TW202213596A - Operation method for substrate processing device - Google Patents

Abstract

This operation method for a substrate processing device comprises: a step for preparing a test substrate provided with the following, a plate-shaped base material, an imaging element provided to at least one portion of a surface of the base material, a light-transmissive protective layer formed on a surface of the imaging element, and an output unit that outputs the imaging element output to an external source; a testing step for processing the test substrate using a processing unit as well as for detecting the state of a contaminant adhered to the test substrate after or during processing using the test substrate, and/or conveying the test substrate using a conveyance mechanism as well as detecting the state of a contaminant adhered to the test substrate during or after conveying using the test substrate; and a determination step for determining, on the basis of the state of the contaminant detected during the testing step, whether a product substrate should be processed or conveyed by the substrate processing device.

Description

Operation method of substrate processing device

The present disclosure relates to an operating method of a substrate processing apparatus.

In the manufacture of semiconductor devices, a substrate processing system including a transfer unit and a processing unit is used to perform various treatments such as chemical treatment, film formation treatment, heat treatment, etc. on a substrate to be processed (eg, a semiconductor wafer). In Patent Document 1, a coating and developing apparatus for performing photoresist coating and development processing after exposure to a substrate is disclosed as a substrate processing system. In this coating and developing apparatus, a temperature monitoring substrate called a wireless wafer is used. The wireless wafer has a plurality of temperature sensors and a controller, and can transmit the temperature detected by the temperature sensors through wireless communication. When the wireless wafer is placed on the hot plate and when the wireless wafer is transferred to the hot plate before and after the wireless wafer, the change over time of the actual temperature of the wireless wafer is measured. Based on the measurement results, the control parameters of the heating plate can be appropriately adjusted. [Prior Art Literature] [Patent Literature]

[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-08489

The present disclosure provides a method of operating a substrate processing apparatus that can easily and quickly identify the cause of contaminants such as particles using an inspection substrate.

According to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a method for operating a substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus includes: a processing unit for processing a product substrate; a loading and unloading unit for loading and unloading the product substrate processed by the processing unit; and a conveying mechanism for conveying the product substrate between the loading and unloading unit and the processing unit, the operation method of the substrate processing apparatus is characterized by comprising: a step of preparing an inspection substrate, and the inspection substrate is provided with a "board" a substrate in the shape of a substrate, an imaging element provided on at least a part of the surface of the substrate, a light-transmitting protective layer formed on the surface of the imaging element, and an output for outputting the output of the imaging element to the outside of the inspection substrate part”, and is configured to detect the adhesion state of the contaminant to the protective layer based on the output of the imaging element that changes due to the light irradiated from the light source being shielded by the contaminant adhered to the protective layer; execute An inspection step as at least one of the following: processing the inspection substrate with the processing unit, and detecting, by the inspection substrate, the state of contaminants adhering to the inspection substrate after or during processing; and using the inspection substrate A conveyance mechanism conveys the inspection substrate, and detects the state of contaminants adhering to the inspection substrate after or during the conveyance by means of the inspection substrate; and a judging step based on the state of the contaminant detected in the inspection step , to determine whether or not the product substrate can be processed or transported by the substrate processing apparatus.

According to the present disclosure, it is possible to easily and quickly identify the cause of the occurrence of contaminants such as fine particles using an inspection substrate.

An embodiment of the substrate processing apparatus will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a substrate processing system according to the present embodiment. In the following, in order to clarify the positional relationship, the X-axis, the Y-axis, and the Z-axis which are orthogonal to each other are defined, and the positive direction of the Z-axis is set as the vertical upward direction.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the substrate processing system 1 includes: a loading and unloading station 2 ; and a processing station 3 . The loading and unloading station 2 and the processing station 3 are installed adjacent to each other.

The carry-in and carry-out station 2 is provided with: a carrier placing part 11 ; and a conveying part 12 . A plurality of carriers C that accommodate a plurality of substrates, which are semiconductor wafers (hereinafter referred to as wafers W) in the present embodiment, in a horizontal state are placed on the carrier placement portion 11 .

The transfer unit 12 is provided adjacent to the carrier placement unit 11 , and includes a substrate transfer device 13 (transfer mechanism) and a receiving and receiving unit 14 inside. The substrate transfer device 13 is provided with a wafer holding mechanism that holds the wafer W (substrate). In addition, the substrate transfer device 13 is movable in the horizontal and vertical directions and rotatable around the vertical axis, and uses a wafer holding mechanism to transfer the wafer W between the carrier C and the receiving and transferring unit 14 .

The processing station 3 is provided adjacent to the conveying unit 12 . The processing station 3 is provided with: the conveyance part 15; and a plurality of processing units 16. As shown in FIG. A plurality of processing units 16 are arranged on both sides of the conveying unit 15 .

The conveyance part 15 is equipped with the board|substrate conveyance apparatus 17 (conveyance mechanism) inside. The substrate transfer device 17 is provided with a wafer holding mechanism that holds the wafer W. Further, the substrate transfer device 17 is movable in the horizontal and vertical directions and rotatable around the vertical axis, and uses a wafer holding mechanism to transfer the wafer W between the receiving unit 14 and the processing unit 16 .

The processing unit 16 performs predetermined substrate processing on the wafer W transferred by the substrate transfer device 17 .

The substrate processing system 1 is provided with a notch aligner 90 , that is, a positioning device, which performs wafer alignment in the circumferential direction. The notch aligner 90 can be installed, for example, in the conveying part 12 of the carrying-in and unloading station 2 (for example, in the conveying space of the substrate conveying device 13 or in the receiving and receiving part 14 ). As the positioning device, a device for positioning the wafer by detecting the orientation plane can also be used instead of the notch aligner 90 .

The substrate processing system 1 may include a doctor wafer storage unit 92 that stores doctor wafers (inspection substrates) DW described later. The squeegee wafer storage unit 92 can be installed anywhere in the substrate processing system 1 as long as the substrate transfer device 13 or the substrate transfer device 17 can be accessed.

In addition, the substrate processing system 1 includes a control device 4 . The control device 4 is, for example, a computer, and includes a control unit 18 and a memory unit 19 . The memory unit 19 stores programs that control various processes executed in the substrate processing system 1 . The control unit 18 controls the operation of the substrate processing system 1 by reading and executing the program stored in the memory unit 19 .

In addition, the program may be recorded on a computer-readable storage medium, and may be installed in the storage unit 19 of the control device 4 from the storage medium. As a computer-readable storage medium, there are, for example, a hard disk (HD), a floppy disk (FD), a compact disk (CD), a magneto-optical disk (MO), a memory card, and the like.

In the substrate processing system 1 configured as described above, first, the substrate transfer device 13 of the carry-in and carry-out station 2 takes out the wafer W from the carrier C placed on the carrier placing section 11 , and removes the taken-out wafer W Mounted on the receiving and receiving unit 14 . The wafer W placed on the receiving and receiving unit 14 is taken out from the receiving and receiving unit 14 by the substrate transfer device 17 of the processing station 3 and carried into the processing unit 16 .

