KR20240062955A - Substrate processing apparatus, method of controlling substrate processing apparatus, article manufacturing method, and program - Google Patents

Abstract

A substrate processing apparatus for processing a substrate includes an alignment unit that measures positional misalignment of the substrate and aligns the substrate based on the measurement, a transport system that transports the substrate, and the alignment unit performs the alignment. and a control unit that executes an evaluation process to re-measure the positional misalignment of the substrate by the alignment unit after transporting the substrate through a path predetermined by the transport system, wherein the control unit performs the evaluation process. Transport of the substrate by the transport system is controlled based on the obtained positional deviation.

Description

Substrate processing apparatus, control method of substrate processing apparatus, article manufacturing method, and program

The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus, a control method of the substrate processing apparatus, an article manufacturing method, and a program.

In an apparatus for manufacturing articles such as semiconductor devices or liquid crystal display devices, a substrate may be transported by a transport mechanism. If the holding force of the transport mechanism when holding and transporting the substrate by the holding portion is insufficient, transport of the substrate may be stopped and the operator may be prompted to retrieve it. Causes of inadequate holding power of the substrate include, for example, dirt on the back side of the substrate, bending of the substrate, deterioration of the conveyance mechanism, abnormal vacuum suction pressure, etc.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-219390 describes detecting the holding force of a holding portion holding a conveyed object and selecting conveying characteristics corresponding to the holding force.

While the transfer mechanism holds and transports the substrate by the holding unit, the substrate may move relative to the holding unit. In such a case, since the substrate cannot be accurately conveyed to the target position, conveyance errors such as the substrate colliding with another member may occur.

One aspect of the present invention provides an advantageous technique for reducing the occurrence of conveyance errors.

One aspect of the present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus that processes a substrate, the substrate processing apparatus comprising: an alignment unit that measures positional misalignment of the substrate and aligns the substrate based on the measurement; the substrate; a conveyance system that conveys the substrate, and an evaluation process that re-measures the positional misalignment of the substrate by the alignment portion after conveying the substrate on which the alignment has been performed by the alignment portion through a path predetermined by the conveyance system. and a control unit that controls transport of the substrate by the transport system based on the positional misalignment obtained by the evaluation process.

A second aspect of the present invention relates to a control method of a substrate processing apparatus including an alignment unit that measures the positional misalignment of a substrate and aligns the substrate based on the measurement, and a conveyance system that conveys the substrate. , the control method includes a first process of controlling the alignment unit to perform alignment of the substrate, and a second process of controlling the transport system so that the substrate is transported through a predetermined path after the first process. , a third process of controlling the alignment unit to measure the positional misalignment of the substrate after the second process, and a third process of controlling transport of the substrate by the transport system based on the positional misalignment obtained in the third process. Includes 4 processes.

[Figure 1] A plan view schematically showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus of one embodiment.
[Figure 2] A diagram schematically showing an example of the configuration of the exposed portion.
[Figure 3] A diagram schematically showing the configuration of the conveyance mechanism.
[Figure 4a] Schematic plan view of the alignment part.
[Figure 4b] Schematic side view of the alignment part.
[Figure 4c] Schematic plan view of the alignment part.
[Figure 5] A perspective view illustrating an open cassette.
[Figure 6] A diagram illustrating the operation (control method) of the substrate processing apparatus of the first embodiment.
[Figure 7] A diagram illustrating the operation (control method) of the substrate processing apparatus of the second embodiment.
[Figure 8] A diagram illustrating the operation (control method) of the substrate processing apparatus of the third embodiment.
[Figure 9] A diagram illustrating the operation (control method) of the substrate processing apparatus of the fourth embodiment.

EMBODIMENT OF THE INVENTION Below, embodiment of this invention is described based on the accompanying drawings. Meanwhile, the following embodiments do not limit the invention related to the scope of the patent claims. Although a plurality of features are described in the embodiments, not all of these features are essential to the invention, and the plural features may be arbitrarily combined. Furthermore, in the accompanying drawings, the same reference numerals are attached to the same or the same components, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

In this specification and the accompanying drawings, the vertical direction is basically the Z-axis, the horizontal plane perpendicular to the vertical direction is the XY plane, and the direction is shown using an

1 is a plan view schematically showing the configuration of a substrate processing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment. The substrate processing apparatus 1 can be configured as an exposure device that forms a pattern (latent image) on a substrate by projecting the pattern of the original onto the substrate using a projection optical system. The exposure apparatus is an example of a pattern forming apparatus or a lithography apparatus that forms or transfers a pattern to a substrate, and the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be configured as another type of pattern forming apparatus or lithography apparatus. Other types of pattern forming devices or lithographic devices include, for example, drawing devices that use charged particle beams, and imprint devices. The drawing device can draw a pattern on a substrate using charged particle beams such as electron beams or ion beams. The imprint device can form a pattern on a substrate by forming an imprint material on the substrate using a mold. Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be an ion implantation apparatus, a developing apparatus, an etching apparatus, a film forming apparatus, an annealing apparatus, a sputtering apparatus, a vapor deposition apparatus, or a planarization apparatus. Alternatively, the substrate processing apparatus 1 may be a transport device that transports substrates to multiple transport destinations.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 may include a chamber 2, a pattern forming part 4 accommodated in the chamber 2, and a transfer system 3. The pattern forming part 4 may include, for example, an exposure part 20. The transport system 3 is configured to transport the substrate to a plurality of transport destinations. The transport system 3 includes a supply mechanism 5 for supplying substrates, an alignment unit 6, a carrier port 7 on which an open cassette capable of accommodating a plurality of substrates is loaded, and a transport mechanism for transporting the substrates ( 8), a substrate loading unit 9 for loading the substrate, and a substrate loading unit 10 for unloading the substrate.

