KR20220136223A - Information acquisition system and information acquisition method - Google Patents

Abstract

Prevented is the occurrence of problems in processing, which is caused by disposing a member, which is placed adjacently to a substrate to be processed, at an inappropriate position in a substrate processing apparatus. An information acquisition system for acquiring information on a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held by a substrate holder comprises: a base body held instead of the substrate by the substrate holder; an interference detection part including one end side fixed to the base body and the other end side, which is movable; and a signal acquisition part for acquiring a signal fluctuated depending on the deformation of the interference detection part by interference with a member to be detected around the base body.

Description

INFORMATION ACQUISITION SYSTEM AND INFORMATION ACQUISITION METHOD

The present disclosure relates to an information acquisition system and an information acquisition method.

In a semiconductor device manufacturing process, a semiconductor wafer (hereinafter, referred to as a 'wafer') is transported to a substrate processing apparatus in a state stored in a carrier to be processed. As this process, liquid processing, such as formation of a coating film by supply of a coating liquid, and image development, is mentioned, for example. During the liquid treatment, the treatment liquid is supplied from the nozzle to the wafer accommodated in the cup. Patent Document 1 describes a developing apparatus including a cup provided with an annular projection facing the lower surface of the wafer.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2020-13932

An object of the present disclosure is to prevent occurrence of a processing problem due to a member positioned in the vicinity of a substrate to be processed in a substrate processing apparatus being disposed at an inappropriate position.

The information acquisition system of the present disclosure is an information acquisition system for acquiring information on a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate held by a substrate holding unit,

a base body held in place of the substrate by the substrate holding unit;

an interference detection unit each having one end fixed to the base and the other movable end;

and a signal acquisition unit for acquiring a signal that fluctuates according to deformation of the interference detection unit due to interference with a detection target member in the periphery of the base body.

The present disclosure can prevent the occurrence of a processing problem due to a member positioned in the vicinity of a substrate being processed in a substrate processing apparatus being disposed at an inappropriate position.

1 is a plan view of a substrate processing apparatus constituting an information acquisition system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
2 is a longitudinal front view of a resist film forming module included in the substrate processing apparatus.
3 is a plan view of the resist film forming module.
Fig. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a wafer for inspection and an arithmetic device constituting the information acquisition system.
5 is a longitudinal side view of the wafer for inspection.
6 is a plan view of the wafer for inspection.
7 is a perspective view of the wafer for inspection.
Fig. 8 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the first beam-shaped body provided on the wafer for inspection.
Fig. 9 is an explanatory view showing the operation of the second beam-shaped body provided on the wafer for inspection.
10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a detection signal acquired by the inspection wafer.
It is explanatory drawing which shows the image of an annular projection acquired by a camera.
It is explanatory drawing which shows the image of the nozzle acquired by a camera.

[First embodiment]

The information acquisition system 1 which concerns on one Embodiment of this indication is shown in FIG. The information acquisition system 1 is comprised by the substrate processing apparatus 2, the wafer 6 for inspection, and the arithmetic unit 9. As shown in FIG. First, the outline|summary of each part which comprises the information acquisition system 1 is demonstrated. The above-described substrate processing apparatus 2 performs processing by transporting the wafer W, which is a circular substrate, between processing modules by means of a transport mechanism. This process includes forming the resist film by supplying the resist to the wafer W placed in the cup 4 in the processing module for forming the resist film.

The inspection wafer 6 is transferred to the processing module (resist film forming module 3) instead of the wafer W by the transfer mechanism described above. This inspection wafer 6 is provided with an interference detection unit. The detection signal output from the inspection wafer 6 fluctuates depending on whether the interference detection unit interferes with at least one of the annular projection 46 and the nozzle 51B, which are constituent members of the cup 4 . The detection signal is transmitted wirelessly to the arithmetic unit 9, and the waveform of this detection signal is displayed on the display unit 95 included in the arithmetic unit 9, so that when processing the wafer W, an annular shape It is possible to check whether at least one of the projection 46 and the nozzle 51B is disposed at an appropriate position. In addition, the said nozzle 51B is a nozzle for EBR (Edge Bead Removal). EBR is a process in which a portion covering the peripheral edge of the wafer W is limitedly removed from a film (resist film in this embodiment) formed on the entire surface of the wafer W by discharging a solvent from a nozzle.

In addition, the wafer 6 for inspection is also provided with cameras 81 and 82 which are imaging units for acquiring image data by imaging the annular projection 46 and the nozzle 51B, respectively. The information acquisition system 1 determines the distance (to be described later) between the wafer W and the annular projection 46 when the wafer W is placed on the resist film forming module 3, based on this image data. H0) and the distance between the wafer W and the nozzle 51B for EBR (H1 to be described later) can be acquired, respectively. The method for acquiring these distances will be described in the second embodiment, but a part of the configuration of the system for acquiring the distance will be described in the description of the first embodiment.

Hereinafter, the substrate processing apparatus 2 is demonstrated in detail. The substrate processing apparatus 2 is comprised by the carrier block D1 and the processing block D2. The carrier block D1 and the processing block D2 are arranged left and right, and are connected to each other. The wafer W is transported to the carrier block D1 by a transport mechanism for the carrier C (not shown) in a state stored in the carrier C serving as a transport container. The carrier block D1 is provided with the stage 21 on which the carrier C is arrange|positioned. Moreover, the carrier block D1 is provided with the opening/closing part 22 and the conveyance mechanism 23. As shown in FIG. The opening/closing unit 22 opens and closes the transport port formed on the sidewall of the carrier block D1. The transfer mechanism 23 transfers the wafer W to the carrier C on the stage 21 through the transfer port described above.

The processing block D2 includes a conveyance path 24 for the wafer W extending in the left-right direction, and a conveyance mechanism 25 provided in the conveyance path 24 . The wafer W is conveyed between the carrier C and each processing module provided in the processing block D2 by the conveying mechanism 25 and the above-mentioned conveying mechanism 23 . A plurality of processing modules are provided in a left-right arrangement on each of the front side and the rear side of the conveyance path 24 . The processing module on the rear side is the heating module 26, and heat processing for removing the solvent in the resist film is performed. The processing module on the front side is the resist film forming module 3 . Further, at a position on the carrier block D1 side of the transfer path 24 , a transfer module TRS in which the wafer W is temporarily placed is provided. The wafer W is transferred between the carrier block D1 and the processing block D2 via the transfer module TRS.