The wafer W carried into the processing unit 16 is processed by the processing unit 16 , and then carried out from the processing unit 16 by the substrate transfer device 17 and placed on the receiving and receiving unit 14 . Then, the processed wafer W placed on the receiving and transferring unit 14 is returned to the carrier C of the carrier placing unit 11 by the substrate transfer device 13 .

Contaminants, particularly particles, adhere to the wafer W at various locations in the substrate processing system 1 described above. In order to analyze the cause of the adhesion of the particles to the wafer W, in the substrate processing system 1 , the following blade-coated wafers (inspection substrates) DW are conveyed and processed.

In addition, as will be clear from the following description, the blade-coated wafer DW can widely detect surface defects such as contaminants other than particles, such as watermarks and scratches. Hereinafter, in this specification, the microparticles which are the most representative detection objects will be described as an example.

Hereinafter, the configuration of the doctor blade wafer DW will be described. FIG. 2 shows a configuration example of the doctor blade wafer DW. The doctor blade wafer DW includes a wiring layer 102, a light-receiving layer 104, and a protective layer 106 that are sequentially laminated on a substrate 100 (a disc-shaped base material) composed of a semiconductor wafer.

The wiring layer 102 and the light-receiving layer 104 can be formed using a known imaging element (eg, backside illumination CMOS) formation technique. The squeegee wafer DW can also be said to be an imaging element of the same size as the wafer W. FIG. The wiring layer 102 and the light-receiving layer 104 may be configured to correspond to a CCD imaging element.

The light-receiving layer 104 has a large number (a plurality of) of light-emitting diodes arranged in a matrix. In the blade-coated wafer DW, color filters are not provided on the light-emitting diodes because there is no need to distinguish colors. Therefore, the light-receiving layer 104 of the squeegee wafer DW has a detection resolution exactly corresponding to the number of light-emitting diodes (the number of pixels). Hereinafter, one light-emitting diode is referred to as a pixel 105 . In a non-limiting and exemplary embodiment, the size of one pixel 105 is 5 nm.

The protective layer 106 has sufficient light transmittance and is difficult to be corroded by the processing fluid exposed to the blade-coated wafer DW, and is preferably formed of a material with surface properties (eg, hydrophobicity) similar to those of the wafer W. In the illustrated embodiment, the protective layer 106 is formed of a pixel protective damper 106a and a transparent glass (SiO _x ) 106b provided on the light-receiving layer 104 . The surface properties (eg, hydrophobicity) of the transparent glass are similar to those of wafer W.

The material constituting the protective layer 106 (especially its surface) can be changed according to the process fluid exposed to the blade coating wafer DW. In order to make the surface properties of the protective layer 106 (eg, hydrophobicity) close to those of the substrate to be processed, a light-transmitting coating (eg, a transparent PFA or PTFA film) having desired properties may also be applied. In order to make the protective layer 106 resistant to various processing liquids, a light-transmitting coating may be provided on the outermost surface of the protective layer 106 . As the light-transmitting coating, SiN, _SiOx , etc. can be used when acid resistance is not provided, SiOx or the like can be used when alkali resistance is not provided, and _SiOx or the like can be used when oil resistance is not provided. Next, SiO _x or the like can be used.

As shown in FIG. 3 , a plurality of electrodes 108 (power receiving portions) are provided on the peripheral portion of the doctor blade wafer DW. The electrode 108 functions as a power receiving electrode for receiving electric power for operating the imaging element (102+104), and as a command for receiving an instruction to read pixel data from an external device (eg, a signal processing device) to the imaging element. The function of the signal input electrode and the function as an output electrode for outputting the pixel data output from the squeegee wafer DW to an external device (eg, a signal processing device).

Two or more different functions among the above-mentioned functions may be assigned to the same electrode 108 (electrode member). It is also possible to assign different functions to the electrodes 108 (electrode members) one by one. When the imaging element is a back-illuminated CMOS, the supply electrode to the pixel amplifier is exemplified as the electric power for operating the imaging element.

The electrodes 108 are, for example, provided on various constituent elements that can be brought into contact with the wafer W in the substrate processing system 1, such as gripping claws of a mechanical rotary chuck (described later), holding claws of a transfer arm, and the like (described later). "Electrical contact-like position. The electrode 108 can be provided, for example, to be exposed on the surface (side peripheral surface) of the Apex of the squeegee wafer DW, the sloped portion, or a flat portion in the vicinity thereof.

The electrode 108 is electrically connected to the wiring layer 102 . The gripping claws of the mechanical spin chuck are arranged so as to be in contact with the electrodes 108 painted in black in FIG. 3 . The holding claw of the transfer arm is not limited to being arranged at a position so as to be in contact with the black-coated electrode 108 , but may be arranged at a position so as to be in contact with the hollow electrode 108 , for example. In this case, a connecting line 110 can be provided, which is the electrode 108 that will play the same role (eg, power, command signals, pixel data (image) to and from a specific area of the squeegee wafer DW. The electrodes for transmitting and receiving signals) are connected to each other.

When the particles are attached to the surface of the protective layer 106 of the blade-coated wafer DW, the illumination light irradiated to the blade-coated wafer DW will be shielded by the particles. That is, the output of the pixel 105 located below the particle becomes smaller. Using this situation, the distribution of particles on the doctor blade wafer DW can be detected.

In addition, the image (pixel data) is read out from the squeegee wafer DW at a sufficiently high frame rate (eg, hundreds to thousands of fps), whereby, for example, the process of particles during liquid processing can also be grasped. time to move. In this case, since the amount of data becomes large, for example, only two straight lines (a straight line extending in the X direction and a line extending in the Y direction) extending along the diameter of the squeegee wafer DW that are perpendicular to each other may be used. Pixels on a straight line) to obtain data at short time intervals (corresponding to the high frame rate described above). The movement of particles over time can also be grasped by forming a Signal-Time 3D map based on the data.

In order to detect particles on the doctor blade wafer DW, it is necessary to irradiate the doctor blade wafer DW with light. Therefore, lighting devices can be provided at various positions within the substrate processing system 1 . Although the position where the lighting device is installed is arbitrary, it is particularly preferable to install the lighting device at a position where particles are easily generated. As a position where particles are likely to be generated, the inside of the processing unit 16 and the vicinity of the receiving and delivering portion 14 where the wafers W are delivered and delivered are exemplified.

Next, the configuration of the processing unit 16 including the lighting device will be described. As shown in FIG. 4 , the processing unit 16 includes: a chamber 20 ; a spin chuck (substrate holding mechanism) 30 ; a processing fluid supply unit 40 ; and a recovery cup 50 .

The chamber 20 accommodates the spin chuck 30 , the treatment fluid supply unit 40 and the recovery cup 50 . On the top of the chamber 20, an FFU (Fan Filter Unit) 21 is provided. The FFU 21 forms a downflow in the chamber 20 .

