JP2021136258A - Substrate processing apparatus and substrate processing method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method, capable of performing an appropriate processing in each characteristic of a substrate.SOLUTION: A substrate processing apparatus comprises: a processing module having a plurality of processing lines for processing a substrate; a transfer mechanism structured by transmitting and receiving the substrate to any one of the plurality of processing lines; a first sensor for detecting at least one of a thickness, a shape, and a material of the substrate; and a control part that determines a selection processing line from the plurality of processing lines on the basis of a detection of the first sensor to control the transfer mechanism so as to transmit and receive the substrate to/from the selection processing line.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 8

Description

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

In recent years, as the integration of semiconductor devices has progressed, the wiring of circuits has become finer and the distance between wirings has become narrower. In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, many types of materials are repeatedly formed on a silicon wafer in the form of a film to form a laminated structure. In order to form this laminated structure, a technique for flattening the surface of the wafer is important. As a means for flattening the surface of such a wafer, a polishing apparatus (also referred to as a chemical mechanical polishing apparatus) that performs chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is widely used.

This chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) apparatus generally includes a polishing table to which a polishing pad is attached, a top ring for holding a wafer, and a nozzle for supplying a polishing liquid onto the polishing pad. While supplying the polishing liquid from the nozzle onto the polishing pad, the wafer is pressed against the polishing pad by the top ring, and the top ring and the polishing table are moved relative to each other to polish the wafer and flatten its surface.

As a substrate processing apparatus, in addition to such a CMP apparatus, an apparatus having a function of cleaning and further drying the polished wafer is known. The substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1 has a plurality of parallel cleaning lines in order to realize high throughput.

JP-A-2018-6549

As described above, in recent years, the integration of semiconductor devices has progressed, and high processing accuracy and high degree of cleaning are required for substrate processing in a substrate processing apparatus. In order to achieve these demands, the substrate processing apparatus is generally designed according to the characteristics of the substrate to be processed, such as thickness, shape, and material. For example, the substrate processing apparatus is designed based on the characteristics of the substrate to which the substrate gripping mechanism such as a chuck or the substrate processing module is processed. In such a substrate processing apparatus, if there is a deviation in the characteristics of the substrate to be processed, it may not be possible to perform appropriate processing. For example, if the shape or dimensions deviate significantly from the assumed substrate, the substrate may not be properly gripped by the gripping mechanism. On the other hand, the characteristics of the substrate vary depending on the application, and the same substrate processing apparatus processes substrates having a plurality of characteristics from the viewpoint of the space for installing the substrate processing apparatus, the cost of the substrate processing apparatus main body, and the maintenance cost thereof. There is a desire to do so.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and one of the objects of the present invention is to propose a substrate processing apparatus and a substrate processing method capable of performing processing suitable for each characteristic of the substrate.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a substrate processing apparatus is proposed, and the substrate processing apparatus transfers a substrate to one of the plurality of processing lines and a processing module having a plurality of processing lines for processing the substrate. A transport mechanism configured to deliver, a first sensor for detecting at least one of the thickness, shape, and material of the substrate, and the plurality of processing lines based on the detection by the first sensor. Among them, a control unit that determines a selection processing line and controls the transfer mechanism so as to deliver the substrate to the selection processing line is provided.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a substrate processing method in a substrate processing apparatus is proposed, and the substrate processing method includes a processing module having a plurality of processing lines for processing the substrate, and the plurality of substrates. The substrate processing method includes a detection step for detecting at least one of the thickness, shape, and material of the substrate, and the detection step. A transfer step of determining a selection processing line from the plurality of processing lines based on the detection by the above and controlling the transfer mechanism so as to transfer the substrate to the selection processing line is included.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a side view of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the cleaning module side. FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the first polishing apparatus according to one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a side view showing a transfer robot (transfer mechanism) according to one embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing a detection module according to one embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing a detection module according to one embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing a detection module according to one embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining the transfer of the wafer in the present embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of holding a wafer in the cleaning module. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of wafer holding in the cleaning module. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of wafer holding in the cleaning module. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example of wafer holding in the cleaning module. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of wafer holding in the cleaning module.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the drawings used are schematic views. Therefore, the size, position, shape, etc. of the illustrated parts may differ from the size, position, shape, etc. in the actual device. Further, in the following description and the drawings used in the following description, the same reference numerals are used for parts that can be configured in the same manner, and duplicate description is omitted.

FIG. 1 is a plan view showing an overall configuration of a substrate processing apparatus according to an embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is a side view of the substrate processing apparatus shown in FIG. 1 as viewed from the cleaning unit side. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the substrate processing apparatus 10 in the present embodiment includes a housing having a substantially rectangular shape in a plan view, and the inside of the housing is cleaned with a load / unload module 11 and a polishing module 12 by a partition wall. It is divided into a module 13 and a transport module 14. The load / unload module 11, the polishing module 12, the cleaning module 13, and the transport module 14 are assembled independently and exhausted independently. Further, the substrate processing apparatus 10 is provided with a control unit 15 (also referred to as a control panel) that controls the operations of the load / unload module 11, the polishing module 12, the cleaning module 13, and the transport module 14. Further, the substrate processing apparatus 10 is provided with a detection module 40 for detecting the characteristics of the wafer W to be processed and the state of the wafer W after processing. In the present embodiment, at least one of the polishing module 12 and the cleaning module 13 corresponds to an example of "a processing module having a plurality of processing lines".