The alignment unit 6 may be configured to measure an alignment error of a substrate on which a pattern is to be formed in the pattern forming unit 4 and to perform alignment of the substrate based on the measurement. The alignment unit 6 may be configured as a pre-aligner, for example. The carrier port 7 may be configured to hold a closed carrier instead of an open cassette. The conveyance mechanism 8 and the supply mechanism 5 may include a holding portion such as a hand that holds the substrate, and a drive mechanism that conveys the substrate by moving the holding portion. The transport mechanism 8 may be, for example, a horizontal articulated robot (Scara robot). The substrate loading section 9 and the substrate unloading section 10 may have support sections 91 and 101, respectively, that support the substrate from below.

The substrate processing apparatus 1 may further include a control unit 11. The control unit 11 may be configured to control the conveyance system 3 and the pattern forming unit 4. The control unit 11 may include a first control unit that controls the conveyance system 3 and a second control unit that controls the pattern forming unit 4. For example, the control unit 11 may operate a Ｐｉｅｌｄ ｇｒａｍｍａｂｌｅ Ｇａｔｅ Ａｒｒａｙ omitted.) (Omission of Ｐｒｏｇｒａｍｍａｂｌｅ Ｌｏｇｃ Ｄｅｖｉｃｅ.), or, Ａ＂ｐｌｉｃａｔｏ ｎ Ｓｐｅｃｉｆｉｃ Ｉｎｔｅｇｒａｔｅｄ Ｃｉｒｃｕｉt is omitted.), or, the program is built-in It may be configured by a general-purpose or dedicated computer, or a combination of all or part of these.

In Figure 2, an example of the configuration of the exposure portion 20 is schematically shown. The exposure portion 20 includes a reticle (original plate) 21, a reticle stage (original plate stage) 24 holding the reticle 21, an illumination device 23, a projection optical system 25, and a substrate ( A substrate stage 26 holding 22) may be provided. The exposure portion 20 may be configured to transfer the pattern of the reticle 21 to the substrate 22 by a step-and-repeat method or a step-and-scan method.

The illumination device 23 includes a light source (not shown) and an illumination optical system to illuminate the reticle 21. As a light source, for example, a pulse light source (laser) can be used. Lasers that can be used include an AHF excimer laser with a wavelength of approximately 193 nm, and a F2 excimer laser with a wavelength of approximately 153 nm. However, the type of laser is not limited to the excimer laser. For example, a YAG laser may be used, and the number of lasers is not limited. Additionally, when a laser is used as a light source, a beam shaping optical system that shapes the parallel light flux from the laser light source into a desired beam shape and an incoherent optical system that makes the coherent laser incoherent can be installed. Moreover, the light source that can be used is not limited to a pulse light source, and continuous light sources such as one or more mercury lamps and xenon lamps can also be used. The lighting optical system includes a lens, mirror, light integrator, and aperture.

The reticle 21 is, for example, an original plate made of quartz glass, and a pattern (for example, a circuit pattern) to be transferred to the substrate is formed. The reticle stage 24 is movable in the horizontal direction while holding the reticle 21. The projection optical system 25 projects and exposes the pattern of the reticle 21 illuminated with the exposure light from the illumination device 23 onto the substrate 22 at a predetermined magnification (for example, 1/4 or 1/5). do. As the projection optical system 25, an optical system composed only of a plurality of refractive lens elements, or an optical system composed of a plurality of refractive lens elements and at least one concave mirror (catadioptric optical system) can be adopted. Alternatively, as the projection optical system 25, an optical system including a plurality of refractive lens elements and at least one diffractive optical element such as a kinoform, or an entirely mirror-type optical system, etc. can be adopted.

The substrate 22 is a substrate with photoresist applied to its surface. Additionally, the substrate stage 26 may be configured to be movable at least in the horizontal direction while holding the substrate 22. For example, when the step-and-scan method is adopted, the reticle stage 24 and the substrate stage 26 each move in the horizontal direction synchronously.

Next, transport of the substrate 22 will be explained. First, the substrate 22 on which the resist is applied is loaded into the conveyance system 3. The loaded substrate 22 can be placed on the support portion 91 protruding from the upper surface of the substrate loading section 9. The transport mechanism 8 can transport the substrate 22 from the substrate loading unit 9 to the alignment unit 6 . The alignment unit 6 adjusts the horizontal and rotational positions of the substrate 22. The supply mechanism 5 can transport the substrate 22 aligned by the alignment unit 6 to the substrate stage 26 of the exposure unit 20 . The substrate stage 26 is movable along a plane in the horizontal direction and can position the transported substrate 22 at a predetermined processing position. As a driving mechanism for the substrate stage 26, for example, a linear motor, electronic actuator, pulse motor, etc. (not shown) can be used. Here, an example in which the transport mechanism 8 and the supply mechanism 5 transport the substrate 22 has been described, but other transport mechanisms may be installed. Additionally, the transfer destination of the substrate 22 may include other transfer destinations.

Figure 3(a) is a plan view schematically showing an example of the configuration of the conveyance mechanism 8. FIG. 3(b) is a side view of the transfer mechanism 8 for acquiring the substrate 22 loaded in the substrate loading section 9, as seen from the α direction shown in FIG. 3(a). The transport mechanism 8 includes a hand (holding portion) 85 that holds the substrate 22, and can be configured to transport the substrate 22 by driving the hand 85. The shape of the hand 85 can be any shape that can acquire the substrate 22, and is not limited to the shape shown in Fig. 3(a). A suction port 86 for vacuum suction of the substrate 22 may be installed on the upper surface of the hand 85. The suction port 86 can be connected to the pressure reduction source 88, such as a vacuum pump, through an electromagnetic valve, etc., not shown. The arrangement of the suction port 86 is as long as it can hold the substrate 22, and is not limited to the arrangement shown in Fig. 3(a). For example, a suction port may be arranged so as to cover the entire upper surface of the hand 85, or a plurality of suction ports may be arranged.