The rotary chuck 30 is configured as a mechanical chuck. The spin chuck 30 has a substrate holding portion 31 . The substrate holding portion 31 includes: a disk-shaped support plate 32; At least one or more of the gripping claws 33 are movable gripping claws. The spin chuck 30 holds the wafer W in a horizontal position by engaging the gripping claws 33 with the peripheral edge of the wafer W. As shown in FIG. The support plate 32 is rotationally driven by an electric motor (driving part) 34, whereby the wafer W is rotationally driven around the vertical axis.

The gripping claw 33 is provided with an electrode 35 that can electrically contact the electrode 108 of the squeegee wafer DW. The notch N of the squeegee wafer DW (refer to FIG. 3 ) is in a predetermined positional relationship with the electrode 108 of the squeegee wafer DW. Since the squeegee wafer DW is positioned in the circumferential direction by the notch aligner 90 , the electrodes 108 of the squeegee wafer DW must be set in advance when held by the spin chuck 30 . The electrodes 35 of the gripping claws 33 are in contact with each other.

The electrode 35 is connected to a power source 36 for supplying power necessary for operating the squeegee wafer DW (for example, power for operating a pixel amplifier), and a signal processing device (transmitting and receiving unit and an arithmetic unit) 37 for performing The output of the command signal instructing the readout of pixel data to the squeegee wafer DW and the processing of the pixel data signal output from the squeegee wafer DW.

The processing fluid supply unit 40 has one or more nozzles 41 and discharges the processing fluid. The nozzle 41 is carried on the front end of the nozzle arm 42 rotatably about the vertical axis, and is movable between at least a position just above the center of the wafer W and a position just above the peripheral edge of the wafer W. To each nozzle 41 , a processing fluid supply mechanism 43 is connected, and a processing fluid (processing liquid, processing gas) is supplied to the nozzle 41 . A plurality of types of processing fluids may be supplied from each nozzle 41 , and in this case, a plurality of processing fluid supply mechanisms 43 are connected to one nozzle 41 . The number of nozzles 41 and the number of nozzle arms 42 provided in one processing unit 16 are arbitrary.

The substrate holding portion 31 of the spin chuck 30 is surrounded by the recovery cup 50 . The recovery cup 50 collects the processing liquid scattered from the wafer W. As shown in FIG. At the bottom of the recovered breast cup 50, a drain port 51 and an exhaust port 52 are formed. The treatment liquid is discharged to the outside of the recovery cup 50 from the liquid discharge port 51 . During the normal operation of the processing unit 16, the exhaust port 52 is always attracted, whereby the atmosphere in the space above the wafer W (for example, the clean air supplied from the FFU 21 to the chamber 20) is attracted to the Recycle the inside of the cup 50. The air flow accompanying this prevents the processing liquid scattered from the wafer W from adhering to the wafer W again.

Below the nozzle arm 42, an illumination device 45 is provided. The illuminating device 45 is arranged on the nozzle arm 42 so that when the nozzle 41 is positioned directly above the center portion of the wafer W, the illuminating device 45 can continuously (uninterrupted) irradiate from the center portion to the peripheral portion of the surface of the wafer W interval. When the nozzle 41 is located just above the center of the squeegee wafer DW, when the lighting device 45 is turned on, a surface of the squeegee wafer DW is formed with a continuous radially extending from the center portion to the peripheral portion. Linear or slender and short book-shaped irradiation interval.

FIG. 5 shows a modification of the processing unit 16 . In this modification, the system lighting device 46 is installed at the position where the FFU 21 is installed in the example of FIG. 4 . The illumination device 46 may be formed of a disk-shaped member having a diameter larger than that of the wafer W at least. The lighting device 46 may be configured to include a light-emitting portion 46a and a polarizing filter 46b, which may be formed of graphene or the like. In this case, the surface of the wafer W can be irradiated with parallel light (light that travels substantially only in a direction orthogonal to the surface of the wafer W), even though the wafer W is irradiated from a relatively distant position It is also possible to improve the accuracy of particle inspection by using light. In addition, the configuration of the lighting device 45 shown in FIG. 4 is the same as that of the lighting device 46 . In the modification of FIG. 5 , the side wall of the chamber 20 may be provided with an outlet for the FFU 21 of the side flow type. Except for the above points, the configuration of the processing unit 16 in FIG. 5 may be the same as the processing unit in FIG. 4 .

Next, referring to FIG. 6 , the configuration of the substrate transfer device 17 (particularly, the configuration in the vicinity of the substrate holder) will be described. The substrate transfer device 17 has a movable base 171 that can be moved in translation in the X direction (horizontal direction) and the Z direction (vertical direction) and is rotatable about an axis in the vertical direction. The moving base 171 is provided with a fork 172 (substrate holder) that can advance and retract in the horizontal direction.

In Fig. 6, the fork 172 is shown in a retracted position. When the wafer W is transferred between the wafer holding structures such as the spin chuck 30 of the processing unit 16 and the platform of the transfer unit 14, the fork 172 is located at the forward position, and the fork 172 is positioned between the wafer holding structures. When the wafer W is transported, the fork 172 is located at the retracted position.

The fork frame 172 is provided with a plurality of holding claws 173, and at least one of them is movable. By moving the movable holding claw 173, the fork 172 can hold and release the wafer W (blade coating wafer DW). The holding claw 173 is provided with an electrode 175 which can be in electrical contact with the electrode 108 of the squeegee wafer DW. Each electrode 108 of the appropriately positioned doctor blade wafer DW must be in contact with the electrode 175 of the predetermined holding claws 173 when held by the fork 172 .

The electrode 175 is connected to: a power source 177 for supplying power necessary to operate the squeegee wafer DW; and a signal processing device 179 (or the aforementioned signal processing device 37 ) for indicating pixel data to the squeegee wafer DW. The output of the read command signal and the processing of the pixel data (image signal) output from the squeegee wafer DW.

The mobile base 171 is provided with an illumination device 174 . The illuminating device 174 is provided so as to irradiate light to the entire surface area of the blade coating wafer DW held by the fork 172, which is located at the retracted position. The configuration of the lighting device 174 may be the same as that of the lighting devices 45 and 46 provided in the processing unit 16 .

The lighting device 174 may be in the form of a short book (the length of which is preferably equal to or more than the diameter of the squeegee wafer DW) in a direction orthogonal to the direction in which the fork 172 advances and retreats. In this case, as the fork 172 advances and retreats, the entire area of the squeegee wafer DW only needs to traverse the short-book (stripe)-shaped irradiation area of the illumination device 174 .

Also, as schematically shown in FIG. 5 , a wafer loading and unloading port 22 with a light shielding sheet is provided on one of the side walls of the chamber 20 of the processing unit 16 (it is the same in the configuration of FIG. 4 , but in 4 is not shown). For example, a booklet-shaped illuminating device 47 may be provided on the top of the wafer loading and unloading port 22 , and the illuminating device 47 has a length equal to or greater than the diameter of the wafer W. As shown in FIG. In this case, when the fork 172 holding the squeegee wafer DW passes under the lighting device 47, the squeegee wafer DW can be inspected.