Next, the resist film forming module 3 will be described with reference to a longitudinal side view of FIG. 2 and a plan view of FIG. 3 . The resist film forming module 3 includes a spin chuck 31 serving as a substrate holding part, and the spin chuck 31 sucks and holds the central part of the back surface side of the wafer W horizontally. The spin chuck 31 is connected to the rotation mechanism 33 via a shaft 32 extending vertically, and the wafer W held by the spin chuck 31 by the rotation mechanism 33 is rotated around the vertical axis. rotate In addition, a circular fence plate 34 surrounding the shaft 32 is provided, and three lifting pins 35 extending in the vertical direction to penetrate the fence plate 34 (only two are shown in FIG. 2 ). is provided. The lifting pins 35 are raised and lowered by the lifting mechanism 36 , and the wafer W is transferred between the spin chuck 31 and the transfer mechanism 25 described above.

A circular cup 4 is provided so as to surround the wafer W from the lower side to the side of the periphery of the wafer W held by the spin chuck 31 , and the cup 4 is a cup body 41 . ), a lower guide portion 42 , an intermediate guide portion 43 , and an upper guide portion 44 . The cup body 41 is formed to form an annular recessed portion along the circumference of the wafer W, and receives the processing liquid (resist and solvent) that has fallen or scattered from the wafer W. Each part constituting the cup body 41 is shown as an outer cylindrical portion 41A, a bottom main body 41B, and an inner cylindrical portion 41C. The outer cylindrical part 41A and the inner cylindrical part 41C are an upright cylindrical member, and constitute the side wall of the said annular|cyclic|annular recessed part. The bottom main body 41B is a horizontal annular plate connecting the lower end of the outer cylindrical portion 41A and the lower end of the inner cylindrical portion 41C, and forms the bottom of the annular recessed portion. An exhaust pipe 45A for exhausting the inside of the cup 4 is provided in the bottom main body 41B, and a drain port 45B for draining the processing liquid from the concave portion is opened.

Next, when the lower guide part 42 is described, this lower guide part 42 goes from on the periphery of the described fence board 34 toward the outer cylindrical part 41A through the inner cylindrical part 41C. It is an annular member formed so as to be widened, and is located below the wafer W held by the spin chuck 31 . And the upper surface of the lower guide part 42 is formed as inclined surfaces 42A, 42B, and the inclined surface 42A is located at the center side of the cup 4 rather than the inclined surface 42B. The inclined surface 42A rises toward the outside of the cup 4, and the inclined surface 42B descends toward the outside of the cup 4, thereby forming a mountain shape with respect to the longitudinal cross-section of the lower guide part 42. have. The inclined surface 42B guides the processing liquid attached by falling or scattering from the wafer W to flow down to the bottom body 41B.

The top of the mountain shape formed by the inclined surfaces 42A and 42B protrudes upward to form an annular projection 46, the annular projection 46 being disposed on the spin chuck 31 described above. It is along the periphery of W) and is close to the periphery of the said wafer W. In the annular protrusion 46 , the processing liquid supplied to the surface of the wafer W flows into the back surface of the wafer W and adheres to the central position of the wafer W, or mist of the processing liquid flows into the wafer W ) to prevent it from attaching to the center of the back surface. The height of the lower guide part 42 is adjustable with respect to the barrier plate 34 and the cup body 41 , and therefore the height of the annular projection 46 is adjustable with respect to the lower surface of the wafer W . In FIG. 2 , the distance between the annular projection 46 and the lower surface of the wafer W (referred to as the distance between the cups) is indicated as H0.

The intermediate guide portion 43 constituting the cup 4 includes a vertical wall 43A attached to the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion 41A, and an upper end of the vertical wall 43A toward the center side of the cup 4 . It is provided with the inclined part 43B extended diagonally upward. Further, a through hole 43C for discharging the liquid is perforated in the inclined portion 43B in the vertical direction. Further, the upper guide portion 44 constituting the cup 4 includes a vertical wall 44A mounted on the inner circumferential surface of the outer cylindrical portion 41A, and horizontally from the upper end of the vertical wall toward the center of the cup 4 . It is provided with the extending horizontal part 44B, and the cylindrical entrance wall 44C extending vertically upward from the front-end|tip of the horizontal part 44B. The vertical wall 44A is provided above the vertical wall 43A of the intermediate guide part 43 , and the horizontal part 44B is located above the inclined part 43B of the intermediate guide part 43 .

Next, the resist supply mechanism 5A and the EBR processing mechanism 5B provided in the resist film forming module 3 will be described. The resist supply mechanism 5A includes a resist supply nozzle 51A, a resist supply unit 52A, an arm 53A, a movement mechanism 54A, and a standby unit 55A. The resist supply nozzle 51A discharges the resist pressure-feed from the resist supply part 52A vertically downward. The arm 53A supports the resist supply nozzle 51A, and is configured to be able to move up and down and move horizontally by a moving mechanism 54A. An air portion 55A that opens upwardly is provided on the outside of the cup 4 , and the resist supply nozzle 51A is moved into the opening of the air portion 55A and the inside of the cup 4 by the moving mechanism 54A. move between The resist supply nozzle 51A moved into the cup 4 discharges the resist onto the central portion of the rotating wafer W, and a resist film is formed on the entire surface of the wafer W by spin coating.

The EBR processing mechanism 5B is provided with the solvent supply nozzle 51B, the solvent supply part 52B, the arm 53B, the movement mechanism 54B, and the standby|standby part 55B. The solvent supply nozzle 51B is a nozzle for EBR, and discharges the solvent pressurized from the solvent supply part 52B in a downward direction from the center side of the wafer W to the peripheral side. That is, the solvent is discharged in a direction inclined with respect to the vertical direction. The arm 53B supports the solvent supply nozzle 51B, and is comprised so that raising/lowering by the movement mechanism 54B is possible and horizontal movement is possible. An air portion 55B that opens upward is provided on the outside of the cup 4 , and the solvent supply nozzle 51B is connected to the inside of the opening of the air portion 55B and the cup 4 by the moving mechanism 54B. It moves between the processing position above the wafer W in the inside. 3 shows the solvent supply nozzle 51B in a state of being moved to the processing position by a solid line, and the described EBR is directed from the solvent supply nozzle 51B at the processing position with respect to the rotating wafer W. This is done by discharging the solvent.

