KR20210021524A - Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method and storage medium - Google Patents

Abstract

The coating/development apparatus includes a heating plate configured to allow placement of a wafer to be processed, an elevating mechanism configured to allow the wafer to be disposed on the hot plate, and a support pin supporting the wafer to be lifted, and the rear surface of the wafer so that the wafer is adsorbed to the hot plate. A suction unit that applies a suction force to a plurality of regions, and a controller for estimating warpage information of the wafer based on a pressure change in each of the first pipes of the suction unit as the wafer approaches the hot plate.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method and storage medium

The present disclosure relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a substrate processing method, and a storage medium.

Along with changes in semiconductor processes such as pattern lamination, the demand for coating/development treatment for curved substrates (wafers) is increasing, and the same reliability, productivity, and process performance as flat substrates are required for curved substrates. .

For example, in the substrate processing apparatus described in Patent Document 1, by providing a suction unit that sucks the substrate from the hot plate side and correcting the warpage of the substrate, the same process treatment as the flat substrate can be performed on the curved substrate. have.

Japanese Patent Publication No. 2016-119337

Here, in the conventional method, process processing is performed without grasping the warpage information (amount of warpage and warpage shape, etc.) of the substrate in advance. Accordingly, even when the warpage of the substrate is corrected using, for example, the technique of Patent Document 1 described above, the same reliability, productivity, and process performance as those of a flat substrate have not been achieved.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the present disclosure is to easily grasp the warpage information of the substrate.

A substrate processing apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes an arrangement unit configured to allow a substrate to be processed to be disposed, an elevating unit configured to be able to lift at least one of a substrate and a placement unit so that the substrate is disposed on the placement unit, Based on a plurality of suction portions that impart a suction force to a plurality of regions on the rear surface of the substrate so that the substrate is adsorbed to the placement portion, and a pressure change in each of the plurality of suction portions as the substrate approaches the placement portion. , And a control unit for estimating the warpage information of the substrate.

In the substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure, in a state in which the back surface of the substrate is sucked by the suction unit (the substrate is sucked in the direction of the placement unit), the warpage information of the substrate is obtained based on the pressure change in the suction unit. Is estimated. Here, in the case where the substrate has a curved shape, the timing to be disposed in the placement unit is different in each region. When a certain region of the substrate is close to the placement unit, the pressure measured in the suction unit for applying a suction force to the region changes. In this way, by detecting a pressure change in each suction unit, it is possible to specify a region close to the placement unit among each region of the substrate. By performing detection of such a pressure change for each suction unit, it is possible to estimate the unevenness information (warpage information) of the substrate. In the substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure, it is possible to easily estimate the warpage information of the substrate by using an existing configuration such as a suction unit or an elevation unit. That is, according to the substrate processing apparatus according to the present disclosure, it is possible to easily estimate the warpage information of the substrate.

The lifting unit raises and lowers the substrate so as to bring the substrate closer to the placement unit, and the control unit determines whether the pressure change amount of the suction unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and when the pressure change amount is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, the height of the substrate from the lifting unit Information may be acquired, and the amount of warpage of the substrate may be estimated based on this height information. Thereby, for example, when the distance between the corresponding region of the substrate and the placement unit becomes less than or equal to the predetermined distance (when the pressure change amount in that case is reached), the height information of the substrate is acquired, and the amount of warpage of the substrate is Is estimated. By estimating the amount of warpage of the substrate in this way, it is possible to more accurately estimate the warpage information of the substrate.

The control unit may estimate the warp shape of the substrate according to a difference in timing at which the pressure change amount becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value for each of the plurality of suction units. From the timing at which the pressure change amount becomes more than the specified value, that is, the timing when the separation distance from the placement unit becomes less than or equal to the specified distance, a certain area of the substrate has a shape (concave shape) close to the placement area, and a certain area of the substrate is Whether it is a distant shape (convex shape) can be specified. For this reason, by considering the difference in timing at which the pressure change amount becomes more than a predetermined value, the warp shape (which region is concave and which region is convex) of the substrate can be estimated with high accuracy.

The control unit has a first control for controlling the plurality of suction units so that each of the plurality of suction units applies suction force at different timings, and prior to the first control, the suction force among the plurality of suction units does not interfere with each other. Second control for controlling a plurality of suction units may be performed for each group consisting of two or more suction units which are not. For each suction unit, from the viewpoint of preventing mutual interference, in principle, the suction force is applied at different timings (first control is performed). On the other hand, only such control may take time to estimate warpage. In this regard, prior to the first control, the suction force is applied to each group consisting of two or more suction units that do not mutually interfere with the suction force (the second control is performed), thereby preventing mutual interference of the suction force and the first control. You can estimate approximate warpage information before. By performing detailed estimation of the first control after obtaining the approximate warpage information, it is possible to shorten the estimation time and improve the accuracy.

In the second control, the control unit may have a group different from each other for two suction units that apply suction force to regions adjacent to each other on the rear surface of the substrate. Thereby, mutual interference of the attraction force can be effectively prevented.

The control unit may control the suction unit so as to increase the volume of the suction unit after estimating the amount of warpage of the substrate. Thereby, for example, when estimating the amount of warpage of the substrate, the volume of the suction part is reduced (the suction force is reduced) to make it easier to detect pressure fluctuations during suction (i.e., to estimate the amount of warpage), and then the substrate is adsorbed. When doing so, it becomes possible to appropriately adsorb the substrate by increasing the volume of the suction part (increasing the suction force).

The control unit may determine the suction timing of each of the plurality of suction units based on the warpage information of the substrate, and control the plurality of suction units so that the suction force is applied to the determined suction timing. By applying the suction force by each suction unit at the timing according to the warpage information, it becomes possible to sequentially apply the suction force from the suction unit corresponding to the region where the distance to the placement unit is close. Thereby, the substrate can be quickly sucked without causing a problem of exhaust revolution, which becomes a problem when the application of the suction force is started from the suction part corresponding to the area far from the placement part.

The control unit may determine the suction amount of each of the plurality of suction units based on the warpage information of the substrate, and control the plurality of suction units so that the suction force is applied with the determined suction amount. Thereby, for example, it becomes possible to increase the suction force so that the distance from the placement portion is farther away, and the substrate can be appropriately sucked.

The placement unit is a hot plate that heats the substrate, and the control unit may adjust the temperature distribution in the hot plate based on the warpage information of the substrate. Accordingly, it is possible to appropriately heat according to the distance between the placement portion and the substrate region.

The elevating unit may elevate the substrate so as to bring the substrate closer to the placement unit, and the control unit may control at least one of the elevating amount and the elevating speed of the elevating portion based on the warpage information of the substrate. For a substrate having a curved shape, as in a conventional substrate, when transmission is performed between the lifting unit and the cool arm, interference between the cool arm and the substrate may be a problem. In addition, with respect to a substrate having a curved shape, as in a normal substrate, when the substrate is disposed from the elevating portion to the placement portion, if the substrate is a normal substrate, the bending shape is improved even when the elevating speed is increased rather than the timing of the placement portion. In some cases, the vibrating substrate may contact the placement unit, and thus, an increase in the contact speed of the substrate to the placement unit may be a problem. By controlling the elevating amount and elevating speed of the elevating portion based on this point and the warpage information of the substrate, it is possible to suppress the occurrence of the above-described problem.