A sensor 89 that detects pressure may be installed in the exhaust passage connecting the pressure reduction source 88 and the suction port 86. The exhaust flow path connecting the pressure reduction source 88 and the suction port 86 communicates with the space between the substrate 22 and the hand 85. Therefore, by detecting the pressure of the exhaust passage, the pressure of the space between the substrate 22 and the hand 85, or in other words, the suction force or holding force acting on the substrate 22, can be detected. The sensor 89 should be able to detect the pressure of the space between the substrate 22 and the hand 85. Therefore, the sensor 89 may be arranged to directly detect the pressure of the space between the substrate 22 and the hand 85.

The conveyance mechanism 8 may include a plurality of drive mechanisms to drive the hand 85 about a plurality of axes, for example, 4 axes (X-axis, Y-axis, Z-axis, θZ-axis). Here, the θZ axis is rotation around the Z axis. The conveyance mechanism 8 includes, for example, a drive mechanism 81 for driving in the horizontal direction, a drive mechanism 82 for driving in the vertical direction, a drive mechanism 83 for driving in the rotational direction (θZ axis), 84) may be included. The driving mechanism 82 for driving in the vertical direction, the driving mechanisms 83 and 84 for driving in the rotational direction, and the hand 85 can each be connected by a driving shaft 87. Additionally, the configuration, number, combination, etc. of the drive mechanisms are not limited to this example.

The substrate 22 can be placed on the support portion 91 protruding from the upper surface of the base of the substrate loading section 9. Under control by the control unit 11, the hand 85 can be driven upward after being inserted into the space below the substrate 22. As air in the space below the substrate 22 is sucked through the suction port 86, the substrate 22 can be held in the hand 85 by vacuum suction. Afterwards, the support part 91 is driven downward, so that the substrate 22 is transferred from the support part 91 to the hand 85. Since the hand 85 holds the substrate 22 by vacuum suction, it is possible to prevent the substrate 22 from being misaligned during transportation. When the substrate 22 comes into contact with the upper surface of the hand 85, the suction port 86 is blocked by the substrate 22. As a result, the pressure in the exhaust passage changes to the negative pressure side rather than atmospheric pressure. By detecting a change in the pressure of the exhaust passage using the sensor 89, the control unit 11 can detect that the substrate 22 is held by the hand 85 by vacuum suction. The pressure detected by the sensor 89 may be called suction pressure. Since the suction pressure is related to the holding force for the hand 85 to hold the substrate 22, the holding force can be detected by detecting the suction pressure.

4A and 4B are schematic top and side views of the alignment unit 6, respectively. The alignment unit 6 includes, for example, a support unit 62 that supports the substrate 22, a drive unit 63 that drives the support unit 62, a plurality of sensors 64 to 66, and an alignment stage ( 67), may be included. The drive unit 63 includes, for example, a mechanism for rotationally driving the support unit 62 around an axis parallel to the Z axis, and a mechanism for driving the support unit 62 in at least one direction in the XY plane (typically the X direction and the Y direction). ) may include a mechanism that moves horizontally. Additionally, the drive unit 63 may have a mechanism for moving the support unit 62 in a direction parallel to the Z-axis, that is, a lifting mechanism. The support part 62 and the drive part 63 can constitute a movable stage mechanism in the alignment part 6. The plurality of sensors 64 to 66 may be supported by a support structure (for example, a plate-shaped member), not shown, so as to be able to detect the edge position of the substrate 22 from the top of the substrate 22.

The alignment unit 6 may include a plurality of light irradiation units 61 . For example, the plurality of light irradiation units 61 may be supported by the alignment stage 67 to irradiate light toward the substrate 22 . The plurality of light irradiation units 61 may be arranged to face the plurality of sensors 64 to 66, each sandwiching an edge of the substrate 22. The plurality of sensors 64 to 66 detect the edge position of the substrate 22 based on the boundary position between the area where the light from the light irradiation unit 61 is blocked by the substrate 22 and the area where the light is not blocked, The results can be provided to the control unit 11 by wire or wirelessly.

Among the plurality of sensors 64 to 66, sensor 64 is positioned at the position of the notch or oripla provided on the substrate 22 while the substrate 22 is rotated once by the drive unit 63, that is, at the Z-axis of the substrate 22. The rotation angle (θ) around a parallel axis (θZ axis) can be detected. Hereinafter, when referring to the rotation angle, it means the rotation angle about the θZ axis. The drive unit 63 detects the position of the notch or oripla with the sensor 64 so that the notch or oripla is located on the lower side of the sensor 64, and adjusts the rotation angle of the substrate 22 to an appropriate rotation angle based on the detection result. The substrate 22 can be rotated to match. The appropriate rotation angle may be a rotation angle preset by the user.

A notch is a mark in which a part of the substrate 22 is cut into a V shape as illustrated in FIG. 4A, and the rotation angle of the substrate 22 can be detected by detecting the position of the notch. On the other hand, oriplan is an abbreviation for orientation flat (Ｏｒｉｅｅｎｔａｔｉｏｎ ｌｌｔ), and is a mark obtained by cutting a part of the substrate 22 in a straight line. By detecting the position of the oripla, the rotation angle of the substrate 22 can be detected. If a notch is installed when the substrate 22 has a small diameter, the size of the notch, which is a mark, becomes relatively small to match the size of the substrate 22, making it impossible to accurately detect the rotation angle. Therefore, when the substrate 22 has a small diameter, it is desirable to install an oripla. On the other hand, when the substrate 22 has a large diameter and an oripla is installed, the area to be cut for marking the substrate 22 increases. Therefore, when the substrate 22 has a large diameter, it is desirable to provide a notch.