For example, the solvent supply nozzle 51B is attached with respect to the arm 53B so that the height is adjustable. Therefore, the distance between the solvent supply nozzle 51B and the surface of the wafer W at the processing position shown in FIG. 2 (referred to as 'nozzle separation distance') H1 is adjustable, and this nozzle separation distance H1 is adjustable. ), the liquid landing position on the wafer W of the solvent discharged from the solvent supply nozzle 51B changes. In addition, although shown only in FIG. 3, the illumination part 48 which can irradiate light toward the said cup 4 is provided in the vicinity of the cup 4. As shown in FIG. In the case of imaging of the solvent supply nozzle 51B by the camera 82, light is irradiated to the solvent supply nozzle 51B by the said illumination part 48.

The substrate processing apparatus 2 is provided with the control part 20 comprised by a computer (refer FIG. 1), The program stored in storage media, such as a compact disk, a hard disk, a memory card, and DVD, is installed. Instructions (each step) are mounted in the program so that a control signal is output to each unit of the substrate processing apparatus 2 by the installed program. Then, the wafer W is transported by the transport mechanisms 23 and 25 and the wafer W is processed by the respective processing modules according to this control signal.

However, due to an error in assembling or adjusting the resist film forming module 3 by an operator, at least one of the cup distance H0 and the second distance between the nozzles H1 is out of the proper range. there may be cases When processing is performed on the wafer W in a state where the cup separation distance H0 is inadequate, the annular projection 46 may come into contact with the wafer W to damage the back surface of the wafer W, or 46) is too far away from the wafer W, there is a fear that the role cannot be sufficiently fulfilled. In addition, if processing is performed on the wafer W in a state where the nozzle separation distance H1 is inadequate, the solvent supply nozzle 51B may contact the wafer W to damage the wafer W, or an abnormal liquid landing position (異常) causes an abnormality in the width of the region where the resist film is removed.

The above-mentioned inspection wafer 6 is adsorbed and held by the spin chuck 31 instead of the wafer W. The detection of the above-described interference with the detection target member (annular protrusion 46 and nozzle 51B) by the inspection wafer 6 is determined by the cup separation distance H0 and the nozzle separation distance H1. Information about the height of the annular protrusion 46 and the height of the solvent supply nozzle 51B, which is whether or not is smaller than the appropriate range, is acquired. As a result of obtaining the height information, the contact between the wafer W and the annular projection 46 or the contact of the solvent supply nozzle 51B with the wafer W and the liquid landing position become abnormal. can be prevented in

Hereinafter, the structure of the wafer 6 for inspection is demonstrated with reference to the longitudinal side view of FIG. 4, FIG. 5, and the top view of FIG. 4 and 5 show longitudinal sides at different positions. In addition, in FIG. 6, some components shown in FIG. 4, FIG. 5 are abbreviate|omitted. The inspection wafer 6 includes a circular base body 61 and a substrate 62 . The base body 61 is a board|substrate of the same size as the wafer W, and its lower surface is comprised as a flat surface similarly to the lower surface of the wafer W. As shown in FIG. For this reason, similarly to the wafer W, the base body 61 can be conveyed by the conveying mechanisms 23 and 25 and held by the spin chuck 31 by suction. 4 to 6 show the base body 61 (that is, the inspection wafer 6 in the state of being sucked and held) by the spin chuck 31 as described above.

Above the base body 61, the board|substrate 62 is laminated|stacked and provided. The board|substrate 62 is equipped with the main-body part 63 provided on the center part of the base body 61. As shown in FIG. In addition, although the main body part 63 is shown in the circular shape in FIG. 6 and FIG. 7 mentioned later for convenience of illustration, it is not limited to a circular shape, It can be made into any shape. Various circuit components and equipment are provided on the main body portion 63 , and are collectively shown as a component group 64 in the drawing.

The components and devices constituting the component group 64 include a CPU and a communication device that wirelessly transmits and receives various data (including signals). The data acquired by each sensor or camera can be wirelessly transmitted to the computing device 9 by this communication device. Further, a signal serving as a trigger for acquiring the data can be transmitted to each camera or each sensor via this communication device. In addition, although the cameras 81, 82, etc. are mounted on board|substrates other than the board|substrate 62 as mentioned later, via the wire 60 which connects board|substrates, data transmission to the calculating|arithmetic device 9 in this way , and it is possible to receive a trigger signal. In addition, in the central part of the base body 61, the battery 65 for supplying electric power to the component group 64, each sensor, each camera, and the illumination part 85 mentioned later is provided.

The substrate 62 on the base body 61 will be further described with reference to FIG. 7 . The body part 63 of the substrate 62 is fixed with respect to the base body 61 . A part of the periphery of the main body 63 extends toward the periphery of the main body 63 to form an elongated beam-shaped body 66 along the radial direction of the base body 61 . A through hole 67 penetrating through the base body 61 in the thickness direction is formed in the peripheral portion of the base body 61 at a position overlapping the tip side of the beam-shaped body 66 . The through hole 67 forms a connection path for connecting one side (upper side) and the other side (lower side) in the longitudinal direction of the base body 61 .

At the end of the arrow in FIG. 7, each part around the through hole 67 is enlarged and shown. On the lower surface of the front-end|tip side of the beam-shaped body 66, the projection 68 which protrudes downward and enters this through-hole 67 is provided. The tip (lower end) of the protrusion 68 is located below the lower surface of the main body 63 and protrudes from the lower surface of the main body 63 by, for example, about 1 mm (see FIG. 4 ). In addition, the projection 68 is located slightly away from the tip of the beam-shaped body 66 toward the base end, and the tip of the beam-shaped body 66 is located on the peripheral side of the base body 61 rather than the through-hole 67 . . Due to the arrangement of the protrusions 68 and the through-holes 67, the base body 66 has a base end at a proximal end of the through-hole 67 and a front end side of the through-hole 67, respectively. It is supported in contact with (61). That is, in the base body 61 , the upper surface area including the outer edge of the through hole 67 supports the beam-shaped body 66 .

