JP2016115863A - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of detecting discharge of process liquid from a nozzle reliably.SOLUTION: A upper surface process liquid nozzle 30 stops at a processing position above a substrate W, and then captures a discharge determination area SP continuously by means of a camera thus obtaining images for discharge determination. A standard deviation of the luminance value of pixels included in the images for discharge determination is then calculated, and a determination is made whether or not there is process liquid discharge from the upper surface process liquid nozzle 30 by comparing the standard deviation and a preset threshold. When the process liquid is not discharged, a structure in a chamber 10 reflected on the surface, i.e., mirror surface, of the substrate W is reflected on the discharge determination area SP, and the standard deviation of the luminance value of pixels of the images for discharge determination increases. Meanwhile, when the process liquid is discharged, the process liquid is reflected entirely on the discharge determination area SP, and the standard deviation of the luminance value of pixels of the images for discharge determination decreases.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

  The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate for performing predetermined processing by discharging a processing liquid from a nozzle onto a thin plate-like precision electronic substrate (hereinafter simply referred to as “substrate”) such as a semiconductor wafer or a glass substrate for a liquid crystal display device. It relates to the processing method.

  Conventionally, in a manufacturing process of a semiconductor device or the like, substrate processing such as cleaning processing or resist coating processing is performed by supplying various processing solutions such as pure water, a photoresist solution, and an etching solution to the substrate. As an apparatus for performing a liquid processing using these processing liquids, a substrate processing apparatus that discharges a processing liquid from a nozzle onto the surface of the substrate while rotating the substrate in a horizontal posture is widely used.

  In such a substrate processing apparatus, it is confirmed whether or not the processing liquid is being discharged from the nozzle by checking the output of the flow meter or the operation of the pump. As a technique, for example, Patent Document 1 proposes that an imaging unit such as a CCD camera is provided to directly monitor the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle.

JP 11-329936 A

  However, when the processing liquid ejection from the nozzle is directly monitored by the imaging unit, the background at the time of imaging varies depending on the type of substrate to be processed. That is, in general, various films such as a resist film and an insulating film are formed on the surface of the substrate to form a pattern. The reflectivity of the substrate surface varies greatly depending on the type of film and the pattern formed, and as a result, the background at the time of imaging varies depending on the type of substrate to be processed. Even if the same type of film is formed, for example, when performing an etching process using hydrofluoric acid, the corrosion of the film may progress as the processing time elapses, and the reflectance of the substrate surface may change. . For this reason, due to various factors such as the type of film deposited on the surface, the pattern formed, and the content of processing, the noise of the image picked up by the image pickup means becomes large, and the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle is accurate. There was a problem that it could not be detected.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of reliably detecting discharge of a processing liquid from a nozzle.

  In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the invention of claim 1 is a substrate processing apparatus, and surrounds a chamber for accommodating a substrate, a substrate holding portion for holding the substrate in the chamber, and the periphery of the substrate holding portion. A cup, a nozzle that discharges a processing liquid, a drive unit that moves the nozzle between a processing position above the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and a standby position outside the cup, and the processing position A determination region in which the processing liquid is reflected when the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle, and the surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding part is reflected when the processing liquid discharge from the nozzle is stopped And a determination unit that determines treatment liquid ejection from the nozzle based on a determination image acquired by the imaging unit imaging the determination region, and the determination unit includes: When the dispersion degree of the luminance value of the pixel included in the constant image is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, it is determined that the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle, and when the dispersion degree is larger than the threshold value, the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle. It is determined that the ink is not discharged.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the first aspect of the present invention, the spread degree is a standard deviation.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, the imaging unit continuously captures the determination region to obtain a plurality of determination images, and the determination unit includes: In the plurality of determination images, it is determined that the processing liquid is being ejected from the nozzle when the spread degree is continuously smaller than the threshold value in a predetermined number of determination images.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the first to third aspects of the present invention, the substrate holding unit is held when the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle is stopped. A pattern is formed in a portion in the chamber reflected by the surface of the substrate and imaged by the imaging unit.

  According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the pattern is a checkered pattern.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, the pattern is a lattice pattern.

  According to a seventh aspect of the invention, in the substrate processing apparatus according to the fourth aspect of the invention, the pattern is a striped pattern.

  The invention of claim 8 is a substrate processing method, comprising: a holding step of bringing a substrate to be newly processed into a chamber and holding it in the substrate holding portion; and a new processing target in the substrate holding portion. After the substrate is held, the nozzle that discharges the processing liquid is moved from the standby position outside the cup surrounding the periphery of the substrate holding unit toward the processing position above the substrate held by the substrate holding unit. When the processing liquid is ejected from the nozzle moving step and from the nozzle at the processing position, the processing liquid is reflected, and when the processing liquid ejection from the nozzle is stopped, the processing liquid is held by the substrate holder. An imaging process for imaging a determination area in which the surface of the substrate is reflected, and a determination process for determining treatment liquid ejection from the nozzle based on a determination image acquired by imaging the determination area in the imaging process In the determination step, it is determined that the processing liquid is being discharged from the nozzle when the distribution degree of the luminance value of the pixel included in the determination image is smaller than a predetermined threshold, and the distribution degree is When larger than a threshold value, it determines with the process liquid not being discharged from the said nozzle, It is characterized by the above-mentioned.

  According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, in the substrate processing method according to the eighth aspect of the present invention, the spread degree is a standard deviation.

  The invention of claim 10 is the substrate processing method according to claim 8 or claim 9, wherein, in the imaging step, the determination region is continuously imaged to obtain a plurality of determination images, and in the determination step, In the plurality of determination images, it is determined that the processing liquid is being ejected from the nozzle when the spread degree is continuously smaller than the threshold value in a predetermined number of determination images.

  According to the first to seventh aspects of the present invention, the processing liquid is ejected from the nozzle when the distribution degree of the luminance value of the pixel included in the determination image acquired by imaging the determination region is smaller than the predetermined threshold value. When the dispersion degree is larger than the threshold value, it is determined that the processing liquid is not discharged from the nozzle. Therefore, it can be determined only by the determination image, and the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle can be reliably detected. it can.

  In particular, according to the third aspect of the present invention, the processing liquid is discharged from the nozzle when the dispersion degree is smaller than the threshold value continuously in a predetermined number of determination images among a plurality of determination images acquired by continuous imaging. Therefore, the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle can be detected stably and reliably.

  In particular, according to the inventions of claims 4 to 7, the part in the chamber that is reflected by the surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding part and imaged by the imaging part when the processing liquid discharge is stopped. Since the pattern is formed, the degree of dispersion of the determination image when the processing liquid is not discharged can be significantly increased to prevent erroneous determination.

  According to the eighth to tenth aspects of the present invention, the processing liquid is ejected from the nozzle when the distribution of the luminance value of the pixel included in the determination image acquired by imaging the determination region is smaller than the predetermined threshold. When it is determined that the processing liquid is greater than the threshold value, it is determined that the processing liquid is not discharged from the nozzle. Therefore, the determination can be made only with the determination image, and the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle can be reliably detected. Can do.

  In particular, according to the invention of claim 10, the processing liquid is ejected from the nozzle when the dispersion degree is smaller than the threshold value continuously in a predetermined number of determination images among a plurality of determination images acquired by continuous imaging. Therefore, the discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle can be detected stably and reliably.