The sensor 65 and sensor 66 are, for example, line sensors in which a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are arranged in a line, and can detect the position of the substrate 22 on the XY plane based on their output. The sensor 65 and sensor 66 are arranged so that the directions in which the plurality of photoelectric conversion elements are lined up (directions with resolution) are orthogonal to each other, and each detects the distance from the edge of the substrate 22 to the center of the sensor (sensor center). . When light is irradiated from the light irradiation unit 61 toward the substrate 22, the light is blocked by the substrate 22. Sensor 65 and sensor 66 detect the distance from the edge of the substrate 22 to the sensor center. The arrow shown in FIG. 4A indicates the distance from the edge of the substrate 22 to the sensor center, and the distance from the edge detected by the sensor 65 to the sensor center is the same as the distance from the edge detected by the sensor 66 to the sensor center. . On the other hand, in the example of Figure 4C, the substrate 22 is shifted squarely on the X-axis, and the distance from the edge detected by the sensor 65 to the sensor center is greater than the distance from the edge detected by the sensor 66 to the sensor center.

Based on the distance from the edge detected by the sensor 65 to the sensor center and the distance from the edge detected by the sensor 66 to the sensor center, the position X of the substrate 22 in the X-axis direction can be detected. As in the example of Fig. 4A, when the distance detected by the sensor 65 and the distance detected by the sensor 66 are the same, the substrate 22 is at an appropriate position in the X-axis direction. On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 4C, when the distance detected by the sensor 65 and the distance detected by the sensor 66 are different, the position of the substrate 22 is not an appropriate position in the X-axis direction.

When an oripla is installed on the substrate 22, the position (Y) in the Y-axis direction of the substrate 22 is the distance from the edge detected by the sensor 65 to the sensor center and the distance from the edge detected by the sensor 66 to the sensor center. It can be detected based on . Then, if the distance from the edge detected by the sensor 65 to the center of the sensor and the distance from the edge detected by the sensor 66 to the center of the sensor are predetermined distances preset by the user, the substrate 22 is positioned at an appropriate position in the Y-axis direction. there is. When a notch is provided on the substrate 22, the position Y of the substrate 22 in the Y-axis direction can be detected by measuring the length of the V-shaped cut width of the notch using the sensor 64. If the width of the notch at the predetermined position is the predetermined length preset by the user, the substrate 22 is at an appropriate position in the Y-axis direction. In this way, the position of the substrate 22 on the XY plane (horizontal direction) can be detected using the plurality of sensors 64 to 66.

The control unit 11 drives the driver 63 based on the detection results of the plurality of sensors 64 to 66, that is, the position information (X, Y, θ) of the substrate 22 to properly adjust the substrate 22. Move to location. By ensuring that the substrate 22 is in an appropriate position, the time required for alignment of the exposed portion 20 can be reduced. The plurality of sensors 64 to 66 may be configured as line sensors or may be configured as area sensors. Since it is sufficient to obtain positional information (X, Y, θ) of the substrate 22, the type or number of sensors is not limited to a specific one.

Based on the results detected using the plurality of sensors 64 to 66, the control unit 11 determines the amount of deviation (appropriate amount) of the positions The amount of deviation relative to the position), that is, the alignment error, can be obtained. Then, the control unit 11 causes the drive unit 63 to drive the support unit 62 so as to correct the amount of deviation in the position of the substrate 22, thereby performing an operation of aligning the position of the substrate 22 to an appropriate position, that is, alignment. do it Here, the alignment error (the amount of deviation from the appropriate position) detected using the plurality of sensors 64 to 66 has the same meaning as the correction amount by which the position of the substrate 22 must be corrected.

Figure 5 is a perspective view illustrating the open cassette 71 loaded in the carrier port 7. The open cassette 71 has a pair of side walls 710 extending in the vertical direction, a bottom wall 711 connected to the lower end of the pair of side walls 710, and a pair of side walls facing the bottom wall 711. It may include a ceiling wall 712 connected to the top of the. On the side wall 710, a plurality of slots 710a for accommodating the substrate 22 are arranged at predetermined intervals. A development opening 713 is provided on the front side of the open cassette 71 to enable loading and unloading of the substrate 22, and a rear opening 714 is provided on the rear side opposite to the development opening 713. The width of the rear opening 714 in the left and right directions is narrower than that of the development opening 713 to prevent loading and unloading of the substrate 22. In other words, the rear opening 714 has a left and right width smaller than the outer diameter of the substrate 22.

Hereinafter, the operation (control method) of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the first embodiment will be exemplarily explained with reference to FIG. 6. The operations shown in FIG. 6 are controlled by the control unit 11. In step S602, the substrate 22 is loaded into the substrate loading section 9. Next, in step S603, the holding force of the substrate 22 by the transfer system 3 is detected. Detection of the holding force of the substrate 22 by the transfer system 3 can be performed by, for example, measuring pressure by the sensor 89 while the substrate 22 is held by the hand 85 of the transfer mechanism 8. This can be achieved by detection. Alternatively, the detection of the holding force of the substrate 22 by the transfer system 3 indicates the pressure of a suction line (not shown) installed in the support section 91 immediately after the substrate 22 is loaded into the substrate loading section 9. It may be done by detecting using a sensor that is not used.

Next, in step S604, the substrate 22 is transported to the alignment unit 6 by the transport mechanism 8. Next, in step S605, the alignment unit 6 measures the alignment error of the substrate 22 and aligns the substrate 22 based on the measurement. Next, in step S606, the control unit 11 determines whether the holding force of the substrate 22 detected in step S603 is greater than the specified value. Then, when the control unit 11 determines that the holding force of the substrate 22 is greater than the specified value, the control unit 11 advances the processing to step S607, and when it determines that the holding force of the substrate 22 is smaller than the specified value, the control unit 11 proceeds with the processing. Proceed to step S611. The fact that the holding force of the substrate 22 is greater than the specified value means that the substrate 22 can be conveyed to the pattern forming section 4 by the supply mechanism 5, and the holding force of the substrate 22 is greater than the specified value. Small means that problems may occur when the substrate 22 is conveyed to the pattern forming section 4 by the supply mechanism 5. For example, if the back side of the substrate 22 is dirty or the substrate 22 has warp that exceeds the allowable limit, the holding force of the substrate 22 detected in step S603 becomes less than the specified value. To be guaranteed, the corresponding regulation value can be set in advance.