Units/devices other than the processing unit 16 shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 and the substrate transfer device 17 shown in FIG. 6 may also be provided with electrodes that can be in electrical contact with the electrodes 108 of the squeegee wafer DW and irradiated with light. To the lighting device of the drawdown wafer DW located in a unit/device like this. In this case, a power supply and a signal processing device may be connected to the electrodes. The power supply supplies the power required to operate the squeegee wafer DW, and the signal processing device indicates pixel data to the squeegee wafer DW. The output of the read command signal and the processing of the pixel data (image signal) output from the squeegee wafer DW.

The lighting device may also be installed on the top of the chamber forming the wafer transfer space, on the top of the receiving and delivering portion 14 , or the like.

Next, a specific example of the investigation of the particle generation state and/or the analysis of the generation cause using the doctor blade wafer DW will be described. In addition, in each of the following specific examples, the measurement of the number of particles present on the surface of the squeegee wafer DW is performed based on the signal output from each pixel 105 of the squeegee wafer DW.

<Concrete example 1> The carrier C in which the doctor blade wafer DW is accommodated is placed on the carrier placement portion 11 (step 1). The fork (substrate holder) of the substrate transfer device 13 carried into the unloading station 2 penetrates into the carrier C, and the doctor blade wafer DW is taken out from the carrier C (step 2). The fork of the substrate transfer device 13 penetrates into the receiving and delivering unit 14, and the doctor blade wafer DW is placed on the receiving and delivering unit 14 (step 3).

In addition, when the notch aligner 90 is located in the conveyance part 12, the positioning of the squeegee wafer DW is performed between step 2 and step 3. By means of positioning, the electrode 175 of the fork 172 of the substrate transfer device (13) and the electrode 35 of the spin chuck 30 can be surely brought into contact with the electrode 108 of the squeegee wafer DW. In the case where the positioning-completed doctor blade wafer DW is accommodated in the carrier C, the positioning operation can be omitted. When the squeegee wafer storage unit 92 is located in the conveying unit 12, the squeegee wafer storage unit 92 may be transferred from the “positioned squeegee wafer DW stored in the squeegee wafer storage unit 92” from the squeegee wafer storage unit. 92 to the step of conveying to the receiving and receiving unit 14", a series of steps are started.

After step 3, the fork of the substrate transfer device 17 of the processing station 3 penetrates into the receiving and delivering unit 14, and the doctor blade wafer DW is taken out from the receiving and delivering unit 14 (step 4). The fork of the substrate transfer device 17 penetrates into the processing unit 16, and transfers the squeegee wafer DW to the spin chuck 30 in the processing unit 16 (step 5). In the processing unit 16, liquid processing is performed on the doctor blade wafer DW (step 6). After the liquid processing is completed, the fork of the substrate transfer device 17 penetrates into the processing unit 16, and the doctor blade wafer DW is taken out from the processing unit 16 (step 7). The fork of the substrate transfer device 17 penetrates into the receiving and receiving unit 14, and the doctor blade wafer DW is placed on the receiving and receiving unit 14 (step 8). The fork of the substrate transfer device 13 penetrates into the receiving and receiving unit 14, and the doctor blade DW is taken out from the receiving and receiving unit 14 (step 9). The fork of the substrate transfer device 13 penetrates into the original carrier C, and the doctor blade wafer DW is accommodated in the carrier C (step 10 ).

During the period from step 1 to step 10 described above, based on the output signal of the squeegee wafer DW, the change in the adhesion state of the particles on the squeegee wafer DW can be grasped. In addition, the squeegee wafer DW can be applied between the electrode 108 of the squeegee wafer DW and an external electrode (for example, the electrode 35 of the gripping claw 33 of the spin chuck 30 of the processing unit 16 or the fork 172 of the substrate transfer device 17 ). While the electrode 175) of the holding pawl 173 is in contact, a signal is output to the outside. In the case where data is also required when the electrode 108 of the squeegee wafer DW is not in contact with the external electrodes as described above, as will be described later, a data buffer (memory portion) may also be provided on the squeegee wafer DW, Alternatively, a wireless output unit (antenna) (described later) may be provided on the squeegee wafer DW.

By examining changes in the amount of particles (here, for example, the total amount of particles) on the doctor blade wafer DW during the period from Step 1 to Step 10, the step in which many particles are generated can be specified. By focusing on particle countermeasures in this specific step, particles can be efficiently reduced.

When the wafer W is processed without any problem, the blade coating wafer DW may be used to periodically acquire the data on the transition of the particle amount as described above. By comparing the data on the change in the amount of particles obtained at a certain time with the data on the change in the amount of particles obtained earlier than that, it is possible to predict the possibility of occurrence of a problem with the particles. For example, when the amount of particles increases more than before in steps 3, 4, 8, 9, etc. of taking out and placing the squeegee wafer DW from the receiving and receiving unit 14, it is estimated that the particle-causing substance adheres to the receiving and receiving unit 14. . In this case, particle contamination of the wafer W can be prevented in advance by cleaning the receiving and delivering portion 14 .

It is also possible to perform a series of steps (steps 5 and 7 related to the transfer to and from the processing unit 16 ) excluding only step 6 (liquid processing) from step 1 to step 10 described above, and to detect particles generated by the transfer. By specifying the coordinates of the position where the particles increase during the transfer, it can be estimated that the components of the substrate processing system located in the vicinity of the coordinates are the cause of the particle generation, so that the countermeasures against the particles can be easily performed.

It is also possible to change only the processing unit 16 to be the object of steps 5 to 7, and to execute steps 1 to 10 at the same time. In this case, the processing unit 16 which is likely to generate particles can be specified.

<Concrete example 2> The above-mentioned step 6 can also be further subdivided, and the transition of the amount of particles can be investigated. When the above-mentioned step 5 is completed (that is, if the doctor blade wafer DW is held by the spin chuck 30 ), the liquid process is performed on the doctor blade wafer DW in the processing unit 16 (step 6 ). Step 6 is composed of a plurality of steps (sub-steps). First, the spin chuck 30 is rotated to rotate the squeegee wafer DW, and a pre-wet liquid (eg, a DIW supply source) is supplied from the nozzle 41 to the squeegee wafer DW (step 61 ). Next, the chemical solution A is supplied to the squeegee wafer DW (step 62 ), then the rinse liquid is supplied to the squeegee wafer DW (step 63 ), and then the chemical solution B is supplied to the squeegee wafer DW (step 63 ) 64), then, the rinse liquid is supplied to the doctor-blade wafer DW (step 65), then IPA is supplied to the doctor-blade wafer DW (step 66), and then the doctor-blade wafer DW is shaken off and dried (step 67) ).