The said beam-shaped body 66 which is a 1st beam-shaped body forms a so-called cantilever, and is comprised as a 1st interference detection part for acquiring information about the height of the annular projection 46. As shown in FIG. In more detail, the lower surface of the beam-shaped body 66 is not fixed with respect to the base body 61, and is flexible in the longitudinal direction (thickness direction of the base body 61). Have. Since the main body part 63 to which the beam shape body 66 is connected as mentioned above is being fixed to the base body 61, the base end of the beam shape body 66 is being fixed with respect to the base body 61. As shown in FIG. Accordingly, the beam-shaped body 66 has one end fixed to the central portion of the base body 61 , while the other end extending toward the periphery of the base body 61 is movable with respect to the base body 61 . is made of And a strain gauge (strain sensor) 69 is provided above the base end (one end) of the beam-shaped body 66 . The strain gauge 69 constituting the first signal acquisition unit together with the components included in the component group 64 constitutes a Wheatstone bridge circuit, and a voltage signal output from the circuit is used as a detection signal in the arithmetic unit 9 is transmitted wirelessly.

When the base body 61 is sucked by the spin chuck 31 , the projection 68 of the beam-shaped body 66 is located above the annular projection 46 . Since both the lower surface of the wafer W and the lower surface of the base body 61 are flat surfaces, when they are disposed on the spin chuck 31 , they have the same height. Therefore, when the cup separation distance H0 (distance between the wafer W and the annular protrusion 46) is equal to or less than the reference value and the wafer W and the annular protrusion 46 interfere with each other, as shown in FIG. As described above, interference also occurs between the protrusions 68 and the annular protrusions 46 of the inspection wafer 6 . Thus, when the projection 68 interferes, it deform|transforms so that the front-end|tip side of the beam-shaped body 66 may be pushed upward. The strain gauge 69 also deforms according to the deformation of the beam-shaped body 66, and the signal output from the Wheatstone bridge circuit changes according to the change in the resistance of the strain gauge 69 caused by this deformation. Therefore, by monitoring this signal, the presence or absence of interference between the annular protrusion 46 and the protrusion 68 can be detected. can judge

Moreover, in the peripheral part of the upper surface of the base body 61, the notch is provided in the position different from the position in which the beam-shaped body 66 is provided in the circumferential direction. The base end of the beam-shaped body 71 which is a 2nd beam-shaped body is fixed and provided in the center part side of the base body 61 rather than this notch. The front-end|tip side of the beam-shaped body 71 is formed long and thin so that the top of a notch may be extended along the radial direction of the base body 61. As shown in FIG. Therefore, the front-end|tip part of the beam-shaped body 71 is in the state which floated from the base body 61. As shown in FIG. That is, a gap formed by the notch is interposed between the base body 61 and the gap is indicated as 72 .

The beam-shaped body 71 also forms a cantilever similarly to the beam-shaped body 66, and is configured as a second interference detection unit for acquiring information about the height of the solvent supply nozzle 51B at the processing position. By providing on the clearance gap 72 as mentioned above, the front-end|tip part of the beam-shaped body 71 becomes the structure movable up and down. A strain gauge 73 is provided above the base end of the beam-shaped body 71 . The strain gauge 73 serving as the second signal acquisition unit constitutes a Wheatstone bridge circuit together with the components included in the component group 64, similarly to the strain gauge 69, and a voltage signal from the circuit is used as a detection signal in an arithmetic unit. (9) is transmitted wirelessly.

When the spin chuck 31 is rotated in a state in which the inspection wafer 6 is adsorbed to the spin chuck 31 (when the inspection wafer 6 is also rotated), when the nozzle separation distance H1 is equal to or less than the reference value, As shown in FIG. 9 , the lower end of the solvent supply nozzle 51B may interfere with the beam-shaped body 71 . By such interference, the front-end|tip side of the beam shape body 71 is pressed downward through the clearance gap 72, and it deform|transforms so that the clearance gap 72 may become narrow. As the beam-shaped body 71 is deformed, the strain gauge 73 also deforms, and the signal output from the Wheatstone bridge circuit including the strain gauge 73 fluctuates. Therefore, by monitoring this signal, the presence or absence of interference between the solvent supply nozzle 51B and the beam shape 71 can be detected, and it can be determined whether the processing position of the solvent supply nozzle 51B is appropriate. have.

Moreover, as shown in FIG.5, FIG.6, in the periphery of the base body 61, the two board|substrates 80 are provided in the position away from the beam-shaped bodies 66,71 in the circumferential direction, These two board|substrates (80) are also separated from each other in the circumferential direction. A camera 81 is provided on one substrate 80 , and a camera 82 is provided on the other substrate 80 , and a field of view is directed to the periphery of the base body 61 , respectively. The cameras 81 and 82 are for imaging the annular projection 46 and for imaging the solvent supply nozzle 51B, respectively. A mirror 83 is disposed on the optical axis of the camera 81 , and a through hole 84 is formed in the base body 61 . When the inspection wafer 6 is held by the spin chuck 31 , the through-hole 84 is located on the annular projection 46 , and a part of the upper surface of the annular projection 46 in the circumferential direction. This is reflected on the mirror 83 through the through hole 84 . The camera 81 can image the upper surface of a part of the annular projection 46 reflected by the mirror 83 . In addition, two lighting units 85 are embedded in the base body 61 . Each lighting unit 85 is arranged so that a through hole 84 is interposed in the circumferential direction of the base body 61 and irradiates light downward. When imaging is performed by the camera 81 , light is irradiated to a subject below from each lighting unit 85 .

On the base body 61, for example, a circular cover 86 having a side wall along the circumference of the base body 61 is provided. The cameras 81 and 82 and the mirror 83 are covered. However, an opening is provided in the side wall of the cover 86 on the optical axis of the camera 82 so as not to obstruct the imaging of the solvent supply nozzle 51B by the camera 82 . Further, in order not to interfere with the deformation of the beam-shaped bodies 66 and 71, for example, the lower end of the side wall of the cover 86 is notched, and the beam-shaped bodies 66 and 71 are cut through the notch. The tip side protrudes to the outside of the cover (86). In addition, the side end of the cover 86 is located closer to the center of the base body 61 than the solvent supply nozzle 51B in the processing position in order to prevent interference with the solvent supply nozzle 51B.