In step S607, the substrate 22 is conveyed to the pattern forming section 4 by the supply mechanism 5, in step S608, the substrate 22 is exposed in the pattern forming section 4, and in step S609, The substrate 22 is transported to the substrate carrying unit 10 by the transport mechanism 8 .

In step S611, the substrate 22 is transported from the alignment unit 6 by the transport mechanism 8 to a predetermined target position, and in step S612, the substrate 22 is transferred from the target position predetermined by the transport mechanism to the alignment unit. It is returned to (6). The predetermined target position can be, for example, the position immediately before the carrier port 7, which is the target position at which the substrate 22 is to be transported. Next, in step S613, the alignment unit 6 measures the alignment error of the substrate 22 and aligns the substrate 22 based on the measurement.

In steps S611, S612, and S613, the alignment error of the substrate is remeasured by the alignment unit 6 after the substrate that has been aligned in the alignment unit 6 is transported through a path predetermined by the transport system 3. This is an example of evaluation processing. The alignment error detected in the evaluation process is a misalignment of the position of the substrate 22 that may occur when the substrate 22 is transported through a predetermined path by the transport system 3 (transfer mechanism 8). In other words, the alignment error obtained in the evaluation process is determined by transferring the substrate 22 to the open cassette 71 placed in the carrier port 7 by the transfer system 3 (transfer mechanism 8) in step S615 to be performed thereafter. It can be regarded as the amount of positional deviation that may occur when conveyed.

In step S614, the control unit 11 determines whether the alignment error detected in step S613 (alignment error detected in the evaluation process) is smaller than the standard for judgment. The fact that the alignment error detected in step S613 is smaller than the standard for judgment means that in step S615 performed thereafter, the substrate 22 is placed in the open cassette 71 placed in the carrier port 7 and the transfer mechanism 8. This means that there will be no problem even if it is returned. The criteria for judgment may be determined according to this purpose. In one example, the criteria for judgment may be determined to ensure that the edge of the substrate 22 does not collide with the side wall 710 when storing the substrate 22 in the slot 710a of the open cassette 71. there is.

If the control unit 11 determines that the alignment error detected in step S613 is smaller than the standard for judgment, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S615, and if it determines that the alignment error detected in step S613 is larger than the standard for judgment, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S615. The processing proceeds to step S616. In step S615, the substrate 22 is transported from the alignment unit 6 to the open cassette 71 disposed in the carrier port 7 by the transport mechanism 8, and is accommodated in the open cassette 71. Step S616 is performed when the substrate 22 is transferred from the alignment unit 6 to the open cassette 71 by the transfer mechanism 8, and the substrate 22 is transferred to the side wall 710 of the open cassette 71. ) means that problems such as conflicts may occur. Therefore, in step S616, the occurrence of an error is notified. Notification of the occurrence of an error can be implemented, for example, in the form of urging the operator to collect the substrate 22.

In the above example, the transfer destination of the substrate 22 in step S615 is the open cassette 71, but the transfer destination can be set arbitrarily. The transfer destination may be selected from a plurality of transfer destination candidates. Transfer destinations other than the open cassette 71 include, for example, the pattern forming section 4 (exposure section 20) and the substrate carrying section 10.

According to the first embodiment, even if sufficient holding force is not obtained for transport of the substrate, the positional misalignment of the substrate that may occur during transport is evaluated, and if it is possible to safely transport the substrate, an alternative such as an open cassette is used. The substrate can be transported to the transport destination. Accordingly, the frequency of occurrence of errors such as stopping the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be suppressed, and the operation rate of the substrate processing apparatus 1 can be improved.

In the above-described embodiment, the evaluation processing of steps S611 to S613 is performed when it is determined that the holding power of the substrate is less than the specified value, but the evaluation processing may be performed at all times. For example, if the alignment error obtained by the evaluation process is smaller than the first standard for conveying the substrate to the exposure section, the substrate can be conveyed to the exposure section. Additionally, if the alignment error obtained by the evaluation process is greater than the first standard for conveyance to the exposure section but smaller than the second standard for conveyance to another conveyance destination, the substrate may be conveyed to another conveyance destination. .

Process S615 can be understood as an example of a process in which the control unit 11 determines whether or not to transport the substrate to a predetermined transport destination based on the alignment error obtained by the evaluation process. Alternatively, step S615 can be understood as an example of a process in which the control unit 11 determines whether or not to transport the substrate to a predetermined transport destination based on the size of the alignment error obtained through the evaluation process.

In step S615, the control unit 11 may determine which of the plurality of transfer destinations to transfer the substrate to, based on the alignment error obtained through the evaluation process. Such a plurality of transfer destinations may include an exposure section, or in other words, a pattern forming section that forms a pattern on the substrate. The plurality of transfer destinations may include an open cassette, a substrate loading section, and a substrate loading section. When the control unit 11 determines that the substrate cannot be transported to any of the plurality of transport destinations, it may notify the occurrence of an error.

Hereinafter, the operation (control method) of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the second embodiment will be exemplarily explained with reference to FIG. 7 . Matters not mentioned in the second embodiment may follow the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, when it is determined that the holding force for holding the substrate is smaller than the specified value, the transfer speed of the substrate by the transfer system can be lowered than the standard speed. Alternatively, in the second embodiment, when the alignment error obtained by the evaluation process is larger than the threshold, the transfer speed of the substrate by the transfer system can be lowered than the standard speed.

The operations shown in FIG. 7 are controlled by the control unit 11. In step S802, the substrate 22 is loaded into the substrate loading section 9. Next, in step S803, the holding force of the substrate 22 by the transfer system 3 is detected. Next, in step S804, the control unit 11 determines whether the holding force of the substrate 22 detected in step S803 is smaller than the specified value. Then, when the control unit 11 determines that the holding force of the substrate 22 is less than the specified value, the control unit 11 advances the processing to step S805, and when it determines that the holding force of the substrate 22 is greater than the specified value, the control unit 11 proceeds with the processing. Proceed to step S806. The fact that the holding force of the substrate 22 is greater than the specified value means that the substrate 22 can be conveyed to the pattern forming section 4 by the supply mechanism 5, and the holding force of the substrate 22 is greater than the specified value. Small means that problems may occur when the substrate 22 is conveyed to the pattern forming section 4 by the supply mechanism 5.