By examining the change in the amount of particles (here, the total amount of particles, for example) on the doctor blade wafer DW during the period from step 61 to step 67 , the step in which many particles are generated can be specified. By focusing on particle countermeasures in this specific step, particles can be efficiently reduced. For example, when the amount of particulates is not sufficiently reduced after step 65, it is presumed that there is some defect in the flushing process. In this case, what is necessary is just to carry out the confirmation of whether the conditions of the flushing process are defective or not, and whether or not the constituent members of the processing unit 16 related to the flushing process are contaminated or not.

In this specific example 2, similarly to the specific example 1, when the wafer W is processed without any problem, the doctor blade wafer DW can also be used, and the data on the transition of the particle amount as described above can be periodically obtained. . By comparing the data on the change in the amount of particles obtained at a certain time with the data on the change in the amount of particles obtained earlier than that, it is possible to predict the possibility of occurrence of a problem with the particles.

<Example 3> The contamination status of one of the nozzles 41 and the processing fluid supply mechanism 43 connected thereto can be detected by using the doctor blade DW. In this case, the nozzle 41 supplies the processing liquid to the vicinity of the center of the squeegee wafer DW rotated by the spin chuck, and the detection of the particle level by the squeegee wafer DW is performed only in Squeegee coating is performed near the center of the wafer DW. As shown in the graph of FIG. 7 , the detected value of the particle amount of the squeegee wafer DW is detected from the time point when the discharge of the treatment liquid from the nozzle 41 starts (specifically, the particle amount increases from before the start of the treatment of the particle amount). Quantity) changes over time.

In FIG. 8 , the configuration of one nozzle 41 and the processing fluid supply mechanism 43 connected thereto is schematically shown. The branch supply pipe 432 branches from the main supply pipe 431 of the processing liquid (for example, a circulation pipe connected to the processing liquid storage tank) toward each processing unit 16 . In the branch supply pipe 432, a flow meter 433, a constant pressure valve 434 functioning as a flow control valve, and an on-off valve 435 are interposed in this order from the upstream side. The nozzle 41 is connected to the downstream end of the branch supply pipe 432 .

In such a piping system, for example, as shown by the solid line in the graph of FIG. 7 , if the amount of particles is high immediately after the start of discharging the treatment liquid from the nozzle 41 and the amount of particles decreases thereafter, it can be seen that the nozzle 41 The possibility of contamination near the spit outlet is high. In such a case, for example, "changing the process recipe so as to perform virtual distribution for about 3 seconds before starting to discharge the processing liquid from the nozzle 41" can be a countermeasure.

For example, as shown by the dotted line in the graph of FIG. 7 , it is assumed that the amount of fine particles immediately after the start of discharge of the treatment liquid from the nozzle 41 is low, but T(sec) after the start of discharge (in the graph, approximately 5 sec), the particle amount increased and then decreased. In this case, it can be seen that there is a high possibility of contamination of the piping system components, and the piping system components are located at a distance from the front end of the nozzle 41 to the upstream side only by the distance D (cm). When the discharge flow rate of the treatment liquid from the nozzle 41 is V (ml/sec) and the cross-sectional area of the piping is A (cm ² ), L can be approximately obtained by the following equation. D=VT/A

For example, if the member located at a distance D from the front end of the nozzle 41 is the on-off valve 435, it is estimated that the on-off valve 435 is contaminated or the possibility of dust generation due to the on-off valve 435 is high. In this case, the on-off valve 435 may be cleaned or replaced with a new one. In addition, in the case where the on-off valve 435 is contaminated, there is also the following situation: by means of "preferably at a relatively large flow rate and preferably in a relatively long period of time, virtual dispensing from the nozzle 41" , the pollutants in the branch supply pipe 432 (including the liquid contact surface of the switch valve 435 ) can be removed.

When the distance D is larger than the distance from the front end of the nozzle 41 to the upstream end of the branch supply pipe 432 , the possibility of contamination of the treatment liquid flowing in the main supply pipe 431 is high. In this case, the processing in all the processing units 16 may be temporarily suspended, and the degree of contamination of the processing liquid flowing through the main supply pipe 431 may be checked.

<Concrete example 4> Next, referring to the flowchart of FIG. 9 , the determination and correspondence regarding whether or not the wafer W can be processed in the processing unit 16 , for example, periodically performed by using the blade coating wafer DW, will be described.

First, it is determined whether or not the surface of the blade-coated wafer DW (in the flowchart of FIG. 9 , described as “DrW”) has sufficient cleanliness for inspection (step 201 ). This determination can be performed, for example, by holding the squeegee wafer DW by the substrate transfer device 17 or the spin chuck 30 of the processing unit 16, and reading image data from the squeegee wafer DW. . The determination can be performed, for example, by "whether the particles existing on the surface of the doctor-coated wafer DW are equal to or less than the reference value of the total amount of particles determined for each particle".

If the determination result is NO (NG), that is, if it is determined that the surface of the squeegee wafer DW is contaminated, the inspection is temporarily suspended (step 202 ). In this case, two-fluid cleaning or scrubbing cleaning of the contaminated surface of the blade wafer DW may be performed, or a regeneration treatment of the surface of the blade wafer DW may be performed (details will be described later). The contaminated blade coating wafer DW can also be replaced with another clean blade coating wafer DW, and proceed to step 203.

When the determination result is yes (OK), that is, it is determined that the surface of the blade-coated wafer DW has sufficient cleanliness, a series of treatments are performed on the blade-coated wafer DW using the process recipe of the wafer W. After the treatment is completed, the measurement of the amount of particles on the surface of the blade-coated wafer DW is performed (step 203 ). This measurement can be performed, for example, in a state in which the wafer W is continuously held by the spin chuck 30 of the processing unit 16 .

Then, the amount of particles before the liquid treatment is compared with the amount of particles after the liquid treatment (step 204 ). If the increase in the amount of particles is less than or equal to a preset threshold, the determination result is OK, and the processing unit 16 is allowed to process the crystals. Circle W (step 205). With the above, the inspection ends.

If the increase in the amount of fine particles exceeds a preset threshold, the determination result is NG. Then, the flow proceeds to step 206, and if it is the second NG determination, the processing of the wafer W by the processing unit 16 is prohibited (step 207) (the details will be described later).

In step 206 , if it is determined as the first NG determination, an alarm is generated through a user interface such as a display or an alarm sound generator, and processing of the wafer W by the processing unit 16 to be inspected is temporarily prohibited (step 208 ). When the inspection using the squeegee wafer DW is performed in parallel with the general processing of the wafer W, the processing schedule may be changed by excluding the processing unit 16 .

Next, the time-dependent change data of the particles measured using the blade-coated wafer DW is compared with the processing log of the processing unit 16 to estimate the cause of the particles. In addition, the processing log is data indicating the time and the program executed, for example, "13:56:25: Open the on-off valve of the processing fluid supply mechanism 43 (start to discharge the chemical solution A from the nozzle 41)" collection of data. Specifically, for example, by performing the determination as described in the above-mentioned specific example 2 and specific example 3, the cause of the generation of the particles is estimated (step 209 ).

