controlling the subsequent processing of the substrate W according to the inspection result in each apparatus, as in the above embodiment. Further, by recognizing the change in the state of the substrate W before and after the exposure processing, it is possible to quickly recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the substrate W in the exposure apparatus 16. Thereby, the exposure apparatus 16 can be maintained at an appropriate timing.

(5-2)
In the above embodiment, the inspection of the substrate W before and after the exposure processing is performed in the interface block 15, but not limited to this, the substrate W before and after the exposure processing is interposed between the interface block 15 and the exposure device 16. A block for performing the inspection may be separately provided.

  In this case, the first and second inspection units EE1 and EE2 may be provided in the block, and a plurality of devices for performing individual inspections may be provided in the block.

(5-3)
In the above embodiment, the inspection of the state of the substrate W before the exposure processing is performed in the first inspection unit EE1, and the inspection of the state of the substrate W after the exposure processing is performed in the second inspection unit EE2. The inspection of the substrate W before processing and the inspection of the substrate W after exposure processing may be performed in a common inspection unit.

(5-4)
In the above embodiment, the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2 are provided in the interface block 15. However, the first and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1 and SD2 are provided in the other blocks such as the resist cover film processing block 13 or the resist cover film removal block 14. First and second cleaning / drying processing units SD1, SD2 may be provided.

(5-5)
In the above embodiment, the inspection of the state of the substrate W after the exposure processing in the second inspection unit EE2 is performed before the cleaning and drying processing by the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2, but the second inspection The inspection of the state of the substrate W after the exposure processing in the unit EE2 may be performed after the cleaning and drying processing by the second cleaning / drying processing unit SD2.

(6) Other Embodiments In the above embodiment, the resist cover film F3 is formed so as to cover the resist film F2, and the exposure process is performed in a state where the liquid is in contact with the resist cover film F3. Instead, the exposure process may be performed in a state where the liquid is in contact with another film.

  For example, when the resist film F2 has high hydrophobicity, the resist cover film F3 may not be formed. In that case, the exposure process is performed in a state where the liquid contacts the resist film F2.

  In this case, in each of the first and second inspection units EE1 and EE2, the appearance inspection of the resist film F2, the inspection of the contamination of the bevel portion BE, the inspection of the components of the resist film F2, and the resist film F2 An inspection of the contact angle of the liquid and an inspection of the film thickness of the resist film F2 are performed.

(7) Correspondence between each constituent element of claims and each element of the embodiment Hereinafter, an example of correspondence between each constituent element of the claims and each element of the embodiment will be described. It is not limited to.

  In the above embodiment, the indexer block 9, the antireflection film processing block 10, the resist film processing block 11, the development processing block 12, the resist cover film processing block 13, and the resist cover film removal block 14 are examples of processing sections. The interface block 15 is an example of a delivery unit, the coating units RES and COV are examples of a film forming unit, and the main controller 30 is an example of a control unit.

  Further, the macro inspection camera 531 is an example of an appearance inspection device, the bevel inspection cameras 532a and 532b are examples of a bevel portion inspection device, the film quality inspection device 533 is an example of a component inspection device, and a contact angle measuring device 534 is It is an example of a contact angle inspection device, a film thickness measuring device 535 is an example of a film thickness inspection device, a resist film F2 or a resist cover film F3 is an example of a first film, and a resist film F2 is a second film. It is an example.

  As each constituent element in the claims, various other elements having configurations or functions described in the claims can be used.

  The present invention can be effectively used for processing various substrates.

1 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is the schematic side view which looked at the substrate processing apparatus of Drawing 1 from the + X direction. It is the schematic side view which looked at the substrate processing apparatus of Drawing 1 from the -X direction. It is the schematic side view which looked at the interface block from the + Y side. It is a typical sectional view of a substrate. It is a typical side view which shows the structure of a 1st test | inspection unit. It is a flowchart of the board | substrate state determination process by a main controller.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 9 Indexer block 10 Processing block for antireflection film 11 Processing block for resist film 12 Development processing block 13 Processing block for resist cover film 14 Resist cover film removal block 15 Interface block 16 Exposure apparatus 30 Main controller 30b Alarm apparatus 500 Substrate processing apparatus EE1 , EE2 Inspection unit BARC, RES, COV coating unit C carrier DEV development processing unit IR indexer robot SD1 first cleaning / drying processing unit SD2 second cleaning / drying processing unit W substrate

Claims (11)

A substrate processing apparatus disposed adjacent to an exposure apparatus that performs exposure processing on a substrate by a liquid immersion method,
A processing unit for processing the substrate;
Provided adjacent to one end of the processing unit, and a transfer unit for transferring the substrate between the processing unit and the exposure apparatus,
The processor is
Including a film forming unit for forming a first film on a substrate;
The delivery unit is
A first inspection unit that inspects the state of the substrate after the formation of the first film by the film formation unit and before the exposure processing by the exposure apparatus;
And a second inspection unit for inspecting the state of the substrate after the exposure processing by the exposure apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second inspection units includes an appearance inspection apparatus that inspects an appearance of the first film formed by the film formation unit. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each of the first and second inspection units includes a bevel portion inspection device that inspects a bevel portion of a substrate. Each of the said 1st and 2nd test | inspection unit contains the component test | inspection apparatus which test | inspects the component of the said 1st film | membrane formed by the said film-forming unit. The substrate processing apparatus as described. The first and second inspection units each include a contact angle inspection device that inspects a contact angle of a liquid on the first film formed by the film formation unit. 5. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of 4 above. Each of the first and second inspection units includes a film thickness inspection apparatus that inspects the film thickness of the first film formed by the film formation unit. A substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1. The apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising an alarm device that issues an alarm to an operator when the inspection result in the first inspection unit is different from the inspection result in the second inspection unit. 2. The substrate processing apparatus according to 1. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the transfer unit does not transport a substrate having an abnormality in the inspection by the first inspection unit to an exposure apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the film forming unit forms a photosensitive film made of a photosensitive material as the first film on the substrate. The film forming unit forms a photosensitive film made of a photosensitive material as a second film on the substrate, and forms a protective film for protecting the photosensitive film as the first film. Item 9. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of Items 1 to 8. A substrate processing method for processing a substrate in a substrate processing apparatus that is disposed adjacent to an exposure apparatus that performs exposure processing on a substrate by a liquid immersion method and includes a processing unit and a transfer unit,
Forming a first film on a substrate in the processing unit;
Inspecting the state of the substrate after the formation of the first film and before the exposure processing by the exposure apparatus in the transfer unit;
And a step of inspecting the state of the substrate after the exposure processing by the exposure apparatus.

Images