The load / unload module 11 includes a plurality of (four in the illustrated example) front load portions 113 on which a wafer cassette for stocking a large number of wafers (boards) W is placed. These front load portions 113 are arranged adjacent to each other in the width direction (direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction) of the substrate processing apparatus 10. An open cassette, a SMIF (Standard Manufacturing Interface) pod, or a FOUP (Front Opening Applied Pod) can be mounted on the front load unit 113. Here, SMIF and FOUP are closed containers that can maintain an environment independent of the external space by storing the wafer cassette inside and covering it with a partition wall.

Further, in the load / unload module 11, a traveling mechanism 112 is laid along the arrangement direction of the front loading portion 113, and the traveling mechanism 112 can be moved along the arrangement direction of the front loading portion 113 on the traveling mechanism 112. The robot 111 is installed. The transfer robot 111 can access the wafer cassette mounted on the front load portion 113 by moving on the traveling mechanism 112. As an example, the transfer robot 111 includes two upper and lower hands. For example, the upper hand is used when returning the wafer W to the wafer cassette, and the lower hand is used when transferring the wafer W before polishing. You can use it to use the upper and lower hands properly.

The transport module 14 is a region for transporting the wafer before polishing from the load / unload module 11 to the polishing module 12, and is provided so as to extend along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing apparatus 10. As the transfer module 14, for example, a motor drive mechanism using a ball screw or an air cylinder is used.

The polishing module 12 is a region where the wafer W is polished, and includes a first polishing unit (first polishing line) 20A, a second polishing unit (second polishing line) 20B, and a polishing unit transfer mechanism 22. ,have. The first polishing unit 20A has a first polishing device 21a and a second polishing device 21b, and the second polishing unit 20B has a third polishing device 21c and a fourth polishing device 21d. The polishing unit transfer mechanism 22 is arranged so as to be adjacent to each of the transfer module 14, the first polishing unit 20A, and the second polishing unit 20B. The polishing unit transfer mechanism 22 is arranged between the cleaning module 13 and the first polishing unit 20A and the second polishing unit 20B in the width direction of the substrate processing device 10.

The first polishing device 21a, the second polishing device 21b, the third polishing device 21c, and the fourth polishing device 21d are arranged along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing device 10. Since the second polishing device 21b, the third polishing device 21c, and the fourth polishing device 21d have the same configuration as the first polishing device 21a, the first polishing device 21a will be described below.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view schematically showing the first polishing apparatus 21a. The first polishing device 21a has a polishing table 101a to which a polishing pad 102a having a polishing surface is attached, and a top ring for holding the wafer W and polishing the wafer W while pressing the polishing pad 102a on the polishing table 101a. 25a, a polishing liquid supply nozzle 104a for supplying a polishing liquid (also referred to as slurry) or a dressing liquid (for example, pure water) to the polishing pad 102a, and a dresser (non-dresser) for dressing the polished surface of the polishing pad 102a. It has an atomizer (not shown) in which a mixed gas of a liquid (for example, pure water) and a gas (for example, nitrogen gas) or a liquid (for example, pure water) is atomized and injected onto a polishing surface.

The top ring 25a is supported by the top ring shaft 103a. A polishing pad 102a is attached to the upper surface of the polishing table 101a, and the upper surface of the polishing pad 102a constitutes a polishing surface for polishing the wafer W. A fixed whetstone can be used instead of the polishing pad 102a. The top ring 25a and the polishing table 101a are configured to rotate about their axis, as indicated by the arrows in FIG. The wafer W is held on the lower surface of the top ring 25a by vacuum suction. At the time of polishing, the polishing liquid supply nozzle 1
A polishing liquid is supplied from 04a to the polishing surface of the polishing pad 102a, and the wafer W to be polished is pressed against the polishing surface by the top ring 25a to be polished.

In the present embodiment, the first and second polishing devices 21a and 21b in the first polishing unit 20A and the third and fourth polishing devices 21c and 21d in the second polishing unit 20B target wafers W having different characteristics. It is designed. As an example, in the first polishing unit 20A, a polishing pad of the first material is adopted as the polishing pad 102a, and in the second polishing unit 20A, a polishing pad of a second material different from the first material is adopted as the polishing pad 102a. Will be done. The polishing pad of the first material and the polishing pad of the second material are different in material or hardness, for example. As another example, the first polishing unit 20A uses the first polishing liquid, and the second polishing unit 20B uses a second polishing liquid different from the first polishing liquid. As another example, the first polishing unit 20A has a first holding mechanism for holding a wafer having a relatively small first dimension, and the second polishing unit 20B has a second polishing unit 20B larger than the first dimension. It has a second holding mechanism for holding wafers of size. By targeting the wafers W having different characteristics between the first polishing unit 20A and the second polishing unit 20B in this way, it is possible to target the wafers W having a plurality of characteristics. However, instead of such an example, the first and second polishing devices 21a and 21b in the first polishing unit 20A and the third and fourth polishing devices 21c and 21d in the second polishing unit 20B are wafers having the same characteristics. It may be designed for W. Alternatively, instead of or in addition to the above example, the first polishing device 21a and the second polishing device 21b may be designed for the wafer W having different characteristics, or the third polishing device 21c and the fourth polishing device 21c and the fourth. The polishing apparatus 21d may be designed for a wafer W having different characteristics.