It is a figure which shows the whole structure of the substrate processing apparatus which concerns on this invention. It is a top view of a washing processing unit. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view of a washing | cleaning processing unit. It is a figure which shows the positional relationship of a camera and an upper surface process liquid nozzle. It is a block diagram of a camera and a control part. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure which sets the parameter for determination. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the determination process by a determination part. It is a figure which shows an example of the image obtained by imaging the imaging area containing the front-end | tip of the upper surface process liquid nozzle in a process position. It is a figure which shows the movement of the upper surface process liquid nozzle in an imaging region. It is a figure which shows the image for discharge determination when the process liquid is not discharged from the upper surface process liquid nozzle. It is a figure which shows the image for discharge determination when the process liquid is discharged from the upper surface process liquid nozzle. It is a figure which shows an example of the luminance value of the pixel of the image for a determination when the process liquid is not discharged. It is a figure which shows an example of the luminance value of the pixel of the image for a determination when the process liquid is discharged. It is a figure which shows an example of the pattern formed in a chamber. It is a figure which shows an example of the pattern formed in a chamber. It is a figure which shows an example of the pattern formed in a chamber.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 100 according to the present invention. The substrate processing apparatus 100 is a single wafer processing apparatus that processes substrates W for semiconductor use one by one, and performs a drying process after performing a cleaning process using a chemical solution and pure water on a circular silicon substrate W. Do. Typical chemicals include SC1 solution (ammonia water, hydrogen peroxide solution, water mixture), SC2 solution (hydrochloric acid, hydrogen peroxide solution, water mixture), DHF solution (diluted hydrofluoric acid), and the like. Used. In this specification, the chemical solution and the pure water are collectively referred to as “treatment solution”. It should be noted that not only the cleaning process but also a coating liquid such as a photoresist liquid for the film forming process, a chemical liquid for removing unnecessary films, a chemical liquid for etching, and the like are included in the “processing liquid” of the present invention.

  The substrate processing apparatus 100 includes an indexer 102, a plurality of cleaning processing units 1, and a main transfer robot 103. The indexer 102 has a function of loading an unprocessed substrate W received from outside the apparatus into the apparatus and unloading the processed substrate W after the cleaning process. The indexer 102 includes a plurality of carriers and a transfer robot (all not shown). As the carrier, a known FOUP (front opening unified pod) or SMIF (Standard Mechanical Interface Face) pod that stores the substrate W in a sealed space, or an OC (open cassette) that exposes the storage substrate W to the outside air can be used. . The transfer robot transfers the substrate W between the carrier and the main transfer robot 103.

  In the substrate processing apparatus 100, twelve cleaning processing units 1 are arranged. The detailed arrangement configuration is such that four towers in which three cleaning processing units 1 are stacked are arranged so as to surround the main transfer robot 103. In other words, four cleaning processing units 1 arranged around the main transfer robot 103 are stacked in three stages, and FIG. 1 shows one of them. The number of cleaning processing units 1 mounted on the substrate processing apparatus 100 is not limited to 12, and may be 8 or 4, for example.

  The main transfer robot 103 is installed at the center of four towers in which the cleaning processing units 1 are stacked. The main transfer robot 103 carries the unprocessed substrate W received from the indexer 102 into each cleaning processing unit 1 and unloads the processed substrate W from each cleaning processing unit 1 and passes it to the indexer 102.

  Next, the cleaning processing unit 1 will be described. Hereinafter, one of the twelve cleaning processing units 1 mounted on the substrate processing apparatus 100 will be described, but the same applies to the other cleaning processing units 1. FIG. 2 is a plan view of the cleaning processing unit 1. FIG. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the cleaning processing unit 1. FIG. 2 shows a state where the substrate W is not held on the spin chuck 20, and FIG. 3 shows a state where the substrate W is held on the spin chuck 20.

  In the chamber 10, the cleaning processing unit 1 performs processing on a spin chuck 20 that holds the substrate W as a main element in a horizontal posture (a normal line is a posture along the vertical direction), and an upper surface of the substrate W held on the spin chuck 20. Three upper surface processing liquid nozzles 30, 60, 65 for supplying liquid, a processing cup 40 surrounding the periphery of the spin chuck 20, and a camera 70 that images the space above the spin chuck 20 are provided. A partition plate 15 is provided around the processing cup 40 in the chamber 10 to partition the inner space of the chamber 10 up and down.

  The chamber 10 includes a side wall 11 along the vertical direction, a ceiling wall 12 that closes an upper side of a space surrounded by the side wall 11, and a floor wall 13 that closes a lower side. A space surrounded by the side wall 11, the ceiling wall 12, and the floor wall 13 is a processing space for the substrate W. A part of the side wall 11 of the chamber 10 is provided with a loading / unloading port for the main transfer robot 103 to load / unload the substrate W with respect to the chamber 10 and a shutter for opening / closing the loading / unloading port (both shown). (Omitted).

  A fan filter unit (FFU) 14 for further purifying the air in the clean room in which the substrate processing apparatus 100 is installed and supplying it to the processing space in the chamber 10 is attached to the ceiling wall 12 of the chamber 10. . The fan filter unit 14 includes a fan and a filter (for example, a HEPA filter) for taking in air in the clean room and sending it out into the chamber 10, and forms a downflow of clean air in the processing space in the chamber 10. In order to disperse the clean air supplied from the fan filter unit 14 uniformly, a punching plate having a large number of blowing holes may be provided directly below the ceiling wall 12.

  The spin chuck 20 includes a disk-shaped spin base 21 fixed in a horizontal posture at the upper end of a rotating shaft 24 extending along the vertical direction. A spin motor 22 that rotates the rotating shaft 24 is provided below the spin base 21. The spin motor 22 rotates the spin base 21 in the horizontal plane via the rotation shaft 24. Further, a cylindrical cover member 23 is provided so as to surround the periphery of the spin motor 22 and the rotating 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 spin chuck 20. Therefore, the spin base 21 has a holding surface 21a that faces the entire lower surface of the substrate W to be held.

  A plurality (four in this embodiment) of chuck pins 26 are erected on the peripheral edge of the holding surface 21 a of the spin base 21. The plurality of chuck pins 26 are evenly spaced along the circumference corresponding to the outer circumference of the circular substrate W (if there are four chuck pins 26 as in this embodiment, the chuck pins 26 are spaced at 90 ° intervals. ) Is arranged. The plurality of chuck pins 26 are driven in conjunction with a link mechanism (not shown) housed in the spin base 21. The spin chuck 20 holds each of the plurality of chuck pins 26 in contact with the outer peripheral end of the substrate W to hold the substrate W, so that the substrate W is placed in a horizontal posture close to the holding surface 21 a above the spin base 21. Can be held (see FIG. 3), and each of the plurality of chuck pins 26 can be separated from the outer peripheral end of the substrate W to release the grip.

  The cover member 23 covering the spin motor 22 has a lower end fixed to the floor wall 13 of the chamber 10 and an upper end reaching just below the spin base 21. At the upper end portion of the cover member 23, a hook-like member 25 is provided that protrudes almost horizontally outward from the cover member 23 and further bends and extends downward. The spin motor 22 rotates the rotary shaft 24 in a state where the spin chuck 20 holds the substrate W by gripping by the plurality of chuck pins 26, thereby rotating around the rotation axis CX along the vertical direction passing through the center of the substrate W. The substrate W can be rotated. The driving of the spin motor 22 is controlled by the control unit 9.