In the examples shown in FIGS. 4 and 5 , the central portion of the cover 86 is formed so as to form a convex portion 87 that is higher in height than the peripheral portion of the cover 86 and faces upward. According to the configuration of the cover 86, the battery 65 and the component group 64 can be arranged in the central part of the base body 61 as described above, and the center of the base body 61 can be located in the central part. can For this reason, when the base body 61 is arranged on the spin chuck 31, sagging of the base body 61 due to its own weight can be prevented. Therefore, it can be prevented that the heights of the beam-shaped bodies 66 and 71 and the cameras 81 and 82 change due to the deflection, thereby affecting the measurement result. Therefore, the cover 86 provided with the convex part 87 contributes to improving the detection accuracy of an abnormality. However, by forming a relatively large thickness, it may be comprised as the cover 86 of the shape which makes an upper surface a flat surface.

In addition, for example, when an operator mounts the wafer 6 for inspection on the carrier C, performs maintenance, etc. and handles it, let it pass through a comparatively narrow area|region. At this time, since the upper surface of the cover 86 is located at a higher position than the beam-shaped bodies 66 and 71, even if the inspection wafer 6 collides with the wall defining the narrow area, the cover 86 collides. Thus, collision with the walls of the beam shapes 66 and 71 is prevented. Accordingly, it is suppressed that the beam-shaped bodies 66 and 71 are plastically deformed or broken. Therefore, by the cover 86, the beam-shaped bodies 66 and 71 can be protected effectively.

Next, the arithmetic unit 9 is demonstrated with reference to FIG. The computing device 9 is a computer and has a bus 91 . A program storage unit 92 , a wireless transmission/reception unit 93 , a memory 94 , a display unit 95 , and an operation unit 96 are respectively connected to the bus 91 . In the program storage unit 92, a program 90 stored in a storage medium such as a compact disk, hard disk, memory card, and DVD is installed. The arithmetic unit is configured as an information acquisition unit that calculates the above separation distances H0 and H1.

The wireless transmission/reception unit 93 wirelessly transmits a trigger signal for acquiring data to the inspection wafer 6, and a detection signal from each circuit including the strain gauges 69 and 73 described above; The image data acquired by the cameras 81 and 82 are wirelessly received. The memory 94 stores data acquired from each sensor and camera. Reference data serving as a criterion for judging the presence or absence of interference, which will be described later, is also stored in the memory 94 . Further, for example, in the second embodiment, data for acquiring the separation distances H0 and H1 from the image data is stored, which will be described in the second embodiment.

The operation unit 96 is constituted by a mouse, a keyboard, or the like, and the user of the information acquisition system 1 can instruct the execution of a process that can be performed by the program 90 via the operation unit 96 . Further, for example, the arithmetic unit 9 is connected to the control unit 20 of the substrate processing apparatus 2 , and when, for example, the inspection wafer 6 is held by the spin chuck 31 , acquisition of various data is performed. A signal indicating that it has become possible is transmitted from the control unit 20 to the arithmetic unit 9 .

Next, the operation procedure of the information acquisition system 1 described above is demonstrated. First, the carrier C in which the wafer 6 for inspection is stored is conveyed to the stage 21 of the substrate processing apparatus 2 . The wafer 6 for inspection is conveyed in the order of the conveying mechanism 23 → the transfer module (TRS) → the conveying mechanism 25 → the resist film forming module 3 , and the spin chuck is interposed through the lifting pins 35 . (31) is arranged, adsorbed and held. After this, the solvent supply nozzle 51B moves from the standby portion 55B to the processing position.

When the operator gives a predetermined instruction from the arithmetic unit 9 , the spin chuck 31 rotates and the inspection wafer 6 rotates once at a relatively low speed. During this one rotation, the resist does not interfere with the annular protrusion 46 and the protrusion 68 of the beam-shaped body 66 and the solvent supply nozzle 51B and the beam-shaped body 71 do not interfere with each other. The height of each part of the film forming module 3 is adjusted in the state of being adjusted. The detection signals from each circuit including the strain gauges 69 and 71 at the time of this one rotation are respectively transmitted to the arithmetic unit 9, and are memorize|stored as reference data. After one rotation of the inspection wafer 6 , the solvent supply nozzle 51B returns to the standby unit 55B. Then, the inspection wafer 6 is transferred to the transfer mechanism 25 via the lifting pins 35 , and is returned to the carrier C through the transfer module TRS and the transfer mechanism 23 in order.

Thereafter, at an arbitrary timing, the carrier C in which the inspection wafer 6 is stored is transferred to the stage 21 of the substrate processing apparatus 2 . Then, as in the case of acquiring the reference data, the inspection wafer 6 is transferred to the resist film forming module 3, placed on the spin chuck 31, sucked and held, and the solvent supply nozzle 51B is moved to the processing position. move to As in the case of acquisition of reference data, for example, when an operator gives an instruction, the wafer 6 for inspection rotates by one rotation by the spin chuck 31, including strain gauges 69 and 71 during this rotation. The detection signals from the respective circuits are transmitted to the arithmetic unit 9, respectively, and stored as interference detection data. The wafer 6 for inspection after data acquisition is returned to the carrier C in the same manner as the wafer 6 for inspection after reference data acquisition.

The operator displays the acquired signal waveform of the interference detection data and the reference data signal waveform on the display unit 95 and compares them to detect the presence or absence of interference. 10 shows an example of a signal waveform obtained from a circuit including the strain gauge 69. As shown in FIG. An example of a signal waveform of the reference data is indicated by a solid line, and an example of a signal waveform of the detection data in the case of interference shown in Fig. 8 is indicated by a dotted line and a dashed-dotted line, respectively. The signal waveforms of the dotted line and the dashed-dotted line are acquired by interference of different modes as will be described later. As shown in the figure, in the reference data, there is no significant change in the signal level at each time during data acquisition. The detection data in the case of no interference has the same or substantially the same signal waveform as the reference data.