In step S805, the control unit 11 sets the transfer speed of the substrate 22 by the transfer mechanism 8 to a speed lower than the reference speed. Accordingly, the possibility of displacement of the substrate 22 during transportation of the substrate 22 is reduced. In step S806, the substrate 22 is transported to the alignment unit 6 by the transport mechanism 8. Next, in step S807, the alignment unit 6 measures the alignment error of the substrate 22 and aligns the substrate 22 based on the measurement.

Next, in step S808, the control unit 11 determines whether the transfer speed of the substrate 22 by the transfer mechanism 8 is set to a lower speed than the reference speed. And, if the transfer speed of the substrate 22 by the transfer mechanism 8 is set to a lower speed than the standard speed, the control unit 11 advances the processing to step S813. Otherwise, the control unit 11 advances the processing to step S813. Proceed to S809. In step S809, the substrate 22 is conveyed to the pattern forming section 4 by the supply mechanism 5, in step S810, the substrate 22 is exposed in the pattern forming section 4, and in step S811, The substrate 22 is transported to the substrate carrying unit 10 by the transport mechanism 8 .

In step S813, the substrate 22 is transported from the alignment unit 6 by the transport mechanism 8 to a predetermined target position, and in step S814, the substrate 22 is transferred from the target position predetermined by the transport mechanism to the alignment unit. It is returned to (6). The predetermined target position can be, for example, the position immediately before the carrier port 7, which is the target position at which the substrate 22 is to be transported. Next, in step S815, the alignment unit 6 measures the alignment error of the substrate 22 and aligns the substrate 22 based on the measurement.

In steps S813, S814, and S815, the alignment error of the substrate is remeasured by the alignment unit 6 after the substrate that has been aligned in the alignment unit 6 is transported through a path predetermined by the transport system 3. This is an example of evaluation processing. In the evaluation process, the positional misalignment (alignment error) of the substrate 22 that may occur when the substrate 22 is transported through a predetermined path by the transport system 3 (transport mechanism 8) can be evaluated. In other words, the alignment error obtained in the evaluation process is determined by transferring the substrate 22 to the open cassette 71 placed in the carrier port 7 by the transfer system 3 (transfer mechanism 8) in step S817 to be performed thereafter. It can be regarded as the amount of positional deviation that may occur when conveyed.

In step S816, the control unit 11 determines whether the alignment error detected in step S815 (alignment error detected in the evaluation process) is smaller than the standard for judgment. The fact that the alignment error detected in step S815 is smaller than the standard for judgment means that in step S817 to be performed thereafter, the substrate 22 is placed in the open cassette 71 placed in the carrier port 7 and the transfer mechanism 8. This means that there will be no problem even if it is returned.

If the control unit 11 determines that the alignment error detected in step S816 is smaller than the standard for judgment, the control unit 11 advances processing to step S817, and if it determines that the alignment error detected in step S816 is larger than the standard for judgment, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S817. The processing proceeds to step S818. In step S817, the substrate 22 is transported from the alignment unit 6 to the open cassette 71 placed in the carrier port 7 by the transport mechanism 8, and is accommodated in the open cassette 71.

In step S818, the control unit 11 determines whether the set transport speed of the substrate is the minimum speed. If it is the minimum speed, the control unit 11 advances the processing to step S820. Otherwise, it advances the processing to step S819.

Process S820 is performed when the substrate 22 is transferred from the alignment unit 6 to the open cassette 71 by the transfer mechanism 8, and the substrate 22 is transferred to the side wall 710 of the open cassette 71. ) means that problems such as conflicts may occur. Therefore, in step S820, the occurrence of an error is notified. Notification of the occurrence of an error can be implemented, for example, in the form of urging the operator to collect the substrate 22. In step S819, the control unit 11 changes the conveyance speed set as the conveyance speed for conveying the substrate 22 by the conveyance mechanism 8 to a lower speed, and proceeds the process to the above-described step S813.

In the second embodiment, the frequency of error occurrence can be reduced compared to the first embodiment.

Hereinafter, the operation (control method) of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the third embodiment will be exemplarily explained with reference to FIG. 8. Matters not mentioned in the third embodiment may follow the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, the control unit 11 offsets the substrate in the alignment unit 6 based on the alignment error obtained by the evaluation process, and then operates the transfer system 3 (transfer mechanism). 8) The substrate is returned.

In the third embodiment shown in Fig. 8, step S616 in the first embodiment shown in Fig. 6 is replaced with steps S617 and S618. In step S614, the control unit 11 determines whether the alignment error detected in step S613 (alignment error detected in the evaluation process) is smaller than the standard for judgment. The fact that the alignment error detected in step S613 is smaller than the standard for judgment means that in step S615 performed thereafter, the substrate 22 is placed in the open cassette 71 placed in the carrier port 7 and the transfer mechanism 8. This means that there will be no problem even if it is returned.

If the control unit 11 determines that the alignment error detected in step S613 is smaller than the standard for judgment, the control unit 11 advances the processing to step S615, and if it determines that the alignment error detected in step S613 is larger than the standard for judgment, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S615. The processing proceeds to step S617. In step S615, the substrate 22 is transported from the alignment unit 6 to the open cassette 71 disposed in the carrier port 7 by the transport mechanism 8, and is accommodated in the open cassette 71.