  The upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 is configured by attaching a discharge head 31 to the tip of a nozzle arm 32. The proximal end side of the nozzle arm 32 is fixedly connected to the nozzle base 33. The nozzle base 33 can be rotated around an axis along the vertical direction by a motor (not shown). By rotating the nozzle base 33, the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is located between the processing position above the spin chuck 20 and the standby position outside the processing cup 40, as indicated by an arrow AR34 in FIG. Move in an arc along the horizontal direction. The upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 is configured to be supplied with a plurality of kinds of treatment liquids (including at least pure water). The processing liquid discharged from the discharge head 31 of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 at the processing position is deposited on the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20. Further, the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 can be swung above the holding surface 21 a of the spin base 21 by the rotation of the nozzle base 33.

  Further, in the cleaning processing unit 1 of this embodiment, two upper surface processing liquid nozzles 60 and 65 are provided in addition to the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 described above. The upper surface treatment liquid nozzles 60 and 65 of the present embodiment have the same configuration as the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 described above. That is, the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 60 is configured by attaching a discharge head to the tip of a nozzle arm 62, and a spin base 20 as shown by an arrow AR64 by a nozzle base 63 connected to the base end side of the nozzle arm 62. Between the processing position above and the standby position outside the processing cup 40 moves in an arc. Similarly, the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 65 is configured by attaching a discharge head to the tip of a nozzle arm 67, and a spin base 20 as shown by an arrow AR69 by a nozzle base 68 connected to the base end side of the nozzle arm 67. Between the processing position above and the standby position outside the processing cup 40 moves in an arc. A plurality of kinds of processing liquids including at least pure water are also supplied to the upper surface processing liquid nozzles 60 and 65, and the processing liquid is applied to the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20 at the processing position. Discharge. The number of nozzles provided in the cleaning processing unit 1 is not limited to three, and may be one or more.

  On the other hand, a lower surface treatment liquid nozzle 28 is provided along the vertical direction so as to pass through the inside of the rotation shaft 24. The upper end opening of the lower surface treatment liquid nozzle 28 is formed at a position facing the lower surface center of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20. A plurality of types of processing liquids are also supplied to the lower surface processing liquid nozzle 28. The processing liquid discharged from the lower surface processing liquid nozzle 28 is deposited on the lower surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20.

  The processing cup 40 surrounding the spin chuck 20 includes an inner cup 41, an intermediate cup 42, and an outer cup 43 that can be moved up and down independently of each other. The inner cup 41 surrounds the periphery of the spin chuck 20 and has a shape that is substantially rotationally symmetric with respect to the rotation axis CX that passes through the center of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20. The inner cup 41 includes an annular bottom 44 in plan view, a cylindrical inner wall 45 rising upward from the inner periphery of the bottom 44, a cylindrical outer wall 46 rising upward from the outer periphery of the bottom 44, and an inner wall The first guide portion 47 that rises from between the portion 45 and the outer wall portion 46 and extends obliquely upward in the center side (in the direction approaching the rotation axis CX of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20) while drawing a smooth arc at the upper end portion. And a cylindrical middle wall portion 48 that rises upward from between the first guide portion 47 and the outer wall portion 46.

  The inner wall portion 45 is formed in such a length as to be accommodated with an appropriate gap between the cover member 23 and the bowl-shaped member 25 in a state where the inner cup 41 is raised most. The middle wall portion 48 is accommodated with a suitable gap between a second guide portion 52 (described later) of the middle cup 42 and the processing liquid separation wall 53 in a state where the inner cup 41 and the middle cup 42 are closest to each other. It is formed in such a length.

  The first guide portion 47 has an upper end portion 47b extending obliquely upward in the center side (in the direction approaching the rotation axis CX of the substrate W) while drawing a smooth arc. Further, a space between the inner wall portion 45 and the first guide portion 47 is a disposal groove 49 for collecting and discarding the used processing liquid. A space between the first guide portion 47 and the middle wall portion 48 is an annular inner collection groove 50 for collecting and collecting used processing liquid. Further, a space between the middle wall portion 48 and the outer wall portion 46 is an annular outer collection groove 51 for collecting and collecting different types of processing liquids from the inner collection groove 50.

  The waste groove 49 is connected to an exhaust liquid mechanism (not shown) for discharging the processing liquid collected in the waste groove 49 and forcibly exhausting the inside of the waste groove 49. For example, four exhaust fluid mechanisms are provided at equal intervals along the circumferential direction of the discard groove 49. The inner recovery groove 50 and the outer recovery groove 51 have a recovery mechanism for recovering the processing liquid collected in the inner recovery groove 50 and the outer recovery groove 51, respectively, in a recovery tank provided outside the substrate processing apparatus 1. (Both not shown) are connected. The bottoms of the inner recovery groove 50 and the outer recovery groove 51 are inclined by a slight angle with respect to the horizontal direction, and the recovery mechanism is connected to the lowest position. Thereby, the processing liquid that has flowed into the inner recovery groove 50 and the outer recovery groove 51 is smoothly recovered.

  The middle cup 42 surrounds the periphery of the spin chuck 20 and has a shape that is substantially rotationally symmetric with respect to the rotation axis CX passing through the center of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20. The inner cup 42 is integrally provided with a second guide portion 52 and a cylindrical processing liquid separation wall 53 connected to the second guide portion 52.

  The second guide portion 52 draws a smooth arc on the outside of the first guide portion 47 of the inner cup 41 from the lower end portion 52a that is coaxial with the lower end portion of the first guide portion 47 and the upper end of the lower end portion 52a. However, it has an upper end 52b that extends obliquely upward in the center side (in the direction approaching the rotation axis CX of the substrate W) and a folded portion 52c that is formed by folding the tip of the upper end 52b downward. The lower end 52 a is accommodated in the inner collection groove 50 with an appropriate gap between the first guide portion 47 and the middle wall portion 48 in a state where the inner cup 41 and the middle cup 42 are closest to each other. The upper end portion 52b is provided so as to overlap the upper end portion 47b of the first guide portion 47 of the inner cup 41 in the vertical direction, and the first guide portion 47 is in a state where the inner cup 41 and the middle cup 42 are closest to each other. And close to the upper end portion 47b with a very small distance. Further, the folded portion 52c formed by folding the tip of the upper end portion 52b downward is in a state where the inner cup 41 and the middle cup 42 are closest to each other, and the folded portion 52c is the tip of the upper end portion 47b of the first guide portion 47. It is the length which overlaps with the horizontal direction.

  Further, the upper end portion 52b of the second guide portion 52 is formed so as to increase in thickness toward the lower side, and the treatment liquid separation wall 53 is provided so as to extend downward from the lower peripheral edge of the upper end portion 52b. It has a cylindrical shape. The processing liquid separation wall 53 is accommodated in the outer collection groove 51 with an appropriate gap between the inner wall portion 48 and the outer cup 43 in a state where the inner cup 41 and the inner cup 42 are closest to each other.