A substrate processing method according to another aspect of the present disclosure includes applying a suction force to a plurality of regions of a substrate disposed on the placement unit, and a change in pressure according to the application of the attraction force, which changes as the substrate approaches the placement unit. Based on, it includes estimating the warpage information of the substrate.

A storage medium according to another aspect of the present disclosure is a computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing an apparatus to execute the substrate processing method described above.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to easily grasp the warpage information of the substrate.

1 is a perspective view showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system according to a first embodiment.
FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line II-II in FIG. 1.
3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2.
4 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing an example of a heat treatment unit.
5 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a heat processing unit according to estimation of warpage information of a wafer.
6 is a diagram illustrating an example of formation of an adsorption hole in a hot plate.
7 is a diagram explaining determination of a pressure change.
8 is a hardware configuration diagram of the controller.
9 is a flow chart showing substrate processing.
10 is a flow chart showing rough estimation processing.
11 is a flowchart showing this estimation process.
12 is a flowchart showing the adsorption control process.
13 is a diagram illustrating a problem of a conventional example.
14 is a diagram illustrating a problem of a conventional example.
15 is a diagram illustrating a heat treatment unit according to a second embodiment.
16 is a graph showing the behavior of the hot plate temperature.

[First embodiment]

Hereinafter, a first embodiment will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the description, the same elements or elements having the same function are assigned the same reference numerals, and redundant descriptions are omitted.

<Substrate processing system>

The substrate processing system 1 is a system for forming a photosensitive film, exposing the photosensitive film, and developing the photosensitive film on a substrate. The substrate to be processed is, for example, a semiconductor wafer W. The photosensitive film is, for example, a resist film.

The substrate processing system 1 includes a coating/developing device 2 and an exposure device 3. The exposure apparatus 3 performs exposure processing of the resist film formed on the wafer W. Specifically, energy rays are irradiated to the exposed portion of the resist film by a method such as liquid immersion exposure. The coating/development device 2 performs a treatment of forming a resist film on the surface of the wafer W before exposure treatment by the exposure device 3, and then develops the resist film after the exposure treatment.

(Applying and developing device)

Hereinafter, as an example of the substrate processing apparatus, the configuration of the coating/developing apparatus 2 will be described. 1 to 3, the coating/developing device 2 includes a carrier block 4, a processing block 5, an interface block 6, and a controller 100.

The carrier block 4 introduces the wafer W into the coating/development apparatus 2 and carries out the wafer W from the coating/development apparatus 2. For example, the carrier block 4 can support a plurality of carriers 11 for wafers W, and incorporates a transfer arm A1. The carrier 11 accommodates a plurality of circular wafers W, for example. The transfer arm A1 takes out the wafer W from the carrier 11 and transfers it to the processing block 5, receives the wafer W from the processing block 5 and returns it into the carrier 11.

The processing block 5 has a plurality of processing modules 14, 15, 16, 17. 2 and 3, the processing modules 14, 15, 16, and 17 include a plurality of liquid processing units U1, a plurality of heat processing units U2, and a wafer W with these units. It has a built-in conveying arm (A3) to convey. The processing module 17 further incorporates a direct conveyance arm A6 that conveys the wafer W without passing through the liquid processing unit U1 and the heat processing unit U2. The liquid processing unit U1 applies the processing liquid to the surface of the wafer W. The heat treatment unit U2 includes, for example, a hot plate and a cooling plate, heats the wafer W by the hot plate, and cools the heated wafer W by the cooling plate to perform heat treatment.

The processing module 14 forms a lower layer film on the surface of the wafer W by the liquid processing unit U1 and the heat processing unit U2. The liquid processing unit U1 of the processing module 14 applies a processing liquid for forming an underlayer film onto the wafer W. The heat treatment unit U2 of the treatment module 14 performs various heat treatments accompanying the formation of the lower layer film.

The processing module 15 forms a resist film on the lower layer film by the liquid processing unit U1 and the heat processing unit U2. The liquid processing unit U1 of the processing module 15 applies a processing liquid (coating liquid) for forming a resist film onto the lower layer film. The heat treatment unit U2 of the treatment module 15 performs various heat treatments accompanying the formation of a resist film. Details of the liquid processing unit U1 of the processing module 15 will be described later.

The processing module 16 forms an upper layer film on the resist film by the liquid processing unit U1 and the heat processing unit U2. The liquid processing unit U1 of the processing module 16 applies a processing liquid for forming an upper layer onto the resist film. The heat treatment unit U2 of the treatment module 16 performs various heat treatments accompanying the formation of the upper layer film.

The processing module 17 performs development processing of the resist film after exposure by the liquid processing unit U1 and the heat processing unit U2. The liquid processing unit U1 of the processing module 17 applies a developing treatment liquid (developer) on the surface of the exposed wafer W, and then uses a cleaning treatment liquid (rinse liquid). By washing, the resist film is developed. The thermal processing unit U2 of the processing module 17 performs various thermal processing accompanying development processing. Specific examples of the heat treatment include heat treatment before development treatment (PEB: Post Exposure Bake), heat treatment after development treatment (PB: Post Bake), and the like.

A shelf unit U10 is provided on the carrier block 4 side in the processing block 5. The shelf unit U10 is divided into a plurality of cells arranged in the vertical direction. The lifting arm A7 is provided in the vicinity of the shelf unit U10. The lifting arm A7 raises and lowers the wafer W between the cells of the shelf unit U10. A shelf unit U11 is provided on the interface block 6 side in the processing block 5. The shelf unit U11 is divided into a plurality of cells arranged in the vertical direction.

The interface block 6 transfers the wafer W to and from the exposure apparatus 3. For example, the interface block 6 incorporates the transmission arm A8 and is connected to the exposure apparatus 3. The transfer arm A8 transfers the wafer W arranged on the shelf unit U11 to the exposure apparatus 3, receives the wafer W from the exposure apparatus 3, and returns it to the shelf unit U11. .

The controller 100 controls the coating/development device 2 so as to execute the coating/development processing in the following order, for example.

First, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A1 to transfer the wafer W in the carrier 11 to the shelf unit U10, and places the wafer W in the cell for the processing module 14. The lifting arm (A7) is controlled so as to be performed.

Subsequently, the controller 100 controls the conveyance arm A3 to convey the wafer W of the shelf unit U10 to the liquid processing unit U1 and the heat processing unit U2 in the processing module 14, and this The liquid processing unit U1 and the thermal processing unit U2 are controlled to form an underlayer film on the surface of the wafer W. After that, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 to return the wafer W with the lower layer film formed thereon to the shelf unit U10, and arranges the wafer W in the cell for the processing module 15. It controls the lifting arm A7.

Subsequently, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 to transfer the wafer W of the shelf unit U10 to the liquid processing unit U1 and the heat processing unit U2 in the processing module 15, and this The liquid processing unit U1 and the thermal processing unit U2 are controlled to form a resist film on the lower layer film of the wafer W. After that, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 so as to return the wafer W to the shelf unit U10, and the lifting arm A3 so as to place the wafer W in the cell for the processing module 16. Control A7).

Next, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 to transfer the wafer W of the shelf unit U10 to each unit in the processing module 16, and deposits an upper layer film on the resist film of the wafer W. The liquid processing unit U1 and the heat processing unit U2 are controlled to form. Thereafter, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 to return the wafer W to the shelf unit U10, and the lifting arm () to place the wafer W in the cell for the processing module 17. Control A7).