For example, when the lower guide part 42 constituting the annular protrusion 46 is mounted at an angle and interferes with only a part of the annular protrusion 46 in the circumferential direction, as indicated by the dotted line waveform, for inspection The signal level at a specific time during the rotation of the wafer 6 is greatly different from the signal level of the reference data. When the annular protrusion 46 and the protrusion 68 continue to come into contact during the rotation of the inspection wafer 6, the signal level at each time during data acquisition is the signal level of the reference data, as indicated by the dashed-dotted waveform. is significantly different from

In this way, it is possible to determine the presence or absence of interference from the difference in signal waveforms. Although it has been said that the operator makes the judgment of interference, the program 90 may make the judgment. In addition, although shown with respect to the signal waveform obtained from the circuit containing the strain gauge 69, it is the same also about the signal waveform obtained from the circuit containing the strain gauge 73. As shown in FIG. That is, the signal level of the reference data does not change significantly at each time point during data acquisition, and when it interferes with the nozzle, it changes greatly at a specific timing as indicated by the dotted line in Fig. 10 .

When the operator determines that the height adjustment of the annular projection 46 or the solvent supply nozzle 51B is necessary from the comparison between the reference data and the detection data, the operator performs the adjustment in this way. Thereafter, the carrier C in which the wafer W is stored is transferred to the stage 21 of the substrate processing apparatus 2 . The wafer W is transferred by a transfer mechanism 23 → transfer module TRS → transfer mechanism 25 → resist film forming module 3 → transfer mechanism 25 → heating module 26 → transfer mechanism 25 → transfer It is conveyed in order of the module TRS, and is returned to the carrier C by the conveyance mechanism 23. During the transfer in this way, in the resist film forming module 3, the resist is discharged from the resist supply nozzle 51A to the center of the surface of the wafer W rotated by the spin chuck 31, and by spin coating, the wafer A resist film is formed over the entire surface of (W). Thereafter, the solvent supply nozzle 51B moves from the standby portion 55B to the processing position, and the solvent is supplied to the peripheral portion of the rotating wafer W, and the resist film in the peripheral portion is removed.

As described above, in the inspection wafer 6 constituting the information acquisition system 1, only one end of the strain gauge 69 is attached to the beam-shaped bodies 66 and 71 respectively fixed to the inspection wafer 6, respectively. , 73) are being prepared. The beam-shaped bodies 66 and 71 are configured to interfere with the annular protrusion 46 and the solvent supply nozzle 51B arranged at an ideal height as an interference detection member. With the above configuration, the beam-shaped bodies 66 and 71 are deformed relatively large due to the interference, and the strain gauges 69 and 73 are also relatively greatly deformed. For this reason, since a relatively large signal fluctuation can be detected, interference can be detected based on this signal fluctuation. Then, the operator can adjust the resist film forming module 3 based on the detection result of this interference. Therefore, since the processing of the wafer W in the resist film forming module 3 is prevented from becoming defective, a decrease in the yield of the semiconductor product manufactured from the wafer W can be prevented.

In addition, only one of the said beam-shaped bodies 66 and 71 may be provided, and only one of the interference in the annular projection 46 and the interference in the solvent supply nozzle 51B may be detected. In addition, the inspection wafer 6 is rotated in the above-described detection of interference. However, when the annular protrusion 46 becomes higher than or equal to the height, when the lifting pin 35 is lowered to suck the inspection wafer 6 to the spin chuck 31 , the annular protrusion 46 and the beam-shaped body Interference with (66) occurs, and the interference can be detected. That is, in detecting the interference with the annular protrusion 46 , it is not necessarily necessary to rotate the inspection wafer 6 .

By the way, as described above, the beam-shaped body 66 is supported by the base body 61 from below. When the beam-shaped body 66 interferes with the annular projection 46, it vibrates up and down. During this repetition, it is assumed that the tip side of the beam-shaped body 66 is deformed so as to sag due to the above vibration. That is, the support from below of the beam-shaped body 66 suppresses such a deformation|transformation of the beam-shaped body 66, and the lifetime of the wafer 6 for inspection can be achieved.

In addition, when only a part of the circumferential direction of the annular projection 46 becomes higher than or equal to the height, as in the case where the waveform example indicated by the dotted line in FIG. 10 is obtained, the rotation of the inspection wafer 6 causes the beam shape 66 to The protrusion 68 to be connected is brought into contact with the annular protrusion 46 from the transverse direction. Because of such interference from the lateral direction, an upward force is generated on the tip side of the beam-shaped body 66 , while a downward force is generated on the proximal end side of the beam-shaped body 66 . That is, when viewed in the transverse direction, a force is generated such that the beam shape 66 is twisted (rotated about an axis extending in the extension direction of the beam shape 66 ). However, since the proximal end side of the beam-shaped body 66 is supported by the base body 61, downward deformation or distortion is suppressed, and upward deformation is promoted. That is, since it will be in a state easily deformed upward at the initial stage of deformation, the tip of the beam-shaped body 66 is greatly bent upward.

In addition, when the interference from the transverse direction as described above occurs, when viewed from the radial cross section of the inspection wafer 6 with respect to the beam-shaped body 66, an upward force is generated on the interfering side, and the On the opposite side, a downward force is generated. At this time, also on the side opposite to the interference side of the beam shape 66, since the base body 61 supports the beam shape 66 from below, downward deformation or distortion is suppressed similarly to the above. The upward deformation is promoted. Therefore, a large signal change due to interference can be extracted, and the detection accuracy is increased.

In this way, in the base body 61, the portion supporting the base end side of the beam-shaped body 66, specifically, the portion overlapping the beam-shaped body 66 from the center of the base body 61 rather than the through hole 67, , it can be said that it is a guide for bending the front-end|tip side of the beam-shaped body 66 upward more reliably. The part where the base body 61 supports the beam-shaped bodies 66 and 71 from below constitutes the surface along the lower surface of the said beam-shaped bodies 66, 71 in this embodiment, but the beam-shaped bodies 66, 71 ) may have a plurality of different locations in at least one of the longitudinal direction and the circumferential direction of the wafer 6 for inspection. That is, the beam-shaped bodies 66 and 71 may be supported from below at a plurality of points with a gap. In addition, with respect to the beam-shaped bodies 66 and 71, the longitudinal section viewed in the extension direction has a shape in which the longitudinal (vertical) dimension is shorter than the transverse dimension, so that it is more easily deformed in the longitudinal direction than in the transverse direction. has been

In addition, although the projection 68 is configured to enter through a hole 67 forming a connection path connecting the upper and lower sides of the base body 61, as the connection path, the protrusion 68 is disposed at the periphery of the base body 61 as the connection path. 61), the notch facing the center side may be provided, and the structure in which the projection 68 enters into the said notch may be sufficient. And by supporting the beam-shaped body 66 in the area|region including the outer edge of the notch, the said area|region can act as the described guide.