  The outer cup 43 surrounds the periphery of the spin chuck 20 outside the second guide portion 52 of the middle cup 42 and is substantially rotationally symmetric with respect to the rotation axis CX passing through the center of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20. It has a shape. The outer cup 43 has a function as a third guide part. The outer cup 43 has a lower end portion 43a that is coaxially cylindrical with the lower end portion 52a of the second guide portion 52, and a center side while drawing a smooth arc from the upper end of the lower end portion 43a (in the direction approaching the rotation axis CX of the substrate W). The upper end portion 43b extends obliquely upward, and the folded portion 43c is formed by folding the tip end portion of the upper end portion 43b downward.

  The lower end portion 43a has an outer clearance groove with an appropriate gap between the processing liquid separation wall 53 of the inner cup 42 and the outer wall portion 46 of the inner cup 41 in a state where the inner cup 41 and the outer cup 43 are closest to each other. 51. The upper end portion 43b is provided so as to overlap the second guide portion 52 of the middle cup 42 in the vertical direction, and the upper end portion 52b of the second guide portion 52 is in a state where the middle cup 42 and the outer cup 43 are closest to each other. Close to each other with a very small distance. Further, the folded portion 43 c formed by folding the tip end portion of the upper end portion 43 b downward is in a state where the inner cup 42 and the outer cup 43 are closest to each other, and the folded portion 43 c is the same as the folded portion 52 c of the second guide portion 52. It is formed so as to overlap in the horizontal direction.

  Further, the inner cup 41, the middle cup 42, and the outer cup 43 can be moved up and down independently of each other. That is, each of the inner cup 41, the middle cup 42, and the outer cup 43 is provided with a lifting mechanism (not shown), and is lifted and lowered separately. As such an elevating mechanism, various known mechanisms such as a ball screw mechanism and an air cylinder can be employed.

  The partition plate 15 is provided so as to partition the inner space of the chamber 10 up and down around the processing cup 40. The partition plate 15 may be a single plate-like member surrounding the processing cup 40, or may be a combination of a plurality of plate-like members. Further, the partition plate 15 may be formed with through holes or notches penetrating in the thickness direction, and in this embodiment, the nozzle bases 33, 63, 68 of the upper surface treatment liquid nozzles 30, 60, 65 are provided. A through hole for passing a support shaft for support is formed.

  The outer peripheral end of the partition plate 15 is connected to the side wall 11 of the chamber 10. Further, the edge portion surrounding the processing cup 40 of the partition plate 15 is formed to have a circular shape having a diameter larger than the outer diameter of the outer cup 43. Therefore, the partition plate 15 does not become an obstacle to the raising and lowering of the outer cup 43.

  An exhaust duct 18 is provided in a part of the side wall 11 of the chamber 10 and in the vicinity of the floor wall 13. The exhaust duct 18 is connected in communication with an exhaust mechanism (not shown). Of the clean air supplied from the fan filter unit 14 and flowing down in the chamber 10, the air that has passed between the processing cup 40 and the partition plate 15 is discharged from the exhaust duct 18 to the outside of the apparatus.

  The camera 70 is installed in the chamber 10 and above the partition plate 15. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a positional relationship between the camera 70 and the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30. The camera 70 includes, for example, a CCD that is one of solid-state image sensors, and an optical system such as an electronic shutter and a lens. The upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 has a processing position (dotted line position in FIG. 4) above the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20 and a standby position outside the processing cup 40 (solid line position in FIG. 4) by the nozzle base 33. ). The processing position is a position where the cleaning liquid is discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 onto the upper surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20 to perform a cleaning process. The standby position is a position where the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 stops and waits for discharge of the processing liquid when the cleaning process is not performed. A standby pod that accommodates the ejection head 31 of the upper processing liquid nozzle 30 may be provided at the standby position.

  The camera 70 is installed at a position where the imaging field of view includes at least the tip of the upper processing liquid nozzle 30 at the processing position, that is, the vicinity of the ejection head 31. In the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 4, a camera 70 is installed at a position where the upper processing liquid nozzle 30 at the processing position is photographed from the upper front. Therefore, the camera 70 can image the imaging region including the tip of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 at the processing position. The imaging area of the camera 70 includes the surface of the substrate W held on the spin chuck 20 as the background of the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30. Similarly, the camera 70 can image an imaging region including the tips of the upper surface processing liquid nozzles 60 and 65 at the processing position. When the camera 70 is installed at the position shown in FIGS. 2 and 4, the upper surface processing liquid nozzles 30 and 60 move in the lateral direction within the photographing field of view of the camera 70, and therefore move near the processing position. However, since the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 65 moves in the depth direction within the imaging field of view of the camera 70, there is a possibility that the amount of movement in the vicinity of the processing position cannot be properly imaged. In such a case, a camera dedicated to the upper processing liquid nozzle 65 may be provided separately from the camera 70.

  As shown in FIG. 3, an illumination unit 71 is provided in the chamber 10 and above the partition plate 15. Normally, since the chamber 10 is a dark room, the illumination unit 71 irradiates light to the upper surface processing liquid nozzles 30, 60, 65 near the processing position when the camera 70 performs imaging.

  FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the camera 70 and the control unit 9. The configuration of the control unit 9 provided in the substrate processing apparatus 100 as hardware is the same as that of a general computer. That is, the control unit 9 stores a CPU that performs various arithmetic processes, a ROM that is a read-only memory that stores basic programs, a RAM that is a readable and writable memory that stores various information, control software, data, and the like. It is configured with a magnetic disk to be placed. When the CPU of the control unit 9 executes a predetermined processing program, each operation mechanism of the substrate processing apparatus 100 is controlled by the control unit 9, and processing in the substrate processing apparatus 100 proceeds.

  The determination unit 91 illustrated in FIG. 5 is a function processing unit that is realized in the control unit 9 when the CPU of the control unit 9 executes a predetermined processing program. Although details will be described later, the determination unit 91 performs various determination processes by performing image processing on an image captured by the camera 70. Further, the storage unit 92 in the control unit 9 is configured by the above-described RAM or magnetic disk, and stores data, input values, and the like of an image captured by the camera 70.

  Next, the operation in the substrate processing apparatus 100 having the above configuration will be described. The normal processing procedure of the substrate W in the substrate processing apparatus 100 is as follows. An unprocessed substrate W received by the main transfer robot 103 from the indexer 102 is carried into each cleaning processing unit 1, and the substrate W is cleaned by the cleaning processing unit 1. Then, the main transfer robot 103 carries out the processed substrate W from the cleaning processing unit 1 and returns it to the indexer 102. An outline of a typical cleaning process procedure for the substrate W in each cleaning processing unit 1 is that a chemical solution is supplied to the surface of the substrate W to perform a predetermined chemical processing, and then pure water is supplied to perform a pure water rinsing process. Thereafter, the substrate W is rotated at a high speed to perform a shake-off drying process.