In step S617, alignment of the substrate 22 is performed in the alignment unit 6 based on the alignment error obtained in step S613. Next, in step S618, the control section 11 controls the alignment section 6 to offset the substrate 22 based on the alignment error obtained in step S613. For example, it can be assumed that the positional misalignment that may occur when the substrate 22 is transported from the alignment unit 6 to the carrier port 7 by the transport mechanism 8 is equivalent to the alignment error obtained in step S613. . In this case, if the alignment error obtained in step S613 is (ΔX, ΔY, Δθ), the offset can be set to (-ΔX, -ΔY, -Δθ). Afterwards, in step S615, the substrate 22 is transported from the alignment unit 6 to the open cassette 71 disposed in the carrier port 7 by the transport mechanism 8, and is accommodated in the open cassette 71. do.

Hereinafter, the operation (control method) of the substrate processing apparatus 1 of the fourth embodiment will be exemplarily explained with reference to FIG. 9. Matters not mentioned in the fourth embodiment may follow the first embodiment. In the fourth embodiment, when it is determined that the holding force of the substrate 22 detected in step S603 is smaller than the specified value, the substrate is transported to a transfer destination selected from a plurality of transfer destination candidates. In the fourth embodiment shown in Fig. 9, steps S818 to S621 are added to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 6.

In step S606, the control unit 11 determines whether the holding force of the substrate 22 detected in step S603 is greater than the specified value. Then, when the control unit 11 determines that the holding force of the substrate 22 is greater than the specified value, the control unit 11 advances the processing to step S607, and when it determines that the holding force of the substrate 22 is smaller than the specified value, the control unit 11 proceeds with the processing. Proceed to step S618.

In step S618, the substrate 22 is transported from the alignment unit 6 to the first target position by the transport mechanism 8, and in step S619, the substrate 22 is transferred to the first target position by the transport mechanism 8. It is conveyed to the alignment unit 6. The first target position can be, for example, a position immediately before the exposure portion 20. Next, in step S620, the alignment unit 6 measures the alignment error of the substrate 22 and aligns the substrate 22 based on the measurement.

In steps S618, S619, and S620, the substrate that has been aligned in the alignment unit 6 is transported by the transfer system 3 through a predetermined path via the first target position, and then the substrate is transferred by the alignment unit 6. This is an example of the first evaluation process for re-measuring the alignment error. In the first evaluation process, the positional deviation (alignment error) of the substrate 22 that may occur when the substrate 22 is transported through the first predetermined path by the transport system 3 (transfer mechanism 8) is evaluated. You can. In other words, the alignment error obtained in the first evaluation process is regarded as the amount of positional deviation that may occur when the substrate 22 is transported by the transport system 3 (transfer mechanism 8) in the subsequent process. can do.

In step S621, the control unit 11 determines whether the alignment error detected in step S620 (alignment error detected in the evaluation process) is smaller than the first standard for judgment. The fact that the alignment error detected in step S620 is smaller than the first standard for judgment means that conveyance to the exposure section 20 is possible. From another perspective, the first standard can be said to be a standard that can guarantee safe transportation to the exposure section 20.

If the control unit 11 determines that the alignment error detected in step S620 is smaller than the first standard for judgment, it advances the process to step S607, and if it determines that the alignment error detected in step S620 is larger than the first standard for judgment, the control unit 11 advances the process to step S607. In this case, the processing proceeds to step S611.

In step S607, the substrate 22 is conveyed to the pattern forming section 4 by the supply mechanism 5, in step S608, the substrate 22 is exposed in the pattern forming section 4, and in step S609, The substrate 22 is transported to the substrate carrying unit 10 by the transport mechanism 8 . Therefore, even if it is determined in step S606 that the holding force of the substrate 22 is smaller than the specified value, if the alignment error detected in the evaluation process is determined to be smaller than the first standard, the substrate 22 is ), and exposure takes place.

In step S611, the substrate 22 is transported from the alignment unit 6 to the second target position by the transport mechanism 8, and in step S612, the substrate 22 is transferred from the second target position to the alignment unit by the transport mechanism. It is returned to (6). The second target position can be, for example, the position immediately before the carrier port 7, which is the target position where the substrate 22 is to be transported thereafter. Next, in step S613, the alignment unit 6 measures the alignment error of the substrate 22 and aligns the substrate 22 based on the measurement.

In steps S611, S612, and S613, the substrate that has been aligned in the alignment unit 6 is transported through the second path via the second target position by the transport system 3, and then the substrate is transferred by the alignment unit 6. This is an example of the second evaluation process for re-measuring the alignment error. In the second evaluation process, the positional misalignment of the substrate 22 that may occur when the substrate 22 is transported through the second path by the transport system 3 (transfer mechanism 8) can be evaluated. In other words, the alignment error obtained in the second evaluation process is due to the fact that the substrate 22 is conveyed by the conveyance system 3 to the open cassette 71 disposed in the carrier port 7 in step S615 to be performed thereafter. It can be regarded as the amount of positional deviation that may occur in this case.

In step S614, the control unit 11 determines whether the alignment error detected in step S613 (alignment error detected in the evaluation process) is smaller than the second standard for judgment. The fact that the alignment error detected in step S613 is smaller than the second standard for judgment means that in step S615 performed thereafter, the substrate 22 is placed in the open cassette 71 placed in the carrier port 7 using the transfer mechanism 8. ) means that there will be no problem even if it is returned. The second criterion for judgment may be determined according to this purpose.

The third embodiment can be understood as an example in which a substrate is transported to a transport destination selected from a plurality of transport destinations. A plurality of transfer destinations may have priorities, and the allowable amount of alignment error (first standard, second standard) obtained through evaluation processing can be set to be smaller as the priority increases.

When the output of the sensor 89 indicates that the holding force of the substrate is less than the specified value, the control unit 11 sets the first path assigned to the first transfer destination with the highest priority as the predetermined path. You can control evaluation processing. The control unit 11 can control the transport system 3 to transport the substrate to the first transport destination when the alignment error obtained by the evaluation process using the first path satisfies the first standard. Additionally, if the alignment error obtained by the evaluation process using the first path does not meet the first standard, the control unit 11 preliminarily selects the second path that has been assigned to the second transport destination with the second priority. The evaluation process can be controlled through a determined path. The control unit 11 can control the transport system 3 to transport the substrate to the second transport destination when the alignment error obtained by the evaluation process using the second path satisfies the second standard.