[Second embodiment]

As 2nd Embodiment, the cup separation distance H0 is acquired using the image data acquired from the camera 81, and the nozzle separation distance H1 is acquired using the image data acquired from the camera 82. A method of acquiring the cup separation distance H0 will be described. 11 : is image data in a part of the circumferential direction of the upper surface of the annular projection 46 imaged by the camera 81. As shown in FIG. The frame of the dotted line indicates the pixel of the image. From the image data obtained in this way, the number of pixels of the width L3 of the annular projection 46 is detected (step S1). Based on the previously acquired correspondence between the number of pixels of the width L3 and the cup separation distance H0, the cup separation distance H0 is calculated (step S2). As this correspondence relationship, an equation of any order showing that the number of pixels of the cup separation distance H0 and the width L3 is used as variables, and L3 becomes smaller as H0 increases, may be prepared. And the cup separation distance H0 calculated from the correspondence relationship is displayed on the display part 95 of the calculating|arithmetic apparatus 9 (step S3).

The acquisition method of the nozzle separation distance H1 is demonstrated. 12 : is image data of the side surface of the solvent supply nozzle 51B imaged by the camera 82. As shown in FIG. In the image data, the number of pixels corresponding to the width L4 of the solvent supply nozzle 51B is detected (step T1). Next, in the image data, a pixel at a height H20 between the lower end of the solvent supply nozzle 51B specified in step T1 and the reference height H10 (a pixel of a preset height in the image data). The number is detected (step T2). With respect to the said H20, let it be a nozzle reference height. Then, it is calculated with respect to the number of pixels corresponding to the width L4 of the solvent supply nozzle 51B obtained in advance / the width L4 obtained in the step T1, and this calculated value is the distance in one pixel. It is considered (step T3). Then, the number of pixels of the nozzle reference height H20 obtained in the step T2 × the distance in one pixel obtained in the step T3 is calculated. That is, the conversion into the actual height (distance) is performed with respect to the nozzle reference height H20, which is the number of pixels on the image data (step T4).

In addition, the surface of the wafer W when the wafer W is adsorbed and held by the spin chuck 31 and the camera 82 when the inspection wafer 6 is adsorbed and held by the spin chuck 31 . The difference (referred to as H30) of the height from the reference height H10 described in the image is acquired in advance. Based on the difference between the actual nozzle reference height H20 and the height difference H30 obtained in the step T4, the nozzle separation distance H1 is calculated (step T5). Specifically, as shown in Fig. 12, when the nozzle 51B is projected above the reference height H20 in the image, H20 + H30, and in the image, when the nozzle 51B is projected below the reference height H20, H30 - H20 As , the nozzle separation distance H1 is calculated. The calculated nozzle separation distance H1 is displayed on the display unit 95 of the calculating device 9 (step T6). In addition, the reason for using the difference H30 of height acquired in this way is because the field of view of the camera 82 is restrict|limited by providing on the base body 61. As shown in FIG.

The above steps S1 to S3 and T1 to T6 are performed by the above program 90 . The correspondence relationship between the number of pixels of the width L3 and the distance between the cups H0 for executing these steps, the difference in height H30, and the actual width L4 of the solvent supply nozzle 51B are obtained in advance. It is stored in the memory 94 of the arithmetic unit 9.

When the operation procedure of the information acquisition system 1 in the case of acquiring the cup separation distance H0 and the nozzle separation distance H1 is described, as described in the first embodiment, the inspection wafer 6 from the carrier C ) is transferred to the resist film forming module 3 and held by the spin chuck 31 . Then, the nozzle 51B moves from the standby portion 55B to the processing position. When the user gives a predetermined instruction from the arithmetic unit 9, the spin chuck 31 intermittently rotates, for example, at intervals of a predetermined angle, and when the rotation is stopped, imaging is performed by the cameras 81 and 82, and image data is acquired The acquired image data is sequentially wirelessly transmitted to the arithmetic device 9 . When the inspection wafer 6 rotates once, the solvent supply nozzle 51B returns to the standby unit 55B, and the inspection wafer 6 returns to the carrier C.

For each image data acquired by the camera 81, the above-described steps S1 to S3 are executed, and the cup separation distance H0 is calculated and displayed on the screen. Moreover, as shown in FIG. 12 by the program 90 of the calculating|arithmetic apparatus 9, for example, the thing reflected by the solvent supply nozzle 51B is selected among the several image data acquired by the camera 82. Then, the above-described steps T1 to T6 are executed for the selected image data, and the nozzle separation distance H1 is calculated and displayed on the screen. The operator who saw the separation distances H0 and H1 displayed in this way makes the height adjustment of at least one of the annular projection 46 and the nozzle 51B as necessary.

Although it has been described that one of the detection of the interference shown in the first embodiment and the acquisition of the separation distances H0 and H1 shown in the second embodiment is performed selectively, both of these may be performed. When only one is selected and the separation distances H0 and H1 are acquired, each problem caused by the relatively large separation distances H0 and H1 can also be prevented in advance. However, in order to prevent shaking of the acquired image, the rotation of the inspection wafer 6 is stopped as described above during imaging by the cameras 81 and 82 . However, in detecting the interference, it is not necessary to stop the rotation of the wafer 6 for inspection. Therefore, there is an advantage that the time required for the inspection is solved short.

Further, in the second embodiment described above, the camera 81 captures images a plurality of times, acquires an image at each portion in the circumferential direction of the annular projection 46 , and obtains the cup separation distance H0 from each image data. ), the image data of only one location may be acquired, and the cup separation distance H0 of only the said location may be acquired. In addition, in 1st Embodiment, since what is necessary is just to set it as the structure in which the signal outputted by interference with the beam shape bodies 66 and 81 fluctuate|varies, it is not limited to using the strain gauges 69, 73. Specifically, for example, a vibration sensor may be provided instead of the strain gauges 69 and 73 , and a detection signal for vibration may be output to the calculating device 9 . In addition, although the strain gauges 69 and 73 have been shown to be provided on the proximal end side of the beam-shaped bodies 66 and 71, it is only necessary to detect a signal fluctuation, and it is not limited to providing it on the proximal end side in this way. .