  When processing the substrate W in the cleaning processing unit 1, the substrate W is held on the spin chuck 20 and the processing cup 40 moves up and down. When performing the chemical treatment, for example, only the outer cup 43 rises, and the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20 between the upper end portion 43b of the outer cup 43 and the upper end portion 52b of the second guide portion 52 of the middle cup 42 is used. An opening is formed to surround the periphery of the. In this state, the substrate W is rotated together with the spin chuck 20, and a chemical solution is supplied to the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 and the lower surface processing liquid nozzle 28. The supplied chemical liquid flows along the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the substrate W, and is eventually scattered from the edge of the substrate W to the side. Thereby, the chemical treatment of the substrate W proceeds. The chemical solution splashed from the edge of the rotating substrate W is received by the upper end portion 43 b of the outer cup 43, flows down along the inner surface of the outer cup 43, and is collected in the outer collection groove 51.

  When performing the pure water rinsing process, for example, all of the inner cup 41, the middle cup 42 and the outer cup 43 are raised, and the periphery of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20 is the first guide portion 47 of the inner cup 41. Surrounded by. In this state, the substrate W is rotated together with the spin chuck 20, and pure water is supplied to the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 and the lower surface processing liquid nozzle 28. The supplied pure water flows along the upper and lower surfaces of the substrate W due to the centrifugal force generated by the rotation of the substrate W, and is eventually scattered from the edge of the substrate W to the side. Thereby, the pure water rinse process of the board | substrate W advances. The pure water splashed from the edge of the rotating substrate W flows down the inner wall of the first guide portion 47 and is discharged from the discard groove 49. In the case where pure water is collected by a path different from the chemical solution, the middle cup 42 and the outer cup 43 are raised, and the upper end portion 52b of the second guide portion 52 of the middle cup 42 and the first guide of the inner cup 41 are collected. An opening surrounding the periphery of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20 may be formed between the upper end portion 47 b of the portion 47.

  Further, when performing the swing-off drying process, all of the inner cup 41, the middle cup 42 and the outer cup 43 are lowered, and the upper end portion 47 b of the first guide portion 47 of the inner cup 41 and the second guide portion 52 of the middle cup 42 are moved. Both the upper end portion 52 b and the upper end portion 43 b of the outer cup 43 are positioned below the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20. In this state, the substrate W is rotated at a high speed together with the spin chuck 20, and water droplets adhering to the substrate W are shaken off by a centrifugal force, and a drying process is performed.

  In the present embodiment, when the processing liquid is discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 onto the upper surface of the substrate W, the determination unit 91 performs predetermined image processing on the image obtained by imaging with the camera 70 and performs processing. The presence or absence of liquid discharge is determined. Hereinafter, the technique will be described in detail. Here, the processing liquid discharge determination from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 will be described, but the same applies to the other upper surface processing liquid nozzles 60 and 65.

  6 and 7 are flowcharts showing the procedure of the determination process by the determination unit 91. FIG. 6 shows a procedure for preliminary preparation for determination processing, and FIG. 7 shows a determination processing procedure when the substrate W to be processed is carried into the cleaning processing unit 1. 6 is performed prior to the processing process of the substrate W to be actually processed, and may be performed at the time of maintenance work of the substrate processing apparatus 100, for example.

  First, when performing the teaching of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 during maintenance work or the like, the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is moved to the teaching position (step S11). Teaching is an operation for teaching the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 to operate properly, and corrects the stop position of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 to an appropriate position (teaching position). Therefore, when the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is moved to the teaching position during teaching, the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is accurately moved to an appropriate processing position. The proper processing position is a position where the required substrate processing is performed if the processing liquid is discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 at the processing position.

  When the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 moves to an appropriate processing position, the imaging region including the tip of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is imaged by the camera 70 (step S12). FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of an image (still image) obtained by imaging the imaging region including the tip of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 at the processing position by the camera 70. The imaging area PA includes at least the tip of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 located at the processing position above the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20. The imaging area PA includes the surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20 as a background of the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30. Since the substrate W may not be held on the spin chuck 20 during maintenance, the substrate W may not necessarily be included in the imaging area PA.

  Next, a reference pattern is cut out from the image obtained by imaging in step S12 (step S13). At the time of imaging in step S12, the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is accurately positioned at an appropriate processing position by teaching. Therefore, the image obtained by imaging with the camera 70 in step S12 can be a nozzle position reference image indicating an appropriate processing position of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30. In step S13, a partial image region including the tip portion of the upper processing liquid nozzle 30 is cut out from the nozzle position reference image as a reference pattern RP as shown in FIG. This cutting may be performed, for example, by manually specifying an area to be the reference pattern RP while viewing the image captured in step S12 during teaching. The extracted reference pattern RP is stored in the storage unit 92 of the control unit 9 together with the coordinates in the image (step S14).

  Subsequently, the worker sets a threshold for determining position abnormality (step S15). The threshold value set here is for use in determining the position abnormality of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 (step S26 in FIG. 7), which will be described later, and in the reference pattern RP of the nozzle position reference image captured in step S12. This is a threshold value for deviation between the nozzle position and the nozzle position in the image specified in step S25. As the threshold value set here is lower, it is determined that the position of the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 is abnormal even if the nozzle position deviation in both images is small. That is, the criterion for judgment becomes strict. The threshold set in step S15 is stored in the storage unit 92.

  Next, the ejection determination area is set in the image obtained by imaging in step S12 (step S16). As illustrated in FIG. 8, the image obtained by the camera 70 imaging the imaging area PA includes the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20 and the cleaning processing unit 1 in addition to the vicinity of the top end of the upper processing liquid nozzle 30. The internal devices are reflected. When determining the processing liquid discharge from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30, it is preferable to reduce the influence of the background as much as possible. For this reason, in step S16, a part of the area covered with the processing liquid discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 in the image acquired by the camera 70 capturing the imaging area PA is set as the discharge determination area SP. . In the present embodiment, a part of the liquid column of the processing liquid formed between the time when the liquid is discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 at an appropriate processing position and the liquid is deposited on the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20. A discharge determination area SP is set. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, the ejection determination region SP is set immediately below the tip of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 at the appropriate processing position. This setting may also be made by manually specifying an area while an operator looks at the image captured in step S12. The set ejection determination area SP is stored in the storage unit 92 of the control unit 9. Note that the ejection determination area SP set here is not the image itself, unlike the reference pattern RP described above, but is an area in the image acquired by the camera 70 imaging the imaging area PA, for example, as shown in FIG. It is represented by coordinate data indicating a quadrangle of the ejection determination area SP.

  Following the setting of the discharge determination area SP, the worker sets a threshold value for discharge determination (step S17). The threshold value set here is for use in the later-described treatment liquid discharge determination (step S28 in FIG. 7), and is a threshold value of the standard deviation of the luminance values of the pixels constituting the discharge determination region SP. As will be described in detail later, the larger the threshold set here, the easier it is to determine that the processing liquid is being discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30. The threshold set in step S17 is stored in the storage unit 92.

  As described above, preliminary preparation for the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is performed. The same advance preparation as shown in steps S11 to S17 is performed for the other upper surface processing liquid nozzles 60 and 65 (step S18). Such advance preparation is sufficient if it is performed in advance when teaching is performed, and once it is performed, it is not necessary to perform it again until the teaching position is changed. Note that the preliminary preparation process as described above is not performed for the fixed lower surface treatment liquid nozzle 28.

  Next, a procedure when processing the substrate W to be processed after the advance preparation shown in FIG. 6 is performed will be described with reference to FIG. First, the substrate W to be processed is carried into the cleaning processing unit 1 by the main transfer robot 103 (step S21). The loaded substrate W is held in a horizontal posture by the spin chuck 20. At the same time, the raising and lowering operation is performed so that the processing cup 40 reaches a predetermined height position.