With reference to FIG. 1, the top ring 25a of the first polishing device 21a moves between the polishing position and the first substrate transport position TP1 by the swing operation of the top ring head. The wafer W is delivered to the first polishing apparatus 21a at the first substrate transfer position TP1. Similarly, the top rings of the second to fourth polishing devices 21b to 21d move between the polishing position and the second to fourth substrate transport positions TP2 to TP4 by the swing operation of the top ring head, respectively, and the second to second. Wafer transfer to the 4th polishing apparatus 21b to 21d is performed at the 2nd to 4th substrate transfer positions TP2 to TP4.

The polishing unit transfer mechanism 22 has a first transfer unit 24a that transfers the wafer W to the first polishing unit 20A, and a second transfer unit 24b that conveys the wafer W to the second polishing unit 20B. Further, the polishing unit transfer mechanism 22 is arranged between the first transfer unit 24a and the second transfer unit 24b, and transfers the wafer between the transfer module 14 and the first transfer unit 24a and the second transfer unit 24b. It has a transfer robot (convey mechanism) 23 to perform. In the illustrated example, the transfer robot 23 is arranged substantially in the center of the housing of the substrate processing device 10.

FIG. 4 is a side view showing the transfer robot (convey mechanism) 23. As shown in FIG. 4, the transfer robot (convey mechanism) 23 has a reversing mechanism that flips the hand 231 holding the wafer W and the hand 231 upside down (that is, flips the front surface and the back surface of the wafer W). It has a 234, a telescopic arm 232 that supports the wafer W, and a robot body 233 that includes an arm vertical movement mechanism that moves the arm 232 up and down and an arm rotation mechanism that rotates the arm 232 about a vertical axis. doing. The robot body 233 is attached so as to hang from the ceiling frame of the polishing module 12.

In this embodiment, the hand 231 is accessible to the transport module 14. The hand 231 is also accessible to the first transport unit 24a and the second transport unit 24b of the polishing module 12. Therefore, the wafer W continuously transferred from the transfer module 14 to the polishing module 12 is distributed to the first transfer unit 24a and the second transfer unit 24b by the transfer robot 23. The first transport unit 24a transports the wafer W to the first polishing unit 20A, and the second transport unit 24b transports the wafer W to the second polishing unit 20B. Further, the hand 231 is accessible to the cleaning module 13. As a result, the wafers W polished by the first to fourth polishing devices 21a to 21d are transferred from the first transfer units 24a and 24b to the transfer robot 23 again, and subsequently from the transfer robot 23 to the cleaning module 13. Is done.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the cleaning module 13 is a region for cleaning the wafer after polishing, and is a first cleaning unit (first cleaning line) 30a and a second cleaning unit arranged in two upper and lower stages. It has (second cleaning line) 30b. The transport module 14 described above is arranged between the first cleaning unit 30A and the second cleaning unit 30B. Since the first cleaning unit 30A, the transport module 14, and the second cleaning unit 30B are arranged so as to overlap each other in the vertical direction, an advantage that the footprint is small can be obtained.

As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first cleaning unit 30A includes a wafer station 33a, a plurality of (four in the illustrated example) cleaning devices 311a, 312a, 313a, 314a, and a wafer station 33a and each cleaning. It has a cleaning unit transport mechanism 32a for transporting the wafer W between the devices 311a to 314a. The wafer station 33a and the plurality of cleaning devices 311a to 314a are arranged in series along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing device 10. A filter fan unit (not shown) having a clean air filter is provided above each of the cleaning devices 311a to 314a, and clean air from which particles have been removed by the filter fan unit is constantly blown downward. There is. Further, the inside of the first cleaning unit 30A is always maintained at a pressure higher than that of the polishing module 12 in order to prevent the inflow of particles from the polishing module 12.

Similarly, the second cleaning unit 30B is located between the wafer station 33b and a plurality of (four in the illustrated example) cleaning devices 311b, 312b, 313b, 314b, and between the wafer station 33b and the cleaning devices 311b to 314b. It has a cleaning unit transport mechanism 32b for transporting the wafer W at the above. The wafer station 33b and the plurality of cleaning devices 311b to 314b are arranged in series along the longitudinal direction of the substrate processing device 10. A filter fan unit (not shown) having a clean air filter is provided above each of the cleaning devices 311b to 314b, and clean air from which particles have been removed by the filter fan unit is constantly blown downward. There is. Further, the inside of the second cleaning unit 30B is always maintained at a pressure higher than that of the polishing module 12 in order to prevent the inflow of particles from the polishing module 12.