In the described information acquisition system 1, although the control part 20 and the arithmetic device 9 are provided separately, the structure in which the control part 20 doubles the role of the arithmetic device 9 may be sufficient. In the example described with respect to each data, the data is transmitted wirelessly to the arithmetic unit 9. For example, a detachable memory may be mounted on the base body 61 of the inspection wafer 6 and stored in the memory. . In that case, the worker may remove the memory from the inspection wafer 6 returned to the carrier C after data acquisition is completed, and transfer each data to the arithmetic unit 9 . Therefore, it is not necessary to be configured to transmit image data wirelessly to the inspection wafer 6 . Moreover, the structure in which the wafer 6 for inspection and the calculating|arithmetic apparatus 9 are connected by wire, and various data is transmitted to the calculating|arithmetic apparatus 9 may be sufficient.

By the way, although the camera 82 is provided so that the solvent supply nozzle 51B may be imaged, the resist supply nozzle 51A is provided so that an image can be captured, and the distance between the resist supply nozzle 51A and the surface of the wafer W is acquired. you can make it happen In addition, the liquid processing module provided in the substrate processing apparatus 2 is not limited to the resist film formation module 3 . It may be a module that forms a film by supplying a processing liquid for forming a coating film other than a resist film such as an anti-reflection film or an insulating film to the surface of the wafer W from the nozzle, A module for supplying an adhesive for sticking to the surface of the wafer W may be used. As described above, information on the height between the nozzle that supplies the processing liquid other than the resist and the surface of the wafer W can also be acquired by the method of the above-described embodiment.

In addition, the processing liquid supplied from the nozzle to the periphery of the wafer W is not limited to a solvent, and may be, for example, a coating liquid for forming a coating film. Information about the height of this nozzle and the surface of the wafer W can be acquired by each described method. In addition, the wafer 6 for inspection is not limited to being conveyed from the outside to the substrate processing apparatus 2 by the carrier C. As shown in FIG. For example, a module for storing the inspection wafer 6 may be provided in the substrate processing apparatus 2 , and transport may be made between the module and the resist film forming module 3 .

It should be considered that embodiment disclosed this time is not restrictive by an illustration in all points. The above embodiment may be omitted, replaced, changed, and combined in various forms without departing from the scope of the appended claims and the spirit thereof.

Claims (12)

An information acquisition system for acquiring information on a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held by a substrate holding unit, the information acquisition system comprising:
a base body held in place of the substrate by the substrate holding unit;
an interference detection unit each having one end fixed to the base and the other movable end;
A signal acquisition unit for acquiring a signal that fluctuates according to deformation of the interference detection unit due to interference with a detection target member in the periphery of the base body held by the substrate holding unit
An information acquisition system comprising a. The method of claim 1,
The substrate holding part is rotatable together with the base body,
The information acquisition system which acquires the information of the height of the said detection target member according to the deformation|transformation of the said interference detection part during rotation of the said board|substrate holding part and the base body. The method of claim 1,
The interference detection unit is a beam-shaped body, and the one end is fixed to a central portion of the base body, and the other end is extended toward an edge of the base body. 4. The method of claim 3,
The base body is provided with a connection path for connecting one side and the other side in the longitudinal direction, which is a notch or a hole,
The beam-shaped body is provided on one side of the longitudinal direction of the base body,
The other end side of the beam-shaped body is provided with a protrusion that enters the connection path and protrudes toward the other side in the longitudinal direction of the base body, toward the detection target member located on the other side,
The information acquisition system in which the outer edge of the said connection path in the said base body is in contact with the said beam shape body. 5. The method of claim 4,
The other side in the longitudinal direction is a downward side,
An imaging unit for acquiring image data by imaging a lower side of the base body is provided in the base body;
and an information acquisition unit configured to acquire information on a distance between the base body and the interference detection unit based on the image data. 4. The method according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The interference detection unit is provided on the upper side of the base body,
An information acquisition system in which a gap is interposed between the other end side of the interference detection unit and the base body. An information acquisition method for acquiring information about a substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate held by a substrate holding unit, the information acquisition method comprising:
holding a base body instead of the substrate by the substrate holding part;
deforming an interference detection unit having one end fixed to the base body and the other movable end side, respectively, to interfere with a detection target member in the periphery of the base body held by the substrate holding unit;
A step of acquiring a signal that fluctuates according to the deformation of the interference detection unit
An information acquisition method comprising a. 8. The method of claim 7,
rotating the substrate holding part together with the base body;
a step of acquiring information on the height of the detection target member in accordance with deformation of the interference detecting unit during rotation of the substrate holding unit and the base body
A method of obtaining information, including 8. The method of claim 7,
The interference detecting unit is a beam-shaped body, the one end is fixed to the central portion of the base body, and the other end is extended toward the edge of the base body. 10. The method of claim 9,
The base body is provided with a connection path for connecting one side and the other side in the longitudinal direction, which is a notch or hole, and the beam-shaped body is provided on one side in the longitudinal direction of the base body,
The other end side of the beam-shaped body is provided with a protrusion that enters the connection path and protrudes toward the other side in the longitudinal direction of the base body, toward the detection target member located on the other side,
an outer edge of the connection path in the base body is in contact with the beam-shaped body;
and interfering with the projection and the detection target member to deform the beam shape. 11. The method of claim 10,
The other side in the longitudinal direction is a downward side,
a step of acquiring image data by imaging a lower side of the base body by an imaging unit provided in the base body;
a step of acquiring information on a distance between the base body and the interference detection unit based on the image data
An information acquisition method comprising a. 10. The method according to any one of claims 7 to 9,
The interference detection unit is provided above the base body, and the other end side of the interference detection unit is provided floating from the base body,
A gap is interposed between the other end side of the interference detection unit and the base body,
deforming the interference detecting unit so that the gap is narrowed by the interference between the interference detecting unit and the detection target member
An information acquisition method comprising a.

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