Next, it is determined that the cause of particle generation is (A) fouling of the treatment fluid supply mechanism 43 (liquid supply system) or (B) other fouling (step 210). Regarding the example of the fouling of the liquid supply system of (A), refer to the above-mentioned specific example 2 and specific example 3.

When the cause of particle generation is (A) fouling of piping (including valves, flow meters, etc.) of the treatment fluid supply mechanism 43 (liquid supply system), for example, cleaning (flushing) of the liquid supply system is performed. Specifically, for example, using the treatment fluid supply mechanism 43, virtual distribution is performed from the nozzle 41 at a preset time, and the dirt in the pipe is flushed (step 211).

(B) Examples of other causes include dirt on the inner wall of the chamber 20 , dirt on the recovered breast cup 50 , and the like. In the case of the contamination of the chamber 20 or the recovery cup 50 , the particles tend to be concentrated on the peripheral portion of the squeegee wafer DW, and therefore, it can be determined that the cause is (B) based on this.

Hereinafter, an example of the determination of the causes (A) and (B) will be described. In the case of "during the processing period, the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle 41 is detected at a position on the squeegee wafer DW (for example, the center portion of the squeegee wafer DW) where many particles are detected", it can be judged. There is a high possibility that the cause of particle generation (that is, the cause is (A)) exists in the treatment fluid supply mechanism 43 (in the flow path of the treatment liquid). On the other hand, when there is a lot of dirt on the recovery cup 50, after the treatment liquid scattered from the squeegee wafer DW collides with the recovery cup 50, it scatters together with the dirt and adheres to the periphery of the squeegee wafer DW again. department. Therefore, in the case of "a large number of particles are detected at the peripheral portion of the squeegee wafer DW during the process", it can be determined that the cause is likely to be (B). In addition, when “many particles are detected in the peripheral portion of the squeegee wafer DW when the treatment liquid is applied to the center portion of the squeegee wafer DW”, it is understood that the reason is ( B) is more likely.

When it is determined that the amount of particles has increased due to the detachment of dirt from the chamber 20 or the recovery cup 50, the cleaning solution is sprayed from the cup inner wall cleaning nozzle or the chamber inner wall cleaning nozzle, which is not shown in the figure, to clean it. The inner wall of the cup and the inner wall of the chamber (step 212).

After step 211 or step 212 is performed, the flow returns to step 201 . Thereafter, if the determination result in step 204 is OK, the processing unit 16 is allowed to process the wafer W.

If the determination result of step 204 is NG again, since the determination result of step 206 is YES (Y), the processing unit 16 is prohibited from processing the wafer W. In this case, an alarm is generated through a user interface such as a display or an alarm sound generator to urge the operator to clean or repair the processing unit 16 .

In the above-mentioned specific example, in step 211 and step 212, although the cleaning operation which can be performed automatically is performed, it is not limited to this. In step 211 and step 212, cleaning or maintenance of the processing unit 16 may also be performed by an operator.

<Example 5> The cause of the particles can be estimated from the distribution tendency of the particles on the blade-coated wafer DW. For example, if the distribution of particles as shown in FIG. 10 is confirmed immediately after the fork of the substrate transfer device 13 takes out the squeegee wafer DW from the carrier C, it can be determined that the slot of the carrier C is contaminated. In FIG. 10 , particles are seen at the portion where the drawdown wafer DW is in contact with the slot of the carrier C. As shown in FIG.

Also, for example, if the distribution of particles as shown in FIG. 11 is confirmed immediately after the fork of the substrate transfer device 17 takes out the squeegee wafer DW from the delivery unit 14 , it can be determined that the delivery unit 14 is contaminated. In this case, we think that it is caused by the drop of the particles dropped from the top of the receiving and delivering portion 14 .

Also, if, for example, the distribution of particles as shown in FIG. 12 is confirmed immediately after the doctor blade wafer DW is processed by the processing unit 16 (or at the initial stage of processing), it can be determined that the three gripping claws of the spin chuck 30 (along the circumference) directions are arranged at equal intervals) are polluted. When the gripping claws are contaminated, the particles adhering to the gripping claws fall off due to "the processing liquid that is about to scatter outside the squeegee wafer DW and collide with the gripping claws", contaminating the surface of the squeegee wafer DW.

Also, although not shown, if the squeegee wafer DW held by the fork 172 of the substrate transfer device 17 (or 13 ) is placed at the transfer destination position (for example, the spin chuck of the processing unit 16 ) Immediately, if particles are detected in the vicinity of the contact portion with the holding claws of the fork, it can be determined that the holding claws 173 of the fork 172 are contaminated.

<Example 6> 13(A), (B), and (C) show the relationship between the position of the nozzle 41 and the amount of particles when the processing liquid is supplied from the nozzle 41 to the rotating squeegee wafer DW. The blacked-out area is an area with a particularly high number of particles. In this case, there are many particles in the vicinity of the impingement point of the processing liquid from the nozzle 41 . In such a case, it is estimated that many fine particles are contained in the processing liquid discharged from the nozzle 41 .

In addition, in the case of discharging the liquid having a certain degree of light-shielding property from the nozzle 41 to the blade coating wafer DW, it is possible to use the method of squeegee coating based on the data in the form shown in FIGS. The pixel data obtained from the coated wafer DW confirms the liquid impingement point of the liquid on the coated wafer DW. That is, it can be confirmed whether the position control of the nozzle 41 is properly performed.

FIG. 13(D) shows a state in which it is thrown off and dried, and a region with many annular particles is formed on the peripheral portion of the squeegee wafer DW. In this case, it is considered that the drying conditions are not appropriate or the mist scattered from the blade-coated wafer DW bounces off the recovery cup and reattaches to the blade-coated wafer DW.

<Inspection of particle size by knife-coated wafers> Hereinafter, the particle size detection by the doctor blade wafer DW will be further described. FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing a state in which particles P larger than a pixel size exist above a plurality of pixels 105 . As shown in FIG. 14 , the thickness of the particles P is set to be thick in the central portion and thin in the peripheral portion. In this case, most of the illumination light L irradiated to the central portion of the particle P is blocked by the particle P and does not reach the pixel 105 . On the other hand, a part of the illumination light L irradiated to the peripheral portion of the microparticles P passes through the microparticles. In addition, the illumination light L may bypass the periphery of the particle P and reach the pixel.

FIG. 15 schematically shows the distribution of the amount of light received by each pixel 105 in the case shown in FIG. 14 . This means that one black point corresponds to one pixel 105, and the larger the size of the black point, the smaller the amount of received light.

Considering the above situation, when the intensity of the light when the illumination light L directly (not blocked by the particles P) reaches the pixel 105 is set to 1, and the intensity of the light reaching the pixel 105 is smaller than a preset threshold (for example, less than 0.8) , it can also be determined that the particles exist directly above the pixel 105 thereof. The threshold value can also be obtained by "comparing data obtained by conventional methods with practical effect (such as the method of reflection/diffraction using a laser) with data obtained by using a knife-coated wafer DW". , determined experimentally.