As a cleaning machine for the primary cleaning devices 311a and 311b and the secondary cleaning devices 312a and 312b, for example, roll-shaped sponges arranged vertically are rotated and pressed against the front and back surfaces of the wafer to press the front and back surfaces of the wafer. A roll-type washer for cleaning can be used. Further, as the cleaning machine of the tertiary cleaning devices 313a and 313b, for example, a pencil type cleaning machine that cleans by pressing a hemispherical sponge against the wafer while rotating it can be used. As the cleaning machine of the quaternary cleaning devices 314a and 314b, for example, a pencil type cleaning machine capable of rinsing the back surface of the wafer and pressing the hemispherical sponge while rotating is used for cleaning the front surface of the wafer. be able to. The cleaning machines of the quaternary cleaning devices 314a and 314b are provided with a stage for rotating the chucked wafer at high speed, and have a function (spin drying function) of drying the wafer after cleaning by rotating the wafer at high speed. There is. In the cleaning machines of the cleaning devices 311a to 314a and 311b to 314b, in addition to the roll type cleaning machine and the pencil type cleaning machine described above, a megasonic type cleaning machine that irradiates the cleaning liquid with ultrasonic waves for cleaning is provided. It may be additionally provided.

In the present embodiment, the first cleaning unit 30A and the second cleaning unit 30B are designed for the wafer W having different characteristics. As an example, the first cleaning unit 30A has a chuck (first holding mechanism) for holding a wafer W having a first thickness which is a relatively small thickness, and the second cleaning unit 30B has a second cleaning unit 30B. It has a chuck (second holding mechanism) for holding a second thickness larger than the thickness of 1. As another example, the first cleaning unit 30A uses the first cleaning liquid, and the second cleaning unit 30B uses a second cleaning liquid different from the first cleaning liquid. Further, as another example, the first washing unit 30A uses the first washing machine, and the second washing unit 30B uses the second washing machine. Further, as another example, the first cleaning unit 30A has a first number of cleaning modules, and the second cleaning unit 30B is different from the first number (more than the first number, more than the first number). Has a second number of cleaning modules (less). By targeting the wafers W having different characteristics between the first cleaning unit 30A and the second cleaning unit 30B in this way, it is possible to target the wafers W having a plurality of characteristics. However, instead of such an example, the first cleaning unit 30A and the second cleaning unit 30B may be designed for the wafer W having the same characteristics.

The control unit 15 is provided to control each component of the substrate processing device 10. The control unit 15 may be configured as a microcomputer that includes a CPU, a memory, and the like and realizes a predetermined function by using software, or may be configured as a hardware circuit that performs dedicated arithmetic processing. The control unit 15 of the present embodiment includes a calculation unit 15a, a memory 15b, and a setting unit 15c. The setting unit 15c functions as a user interface and is used to set various setting values (setting information) by an external operation. Specifically, the setting unit 15c includes operation buttons, a touch panel, and the like (not shown), and various setting values set in the setting unit 15c are stored in the memory (storage unit) 15b. As the memory 15b, a ROM, HDD, EEPROM, FeRAM, a non-volatile memory such as a flash memory, and a volatile memory such as RAM are used.

The detection module 40 includes a first sensor 40a for detecting the characteristics of the wafer W. The first sensor 40a can detect the characteristics of the wafer W including at least one of the thickness, shape, and material of the wafer W to be processed. Here, the first sensor 40a may be capable of directly detecting the characteristics of the wafer W, or detects identification information (for example, an identification mark) formed in advance on the wafer W, and based on the identification information, the characteristics of the wafer W. May be able to be determined. That is, identification information corresponding to the characteristics (for example, thickness, shape, material (for example, hydrophilicity / hydrophobicity)) of the wafer W is attached to the wafer W in advance, and the identification information is detected by the first sensor 40a. The characteristics of the wafer W may be determined by. The identification information may be formed at a predetermined position on the wafer W before being carried into the substrate processing apparatus 10. Further, as an example, the detection module 40 includes a second sensor 40b for detecting the state of the wafer W. The second sensor 40b can detect the state of the wafer W including at least one of a polished state, a washed state, and a dried state of the processed wafer W. As an example, the first and second sensors 40a and 40b are fixedly provided on a frame (not shown) in the substrate processing apparatus 10. In the present embodiment, the first sensor 40a and the second sensor 40b are provided separately, but at least a part of the first sensor 40a and the second sensor 40b may be used.

5 to 7 are diagrams schematically showing the detection module 40 according to one embodiment. In the example shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, the wafer W is detected while being supported by the transfer robot 111 of the load / unload module 11. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and the wafer W may be detected at any place in the substrate processing apparatus 10. In the example shown in FIG. 5, the sensor 41 is shown as the sensor in the detection module 40. The sensor 41 includes an optical sensor (laser sensor, infrared sensor, X-ray sensor, etc.) capable of detecting the characteristics or state of the wafer W described above, an image sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, and a contact sensor (mechanical sensor, etc.). , Or various sensors such as a capacitance sensor can be adopted. The sensor 41 corresponds to an example of the first sensor 40a and also to an example of the second sensor 40b.