  After the substrate W to be newly processed is held on the spin chuck 20, the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 starts to move from the standby position toward the processing position (step S22). The upper processing liquid nozzle 30 is moved by the control unit 9 controlling the nozzle base 33 in accordance with a preset recipe (which describes the processing procedure and conditions of the substrate W). In addition, when the processing liquid discharge from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 for a predetermined time or longer (for example, 5 seconds or longer) is described in the recipe, the control unit 9 starts to move the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30. The determination unit 91 is instructed to perform the discharge determination at the same timing. The timing at which the control unit 9 issues a discharge determination instruction may not be exactly the same as when the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 starts to move, but the determination unit 91 does not stop until the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 stops moving. However, it is preferable to carry out with sufficient margin so that the process after step S23 can be performed.

  The determination unit 91 that has received the discharge determination instruction causes the camera 70 to start continuous imaging (step S23). The camera 70 continuously images the imaging area PA at a constant interval. For example, the camera 70 performs continuous imaging at intervals of 33 milliseconds (30 frames per second). That is, the camera 70 starts moving image shooting from the time when the spin chuck 20 holds a new substrate W to be processed and the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 starts moving from the standby position toward the processing position. Note that when the camera 70 starts continuous imaging, it is also the time when the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 starts to move from the standby position, and thus the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 does not reach the imaging area PA.

  After the camera 70 starts continuous imaging, the determination unit 91 determines stop of the movement of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 (step S24). The movement of the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 itself is performed by the control unit 9 controlling the nozzle base 33 according to the above recipe, and the stop of the movement is also controlled by the control unit 9. The determination unit 91 determines whether or not the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 has stopped moving from a plurality of images acquired by the camera 70 by continuous imaging independently from the control by the control unit 9. Specifically, the determination unit 91 calculates the difference between successive images acquired by the camera 70 by continuously capturing the imaging area PA, and determines whether or not the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle depends on whether the difference is equal to or less than a certain value. The stop of the movement of 30 is determined. The calculation of the difference between successive images is to obtain the sum total of the absolute values of the gradation values of all the pixels in the difference image between one image and the next image among a plurality of images acquired by continuous imaging. It is.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating movement of the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 in the imaging area PA. When the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is moving in the imaging area PA and the camera 70 continuously images the imaging area PA, the position of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is different between a certain image and the next image. In the difference between these two images, an image of the treatment liquid nozzle 30 remains. On the other hand, when the camera 70 continuously images the imaging area PA after the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 stops moving at the processing position (dotted line position in FIG. 9) in the imaging area PA, an image and the next image are displayed. The position of the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 is the same, and the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 also disappears in the difference between the two images. Therefore, if the sum of gradation values of all pixels in an image of a difference between successive images (difference between a certain image and the next image) acquired by the camera 70 continuously capturing the imaging area PA is less than a certain value. The determination unit 91 determines that the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 has stopped moving. In order to prevent erroneous determination due to noise or the like, for example, the determination unit 91 calculates a difference between a certain image and the next image for five consecutive images (in this case, four differences are calculated), If all the differences are less than or equal to a certain value, it may be determined that the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 has stopped moving.

  Next, the determination unit 91 specifies, as the nozzle position determination image, the image at the time when it is determined in step S24 that the movement of the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 has been stopped among the images continuously acquired by the camera 70 ( Step S25). The identified nozzle position determination image is stored in the storage unit 92 of the control unit 9. The nozzle position determination image thus obtained is an image obtained by imaging the imaging area PA when the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 reaches the processing position and stops. Note that the nozzle position determination image may be an image of any one imaging area PA after the time point when it is determined in step S24 that the movement of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 has stopped.

  Next, the determination unit 91 compares the nozzle position reference image and the nozzle position determination image to determine a position abnormality at the processing position of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 (step S26). The nozzle position reference image is an image acquired by the camera 70 imaging the imaging area PA when the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is accurately positioned at the processing position during teaching. The nozzle position determination image is an image acquired by the camera 70 imaging the imaging area PA when the substrate W to be processed is held by the spin chuck 20 and the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is moved to the processing position and stopped. It is. Therefore, by comparing the nozzle position reference image and the nozzle position determination image, it is determined whether or not the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 that has moved above the substrate W to be processed has stopped at an appropriate processing position. Can do.

  Specifically, the determination unit 91 compares the reference pattern RP of the nozzle position reference image cut out in step S13 with a partial region image in the nozzle position determination image corresponding to the reference pattern RP, and both A difference (positional deviation) in coordinates of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 in the image is calculated. A known pattern matching technique can be used for this comparison. If the positional deviation of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 calculated by pattern matching is equal to or greater than the threshold value set in step S15, the determination unit 91 determines that the position of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is abnormal. . When it is determined that the position of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is abnormal, the control unit 9 performs predetermined abnormality handling processing (for example, warning generation or processing stoppage). On the other hand, when the calculated positional deviation of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is smaller than the threshold value set in step S <b> 15, the determination unit 91 determines that there is no abnormality in the position of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30.

  Under the control of the control unit 9, the substrate W is rotated while the upper processing liquid nozzle 30 is moved to the processing position. Typically, after the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 reaches the processing position and stops, the processing liquid discharge from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is started. Then, the determination unit 91 determines whether or not the processing liquid is discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 based on images continuously captured by the camera 70 after the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is stopped.

  The determination unit 91 shifts the discharge determination region SP when determining whether to discharge the processing liquid (step S27). The discharge determination area SP is set in step S16 as a part of an area covered with the processing liquid discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 in the nozzle position reference image. In step S26 described above, the positional deviation between the position of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 in the nozzle position reference image and the position of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 in the nozzle position determination image is calculated. In step S27, the determination unit 91 shifts the discharge determination region SP based on the calculation result. That is, the ejection determination area SP is moved by the amount of displacement calculated in step S26.

  Even after it is determined in step S24 that the movement of the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 is stopped, the camera 70 performs continuous imaging of the imaging area PA. That is, the camera 70 starts continuous imaging of the imaging area PA at the same time when the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 starts moving (step S23), and then continues continuous imaging at a constant interval.

  The determination unit 91 determines discharge of the processing liquid from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 based on an image obtained by continuously capturing the imaging area PA by the camera 70 after it is determined in step S24 that the movement of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 has stopped. (Step S28). The imaging area PA includes an ejection determination area SP (see FIG. 8). Therefore, continuous imaging of the imaging area PA is also continuous imaging of the ejection determination area SP by the camera 70. Then, after the movement of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is stopped, an image acquired by continuously imaging the discharge determination area SP by the camera 70 becomes an image for determination of discharge for determining processing liquid discharge. The determination unit 91 compares the standard deviation of the luminance values of the pixels included in the discharge determination image with the threshold set in step S17 to determine whether or not the processing liquid is discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30.