Subsequently, the controller 100 directly controls the transfer arm A6 to transfer the wafer W of the shelf unit U10 to the shelf unit U11, and sends the wafer W to the exposure apparatus 3. Control the delivery arm (A8). After that, the controller 100 controls the delivery arm A8 so as to receive the wafer W subjected to exposure processing from the exposure apparatus 3 and return it to the shelf unit U11.

Next, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 to transfer the wafer W of the shelf unit U11 to each unit in the processing module 17, and develops the resist film of the wafer W. The liquid processing unit U1 and the heat processing unit U2 are controlled to perform. After that, the controller 100 controls the transfer arm A3 to return the wafer W to the shelf unit U10, and transfers the lifting arm A7 and transfer to return the wafer W into the carrier 11. Control arm (A1). The coating/development treatment is thus completed.

In addition, the specific configuration of the substrate processing device is not limited to the configuration of the coating/developing device 2 illustrated above. The substrate processing apparatus may be any as long as it has a liquid processing unit U1 for film formation (liquid processing unit U1 of the processing modules 14, 15, 16) and a controller 100 capable of controlling the same. .

<Heat treatment unit>

Next, the heat treatment unit U2 of the treatment module 15 will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. 4 to 8. As shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the heat treatment unit U2 includes a housing 90, a temperature adjustment mechanism 50, a heating mechanism 30, a suction unit 70 (see Fig. 5), and It has a controller 100 (control unit). In addition, in FIGS. 4 and 5, all of the configurations of a part of the heat treatment unit U2 are shown, and not all of the configurations of the heat treatment unit U2 are shown.

The housing 90 is a processing container accommodating the heating mechanism 30 and the temperature adjustment mechanism 50. A carrying port 91 for the wafer W is opened in the side wall of the housing 90. In addition, in the housing 90, a bottom plate 92 is provided that divides the inside of the housing 90 into an upper region, which is a moving region of the wafer W, and a lower region.

The temperature adjustment mechanism 50 transfers (transports) the wafer W between the hot plate 34 and the external transfer arm A3 (see Fig. 3), and determines the temperature of the wafer W. It is a configuration that is adjusted by temperature. The temperature adjustment mechanism 50 has a temperature adjustment plate 51 and a connection bracket 52.

The temperature adjustment plate 51 is a plate that adjusts the temperature of the placed wafers W, and in detail, the wafer W heated by the hot plate 34 of the heating mechanism 30 is placed and the wafer ( It is a cool plate that cools W) to a set temperature. In this embodiment, the temperature adjustment plate 51 is formed in a substantially disk shape. The temperature adjustment plate 51 is made of, for example, a metal such as aluminum, silver, or copper having high thermal conductivity, and may be made of the same material from the viewpoint of preventing deformation due to heat. A cooling flow path (not shown) for passing cooling water and/or cooling gas is formed inside the temperature control plate 51.

The connection bracket 52 is connected to the temperature adjustment plate 51 and is driven by a drive mechanism 53 controlled by the controller 100 to move inside the housing 90. More specifically, the connection bracket 52 is movable along a guide rail (not shown) extending from the carrying-in port 91 of the housing 90 to the vicinity of the heating mechanism 30. By moving the connecting bracket 52 along a guide rail (not shown), the temperature adjustment plate 51 is movable from the carrying inlet 91 to the heating mechanism 30. The connection bracket 52 is made of, for example, a metal such as aluminum, silver, or copper having high thermal conductivity.

The heating mechanism 30 is configured to heat-process the wafer W. The heating mechanism 30 includes a support base 31, a top plate portion 32, an elevating mechanism 33, a support pin 35, an elevating mechanism 36 (elevating portion), and a hot plate 34 (arrangement Wealth).

The support base 31 is a member having a cylindrical shape in which a concave portion is formed in a central portion. The support 31 supports the hot plate 34. The top plate portion 32 is a disk-shaped member having a diameter equal to that of the support table 31. The top plate portion 32 faces the support base 31 through a gap, while being supported by the ceiling portion of the housing 90, for example. An exhaust duct 37 is connected to the upper part of the top plate 32. The exhaust duct 37 exhausts the chamber.

The elevating mechanism 33 is configured to elevate and lower the top plate 32 under the control of the controller 100. When the top plate portion 32 is raised by the lifting mechanism 33, the chamber, which is a space for heating the wafer W, is opened, and when the top plate portion 32 is lowered, the chamber is closed.

The support pin 35 is a member that extends so as to penetrate the support base 31 and the hot plate 34 and supports the wafer W from below. The support pin 35 moves up and down in the vertical direction to arrange the wafer W at a predetermined position. The support pin 35 is a configuration for transferring the wafer W between the temperature control plate 51 that carries the wafer W. Three support pins 35 are provided at equal intervals in the circumferential direction, for example. The elevating mechanism 36 is a configuration in which the support pin 35 is elevated under control of the controller 100. The lifting mechanism 36 brings the wafer W closer to the hot plate 34 and the wafer W is disposed on the hot plate 34, so that the wafer W (in detail, a support for supporting the wafer W) is It is comprised so that the pin 35 can be raised and lowered.

The hot plate 34 is fitted to the concave portion of the support base 31 and is configured to be capable of disposing the wafer W as a processing target, and heats the disposed wafer W. The hot plate 34 has a heater for heating the wafer W. The heater is constituted by, for example, a resistance heating element. In the hot plate 34, first adsorption holes 34a to 34c and second adsorption holes 34d to 34f penetrating in the thickness direction are formed. The first adsorption holes 34a to 34c and the second adsorption holes 34d to 34f will be described with reference to FIG. 6 as well.

As shown in FIG. 6, four first adsorption holes 34a are formed on the circumference of a circle centered on the center of the hot plate 34 at equal intervals. Eight first adsorption holes 34b are formed at equal intervals on the circumference of a circle formed outside the circle in the shape of a circle representing the formation region of the first suction hole 34a. Twelve first adsorption holes 34c are formed at equal intervals on the circumference of a circle formed outside the circle in a concentric shape with a circle representing the formation region of the first adsorption hole 34b. Further, the second adsorption holes 34d are formed at positions corresponding to each of the first adsorption holes 34a (in detail, inside the first adsorption holes 34a). The second adsorption holes 34e are formed at positions corresponding to each of the first adsorption holes 34b (in detail, inside the first adsorption holes 34b). The second adsorption holes 34f are formed at positions corresponding to each of the first adsorption holes 34c (in detail, inside the first adsorption holes 34c). The first adsorption holes 34a to 34c and the second adsorption holes 34d to 34f are formed in a region opposite to the rear surface of the wafer W while the wafer W is disposed on the hot plate 34 Has been.