In the examples shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the sensor 41 is arranged so as to be able to detect the state of the plate surface of the wafer W. In the example shown in FIG. 5, as the sensor 41, a sensor 41a for detecting the first region of the wafer W and a sensor 41b for detecting a second region different from the first region of the wafer W are provided. It is preferable that the first region and the second region are regions in which the distance from the center of the wafer W is different. As an example, the sensors 41a and 41b can measure the thickness of the wafer W by detecting the distance to the plate surface of the wafer W. By using the plurality of sensors 41 in this way, the thickness of the wafer W and the degree of warpage can be measured by the sensors 41. Further, as an example, the sensors 41a and 41b can detect one or more of the polished state, the washed state, and the dried state of the wafer W by imaging the plate surface of the wafer W. The sensor 41 is not limited to the one provided with two sensors 41, and one or three or more sensors may be used. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 6, a single sensor 41c is provided as the sensor 41. The sensor 41c can be moved along the plate surface of the wafer W by a drive mechanism (not shown). By using such a sensor 41c, it is possible to measure the thickness and the degree of warpage of the wafer W, the shape, or the state of the wafer W in a wide range.

In the example shown in FIG. 7, the sensor 41 is arranged so as to be able to detect the edge of the wafer W. As an example, as the sensor 41, an image sensor that images the edge of the wafer W can be adopted. Thereby, the shape of the wafer W can be measured, such as whether the edge of the wafer W has a corner or the edge of the wafer W is rounded.

In the examples shown in FIGS. 5 to 7, it is assumed that the characteristic or state of the wafer W is detected by the sensor 41 in a state where the wafer W is fixed. However, the detection of the wafer W by the sensor 41 may be performed with the movement or rotation of the wafer W. For example, in the examples shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, by rotating the wafer W around the center, the unevenness or strain of the plate surface of the wafer W can be measured. Further, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the edge portion of the entire circumference of the wafer W can be detected by rotating the wafer W around the center.

Subsequently, the operation of the substrate processing apparatus 10 will be described. In the substrate processing apparatus 10, first, the wafer W before polishing is taken out from the wafer cassette of the front load unit 113 by the transfer robot 111 of the load / unload module 11 and delivered to the transfer module 14. At this time, the characteristics of the wafer W are detected by the first sensor 40a in the detection module 40. Subsequently, the wafer W is delivered from the transfer module 14 to the transfer robot 23, and the wafer W is carried from the transfer robot 23 to the first polishing unit 20A or the second polishing unit 20B. In the first or second polishing units 20A and 20B, the wafer W is delivered from the first or second transport units 24a and 24b to the first to fourth polishing devices 21a to 21d. Then, in the first to fourth polishing devices 21a to 21d, the wafer W is attracted and held by the top ring, and is polished by being brought into contact with the polishing pad 102a.

After the polishing of the wafer W is completed, the polished wafer W is delivered from the first polishing devices 21a to 21d to the transfer robot 23 through the first transfer unit 24a or the second transfer unit 24b. Then, the wafer W is delivered from the transfer robot 23 to the first cleaning unit 30A or the second cleaning unit 30B. In the first or second cleaning units 30A and 30B, the primary to quaternary cleaning devices 311a to 314a pass through the wafer stations 33a and 33b.
, 311b to 314b, the wafer W is delivered. Then, the wafer W is cleaned and dried in the primary to quaternary cleaning devices 311a to 314a and 311b to 314b. After the cleaning and drying processing in the cleaning module 13 is completed, the wafer W is taken out from the cleaning module 13 to the load / unload module 11. Then, the state of the wafer W is detected by the second sensor 40b in the detection module 40, and the substrate processing in the substrate processing apparatus 10 is completed. In the present embodiment, the second sensor 40b detects the state of the wafer W after cleaning in the cleaning module 13, but instead of or in addition to this, the wafer W after polishing in the polishing module 12 The condition may be detected.

Here, in the present embodiment, the control unit 15 determines the wafer W of the first polishing unit 20A and the second polishing unit 20B based on the characteristics of the wafer W detected by the first sensor 40a of the detection module 40. Determine the selection processing line to be passed. As an example, the control unit 15 determines the selection processing line by comparing the detected thickness of the wafer W with the threshold value. Further, as an example, the control unit 15 determines the selection processing line based on the detected shape of the wafer W. Further, as an example, the control unit 15 determines the selection processing line based on the detected material of the wafer W.

Further, in the present embodiment, the control unit 15 receives the wafer W of the first cleaning unit 30A and the second cleaning unit 30B based on the characteristics of the wafer W detected by the first sensor 40a of the detection module 40. Determine the selection processing line to pass. Here, the selection processing line in the cleaning module 13 may be determined by the same criteria as the determination of the selection processing line in the polishing module 12, or may be determined by different criteria. As an example, the control unit 15 determines the selection processing line by comparing the detected thickness of the wafer W with the threshold value. Further, as an example, the control unit 15 determines the selection processing line based on the detected shape of the wafer W. Further, as an example, the control unit 15 determines the selection processing line based on the detected material of the wafer W.