  The discharge determination area SP is a part of an area covered with the processing liquid discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 in the nozzle position reference image, and the discharged processing liquid is in the background when viewed from the camera 70 side. Is also part of the area reflected in the foreground. In the present embodiment, it is set to a part of the liquid column formed by discharging the processing liquid from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 to the substrate W, that is, a part of the liquid column reflected in front of the substrate W in the background. Yes. Accordingly, when the processing liquid is normally discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 at the processing position, the processing liquid is reflected in the entire discharge determination area SP as viewed from the camera 70. On the other hand, when the processing liquid is not discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30, the surface of the substrate W held by the spin chuck 20 is reflected in the entire discharge determination area SP viewed from the camera 70. Here, since the surface of the substrate W is a mirror surface having a high reflectance, when the processing liquid is not discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30, the surface of the substrate W is reflected on the discharge determination region SP viewed from the camera 70. A structure or the like in the chamber 10 is reflected.

  As a result, as shown in FIG. 10, when the processing liquid is not discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30, the structure in the chamber 10 or the like in the discharge determination image obtained by imaging the discharge determination region SP by the camera 70 is an image element. Will enter. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 11, when the processing liquid is discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30, only the discharged processing liquid is reflected in the discharge determination image obtained by imaging the discharge determination area SP by the camera 70. It becomes.

  The determination unit 91 performs processing liquid discharge determination for each of a plurality of determination images acquired by continuously imaging the discharge determination region SP by the camera 70 after it is determined in step S24 that the movement of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 has stopped. Image calculation processing is performed. Specifically, the determination unit 91 calculates the standard deviation σ of the luminance values of the pixels included in the determination image according to the following equation (1), and the obtained standard deviation σ and the threshold set in step S17 And whether or not the processing liquid is discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is determined.

In Expression (1), n is the number of pixels included in the determination image, and S ₁ , S ₂ , S ₃ ,..., S _n are the luminance values of each pixel (pixels acquired by the camera 70). M is the average value of the luminance values of the pixels included in the determination image. FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of the luminance value of the pixel of the determination image when the processing liquid as illustrated in FIG. 10 is not discharged. When the processing liquid is not discharged, the structure in the chamber 10 enters the discharge determination image as an image element, so that a pattern is formed in the discharge determination image, and the dispersion degree (variation) of the luminance values of the pixels is increased. growing. As a result, the standard deviation σ of the luminance value of the pixel of the ejection determination image also increases, and the standard deviation σ = 23.1 in the example of FIG.

  On the other hand, FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of the luminance value of the pixel of the determination image when the processing liquid as illustrated in FIG. 11 is being discharged. When the treatment liquid is being ejected, only the treatment liquid ejected in the ejection determination image is reflected, so that the luminance values of the pixels in the ejection determination image are made uniform and the dispersion degree is reduced. As a result, the standard deviation σ of the luminance value of the pixel of the ejection determination image is also reduced, and the standard deviation σ = 5.4 in the example of FIG.

  The standard deviation σ in the examples of FIGS. 12 and 13 is as described above, but the standard deviation σ of the luminance value of the pixel of the ejection determination image when the processing liquid is not being discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is approximately 20. Within the range of ~ 30. Further, the standard deviation σ of the luminance value of the pixel of the discharge determination image when the processing liquid is discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is approximately in the range of 5 to 10. For this reason, in step S17, it is preferable to set the threshold value for the processing liquid discharge determination within a range of 10 to 20, and in this embodiment, the threshold value is set to 15.

  The determination unit 91 determines that the processing liquid is being discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 when the standard deviation σ of the luminance value of the pixel of the discharge determination image is smaller than the threshold value 15 as in the example of FIG. To do. On the other hand, as shown in the example of FIG. 12, when the standard deviation σ of the luminance value of the pixel of the ejection determination image is larger than 15, which is the determination unit 91, the processing liquid is discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30. Judge that there is no. If the standard deviation σ of the luminance value is the same as the threshold value, any determination may be made.

  When the state in which it is determined that the processing liquid is being discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 continues, for example, for 2 seconds or longer, that is, when the imaging interval is 33 milliseconds, the determination unit 91 has 60 or more discharge determination images. When it is determined that the processing liquid is being discharged with the standard deviation σ of the brightness value being smaller than the threshold value, the processing liquid is stably and reliably discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30. judge. On the other hand, even if a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) elapses from the time when it is determined that the movement of the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 has stopped, the standard deviation σ does not become smaller than the threshold value, and the treatment liquid is removed from the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30. Is determined not to be discharged, it is determined that the processing liquid is discharged abnormally. The determination result of the treatment liquid discharge by the determination unit 91 may be displayed on, for example, a display attached to the control unit 9. Further, when it is determined that the processing liquid discharge from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is abnormal, the control unit 9 may perform an abnormality handling process such as a process stop.

  The above is the ejection determination process for the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30. However, when other upper surface processing liquid nozzles 60 and 65 are used, the upper surface processing liquid nozzle is processed in the same procedure as shown in FIG. It is possible to perform the discharge determination process for 60 or the upper processing liquid nozzle 65.

  In the present embodiment, the standard deviation σ of the luminance value of the pixels included in the ejection determination image acquired by imaging the ejection determination area SP with the camera 70 is calculated, and the obtained standard deviation σ and a preset threshold value are calculated. And whether or not the processing liquid is discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is determined. That is, when determining the processing liquid discharge, there is no need for a comparative image that serves as a reference when the processing liquid is not discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30.

  In the above embodiment, the processing liquid discharge is started after the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 reaches the processing position and stops, but before the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 reaches the processing position and stops. In some cases, the processing liquid discharge is started. In an extreme case, the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 may start to move from the standby position and simultaneously start to discharge the processing liquid. Even in such a case, as in the present embodiment, the reference image for comparison is unnecessary, and the discharge determination area is determined by the camera 70 after it is determined that the movement of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 has stopped. Since it is possible to determine whether or not the processing liquid is discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 based only on the discharge determination image acquired by imaging the SP, the discharge of the processing liquid from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is reliably detected. can do.

  Further, since the structure or the like in the chamber 10 is reflected on the surface of the substrate W and reflected on the camera 70 when the processing liquid is not discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30, simple illumination is used. This can be realized by an imaging system, and strict adjustment of the optical path is not necessary.

  Further, if the difference between successive images acquired by the camera 70 by continuously capturing the imaging area PA is equal to or less than a certain value, it is determined that the movement of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 has stopped. The movement stop is automatically determined. For this reason, after the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 stops moving at the processing position, it is possible to determine whether the processing liquid is discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 by performing imaging with the camera 70 without sending a special trigger signal. it can. As a result, the hardware configuration relating to the processing liquid discharge determination can also be simplified.

  In addition to the determination of the processing liquid discharge, the determination unit 91 also determines a position abnormality when the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 moves to the processing position. If the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is displaced from the teaching position and discharges the processing liquid due to an adjustment error during maintenance or a change over time, the expected result cannot be obtained, resulting in processing failure. In the present embodiment, since the position abnormality of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is also determined, it is possible to prevent the occurrence of processing failure due to the positional deviation of the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30.