Among the adjacent pixels 105 , when the intensity of light received by one of the pixels 105 is greater than a threshold value and the intensity of light received by the other pixel 105 is less than the threshold value, it can be determined that there is between the adjacent pixels 105 . Part of the outline of particle P. All other adjacent pixels 105 in a relationship like this are detected, whereby the profile of the particle P can be specified.

The threshold value can also be changed according to the particle size (this can be determined by the number of consecutive pixels whose light intensity is less than 0.8, for example). For example, the threshold value when particles smaller than the pixel size (for example, about 5 nm) exist in one pixel can be set to be less than 0.5, for example.

In addition, as described above, other defects such as watermarks, scratches, etc. can also be detected by doctor coating the wafer DW. Because these defects also prevent the illumination light from being incident to the pixels. Watermarks can be detected by the same detection principle as microparticles, except that the light transmittance is greater than that of general microparticles.

When scratches S are formed on the surface of the protective layer 106 of the blade-coated wafer DW, as shown in FIG. 16 , the illumination light L is diverted by the scratches S and hardly reaches directly below the scratches S 105 pixels. The scratches S cover a plurality of pixels 105 and extend continuously in a linear shape. Therefore, when the pixels 105 with a small amount of received light are connected in a line, it can be determined that scratches are present above the pixels 105 .

＜Regeneration of blade-coated wafers＞ It is not good to perform inspection with scratches S on the surface or with the blade-coated wafer DW in which particles that cannot be removed by cleaning are firmly adhered. In order to regenerate such a doctor blade wafer DW, the following regeneration method may be performed.

When particles are firmly fixed or when shallow scratches S are formed, at least the vicinity of the outermost surface of the protective layer 106 is thinly scraped by chemical treatment or CMP treatment, whereby the scraping coating can be used again. Wafer DW. When the hydrophobic thin film is formed on the outermost surface of the protective layer 106, the hydrophobic thin film may be formed after the above-mentioned treatment.

In the case where the scratch S is deep and the protective layer 106 of the squeegee wafer DW is composed of the pixel protection baffle 106a and the transparent glass (SiO _x ) 106b, the pixel protection baffle 106a can also be kept and the transparent layer can be completely removed. The glass 106b, thereafter, again forms a layer of the transparent glass 106b.

<Variation of blade-coated wafers> As described above, the basic function of the squeegee wafer DW is to output the charges output from the pixels 105 of the light-receiving layer 104 to the outside through the wiring layer 102 (including logic circuits, amplifiers, etc.). In this basic configuration, only when the electrode of the squeegee wafer DW and the external electrode (for example, the electrode of the holding claws of the spin chuck, the electrodes of the holding claws of the forks of the substrate transfer devices 13 and 17 , etc.) are in contact with each other, Data can be obtained and sent.

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one or two or more of the following constitutions may be combined with the doctor blade wafer DW and added to the basic constitution. Thereby, the doctor blade wafer DW can be used flexibly. (a) Memory section 107a for temporarily storing pixel data (b) Power storage unit 107b that stores electric power for operating the squeegee wafer DW (c) For non-contact power supply to the squeegee wafer DW (power reception of the squeegee wafer DW) or for wireless transmission of data between the squeegee wafer DW and an external machine (eg readout of pixel data) Antenna unit 107c for receiving commands and transmitting pixel data to external devices)

In addition, the memory portion 107a can be configured by, for example, DRAM, RRAM, MRAM, NAND-type flash memory, or the like. The power storage unit 107b may be constituted by a battery, a capacitor, or the like. The antenna portion may be formed of an amorphous soft magnetic body.

FIG. 17 schematically shows a doctor blade wafer DW provided with a memory portion 107 a in addition to the wiring layer 102 , the light-receiving layer 104 , and the protective layer 106 . FIG. 18 schematically shows a doctor blade wafer DW provided with a memory portion 107 a and a power storage portion 107 b in addition to the wiring layer 102 , the light-receiving layer 104 , and the protective layer 106 . 19 schematically shows a doctor blade wafer DW provided with a memory portion 107a, a power storage portion 107b, and an antenna portion 107c in addition to the wiring layer 102, the light-receiving layer 104, and the protective layer 106.

As shown in FIG. 20 , a nanolens array can also be incorporated into the protective layer 106 . In this case, each of the nano-lenses 109 can be arranged directly above each of the pixels 105 . In this case, the outermost surface of the protective layer 106 may be formed of transparent glass (SiO _x ) or the like.

Instead of providing the light-receiving layer 104 on the entire surface of the blade-coating wafer DW, the light-receiving layer 104 may be provided only on a part of the surface of the blade-coating wafer DW. For example, as shown in FIG. 21 , the light-receiving layer 104 may be provided only on a plurality of lines extending in the diameter direction of the squeegee wafer DW. In this way, since the amount of data to be processed is reduced, the burden of data transmission and reception and arithmetic processing is reduced. For example, in the case of performing an inspection in which only the total amount of particles on the surface of the squeegee wafer DW becomes a problem (the distribution does not become a problem), the inspection efficiency is improved.

Each layer, such as the wiring layer 102 and the light-receiving layer 104 of the squeegee wafer DW, can be formed on the semiconductor wafer using the manufacturing technology (film-forming technology) of a semiconductor element. However, the doctor-blade wafer DW can also be constructed by attaching a pre-formed camera device to the substrate.

In the above-described embodiment, the electrode 35 is provided on the gripping claw 34 of the mechanical chuck, but the present invention is not limited to this. When the spin chuck is a vacuum chuck, an electrode may be provided on the vacuum chuck, and an electrode may be provided at a portion in contact with the vacuum chuck in the central portion of the back surface of the squeegee wafer DW.

According to the above-described embodiment, by using the blade coating wafer DW, the particle level detection can be performed at each position of the substrate processing system 1 . As long as an illuminating device that appropriately irradiates illumination light to the squeegee wafer DW is provided, inspection of the particle level can also be performed during the processing and conveyance of the squeegee wafer DW. In addition, by providing the memory portion 107a, the power storage portion 107b, the antenna portion 107c, and the like on the draw down wafer DW, the particle level can be inspected at any timing. Thereby, the identification of the generation cause of the fine particles can be performed easily and in a short time.

In the conventional particle level inspection method using a stand-alone particle inspection apparatus, only the particle levels before and after processing and before and after transportation can be compared, and the particle levels during processing and during transportation cannot be inspected. Of course, it is not possible to inspect wafers in a wet state. Also, for specific particle generation, it is necessary to process a plurality of wafers and compare their processing results with each other. In addition, it takes a long time to inspect one wafer. Therefore, the cause of the generation of specific particles is very time-consuming and expensive. In addition, there is a possibility that the wafer may be contaminated during the transfer of the wafer to the stand-alone particle inspection apparatus. In the above-described embodiment, many such problems can be solved.