8 and 9 are diagrams for explaining the transfer of the wafer in the present embodiment. In FIGS. 8 and 9, the thick solid line indicates the transfer of the wafer W having the first characteristic, and the thick broken line indicates the transfer of the wafer W having the second characteristic different from the first characteristic. In the example shown in FIGS. 8 and 9, the control unit 15 includes the first polishing unit 20A of the polishing module 12 and the first cleaning unit 30A of the cleaning module 13 based on the detection by the detection module 40 (first sensor 40a). Is determined as the selection processing line for the wafer W having the first characteristic. Then, the control unit 15 controls the transfer robot (convey mechanism) 23 so that the wafer W is delivered to the first polishing unit 20A and the first cleaning unit 30A (see the thick solid line). On the other hand, the control unit 15 determines the second polishing unit 20B of the polishing module 12 and the second cleaning unit 30B of the cleaning module 13 as the selection processing line of the wafer W having the second characteristic based on the detection by the detection module 40. doing. Then, the control unit 15 controls the transfer robot 23 so that the wafer W is delivered to the second polishing unit 20B and the second cleaning unit 30B (see the thick broken line). By determining the selection processing line from the plurality of processing lines based on the detection by the first sensor 40a in this way, it is possible to perform processing suitable for each wafer W.

10 to 13 are views showing an example of holding the wafer W in the cleaning module 13. As shown in FIG. 10, the first cleaning unit 30A of the present embodiment has a chuck (first holding mechanism) 32A for holding a wafer W having a first thickness which is a relatively small thickness. The chuck 32A has a plurality of grip portions 32Aa having a first interval L1. The chuck 32A is configured to be able to grip the wafer W located between the plurality of grip portions 32Aa by bringing the plurality of grip portions 32Aa close to each other with a predetermined driving force by a drive mechanism (not shown). Further, as shown in FIG. 11, the second cleaning unit 30B of the present embodiment has a chuck (second holding mechanism) 32B for holding a wafer W having a second thickness larger than the first thickness. Have. The chuck 32B has a plurality of grip portions 32Ba having a second interval L2 larger than the first interval L1. Similar to the chuck 32A, the chuck 32B can grip the wafer W located between the plurality of grip portions 32Ba by bringing the plurality of grip portions 32Ba close to each other with a predetermined driving force by a drive mechanism (not shown). It is configured in.

Such chucks 32A and 32B may not be able to suitably grip a wafer having a thickness different from that of the target wafer. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the chuck 32A cannot grip the wafer W having a thickness larger than the first interval L1 by the grip portion 32Aa. Further, as shown in FIG. 13, when the wafer W having a thickness smaller than the second interval L2 is conveyed, the chuck 32B may grip the wafer W in a state where the plate surface is tilted. Although the chucks 32A and 32B have been described as an example now, regardless of the chucks 32A and 32B, the substrate processing apparatus 10 preferably performs processing when a wafer W having characteristics different from the characteristics of the target wafer is delivered. It may not be possible. On the other hand, in the substrate processing apparatus 10 of the present embodiment, the characteristics of the wafer W are detected by the first sensor 40a, and the control unit 15 selects the processing line from the plurality of processing lines based on the detection by the first sensor 40a. To determine. Then, the control unit 15 controls the transfer robot 23 so that the wafer W is delivered to the selection processing line. As a result, the wafer W can be subjected to a process suitable for each characteristic of the wafer W.

When the detection by the second sensor 40b on the wafer W processed by the processing module does not satisfy the predetermined end condition, the control unit 15 may cause the wafer W to be processed again by the processing module. In this case, the wafer W may be processed on the processing line determined immediately before, or may be processed on a processing line different from the processing line determined immediately before. Further, the characteristics of the wafer W may be detected again by the first sensor 40a, and the processing line may be determined based on the detected characteristics of the wafer W.

(Machine learning for determining selection processing line)
The control unit 15 may perform machine learning to determine the selection processing line. That is, the control unit 15 is a learning model for determining the selection processing line based on the characteristics of the wafer W detected by the first sensor 40a and the state of the processed wafer W detected by the second sensor 40b. (Selection processing line for the characteristics of the wafer W) may be learned. The control unit 15 iteratively executes learning of the learning model according to an arbitrary learning algorithm collectively called machine learning. The control unit 15 acquires the characteristics of the plurality of wafers W, identifies the characteristics of the characteristics of the wafer W, and interprets the correlation. Further, the control unit 15 interprets the correlation of the state of the wafer W after processing when a certain selection processing line is determined with respect to the characteristics of the current wafer W. Then, the control unit 15 optimizes the determination of the selection processing line for the characteristics of the wafer W detected by the first sensor 40a by repeating the learning. As an example, the control unit 15 learns and generates a learning model so that the state of the wafer W after processing is a preferable state. The learned / generated learning model is stored in the memory (storage unit) 15b. For example, the control unit 15 learns and generates a learning model so that the unevenness of the plate surface of the wafer W is small or the amount of foreign matter adhering to the plate surface of the wafer W is small. Further, as an example, the control unit 15 learns and generates a learning model so that the time required for processing the wafer W is shortened. Then, the control unit 15 uses the machine-learned learning model to determine the processing line for delivering the wafer W based on the characteristics of the wafer W by the first sensor 40a. The control unit 15 may determine the abnormality of the wafer W or predict the processing abnormality in the processing module based on the learning model. As an example, when the state of the wafer W after processing detected by the second sensor 40b does not satisfy a predetermined end condition, the control unit 15 determines that there is a processing abnormality in the processing module. Then, it is preferable to train the learning model for predicting the processing abnormality in the processing module based on the detection information by the first sensor 40a before the processing of the wafer W in which the processing abnormality has occurred. Further, when the control unit 15 determines that the wafer W is abnormal based on the characteristics of the wafer W by the first sensor 40a, or predicts a processing abnormality in the processing module, the wafer does not perform processing in the processing module. The processing of W may be terminated, or the abnormality or abnormality prediction may be notified by issuing an alarm or transmitting an abnormality signal to the outside.