  While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention can be modified in various ways other than those described above without departing from the spirit of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the discharge determination region SP is set in a part of the liquid column formed by discharging the processing liquid from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30, but the present invention is not limited to this. The determination area SP may be a part of an area in which the processing liquid discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 is reflected. For example, the discharge determination region SP may be set in a part of the region where the processing liquid discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 and applied to the substrate W spreads on the surface of the substrate W and covers the surface. good. Even when the discharge determination area SP is set in this way, when the processing liquid is being discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30, the processing liquid is reflected in the entire discharge determination area SP as viewed from the camera 70. A determination process similar to that of the form can be performed. However, since there is a slight time lag between the start of the discharge of the processing liquid from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 and the spreading of the processing liquid onto the surface of the substrate W, the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30 as in the above embodiment. Thus, the ejection of the processing liquid can be detected more quickly by setting the ejection determination region SP in a part of the liquid column formed by ejecting the processing liquid.

  Further, in the above embodiment, the standard deviation σ of the luminance value of the pixel is compared with the threshold value to determine whether or not the processing liquid is discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30. You may use the parameter | index which shows a dispersion degree. As an index indicating the dispersion degree that changes to the standard deviation σ, for example, a range defined by the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the luminance value of the pixel, a variance representing the extent of distribution, and the like can be employed. Even in the case of using an index indicating the degree of dispersion other than the standard deviation, the presence or absence of treatment liquid discharge from the upper surface treatment liquid nozzle 30 is determined by comparing the dispersion degree of the luminance value with a preset threshold value. be able to.

  Further, in order to reliably increase the standard deviation σ of the luminance value of the pixel included in the determination image when the processing liquid is not discharged, the spin chuck is used when the processing liquid is not discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30. A high-contrast pattern may be formed on a portion in the chamber 10 that is reflected by the surface of the substrate W held by the substrate 20 and imaged by the camera 70. For example, a pattern with high contrast as shown in FIGS. 14 to 16 is drawn on the inner wall of the chamber 10 reflected by the surface of the substrate W and imaged by the camera 70.

  In the example shown in FIG. 14, a checkered pattern is drawn on the inner wall of the chamber 10. Moreover, the example shown in FIG. 15 is a lattice pattern. Furthermore, the example shown in FIG. 16 is a striped pattern. A pattern as shown in FIGS. 14 to 16 is formed on the inner wall of the chamber 10 that is indirectly imaged by the camera 70, so that the processing liquid is viewed from the camera 70 when the processing liquid is not discharged from the upper surface processing liquid nozzle 30. A pattern as shown in FIGS. 14 to 16 reflected on the surface of the substrate W is reflected in the ejection determination region SP. As a result, when the processing liquid is not ejected, a pattern having a high contrast as shown in FIGS. 14 to 16 is formed in the ejection determination image, and the dispersion degree of the luminance values of the pixels is remarkably increased.

  When the part in the chamber 10 that is reflected by the surface of the substrate W and is imaged by the camera 70 is a non-patterned wall surface, the luminance value of the discharge determination image even when the processing liquid is not discharged May be made uniform, resulting in a reduction in the distribution of the luminance values of the pixels, leading to an erroneous determination that the processing liquid is being discharged. By forming a pattern having a high contrast as shown in FIGS. 14 to 16 at a portion in the chamber 10 reflected by the surface of the substrate W and imaged by the camera 70, the ejection when the processing liquid is not ejected. The distribution degree of the luminance value of the pixel in the determination image can be surely made larger than the threshold value, and erroneous determination can be prevented and the discharge of the processing liquid can be detected reliably.

  The substrate to be processed by the substrate processing apparatus 100 is not limited to a substrate for semiconductor use, and may be a glass substrate used for a flat panel display such as a substrate for solar cell use or a liquid crystal display device.

  Furthermore, the technique according to the present invention can be applied to any apparatus that performs a predetermined process by discharging a processing liquid from a movable nozzle onto a substrate. For example, in addition to the single wafer cleaning apparatus of the above embodiment, a spin coater that applies a resist solution by discharging a photoresist solution from a nozzle to a rotating substrate, and a substrate on which a film is formed. The technique according to the present invention may be applied to a device that discharges the film removal liquid from the nozzle to the edge of the substrate, or a device that discharges the etching liquid from the nozzle to the surface of the substrate.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cleaning process unit 9 Control part 10 Chamber 20 Spin chuck 30, 60, 65 Upper surface process liquid nozzle 33, 63, 68 Nozzle base 40 Processing cup 70 Camera 71 Illumination part 91 Determination part 92 Storage part 100 Substrate processing apparatus PA Imaging area SP Discharge judgment area W Substrate

Claims (10)

A chamber for housing the substrate;
A substrate holder for holding the substrate in the chamber;
A cup surrounding the periphery of the substrate holder;
A nozzle for discharging the treatment liquid;
A drive unit that moves the nozzle between a processing position above the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and a standby position outside the cup;
When the processing liquid is ejected from the nozzle at the processing position, the processing liquid is reflected, and when the processing liquid ejection from the nozzle is stopped, the surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder is reflected. An imaging unit for imaging the determination area
A determination unit that determines treatment liquid discharge from the nozzle based on a determination image acquired by the imaging unit imaging the determination region;
With
The determination unit determines that the processing liquid is being ejected from the nozzle when the distribution degree of luminance values of pixels included in the determination image is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and when the distribution degree is larger than the threshold value. It is determined that the processing liquid is not discharged from the nozzle. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1,
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the spread degree is a standard deviation. In the substrate processing apparatus of Claim 1 or Claim 2,
The imaging unit continuously captures the determination region to obtain a plurality of determination images;
The determination unit continuously determines that a processing liquid is being discharged from the nozzle when the dispersion degree is smaller than the threshold value in a predetermined number of determination images among the plurality of determination images. Substrate processing equipment. In the substrate processing apparatus in any one of Claims 1-3,
A pattern is formed in a portion in the chamber that is reflected by the surface of the substrate held by the substrate holding unit and imaged by the imaging unit when the processing liquid discharge from the nozzle is stopped. A substrate processing apparatus. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the pattern is a checkered pattern. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the pattern is a lattice pattern. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 4, wherein
The substrate processing apparatus, wherein the pattern is a striped pattern. A holding step of bringing a substrate to be treated newly into the chamber and holding it in the substrate holding portion;
After a substrate to be newly processed is held by the substrate holding unit, the standby position outside the cup surrounding the periphery of the substrate holding unit is directed to a processing position above the substrate held by the substrate holding unit. A nozzle moving step for moving the nozzle for discharging the processing liquid;
When the processing liquid is ejected from the nozzle at the processing position, the processing liquid is reflected, and when the processing liquid ejection from the nozzle is stopped, the surface of the substrate held by the substrate holder is reflected. An imaging process for imaging the determination area
A determination step of determining discharge of the processing liquid from the nozzle based on a determination image acquired by imaging the determination region in the imaging step;
With
In the determination step, it is determined that the processing liquid is ejected from the nozzle when the distribution degree of the luminance value of the pixel included in the determination image is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, and when the distribution degree is larger than the threshold value. It is determined that the processing liquid is not discharged from the nozzle. The substrate processing method according to claim 8, wherein
The substrate processing method, wherein the spread degree is a standard deviation. In the substrate processing method of Claim 8 or Claim 9,
In the imaging step, the determination area is continuously captured to obtain a plurality of determination images;
In the determination step, it is determined that the processing liquid is being discharged from the nozzle when the dispersion degree is continuously smaller than the threshold value in a predetermined number of determination images among the plurality of determination images. Substrate processing method.

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