The embodiments disclosed this time are exemplifications in all respects, and it should be understood that these exemplifications are not intended to limit the present invention. The above-mentioned embodiments may be omitted, replaced, and changed in various forms without departing from the scope and gist of the appended claims.

DW: Check the substrate 100: Substrate 102+104: Camera Components 106: Protective layer 108: Output part (electrode)

1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a substrate processing system according to an embodiment of a substrate processing apparatus. Fig. 2 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing the structure of a doctor wafer according to an embodiment. [ Fig. 3] Fig. 3 is a schematic plan view showing the arrangement of electrodes in a doctor blade wafer according to an embodiment. [ Fig. 4] Fig. 4 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a processing unit included in the substrate processing system. [ Fig. 5] Fig. 5 is a schematic longitudinal sectional view showing another example of the configuration of the processing unit included in the substrate processing system. [ Fig. 6] Fig. 6 is a schematic longitudinal cross-sectional view showing an example of the configuration of a substrate transfer apparatus included in the substrate processing system. [ Fig. 7] Fig. 7 is a graph showing an example of a time-dependent change in particle level from the start of the treatment liquid from the nozzle. [ Fig. 8] Fig. 8 is a piping configuration diagram showing an example of the configuration of a treatment liquid supply system for supplying treatment liquid to nozzles. [ Fig. 9] Fig. 9 is a flowchart illustrating a specific example 4 of the operation of the blade-coated wafer. [ Fig. 10] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the particle distribution related to Specific Example 5. [Fig. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing another example of particle distribution related to Specific Example 5. FIG. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing another example of particle distribution related to Specific Example 5. FIG. FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of particle distribution related to Specific Example 6. FIG. [ Fig. 14 ] A schematic cross-sectional view for explaining the detection of the particle size by the blade-coated wafer. [ Fig. 15 ] A distribution diagram illustrating the detection of particle size by the blade-coated wafer. FIG. 16 is a schematic cross-sectional view illustrating a case where scratches are formed on a squeegee wafer. [ Fig. 17 ] A schematic cross-sectional view showing another configuration example of the doctor blade wafer. [ Fig. 18] Fig. 18 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another configuration example of the doctor blade wafer. [ Fig. 19] Fig. 19 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another configuration example of the doctor blade wafer. [ Fig. 20] Fig. 20 is a schematic cross-sectional view showing another configuration example of the doctor blade wafer. [ Fig. 21 ] A schematic plan view showing another structural example of the doctor blade wafer.

100: Substrate

102: wiring layer

104: light-receiving layer

105: Pixels

106: Protective layer

106a: Pixel protection bezel

106b: Clear glass

DW: Squeegee Wafer

Claims (11)

An operating method, the operating method is an operating method of a substrate processing apparatus, the substrate processing apparatus is provided with: a processing unit for processing a product substrate; a carry-in/out unit for carrying in and out of the product substrate processed by the processing unit; and A conveying mechanism for conveying the product substrate between the loading and unloading unit and the processing unit, and the operation method is characterized by comprising: The step of preparing an inspection substrate, the inspection substrate is provided with a "plate-shaped substrate, an imaging element provided on at least a part of the surface of the substrate, and a light-transmitting protective layer formed on the surface of the imaging element. and an output unit for outputting the output of the imaging element to the outside of the inspection substrate", and is configured to be based on the imaging element that can change due to the light irradiated from the light source being shielded by contaminants adhering to the protective layer. output, to detect the adhesion state of the aforementioned pollutants to the aforementioned protective layer; Perform inspection steps as at least one of the following: - processing the inspection substrate with the processing unit, and by means of the inspection substrate, detecting the state of contaminants adhering to the inspection substrate after or during processing; and - conveying the inspection substrate by the conveying mechanism, and detecting the state of contaminants adhering to the inspection substrate after or during the conveyance by the inspection substrate; and In the determination step, based on the state of the contaminants detected in the inspection step, it is determined whether or not the substrate processing apparatus can process or transport the product substrate. Such as the application method of claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned inspection step is to perform the same series of transport operations and processing operations as "a series of transport operations and processing operations performed on the product substrates" on the aforementioned inspection substrates, The judging step includes: based on a comparison result of the state of contaminants on the inspection substrate at the start time point and the end time point of the series of conveying operations and processing operations for the inspection substrate The product substrate performs a series of conveying operations and judgments of processing operations. Such as the application method of claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned inspection steps include: Perform the same series of transport operations and processing operations as "a series of transport operations and processing operations performed on the product substrates" for the aforementioned inspection substrate; and Based on changes in the state of contaminants on the inspection substrate during each transfer operation and each processing operation, a transfer operation and/or processing operation that contributes significantly to increasing the contaminant on the inspection substrate is specified. Such as the application method of claim 1, wherein, The inspection step includes continuously monitoring the state of contaminants on the inspection substrate at least between a first time point and a second time point when the inspection substrate is processed by the processing unit. Such as the application method of claim 1, wherein, The inspection step includes detecting the state of contaminants on the inspection substrate at least at each of a first time point and a second time point when the inspection substrate is processed by the processing unit. Such as the application method of claim 1, wherein, The inspection step includes continuously monitoring the state of contaminants on the inspection substrate at least between a first time point and a second time point when the inspection substrate is conveyed by the conveyance mechanism. The application method of claim 6, wherein, The inspection step includes specifying the coordinates of the inspection substrate conveyed by the conveying mechanism when the amount of contaminants on the inspection substrate increases. Such as the application method of claim 1, wherein, The inspection step includes detecting the state of contaminants on the inspection substrate at least at each of a first time point and a second time point when the inspection substrate is conveyed by the conveyance mechanism. Such as the application method of claim 1, wherein, The inspection step is performed when liquid processing is performed on the inspection substrate by the processing unit, and the liquid processing includes supplying a processing liquid from a nozzle to the inspection substrate, The inspection step includes "continuously monitor the state of contaminants on the inspection substrate from the time point when the process liquid is started to be discharged from the nozzle", and includes "based on the time point when the process liquid starts to be discharged from the nozzle" The elapsed time until the time point when the amount of contaminants on the inspection substrate increases, specifies the nozzle and the contaminated site in the processing liquid supply piping connected to the nozzle.” Such as the application method of claim 1, wherein, The inspection step is performed when liquid processing is performed on the inspection substrate by the processing unit, and the liquid processing includes a series of processing steps, The inspection step includes specifying one or more processing steps that contribute significantly to increasing the contaminant on the inspection substrate based on changes in the state of the contaminant on the inspection substrate when each processing step is performed. Such as the application method of claim 1, wherein, The inspection step is performed when the inspection substrate is subjected to a liquid treatment having a series of treatment steps by the treatment unit, The inspection step includes: obtaining an increase in the amount of pollutants detected in the inspection step after the execution of the series of processing steps relative to before the execution, In the aforementioned determining step, when the aforementioned increment is greater than a preset threshold value, the processing of the product substrate in the aforementioned processing unit is prohibited.

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