(Processing conditions on the selection processing line)
In the above-described embodiment, the control unit 15 determines the selection processing line based on the detection by the first sensor 40a. In addition to this, the control unit 15 further determines the processing conditions of the wafer W in the selection processing line based on the detection by the first sensor 40a, and sets the processing module so that the wafer W is processed under the determined processing conditions. You may control it. The processing conditions of the wafer W in the selection processing line may include the processing time in the selection processing line. The processing conditions include the pressing force between the polishing pad 102a and the wafer W in the polishing module 12, or the pressing force between the cleaning machine (for example, a roll-shaped sponge or a pencil type cleaning machine) and the wafer W in the cleaning module 13. Can be included. Further, the processing conditions may include the strength of the force for holding the wafer W or the speed at which the wafer W is moved / rotated. Further, for example, when the surface of the wafer W is a hydrophilic material, the drying time is set to a relatively long first time, and when the surface of the wafer W is a hydrophobic material, the drying time is set to a second time shorter than the first time. May be. Further, for example, when the surface of the wafer W is a hydrophilic material, the transfer speed of the wafer W is set to a relatively slow first transfer speed or the first rotation speed, and when the surface of the wafer W is a hydrophobic material, the transfer speed of the wafer W is set. The transport speed may be a second transport speed or a second rotation speed that is faster than the first transport speed or the first rotation speed.

(Modification example)
In the above-described embodiment, the substrate processing apparatus 10 includes a polishing module 12 and a cleaning module 13 as processing modules having a plurality of processing lines, and the control unit 15 detects the characteristics of the wafer W by the first sensor 40a. Based on this, the processing line for delivering the wafer W was determined. However, the present invention is not limited to these examples, and the control unit 15 may process the wafer W for at least one of the polishing module 12 and the cleaning module 13 regardless of the characteristics of the wafer W. Further, one of the polishing module 12 and the cleaning module 13 may have a single processing line.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the cleaning module 13 cleans and dries the wafer W, but the substrate processing apparatus 10 dries the wafer W instead of or in addition to the drying in the cleaning module 13. It may be provided with a drying module to allow. In this case, the drying module has a plurality of drying lines, and the control unit 15 determines a selection processing line for passing the wafer W out of the plurality of drying lines based on the detection of the characteristics of the wafer W by the first sensor 40a. You may. Further, in this case, the control unit 15 may process the wafer W for at least one of the polishing module 12, the cleaning module 13, and the drying module regardless of the characteristics of the wafer W. Further, one or two of the polishing module 12, the cleaning module 13 and the drying module may have a single processing line.

The present embodiment described above can also be described as the following embodiment.
[Form 1] According to the first embodiment, a substrate processing apparatus is proposed, and the substrate processing apparatus transfers a substrate to one of the plurality of processing lines and a processing module having a plurality of processing lines for processing the substrate. A transport mechanism configured to deliver, a first sensor for detecting at least one of the thickness, shape, and material of the substrate, and the plurality of processing lines based on the detection by the first sensor. Among them, a control unit that determines a selection processing line and controls the transfer mechanism so as to deliver the substrate to the selection processing line is provided. According to the first embodiment, processing suitable for each characteristic of the substrate can be performed.

[Form 2] According to the second form, in the first form, the first processing line in the plurality of processing lines has a first holding mechanism for holding a substrate having a first thickness, and the plurality of processing lines. The second processing line in the processing line of No. 1 has a second holding mechanism for holding a second thickness larger than the first thickness. According to the second embodiment, the control unit can hold the substrate by a holding mechanism suitable for the thickness of the substrate based on the detection by the first sensor.

[Form 3] According to Form 3, in Form 1 or 2, the substrate processing apparatus includes a cleaning module having a plurality of cleaning lines as the processing module having the plurality of processing lines. According to the third embodiment, cleaning suitable for each characteristic of the substrate can be performed.

[Form 4] According to the fourth form, in the first to third forms, the substrate processing apparatus includes a polishing module having a plurality of polishing lines as the processing module having the plurality of processing lines. According to the fourth embodiment, polishing suitable for each characteristic of the substrate can be performed.

[Form 5] According to Form 5, in Forms 1 to 4, the substrate processing apparatus includes a drying module having a plurality of drying lines as the processing module having the plurality of processing lines. According to the fifth embodiment, drying suitable for each characteristic of the substrate can be performed.