Hereinafter, an article manufacturing method in which the substrate processing apparatus 1 is configured as a pattern forming device and an article is manufactured using this device will be described. The article manufacturing method includes controlling the substrate processing apparatus 1 according to the above-described control method, processing the substrate to form a pattern on the substrate, and processing the substrate on which the pattern is formed. Includes the process of obtaining goods. The pattern can be formed in process S608 or S810. When the substrate processing apparatus 1 is configured as an exposure apparatus, a latent image is formed as a pattern on the photoresist film of the substrate in process S608 or S810, and the latent image can be converted into a physical pattern through a development process. The process of processing the substrate on which the pattern is formed may include a developing process, or may include a process of processing (for example, etching) the substrate that has passed the developing process.

Although preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist.

1: Substrate processing device, 3: Transfer system, 4: Pattern forming device, 6: Alignment unit, 7: Carrier port, 8: Transfer mechanism, 9: Substrate loading unit, 10: Substrate carrying unit, 11: Control unit, 20: exposure department

Claims (19)

A substrate processing device that processes a substrate,
an alignment unit that measures positional misalignment of the substrate and aligns the substrate based on the measurement;
a transport system for transporting the substrate;
After transporting the substrate on which the alignment has been performed by the alignment unit through a path predetermined by the transport system, a control unit that executes an evaluation process of re-measuring the positional misalignment of the substrate by the alignment unit,
The control unit controls transport of the substrate by the transport system based on the positional misalignment obtained by the evaluation process.
A substrate processing device characterized in that.
According to claim 1,
Further comprising a sensor that detects a holding force of the substrate by the transport system,
The control unit executes the evaluation process when the output of the sensor indicates that the holding force of the substrate is less than a specified value.
A substrate processing device characterized in that.
According to claim 2,
The control unit determines whether or not to transport the substrate to a predetermined transport destination based on the positional deviation obtained by the evaluation process.
A substrate processing device characterized in that.
According to claim 2,
The control unit determines whether or not to transport the substrate to a predetermined transport destination based on the size of the positional deviation obtained by the evaluation process.
A substrate processing device characterized in that.
According to claim 2,
The control unit determines which of a plurality of transfer destinations to transfer the substrate to, based on the positional deviation obtained by the evaluation process.
A substrate processing device characterized in that.
According to claim 5,
The plurality of transfer destinations include a pattern forming section that forms a pattern on the substrate,
A substrate processing device characterized in that.
According to claim 6,
The plurality of transfer destinations further include an open cassette, a substrate loading section, and a substrate loading section,
A substrate processing device characterized in that.
According to claim 5,
The control unit notifies the occurrence of an error when it is determined that the substrate cannot be transported to any of the plurality of transport destinations.
A substrate processing device characterized in that.
According to claim 5,
The plurality of transfer destinations have priorities, and the allowable amount of positional deviation obtained by the evaluation process is smaller as the priority is higher.
A substrate processing device characterized in that.
According to clause 9,
When the output of the sensor indicates that the holding force of the substrate is less than the specified value, the control unit sets the first path assigned to the first transport destination with the first priority as the predetermined path. Executing the above evaluation process,
The control unit controls the transport system to transport the substrate to the first transport destination when the positional misalignment obtained by the evaluation process using the first path satisfies a first standard,
If the positional deviation obtained by the evaluation process using the first path does not meet the first criterion, the control unit selects the second path where the priority has been assigned to the second delivery destination. Executing the evaluation process along the predetermined path,
The control unit controls the transport system to transport the substrate to the second transport destination when the positional misalignment obtained by the evaluation process using the second path satisfies a second standard.
A substrate processing device characterized in that.
According to claim 1,
The control unit reduces the transfer speed of the substrate by the transfer system when the positional deviation obtained by the evaluation process is greater than a standard,
A substrate processing device characterized in that.
According to claim 1,
The control unit, based on the positional misalignment obtained by the evaluation process, offsets the substrate in the alignment unit and then transfers the substrate to the transfer system.
A substrate processing device characterized in that.
According to claim 2,
Further comprising a pattern forming unit that forms a pattern on the substrate,
The control unit controls the transport system to transport the substrate on which the alignment was performed in the alignment unit to the pattern forming unit when the output of the sensor indicates that the holding force of the substrate is greater than the specified value.
A substrate processing device characterized in that.
A control method for a substrate processing apparatus comprising: an alignment unit that measures the positional misalignment of a substrate and aligns the substrate based on the measurement; and a transport system that transports the substrate, comprising:
A first process of controlling the alignment unit to align the substrate,
After the first process, a second process of controlling the transport system so that the substrate is transported through a predetermined path;
After the second process, a third process of controlling the alignment unit to measure positional misalignment of the substrate;
Comprising a fourth process of controlling transport of the substrate by the transport system based on the positional deviation obtained in the third process,
A control method for a substrate processing device, characterized in that.
According to claim 14,
When the holding force of the substrate by the transfer system is less than the specified value, the first process, the second process, the third process, and the fourth process are performed,
A control method for a substrate processing device, characterized in that.
According to claim 15,
When the holding force is greater than the specified value, it further includes a fifth process of controlling the transport system so that the substrate is transported to the pattern forming part,
A control method for a substrate processing device, characterized in that.
According to claim 16,
Further comprising a sixth process of controlling the pattern forming unit to form a pattern on the substrate,
A control method for a substrate processing device, characterized in that.
A process of forming a pattern on the substrate by processing the substrate according to the control method of the substrate processing apparatus according to claim 17;
A process of obtaining an article by processing the substrate on which the pattern is formed,
A method of manufacturing an article comprising:
A program stored in a computer-readable storage medium for operating a control unit of the substrate processing apparatus to execute the control method of the substrate processing apparatus according to any one of claims 14 to 17.

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