The first adsorption holes 34a to 34c are selected when applying the suction force from the suction unit 70 to the wafer W in order to correct (flatten) the wafer W having a warp shape. It's Hall (detailed later). The second suction holes 34d to 34f are suction holes selected when applying the suction force from the suction unit 70 to the wafer W in order to estimate the warp shape of the wafer W (details will be described later. ). The hole diameters of the first adsorption holes 34a to 34c are larger than the hole diameters of the second adsorption holes 34d to 34f. The hole diameters of the first adsorption holes 34a to 34c are, for example, φ1 mm to 5 mm, and the hole diameters of the second adsorption holes 34d to 34f are, for example, 0.5 mm to 1 mm. By making the hole diameters of the first suction holes 34a to 34c relatively large, it becomes possible to impart a strong suction force to the wafer W, and the warpage can be properly corrected. By making the hole diameter of the second suction holes 34d to 34f relatively small, a suction force that is not too strong is applied to the wafer W, and the original shape of the wafer W is estimated without correcting the shape of the wafer W. It becomes possible. In addition, by reducing the hole diameter of the second adsorption holes 34d to 34f, when detecting a pressure change in the estimation step (detailed later), a small pressure change is sensitively detected, and the detection speed (reaction speed of the sensor ) Can be done quickly.

The suction part 70 imparts a suction force to a plurality of regions on the rear surface of the wafer W so that the wafer W is sucked by the hot plate 34. The suction part 70 imparts a suction force to the back surface of the wafer W through the first suction holes 34a to 34c or the second suction holes 34d to 34f. As shown in Fig. 5, the suction unit 70 includes a suction unit 71, a first pipe 72a to 72c, a pressure sensor 73a to 73c, a valve 74a to 74c, and a second pipe. (75d ~ 75f).

The suction means 71 is a mechanism that sucks up gas by the action of pressure. The first pipes 72a to 72c have one end connected to the suction means 71, and the other end of the first pipes 72a to 34c passes through the first suction holes 34a to 34c, and the upper end of the first suction holes 34a to 34c ( It has reached to the portion facing the wafer W). That is, the first pipe 72a extends so as to contact the upper end of the suction means 71 and the first suction hole 34a, and the first pipe 72b is the suction means 71 and the first suction hole 34b. ), and the first pipe 72c extends so as to contact the upper end of the suction means 71 and the first suction hole 34c. In addition, the first pipes 72a to 72c are configured in which the other end extends only to the inlet (lower end) of the first suction holes 34a to 34c (the first pipes in the first suction holes 34a to 34c). (Configuration in which 72a to 72c) has not passed) may be used.

The pressure sensors 73a to 73c are provided corresponding to the first pipes 72a to 72c, and detect (measure) the pressure in the first pipes 72a to 72c. That is, the pressure sensor 73a is provided in the first pipe 72a, the pressure sensor 73b is provided in the first pipe 72b, and the pressure sensor 73c is provided in the first pipe 72c. The pressure sensors 73a to 73c transmit the detected pressure value to the controller 100.

The valves 74a to 74c are provided corresponding to the first pipes 72a to 72c, and open and close the flow path in the first pipes 72a to 72c. Second pipes 75d to 75f are connected to the valves 74a to 74c. That is, the valve 74a is provided in the first pipe 72a and the second pipe 75d is connected, and the valve 74b is provided in the first pipe 72b, and the second pipe 75e is It is connected, and the valve 74c is provided in the 1st pipe 72c, and the 2nd pipe 75f is connected. In the valves 74a to 74c, the flow path to the second pipe (75d to 75f) is closed, and the flow path to the first pipe (72a to 72c) is opened, thereby processing through the first adsorption holes 34a to 34c. The gas in the container 21 is sucked up toward the suction means 71. In addition, in the valves 74a to 74c, the flow path toward the first pipes 72a to 72c is closed, and the flow path toward the second pipes 75d to 75f is opened, thereby interposing the second suction holes 34d to 34f. Thus, the gas in the processing container 21 is sucked up toward the suction means 71. Further, by adjusting the degree of opening of the valves 74a to 74c, the amount of gas drawn to the suction means 71 is adjusted. The opening and closing of the valves 74a to 74c and adjustment of the degree of opening are controlled by the controller 100.

The second pipes 75d to 75f have one end connected to the valves 74a to 74c, and the other end of the second pipes 75d to 34f passing through the second suction holes 34d to 34f, and the upper end of the second suction holes 34d to 34f. (The part facing the wafer (W)) is reached. That is, the second pipe 75d extends to contact the upper ends of the valve 74a and the second suction hole 34d, and the second pipe 75e is formed of the valve 74b and the second suction hole 34e. It extends so as to contact the upper end, and the second pipe 75f extends to contact the upper end of the valve 74c and the second suction hole 34f. In addition, the second pipes 75d to 75f have a configuration in which the other end extends only to the inlet (lower end) of the second suction holes 34d to 34f (the second pipes in the second suction holes 34d to 34f). (Configuration in which 75d to 75f) does not pass) may be used.

As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the controller 100 is a chamber opening/closing control unit 101, a support pin lifting control unit 102, a plate movement control unit 103, and a pressure determination unit 104 as functional modules. ), a deflection estimation unit 105, and a valve control unit 106.

The chamber opening/closing control unit 101 controls the lifting mechanism 33 so that the chamber is opened and closed by the lifting of the top plate 32.

The support pin elevating control unit 102 provides the elevating mechanism 36 so that the wafer W is transferred between the temperature adjustment plate 51 and the support pin 35 by raising and lowering the support pin 35. Control. In addition, the support pin elevating control unit 102 includes the elevating mechanism 36 so that the support pin 35 supporting the wafer W descends and the wafer W is disposed on the hot plate 34 from the support pin 35. Control. Further, the support pin lifting control unit 102 controls the lifting amount and the lifting speed of the lifting mechanism 36 based on the warpage information of the wafer W estimated by the warping estimating part 105 to be described later. For example, the support pin elevating control unit 102 controls the elevating amount of the elevating mechanism 36 so that the seating position on the hot plate 34 is appropriate by acquiring warpage information of the wafer W in advance.

The plate movement control unit 103 controls the drive mechanism 53 so that the temperature adjustment plate 51 moves inside the housing 90.

The pressure determination unit 104 determines the value of the pressure in the suction unit 70 (in detail, the first pipes 72a to 72c) that changes as the wafer W approaches the hot plate 34. It is acquired from the sensors 73a to 73c, and it is determined whether or not the pressure change amount has reached a predetermined value or more. Further, the determination by the pressure determination unit 104 is performed when a process of estimating the warpage information of the wafer W is performed. In addition, when the determination by the pressure determination unit 104 is performed, the valve control unit 106, which will be described later, passes the second pipes 75d to 75f passing through the second suction holes 34d to 34f to the wafer ( The valves 74a to 74c are controlled so that the suction of W) is performed.

Fig. 7 shows an example of determination of the amount of pressure change for each of the second adsorption holes 34d to 34f, the horizontal axis represents the falling distance (1/height) of the wafer W, and the vertical axis represents the acquired pressure. In the example shown in FIG. 7, when the descent distance reaches a predetermined value, suction is started (VAC-on in FIG. 7), and thereafter, the pressure change amount is small (the pressure is constant at a value near'-20 kPa'). ) Continues. In this state, the pressure determination unit 104 does not determine that "the amount of pressure change has become more than a predetermined value". Thereafter, when the wafer W is further lowered, the pressure value changes significantly at a certain timing, so the pressure determination unit 104 determines that the'pressure change amount has become more than a predetermined value' at this timing. In the example shown in FIG. 7, in the step where the descent distance is the smallest, the pressure change amount in the first pipe 72a corresponding to the second adsorption hole 34d becomes more than a predetermined value, and then in the step where the descent distance is small. , In the first pipe 72b corresponding to the second adsorption hole 34e, the pressure change amount becomes greater than or equal to a predetermined value, and at the stage with the largest drop distance, the first pipe corresponding to the second adsorption hole 34f ( In 72c), the pressure change amount is more than the predetermined value. The point where the pressure value changes significantly (the point where the pressure change amount becomes more than the predetermined value) indicates that the area of the corresponding wafer W is close to the second suction holes 34d to 34f being measured. , By the determination of the pressure determination unit 104, it is possible to specify which region of the wafer W is likely to be close to the hot plate 34 (that is, whether it is concave toward the hot plate 34).