[Form 6] According to Form 6, in Forms 1 to 5, the shape includes a warp of a substrate. According to the sixth embodiment, processing suitable for the substrate can be performed based on the warp of the substrate.

[Form 7] According to Form 7, in Forms 1 to 6, the first sensor detects the edge shape of the substrate. According to the seventh embodiment, processing suitable for the substrate can be performed for each edge shape of the substrate.

[Form 8] According to the eighth aspect, in the first to seventh aspects, the substrate processing apparatus further includes a second sensor for detecting the state of the substrate processed by the processing module, and the control unit is the first. A storage unit is provided in which a learning model constructed by machine learning is stored in order to determine the selection processing line based on the detection by the sensor and the second sensor, and the detection by the first sensor and the second sensor is performed. The learning model is trained by inputting to the learning model, and the selection processing line is determined based on the detection by the first sensor using the learning model. According to the eighth embodiment, it is possible to perform processing suitable for each characteristic of the substrate based on the learning model constructed by machine learning.

[Form 9] According to the ninth aspect, the control unit determines the processing conditions of the substrate in the selection processing line based on the detection by the first sensor, and the processing is performed so that the substrate is processed under the processing conditions. Control the module. According to the ninth aspect, more suitable processing can be performed for each characteristic of the substrate in the selection processing line.

[Form 10] Substrate processing in a substrate processing apparatus including a processing module having a plurality of processing lines for processing a substrate and a transfer mechanism configured to deliver the substrate to any one of the plurality of processing lines. A method has been proposed, wherein the processing method selects a detection step for detecting at least one of the thickness, shape, and material of the substrate, and a selection processing line among the plurality of processing lines based on the detection by the detection step. Includes a transfer step of determining and controlling the transfer mechanism to deliver the substrate to the selection processing line. According to the tenth form, the same effect as that of the first form can be obtained.

Although some embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above-described embodiments of the present invention are for facilitating the understanding of the present invention and do not limit the present invention. The present invention can be modified and improved without departing from the spirit thereof, and it goes without saying that the present invention includes an equivalent thereof. In addition, any combination or omission of the claims and the components described in the specification is possible within the range in which at least a part of the above-mentioned problems can be solved, or in the range in which at least a part of the effect is exhibited. Is.

10 ... Substrate processing device 11 ... Load / unload module 12 ... Polishing module 13 ... Cleaning module 14 ... Conveying module 15 ... Control unit 20A ... First polishing unit (first polishing line)
20B ... 2nd polishing unit (2nd polishing line)
22 ... Polishing part transfer mechanism 23 ... Transfer robot (convey mechanism)
30A ... 1st cleaning unit (1st cleaning line)
30A ... 2nd cleaning unit (2nd cleaning line)
32a, 32b ... Cleaning unit transfer mechanism 33a, 33b ... Wafer station 40 ... Detection module 40a ... First sensor 40b ... Second sensor 41 ... Sensor 32A, 32B ... Chuck (holding mechanism)

Claims (10)

A processing module having multiple processing lines for processing the substrate,
A transport mechanism configured to deliver the substrate to any of the plurality of processing lines.
A first sensor for detecting at least one of the thickness, shape, and material of the substrate, and
A control unit that determines a selection processing line from the plurality of processing lines based on the detection by the first sensor and controls the transfer mechanism so as to deliver the substrate to the selection processing line.
Substrate processing device. The first processing line in the plurality of processing lines has a first holding mechanism for holding a substrate having a first thickness.
The second processing line in the plurality of processing lines has a second holding mechanism for holding a second thickness larger than the first thickness.
The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1. The substrate processing apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the substrate processing apparatus includes a cleaning module having a plurality of cleaning lines as the processing module having the plurality of processing lines. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the substrate processing apparatus includes a polishing module having a plurality of polishing lines as the processing module having the plurality of processing lines. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the substrate processing apparatus includes a drying module having a plurality of drying lines as the processing module having the plurality of processing lines. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the shape includes a warp of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the first sensor detects the edge shape of the substrate. The substrate processing apparatus further includes a second sensor for detecting the state of the substrate processed by the processing module.
The control unit includes a storage unit in which a learning model constructed by machine learning is stored in order to determine the selection processing line based on detection by the first sensor and the second sensor, and the first sensor. The learning model is trained by inputting the detection by the second sensor into the learning model, and the selection processing line is determined based on the detection by the first sensor using the learning model.
The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7. The control unit determines the processing conditions of the substrate in the selection processing line based on the detection by the first sensor, and controls the processing module so that the substrate is processed under the processing conditions. The substrate processing apparatus according to any one of the above. A substrate processing method in a substrate processing apparatus including a processing module having a plurality of processing lines for processing a substrate and a transfer mechanism configured to deliver the substrate to any of the plurality of processing lines. ,
A detection step that detects at least one of the thickness, shape, and material of the substrate.
A transfer step in which a selection processing line is determined from the plurality of processing lines based on the detection by the detection step and the transfer mechanism is controlled so as to transfer the substrate to the selection processing line.
Substrate processing method including.

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