The warpage estimation unit 105 estimates warpage information of the wafer W based on the determination result of the pressure determination unit 104. When it is determined by the pressure determination unit 104 that the amount of pressure change is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the warpage estimating unit 105 acquires height information of the wafer W from the lifting mechanism 36, and uses this height information. Based on this, the amount of warpage of the wafer W is estimated. The warpage estimating unit 105 acquires, for example, height information (normal height information) of the wafer W when the pressure change amount exceeds a predetermined value with respect to the flat wafer W. By comparing with the normal height information, the amount of warpage in the region to be estimated for warpage in the wafer W is estimated. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 7, when it is determined that the amount of pressure change in the first pipe 72b corresponding to the second suction hole 34e is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the deflection estimating unit 105, The height information of the wafer W at the timing when the pressure change amount becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value is acquired from the lifting mechanism 36. Then, the warpage estimating unit 105 compares the obtained height information with the above-described normal height information, so that the area of the wafer W corresponding to the second suction hole 34e is compared with the flat wafer W. Thus, it is possible to estimate how concave (or protruding), that is, what amount of warpage.

In addition, the warpage estimating unit 105, for each of the pressure sensors 73a to 73c of the first pipes 72a to 72c corresponding to the plurality of second adsorption holes 34d to 34f, the amount of pressure change is greater than or equal to a predetermined value. According to the difference in timing, the warp shape of the wafer W is estimated. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 7, the drop distance of the wafer W gradually increases (the wafer W approaches the hot plate 34), and the second adsorption hole 34d at the stage with the smallest drop distance. In the step in which the pressure change amount in the first pipe 72a corresponding to the value becomes more than a predetermined value, and then the drop distance is small, the pressure change amount in the first pipe 72b corresponding to the second suction hole 34e At the stage in which it becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value and has the largest drop distance, the amount of pressure change in the first pipe 72c corresponding to the second adsorption hole 34f is equal to or greater than the predetermined value. In this case, the warpage estimating unit 105 is the area of the wafer W corresponding to the center second suction hole 34d shown in FIG. 5 is closest to the hot plate 34 (concave), and It can be estimated that the region of the wafer W corresponding to the second adsorption hole 34f is the farthest from the hot plate 34, that is, a concave wafer W concave toward the center.

The valve control unit 106 controls the valves 74a to 74c so that the suction force is applied to a plurality of regions on the rear surface of the wafer W. The valve control unit 106 is a control for estimating warpage, which is a control based on estimation of warpage information of the wafer W, and a control for adsorbing the wafer W to the hot plate 34 by correcting the warpage of the wafer W after the warpage estimation control. Phosphorus adsorption control is performed. In the case of performing the warpage estimation control, the valve control unit 106, the valves 74a to 74c so that the amount of suction is smaller than that in the case of performing the suction control, specifically, so that the amount of suction is such that the warpage correction of the wafer W is not performed. Adjust the openness of ). The valve control unit 106 controls the suction part 70 to increase the volume of the suction part 70 after estimating the amount of warpage of the wafer W in the warpage estimation control. That is, the valve control unit 106 sucks the gas in the processing container 21 through the second pipes 75d to 75f corresponding to the second adsorption holes 34d to 34f, for example, in the warpage estimation control. The valves 74a to 74c are adjusted so that this is performed, and in subsequent suction control, the first suction holes 34a to 34c corresponding to the first suction holes 34a to 34c having a larger hole diameter than the second suction holes 34d to 34f The valves 74a to 74c are adjusted so that gas in the processing container 21 is sucked through the pipes 72a to 72c. Thereby, after the warpage amount of the wafer W is estimated, the volume of the suction portion 70 can be increased. Further, the valve control unit 106 may increase the volume of the suction unit 70 by switching the path to a pipe thicker than at the time of the bending estimation control, for example, after the bending estimation control.

When performing the warpage estimation control, the valve control unit 106 so that the gas in the processing container 21 is sucked through the second pipes 75d to 75f corresponding to the second adsorption holes 34d to 34f, Adjust valves 74a to 74c. As the deflection estimation control, the valve control unit 106 first performs rough estimation control (first control), and then performs main estimation control (second control). In the approximate estimation control, the valve control unit 106 includes two or more second pipes that do not cause mutual interference of the suction force among the second pipes 75d to 75f corresponding to the plurality of second suction holes 34d to 34f. For each group consisting of 75d to 75f), the valves 74a to 74c are controlled so that a suction force is applied. In rough estimation control, the valve control unit 106 provides, for example, two second pipes 75d to 75f (corresponding second suction powers) that apply suction to regions adjacent to each other on the back surface of the wafer W. The second pipes 75d to 75f to which the holes 34d to 34f are adjacent are made into different groups. In this estimation control, the valve control unit 106 is configured such that each of the second pipes 75d to 75f corresponding to the plurality of second suction holes 34d to 34f applies suction force at different timings. 74a ~ 74c) are controlled. That is, in this estimation control, only one of the plurality of valves 74a to 74c is opened, and the other valves are closed.

In the case of performing suction control, the valve control unit 106 includes first pipes 72a to corresponding to the plurality of first suction holes 34a to 34c based on the estimation result of the warpage information by the warp estimating unit 105. The timing of the suction via 72c) is determined, and the valves 74a to 74c are controlled so that the suction force is applied at the determined suction timing. For example, assume that the warp estimation unit 105 determines that the wafer W has a concave shape that is concave toward the center as in the example shown in FIG. 5. In this case, the valve control unit 106 controls the valves 74a to 74c so as to sequentially apply the suction force by the suction unit 70 from the region of the wafer W where the distance to the hot plate 34 is short. Control. That is, the valve control unit 106 first, the valves 74a ~ so that gas is sucked from only the first pipe 72a corresponding to the central first suction hole 34a with the shortest distance from the hot plate 34. 74c) (only the valve 74a is open; the valves 74b and 74c are closed), and then, the outer first suction hole 34a with the next shorter distance to the hot plate 34 1 Control the valves 74a to 74c so that gas is also sucked from the first pipe 72b corresponding to the adsorption hole 34b (the valve 74a and the valve 74b are opened, and the valve 74c) Closed state), and finally, gas is also sucked from the first pipe 72c corresponding to the first adsorption hole 34c outside the first adsorption hole 34b, which has the longest distance from the hot plate 34. The valves 74a to 74c are controlled so that this is done (the valves 74a to 74c are opened).

In the case of performing suction control, the valve control unit 106 includes first pipes 72a to corresponding to the plurality of first suction holes 34a to 34c based on the estimation result of the warpage information by the warp estimating unit 105. The valves 74a to 74c are controlled so that the suction amount of suction through 72c) is determined, and the suction force is applied at the determined suction amount. For example, assume that the warp estimation unit 105 determines that the wafer W has a concave shape that is concave toward the center as in the example supported in FIG. 5. In this case, the valve control unit 106 opens the valves 74a to 74c so that the amount of suction by the suction unit 70 increases as the distance to the hot plate 34 in the wafer W increases. Adjust the degree. That is, the valve control unit 106 has the largest suction amount in the first pipe 72a corresponding to the first suction hole 34a, which has the longest distance from the heating plate 34, and The suction amount in the first pipe 75b corresponding to the first suction hole 34b with the next longest distance increases next, and the first suction hole 34c with the shortest distance from the hot plate 34 The opening degrees of the valves 74a to 74c are adjusted so that the suction amount in the corresponding first pipe 75c becomes the smallest.

The controller 100 is configured by one or a plurality of control computers. For example, the controller 100 has a circuit 120 shown in FIG. 13. The circuit 120 includes one or more processors 121, a memory 122, a storage 123, an input/output port 124, and a timer 125.

The input/output port 124 inputs and outputs an electric signal between the lifting mechanism 33, the lifting mechanism 36, the drive mechanism 53, the pressure sensors 73a to 73c, and the valves 74a to 74c. The timer 125 measures the elapsed time, for example, by counting a reference pulse of a fixed period. The storage 123 has a computer-readable recording medium, such as a hard disk. The recording medium records a program for executing the substrate processing procedure described later. The recording medium may be a removable medium such as a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, and an optical disk. The memory 122 temporarily records a program loaded from a recording medium of the storage 123 and an operation result by the processor 121. The processor 121 configures each of the above-described functional modules by executing the program in cooperation with the memory 122.

In addition, the hardware configuration of the controller 100 is not necessarily limited to configuring each function module by a program. For example, each functional module of the controller 100 may be constituted by a dedicated logic circuit or an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) incorporating the same.

<Substrate processing procedure>

Next, as an example of the substrate processing method, a substrate processing procedure performed by the thermal processing unit U2 under control of the controller 100 will be described with reference to FIGS. 9 to 12.

The flowchart of FIG. 9 shows the processing procedure of the warpage estimation control and the adsorption control after the warpage estimation control. As shown in Fig. 9, first, the controller 100 performs rough estimation control (first control) during the warpage estimation control (step S1). Next, the controller 100 performs main estimation control (second control) during the warpage estimation control (step S2). After the warpage estimation control, the controller 100 performs adsorption control (step S3). For example, when processing is performed in units of lots, the processing (estimation processing) of steps S1 and S2 is performed only for the first wafer W, and the adsorption of step S3 for the subsequent wafers W. Only control may be performed. In addition, the controller 100 is a process of correcting the lifting amount and the lifting speed of the lifting mechanism 36 based on the warpage information of the wafer W before performing the adsorption control (before step S3). You may do. Hereinafter, the rough estimation control, the estimation control, and the adsorption control will be described with reference to Figs. 10 to 12.

(Approximate order of estimation)

10 is a flow chart showing rough estimation processing. As shown in Fig. 10, in the approximate estimation control, the controller 100 first controls the lifting mechanism 36 so that the lowering of the support pin 35 supporting the wafer W is started (step S11 )), and control the valves 74a to 74c so that suction is started for each group (group of the second pipes 74d to 75f corresponding to the second suction holes 34d to 34f that simultaneously impart suction power) (Step S12). The controller 100 controls the valves 74a to 74c so that suction in the second pipes 75d to 75f belonging to different groups is not simultaneously performed.

Subsequently, the controller 100 acquires the value of the pressure from the pressure sensors 73a to 73c (step S13), and checks whether there is a pressure value fluctuation (in detail, whether the pressure change amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value). It is determined (step S14). When it is determined in S14 that there is no change in the pressure value, the process of S13 is performed again. On the other hand, when it is determined in S14 that there is a pressure value fluctuation, the controller 100 specifies the second adsorption holes 34d to 34f of the group determined to have a pressure value fluctuation, and further from the lifting mechanism 36 , The height information (position) of the wafer W at the timing when the pressure change amount becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined value is acquired (step S15). Subsequently, the controller 100 controls the lifting mechanism 36 so that the lowering of the support pin 35 is terminated (step S16), and the second pipes 75d to 75d belonging to the group determined that there is a pressure value fluctuation. The valves 74a to 74c are controlled so that suction via 75f) is terminated (step S17).

Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the determination of the pressure value fluctuation has been completed for all groups (step S18). When it is determined in S18 that it is not finished, the controller 100 executes the processing after S12 again for each group before the pressure value fluctuation determination. On the other hand, when it is determined that it is finished in S18, the controller 100, based on the acquired height information (distance from the hot plate 34) of each region of the wafer W, the warpage information of the wafer W Is estimated (step S19). In the rough estimation control, since the warpage information is estimated from the determination of the pressure value fluctuation in the group unit, the estimation system is inferior to the estimation of the warpage information in this estimation described later.

(This estimation sequence)

11 is a flowchart showing this estimation process. As shown in FIG. 11, in this estimation control, the controller 100 first controls the lifting mechanism 36 so that the lowering of the support pin 35 supporting the wafer W is started (step S31 )), the valves 74a to 74c are controlled so that suction is started for each of the second pipes 75d to 75f corresponding to the respective second suction holes 34d to 34f (step S33). The controller 100 controls the valves 74a to 74c so that suction of the plurality of second suction holes 34d to 34f is not simultaneously performed.

Subsequently, the controller 100 acquires the value of the pressure from the pressure sensors 73a to 73c (step S33), and checks whether there is a pressure value fluctuation (in detail, whether the pressure change amount is greater than or equal to a predetermined value). It is determined (step S34). When it is determined in S34 that there is no change in the pressure value, the process of S33 is performed again.

On the other hand, when it is determined that there is a pressure value fluctuation in S34, the controller 100 controls the lifting mechanism 36 so that the lowering of the support pin 35 is terminated (step S35), and the pressure fluctuation is The valves 74a to 74c are controlled so that suction through the second pipes 75d to 75f corresponding to the second adsorption holes 34d to 34f determined to be terminated (step S36). Then, the controller 100 acquires height information (position) of the wafer W at the timing when the pressure change amount becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value from the lifting mechanism 36 (step S37).

Next, the controller 100 determines whether or not the determination of the pressure value fluctuation has been completed for all the second adsorption holes 34d to 34f (step S38). When it is determined in S38 that it is not finished, the controller 100 executes the processing after S31 again with respect to each of the second adsorption holes 34d to 34f before the pressure fluctuation determination. On the other hand, when it is determined that it is finished in S38, the controller 100, based on the acquired height information (distance from the hot plate 34) of each region of the wafer W, the warpage information of the wafer W Is estimated (step S39).

In addition, in the wafer W, the central region is usually supported by the support pin 35. For this reason, in the case where the wafer W is a convex wafer having a convex curvature toward the center, it is possible to determine the pressure fluctuation (that is, acquisition of height information) with respect to all the second suction holes 34d to 34f. On the other hand, in the case where the wafer W is a concave wafer that is concave toward the center, it is assumed that the determination of the pressure fluctuation is not completed with respect to the region of the outer circumference, and the wafer W is disposed on the hot plate 34. Even in this case, it is possible to estimate warpage information that at least the wafer W is concave.

(Suction control sequence)

12 is a flowchart showing the adsorption control process. As shown in Fig. 12, in the adsorption control, the controller 100 first acquires the warpage information of the wafer W (step S51). Next, the controller 100 determines the order of performing the adsorption treatment and the adsorption amount for each of the first adsorption holes 34a to 34c based on the warpage information (step S52). Specifically, the controller 100 determines the adsorption sequence so that adsorption is sequentially performed from the area of the wafer W having a close distance to the hot plate 34 based on the height information of each area of the wafer W. . Further, the controller 100 determines the amount of suction so that the amount of suction increases as the region of the wafer W having a longer separation distance from the hot plate 34, based on the height information of each region of the wafer W. Finally, the controller 100 controls the valves 74a to 74c so that the processing is performed with the determined suction sequence and suction amount.

<action effect>

In the conventional method, process processing is performed without grasping the warpage information of the wafer W in advance. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 13, in the case of processing a convex wafer W having a convex curvature toward the center, if the wafer is a flat wafer, even at a position that does not interfere with the temperature adjustment plate 51, the wafer There is a fear that the outer end of (W) interferes with the temperature adjustment plate 51 (see Fig. 13A). In addition, when placing the wafer W on the hot plate 34, usually, after the wafer W is sufficiently close to the hot plate 34, the lowering speed of the wafer W is reduced. When a convex wafer W as shown in FIG. 13B is used, the timing at which the normal descent speed is achieved when a flat wafer W is used (that is, the wafer W is a hot plate). Even at a timing that is not close to (34)), it may reach the hot plate 34, and in this case, the contact speed between the wafer W and the hot plate 34 increases, and the wafer on the hot plate 34 There is a fear that the position of (W) will shift. In this way, when the process treatment is performed without grasping the warpage information of the wafer W, it may be difficult to perform an appropriate treatment similarly to a flat wafer. From this, it is required to grasp the warpage information of the wafer W in advance.

In this regard, the thermal processing unit U2 according to the present embodiment includes a heating plate 34 configured to be capable of disposing a wafer W to be processed, and a wafer W so that the wafer W is disposed on the heating plate 34. The lifting mechanism 36 configured to be able to lift the support pins 35 supporting the pins 35 and a suction part for imparting a suction force to a plurality of areas on the rear surface of the wafer W so that the wafer W is adsorbed to the hot plate 34 Based on the pressure change in each of the first pipes 72a to 72c of the suction unit 70 due to the proximity of the wafer W to the hot plate 34 and the warpage information of the wafer W A controller 100 is provided for estimating.

In such a heat treatment unit U2, in a state in which the back surface of the wafer W is sucked by the suction part 70 (the wafer W is sucked in the direction of the hot plate 34), the suction part 70 The warpage information of the wafer W is estimated based on the pressure change in ). Here, in the case where the wafer W has a curved shape, the timing to be disposed on the hot plate 34 differs in each region. When a certain region of the wafer W is close to the hot plate 34, the pressure measured in the first pipes 72a to 72c that imparts a suction force to the region changes. In this way, by detecting the pressure change in each of the first pipes 72a to 72c, it is possible to specify a region of each region of the wafer W close to the hot plate 34. By performing detection of such a pressure change for each of the first pipes 72a to 72c, the unevenness information (warpage information) of the wafer W can be estimated. In the heat processing unit U2, such estimation of the warpage information of the wafer W can be performed simply by using an existing configuration such as the suction unit 70 or the lifting mechanism 36. That is, according to the heat processing unit U2, the warpage information of the wafer W can be easily estimated.

The lifting mechanism 36 raises and lowers the wafer W to bring the wafer W close to the hot plate 34, and the controller 100 increases the pressure change amount in the first pipes 72a to 72c or more. It is determined whether or not, and when the pressure change amount becomes more than a predetermined value, the height information of the wafer W is obtained from the lifting mechanism 36, and the amount of warpage of the wafer W is estimated based on this height information. do. Thereby, for example, when the distance between the region where the wafer W is located and the hot plate 34 is less than or equal to the predetermined distance, the height information of the wafer W is obtained, and the amount of warpage of the wafer W is estimated. do. By estimating the amount of warpage of the wafer W in this way, the warpage information of the wafer W can be estimated with higher accuracy.

The controller 100 estimates the warp shape of the wafer W according to a difference in timing at which the pressure change amount becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value for each of the plurality of first pipes 72a to 72c. From the timing when the pressure change amount becomes more than the predetermined value, that is, the separation distance from the hot plate 34 becomes less than the predetermined distance, a certain region of the wafer W has a shape (concave shape) close to the hot plate 34, and the wafer Which area of (W) is a shape (convex shape) far from the hot plate 34 can be specified. For this reason, by considering the difference in timing at which the pressure change amount becomes more than a predetermined value, the warp shape of the wafer W (which region is concave and which region is convex) can be estimated with high precision.

The controller 100 controls the valves 74a to 74c so that each of the second pipes 75d to 75f corresponding to the plurality of second adsorption holes 34d to 34f imparts a suction force at different timings. Two or more second pipes 75d that do not cause mutual interference of the suction force among the second pipes 75d to 75f corresponding to the plurality of second suction holes 34d to 34f prior to the estimation control and the estimation control. For each group consisting of to 75f), rough estimation control for controlling the valves 74a to 74c is performed. For each of the second pipes 75d to 75f, from the viewpoint of preventing mutual interference with each other, in principle, a suction force is applied at different timings (this estimation control is performed). On the other hand, with only such control, time is sometimes required to estimate warpage. In this regard, prior to this estimation control, the suction force is imparted to each group consisting of two or more second pipes (75d to 75f) that do not interfere with each other (approximately by performing estimation control), thereby mutual interference of the suction force While preventing, it is possible to estimate the approximate warpage information before this estimation control. By performing this estimation control (detailed estimation) after obtaining rough warpage information, it is possible to shorten the estimation time and improve the accuracy.

The controller 100 makes a group different from each other about the two second pipes 75d to 75f that apply a suction force to a region adjacent to each other on the rear surface of the wafer W in rough estimation control. Thereby, mutual interference of the attraction force can be effectively prevented.

The controller 100 determines the suction timing of each of the plurality of second pipes 75d to 75f based on the warpage information of the wafer W, and applies a suction force to the determined suction timing. Control (74a ~ 74c). By applying the suction force by each of the second pipes 75d to 75f at the timing according to the bending information, it is possible to sequentially apply the suction force from the second pipes 75d to 75f corresponding to the region close to the hot plate 34. It becomes possible. For example, as shown in Fig. 14, when the application of the suction force is started from the suction part corresponding to the area far from the hot plate 34, the state of the vacuum exhaust revolution occurs at the outer edge, and It becomes a problem that the adsorption completion time increases due to the uneven wafer posture and that the atmosphere flows in from the outer circumference of the wafer W, resulting in a decrease in the temperature uniformity of the wafer W. In this respect, as in the present embodiment, the suction force is sequentially applied from the second pipes 75d to 75f corresponding to the region with a close distance to the hot plate 34, without causing the above-described problems such as exhaust revolution, and Further, the wafer W can be appropriately adsorbed.

The controller 100 determines the suction amount of each of the plurality of second pipes 75d to 75f based on the warpage information of the wafer W, and provides a suction force with the determined suction amount. Control (74a ~ 74c). Thereby, for example, the greater the distance from the hot plate 34 is, the greater the attraction force can be, so that the substrate can be properly sucked (corrected for warpage).

The elevating mechanism 36 raises and lowers the wafer W so as to bring the wafer W closer to the hot plate 34, and the controller 100, based on the warpage information of the wafer W, the elevating mechanism 36 ) At least one of the lifting amount and the lifting speed is controlled. In the case of transferring the wafer W having a warp shape between the lifting mechanism 36 and the temperature adjusting plate 51 as in the normal wafer W, the temperature adjusting plate 51 and the wafer ( W) interfering can be a problem. In addition, when the wafer W having a warp shape is disposed on the hot plate 34 from the lifting mechanism 36, similarly to the normal wafer W, if it is a normal wafer W, the hot plate 34 Even in a state where the lifting speed is fast rather than the timing of placement, the wafer W having a bent shape may come into contact with the hot plate 34, so that the contact speed of the wafer W with the hot plate 34 increases. Can be. As this point, the amount of lifting and the lifting speed of the lifting mechanism 36 are controlled (corrected) based on the warpage information of the wafer W, the occurrence of the above-described problem can be suppressed.

[Second Embodiment]

Hereinafter, a second embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 15 and 16. In addition, in the description of the second embodiment, points different from the first embodiment are mainly described, and the same description as that of the first embodiment is omitted.

As shown in FIG. 15, in the heat processing unit according to the second embodiment, the temperature control unit 110 of the controller 100 provides the warpage information of the wafer W (each region of the wafer W and the hot plate 34 ). Clearance), the temperature distribution in the hot plate 34 is adjusted. The hot plate 34 is a multi-channel hot plate, and heaters 134a to 134d are divided for each region. That is, a heater 134a is provided in the center of the hot plate 34, a heater 134b is provided outside the heater 134a, and a heater 134c is provided outside the heater 134b. A heater 134d is provided outside the heater 134c. Further, temperature sensors 125a to 125d are provided as temperature sensors for measuring the temperature of each region of the hot plate 34 that is heated by the heaters 134a to 134d.

For example, as in the example shown in FIG. 15, when a concave wafer W concave toward the center is used, the temperature control unit 110 first acquires warpage information of the wafer W. In addition, the temperature control unit 110, so that the temperature distribution in the hot plate 34 is uniform, so that the output of the heater increases (the set temperature is higher) as the area of the outer end with a distance from the hot plate 34 increases. , To control the heaters (134a ~ 134d). That is, the temperature control unit 110 controls the heaters 134a to 134d so that the output of the heater 134d, the heater 134c, the heater 134b, and the heater 134a is increased in this order. Further, the temperature control unit 110 may adjust the outputs of the heaters 134a to 134d based on the temperature measured by the respective temperature sensors 125a to 125d.

FIG. 16 is a graph showing the hot plate temperature behavior of the flat wafer W and the warped wafer W having a warp shape, the vertical axis indicates temperature, the horizontal axis indicates time, and the solid line indicates the behavior of the flat wafer W, The broken line shows the behavior of the wafer W having a curved shape. As shown in Fig. 16, the wafer W having a warp shape has a different distance from the hot plate 34 and the warpage amount changes during processing, so the hot plate temperature behavior is different from the flat wafer W. Do. As a result, in the case of the wafer W having a warp shape, overshoot, not reaching the set temperature, and an increase in temperature due to heat storage may occur, resulting in a decrease in in-plane process performance of the wafer due to a decrease in the in-plane uniformity of the wafer temperature. , And non-uniformity in the process performance within the lot when continuous processing is performed may be a problem.

At this point, as described above, the heaters 134a to 134d in each region of the heating plate 34 are controlled by the temperature control unit 110 based on the warpage information of the wafer W, and the heating plate 34 By adjusting the temperature distribution in the wafer W, even when the wafer W has a warping shape and the distance between the wafer W and the hot plate 34 is not uniform, each region of the wafer W is appropriately heated, It is possible to suppress a decrease in process performance and the like.

As mentioned above, although the embodiment has been described, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment. For example, after estimating the warpage information of the wafer W, it has been described as calibrating the wafer W by the suction unit 70, but is not limited thereto and does not have a calibration means by vacuum or the like, and other means The damage to the warped wafer may be corrected by (for example, temperature adjusting means as described in the second embodiment).

In addition, the aspect described in this embodiment is not applied only to the heat processing unit U2, but may be applied to other substrate processing apparatuses. In this case, you may use a simple arrangement part instead of a hot plate.

2: Coating and developing device
34: hot plate (placement part)
36: lifting mechanism (elevating part)
70: suction part
100: controller
W: Wafer (substrate)

Claims (12)

A placement unit configured to allow placement of a substrate to be processed,
An elevating portion configured to elevate at least one of the substrate and the placement portion so that the substrate is disposed on the placement portion;
A plurality of suction portions for imparting a suction force to a plurality of regions of the rear surface of the substrate so that the substrate is adsorbed to the placement portion;
A substrate processing apparatus comprising a control unit that estimates warpage information of the substrate based on a pressure change in each of the plurality of suction units as the substrate approaches the placement unit. The method of claim 1,
The lifting part lifts the substrate so as to bring the substrate closer to the placement part,
The control unit,
It is determined whether the pressure change amount of the suction unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, and when the pressure change amount is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, height information of the substrate is obtained from the lifting unit, and the amount of warpage of the substrate is estimated based on the height information A, substrate processing apparatus. The method of claim 2,
The control unit,
A substrate processing apparatus for estimating a warp shape of the substrate according to a difference in timing at which the pressure change amount becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined value for each of the plurality of suction units. The method according to claim 2 or 3,
The control unit,
A first control for controlling the plurality of suction units so that each of the plurality of suction units applies a suction force at a timing different from each other;
Prior to the first control, a second control for controlling the plurality of suction units is performed for each group consisting of two or more suction units that do not cause mutual interference of suction force among the plurality of suction units. The method of claim 4,
The control unit,
In the second control, the two suction portions for imparting a suction force to a region adjacent to each other on the rear surface of the substrate are made into different groups. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 5,
The control unit, after estimating the amount of warpage of the substrate, controls the suction unit to increase the volume of the suction unit. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The control unit,
A substrate processing apparatus for controlling the plurality of suction units to determine a suction timing of each of the plurality of suction units based on warpage information of the substrate, and to apply a suction force to the determined suction timing. The method of claim 7,
The control unit,
A substrate processing apparatus for controlling the plurality of suction units to determine a suction amount of each of the plurality of suction units based on the warpage information of the substrate, and to apply a suction force with the determined suction amount. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The placement unit is a hot plate for heating the substrate,
The control unit,
A substrate processing apparatus that adjusts a temperature distribution in the hot plate based on the warpage information of the substrate. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
The lifting part lifts the substrate so as to bring the substrate closer to the placement part,
The control unit,
A substrate processing apparatus configured to control at least one of an elevating amount and an elevating speed of the elevating portion based on warpage information of the substrate. Imparting a suction force to a plurality of regions of the substrate disposed on the placement unit,
And estimating warpage information of the substrate based on a change in pressure resulting from the application of the suction force that changes as the substrate approaches the placement unit. A computer-readable storage medium storing a program for causing an apparatus to execute the substrate processing method according to claim 11.

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